NationStates Jolt Archive

Part I

"I know what you think: what the fuck are they doing here? I tell you.
You took upon an assignment, you got paid for it and my associates are wondering why the work's not done yet. I tell them you just forgot, you would never cheat on us. But you know how these old guys are, they need proof. And so, they sent me to look after you."

He flipped his lighter open and lit a cigarette, inhaled and blew the smoke out again. Jared savored the moment of pause. Then he shifted his interest back to the two nervous youngsters on the bed in front of him, a girl and a boy, both in their early twenties.

"Okay, I make it easy for you. Finish the job now and all is forgotten, everyone is clean and we can go home. Would you do that for me?" he asked the girl, looking straight at her.

"I... it's... I have all the risks and you got the money, so... I want 20 percent." She acted tough and bold, he had to admit. And with the people she normally deals with that might even have worked. He hated what he had to do now.

Jared gave a slight nod to one of his two companions and the one went forward, grabbed the protesting boy on the bed beside her and turned his arm on his back. The boy gasped because of the pain, but tried to be strong and not to show it. The man held the arm with one hand and used his other to pull at the boy's hand, straining the wrist considerably. The boy couldn't hold the cry of pain any longer and yelled shortly until his hand was released, the arm still fully locked.

Jared turned back on the girl.
"Lenny here can break your boyfriend's wrist without any problem, or even the whole arm, or even both. And we don't need his hands. We need yours. So, still gonna play rough?"

Her eyes had grown and become watery with tears as she had seen her boy in pain. Her resistance was broken. He liked her for that. He hadn't wanted to go further, but would have if he had needed.
"All right, I'll do it."
She jumped of the bed and walked over to the other corner of the room. She was only in underwear but didn't seem to mind it, even with the three strangers in worn-out black suits staring at her. She sat down in front of a computer and began to type.

Jared went after her and watched her working, the monitor now alive with fast-switching commands. He nodded to Lenny again who released the boy.
"Good girl." he said softly.
"If ever you have trouble, we'll help you out, be sure of it. That's even better than a 10 percent raise, for sure. Even if you'll never need it. No chance in hell that anyone will get you with that fine a piece of work. You can be proud of it."

There is only few things one can be proud of, he thought.

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"How long?" Jared asked the doctor. He felt so tired these days.

"I can't tell. It depends. Weeks, perhaps months, but if it spreads, only days. It is a very aggressive form of cancer. The end will come fast when it comes." the doctor admitted apologeticly. "I am sorry." he added.

"Sure you are." Jared replied more sharply than the doctor deserved, but he could contain his anger. He couldn't even blame anyone and that frustrated him even more.
"Thanks, Doc. I'll be back in two weeks as long as nothing happens."

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"Good evening, mother!" he kissed her lightly on her forehead while waking her carefully. She startled nevertheless, but was relieved as she recognized him.
"You felt asleep in front of the TV again. You shoudl go to bed."

"Jared, my good boy, how was your day? Everything right at work? You look terrible!" she look at him worriedly.

"Yes, it was all right, mom, only the usual stuff. You know, office and all.", he tried to reassure her.

"You eating well? You look skinny, even for you."

"Yes, I do." He sighed.

"And what's with the girls? Do you have a girlfriend? Or at least someone you are dating? Is she pretty?"

"No, mom, I don't have time for that, I already told you that work is really time-consumming."

"You should have time for that! You are still young. In your age, I..." she caught his uncomfortable look and dropped the subject no child wanted to hear about.
"I wish you would have a pretty girlfriend. Or a pretty boyfriend, if you prefer..."

"No, mom, I don't. It's not that I am not interested in girls, I just don't meet the right one. Don't worry about me."

He smiled, having had this same conversation more times than he cared to remember. He loved his mother dearly, even if she got on his nerves as she did now. He stroked her hair when she began coughing badly and didn't stop for a while. Until she had stopped he had a handkerchief out for her and gave it to her. She took it and whiped some spittle and blood from her hand. Then she rested herself back into her chair.

