"Mom...There's a monster under my bed." The small boy reached for his mother as she got up to turn off the light, his hand reaching out from under super hero blankets towards her. She gave him a reassuring smile, sitting back down beside him.
"You have nothing to worry about, Evan. The monster can't catch you." She said, ruffling his hair gently. "If you think the monster is coming, you can always run as fast as you can to my room. The monster will never, ever be able to catch you."
Evan couldn't stop running. His legs burned, his chest heaved, his eyes stung. He left wet footprints behind him. Cars passed him but no one stopped despite the bloody mess of his stinging right hand. Evan stumbled, tripping over his own feet. He fell face first onto the pavement, gravel digging into his skin. He let out a cry of pain, lying on the hot, sun warmed pavement for a few moments before he struggled to pull himself back up. He had to get back to the others, had to tell them what happened. Jonathan could make it look like he did it. He took a deep breath, wiping the gravel and dirt off his jeans but only ended up smearing blood on the black denim.
"I didn't do it…" Evan whispered. Tall sunflowers growing in a garden in front of the large house he stood in front of swayed in the warm, late morning breeze. He closed his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath before looking over his shoulder. There was no one coming after him, no black Cadillac, no blue BMW, no black and white Corvette. Evan stared down the road that he had just run down, now several blocks away from the house.
He let out a shuddering breath, his eyes welling up with tears that slid down his face. He turned his head, looking at the road in front of him, the large homes on either side seeming to be watching him. He could go home. Maybe he could find enough change to get on a bus and go home. He could go home and pretend that none of this happened. He could forget about everyone, about Tyler. The thought hurt his heart. He couldn't go home. He had to tell Craig and the others what happened. He couldn't leave Tyler's family in the dark. "Fuck." Evan sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. To think that just a week ago, his only stress was graduating.
He started walking down the street, catching his breath. A few more cars drove past him. They probably thought that he had fallen into a friend's pool and was walking home to change. He curled his bloody hand into a fist, hoping to hide it from anyone who might be watching him.
It felt like everything had eyes that were watching him.
He looked over his shoulder before crossing the street to another, quieter street and continued down the hill. His wet jacket felt heavy in the late morning heat. The breeze rustled the hedges and flowers along the metal fences surrounding the houses. The image of the flowers surrounding the bloody pool flashed through Evan's mind and a sob instantly shook his shoulders, the movement reminding him of his bruised ribs. He let out a pained cry, wrapping his arms around himself; blood smearing on his t-shirt. The wet gauze stuck to his hand. A car passed him, making him jump. Hugging himself, he kept walking, his bloody hand hidden under his jacket. A second car passed. Evan told himself to keep walking, he had to get back to the apartment, had to tell them what happened before Jonathan could lie to them again; before he could kill again.
A black car passed. Evan stopped. He turned, looking back over his shoulder. The black Cadillac slowed to a stop in front of him. Evan tensed, ready to run. The driver's door opened, a young man getting out and leaning against the door.
"Hey, kid. You want a ride?" The man asked. Evan shook his head, taking a nervous step backwards. The driver looked back inside the car then turned back to Evan, giving him a shrug. "Believe me, it's better if you say yes." Evan didn't move. "Do you see Jonathan around?" Evan looked around then shook his head. "We got no reason to wanna break your bones right now. Just wanna talk."
"You're Brian's driver." Evan said, wishing his voice was stronger.
"Yeah...My name is Anthony for one thing."
"Please...I'm tired...I want to go home." Evan begged. Anthony shook his head, moving to the back door and opened it, waiting for Evan. Looking back down the road, Evan realised he had no choice.
He was so tired.
He wanted Tyler; wanted him to hug him and tell him it would be okay. The flowers along the side of the road danced in the wind. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the Cadillac. Anthony held the door open for him as he got in before closing it. Evan took another deep, shuddering breath. This car terrified him. It had chased him, had stalked him. Now he was sitting in it, blood dripping from his hand to the expensive tan leather.
"Here." Evan looked down at the crystal glass that was held towards him and the amber alcohol inside it.
