by Harris, K.
“Where are we?” Susan asked lowly.
“I don’t fucking know.” Emily snapped.
“Why are you angry with me? I didn’t get us into this mess.”
“Just shut up. I am trying to think.”
“My god, my family? They are going to die because I got caught up with the likes of you people.”
“Would you please shut the fuck up? Someone else is here.”
“HELP!”
“You are truly an idiot. You know that.”
“Ladies.” They recognized one of the men that was seen with Antonio Mucciono but he wasn’t alone. Neither Antonio nor his right hand were present thankfully. There was a small Chinese woman in attendance dressed in all black leather that could be mistaken as rubber. It was skin tight like a second skin. Her skin was blemish free and her long jet black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. A perfect Chinese bang graced her forehead giving her a girly look.
“You know why we’re all gathered here. The first question is, are we going to do this the hard way or easy way? You can decide.”
“Fuck you. We’re not saying shit.” Emily literally spat on the floor.
“Hard way it is.”
“NO WAIT! Please wait.” Susan started to hyperventilate. The small Chinese woman approached Emily since her mouth was the most active. Someone behind the seat snatched her head back and inserted a gag ball into her mouth, fastening the harness to the seat. Susan watched in horror as the woman removed a long wide nose set of pliers. She couldn’t fathom what on earth she was going to do with the tool until she witnessed it first-hand.
Emily’s scream rang out loud and clear behind the gag ball. Starting at her thumb, the pliers gripped the tip of her acrylic nail before it was pulled away so forcibly it made Susan literally dizzy from the blood rising from the missing skin. One after the other, every nail was plucked from her right hand. The hand that she pledged her allegiance to the person she called boss. Tears were rushing out of Emily’s tightly shut eyes. All the thrashing in the world couldn’t lessen the pain.
“Who hired you?”
“Oh God! Emily did?” Susan answered truthfully.
“Is that a trick answer?” The man asked with a crease in his brow.
“No! There was only one other man that I met. He never said his name. That’s all I know. I was told they have my family. If I didn’t do what they wanted me to do then I would have to bury each of my family members until I was the last one. Then I would suffer the same fate as those I love in the end.” Susan sobbed so much. Mucus was all over her face but she could care less. “I swear to you that is all I know.”
“What did this man look like?”
“He is of Chinese decent.”
“What was your job exactly?”
“I was to get hired at the club. It was as if they knew Mr. Mucciono would come to the club opening being that Mr. Carmello is his cousin. Besides letting the guy that was in the rafters in through the back door, I was to pour a vile of poison into Mr. Mucciono’s drink. It was supposed to cause a diversion while the shooter fired a single deadly shot. Everyone would be so consumed in finding out what was wrong with your boss they wouldn’t see which way the shot was fired.”
“I appreciate your cooperation. Your death will be the easiest.” The man said before Susan felt a pinch in her neck. Every muscle in her body became heavy and useless. All this before she could beg for her life. She could only hear from that point on.
“You have something to add to your buddy’s confession.”
“…”
“Suit yourself. Continue with Ms. Green’s mani/pedi.” Emily’s left foot was being mutilated one nail at a time. The pain was so bad. Everyone has broken a nail to the skin underneath and that alone would near about bring them to tears. To have the nails ripped with such force from the nail bed was extreme torture.
“Chon. CHON!” Emily shouted.
“Sorry didn’t get that.”
“Chon. I work for Chon.”
“Chon has no reason to have issues with our organization.”
“He was hired. That’s all I know.” Emily sobbed. “He’s going to kill me for betraying him.”
“He will have to wait in line.” The man stated. “Any last details I need to be aware of?”
“Just this.” Emily tried to regain some of her hard front for she knew her life was over. “This won’t end well for your Don. If I don’t report soon, the cavalry will come.”
“We’re counting on it.” Before Emily could respond she was pricked in the neck with the muscle relaxing agent. Her tongue and rest of her body was heavy. Unmoving even.
“Enjoy the rest of your spa day ladies.” The man winked before motioning for them to wrap it up. “A nice long dip in the mineral bath was requested by the boss.”
~
The two cunning women were unstrapped from the chairs and thrown carelessly into a wheel barrel. They couldn’t stop their minds from wondering just what else was planned for them. If the so called mani/pedi wasn’t enough torture, what could they possibly have in store for them? What did he mean by mineral bath? The sound of running could be heard nearby. The fear of the unknown was almost enough to cause Emily to have a heart attack while Susan was busy repenting her sins. When she died she at least wanting it on the record that she had prayed for forgiveness for her part?
The stone faced woman and huge man lifted Emily’s body to place her into the tub of water. The same was done to Susan as they hit the button for each tub to start the jets to rolling. As if on cue, the petite silent woman tossed two royal blue disks the size of hockey pucks into each tub. Like a piece of battered fish being dropped into hot grease, the liquid began to sizzle.
