Chapter Two: Spiraling
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As he heard the door to the building shut behind him, Ed sighed in relief and ran a hand slowly through his hair. He took a moment to glance up at the full moon, which was just barely visible through the parking structure. He thought about how much time he had been spending away from home lately, and how little he had seen of his family. Sure, he saw his daughter, Delinda, every day now because she worked at the Montecito, but if that weren't the case, Ed would probably never see his daughter. Hell, he couldn't remember the last evening he had spent at home with his wife, Jillian. However, he was going to start making up for that tonight by taking Mrs. Deline out to a nice dinner and a movie. Ed decided that he would figure out something nice to do for Delinda later…but only if she didn't go out with Danny again.
Noticing the two men standing in the parking lot, Ed stopped walking. They definitely weren't Montecito employees, so he questioned what they were doing there. From the thug-like look of them, Ed surmised that whatever the two were up to, it was no good. They must have heard his footsteps, because they slowly turned around to face Ed. One of them was slightly skinnier than the other one, and he furrowed his brow upon seeing Deline.
"Ed Deline?" he asked in a gruff tone.
"Yeah." Ed replied before suddenly feeling someone grab his arms from behind. Two other men had snuck up on him, and, even though Ed was no weakling himself, they overpowered him. His cold blue eyes fixed on the two in front of him. "What do you punks want?"
Just as the skinnier one looked about to answer his question, the door to the lot was heard opening. Ed could feel his stomach sink as he realized that these thugs would probably not appreciate an innocent bystander at the moment.
"Ed!" Danny shouted, seeing the scene in front of him.
"Oh, God." Ed said to himself. He remembered then that there was at least one camera nearby, and they could see what was happening up in the surveillance room. However, Ed had to question what his protégé was thinking. There was no way in hell that he could deal with all of these goons on his own! He tried to turn his head to see Danny. "Get out of here, kid!"
"I'm not leaving you." Danny replied as Ed could feel one of the men holding him lurch forward as if being hit in the back. The two goons in front raced back to where Danny was. As Ed couldn't see what was happening, he had to rely on sound to tell him what was going on. Realizing that the only noise that he heard from Danny were cries of pain, Ed tried desperately to free himself from the two men. However, they seemed to only tighten their grip whenever he struggled. There was no escape!
"That's enough." the skinnier goon ordered.
"Aw, come on." his companion whined as Ed could hear Danny react as if being kicked in the stomach. "I just want to bust up that pretty face of his."
"We've done enough damage to him." the skinnier one said as Ed could feel the two men behind him turning him around. "Your lapdog ain't looking so good now, Deline."
A very bruised and bloodied Danny lay barely conscious on the asphalt, groaning softly. Ed turned his head at the mere sight, but he could feel one of the goons behind him turn his head back towards the scene. Ed was pleased to see that the two attackers also had a couple of bumps and bruises, but his face fell upon noticing that fatter one also held a metal ball bat.
"We just going to leave him here?" one of the goons holding Ed asked, nodding at Danny.
"Why not?" the skinnier man asked with a shrug. "Someone's got to tell them that we've got Deline." He reached into his coat and tossed a loaded syringe at the man who had just spoken. "Go ahead and drug Deline already. We're wasting time."
"All right." the speaker said as Ed felt a syringe enter the back of his neck.
"You bastards." Danny said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he got to a knee. "You're not going anywhere!"
"Damn it." Ed winced as the medicine started to take effect. He tried to fight off the darkness, which threatened to overwhelm him at any moment. He had to see what happened to Danny.
"Mouthy one, aren't you?" the skinnier ringleader asked before hitting Danny on the back of the head. It was enough to send McCoy to the ground again, and that was the last sight Ed Deline saw before unconsciousness claimed him.
Although the darkness was calling to him, Danny somehow managed to stay conscious long enough to watch as the mysterious attackers loaded the unconscious Ed into the back of a van before climbing in themselves. As he helplessly watched the van pull out of the Montecito parking lot, Danny tried to get up again.
"Ed…" he said in a barely audible voice. He extended his arm towards the fleeing vehicle as if trying to grab it somehow. "No…"
To be continued...