"I don't drink." Evan's voice was barely a whisper.
"You look like you need it." Brian said, insisting that Evan take the glass. He reached out with a shaking, bloody hand, taking a hesitant sip of the scotch. It burned his throat. He resisted the urge to spit it back into the cup. The engine rumbled back to life, slowly driving down the hill. "I understand what just happened is extremely traumatic for you but you have to understand that it could have been so much worse." Brian explained. "You could be dead."
"Tyler is dead." Evan breathed, new tears falling down his cheeks. He took a deep shuddering breath, pressing his left hand against his eyes in an attempt to get wipe away the tears; he just smeared them across his face.
"I know he's dead. Jonathan shot him point blank in the face." Brian said casually. Evan's shoulders shook with another sob. "Sorry...Was that too blunt for you?"
"What do you want?" Evan managed to say, his gaze on the glass in his hand.
"I see something in you, Evan. You're dangerous." Brian smiled.
"Dangerous." Evan repeated.
"Yes. You do know what you just did, right?" Brian asked. Evan kept his gaze on the scotch. "You stabbed Jonathan and got away with it. I like you, Evan. I think we could make a great team. Neither of us trusts Jonathan. Sure, he knows the code but I'm so much closer to the actual thing. We had the location but John went and got himself killed when he tried to stop Adam." Brian shook his head. "What a fucking mess that was. That doesn't matter now though. What I'm trying to say is that Tyler babied you. He didn't want you to get involved in this without realising that you're involved now and you always will be. You can never run away from this as much as you want to. I don't see you as a child to be coddled, Evan. With some training, a gun in your hands, you could be unstoppable. Do you know how to drive?"
"Is Jonathan still alive?" Evan asked.
"If you don't know how, that's no problem. Anthony will teach you."
"Is Jonathan still alive?" Evan raised his voice, startling Brian. Evan slowly turned his head, anger rising in his chest.
"Yes." Brian smiled despite Evan's anger.
"Did he kill Tyler for you?" Evan said through gritted teeth.
"He's wanted Tyler dead for awhile, Evan." Brian said, glancing at the glass cup in Evan's bloody hand. "It was going to happen sooner or later. The point is, I don't need nor want Jonathan. I want you. Tyler's so called 'family' is going to fall apart now with him dead and I don't want you to be a part of that. You don't have to tell me the code, but I do want you to use it."
"Use it?"
"Yes. Did Tyler not tell you what the code is for?" Brian's brow furrowed as Evan nodded. "Christ, another example of him babying you."
"Are you going to tell me?" Evan asked.
"Are you going to join me? I can tell you that you'll be rich. Anything you want, I'll give you; the code will give you."
"Isn't that just babying me more?" Evan took another sip, cringing at the harsh taste.
"Maybe a little." Brian smiled. "Admit it, everyone likes to be babied a little."
"Why did Jonathan want Tyler dead?" Evan asked.
"I'm sure there are many reasons, unfortunately, I can't tell you. I myself don't entirely know the whole story." Brian sighed. They had driven back into the city, the large homes giving away to taller apartment buildings and shops. "Why?" Brian was looking out the window, watching his city go by. "Do you want to kill him?" Evan hesitated, thinking about his answer. He did love Jonathan, loved the kindness he had shown him. Loved his bravery, his protectiveness. Yet, he had just killed Tyler, shot him point blank in the face and didn't bat an eye. Jonathan had manipulated him, had lied to him, to all of them. Tyler died not knowing the truth. "Because Jonathan wants to kill you one day." Brian said, startling Evan. Brian pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed Evan what was on the screen. It was the picture Jonathan had taken of him at the art museum, his smiling face illuminated by the white street lamps. Below it was the caption 'Mine. Bounty is taken.' Evan felt sick. He should have known what Jonathan was doing when he took a picture of him. "No one is allowed to touch you except Jonathan it seems."
"And if I join you...You'll protect me from him?" Evan asked quietly. Brian put his phone back into his pocket, sighing.
"Until it becomes better for me not to protect you. As it stands, I want you alive and well. The second you become not wanted, well I can't make any promises." Brian shrugged. "That's just how these things work."
