Betrayal and Brutality
last update2024-12-20 04:45:52

Chapter Seven

That same evening, The thug, Vinnie, walked into a downtown club; it was a strip club, and when he came in, a haze of smoke and loud music enveloped him. He spotted his boss, Marcus, in the corner, surrounded by girls. Vinnie made his way over, nodding to the bouncers as he passed, exchanging intricate handshakes as he smoked his way to Marcus, Eve’s supposed boyfriend.

"Hey, boss," Vinnie said, leaning in close. "I got some info." He said, scratching his nose with the back of his finger.

Marcus looked up, interested. "What is it?" He asked, his voice hoarse and overwhelming.

"I saw Eve and a guy together," Vinnie said, his voice low. "And get this - it was the same guy we beat up earlier."

Marcus's expression darkened; he adjusted his posture as all the girls around him withdrew from his body. "What the...? How did he end up with Eve?"

Vinnie shrugged. "No idea, but I thought you'd want to know; you know how we get down around here."

Marcus's face twisted in anger. "Yeah, I want to know. I want to know everything." He inhaled his cigarette and buffed it. "You know what you got to do, right? Find that bastard, make him swallow his tongue! ” Vinnie smiled and left.

Later that night, Vinnie and his crew arrived at Auston's apartment, obviously looking for revenge. But instead of Auston, they found Timmy, the old garageman, standing in the doorway; the old man was sweeping the front stairs, and by the looks of it, he'd been busy.

"Who you looking for?" Timmy asked, his eyes narrowing but his tired voice ever-soothing, he kept his broom and gazed at the young men with shaking eyeballs.

Vinnie sneered. "Mind your own business, old man." He said, nudging the man aside and walking past him.

His boys went upstairs but found out that most of the doors were locked, and they assumed Auston's door was also locked as they didn't know which was which. It was a big apartment with many vacant rooms too.

Timmy stood firm. "This is my business. You're not welcome here."

Vinnie's anger boiled over, fueled by his boss's rage. "You want to play hero? Fine."

He lunged at Timmy, his fists flying. The old man tried to defend himself, but Vinnie was too strong; he slammed the man so hard he fell back and started breathing fast; he and his boys ganged up and beat Timmy to an inch of his life, leaving him lying in a pool of blood.

As neighboring people started shouting and running towards them, Vinnie and his crew fled the scene, leaving Timmy to struggle for his life.

Auston and Eve sat in the dimly lit motel room, the only sound being the creaking of the old wooden furniture. Eve leaned in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, and the smile on her face was also locked in; it never withered.

"Auston, can I ask you something?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Auston looked at her warily, sensing where the conversation was headed. "What is it?" He replied; his response wasn't so comforting; it sounded forced.

"What are you?" Eve asked, her eyes searching his face. "You're not like anyone I've ever met. You're...different."

Auston hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. He didn't want to lie, but he couldn't tell her the truth either; Auston's passion for keeping his true identity hidden from anyone was so paranoid he always found a way to counterstep any questions regarding it.

"I'm just a normal guy, Eve," he said finally, trying to sound convincing. "I'm just trying to make a living and stay relevant in this crazy world." He picked up his glass of water and swallowed hard, his eyes narrowing down.

Eve laughed a throaty sound that sent a shiver down Auston's spine. "You're not fooling anyone, Auston," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "But I like that about you. You're a mystery, and I love solving puzzles."

Auston smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He was glad Eve didn't push the issue further; he wouldn't have liked that either.

After a while, Auston glanced at his watch and stood up. "I should get going, Eve. Like I told you before, I have things to do and it's kinda getting late."

Eve nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. "Okay, Auston. I'll take you home then," she sighed as though she would have wanted more than just word; the expression was crystal clear, but Auston left no room for that.

Auston nodded, and they left the motel room, the darkness of the night swallowing them whole.

She drove him back to his street and dropped him off at the same location she always did, in order not to draw any suspicious eyes.

Auston got off. “Let's talk some other time then, I'll see you later.” she nodded and drove off.

Auston walked into the mini markets to grab a few essentials before heading home. As he entered the store, Chris, the storekeeper, looked up from behind the counter, a concerned expression on his face.

"Auston, man, I'm glad you're here," Chris said, his voice low. "Those guys, the ones who've been causing trouble in town, the thugs? They're looking for you."

Auston's heart began to race. "What do you mean?"

"They came to your apartment, man," Chris said, his eyes darting around the store nervously. "They trashed the place, and...and they hurt Timmy, the garageman. He's in the hospital right now."

Auston's mind raced as he processed the information. He had to get out of there, and fast.

"Thanks, Chris," Auston said, his voice urgent. "I need to get out of here, now."

Chris nodded, understanding. "Come on, I'll show you the back way out."

As they made their way through the store, Auston spotted one of the thugs lurking outside, eyeing the market suspiciously. Chris saw him, too, and quickly ushered Auston through the back door into the alley behind the store.

"Be careful, Auston," Chris whispered, his eyes serious. "Those guys don't mess around."

Auston nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he had to get out of there, and fast before things escalated further.

Auston was made to wait outside the clinic where Timmy was admitted; he’s been getting calls from neighbors to inform him about the whole situation; one of them even gave him the clinic address.

He sat there nervous and unable to think straight, as his eyes darted throughout the place for any suspicious movements or persons. To his benefit, he hadn't reached his place yet, so he still had a few dollars for mercellenous reasons.

However he was there for nearly three hours when a nurse came to call him, “ Mr. Auston? ” she called out.

At first, he did not reply; his mind was lost in mental traffic, and he was abstaining from reality. The lady came closer and nudged him by the shoulder, he startled rather viciously, nearly running out from the spot.

She was stunned, “ Are you okay, sir?” she asked.

Auston's breath was uneven; he rubbed his eyes and shrugged, “You called, sorry.”

The nurse looked at her medical slate “Yes, you requested a meeting with the patient at ward nine?” the nurse replied, “ Mr. Timothy Felix, ”

“Timmy, ” Auston nodded and sat up straight, “Can I go meet him now, please? He’s a friend of mine."

“Yes, follow me please." The nurse escorted him to where Timmy's sickbed was.

They entered the humid room. It had a dim illumination, and the air was pungent with the smell of drugs and disinfectants; it was so strong that it made Auston nauseous for a slight second.

Once inside the nurse left. Auston was speechless when he saw the situation his friend was in. He could hardly recognize his old pal; the man’s face was bruised so bad it was stitched; heroes, he had a black eye, a shattered jaw, and his veins were still spasming under his skin.

Auston came in, slowly walked up close, and sat at the stool beside him, dry tears still traced across Timmy's ruinous face, and this gave Auston a heart sore. He held the man by his hand, tears clouding his eyes but it never flowed down.

“Hello." Said Auston; he was now walking out of the clinic; his tone was down in the mouth.

Aliyah chuckled, “You sound like someone ate your lunch money,"

This made Auston smile, but it didn't last, “Can I stay at your place tonight, please?” He replied, chewing his teeth woefully.

Aliyah noticed the disappointed voice, “Why do you sound like that, what's wrong?"

Auston gasped, “I'll let you in on it once we meet; please just tell me your address; I'll come over; it's important." He replied.

"Oh, no problem; tell me your address, and I'll come pick you up."

Auston looked around him, “I'm at a medical center, a few blocks off my apartment."

"Okay, I'll be there with a taxi in a few minutes."

“Thanks very much," He replied as he cut the call and waited.

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