"Can you stay for a while and watch some TV with me, please?" she asked him feebly and he wouldn't have understood her if he hadn't stood right beside her.

"Sure I will." he said and sat down on the couch across the table.

She smiled at him and only seconds later, she had fallen asleep. He watched her more than the TV turned on in the background and stayed there, watching and swallowing hard not to cry.

OOC:

"Sir, we've got this interesting show on the telly."

"Oh? Let's see it..."

(button clicks a tag!)

Part II

"And two packs of cigarettes, the blue ones there. Thanks. Do you have some red wine? Dry? Okay, that one would do. How much?"
Jared fumbled for his wallet, only casually noticing the clerk behind the desk of the small 24-hour-shop or the interior of the shop itself. He couldn't care less. He was startled as the door was loudly pushed open and was about to complain about the noise to the person entering, as this same person rushed to the counter and yelled:"Don't you move! Not a twitch! Or you gonna die!"

The masked man had a small handgun pointed at the clerk, a thin man with receding grey hair coming out of age. He waved with his gun around to Jared and back to the clerk until behind him, a second masked man entered the room flashing a gun, too. His partner turned and switched the "We are open"-sign at the door around.

"You! Get me the money! And all of it, compendre?" the first one shouted at the clerk, then added to Jared waving the gun around: "You! On the floor, instantly! Now!"

"Hey, man, that isn't necessary, I ain't gonna do nothing." Jared said reassuringly, knowing full well the danger of the situation. They were nervous and amateurs and more than likely trigger-happy because of it. He didn't want any trouble.

"You some kind of hero? You wanna try something, wise-guy?" the first one said menacingly and held the gun only a breath away from Jared's head.
"Not afraid of you, I have the gun, you don't! So you do what I say, comprendre?"

While the clerk muttered quiet prayers and tried to get the till open with his shaking hands, Jared noticed the sweat running down around the robber's eyes.
"Sure, all right, whatever you say..." Jared replied.

"Yes! Whatever I want! That's it! Right!" He pressed his gun at Jared's temple.
"Heh, how's that feeling, wise-guy? Still the hero? You like that?" he shouted almost directly into Jared's ear. Jared's mouth dried up and he began sweating all over. He had looked into this guy's eyes. He was capable of it.

"What's with the money?" the robber asked around to his partner at the desk.

"Still packing, almost done!" his partner said in a quivering voice.

"Quick! Faster! Wanna be gone yesterday! What's takin' this old chump this long? He having some deathwish or what?"

"I am trying, doing my best for sure, I am so sorry, I am trying..." the old man mumbled fearfully.

"Isn't good enough. You want me shooting around?" the first robber asked. He grinned, he had himself some fun it seemed.
"Should I shoot you, hero? Yes, I think I will. Give them a message not to mess with me never again."

"No, wait, don't! I'm not messing around, I am cool, all is cool, you hear? No shooting necessary..." Jared croaked hoarsely, his eyes wide. He didn't even think about his gun, only feeling the cold steel on his skin, the pressure on his temple, the stink of the breath and sweat of his assailant all over him. His world had been reduced to these few things, nothing else mattered.

"Beg me not to do it. Beg!"

"Hey, this is enough, let him go!" the second robber told him. "You never said anything about killing anyone if not necessary."

"He challenged me! I saw it in his eyes! It's his fault! I have to!"

"Don't do it! Please. I don't want any killing." In spite of the situation he sounded miserable. Jared was confused. Was the other one pleading for his life?

"NO! I want him dead! He deserves to die!" the first one cried out in rage, pushed the weapon further against Jared's head and pulled the hammmer back.

Only a squeeze of a finger could end his life. Jared felt numb.

"We have the money! So please, for me. Don't kill him for me." the second robber said warmly.

Jared felt the pressure against his head lessen, then gone.

"You are so lucky, hero, he has such a soft..." The robber's voice was interrupted by the short wail of a siren from outside. Both robbers looked outside the door at the blinking lights.

