Payback
Ch. 2: If You Don't Kick Them, They Kick You
Night had fallen on the big city and it was beginning to drop in temperature. The brown-haired man, stood in the shadows behind a stoop of an apartment smoking a cigarette trying his hardest to keep warm. He had been standing there for a few hours for a reason: to confront his wife. Before he left for Downtown, he had acquired some information from a reliable source on the whereabouts where he could find her. And so there he was standing there for the past few hours wait for the love of his life to appear. After the stranger put out his 10th smoke, he heard the faint sound of someone coughing. Startled, he quickly looked up to see a woman stumbling down the street.
He audibly gasped. What that her? Was that his Wife? What was once shimmering waist-length blonde hair was now messy and darker in color. Her bronze-tanned skin was now deathly pale. Dazzling sky blue eyes were now completely bloodshot and glazed over like she hasn't slept in months. In her hands was a black pair of heels that matched the spaghetti strap dress that ran just past her thighs, and a cigarette that was the source of her cough. The stranger shook his head and gave a heavy sigh at the horrible condition her wife was in before slipping back into the shadows, waiting for her to open the door to the apartment complex. After dropping the key a few times and fumbling with the lock, she finally managed to open the door and lazily slip in. She lazily staggered down the long hallway until she reached the end door; she leaned against the wall as she once again struggled to open door to her apartment. Once she opened the door she closed it, not bothering to lock it, and leaned against the door.
The stranger moved from the shadows and slipped into the complex before the door closed. He watched a staggering figure slip into the last door down the hallway, and close it. The brown-haired man quickly walked down the hallway to the front of the door where the woman just walked through.
'Old habits die hard, I guess. If you don't kick them, they'll sure as hell kick you. Fuck. Ain't marriage grand?'
The man reached behind his back to pull out his magnum, and proceeded to violently kick in the door. As he done so, the woman leaning on the other side was thrown from her perch of leaning on the door to the floor, apparently making no effort to get up. The man walked through the door and quickly made a check of the moderately furnished apartment making sure there was no one else in there. After his inspection, the man walked back over to the kicked in door, and to see the floored woman now sitting up and leaning against wall. She weakly looked up to see her attacker, and her bloodshot eyes went wide as she quickly realized the man standing in front of her with a very pissed off look in his eyes.
"Heero?" She weakly asked. "You've not dead." She asked, but it was more of a statement than a question. He made to response to her questions. She gave a small little laugh. "What are you going to do? Kill me?" She mused.
Heero heavily sighed and tucked the gun back behind him. "God Mina, you look like shit." He asked in a calm voice, somewhere deep down he still cared for her. Heero bent down and scooped up Mina, and directed her to what appeared to be her bedroom. He walked in and set her down on her bed. Once he set her down, he took a seat right down next to her, she rolled over and showed her back to him and closed her eyes. Heero sat and looked around her room when suddenly something caught his eye. It was a small brown wooden box with an image of a crescent moon carved into the top resting on a nearby night stand: his anniversary gift to her. Heero cracked a small smirk as he reached over and opened up the top of the box listening to the Anniversary Song it was playing. Heero smirk soon turned to a scowl as he viewed the contents of what was in the music box. A small clear plastic bag with a white substance, a syringe, a bent spoon, lighter, and a rubber twist tie: the basic ingredients for a crack head. Heero sighed, she knew Mina had some private issues, but he never realized that it was this extreme.
As the song played, Mina's eyes opened wide with shock. Heero had found her stash. Mina quickly turned over and closed the music box abruptly putting an end to Anniversary Song, and snatched the box from the night stand hugging it intently. Heero sighed and reached over to take the box from her possession, but was met with resistance as she refused to give it up, and moved it further away from him.
"Please, not now." She pleaded, just above a whisper with tears running down her eyes. Heero frowned and reached over to put a hand on the box. "Yeah. You're cleaning up." Heero said with a tone of finality, as he grabbed the box and pulled it away from Mina. "No…" she whispered, but to no avail. Heero tucked the box under his arm, and rose from bed and out the door, leaving a depressed Mina to cry herself to sleep, or so he thought. Heero pulled the key from her door as he left; once he closed the door he used the key to lock her into her own room. With his wife locked up, Heero decided it now safe to get some sleep himself. Using her restroom he took a much needed, relaxing hot shower. When he dried off and got dressed, he plopped himself down on large sofa, checked his gun for bullets and slipped it under a cushion for easy access incase something came up, and allowed himself to fall into a dreamless sleep.
