"Help me," he sputtered, cookies flying out of his mouth. Foam formed out of his mouth making him appear to be like a rabid dog.
He thrashed about in the kitchen, knocking over utensils, plates and food items from off the counters. Brennan stood still with a smirk on his face. He plotted this day very well. The housekeepers were off for the weekend and Hugh, who came to take care of some lawn work, was the only one there with Brennan. He had planned to have his way with Brennan again, but Brennan beat him to the punch to make him suffer in his own demise.
Hugh fell flat on his back, his eyes bulging out of its sockets. He reached out for Brennan, but he just stood there. Brennan truly didn't care.
Then Brennan did the unthinkable to Hugh. He tore down his pants, took a knife he had behind his back tucked in his jeans and castrated Hugh's penis. Hugh couldn't even scream. His tongue grew thick making him choke on his own bile and blood. After a few more minutes, he died.
Brennan called his uncle and told him what happened starting with what Hugh did to him. Uncle William caught the next plane smoking from Italy. After cleaning up Hugh's remains and burning them, they simply reported him missing. He sent his wife a care package of money for her and her sons. She completely understood as she caught him doing the same to one of their sons. She was glad to be rid of that demonic pedophile.
Uncle William hired another housekeeper, a woman this time. Brennan did like her, but he didn't want to get close to anyone. Not even his uncle anymore. He had simply shut down. He had no more empathy. He didn't cry for his sister anymore either. He breezed through school and when Brennan turned eighteen, he sent him to the United States for college.
"You'll do well there Brennan Hill. You have your uncle's smarts. Do something with it okay?" his proud uncle told him at Heathrow Airport, the day Brennan left. He nodded, gave his uncle a hug and went on his way.
New York City was just like London to Brennan. He didn't have many friends and girls were just that. Girls. He liked them, but he didn't want to get too close. He just didn't know how to love anyone. After a few semesters, Brennan dropped out and took up work as a bartender at a bar in Hell's Kitchen. Uncle William eventually found out and was upset, but still supported him by paying his rent for his loft on the Eastside.
One day, Brennan got into a big fight, that sent him to jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He sliced the guy's face up pretty badly in a fit of rage all because the guy was trying to get out of paying his tab.
He was sentenced for some years. His uncle decided he couldn't help him anymore so he cut him off leaving Brennan with no one.
It was there in prison that his dark side came out. An inmate tried to rape him and he killed the guy with a makeshift knife. A corrections officer turned a blind eye to the incident and no one took the blame for the inmate's murder. Once Hill got out, he went right back in for robbery and assault. Once he left for the second time, he didn't make any false promises of trying to do better like all the others normally did.
One thing that did make him do better was meeting Numbers at the halfway house. He explained to him that he used to take up computer science in college but that school wasn't his thing. Seeing that Brennan Hill shared the same views as him, Numbers hatched a plan to hack credit card information for big profits and sell to shadow brokers. Brennan wanted in of course. Besides, what did he have to lose?
Chapter Forty
"Wow man, I had no idea all this was going on. I understand why you never told anyone," Brennan said, shocked. There were several things in his past that he hadn't told Numbers and he was going to keep it that way.
"Yeah, but forget all that sentimental stuff. It's time for a new death!" he snorted. He turned to Rodney ready to grab him up by his neck. Rodney is so weak, that he didn't have the strength to fight back. Whatever happens, would be just that. He was so disappointed in his father. Now he was to blame. And his mother. His mother never cared about anyone.
"No, don't do it. We can use him. It ain't truly over just yet. Besides, we need to clean up what we already have done. For starters, I need to get that motorcycle out of the ditch so no one can link this back here," Brennan concluded.
Numbers agreed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I need to find out if Nina and James are still alive. If I hadn't killed Bly, we would've known by now." He went over to the door, ready to leave the room.
"Wait, you killed Bly? Why? We need him, don't we?" Brennan questioned.
