Chapter 6

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We were driving towards one of the drug warehouses where I would be getting my lesson done today and Sergio wanted to see if things were running smoothly – I assumed by that he meant as smoothly as he was being told – so he joined us. The car was rather silent except for the soft pop music Ben had decided to play. Ben listened to pop... I would never have guessed...

I sat in the back of the vehicle beside Sergio staring out of the tinted window. I was keeping myself busy by watching the buildings pass us and counting the cars while he tapped away on his tablet before he looked up.

"Clyde, I need you to contact Vega, he has something new that I might be interested in using. Get one so I can check it out." Sergio spoke.

"Got it." Clyde replied as he pulled his phone out just as Sergio's began ringing.

"Macen, I told you I'm busy. This better be important." He answered it. I looked at him and saw his face twist in annoyance, "Take care of it – that's why I fucking hired you... Who the hell is Johnny...? Get someone else to do it then..." he let out an aggravated sigh and I saw Ben glance back in the rear view mirror concerned, "Don't play games with me, you better have a fucking good reason for why you cannot do this yourself, because if you don't..." he drifted as he grit his teeth, "I'll take care of it, but I'm coming to see you today." He hung up. "Ben, we need to stop by a dealer's house." He said through his still grit teeth.

"A dealer?" Ben sounded surprised, "Which one?"

"I don't know, Macen mentioned something with a 'T'" Sergio shook his head annoyed.

"Tim?" Sergio nodded and Ben turned the car around to go to the house.

I was itching to ask what had happened but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to seem interested in their crap.

We stopped in front of a white house in a middle-to-low class area in town, parking behind an old grey BMW. The house was one-story and from the outside it looked like a two-bedroom house. The white paint was chipping but the house didn't look bad because the yard seemed well taken care of.

Sergio was the first to get out and the others followed him. I turned to my door as it was pulled open before Ben grabbed my arm and jerked me out of the car. I glared at him, he could just have asked me to get out.

I looked at Sergio as he walked across the yard. He was taking long, aggressive strides and anyone could tell he was not happy to be here. He looked quite terrifying. Ben dragged me after them and into the house even though I did not want to go in given Sergio’s mood, it just seemed like something bad was going to happen and I did not want to witness it.

I almost winced as Sergio punched the first guy he saw in the face, the contact emitting a loud smack. The guy was standing between two others. I tried not to react too much as Sergio grabbed his head and then slammed his knee hard into the guy's stomach before he let him go so he could fall to the floor.

"I –" the guy began but he was cut off by Sergio's foot to his gut a few times before Sergio grabbed his hair and pulled him back onto his feet.

"Good day, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself." Sergio gave a laugh that sent chills down my spine, "I'm Sergio." I could see fear on the guy's face before Sergio swung at it again.

I cringed hearing crack. Ben shot a smirk at me seeing my reaction. Sergio repeated the motion twice more despite their being visible extensive damage before he kicked him again as the guy curled up on the floor. I felt my breakfast in my throat as my stomach turned at his condition. I wanted to leave, I wanted to call for help. I just stood there feeling sick.

"Now, explain to me how merchandise worth one hundred and eighty grand goes missing, and don't fucking lie to me because I'm in no mood to play games." If his beating and tone didn't make that obvious enough, Sergio pulled his gun out and aimed it at the man's head.

"I- I got – robbed... It wasn't my fault." The man barely groaned. He sounded like he was crying... I felt incredibly bad for just standing there, but I had no doubt my face would end up like his if I dared speak or tried to do something. Now was not the time to be loud mouthed, I decided.

"Robbed?" Sergio laughed humourlessly. "You think I give a fuck if you got robbed? I don't give a fuck whether it was your fault or not. I couldn't care less what they did to you. Listen, Tim. Let me make this clear: I gave you money, I expect it back. With interest."

I watched as Clyde suddenly grabbed Sergio's arm getting his attention before patted his shoulder and muttered something into his ear. Sergio rolled his eyes and handed Clyde the gun stepping back. For some reason that made me a little relieved.

Clyde clicked the safety off and nudged the man's head. Well, my relieve was short lived.

"You heard him. Ten percent interest, seven days. If you don't have the money by then, don't worry, we won't kill you."