Long after Heero had left Mina alone in her room; she rose up from her bed and walked over to her closet. After digging around for a few moments, she had found what she was looking for: a red sandal with a large heel. She removed the heel off the sandal to reveal a hidden compartment and something lodged in there. In there was another small plastic bag of heroin, a syringe, rubber twist tie, and thimble. She gave a small smile as she rose up, prepared the items for use.
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Sunlight slowly crept into Mina's apartment the next morning as it hit Heero in the face, causing him to slowly open his eyes. He let out a big yawn and sat up on the sofa briefly rubbing his eyes, and then rose up. He walked over to the sink and got a glass of water, when he felt more awake; he decided to go check on Mina. Heero picked up the key he locked her in with, and opened the door. As he walked in, he wasn't surprised by what he saw, but he could help but gasp. There was Mina, his lovely wife, sprawled out on her bed, deathly pale, and with a syringe embedded in a vein on her arm. She wasn't moving or breathing and it wasn't hard to tell that she had been dead for quite some time. Heero walked over to the bed and found a sandal lying on the bed. He picked it up and inspected it only to find a hidden compartment, and it didn't take long for him to put 2 and 2 together to see where she had gotten her stash from.
Heero removed the syringe from her arm and pulled his wedding ring off of his left hand. Heero slipped the ring through the syringe and nailed it on the wall, with the ring dangling off it. Afterwards, Heero lay down next to Mina's corpse and just laid there staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought. He loved Mina, he really did, even though she screwed him out of 70 grand and shot him 2 times in the back, he just couldn't bring himself to kill her for he knew that she was only mislead and in her mind didn't shoot him without just cause. As the telephone rang, Heero didn't even bother to get it as his mind wandered to the events of 5 months ago.
(Flashback: 5 months ago)
Heero stirred from his sleep as the phone loudly rang off the hook. Mina, who was on the bed as well reading a book, answered the phone.
"Hello…oh yes…OK, hold on…" she spoke into the phone. Mina put the phone down and gently shook his husband's shoulder. "Heero, Mamoru still wants to talk to you."
Heero turned over and grumbled, he really didn't want to talk to him right now, and he needed his beauty sleep.
"Im sorry, babe," Mina apologized "Ill tell him to call back later." Mina said as she picked up the phone to relay the message. Heero leaned over and stopped her.
"Nah, ill talk to him." Heero said as he grabbed the phone. "It'll shut him up anyway." He reasoned as he put the phone to his ear
"Mamoru…Yep, same as always. And you?...Good, good…Um, why?...Are you there now?...Heh, well don't sweat it, Mamoru. We all look alike to them." Heero conducted into the phone.
An hour after there phone conversation, Heero met up with Mamoru in Chinatown, where he was already waiting, eating some Chinese take-out. Mamoru was Heero's partner in crime for a months now, they had done various jobs together, and they always split the money 50/50 no questions asked. He was a little taller than Heero, as well as a bit more filled out with a dark shade of blue eyes and jet black hair. Heero didn't know what it was about him, but there was something about him that did not sit well with him, like he was scheming behind his back. But he's always been legit with him, he's never over stepped his boundaries, and he's always got his back. But still, there was just something about him…
Heero and Mamoru were now surveying their next potential target from across a street. They appeared to be from some type of Chinese mafia. Mamoru proceeded to inform him on targets.
"Same crew, the Chang's…Twice a week, Tuesday and Friday…Always Between 11:00 and 12:00 always the same route…Chinese money laundering." Mamoru said in between bites.
"Hmm…" Heero mumbled. He observed 4 Chinese men, 3 of them were in black suits and were armed, and the 4th was dress differently. He had onyx colored eyes that matched his hair that was pulled back into a tight ponytail. He wore a baggy blue wifebeater and baggy Chinese style pants. In his hand he had a black briefcase that was handcuffed to his right wrist. Judging my his muscle tone, and appearance studied martial arts and was a dangerous man.
"How much money's in the case?" Heero asked, never looking away from the man holding the briefcase.
"Anywhere between 350 large and half a mil." Mamoru said
"And how much do you need, Mamoru?" Heero asked.
"Ah, we split it 50-50, remember." Mamoru said.
"No, no. I mean how do you need to buy your way back?" Heero clarified. Mamoru nearly choked on his noodles at Heero's question. How did he know?
