Chapter 10

"The boss is busy. Come back when he has the time for you" the man grunted. Paul shifted his feet.
"It's important. It's about the Mercers. I can pay." Paul told him. The man looked iffy.
"Wait here. I'll see if he can make time." The man walked through the big doors and left Paul to wait alone in the dark. Paul shifted his weight back and forth. He examined the room he was in.
It was made almost completely made of cement. Wooden support pillars were scattered through out the room, splintered and rough. There was little, if not enough light in the room, the corners still blanketed in darkness. People could be in there, waiting with guns trained on him and Paul wouldn't be able to tell. There was a single old fashioned lamp that swung back and forth, sending an eerie light through-out the room.
With every minute that passed, it felt like an hour. After about ten minutes the man stepped back through the door and beckoned Paul inside.
Paul walked in and immediately froze. There on the ground, lay a cadaver, blood seeping from his mouth. He looked up at the man he waited so long to see. The man merely shrugged. "Nothing to worry about. Just some bad business." he said as he put his gun in his desk. The other
man shoved Paul forward. Paul gulped. 'Maybe this was a bad idea.' he thought. The man with the gun snapped his fingers and a group of men hauled the body away. "Now, please sit and TRY to ignore the blood on the floor." Paul looked around as if expecting to see someone else.
"Wait, you're Victor Sweet?" Paul asked.
"Yes." Victor replied. "You got a problem with that?"
"No sir. You're not who I expected to see. Not in a bad way, you're, more. Better."
Victor nodded. "Nice save. Now are you going to sit like I asked?" Paul quickly nodded and sat in the uncomfortable chair.
"So, I hear you're having Mercer troubles. Why don't you tell me about that?"
Paul explained to Victor about Jack, about his disobedience, about his son's mistake in letting go into the hands of a Mercer. About Bobby taking him and threatening Sam. All that good stuff. While Sweet just kept nodding. He froze when Paul mentioned Jack.
"Jack," Victor said. "as in Jack Evans?"
Paul nodded. "Yes, he's mine. I'm Paul Evans."
"Well then. As much as I hate Bobby Mercer, I'm afraid I can't help you." Victor suddenly said. Paul stared at him in confusion.
"But-"
Victor pulled his gun and pointed it at Paul's face. Paul stumbled to his feet but dared not move. Victor's facial expression changed from thoughtful, to angry in a matter of .5 seconds.
"Out." he said in a dangerous voice. "I don't want to see you around here again. Or you won't be the only one to get hurt. You have three kids don't you?" He gave Paul a sinister smile.
Paul nodded vigorously.
Victor nodded to the man that escorted him in. "Cato! Escort this man out of here. And if you ever let him back in here again... Well, let's just not let that happen, okay?"
Cato nodded. He grabbed Paul by his arm and thrust him through the door. He hauled Paul across the dark room and went to the exit door and threw Paul outside.

Paul landed in the street with a SPLASH. He looked up at the rainy sky. Cold rain drops splattered onto his face and ran down his cheeks. He took and deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Paul knew that was a bad idea. Now he put Sam, Tyler, AND his daughter Dana in trouble. He sighed and wished Dana would get home from camp in a week instead of tomorrow.
Paul stood. He walked down the dark street and listened to the sound of only the rain, and the squish of his shoes.
Paul walked up his driveway and opened the front door. He took his coat off and hung it up in his closet. He flipped the light on and Sam came bouncing in.
"Hey dad! Did you talk to him? What did he say?"
"Uh, yeah I talked to him. He said I can't tell you. But not to worry son, this is going to be good."
Sam nodded and went off to spread the news.
Paul sighed and went to the bathroom. He closed the door and turned on the faucet to cold. He cupped his hands, filled them with water and splashed it onto his face. He ran his hands over his eyes and looked at his reflection through the mirror. He stared at the mirror and watched the water slowly drip from his face and splat into the sink.
Slowly Paul's reflection morphed into Bobby Mercer's. Paul clenched his fist and punched the glass, sending Bobby's face flying in a million directions. Paul's hand started to bleed. He pulled a long shard our of his knuckle and looked back at Bobby's reflection.
"You may have beaten me in the past. But not this time." he whispered. He tightened his grip on the shard of glass and crushed it beneath his fist. Blood started to poor from his hand.
"Not this time."

End of Chapter 10