Ch 6

I sat at my desk, eyeing the contents of the box. I'd been staring at the pictures for what felt like hours. I especially eyed the picture with Karofsky and his sister. The picture was taken at an old cabin. The cabin would be the perfect place for him. No one around…. Off grid. I'd hit another dead end once I realized his family didn't own any type of property outside the city. Where was this picture taken? Family vacation? I sat back in my seat, frustration seeping through me. Small footsteps paddled from behind me. A moment later someone took a seat next to me, placing down a steaming cup of coffee.

"Figured you could use this." Marley muffled out.

I nodded, giving her an appreciative smile. She was glued to her phone, texting away as always. I glanced down, noticing she was wearing my shirt and a pair of pink underwear.

"Got anything?" she asked.

I trained my eyes back on the computer screen and shook my head. I grabbed at the knife beside the old photographs of Karofsky and continued sawing on the pink cast attached to my leg. The doc placed me in this ridiculous thing about a week ago. She said I had to wear it for at least three months. To be even crueler she made sure to make it pink.

"It's going to work wonders on the ladies." She had mockingly said.

Fucking bitch…. She really does have it out for me.

"You need to stop doing that." Marley instructed.

"I can't be in this fucking thing any longer. It's affecting my performance." I threw out.

"You were clearly fine just a few moments ago." She replied back mischievously.

I ignored her little comment and focused back on the picture. "I can't get this!" I mumbled out in frustration, tossing the picture back down.

Not only was I trying to track this guy down but I needed to figure out who was trying to kill me. Obviously my first suspect was Artie. It's obvious that he would want me dead. But why now? What's in it for him? Would he benefit from my death? I sighed and started rubbing the back of my neck. I couldn't think of much. Sure, he would have dear old daddy back to himself and he'd have the entire clan once his father died. He would inherit everything. But that's only when his father dies.

"Can I?" Marley asked.

I nodded. She picked up the photos and gazed through them. She stopped once she saw the cabin picture of the three kids.

"They all look pretty close." Marley commented.

"Huh?"

Marley's phone chimed once again. She gazed at her phone and slowly stood up. "Looks like I've got to get going. Work calls." She sighed, kissing my cheek. "I'm keeping your shirt by the way." She announced as she pulled on some pants.

I picked up the cabin picture again. Marley's words were darting around in my head. They do look like close friends…. I searched online for Karofsky's yearbook. Maybe they were classmates? I scrolled through dozens and dozens of yearbooks and photos. It took me a few hours before I finally got a hit.

Azimio Adams. The name… It sounded familiar. I searched for Azimio and sure enough I found the guy's current address and social media sites right away. He was easy enough to track. He was all over the place. I found a particular picture that immediately stopped me in my track. I sat back in stunned silence. There was a picture of both Karofsky and Azimio taken a little over seven years ago. Karofsky was dressed in his baseball uniform while Azimio was dressed in a nice expensive suit and tie. Azimio used to be Karofsky's manager. However once Karofsky lost everything Azimio quit the business and started running the local newspaper, The Star Gazette.

Azimio's family was fairly wealthy. They owned several properties across the city, including a cabin in which Azimio inherited from his grandfather when he turned twenty one years old.

"The best of friends." I muttered with a haughty laugh. "Looks like I'm going on a road trip." I mumbled out as I scribbled the address down on a piece of paper.

The diner was extremely quiet on this particular night. Hardly anyone was there. I sat back and continued chewing on my medium rare steak. The kid was sitting across from me, her arms crossed across her chest, her brown eyes gazing at me. We hadn't said anything to each other since she first got here. I quite enjoyed the silence between us. I sliced into the steak, small streaks of blood streamed out from the sides. Rachel looked away, completely grossed out. She took a small sip of her coffee.

I looked at her face. There was a large bruise across her left cheek. It looked as if it had been healing well. There were smaller cuts across her lip and around her eyes. I wondered what she told Artie about that night. Brown eyes looked back at me, studying me.

"I know what you are thinking. And I feel obligated to tell you that he didn't do it." The kid finally spoke.

I licked my lips and took a large sip from my beer before responding. "So now you can read my thoughts?"

"Artie doesn't have anything to benefit from by killing you."