"You – you won't?" The man looked hopeful as he opened his eye wider, the other being swollen pretty badly already. There was also a lot of blood on his face coming from his eye, nose, cheeks and mouth. Something about the way Clyde had said that made me think this guy should not be getting his hopes up.

"Of course not, you get more time." Clyde smiled before his smile dropped into a mockingly sad frown, "Unfortunately, Katie doesn't."

"No – no –" the guy squirmed.

"Don't worry; she's safe, for the next seven days. Thereafter, we'll kill someone for every day you don't pay. Katie... Pam... Harry..." Clyde said. "You kill yourself, run away, we'll do it anyway." He added. I watched Tim squirm onto his hands and knees in front of Clyde.

"I- I'll get your money, don't hurt them. Please. Please don't. I'll get – I'll get the money." Tim said desperately bowing his head. I held my breath.

"I trust you will. Now, we have to get going," I turned my head as Clyde kicked the helpless man again before I glanced back to see him bend down and take the almost unconscious guy's jaw, "You should probably see a doctor, your face doesn't look too good right now." Clyde stood up clicking the safety back on and handing the gun back to Sergio.

My eyes were stuck on Tim who had yet to move from his sprawled up position as Sergio walked out. Clyde motioned for the two other men to follow them out and I just stood frozen watching the guy go limb on the floor.

"See that?" Ben leaned over my shoulder from behind me, "That's your future." He chuckled into my ear before he shoved me towards the door.

I glanced back at the man feeling sick. It felt like he was telling the truth...

As soon as the door shut behind us I saw Clyde and Sergio each punch one of the other two men in the face and I stumbled back almost bumping into Ben.

"The next time you even think to call us for shit like this; it'll be so much worse." Clyde said. The guys nodded aggressively.

Sergio was already inside the car. I walked to it before Ben could make me and he seemed angered by that. Clyde and Ben climbed in after I did before we began driving where we were headed in the first place. I found that I had unconsciously shrunken my shoulders to be further away from Sergio in the back and tried to push my shoulders back so I could pretend to be relaxed.

"Has Vega replied to your text?" Sergio sounded like nothing had happened.

"Yes, I will be meeting with him in a few hours." Clyde said.

The atmosphere in the car basically felt like nothing had just happened. Sergio looked at me and smiled. I didn't know how to react. It wasn't a sly smile, so I doubted it had anything to do with what he had just done to that guy. But then again, I seriously doubt I could trust his expressions. I just hoped to God it had nothing to do with what he had just done to that guy.

I looked away out of the window and once again found myself wondering what the hell I had gotten into.

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We walked into an office in the warehouse, and looking down through the glass I could see people packing drugs, but their eyes were either blindfolded or they looked blind. Why…?

"Macen?" Sergio spoke surprised. I turned to see that a very muscular guy had just walked in.

"I came to deliver this personally." He handed Sergio a box.

Sergio narrowed his eyes as he took the key and unlocked it before he looked inside and cracked a smile.

"Right, this seems a valid excuse for not doing your job." Sergio said, Macen smiled proudly. I frowned as Sergio looked at me, "Escort Alexander to room three." He said.

I let out a sigh as I walked out before anyone could stop me until Macen grabbed my arm.

"Who are you?" he asked as he pulled me down a flight of stairs. The factory was made to look like a sewing factory – half of it was but that was just a cover. None of the sewing workers knew what was happening underground.

"A dealer." I made it sound more like a question.

He looked at me raising his eyebrows.

"A dealer? Don't lie." He frowned.

"Lie?" I snorted, "What would my reason for lying to you be? Why?" I asked confused.

"Nothing." He said as he pushed a door open before he shoved me into it. I grit my teeth getting tired of people pushing me around. Ben's face was proof that I was not to be treated like crap.

I looked up as the door shut behind me, Macen disappearing behind it, and I found myself in front of the man I saw the day before. His guards were at either side of the room.

"Walter." That was my greeting.

He chuckled. "Hello." He replied. "Let's get to it, seeing as you desperately need it." I frowned as the two guards, also the same as the previous day, chuckled behind him. Great.

I nodded as I sat down and our session began.

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