Numbers turned back around to face Brennan. "Nope. He was playing us. Didn't do what he was supposed to do. I paid him handsomely to keep this kid's name out the papers and to kill the aunt and you know what I caught him doing?" He took out his cellphone and held it up for Brennan to see.
Brennan gave him a knowing look, taking the phone from him. It was a pic of Nina placing her hand on Bly's arm. He swiped the screen to see more pics. The pictures were zoomed in of the same pose. One displayed Bly laughing. He handed Numbers back his phone.
"Well, I guess you did the right thing. What a stupid bloke," Brennan said, shaking his head.
While the two men talked back and forth about his aunt and this now dead cop, Rodney was quiet the whole time. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he mourned over his dead father and possibly aunt. He is shocked he even came looking for him. Rodney looked up at the two men who wanted him dead. His eyes were filled with vengeance, wanting to leap on them both and take them out. But Rodney knew he couldn't do that. The chains he had on was one hindrance. The other was fear.
Gosh, I need to get out of there, Rodney thought to himself, watching with full-fledged anger as the two laughed. Numbers was mocking the confrontation he had with Rodney's father, making Brennan laugh out loud. That was strange because Brennan rarely cracked a smile. Feeling helpless, Rodney silently blamed himself.
"Hey, I have an idea!" Numbers said eagerly, holding onto his phone. He paced back and forth. "This may sound random to you, but I know it'll work. You want out of this don't you B?" Warren asked his friend.
Brennan pondered. The money they made in hacking was tremendous. But it was also very risky. He wanted to get out while he could and just travel. He needed to really work on him and his painful past.
"Yes, I do. I am tired of always wearing a hoodie, yet looking over my shoulder at the computer. What do you have in mind?" Brennan quizzed.
Numbers smiled at him. "Oh, you're going to love this. After I beat the shit out of this snitch, I am going to make a video of him begging for his life, crying out for help and telling his audience that his worthless life does matter."
"I'll need you to record him pleading with his family, especially his father and aunt if they're still alive. I am sure that they won't make it. Anyway, in the video, we'll have their swollen-eyed bratty monster pleading for mercy and him asking if his life was worth two million dollars," Numbers explained. He let out a crazed laugh, staring directly at Rodney.
"Cryptocurrency!" Rodney whimpered. He began to stand up, his knees feeling extra wobbly.
Brennan looked at him curiously. "What did you just say?" He stood in front of Rodney.
Rodney gulped, looking up at Brennan's looming stance over him. "Cryptocurrency. I know how to get it for you. Right now you don't have any, do you?" His eyes tried to look behind Brennan's massive chest to meet Numbers'.
"Go on," Brennan said, seemingly interested in what Rodney had to say.
"Well, if you give me access to a computer, I can certainly hack into people's phones. Those I know for sure who trade cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is the future and it could yield both of you millions. I know this for sure. Please man, just give me a chance-"
WHOP!
Numbers came from behind Brennan and knocked the wind out of Rodney, sending him flying backward again into the concrete wall. This time, he hit his head, his neck going into a bend-snap motion forward with a dull impact.
"You don't get to decide shit! I do!" Numbers exploded. He was breathing hard, pointing his fing
er at Rodney and shaking it. "I tell you, if it weren't for what I really wanted to do, I would have been killed you and sent your head in a box to your cookie-cutter family."
Brennan thought about Rodney's idea but knew better to go against Numbers'. He let Warren ramble on while he thought of a reason to come back downstairs, later on, to ask Rodney some more details about hacking cryptocurrency. It was a good thing he didn't kill him after all.
"The plan is to get you in this video, you beg for your life, and request this two-million dollars. You got that?" Numbers seethed. His eyes went wild, glaring at Rodney.
Rodney shook his head up and down. "Yes, I got it," he stammered. He sighed inwardly in defeat. I'm never getting out of here with this maniac in my way, he thought to himself.