"I'm not discussing this with you. It doesn't concern you."

"Someone is trying to kill you." She fired back.

I shrugged and continued eating. "It comes with the territory kid."

"So you're just going to let it happen. You're not even curious about who is trying to kill you?"

A large frown began to take over my face. I suddenly couldn't enjoy my meal anymore.

"I don't understand how this is of any concern to you." I responded back.

"Because I almost got killed in the crossfire!" she spewed out.

I sat back in my seat and sighed. I gently patted my face with the napkin from my lap and placed it on my half eaten steak. "Then after this contract our business together is done."

"That's not what I meant."

"Clearly you are concerned for your safety. And you have every right to be. Associating with me will get you killed. That's why after tonight, I want you to stay away from me."

The girl stared at me but didn't say anything. I nodded and took it as her way of agreeing with me. "Now, as for my payment."

"I thought we already agreed about the payment!" she quickly fired out.

A large half smile reached my face. "Relax, kid. I've decided I will accept your money."

The kid's eyes furrowed, her mouth dropping open a bit. Her eyes filled with disbelief. "I thought you didn't want the money."

"I changed my mind." I replied.

"So that means-"

"Correct. You don't have to sleep with me." I added in. "No more dates…. No more spending time with me."

Again I looked for a reaction but her face was a mask. She seemed quiet now. "Why?" she asked.

"Do you really care?" I asked.

She looked away, her mind reeling. "Is-" she paused, her voice suddenly softer. "Is it because of me? You're not interested-"

I busted out laughing. "You think I called it off because I don't find you attractive?"

Her eyes darted to me. "Kid, you know how I feel about you. You know what I want to do to you."

"Then…"

"I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want."

Brown eyes continued staring at me with a stunned expression. She didn't say anything again. Was she disappointed? Relieved?

I cleared my throat and finished the rest of my beer. Why is she staring at me like that?Is she falling in love with me or what? "I've also got an update for you. I've got a lead that I'm checking out tonight. It may be what we were looking for."

"Really?" she perked up.

I nodded.

"Great, so who else is going with you?" she asked.

I stared at her like I was lost. "What do you mean who else is going with me?"

"You're going by yourself?"

"You know I work alone." I replied back sharply.

"But what about your leg? Your obviously not fully recovered." She stated.

"How do you know about my-" I trailed off before it clicked.

"Are you still following me around?" I asked, my eyes zeroing in on her.

She didn't answer. I slammed my fist angrily on the table. She winced in her seat. I sighed, throwing daggers into her eyes. "Have you not looked in the mirror lately? Huh? Do you not remember what happened just a few nights ago?"

Rachel looked away, her face morphing into anger. "I clearly remember saving your life." She threw out.

"Saving my life? Is that what you call it? You got yourself knocked through the air like a ragdoll. I however saved my own life while you were out cold on the floor." I pointed out.

"You didn't come out of there unscathed."

I clutched my fist together and tried to control myself. "I'm not arguing with you about this. I can handle myself. "

She rolled her eyes and pulled something out of her purse. It looked like a small clutch bag. She handed it to me across the table. I opened it. There was a small needle that was filled with some type of clear liquid. I gazed up at her with confusion.

"What the hell is this?"

"A very powerful tranquilizer. I made it myself. If you do run into Karofsky just him with this and he'll be out like a light."

"I don't need this. It's not necessary."

"I need him alive. Not dead." She reiterated.

I sighed and stuffed the small bag into my jacket. I began to gather my things. Once the kid started realizing our meeting was done she stood as well.

"I'll have your money when you deliver him to me. ALIVE."

"Sure." I nodded.

I was about to walk away when a thought occurred to me. I paused and let out a short snort. From the corner of her eye the girl looked at me questioningly. I looked over at her as she stopped as well.

"You know, if you had been anyone else, I'd have punished you for what you did earlier."

She looked at me confused and a bit stunned. "What?"

I leaned into her, closing the small gap between us. Rachel tried to back away but I had her pressed against the booth, blocking her in. I gazed deeply into her eyes.

"I would have taken you into the bathroom." I whispered lowly. "And I would have made you take off your pants and underwear. Then I would've bent you over the sink-"

The kid's eyes grew wide, her cheeks ringing red with every word.