"Craig and the others would protect me…Always." Evan whispered. Brian laughed.
"Didn't they drug you, drag you into a back alley and beat you up?"
"And wasn't it Jonathan who came to my rescue?" Evan cried, his anger and grief bubbling up.
"And wasn't it Jonathan who set that whole thing up in the first place just to come to your rescue?" Brian said after a few moments of silence. Evan looked away from him, tears welling up in his eyes. "I was like you once, naive and scared."
"And then you inherited all your old fucking money and the mafia and now you aren't so naive and scared?" Evan spat.
"When you put it like you're right." Brian laughed. "But yes, I did inherit all my 'old fucking money' and the gang from my uncle. Even with that though, I was unaware of what I could do, what I could get away with." Evan didn't want to know what Brian could get away with. "I learned quickly. Let me teach you, Evan. You can my little brother." Brian smiled.
"Fuck off."
"Do you talk to your mother like that?" Brian laughed. "I guess you haven't recently." Evan curled his bloody hand tightly into a fist. "We've had our differences, Evan-"
"Differences?" Evan found himself laughing; a horrible, pained wheezing sound. "You left me for dead in the desert. You threatened me. You threatened Tyler. You killed Tyler." Evan said through gritted teeth. His laughter turned into a violent sob. "If I could...I'd bash your head in and leave you for the birds in the desert...Nothing grows there. Not even flowers." Brian was still smiling. He almost looked proud of Evan who was shocked by what he had just said.
"What about Jonathan? What would you do to him?" Brian asked. Evan took another sip from the strong drink, his throat feeling like it was burning as he swallowed. Evan flexed his bloody right hand.
"I'd lie to him. Make him feel loved and cared for in a world that's suffocating. Then I'd break his hand and drown him." Evan finally said, his voice oddly calm.
"What a dangerous boy you are." Brian said, leaning back in his seat. "Remind me to never lie to you." He smiled. "You aren't as scared as you think you are. I was scared."
"When?"
The recoil of the handgun startled Brian, but it didn't shock him as much as the force and violence of blood, flesh and bone splattering across the room. The men standing around him flinched, the dead man having fallen to the floor by the time they turned their heads. Brian's chest felt tight, his stomach feeling like it had just flipped. His hand holding the gun trembled. He swallowed, glancing at the others in the room before lowering the gun, hoping they wouldn't see his hand shake. They still weren't sure of him as a leader ever since his uncle got himself killed. He was young, known for his misbehaviour and tendencies to throw money around like it was nothing. He prayed they wouldn't know that was the first time he'd shot a gun and killed a man.
"Say that again." Brian said to the men still standing in front of him. He took a deep breath, wishing his hands would stop shaking.
"T-The money is gone." One of them said with a shaking voice. "Someone else had got to it first."
"Who?"
"We don't know yet."
"Then fucking find out. I want that fucking money." He turned, slamming the gun down on the desk. He looked up at the window and the sparkling lights of Los Angeles that lay before him. "Now!" He yelled. He listened to them hurry out of the office, closing the door behind them, leaving him alone with the corpse. He reached for the bottle of vodka on the desk, not even pouring it into a glass before taking a swig from it. "Fuck…" He took another deep breath.
That wouldn't be his last murder. Alone, Brian would practice with the gun, shooting holes in the cement wall of his basement. After a little while, it began to thrill him. The adrenaline of pulling the trigger and watching the results. Brian began to live for it.
"You're fucking ruthless." Ryan had said once, a smile on his face. Brian hadn't even given that a response. He knew it already. That comment was on his mind when the black Cadillac tailed the tall man walking down the sidewalk, the orange street lamps washing over him. As he got out of the car, watching his men tackle Tyler and drag him back to the car, his only thought was on how he could be more. Sure, he could just beat him up but Brian wanted a more lasting impression. So he nodded to Ryan, who with a hammer in hand, broke Tyler's hand. Tyler and his 'family' became his guinea pigs, each time he saw them, he would see just how far he would go. He was proving to himself that he was no longer scared. His uncle had always thought he was pathetic and scared.
