The
van screeched to a halt at the back of the house and Johnny fell forward in the
stop losing his balance and crashed into the center console. Rooskie jumped out
before Johnny was able to pull himself back upward. The side door screamed open
with such a force that Johnny stopped on his knees and Rooskie’s large hand
clenched Johnny’s shirt pulling him backward and out of the van crashing him
onto the weeds disguising as grass from long term neglect. Johnny decided
staying down was his best option. Again his instincts screamed to him to submit
rather than force a show down as his means of survival. “Get up you piece of
worthless shit!” Rooskie began, his voice so strong Johnny thought he could
feel its weight on his back pushing him downward though Rooskie had taken his
hands off of him as soon as he hit the ground outside of the van. He went on about whom he had been saved
from and his connections to the deep criminal underground and how he had even
further now placed them all at risk. He knew Tatiana was in the house and soon
she would come to his rescue. He
kept his back down waiting for his savior.
After
he almost gave up on Tatiana coming to save him he heard the back door screech
open, the hinges struggling to hang onto their worn wood supports. It opened slowly,
which pleased Johnny; as he believed this meant she was not angry with him like
Rooskie was securing his survival. He focused on her beautiful steps towards
him above the noise of Rooskie as he roared on. It was magical to him that he could tune her in and tune
everything else out. She didn’t speak during her short approach to his position
on the dirty grass below Rooskie. He heard ice cubes sing against a glass he
was sure Tatiana was holding and hoped she was bringing him a drink. He glanced
upward sheepishly making sure not to appear challenging. Rooskie stopped his rampage suddenly
and Johhny’s eyes met Tatiana’s. She didn’t speak and he realized the drink in
her hand was not intended for him as she took a long drink. She was wearing a long white gown that
was light and flowed in the slight breeze appearing as an angel to Johnny. His
pulse slowed as his muscles relaxed from the vision of Tatiana.
Rooskie
then relayed to Tatiana what had occurred and how he had broke Johnny out of
the other man’s clutches. He spoke low and deliberately pointing out to her
that the time had come to end Johnny’s life to save their lives. The man who
had taken Johnny was a more serious criminal then Rooskie and suddenly Johnny felt
uplifted impressed that someone of such caliber in crime wanted him for his own
criminal plan. Tatiana listened as she finished her drink the ice cubes falling
against her lips with the last drink. When Tatiana finally spoke she only said
three words and Johnny was sure he didn’t hear her right. “Take him back”
Tatiana said to Rooskie and at that moment one of Rooskie’s large hands grabbed
onto Johnny once again the other grabbing the van door opening it and throwing
him back into the van driving off before Johnny could come to the realization
as to what just happened.
Rooskie
said nothing while the van sped on except for mumblings that Johnny could not
make out. He was surprised on how quickly he had submitted to Tatiana’s order
and began thinking he might be killed by Rooskie rather than be dropped off at
this last captor’s hideout. The
van suddenly stopped and Johnny thought his heart stopped at the same time.
Sweat rolled down every part of his body as he waited for his fate to occur. He
could never beat Rooskie physically and he was quite certain of it. He tried to
come up with a plan his mind racing out of control waiting and waiting staying
still as he became more crazed. He didn’t even hear Rooskie exit the van before
he heard the side door screech open again and Rooskie’s hand grabbed at him
viciously hoping to kill him in his grasp to throw him out. Johnny fell to the asphalt his face falling
forcefully against the breaks of asphalt that was worn and jagged and Johnny
felt the blood begin to flow.
The
van sped away and Johnny raised his head to find out quickly where he had been
pushed out hoping Rooskie had maybe left him where he could run away and be
free, maybe even have a chance to get home to his father. As soon as his eyes focused he could see
in his dismay that he was back at his previous captor’s hideout, the man Rooskie
had called Skinny Sam’s in the industrial area where no one but
criminals at this time of night was ever on these streets. As he put his hand
to his face to check the blood flow that was dripping off him now aggressively
he saw shoes that he had not heard walk up. “You lucky fuck!” Johnny knew this was Skinny Sam. “If I
didn’t have a ton of respect for that hot ass Tatiana you would be dead right
now asshole. But we cut a deal you motherfucker and she has loaned me to you
for my plan so you have a bit more life yet if you don’t fuck it up that is” , Johnny
could not believe his ears that like a slave Tatiana had given him to Skinny
Sam and his heart sank as Skinny Sam’s thugs lifted him up and dragged him away as
he heard Skinny Sam give them the order to clean up his face and throw him back
into the room Rooskie had just earlier saved him from.