"Good. We'll make the video, untraceable of course and will send it to Stevens, Bly's rookie partner. I'm sure he'll want to deliver this telegram seeking brownie points. Anyway, they will all find out who is alive then," Numbers said with a hoot and loud clap. He jogged up the stairs leaving Brennan with Rodney. He had work to do and didn't want to lose his good feeling.
Brennan thinks Numbers is going nuts and slipping too much, yet he doesn't say anything. He is planning to get out of there himself. He has enough money. He could easily go back to London. But that cryptocurrency scam sounded promising. He gave Rodney a longing look, about to ask him more about it when his phone chimed.
It was an urgent text and a voicemail on his phone from a guy named C-Note.
Brennan listened intently. "Yeah man, I think it's time you checked on that Paul Hirsch dude. He doesn't belong on this team, that's all I'm saying. Hit me up so we can speak more about it."
Brennan rubbed his temples realizing how lately, he was pissed about everything.
Chapter Forty-One
I woke up to excruciating throbbing pain all over my body. Feeling pain was an understatement. Squinting my eyes open, I looked around and saw that I was in a hospital. The door was ajar and I could make out a nurse walking in.
"Hello Mrs. Westbrook, how are we doing today?" a plump woman with short blonde hair sang out. Another nurse, came in with her to check my vitals, jotting something down on her clipboard. She gave me a warm smile and left.
"Let's take a look at that noggin on your head," she said, checking what felt like bandages around my head. I winced when she touched it, and she pulled back. "Okay, okay, not yet. Let me give you some pain medication for that so you can get some more rest. You also need to keep your arm elevated," she said concernedly, tilting her head toward my shoulder. Great.
I tried to sit up a bit to look to my right, but I couldn't so I slumped back down.
"Hey, hey. Take it, easy young lady," Lance said, smiling at me. He was in the chair next to my bed and stood up next to me. He held my hand in his.
The nurse moved about. "You should listen to him you know," she joked, giving me a wink. She left out of the room.
"What happened?" I croaked.
Lance explained how I was found in a ditch on the side of the road after my car flipped over on the other side. He also told me that my brother James had gotten shot about three miles away from the scene of my accident and Ms. Lily was intentionally hurt, too.
I let out a small grit. "Those were not accidents. Intentional is right."
Lance was about to say something when my cell rang. I couldn't reach it for it, so Lance did. He looked at the screen. "It's your mother," he said.
"Answer it for me, please," I said trying to scoot up again. This time I was able to do so with Lance's help.
"Hello, yes this is the right number. Sorry, I'm Lance Steele, the crime reporter slash friend helping. your daughter out with finding Rodney. Yes, she's right here, I have to situate the phone underneath her ear," Lance explained nicely.
He propped a spare pillow in front of me and put the phone on it, turning the speaker on.
"Hi Mom," I said weakly.
"Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on. I got a call from some lieutenant guy. He was very vague saying you were in the hospital. What's up with the cops out there?Do I need to take a trip there? I'm still trying dear, but the flights for me are just not opening up," my mother finished.
I gave her the brief rundown, letting her know that James was in the hospital as well. I tried to connect the dots for her, but let her know that I still didn't have anything concrete.
"Oh, dear. Yes, all of you were definitely targeted. And no word about Rodney. Well, your father is on the phone with the doctors. We were aware of James. He is okay though now. Still unable to speak due to the medication they have him under, so he is still being monitored in critical condition. But don't worry. We are so thankful that all of you are alive. Now we just need to get Rodney back," she said, her voice breaking a little. I could tell she was crying.
"Mom, any word from Matt?" I asked out of the blue.
There was a slight pause. "After he stole my car, I found him on the strip weeks later, had two guys put him in the backseat and took him to rehab to detox. I told him this was the last straw. He's been in for a week now. I didn't want to tell you because you have enough on your plate, Nina Belle," she explained sadly. She sounded exhausted.
Lance gave me a quizzical look and I felt a tear coming out of my eye. He reached for a tissue from a box on the small table and wiped my eye for me. He was being so caring right now. He held my hand.