Unfortunately for them, the nerve agent did little to numb the body of all feeling. It just killed their mobility, rendering them motionless. The only thing above water was their shoulders and upward. The pain was unbearable and because their adrenaline was so high in their bodies, the nerve agent started to dwindle faster than expected. Since their skin was literally being eaten off, it only got worse when they moved. Causing them to lose consciousness before they took their last breath.
*****
Chon’s marksmen woke up spread eagle naked as the day he was born on a hard slab of concrete. The screams in the distance is what aroused him completely. Snapping him out of his daze, he tried to recall the last thing he remembered. From his perch in the rafters he saw some black woman confronting his target or so it seemed. He thought about shooting her ass in the process but he was given specific instructions.
Once he saw the bastard’s right hand man taking guard next to her, he felt the jig was up. Somehow the stupid whores that were sent to set the target up, failed. Just as he was about to abandon ship, he was shot with a tranquilizer dart. ‘Who actually used shit like that,’ he questioned before submitting to darkness.
The sudden silence caused him to pause in his musings. It figures the son of bitches would torture and kill the women first. They probably sang like some fucking canaries. There was no way they would break him. Actually there was nothing he could tell them because he was just given an assignment. Nothing more, nothing less.
Chon kept all of his business dealings confidential. Obviously for the reason that the three of them found themselves in, to keep shit quiet. After all the innocent and dirty people he has killed, he had no doubt he was going to hell. It was a job. A job he was given at an early age. His only regret is that he failed this one.
“Glad you’re awake.” One of Mucciono’s workers spoke.
“You might as well kill me cause I’m not saying a thing.”
“Never expected you to.” He spoke confidently. “Mr. Mucciono simply didn’t want you to miss your final farewell.”
“This will cause a war.”
“We are prepared. Are you?”
“…”
A small Chinese woman sauntered his way. Although no one officially knew who she was, he had an
inkling that this was none other than the infamous Wai`keyi shi. The petite mysterious femme was also known as the surgeon. In another life he would definitely give her a second look. She was his type of woman not flinching against this type of life.
The creepy smile that graced her face as she stood over his pathetic body was enough to make the hardest man crumble in fear. So caught up in her pretty face, he missed her weapon of choice. The medieval tool she carried in her right hand would have gone unnoticed by a normal person but he knew all too well what was about to happen.
Even as he had dealt some deadly blows in his time, nothing this sinister has ever come about. A ‘pair of angles’ was so far out of the box he had never seen one personally before nor did he expect one to be used on him. He tried to keep the fear from his face but failed miserably.
Holding it just high enough for only the tip to sit against the skin of his midsection. Slowly she pushed the sharpened blade through until it hit nothing but pavement. Without warning the handle was turned with the flick of the wrist and the other well hidden blades sliced through his internal organs. Allowing the life to slowly drain from his body along with his other bodily fluids.
*****
Don Chon was sitting in his high rise office building waiting for his lunch to arrive. He’d been avoiding a call from an acquaintance of his who was disappointed that the mark he was sent to kill was still kicking. The three stooges he’d sent in were obviously compromised for he hadn’t heard from them yet. Either that or they were on the run. If they were alive he would rectify that as soon as the chance was given. Summoning for his secretary to bring his food in, he prepared his meal at his conference table.
Since he owned the restaurant he ate at, he wasn’t worried about his order being correct or correctly separated. His obsessive compulsive disorder disabled him to allow his food to touch. His keen eye for detail was enough to drive a person mad but he was a boss so he didn’t give a damn. Removing each of the three containers of food, he arranged them in order how he preferred to eat. First rice, then vegetables, and lastly his orange chicken would be added to a perfectly sectioned off plate a little at a time.
The first container felt officially too light to be his rice but he opened it anyway. Inside was the face of his green eyed vixen he often used to get next to clients and often used her to lure a kill. The second box contained the redhead he ambushed into working for him. He’d told her that her family would suffer if she didn’t comply when in fact he never visited them. He had already made up in his mind that the last one must be his marksman. His assumption was correct opening the container with his face inside and his nuts underneath for added taunting.
The precise cuts were done with a scalpel no doubt and was remarkable for he was sure it was done by a skilled hand. The surgeon is the only known killer with such intricate detail. Don Chon didn’t know what he was up against but he knew with this message being delivered, he was the next mark. He had gone from having the upper hand to being haunted. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Don Mucciono would definitely be coming for him. The ties that bind in business weren’t always as reliable as they pretended to be. Chon had just signed a war agreement. All peace they once had between organizations was now lost.
“Shit.”
Chapter 12
“Antonio…” Allison panted. She had never hurt so badly in her life. At least not of her own doing. Technically she had asked for this. Only if she had listened to his silent warnings of thinking again. Her back was aching, her arms felt like jelly from gripping different things so hard, and her legs were beyond exhausted. She knew she would need assistance to walk properly.
“Allison…” Antonio mocked. Although it was refreshing to see him in a carefree manner, just not at the expense of her humiliation. “You asked for it. So I am just giving you a taste of what soothes my anger spirts.”
“Shit. I never imagined it would hurt so badly.”
