King of Hearts
Chapter 33 – No Name, But The Same Game.
Twig's POV.
As I got out of the car, I looked across the street to see the bakery all lit up and with it's front door open.
Calmly crossing the street, I advanced my eyes ahead to see someone behind the main counter in the store. As I made my way near the entrance, I noticed he was staring at me.
As my feet stepped through the door however the man shouted.
"Glad you could make it! Ross called ahead telling me you were on your way for the money!"
Stopping in front of the open door, I looked to the man to order.
"Just hand over the cash so I can be on my way."
Quickly coming out from behind the counter, the man replied.
"It's in the back! Just let me go get it for you!"
Entering to the center of the bakery, I replied.
"Make it fast."
"Not a problem! Just wait here for a minute! I have to open the safe!"
Nodding once, I watched as the man went through the only other door in the bakery and vanish into the space beyond.
Letting my body wait for the man to return, I took a look to my side to see my gun tucked in under my dress shirt. As I looked back up to the door I shouted.
"Hurry up!"
Not a word was given back to me as I began to sense something wrong.
Carefully I made my way for the back to see not a soul around.
The whole room was silent. To my right I eyed down the fire of the old school brick oven that was ready to load it's next layer of bread. And to my left I saw the racks of fresh bakery goods waiting to be sold. In the center, was a long steel table. Covered in dough and other ingredients needed to produce them.
As I stopped in the middle of the door frame, I went to reach under my suit jacket for my gun.
"Click!"
Letting my eyes shut, I heard the sound of another gun being cocked back behind my head.
In another second I heard a deep voice order.
"Drop the gun."
Complying slowly, I took out the M9 and brought it to my side to let the man see.
"Drop it." He ordered again as I let my fingers release the trigger guard.
As the gun hit the ground; the man behind me took hold of the back of my neck to shove me forward towards the steel table.
In force he pinned me into it, and as I tried to see who he was I was taken away by the back door opening with men in causal dress walking in with loaded firearms.
In confusion I asked.
"Who sent you? Cora?"
After finishing a quick pat down on me the man replied.
"You wish."
"Why's that?" I questioned as he turned me towards his face.
The man before me was a beefed up echidna. He stared at me with bright blue eyes and a bright yellow coat of fur. Getting his hand on my neck he replied.
"Cause Cora would just kill you. But since your with me we get to have fun killing you."
With his grip around my neck, I got a thick ball of spit up and out my mouth to hit him right in the left eye.
In rage, he sent a hook that connected straight into my skull.
In force I was sent to the table, and as I fell off my feet I managed to take pots and utensils down with me.
"Ugh! Ahkk!" Gagging up some blood, I was caught off guard by the echidna picking me up off the ground by grabbing onto my throat once more.
This time he pinned me all the way back and onto the counter to say.
"You just made the worst mistake of your life. "
I couldn't breathe. This man was too strong and I felt my windpipe snapping by the second as he suddenly tossed me away from the table and towards his men who had gotten a chair placed near the oven.
In force, I was sent on my ass and bound to the chair with thick pairs of rope. And as the men got my legs down; the echidna came over to send another hook into my face.
"Bash!"
Blood shot out from my mouth as he flexed his hand.
My brain was spinning now, and as the men finished tying me to the chair's legs, the echidna stated.
"Your a problem for a friend of mine. Sad to say we can't have problems in this line of work, and your providing quite the issue according to him."
Slowly nodding my head to his voice, I asked.
"It's that Ross guy isn't it?"
The echidna softly smiled as I looked back into his eyes to see another hook coming my way.
"Bash!"
This time I kept my head down on my chest as he said to me.
"Your a good man according to him. Too good. I respect that, but when he tells me he has a deal set in place to make more money then anyone could ever dream of, I say to him...what's the problem?"
Looking back very slowly to the man, I remained silent as he continued.
"He responds that a certain new guy is getting his hands wet where they shouldn't be and he could be an issue for him to make the money. And when he can't make money, I can't make money. So in the end your my problem as well."