"All of this is my fault Mom. I can't believe this is happening," I cried, suddenly feeling so overwhelmed.
Mom started crying, too. "No, it's not dear. This is my fault. I feel like I failed all of my children and can't be there to comfort any of you."
I sniffled. "It's okay Mom, please try not to worry. Everything is going to work out for the best, you'll see." I looked up at Lance who gave my hand a light squeeze and smile. He then let it go to answer his phone. I continued talking to Mom.
He rushed back over to me, his hand held up for me to see. "Nina, I hate to interrupt, but you're gonna want to see this."
I looked at him strangely then back at the phone. "Um Mom, let me call you back, okay?
"Okay. And please get some rest," Mom cooed.
We hung up. Lance pressed play on a video and expanded his screen for me to view it. What I saw next made me so hell-bent on revenge.
It was a video recording of Rodney crying out to me for help. He was in chains, looks unkempt with his hair disheveled and the neck of his shirt was stretched and torn. He looked so pale. But one thing I will say was he was alive.
He says, "I'm so sorry Aunt Nina. And I am sorry I never got to say goodbye to Dad or Mom. It's all my fault. I'll never be able to play my guitar again, I'll never see Grandma and Papa again. Uncle Matt, I'm sorry. And to Jessica, I'm sorry. I love you guys. I wish I had listened to you, Aunt Nina."
Just then, a fist landed on his chin and then on his jaw, knocking him down to the ground. A man's voice could be heard in the background, but it is masked by one of those robotic devices. No way will we know who that is.
"A request is being made for a ransom of three million dollars if you want your boy back alive. You have exactly seventy-two hours to come up with the money or else," the voice said, and then the video went dark. That was the end of it.
I scoffed knowing good and well I didn't have that kind of money.
Lance sighed deeply, putting his phone away. "I received this from my boss. Apparently the police already have it. They gave it to us since they know we will get it out to the viewers. I personally think we should hold off on doing that because it will draw more-"
I let out a deep guttural scream. I couldn't take it anymore. All that had happened to me over the past year, it was just too much. I needed to let it out. The pain around my neck, shoulder and my hands meant nothing to me. I just needed to let it out. We are human after all right? Why was this happening to us?
Lance ran over, carefully consoling me, giving me a s
light hug.
"It's going to be okay, remember? Please, you must stay strong and believe this," he whispered. The same two nurses from earlier came to check in on me.
"Is she okay?" they asked, not waiting for Lance to respond. He released me then stepped out of the way, standing near the chair. They checked my vitals, gave me some water through a straw and some medicine to help me sleep.
"She is going to be just fine, just needs to heal," the blonde nurse suggested. I felt myself drifting off to sleep after the nurses left.
But before I fell asleep, I had something to say.
"Lance?" I called out to him.
"Yes?"
"Whoever this is coming after me and my family, I promise you, I am going to destroy them."
I fell asleep fully, not hearing what Lance's response was.
Chapter Forty-Two
THEN
Numbers and James
"Aw man, Squires, you missed muster, are you serious?" Petty Officer Wares asked. He was a tall black man around early twenties and worked as a communications specialist.
Warren Squires strolled in after eight in the morning without a care in the world. His utility uniform was wrinkled, his shoes untied and his dixie cover was cocked to the side. He wore a salacious smirk when he passed by Petty Officer Oriana Michaels. He stood near her, his breath reeking of alcohol and breath mints. She rolled her eyes at him, purposely flashing her left hand which held her engagement ring.
"Why don't you look lovely today?" Warren said in a slur, ignoring her ring. His glassy eyes went over her body then back to her face. She cringed, shifting her equipment in her other hand to free up the right one for saluting an ensign that walked past them. Warren gave a quick salute and continued talking.
"Whatever Squires. We're wearing the same thing. You know we set sail in a few days for our six-month deployment, are you sure you're ready for that?" she asked sarcastically.
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