“This is only a snippet actually. I am taking it easy on you.”
“My heart…” Allison stopped to catch her breath and gather her bearings. “My heart feels like it is going to burst.”
“Just a little longer.”
“Oh God!”
“Relax and let me finish.”
“I think I am catching a cramp.” Allison exclaimed feeling the muscle start to bunch up in her leg.
“Where?”
“Here. Here...”
“Lay back.” Allison did as he requested. Antonio started to massage her thigh in a circular motion with his large hands. “Better?”
“Y-yes.” She sighed. His hands were causing butterflies to swarm her tummy and moisture to pool between her thighs. This has definitely never happened before.
“Since you are already sweaty, I won’t comment on the moisture between your thighs.”
“…” Allison just blushed at his comment. She was soon finding out that he had a strange cynical side to accompany his strong dangerous persona.
“Can you walk?”
“Yeah I think so.”
“How did you like my stress relieving exercises?”
“If you were taking it easy on me, I am afraid of what hard core looks like?”
“We’ve only been at it for a good hour.”
“How long do you normally ‘go at it’?”
“Until my appetite to kill has died down.”
“Oh…” Just like that Allison was rendered speechless allowing him to lead her.
~
“What happened?” Gio asked to a limping Allison.
“Don’t ask.” She looked down in shame.
“She wanted to see what I did to sooth the intent to kill. I figured it was safer accompanying me to the one I perform in the gym.”
“I assume you were a little rusty.”
“Actually I have never worked out in a gym before.” The men both nodded their heads.
“Any issues I need to know about?” Antonio asked Gio.
“Of course.”
“Terminated?”
“Indeed.”
“Method?”
“A spa treatment to the second and a trip for one to the medieval times.” Gio spoke without emotion. Antonio only nodded his head while looking out of the window.
“Contract?”
“Yes.” Gio rubbed his hands together as if he were bothered by something. Antonio leisurely stood with his legs akimbo with his hands locked behind his back. The stance was intimidating as all get up. For some reason, Allison felt his mood couldn’t get any better from the new information he was about to find out. Even though they were speaking in code, the information was still pretty clear. She hadn’t been around them long yet she still picked up on some things she was sure she shouldn’t have.
“Excuse me Antonio. I don’t mean to interrupt but would you like for me to step out of the room?” Allison asked. Gio and Antonio regarded one another for a second before she continued. “To give you privacy, I mean. I can get you something to eat or drink.” She started to ramble.
“That won’t be necessary. You should probably turn in with it being four in the morning.”
“As sweaty as I am, I can’t even imagine sitting or lying on anything. I desperately need a shower but having nothing to wear nixed that out.” Allison admitted. That confession alone caused Antonio to give her a once over from head to toe with a smirk on his face.
“We can always finish this later, boss.” Gio broke the intense stare off between the two with his suggestion. Allison was ashamed of the heat that rose from her unmentionables.
With his earlier confession of finding her attractive, she automatically thought he was referring to another type of workout. Sadly she was so ashamed of her wanton behavior. What kind of married woman thought of such a thing no matter how terrible of a spouse she had? She’d still said her vows before God. This temptation to give into her desires was a scary thing.
“Did you hear me Allison?” Antonio asked.
“
No, I’m sorry. What did you say?” She heard Gio snicker off to the side as Antonio looked down with a smile of his own and flicked his nose cockily.
“I said, you can just grab another pair of my shorts and a shirt. You know so you can shower.” She was currently in a pair of gym shorts and a crisp white t-shirt of his. The gym shoes she wore, he claimed was a pair of his mother’s but she wasn’t sure if she believed him.
“Oh, alright. Thank you.” Allison walked towards the bedroom area. “Goodnight.”
“More like good morning.”
“Right.” With that she went into the restroom after gathering some clothes to throw on.
She needed to get her hormones in check or at least that’s what she kept telling herself? The crazy thing was she had a feeling being this close to the fire, there was no shielding her from getting burned. What was she going to do? Risk the burn or continue to fight temptation for an unworthy waste of space.
*****
Antonio watched Allison walk from the living room. Every step she made he’d paid extra close attention to. The sway of her hips even in his gym shorts lead his imagination on a wild goose chase. The main reason was because he knew what she looked like before putting on the unflattering clothes. Guiltily he did flirt with her earlier while they drank but he decided against taking her precious sex on a journey that would surly hinder her walk. No matter how bad he wanted to dominate her sweet ass, there was no way he would do it while she was still unsure.
Allison’s thoughtful expressions told off on her many times throughout their interaction. It was clear she was having an internal battle whether or not to act on her attraction to him. No doubt she would allow him to take the lead and she would follow, enjoying every minute of it. In the end she would regret it or have some guilty withdrawals that she defiled her marital vows.
Why he cared about her feelings? He hadn’t quite figured that answer out yet. How badly he wanted to venture into those uncharted waters, she hadn’t the slightest clue or he’s sure she wouldn’t have entertained his flirts. And he believed in his gut, he will get his chance. If he is lucky, sooner rather than later.