"So kill me already." I urged him as he questioned.
"You just want to get off easy don't you?"
Shaking my head I replied with force.
"No. Cause if you don't kill me now, I'll get out of this chair and beat you death with your own fucking arms!"
After some deep thoughts the echidna began to laugh at me.
"Your a funny man! I hate to inform you but even if you did get out of that chair my boys here will put you down faster then your mother dropped you as a baby."
Beginning to growl I replied.
"You can't stop me."
Nodding the echidna then asked.
"Wana bet on that?"
Staring into him with silence at my lips, the echidna smiled and looked to the two men behind me to order.
"Let's see how well he can handle the heat. Get him up boys!"
Looking back and beginning to panic in my seat, I widened my eyes as the men behind me took hold of the chair I was in and began to lift me towards the oven.
"Just graze him boys! Enough so I can hear him beg."
In rage I shouted.
"I won't beg for you! I won't beg you motherfucker!"
Waving me off as the men tilted the right side of my head into the oven, I widened my eyes and attempted to try and break free as the fire began to reach my fur.
As the first strand was set ablaze I began to scream in pain.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The fire went all the way from the tip of my ear down to the fullness of my chin before the men decided to pull me out and back onto the floor in front of the echidna.
Blood swept down the whole right side of my face as the hedgehog got a closer look to say.
"That's going to leave a real nice burn scar. Too bad you won't live long enough to see it."
The whole right side of my head felt like I was at a boil; as the echidna stared into my eyes to ask.
"Should we keep going on this side till your nothing but glass? Or would you just like to go right ahead and get started on the other?"
I was incapable of responding due to the pain and gently patting my shoulder he ordered.
"Let's keep going on that side boys. Get him up and hold him there till I say to stop."
Obeying, the men got me back up and in the furnace as the echidna shouted.
"Everyone begs boy! It's just a matter of how long!"
My left eyes couldn't see due to the burns, and in fear; I tried to send my head out of the oven and back at them.
In extreme force, one of the men grabbed me by the neck and pushed me right in till my whole face began to burn up like a sparkler.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Don Brock Verno's POV, Verno compound.
Something wasn't right. Twig wasn't answering my calls and Ross was nowhere to be found as of an hour ago.
As I attempted to redial Twig's number one of my men came sprinting into my office to shout.
"Don Verno there's a problem!"
In a panic I asked while getting up from my seat.
"What is it soldier?!"
"Claire! She's missing!"
My whole mind went blank in fear as I thought my soul had been swept clean from my body hearing those words.
In a cold fear I questioned.
"Did you check her room!?"
The guard instantly nodded as I had to see for myself.
Everyone of my men who patrolled the halls instantly fell in line as they saw me sprinting out my office towards my baby's room in search.
Bashing my way in, I widened my eyes to see her dolls still out along the carpet.
In confusion I began to search, and after getting to her closet I saw all her toys had been dumped on the floor with the bag I gave her missing.
Many worried souls stood by the door as I looked back in near tears and near my breaking point.
With every ounce of anger in my body I yelled to them all.
"Search this whole fucking place! She has to be around here somewhere!"
Near immediate, my men all took off, leaving me with a few men who began to watch me break down.
In my head I was trying to reassure myself that she was just out playing in the backyard somewhere, but in my heart I held the fear that someone took her from me.
Quickly pushing by my men, I made my way back to the office to go for my phone that I had left on the counter.
As fast as I could I dialed Ross in hopes he would answer.
As seconds began to pass with each ring, I began to fear for the worst until he picked up near the end.
"Where the fuck are you!? Claire is missing and...?" My voice went blank as I heard Claire crying on the other end of the line.
"Oh I know she's missing. We were just about to have some fun before you called. Don't worry though, I won't be too rough with her. She's so cute."
As I began to cry, the head of my Caporegimes ran in to stop in shock.