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As he heard the door to the building shut behind him, Ed sighed in relief and ran a hand slowly through his hair. He took a moment to glance up at the full moon, which was just barely visible through the parking structure. He thought about how much time he had been spending away from home lately, and how little he had seen of his family. Sure, he saw his daughter, Delinda, every day now because she worked at the Montecito, but if that weren't the case, Ed would probably never see his daughter. Hell, he couldn't remember the last evening he had spent at home with his wife, Jillian. However, he was going to start making up for that tonight by taking Mrs. Deline out to a nice dinner and a movie. Ed decided that he would figure out something nice to do for Delinda later…but only if she didn't go out with Danny again.
Noticing the two men standing in the parking lot, Ed stopped walking. They definitely weren't Montecito employees, so he questioned what they were doing there. From the thug-like look of them, Ed surmised that whatever the two were up to, it was no good. They must have heard his footsteps, because they slowly turned around to face Ed. One of them was slightly skinnier than the other one, and he furrowed his brow upon seeing Deline.
"Ed Deline?" he asked in a gruff tone.
"Yeah." Ed replied before suddenly feeling someone grab his arms from behind. Two other men had snuck up on him, and, even though Ed was no weakling himself, they overpowered him. His cold blue eyes fixed on the two in front of him. "What do you punks want?"
Just as the skinnier one looked about to answer his question, the door to the lot was heard opening. Ed could feel his stomach sink as he realized that these thugs would probably not appreciate an innocent bystander at the moment.
"Ed!" Danny shouted, seeing the scene in front of him.
"Oh, God." Ed said to himself. He remembered then that there was at least one camera nearby, and they could see what was happening up in the surveillance room. However, Ed had to question what his protégé was thinking. There was no way in hell that he could deal with all of these goons on his own! He tried to turn his head to see Danny. "Get out of here, kid!"
"I'm not leaving you." Danny replied as Ed could feel one of the men holding him lurch forward as if being hit in the back. The two goons in front raced back to where Danny was. As Ed couldn't see what was happening, he had to rely on sound to tell him what was going on. Realizing that the only noise that he heard from Danny were cries of pain, Ed tried desperately to free himself from the two men. However, they seemed to only tighten their grip whenever he struggled. There was no escape!
"That's enough." the skinnier goon ordered.
"Aw, come on." his companion whined as Ed could hear Danny react as if being kicked in the stomach. "I just want to bust up that pretty face of his."
"We've done enough damage to him." the skinnier one said as Ed could feel the two men behind him turning him around. "Your lapdog ain't looking so good now, Deline."
A very bruised and bloodied Danny lay barely conscious on the asphalt, groaning softly. Ed turned his head at the mere sight, but he could feel one of the goons behind him turn his head back towards the scene. Ed was pleased to see that the two attackers also had a couple of bumps and bruises, but his face fell upon noticing that fatter one also held a metal ball bat.
"We just going to leave him here?" one of the goons holding Ed asked, nodding at Danny.
"Why not?" the skinnier man asked with a shrug. "Someone's got to tell them that we've got Deline." He reached into his coat and tossed a loaded syringe at the man who had just spoken. "Go ahead and drug Deline already. We're wasting time."
"All right." the speaker said as Ed felt a syringe enter the back of his neck.
"You bastards." Danny said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he got to a knee. "You're not going anywhere!"
"Damn it." Ed winced as the medicine started to take effect. He tried to fight off the darkness, which threatened to overwhelm him at any moment. He had to see what happened to Danny.
"Mouthy one, aren't you?" the skinnier ringleader asked before hitting Danny on the back of the head. It was enough to send McCoy to the ground again, and that was the last sight Ed Deline saw before unconsciousness claimed him.
Although the darkness was calling to him, Danny somehow managed to stay conscious long enough to watch as the mysterious attackers loaded the unconscious Ed into the back of a van before climbing in themselves. As he helplessly watched the van pull out of the Montecito parking lot, Danny tried to get up again.
"Ed…" he said in a barely audible voice. He extended his arm towards the fleeing vehicle as if trying to grab it somehow. "No…"
To be continued...