10
Two firm knocks made my body jerk and my eyes snap open. Immediately, I looked over my shoulder to see an empty spot. I looked at the window to see my window was mildly cracked. The sky was pale, the sun not even out yet, but it would be soon. Two more knocks brought my attention back to the door.
I got up and put a robe on and moved over to the door and slowly cracked it open. A candle gently lit up Mr. Heisenberg's face. He stared down at me with eyes so black, so empty, I thought I was looking at the face of the devil.
"Minerva… I need you to come with me." he said. I was nervous now. Did he know Priest had been here? "Shauna needs you to come with me." I felt mild relief at his words and opened the door wider and moved from the room. He held his hand up toward the hall for me to walk first and so I did. What was going on, I did not know. But if Shauna needed me then I would come. We moved down the hall together and down the stairs. One of Mr. Heisenberg's men were waiting by the door and when he saw us, he opened it and left out it, leaving the door open. It was nice and warm already.
The same man was talking to Shauna by the gates and when she saw me she waved me over. I moved over to her. She was also in one of her nightgowns with a green jacket on. Her hair was braided back.
"Minnie. I need you to come with us and witness something." she said. Now I felt nervous as I looked behind me to see Mr. Heisenberg now behind us. What did I need to witness, why did I need to witness something? Shauna put her hands on my face guiding me sight back to her. She looked stern. "I only trust you with this alright."
I swallowed and nodded silently. She nodded and looked at Mr. Heisenberg who just nodded and began to move down the street. Shauna put her arm around my shoulder and began to lead our walk behind the German. The entire walk was quiet and I noticed we were walking with some speed. I had to blink the sleep from my eyes to stay awake. A part of me was relieved no one knew Priest was in my room, but now what if this was why I had been woken up? What if priest had been caught sneaking out of my window? I mean it's not a death sentence to be here but I was sure Shauna would make an example out of anyone who was in her brothel without her say so.
And this is exactly what was happening. We were now at the docks and I could hear grunting and groaning coming from one of the boats. Mr. Heisenberg passed us and Shauna stopped and looked at me.
"I need you to witness what is going to happen today." she replied and I looked around her noticing some of Mr. Heisenberg's men dragging a heavy-set man over to us. He was large and tall. "The man behind us, he's the one who attacked Sarah… I couldn't have her here because she's resting, and I couldn't bring any of the others because this did not involve them. But I know you checked on Sarah and so I know if you tell her that justice was served for her, she will believe you."
I saw Mr. Heisenberg deliver a hard punch right into the man's jaw and I could have sworn I saw some teeth fly from the man's mouth along with blood and spit. I gasped at the violent actions and I looked at Shauna.
"You're the only one I trust to see this." she said. I felt a fist of my own form in my stomach at this now. Shauna's word alone should be enough for any of the girls to believe if something like this were to happen. But it was not my place to question why her word would not be enough. It is my place to obey. I nodded and she smiled and wrapped her arm around my shoulder and held me tight against her as we turned and began to face the beating.
"Halte ihn still." Mr. Heisenberg said, removing his coat and tossing it to one of his men who caught it effortlessly. I watched blow by blow as the German imbedded his large fists into the man's stomach and chest. He was indeed a scary looking man and yet, Mr. Heisenberg seemed to make him look small as he continued to batter and bruise the man. I jumped some at the sounds of the man grunting and yelping in pain.
"How did you find him?" I asked. Shauna just stared emotionlessly.
"Money talks. Money gets you answers." she replied. I winced as Mr. Heisenberg began to lie punches into the man's face now. Finally the men let him go and he dropped to the ground coughing and wheezing.
"What is his name?" I asked. Shauna shook her head.