Then, a deafening booming sound shattered the room and the assailant standing beside Jared flew away from him. A stinging pain from his shoulder came through his numbness and woke him from his freezing state.
"Noooooooooooooooo!!!" the second robber shouted. He stood there, not a moving and with a bewildered face.

The clerk had a smoking shotgun in his hands and no pity in his eyes. Jared made a step forward and signaled him to stop. The robber went over to his friend lying on the ground, bleeding heavily form the remnants of his chest. No life showed on his face anymore, just an expression of utter surprise.

"You can't be dead! You can't leave me! We are supposed to be together, remember? Two against a world?" The robber went down beside his friend, unmasked him and took him in his arms, the gun put aside without notice. He began crying which intensified more and more.
"Markus? Kiss me! Hold me! Damn, love me!" He continued crying and kissed the dying man on the bloodied lips, not noticing that either.

Jared heard steps and other rumble from outside.
"No punk's gonna rob me, never again!" the clerk told no one in special, mostly himself. Jared went over to the robber, now completely harmless, sobbing over his dead friend. He put his hand on the shoulder of the mourning robber feeling his loss and pain, knowing that he owed his life to him, at least in some awkward way.

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He sat down into his chair and sighted. He still felt immensly tense. Even working for the mob, he wasn't accustomed to have his life threatened. It was nothing he wanted to repeat again soon. His hands were shaking as he poured some of the wine into a glass and took some big gulps.

He wanted to talk about it with someone. Who was he fooling, he wanted to talk to her. He had to. All this, his life on the balance, he had to get it right with her again. He didn't want to die alone, that's what he had realized back then. He wanted to be with her again, to be hold, to kiss, to embrace. He missed her dearly.

He looked over to the telephone and in his mind reached out with his hand to get it. But he couldn't bring himself to move his hand. He sat there staring at it longer and longer, fighting inside. She had said he shouldn't call, nor come, nor anything. No contact, she needed time to be alone, to think. He had to respect that. And he had until now.

It was unbearable not to call her, but his hand didn't move. Instead he bagan crying, first silent tears running down his cheeks, than sobbing, only to cry out finally, because he was alone indeed.

Part III

Catherine fought through the aboundant masses of people who tried to get off the train while she and some other unfortunate souls tried the opposite, to get in. I took some time and she was being bumped and squeezed a lot until she had finally got inside the train.
Now it was almost empty, just two other passengers, a young woman with an unstylish brown coat over a fine greenish blouse and a short skirt and a middle-aged man in an unexpensive grey suit. Both minded their own business, as was she.

Absent minded she stroke over her small belly and smiled, completely lost in her thoughts.

The doors hissed open again at a new station and the loud voices of several youths were heard, talking, laughing and cursing. As soon as the door closed and the train began to move again, they spoke to the other girl in the waggon.

"Yo, what have we here? A sleeping beauty, isn't she? What would you say?"
His voice seemed impaired, whether by alcohol or by some speech disorder wasn't clear, but his tongue sounded as if it was too big for his mouth.

"Nah, none sleeping here." his friend answered and tried to touch her hair. Instead she receded a bit and stared at them nervously.

"No, she some wildcat, I see in her eyes." He smiled and flashed teeth far from white.

"You think? Maybe you right. She definitely looks hot enough for it." the first replied. His remaining two friends laughed hard.

"Yo, wildcat, you have a name to this body?" They chuckled all together.

"Leave me alone, please. Just wanna get home." the girl said defensively polite.

She was clearly embarressed, Catherine could see. She stood up and went over to them.

"Oh, no, such a hottie ain't gonna go nowhere alone... would be a shame! Need some company to get you home safely?" the one with the bad teeth asked her while sitting down beside her and casually putting his arm around her shoulders.

"No, thanks, I'm fine." she pressed out and rose from her seat. "That's my exit next. Can I pass, please?" she stammered and tried to get through the group of youths.

"Yo, wanna leave already, 'mam? That isn't nice, we were just beginning to party, you just have to join us, you know? We're gonna be nice, I promise you that." sloppy-mouth said and blocked her way.

