The Elevation Of August Steve

The mysterios men

Chapter Three

If Mia got the police to arrest him he was definitely going to rot in jail, he had nobody else to bail him. Considering the fact that Tom was a Turner made matters worse, the family would use their influence to make sure he is never released.

The thought of it made August consider an alternative, to run. He hurriedly ran to the outside leaving Tom still groaning on the floor while Mia yelled from behind him. 

“Where are you going August? You can run but you can’t hide forever, the police will definitely find you”.

But it was worth a try, he ran as fast as he could and managed to exit the house before the police arrived. 

At that moment he wished he had done more than break Tom’s nose, maybe broke a few fingers in addition. The damage was done, he only broke his nose but the whole police in the Aurora Bay were searching for him.

Walking on the open streets would increase the chances of the cops sighting him, so he laid low and took the back alleys instead.  

Mia’s betrayal really hit him harder than a wrecking ball; she used him to secure inheritance from her father. All these years, he was just used as a stand in awaiting Tom’s return. Things could have been different if he was rich like Tom.

Though he was starving, it was the least of his worries at the moment. There was not a single dollar on him to even book a motel for the night or buy himself something to fed. He had emptied his account to afford the necklace he bought for Mia, and she destroyed it without even trying it on.

After a quick evaluation, his only option pointed him back to the restaurant. “Maybe I should go back and apologize to the manager, maybe he will forgive me and give me back the job”.

If he succeeds in convincing the manager, the man might even allow him to pass the night in the restaurant. So, August made his way to the restaurant carefully taking the alleys to keep out of the police sight.

By the time he did arrived the restaurant, the customers as well as other staff had left except for the security guards and the manager who was trying to balance the account before closing.

August hesitated before he approached, he clearly remembered the manager telling him to leave and not return when he unjustly fired him few hours earlier. “Sir!” he called out dejectedly as he walked up to him.

He was surprised when the manager was not at all mad but delighted to see him. “August? I know you would come back”. His face speaking the expression of finally seeing someone you have been expecting for ages.

“Sir, am sorry for what happened…”

“No August, there is no need to apologize for what happened, it wasn’t your fault. I should be the one apologizing, I overreacted,” the manager said with his hand placed on his shoulder.

August was startled to hear that coming from his boss, it was unusual. His boss admitting to being at fault! Maybe the evening was not completely bad for him as it appeared.

“Give me a minute, let me go get you a compensation,” the manager added with a chuckle before he dashed into the cash room.

August was bewildered, he did not just receive an apology, he was also getting compensated. He took a seat smiling like a jackass waiting for the manager to return with the compensation.

After some seconds the cash room door opened and indistinct footsteps approached; the footsteps were not that of a single person as it was supposed to be. He lifted his head curiously and he quickly jumped to his feet, his jaw dropped leaving his mouth widely opened.

“Inspector, here he is. Just like I earlier told you, he did show up,” the manager sneered pointing at August.

August tried to escape through the door but the restaurant security quickly shut it preventing him from running to the outside. There was no way to escape; he was trapped in the room with the inspector and two other police officers.

The inspector declared “August Steve, you are under arrest!” With a nod, the two officers swiftly ceased him and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

This was all planned out, it was easy for the manager to guess he will return back to the restaurant after he escaped from the police at home. He had the police officers hide in the cash room, and August unknowingly walked into his own trap, set by the manager.

August was furious, not because he was under arrest by the police but because his boss set him up. “You planned this didn’t you?” 

The manager made an ugly smile. “What do you think August, you can get away with hitting a Turner? Tom will surely reward me handsomely for delivering you to the police”.

“Did you set me up just so that you can get a reward from that scumbag?” Disbelief and anger palpable in his eyes.

The manager made a sly chuckle as he paced closer. “You can also say, I did it to help you. Come to think of it, in jail you will get free food and accommodation. I just did you a favor, pal”.

Anger seethed in him, he wanted to break the man’s nose just like he did to Tom, but how could he, he was in cuffs.

“Take him away!” The inspector instructed and the officers dragged him to their car and drove off.

August was trying to swallow hard the bitter reality; he was going to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Though it was just a punch, he knew the Turners would make sure he got a sentence equal to that of committing murder.

Getting the judiciary to do their will was as easy as falling off a log of wood for the Turners. They proved the point when they got Tom’s double murder charges reduced to manslaughter and his life sentence reduced to three years. 

As the police car drove on, August couldn’t shake thoughts of his life as an inmate in a prison until the driver slammed on the brakes, causing them to jerk forward.

