Chapter eight

CHAPTER 8

Three minutes of Intense punches being thrown from both men had passed and Berlin was beginning to get the hang of it as he was starting to punch this man, whatever his intention was, harder.

He wrapped his hand tight around his attacker’s neck with the plan to choke him and make him unconscious since he was curious and wanted to know who could have sent him to kill him. So he planned to knock him out, tie him up, and ask questions when he woke up.

Berlin had his suspicions though, he had a feeling that Rhodes might have something to do with what was going on but just to be sure, he wanted to hear who would do such a thing directly from the man’s mouth before making any conclusion.

As they both struggled for dominance, he tried to convince himself that his former father-in-law couldn't be involved. The old man wasn't a coward because if he wanted someone dead, he always made sure to be directly involved in killing the person just so his victim would know he was the one who wanted him or her dead.

Suddenly, his attacker kicked him behind the knee and he fell hard to the ground, hitting the back of his head against the edge of the bedside table and rendering himself momentarily paralyzed due to the impact. It happened so fast since he was distracted by his thoughts and didn't see the attack coming.

His attacker growled out in pure rage while he rubbed his neck where he got strangled by Berlin and he had his eyes filled with anger while he stared down at Berlin who still couldn't move.

Before Berlin could get up on his feet after he regained himself, the man kicked him on the head, causing his head to bang against the floor and he growled in pain while sipping his forehead.

His attacker persisted and kept on kicking him until he was too weak to move and his eyes were beginning to roll to the back as he slowly lost his consciousness.

Berlin lay constricted in a spot in pain. He had probably acquired a head injury from the banging and hitting so he couldn't do anything. He just stared at the man who hovered above him helplessly as he thought about how life had never been fair to him.

After all he had recently been through, someone randomly had to attack him too for no reason and as he lay there in so much pain, he realized he was definitely going to die that night when the man pulled out a gun from beneath his jacket and had it pointed at him.

His attacker held the gun to his chest and Berlin knew there was no way he would make it out alive if he got shot in his chest. He would die instantly.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the man to shoot him and end it all but seconds passed and he was still breathing.

He started to think that maybe he was dead and was already in the afterworld or something like that but when he opened his eyes to check if he was really dead, he saw the man still standing over him with the gun pointed at his chest and he wondered what he was waiting for.

“What are you waiting for? Do you want me to say my last prayers before you kill me?” Berlin asked him, stammering and struggling to speak because he was entirely weak.

“Keep your mouth shut, you idiot. If you say anything else then I am actually going to pull the trigger,” the man hissed and Berlin obeyed as the only emotion he felt was fear.

He watched the man search through his pockets before he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to him and he stared at him in surprise.

He could not believe that a strange man who was following him all the way from the coffee shop to the motel and was now planning to kill him was offering him a cigarette.

When was this nightmare ending? He pondered because it looked like he was stuck in a dream with a lot of wild unbelievable things happening to him.

Just as Berlin was about to question what was going on, the door to the room swung open, and to his surprise, the one person whom he tried to convince himself would not be behind the whole attack, walked in. He couldn't believe his eyes.

“You bastard! What do you get out of killing me, huh?” He suddenly yelled out furiously at the old man who stood before him and a menacing smile appeared on Rhodes’s face.

“Are you surprised, Berlin? You should have expected this to happen though. You didn't do what I wanted” Rhodes said with a smirk and Berlin shut his eyes, cursing the day he met Genevieve and the day she introduced him to her devilish father.

“We could have avoided this whole situation if you had played it my way but you decided to prove stubborn. I am not here because you refused to take my help, Berlin. Not everyone likes help and I understand that. Instead, I am here because you are a loose end to me”

“Loose ends are risky and I refuse to be at risk. It is nothing personal Berlin, I am only watching my back to protect myself,” Rhodes said. He always talked too much, saying the same thing over and over again and it pissed Berlin off.

“I don't care about you or your business and telling me that killing me is not personal for you tells me everything I need to know already, you selfish piece of shit” Berlin let out with a groan. He was now struggling to speak as the pain from the many kicks was getting to him.

“Call me selfish but I'll do what has to be done every single time, Berlin. Go against me and you'll have no choice but to pay the price, that has always been my mantra” Rhodes responded while Berlin kept on groaning in pain and Berlin laughed.

“Says the coward who had to send an assassin to kill me because he knows he can't do it himself” he spat at the old man and he watched his nostrils flare in satisfaction.

“Watch your words, Berlin. Do not piss me off” Rhodes Walton warned and Berlin glared back fearlessly. He knew he was going to die anyway so why quiver in front of his killer?

“Why? Did I hurt your feelings by telling the truth?” he pushed further and he watched his former father-in-law turn to the assassin who still had his gun pointed at his chest.

“Kill him. Now” Rhodes ordered and a bullet was fired immediately into Berlin’s heart.

The pain he felt was fierce, and forceful, and soon, he didn't feel anything except the warmth of his blood that pooled around him where he lay helplessly.

“I warned you, Berlin. Do not test me” the old man said and spat on his face before he turned around and walked out, leaving Berlin to die immediately.