I think I may end this soon. Not so sure yet. Might keep going a little longer. I may start the sequel before I finish ths because I have a request for the next story from my best friend who I run my ideas past. any way...
Warning: Dark content ahead!
Diary of a CajoleMan
I watch Mozzie run to the van and grin. Joseph had gone in the front door about fifteen minutes ago. I had researched this case and the men involved. I knew who was doing the sting and I also knew the man I hadn't shot was about to stab the head hancho in the back and Joseph would suffer for it. It is really confuseing but I understand. There's a lot to put together and when I get in there I'll know all I need to know. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe this makes no sense. Maybe this is fatherhood. I see the van door open and then it closes with Mozzie inside.
I slip around the corner and into the front door. I took a right and sank into the shadows. Storage room. Why a storage room? Joseph was standing in a small circle of light with the man, that same man from before, in front of him.
"I kn-know what this is. I kn-know what you've d-done." Joseph mumbled.
"Oh, what have I done?" he cackles.
"You stole the p-paintings. Well, you were hired t-to. Then you saw the p-price and p-pretended they were st-stolen from you so the third p-party would have n-no c-clue where they were. Then when m-my father t-tried t-to sell them, Perfect! P-pawn it off as we were the ones who stole from you. Perfect." The man moved toward Joseph, nose to nose with him and froze.I barely noticed Joseph's fist up by his face and the tip of the knife he was holding to the man's neck. He was fast.
"You Punk! Keep your mouth shut!" The man yelled. He moved to punch Joseph's abdomin but the knife was inbedded in his wrist long before he even reached the halfway point between thier bodies. Joseph raised an eyebrow then removed the knife and pointed it at the shadows.
"How l-long have you b-been there?" Joseph asked. A man sighed and moved into view, at arms length from Joseph.
"Not long. You knew exactly when I came in." The voice sent chills down my spine.
"I d-did." He grinned.
"Keller." I sigh. It is so quiet I'm not sure I said it aloud. No one acknowledges it.
"Go get yourself cleaned up, Jerry." Keller commands the henchman. He clutches his wrist and leaves the room," So, Joseph. How are you?" He steps forward. Joseph pointed the knife at him and Keller steps back and Joseph puts the knife back in his sleeve.
"I hate violence." Joseph sighs.
"I see." Keller scoffs.
"What d-do you want?" Joseph asks. I want to leap forward. I stay where I'm at. Keller is armed. Always armed. In this situation I am the only one unarmed.
"Neal, how nice of you to join us!" Keller turns to where I am kneeling behind a row of shelves. There is no way he could see me, but he is looking right at me. There it came. A gun pointing at Joseph. I shook my head and had to smile. I step out from behind the rows as his grin spread wider.
"You always were able to find me." I sigh and spread my arms to show I wasn't armed or bugged under my black long sleeve collared shirt.
"The Feds are here, aren't they? This is outside your two miles." Keller gestured to my ankle with the gun. I close my eyes and lift my pant leg and the air rushes out of me as they stare at my bare ankle.
"They are... distracted." I lower my head. Joseph wouldn't have come out of this alive. The Feds wouldn't have been able to come in before Keller shot him. I know Keller. Even children are fair game.
"So they haven't even realised that you don't have your anklet?" Keller smiles. Suddenly the door flew open and the Feds run in. I see Peter in the crowd and then Keller has Joseph in his arms, gun to his head.
"Very original, Keller!" I shout. He jams the gun into Joseph's temple. Peter is yelling orders and the Feds are dropping thier weapons. I grab the gun out of the closest Fed's hands and point it at Keller, getting out of arms reach of the Feds. Keller points the gun at me. We both can end this right there. Keller smiles.
"You know I won't shoot you, , after last time, I can't say I'm not tempted." Keller says.
"I won't shoot you, unless you don't let go of my son." I keep my voice steady, although anger is starting to make me shake.
"Son! Oh, now I see it! Wow! He looks just like you. Even has that little studder you used to have. Worse than yours. A lot worse." Keller pulled his arm tighter around Joseph's neck.
"Let go of him!" I shout.
"Neal, put the gun down!" Peter commands.
"Not this time, Peter." I mumble.
"How's this..." Keller looks at Peter," Joseph and Neal come with me for a trip."
"No deal." Peter shouts.
"Or I could take this one out of the picture and a few others as I go down swinging." Keller suggests, resting the gun on Joseph's cheek. Joseph tries to pull away but is pulled back and chokes.
"I'll go!" I shout. I hold the gun up. Keller smiles.
"Could you kindly go with my friend here, Neal." He gestures to the man he called Jerry who has just entered the room. I sigh and grit my teeth then pull my pant leg up as I walk past Peter and hear him curse quietly to himself.
The man roughly shoves me into a van," Original!" I shout again. Keller climbs in with Joseph and the van door is closed and soon we were riding away. I sat in the corner and pulled my legs up to my chest. Joseph sat near Keller in a similar manner.
"So. Son!" Keller points to Joseph.
"Yeah." I mumble. Keller smiles to me.
"Let's cut the crap. Where are my pantings?" Keller asks.
"Why d-don't you ask J-jerry." Suddenly Keller hits Joseph with the gun then puts the gun away. Joseph grabs his head and wines.
"Wow, a lot like you, Neal." He looks up," Where are the paintings?" He asks. Joseph crawls over to me and curles up next to me. I put a hand on his shoulder as he lay on his side.
"We don't know where the paintings are, Keller." I say truthfully.
"In all my years I have never seen you more convincing. I know all your tells! None of them. You almost look like your telling the truth!" He exclaims.
"Then why don't you believe me!" I shout, loseing my temper.
"Because I know you, Neal! I know you!" Keller snarles and looks away.
"We do not have the paintings!" I shout.
"Like you didn't steal the treasure!" Keller turned to me.
"I didn't, ok! Mozzie did! By the time you came around I didn't even want it!" I close my eyes. Then open them again," How's the leg, by the way?" I ask.
"The bullet was rather painful. It's hard to explain how I got better. How about I show you?" He pulls the gun out and presses the gun to my knee.
"Are you really that angry?" I ask, looking at his face and not the gun at my knee.
"Were you? Were you so angry?" he says.
"No. You were about to kill Peter! He would have stopped before killing you but you wouldn't stop."
"Disloyal. I never thought I would use that word for you!" He pulls the gun away.
"Who's disloyal?" I ask.
"I killed for you! I stole for you!" He shouts.
"And I wanted that?" I ask.
"Did Peter? If the only shot had been a head shot would Peter want you to take it?" Keller grins. I grit my teeth,"Thought not." The van rolls to a stop," Well, here we are." He pats his legs and flings the door open. Three men wait for us," Get them to the other room." they climb in and throw a bag over my head and I grab Joseph's shoulder in a death grip. He grabs my hand as it is wreched from his shoulder and we hold on as they pull us away from the van and shove us down a hall.
They let us aid eachother as we walk until we are in the room they want us in and seperate us. They shove us to the ground then pull us apart and zip tie us to two poles next to eachother. Finally the bags are removed and Keller pistol whips me.
"Now, you're going to tell me where the paintings are." He kneels in front of me and grabs Joseph by the face, hard. I look over and see the blood running down from Joseph's hairline and pouring over Keller's hand.
"We do not have them!" I shout, my voice pitching as I try to kick him. He pulls his hand away from Joseph and grabs my ankles, tying them together as I try to pull away from him.
"We'll see about that." he growls.
Ok so not that much dark content yet. Next chapter there will be.