I went for a different kind of story this time. I don't often write gangster things, but this is what came out.
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Broken Links
It had
taken a while but Mikey had found the broken link. He’d made sure he’d been
thorough; he didn’t want to make a mistake – that would be bad – and now he was
taking care of it.
He drove up
to the cabin where Paulie had told him to get some R&R after disposing of
it. He smiled to himself. They were pleased with him. He’d finally garnered
some respect and might move up a few links in the chain.
The cabin
came into view. It was a luxury one Paulie had had built. It had all the
trappings of a resort, but was more secluded and only used by their
organisation.
When he
pulled up outside there were two other cars. He frowned, he wasn’t alone, even though he'd expected to be.
A large,
stocky man in his late forties came out. “Mikey, how the hell are you? Paulie
told us to expect you.”
“Hey Jimmy,
I’m good thanks. Paulie sent you?”
“Yeah, he
said you may need some help, you know. You got it with you?”
Jimmy
nodded.
“Okay, let
me get Ahmed.”
Jimmy
disappeared inside to return with Paulie’s number two, Ahmed. He was as wide as
he was tall, and solid muscle. He wasn’t someone you messed with – but then
neither was Mikey.
“Hey Mikey,
how you doing?”
“Hey Ahmed,
I’m good now I’ve resolved the problem. Looking forward to taking a break.”
“Sure
thing. Everything’s been laid on. Me and Jimmy’ll be leaving you in peace after.”
Ahmed winked at Jimmy.
“What do
you want to do, Mikey? Take five minutes or sort it now?” Jimmy said, ignoring
whatever Ahmed had meant by the wink.
Mikey
paused. These guys were further up the chain and he didn’t know them well
enough to read their body language, but his gut told him something was wrong.
“I could
use a drink and a leg stretch; it’s been a long drive.”
“Sure, come
in and have a drink.” Jimmy beckoned him in, Ahmed following behind.
The place
was spotless and no expense had been spared on this enormous ranch-like house.
It was open plan and the extensive hallway led into a huge lounging area with
wall to ceiling glass windows overlooking a huge swimming pool with the sweeping
view of the forest covered mountains as backdrop.
“Wow,
impressive.”
“It is,”
Ahmed said. “Paulie knew what he was doing when he built this place.”
A bar ran
along the back of the room and they all headed that way, Jimmy slipping behind
to prepare drinks. A bourbon was put in front of Mikey and he swallowed it down
in one, hoping it would quell the bad feeling. It didn’t. Jimmy immediately
topped it up and Mikey swigged the next one down.
“Got a
thirst, Mikey?” Ahmed perched on a stool next to him.
“I need it to
take the edge off, you know?”
“Sure do.”
Ahmed glanced at Jimmy and that was when Mikey knew. The broken link he’d
discovered and disposed of hadn’t been the only one, there were two more right
here. Paulie didn’t know they were up here. They were here to stop Mikey.
A third
bourbon was placed in front of Mikey, and this time he stood up and took it
with him, walking to the windows and taking in the view again. They didn’t
follow him. His mind raced trying to work out a plan. He could run to his car or
stand his ground? Which would it be?
The choice
was taken from him as Ahmed barrelled into him. They weren’t wasting any time.
Jimmy ran over as Ahmed tried to pin Mikey down and hooked a piece of wire over
his head, aiming for his throat. Mikey managed to get a hand under it to stop
it tightening. He thrashed about, making it difficult for them to hold him as
he bent his right leg up under him and reach for the knife attached to his
calf.
He plunged
it in under Ahmed’s ribs and twisted, but didn’t wait, pulling it out and
swinging his arm up over his head, hitting Jimmy full in the face with it,
causing him to topple over. Mikey wriggled out from under them and took a
breath as they lay there dying.
Now he had
three bodies to dispose of, and a phone call to make to Paulie, before he could
take his R&R.
Here's mine: http://www.agincourtdb.com/2020/05/we-have.html
ReplyDeleteIntriguing. Thanks for joining.
DeleteHere's a readable link: The Beast
The Chain, by J.P. Garland, @jpgarlandauthor 347 words
ReplyDeleteI am doing what I swore to myself a thousand, perhaps a million times I would not do. The day was much as it was ten years ago. The western sky is lowering, as it was then, and again the sky above is a blue pebbled with wisps of clouds, quickly marching to the east.
Then, too, gulls hung on the wind and soared without seeming effort above the fishermen’s boats, empty and long back with their morning hauls. The harbor, though, is almost half-empty as a portion of the village’s fleet cannot resist tilling the blue seas still churning from yesterday’s rain to for a more lucrative catch. On the horizon I just about make out four or five hastening to return lest their wings melt for sailing too close to the storm now intent on coming through late in the afternoon, early evening at the latest.
But four or five. Are they the rest? I look back at the harbor, and there are more than that number of buoys bouncing in the light waves.
No. I see the laggards hurrying behind, just now into view, and it is clear that they will beat the storm in, though perhaps chastened with the battering of its front edge.
He made it in, those ten years ago. He laughed as the clean rain mingled on the deck of his pride with the sea’s brine. He wasn’t using a buoy. Attached his pride to a chain out by the promenade but before he got far from her, the chain snapped, and his pride was quickly vanishing in the dark and he jumped into a small, rubber boat with a small outboard, thinking he could catch her but he was wrong though we’ll never know because neither he nor his pride were seen again.
As I reach the promenade, I see that the chain, ten years on, has not be mended, though it has been clumsily reattached, a reminder, as if one were needed, of what happened here, a place I swore I would never return to, ten years ago.
Great take on the prompt. Thanks for joining.
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