Ross continued to toy with me as I begged.
"What do you want?! My baby doesn't deserve this! Don't hurt her please!"
With a chuckle Ross replied.
"I would never. She's just a little upset is all. I guess a little duct tape to her pretty little mouth just hurts a lot."
My anger snapped as I then yelled.
"Your fucking dead! You hear me!? I'm going to find you! And when I do your going to...?" Cutting me off with the pain of my daughter. Claire began to scream as I heard him rip off the tape.
"Aghhhhhhh! Daddy!"
The reality of hearing her call for me was just too much. And in reaction I fell back into my desk to beg Ross.
"Please stop it! I'll do whatever you want! Just stop hurting my baby girl please!"
The head of my Caporegime gently walked forward to me as Ross replied.
"Then your going to do exactly what I say if you don't want her to get hurt anymore."
With tears consuming my face and figure, I continued to listen as he then said.
"First things first, you will not try anything to find me or your daughter. If you do I will kill her. Is that understood?" He wondered as I nodded to myself with my lead Capo stopping before me.
After a few more seconds Ross continued.
"The first thing I want is the long overdue payment I've been waiting for. I expect six hundred thousand dollars to be transferred to my account within the next hour. If you fail to comply within the limit I will hurt her."
"Please!" I begged in nothing but utter sadness as Ross shouted.
"Your time starts now! I will call back once the money has been sent! Goodbye."
As the dial tone came back to my end of the line, I dropped my phone to the floor with the head of my Caporegimes asking.
"Who was that!?"
Looking to him I replied.
"It's Ross. He has my baby girl. He says if I don't give him six hundred thousand dollars within the hour he'll kill her."
The head of my Capos was a strong, tall fox by the name of Jin. He was a dark, solid gray and with his dimmed green eyes he questioned.
"He's bluffing! He wouldn't kill Claire!"
Nodding my head I replied.
"He would. He's going to kill her if I don't pay up to his demands."
"We have to be able to do something!" Stated Jin as I shook my head.
"He said if anyone tries to find him he'll kill her."
"We might be able to contact someone else! Maybe outside the family! What about that new guy Twig!?" Wondered Jin as I shook my head.
"He's nowhere to be found."
"Call him!" Ordered Jin as I continued to cry.
Sensing my despair Jin shouted.
"Brock!"
Gently looking back into his eyes, Jin yelled.
"Your daughter is being held captive and Twig may be the only one able to save her! Give him a fucking call!"
Slowly nodding my head, Jin watched as I went back to the floor to pick back up my phone.
As I dialed Twig's number once more, I put it on speaker to listen as each dial tone went by in shoot down hope and faith.
But as the last ring went off, we both widened eyes as it was sent to the other line halfway through.
"Twig?" I asked in concern as both Jin and I heard the sound cut in from the other side.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Immediately I knew that was him and shouted.
"Twig!? Can you hear me!? What's going on!?"
His screams just went on as Jin got out his gun.
Getting more then enough pain from Twig to convince me he was dying, I cut my hopes short as someone else said.
"Look what we have here boys!"
Just as I went to say something the line was ended by the strong sound of the phone getting smashed from the other end of the line.
Jin held his ground in front of me as I said.
"Ross set us up. He set Twig up knowing he was going to be the only chance my daughter had."
"We can still find her." Stated Jin as I shook my head.
"My baby is in the hands of a genius! And I'm left with no other choice but to pay the price! I made that man who he is today and he does this to me!" I stated in rage as I got up to flip my desk in rage.
Jin watched as I began to kick it, and in pure anger I shouted.
"Now Twig is dead! My daughter is somewhere with that lunatic all alone! And I'm trapped here! AGHHHHHHHH!"
Jin and a few other guards from outside now watched as I screamed in place, and as my mouth ran dry Jin and all them watched as I fell back to the floor in tears.
Please leave a review as always. I always can't wait to hear what you all have to say.
mT Shadow.