August lifted his gaze to the sight of three sleek black cars forming an imposing blockade on the road, parked right in front of them.  Five men all dressed in tailored black suits stood beside the vehicles.

Something did not add up; the police men were not at all baffled by the mysterious cars parked in front of them. The inspector made a sly chuckle as he stepped out of the car and headed to meet them, his expression spoke conceit and conspiracy.

“Who are they?” August nervously asked the officer who sat beside him.

“I don’t know who they are, but they paid us to bring you to them”.

The man’s words sent shivers down his spine, was he about to be sold off by police officers? “They paid you to take me to them? Who are they and what do they want from me?” August asked with a trembling voice, his face covered with fear.

“What they do to you is none of our concerns. They offered a lot on your head, we couldn’t resist,” the officer responded coldly.

Before August could unleash his fury and tell the officer how despicable they were as police officers, he observed the inspector gesturing with a flick of his fingers, signaling for the officers to bring him.

His heart ran a mile as the officers dragged him out of the car towards the mysterious men. One of the men that appeared to be their leader gazed at him and smiled, August almost wet his pants, he felt like he was done for.

He feared the men were assassins hired by the Turners to kill him secretly for breaking Tom’s nose.

One of the men retrieved a bag from the trunk of one of their cars and dropped it in front of the inspector. With a chuckle, the inspector unzipped the bag, revealing the breathtaking sight: the bag was filled with bundles of cash, leaving August awed. 

It looked like a drug deal exchange, and he was the drug product being traded by the police.

The inspector smiled as he zipped back the bag. He gazed at one of the officers and nodded slowly, the officer then removed the cuffs on August and they headed back to their car and drove off leaving August with the mysterious men.

With his hands now free, August first considered running off. But he wouldn’t dare take the risk of provoking men with undisclosed intentions.

“Sir, please get in!” one of the men said pointing to the opened car door.

August turned around, expecting to see someone else behind him, but there was no one there. He was stunned to realize he was the one the man was addressing with such deference.

“Are you talking to me?” He asked with so much disbelief.

“Of course, sir, please hop in,” the man confirmed pointing an ushering arm towards the door.

He had no choice but to obey, even if he played stubborn and hesitated hopping into the car like the man requested, they might force him into compliance or maybe worst. So, he obediently entered the car like he was instructed.

The interior of the car hinted August of how much the cars were actually worth. From the plush leather seats to the meticulously crafted dashboard up to the panoramic sunroof spoke of nothing but millions of dollars covered in luxury. Though it was too dark to see how the exterior was, the interior spoke for it.

Before he could finish admiring the vehicle, it ignited and the driver took off; one car in front and the other tailing behind the one he was in. He discovered it was just him and the driver in the car. 

“What an opportunity to escape,” he thought to himself. He wanted to open the door and jump out, but considering the speed the luxurious car was moving on, he wouldn’t survive if he dared jump.

As the car drove on, August’s mind raced with the possibility that the men might be assassins sent by the Turners, but their polite and respectful behavior raised more questions than answers, leaving him puzzled about their true motives.

The car finally came to a stop, and the door was opened from outside. August hesitated before stepping out, his eyes went open in amazement at the sight of the mansion before him.

Though it was dark, the beauty of the mansion reflected through the security lights, mounted all over the house. More than twenty men all dressed in black suits standing guard of the multimillion dollars property.

The mansion was at least thrice as bigger as the one he lived in with Mia. As he took in the sights, a man in a white overall hurriedly approached him, holding in his hand an old photograph.

When the man was close enough, August discovered he was not as young as the other men were. His skin-cut hairstyle and grey beard made him appear older than the other men, likely in his fifties. A name tag on his chest read ‘Mr Kane’.

After scrutinizing August for a few seconds, the man dropped to his knees.

“It is him, young master August!” Mr Kane declared on top of his voice, and all the other men quickly joined him on their knees kowtow. “O hail, young master!”

August was taken aback, was he dreaming or what? He quickly pinched his arm to confirm if it was a dream but no, it was real.

“Master? I’m sorry but am not your master, you must be mistaken. Your master might also be bearing August but I swear am not him,” August quickly dismissed with a forced chuckle.

“We are not mistaken, you are our young master August Steve,” Mr Kane replied, still kneeling. “Allow us to stand, and I will explain everything to you”. 

August was stunned when the man addressed him by his last name, not many people knew of it. He was eager to hear the explanation, and his curiosity got the better of him. “Please, do stand and explain. I’m confused,” August said his voice laced with curiosity.