"I would've then explained the reason for your punishment, which in this case would have been for your blatant disregard for my privacy, your very abrasive and aggravating outbursts while I was trying to enjoy my dinner, and for interrupting me while I was talking. Of course once I had finished explaining all of that to you then I would have given you five very harsh spankings, making you count out loud."

The kid was gripping onto the table for dear life, her eyes wide with pure shock. I smirked and leaned in, placing a small kiss on her cheek. When I pulled back her face fell into a mix of grave horror and a hint of allurement.

"But that's if you had been anyone else." I nodded.

I swiftly walked away, a large smile on my face and an even larger erection in my pants.

The windows were down as the cool night air whizzed around me in a rush. My eyes were glued to the dirt trail. I had been driving off the road for the past few minutes. There were trees everywhere. Everything was drenched in darkness save for my burning headlights. I felt for my gun inside my jacket. Check. I made a mental note of all of my materials and my plan. Check. Tonight had to be perfect. No slip-ups.

I turned off my headlights once I got closer. I parked a few feet away and began trekking my way through the trees. I managed to find a trail and walked it down until I came across a small river. A few feet away from the river was the cabin. Several lights were on inside the place. I quietly made my way to a window and peeked inside. Sure enough there he was, the man I'd been hunting for the past few weeks.

"David Karofsky." I whispered quietly.

I took a seat beside the cabin. Now it was all about the waiting game. I pulled out the tranquilizer and examined it. The needle was locked, large, and ready to go. I rolled my eyes as my mind flew to the kid.

It took a few hours until Karofsky finally turned out the lights. Once the cabin was dark I crept inside, unlocking the door with ease. I slowly made my way around, getting accustomed to the place. I made my way to his room. The door was wide open. As I crept into the room I could see his large form on the bed. A soft noise whispered through the room, indicating that Karofsky was in deep sleep.

I stood in the center of the room, staring at him. How was I going to do this?

I pulled the tranquilizer out and glanced down at it. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. "What the hell. Why not?" I uttered.

I walked over to the bed and jabbed the needle harshly into Karofsky's neck and injected the clear liquid into him. The man jolted up in the bed. His eyes met mine, at first confused. His hand went to his neck. His eyes got large as he felt the needle. He slowly pulled the needle from his neck, looking down at it. I could see when it finally clicked in his head. Karofsky rolled off from the bed, reaching for something behind is dresser. I kicked at his arm. He dropped the shotgun. I stuffed my knee into his face with a powerful lunge.

The man shook it off like it was nothing and lunged at me. His arm swung and missed.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!" he shouted out.

Again he lunged for me and missed. I just needed time before the drugs kicked in. My eyes went wide as I felt him grab a hold of me. He picked me up and shoved me into the wall. I groaned out in pain as he rammed me again once more. I didn't realize how strong he was. An explosion of pain erupted in my back as I hit a particular sharp edge. I tried to grab for my gun inside my jacket but he had me pinned to the wall. He slammed my head multiple times into the wall, hard. I could hear the wall crack behind me. I shoved my thumbs into his eyes, forcing my nails into the crooks. He screamed out in pain, releasing me from his grip. His hands went flying to his face. I kicked him hard in the dick. He groaned. I kicked him again at least two more time until he fell to the floor. I grabbed my gun out and aimed it at him.

"Sorry kid."

Out of nowhere, a foot came flying, knocking me and the gun from my hands. My back slammed into the ground. A moment later his full body weight was on me. He rammed his fist into my face a few times. There was a sudden warm wetness that spread across my face. My vision got blurry as I tried to keep myself focused. I could feel his hands wrap around my throat, applying pressure. My hands clawed at him but he wasn't budging. He was literally squeezing the air out from me. I looked around the room for anything that I could use. My gun was too far away. My head felt like it was about to pop open. My lungs were on fire. I reached for the leg of the nightstand and started shaking it as best as I could. Everything in my body was feeling strained. Sparkles of color filled my vision. The lamp from the nightstand was moving. At that moment my movements slowly stopped. I couldn't move anymore. His face was swimming in my vision before darkness began to take over.

CRASH!