Maybe it was that ruthlessness that attracted Jonathan and Luke, Brian didn't question it when they first approached him. Luke was nervous, Jonathan was determined; he had his own plans. They had met at a club, the lights flashing, music flooding the large room. Jonathan had sat down at the high table beside Brian and explained what he wanted. Brian knew Jonathan didn't tell him everything, but it was enough to convince him that there was nothing wrong with helping him. Besides, it was just another form of ruthlessness, a quiet torture. Jonathan hated that everyone looked up to Tyler, that they felt like they owed him something. Tyler was preying on their thankfulness. To Jonathan, he was disgusting.
"It's good to do business with you." Brian said, shaking Jonathan's hand. They planned Luke's escape from the gang. Jonathan played the helpless victim as Luke sped off. He would join them later, someone had to remain to keep an eye on Tyler for time being. Brian had Tyler right where he wanted him.
Something changed though when Brian saw the kid that Ryan and Luke had kidnapped. They dropped him to the cement floor of that warehouse and Brian could only stare at him, surprised. The kid didn't even look like he was out of high school yet. Could he really hurt this kid? He'd have parents looking for him. Brian curled his hands into fists; he wasn't going to be caught off guard by this kid. Yet he was. Evan knew the code, Brian was certain of it but he refused and refused. He was something new. Most people cracked. Even when Brian gave Ryan and Luke the order to get rid of him, Brian knew he was going to see Evan again. If he refused to give Brian the code, then he would for sure refuse to die.
Brian wasn't surprised when he saw Evan get out of the helicopter, a pale look on his face. At least he had made a terrifying impression on him.
When Evan answered Jonathan's phone, Brian was surprised. Watching him stab Jonathan and slip through Luke's hands, Brian felt a bit of pride. He was making Evan stronger. He didn't care about Tyler anymore. Just Evan and the code.
Evan stared at Brian with wide eyes, a sense of unease making him wonder if he could survive jumping out of the moving car. He didn't have to imagine himself in this story for he was in it. He had always wondered what Brian was thinking and now he didn't want to know.
"The point is, I admire you for your strength, your stubbornness towards practically everything, and your will to survive. I'll say it again, we'd made a great team." Brian said, meeting Evan's disturbed gaze.
"You thought torturing Tyler was fun...A game." Evan stammered.
"You've been taught to think that there is always a definite good and evil. The systems keeping your mother out of work are evil. The kids who make fun of you are evil. I am evil because of my actions. Tyler was good because he saved you. Craig is good because he healed your wounds. Jonathan is evil because he manipulated you and hurt you. It's not like that at all. Do you know what Tyler did?" Brian asked. Evan shook his head. "He smashed John's head in with his boot and didn't tell Smitty. Once his hand was healed he went after some of my men with his own hammer and broke more than just their hands. Tyler didn't have less blood on his hands than me. I think it might even be more. When you thought Jonathan loved you, you considered him good, and now he's bad because of what he did? He kept you alive when he could have easily tortured that code out of your skull and left you for dead. And that Craig of yours? He let a man bled out once. One of mine. He was still alive, begging for help. And you what Craig did? He spit on him and left. He never hurt Craig, never did anything to him but because Tyler told him that I'm evil and everyone associated with me is evil, he let him bleed to death in a back alley. Not such an angel now is he?" Brian snarled. Evan felt sick. He didn't want to listen to this. He couldn't imagine Craig and Tyler doing such things. "They've told you stories...I know Jonathan told you a story. Do you really believe all of them? Every single story everyone tells you in this fucking world should be taken with a grain of salt. They picked certain stories to tell you so you would hate me. So you wouldn't give me the code. So you would eventually tell them the code."
"Shut up." Evan shook his head, new tears welling up in his eyes. "Shut the hell up."