"The lady said she wanted to pass. Be a nice boy and let her go then." Catherine objected.

"Mind your own business, Xena! That ain't none of yours for sure. The 'lady' is still undecided on what she wants, isn't that so, wildcat?"

The girl just stood there anxiously.

"Doesn't seem so to my, partner. So again, let her go!" Catherine put some voice into it, as she had learned to do in her self-defence training.

Sloppy-mouth pushed the girl back onto the seat and in the waiting arms of bad-teeth who took her around the waist and hold her effortlessly despite all her struggling and crying.

Then he turned to face Catherine, joined by his two friends.
"Isn't your happy day, is it? You want trouble, you'll get it!"

"Hey, call help, please! Take your mobile and call somebody! Hey, help me!" Catherine shouted back to the middle-aged man. He did nothing, looked away and pretended to ignore anything that happened all around him.
"Fuck!"

She began searching her bag for the can of mace she had with her. Sadly, sloppy-mouth jumped forward in that precise moment of inattention and threw her bag aside.
He's too fast, he isn't supposed to be that fast!, she thought trying to remember anything from self-defense.

"Get her!" sloppy-mouth ordered one of his friends. In the background, Catherine could still hear the girl crying and struggling. Bad-teeth had ripped her blouse open by now, either on purpose or because of her wild struggle.

She only remebered one thing as the man came onto her and jerked her knee up into his groin. With a painful groan he stumbled back, but sloppy-mouth danced around him and her at the throat before she could react again.

"No silly games, bitch! You gonna pay for that!"

Fear and panic froze her for a second and then it was too late. He punched her into the belly and unbelievable pain flooded her body and she cried out. Feebly, she fell down, unable to hold herself on her feet any longer, withering in agony.

She just realized that the train must have stopped and saw the girl break away from bad-teeth and getting to the doors since all other three were around her. The girl opened the doors and was gone.
Safety, she thought longingly. But every other thought was obliterated by the next wave of pain as the three guys began kicking her.

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The first thing she saw as she opened her eyes were unidentified lights. Blinking, she refocused and her sight resumed. The next thing she saw was him. It was the last thing she had expected, even if she should have.

"Hi." she said feebly, still having a dry mouth.

"Hi." he answered.

"How...?"

"You still had me named for emergency cases."

"Ah." She was silent some time, clearing her mind. Then it all came back to her.
"What about...?"

He didn't say a word, just looked down and shook his head slightly, almost inperceptibly.

"No... oh, no... oh, god, no..."
She didn't feel all the pain of her body anymore, just the misery inside. Tears broke from her eyes. She did feel empty and hollow and something broke inside her, never to be mended again.

Jared waited for her to compose herself some more before speaking again.
"Cate? Why didn't you tell me?"

She glanced at him with watery eyes.
"Why? Doesn't matter anymore, it's gone anyway. Doesn't matter anymore."
She tried to hold her tears and failed.

He didn't know what to answer to that.
"You should have told me. I mean, it was mine, too."

"YES! But what the fuck! It's dead anyway! Dead, you hear me?"
She wanted to hurt him, all the frustration and agression in her had to go somewhere, so why not him?
"You want to know why? Because you are an asshole, that's why! Because I couldn't bear the thought of having a babe with a fucking mobster! Because I didn't want my babe to grow up among murderers! That's why! And now go to hell!"

"I never... I mean, I don't..."
How could he explain? He had tried before, she hadn't understood then.

"What? You never killed anyone? You have no friends who are killers? True. But what do you think? It's just a matter of time and you know it! It's your job!"

Jared didn't say anything, he could say nothing, couldn't tell her, he had wanted to quit and they had denied him.

"Go. Go now. I want to be alone." She sobbed. "I just wanna be alone, so go!"

He stood and went to the door. His whole body felt heavy to him. He looked back at her, but she had turned already and was crying for herself.

OoC: Amazingly small text that is elite. Anyway, great writing so far, consider this an amazingly small tag!