"Into the Syndicate. How much?" Heero asked again.
"You mean the outfit? Jesus man, you know everything." Mamoru said with a laugh, and continued to laugh for a few moments more, noticing that Heero wasn't laughing with him. "130 grand," Mamoru said after he finished laughing. As he stated this, the car with the 4 Chinese people in it pulled out and drove down the street before turning down into an alley that Mamoru and Heero just happened to be standing by. Heero studied the car and its passengers intently as it passed by them and into the long narrow, one-way alley.
"The beauty of the Chang's are they're very proud. They won't go to the cops, they keep everything in house, and they don't feel pain the way we do." Mamoru said.
"You notice anything about these guys, Mamoru?" Heero questioned.
"They looked nasty. Probably all kung-fu mother fuckers. Why? Did I miss something?" Mamoru answered
Heero pulled out a cigarette and lit up. "Yeah, they weren't wearing their seat belts." Heero said with a smirk as he took a puff. "We'll hit them on Friday."
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An old beat-up Chevy Chevelle turned into a long narrow one-way alley doing easily 70 mph. In it were 2 men dressed in blue jumpsuits and black gloves. The passenger, Mamoru, quickly buckled his seat belt as he saw a black car slowly coming down the alley going the opposite direction. Heero quickly tilted his head to the left and to the right, stretching out his muscles and making a cracking sound. He then pulled out a black mouthpiece, put it in his mouth and bit down hard on it. Once he was set, hit the clutch, shifted the car into 5th gear, and increased his speed.
"Hubba, hubba, hubba…" Mamoru nervously said as he braced himself for a nasty impact. The Chinese were simply looking on, wondering what they were doing. But before they even had a chance to react and hit the breaks, the other car ferociously collided with the black Cadillac. Heero and Mamoru were a bit shaken but otherwise fine, while as all 4 Chinese men were rendered unconscious and bleeding from nasty head wounds. Mamoru got out the car as well as Heero with a pair of bolt cutters. Heero walked around to the back of the car and smashed the window in where the man with the briefcase sat. Afterwards, he leaned in and cut off the chain linked to the briefcase, freeing it up for him to take. Meanwhile Mamoru walked over to the other side of the car and proceed to beat the shit out of one of the cataleptic men.
A few seconds after they hit the car, Mina pulled up behind them in a new car ready to make their getaway. Heero walked over to the car while Mina scooted over for him to take the wheel. Once he got in, he saw that Mamoru was still beating up on the out cold man. Heero honked the horn twice.
"Mamoru! Come on!" He called. Mamoru stopped what he was doing and ran over to the car and got into the backseat.
"The problem with kicking the Chang's asses is an hour later you wanna do it again." Mamoru said, as Heero threw the new car into reverse and out of the alley.
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Heero, Mina, and Mamoru parked into a garage were another car awaited them. Heero and Mamoru shed their blue jumpsuits, as Mina opened the briefcase and counted the money. After a few minutes, Mina finished counting the money and stated the total.
"140 grand," She stated.
"Hey! Alright 140 a piece," Mamoru Exclaimed
"Total." Mina corrected
"Total? Well then that's what? 70 grand? 70 grand a piece! Damn, that's not enough!" Mamoru exclaimed.
"It is for me." Heero said, as he grabbed a bag. "Im taking the next few months off." Heero finished, handing the bag to Mina to divide the money.
"Yeah well im up short, 60 short. Fucking Chang's! I knew we should have hit them on Tuesday." Mamoru complained.
"Hey, we got away clean. And you got something to show for it. Always be grateful for what you get. Rule number one, Mamoru." Heero countered.
"Yeah, yeah. Rule number one…" Mamoru trailed off. Heero looked at Mamoru who had a nervous look in his eyes, almost like he was waiting for something. Mamoru was getting more and more nervous under Heero aggressive stare, and even started to sweat a little.
"What?" Mamoru choked out. "Everything's cool. It's just not enough, alright?" Mamoru said.
"It never is, Mamoru." Heero replied, never breaking contact with his eyes. "Hey baby, just put the money in the car, will you?" Heero requested. Mina, not liking the tension forming between them quickly complied.
"Man, I can't fucking believe it. We should—you know, you know what Heero." Mamoru began to smirk. "This is funny. This'll kill you. It's always 140." Mamoru revealed.
Heero rose an eyebrow, wondering what he meant by that. Suddenly he heard a gun cock, as he turned around he saw a tearful Mina pointing a gun at him.