I woke up with a startle, gasping and coughing. I looked around. There was a figure on the floor beside me. He was knocked out cold. My legs were tingling. My throat was burning. It felt like I'd been sat on by a fat man. And I had. I slowly stood up and looked down at him. I started laughing out loud as I looked at the lamp beside his head.

"Fuck…. Now that's a miracle."

I went back out to my car and pulled it up to the cabin. I did my best to tie him up as best as I could and dragged him through the cabin. Heavy motherfucker…. It took forever to load him into the trunk. I was barely able to put him in. Once he was loaded up I lit up a cig and sat down on the hood of my car. I gazed up at the sky, enjoying the burning bright stars. At that moment, I wondered what it would be like to have wings, to fly out into the night sky, and never come back.

I swiftly pulled out the burner phone and made the call.

"Hello?"

"It's me." I responded roughly. Talking hurts…

I could hear a lot of commotion in the background. A few seconds later the noise disappeared as if it were doused in silence. There was a final shuffle before I could hear heavy breathing. "Anything?" she asked.

"I have him. Meet me in an hour."

"What's his condition?" she asked.

I inhaled a large puff of smoke. "I did what you asked. I gave him the tranquillizer. He's out like a light."

"I'll be at the address I gave you."- Click.

I pulled the phone away from me and stared at it. Did she just hang up on me? I shook my head and stuffed the phone into my pocket. After I finished my cig I hopped into the car and drove back into town at our meeting spot. I parked behind the building as instructed and waited.

An hour had passed and still no word. I was getting a bit agitated. She wasn't answering her phone. There was a sudden movement outside my window. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at the figure now at my window.

A pair of brown eyes peered in, looking at me. I blew out a sigh of relief as I placed my gun back into its holster and got out of the car. My eyes went wide as I took in the kid. She was wearing a tight green dress that clung to her body. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun. It looked as if she had just come back from a show. My eyes were glued to her like a hawk. Rachel snorted once she realized what I was doing. She ignored my heavy gaze and waited for me by the trunk. I wordlessly followed behind her with greedy eyes. When I popped open the trunk she peered inside, examining the large man. She pressed her lips tightly together. Once she was satisfied she let out a loud whistle.

Two large burly men covered in tattoos appeared. I was about to reach for my gun when Rachel stepped in front of me.

"They are with me." She responded back.

The men came in and grabbed the guy from the trunk and carried him over to the other car parked across the street. They threw him into the trunk. I watched with mild interest as the guys fixed him inside. I casted my gaze back to the girl. She was staring at me again from the corner of her eye.

"Why don't you take a picture? I'll last longer." I grunted roughly.

She turned her head away quickly, her face hiding in the shadows. "You look like shit."

"I'm alive." I announced.

I pulled out another cig and lit it up. "Your forehead is bleeding." She pointed out.

I shrugged. "When am I ever not bleeding around you?"

"You should make sure you see the doc again."

I turned to the girl, my eyes zoning in on her. "You don't have to act so concerned about me kid. Don't put the energy into it. It'll get you nowhere and it's certainly not needed."

She turned toward me, her face a mask again. Her brown eyes looked like they were on fire. A moment later she breathed out a rushed breath, her eyes narrowing in on me. Rachel pulled out a large envelope and violently threw it at me. It bounced off of me and fell to the floor. "Fucking asshole." She muttered beneath her breath.

She quickly spun around and stalked off toward her car. I stood off to the side and watched her go.

"So that's it? That's all I get?" I asked, trying my best to shout from across the street.

Rachel flicked me off before getting into the car. I laughed with joy as her car door slammed shut. I slowly bent down and grabbed the envelope of cash, stuffing it into my jacket. She was still glaring at me as she pulled off from the building. I licked my lips, pondering. Who were those guys? Where was she taking Karofsky? What did she want with him?

I didn't know. But my curiosity was scratching at me, clawing every inch. It was an itch I couldn't get rid of. I sighed heavily, pinching my lips together. There was a burning intensity flowing through me. At that moment I finally made my decision.

"Fuck it." I chuckled out loud with glee.

I hopped into my car and quickly trailed after her at burning speed.

Sorry for any mistakes…. I worked on this pretty late at night. Enjoy!

Any thoughts? Love to hear them!

-Firebluez