"I'm sorry to break it to you, but in this business, there is no good or evil. Everyone is a horrible, shitty person who's done horrible things. You should appreciate me for telling you the truth. You can back to Craig and the others and listen to their stories and think of them as daring heroes until they fall apart. Or...You can come with me. I'll be honest with you." Brian smiled. Evan stared at him, his bottom lip wobbling. "I'm not making any deals with you, Evan. You're above that. This is a difficult decision to make, so I've given you a lifeline." The car pulled over and came to a stop. "Across the street is a pay phone. Go call your mom and ask her what you should do." Brian reached into his pocket and handed Evan a handful of coins. "Take as much time as you need." Anthony got out of the car and opened Evan's door for him. He got out, his legs shaking. Behind the black Cadillac was Ryan's black car, him and Luke watching him.
"You don't have to worry about them." Anthony said. "Unless you try to run." Evan nodded, the coins in his left hand quickly becoming slick with sweat. He reached the booth, sliding the coins into the machine and quickly dialled his mom's number. It rang a few times before he heard her pick up.
"Hello?" Evan couldn't say anything. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Mom…" Evan finally said, his voice breaking. "Mom, it's me."
"Oh my god, Evan...Oh my god! Are you okay? Where are you? It's okay! Just tell me where you are!" She cried. Evan knew she was now on the verge of tears too.
"Mom, I can't tell you." Evan sobbed. He took a deep breath. "I-I...I didn't go to school that day I went missing because kids make fun of me and I'm too anxious...And I came across this man by the river and he was dying...Someone shot him. He told me a code….and now I'm involved with some really bad people." Evan told her as much as he could without names. He told her about Tyler though, about how he saved him even though Brian had said he was a horrible person. His right hand was curled into a fist, blood dripping to the gravel at the side of the road. Finally, he did his best to explain what was happening now, how Brian had let Tyler be killed, and the choice he had given him. "Mom, I don't what to do. I'm so scared. I just want to go home. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. It's not your fault." Her voice was shaking. "You did nothing wrong, sweetie. You never did. You have kept your promise. I don't want you to do anything that will get you hurt."
"But that won't be the right thing to do." Evan stammered. He leaned his head against the plastic of the booth, his face soaked with tears.
"What do you want to do then?" She asked quietly.
"He said that the people who saved me are cruel and horrible, but to me, they aren't. I can't leave them." Evan sobbed. "I want to go back to them." He felt angry now. Looking over his shoulder, he realised that Brian had him trapped. He would be leaving with Brian no matter what he chose.
"Can you run?" His mom asked, surprising Evan.
"I don't know...They might shoot at me if I try." Evan whispered. She took a deep breath, thinking.
"I'm not letting you become a part of this gang, mafia thing, Evan." She managed a weak laugh. Evan smiled a little. "You're sure you can't run?"
"I could try...I did it before." Evan lowered his voice as he glanced over his shoulder at the black Cadillac.
"What about the person who killed Tyler?"
"He's not here. But I'm sure I'll see him again." A part of Evan intended on it.
"Then you have to try. As much as I want you to come home, you should find the people who saved you. They sound like the safest bet." She sounded hesitant. "If you know something valuable, they won't hurt you."
"That's not entirely true." Evan laughed. "We've watched too many movies."
"I know." She sighed. "Are you going to run?" Evan lowered his gaze, looking down at his bloody hand. He could stay and let Brian make him into the 'dangerous boy' that he saw in him. Or he could run and hope that he could find his way back to Craig and the others. He wasn't going to bring this home. He knew that Tyler and the others had done back things; Tyler had even told him that he could be worse than Brian. This shouldn't be such a shock to him. Yet he still looked up to them, they would protect him. With Tyler gone, he couldn't leave them. For Tyler, he wasn't going to let them fall apart. "Evan?"
"Yea...Goodbye, mom."
"Be careful. I love you."
"I love you too, mom." He said quietly and hung up. He stayed there a moment longer, bracing himself. He took a deep breath. He'd need all the air he could get. Slowly he turned, looking back at Anthony. Brian's door opened as he got out. The street was silent. Without saying anything, Evan suddenly broke into a run, sprinting down the street as fast as he could.
"Get him!" Brian screamed. "Ryan! Get him!" Car engines roared. Evan turned into an alley, nearly crashing into the wall before regaining his balance and kept running.