"Someone oughta give me a PhD." Mamoru said with a big grin on his face. Heero growled at Mamoru and reached behind him to draw his gun, but as he did so Mina fired 2 shots into his back. Heero immediately dropped his gun and collapsed to the floor in obvious pain, while Mamoru jumped behind a pillar for cover.
"Jesus, Mina, wait till im outta the fucking way!" Mamoru shouted. He looked around from his hiding spot to find Heero on the ground gagging and gasping for air, while Mina looked on in shock from what she just did. Heero tried to reach for his gun, but as he did so, Mamoru came and kicked it away from him.
"Ha! You were great, baby!" Mamoru shouted running over to the car Mina was standing by. Mamoru put a hand on her shoulder and asked her to give him the gun, but she refused. Mamoru wasn't going to argue with her. Mamoru opened the passenger side of the car door and escorted Mina into the car, who was still in tears and looking back at Heero's prone body.
Mamoru hopped over Heero body and over to the briefcase where the other half of the money was and grabbed it. As he walked back he lit up a smoke in celebration.
"Oh, I've bet you got a lot of questions rattling around in your head." Mamoru taunted, and he crouched over Heero. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. It was a picture of him smiling, yes, smiling with a woman wrapped around his neck. With her hair done up in a strange fashion, and bright blue eyes. Heero's eyes went wide with shock. Where didn't he get that!?
"Mina, did not understand. So I drew up a pretty reasonable conclusion for her." Mamoru revealed. "I don't know buddy. I guess wives get funny when it comes to girlfriends, huh?" Mamoru teased, as he dropped the picture on him. Heero tried with all his might to say something, but he kept gasping for air, as he coughed up more blood.
"What? I didn't get that." He kept on taunting. Mamoru took one last puff of his cigarette and put it out in the pool of blood that was forming around Heero's body. "OK, you got it." Mamoru said as he stood up and kicked him in the face before walking off and getting in the car and driving off. Heero looked on as the car sped out of the garage, and that was the last image he saw before blacked out.
(End Flashback)
Heero was startled from his thoughts as he heard loud knocking coming her front door. Heero rose up from his spot next to Mina's corpse and walked to the front door. He opened the door to see a young man, barely in his 20's with baggy grey pants, white t-shirt, greasy hair cut, and a nose ring. The young kid looked Heero up and down and then sniffed.
"Is uh, Mina here?" he asked.
"Oh, you mean my wife?" Heero corrected, he really didn't like this kid.
"Yeah, whatever" The kid replied nonchalantly.
Heero frowned, as he pulled the kid by the hair and dragged him into the apartment and slamming him against the wall, before turning the close the door. The kid turned around and pulled a gun out. Heero reacted quickly my grabbing the gun and pulling it away from his grasp, and punching him in the stomach. Heero then pick the kid up and turned him back around to frisk him. He managed to pull out a yellow envelope with money in it and a small leather pouch.
"How much is in here, huh?" he asked him.
"2000 dollars." The kid choked out.
"Oh, and what's this?" Heero said, holding up the leather pouch.
"Helium. The fuck you think it is? It Heroin!" The kid spat at him. Heero growled and punched him 4 times in the ribs. The kid held his sides in pain and fell to the floor. Heero crouched down to he level to talk to him.
"Mamoru Chiba. Where is he?" Heero asked.
"You wanna know where he is? He right here. Look." The kid answered as he grabbed his crotch. "Fuck you!"
Heero smirked. "Wrong answer." He said, and grabbed kid's nose ring and forcefully yanked it off. The kid screamed in pain as he tried to stop his bleeding nose.
"Mamoru Chiba." He told him again. The kid started stammering, looking for an answer. "I never heard of him, man!"
"Then where did you get the envelope, and the this shit right here?" He asked, hold up the leather pouch.
"Ah, come on man, there gonna fuckin' kill me, man!" The kid pleaded, but to no avail. Heero cocked the gun he took from him and put it to his head.
"What do you think im gonna do? Worry about me?" Heero told him in a deadly tone of voice.
The kid was shitting bricks now. "OK, OK, OK…Maxwell, man. Duo fucking Maxwell, OK."
"Where is he?"
"S-South End Taxi. F-F-Farragut Road, man." The kid stammered out. Heero uncocked the gun and removed it from his head.
"Thank you." Heero said with a smirk.