"That does not concern me right now." she said and I watched as Mr. Heisenberg moved behind the man and gripped his choppy and bloody blonde hair and yanked him up. Now his face was pink and purple and swollen. Blood poured from his nose, ears and eyes. In the German's other hand as a large knife. My eyes widened and Mr. Heisenberg looked at me for a moment before looking at Shauna who just nodded. I gasped hard as I watched the knife just slice across the man's throat and I closed my eyes unable to watch the rest. I tore from Shauna's hold and looked away panting hard as I had never seen something so violent. I heard a large splash and did not look to find out what happened. I felt her hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you for witnessing this. I know I had no right to ask you of such a thing. Any money you make today is yours to keep." she replied and turned and began to walk up the docks and I just watched her. I didn't realize my face was wet with tears until my visions was blurry and hot. I noticed the men past me laughing and saying something to each other in their own language. I just stood there unable to move. The sky was now brightening and I knew it was a matter of time before others came.
Mr. Heisenberg was now beside me and I looked at him and he just looked up at the sky and slowly he looked down at me. He raised his hands, blood and raw and I felt his hot palm on my cheek. My jaw clenched as I remained still trying to not feel the blood on my face.
"You don't want to be here when the other workers get here." he replied before motioning his head for me to move. I stared at him for a moment before just letting my feet carry me up the docks. Once we were back at the brothel, I merely moved back to my room and washed my face of the blood. I cleaned myself up and moved over to Sarah's room. I knocked gently and heard movement inside. The door gently opened and Sarah peaked out. Her face was still swollen but I could see more of her eyes.
"Minnie?" she asked and I just leaned in to the door.
"It's taken care of." I replied. She looked almost stunned and she looked down as if in awe before looking up at me and nodding.
"Thank you." she whispered and we gently took each other's hands for a split second. I just nodded and she closed the door. I turned to face my room noticing Mr. Heisenberg was at my door only in brown pants and his white buttoned up shirt, only this time it was unbuttoned. I approached him and we just stared up at each other for a moment.
"Figured you'd need something to take your mind off the docks." he said lowly. I looked up and down before just moving into my room. Without any other words, he followed me.
Normal POV
Bill lied on his bed, his hand holding up the paper with the clear insult of his people scribbled on the words. He could read some of them, but not all. His blood boiled at the thought of that black whore able to read better than him, a pure bred American white man. And now he's got some gang trying to step in on his turf. He knew this had to be the work of Priest Vallon. No one else would be stupid to write fighting words and nail it to his door.
But then again, he was sure Priest couldn't read well let alone write like this. The Irish were just as stupid as any other foreigner here. Bill inhaled slowly, his body bruised from the earlier fight at the brothel. He's been in better fights, but this was not an ordinary fight. He'd never admit it openly, but that fight did not happen because of the mere existence of the rats in the room. It happened because both Bill and Priest acted on their basic male instincts which was to claim the whore who had come in.
Bill enjoyed his whores he wouldn't deny it. If there was a whore he liked then he would fuck them, no matter what they looked like. Granted he preferred to like the white women. But this whore, there was something off about her. She wasn't dirty like a whore should be. She was uppity, but did her best to hide it well to keep herself alive. She is a good fuck too, one that Bill was happy to be able to feel the pleasure around his cock now from when he was last inside her. That was different. What kind of spell did the negress cast on him? It had to be something. He planned to find out until he noticed fucking Priest Vallon made a move to stand between him and the whore.
He didn't have to think of what the other man was thinking the second Bill looked him in the eyes. They were both trying to go to her and they were both not going to allow the other to do so. Bill already had it in his mind that the Irish dog clearly wanted to do more than just kiss his whore!
'But it makes sense! An Irish nigger and a black nigger breeding it up and filling the streets with their half-breed mongrel children! Of course, they'd probably think it's only natural. No way that fucking dog is going to touch my whore! I'll carve out his heart and eat it raw if have to!'
If anything, a negress who can read with a good cunt like that cannot go to waste. Bill would see to that. He needed more access to her outside of the brothel without spending all of his money for her. And after the fight that went down last night there was no way fucking Shauna would let him back in, of course that wouldn't stop him anyways. He needed to kill that German guard dog as well. He and his entire gang would be a problem for him. He looked back at the paper now wondering now about the note in his hand. He wondered how many Germans could read and write.
Author's Notes
Halte ihn still- Hold him still
