Their small phone calls grew to video chats. Danny’s love for Wendy grew to a point when he supported her financially. He sent a huge sum of money and asked her to quick the salesgirl job and focus on her education.
“Why did you do that?” Wendy asked on one of their video chats when Danny sent her the money.
“I don’t know. I told you I owe you. You saved me. Remember?”
“Oh. That. Well, thank you so much,” Wendy said and giggled.
“You welcome. Money is not a problem here…”
Danny told her everything she needed to know about the business. But he first asked Wendy not to judge, that he was born into the business. And he currently had no choice but to do the business.
“I understand. Gosh, Danny, you’ve got nothing to prove to me. Why are you telling me those?”
“So you understand why I do what I do.”
“I know. Even the first day we met, I knew that you still a good person. You don’t have to convince me.”
And so the relationship continued to grow, to a point when they started going for dates. They would climb up a mountain just to sit there alone and watch the night’s sky. They would talk for hours through video calls.
On Wendy’s 17th birthday, Danny bought her a new phone and laptop.
Everything Danny and Wendy did, they did in secret. Danny knew that if CJ found out about Wendy, he’d try to hurt or kill her, just to get to Danny.
CJ continued to play games on Danny. He’d pay off Danny’s men to disobey rules. That would make Scott lose his trust in Danny. “How could you let your men do such?” Master Scott would query Danny. And Danny would become confused because he didn’t know what his men had done again.
CJ’s little games didn’t do much to take away Scott’s trust in Danny. Even Scott later found out that something’s wrong somewhere because Danny would always honesty deny that he sent his boys to go do something.
As CJ’s hatred for Danny grew strong, Danny’s love with Wendy grew even stronger. Whatever plan CJ could come up with, to bring Danny down, Danny would always find his way around the obstacles CJ set on his path. And so, CJ decided to change his ploys.
CHAPTER 11
Plan B
Master Scott also trafficked drugs. And at times, his men, or maybe his sons, would take some. Either to loosen up or for the sake of the experience, Danny sometimes took those drugs too.
And on a certain day, he decided to get high with his girlfriend, Wendy. He wanted to take her to a whole new world. A carefree world. A world he’d hoped to be in because the drug would take all his worries, fears and desires away.
So he took Wendy to the topmost part of a hill, to enjoy getting high, as much as they wish to. But an unfortunate situation just showed up from nowhere. When the drugs took over, both of them became violet. Wendy started shouting and wanted to run down the hill. But Danny held her back.
Danny got Wendy to the ground and held her by the throat. “You hurting me!” Wendy tried to say, but Danny held her so tight that she couldn’t even speak out. Wendy tried to free herself. She kicked with her legs, pushed with her hands, but Danny’s grip on her throat was strong enough to make her lose strength. From strength lost, she stopped breathing. But Danny still held her down.
Finally, Danny let go and laughed out loud. He sat down, stayed for a while and fixed his gaze on Wendy. “Why are you lying like a log of wood? Ohmygod! You’re being creepy right now.” Danny said. But Wendy didn’t move a muscle. “Wendy. Wendy! Wendy!” Danny called out. He shoved Wendy, so hard that she almost rolled down the hill.
Just then, CJ showed up from nowhere and started laughing. Hyaaa-ha-hahaha! You killed your girl. That’s a shame. You might want to crosscheck the pot you just took. I swapped the content. Fool, now I’ve finally got you! Hyaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!” CJ shouted and ran down the hill, with extreme joy.
Danny bent low and observed the drug he just took. “Damn! Stupid son of a...!” Danny held his head with his two hands and cried bitterly.
“Haa! O, boy! Jesus! Thank goodness it’s just a dream.” Danny said as he slid out of his blanket. He got off his bed without knowing the reason why he did so. The thoughts of the dream he just had, had taken over him. He wanted to call Wendy and make sure she’s okay. But calling someone at midnight seemed irrational.
“That rat! He’d torment me in real life and make me do crazy shit even in my dreams. Something’s got to be done about this. Eh-eh! I can let CJ move on like this.” That dream really got to Danny. He was even thinking out loud without being aware of it.
Danny had no option but to go back to sleep and wait till morning time. He’d made his mind to do something about CJ’s attitude. Meanwhile, CJ was still awake in his room, making out plans on how to get to Danny.
In the morning while everybody was still enjoying the morning sleep, Master Scott would be busy hitting it hard on a punching bag, in his gym. So, CJ went into the gym and watched his father, as old as he was, battled with a punching bag.
“CJ. Why are you here this early? You wanna practice? Scott asked as he took up a bottle of water and drank.
“No dad, I wanna talk to you,” CJ said, with a tone of innocence.
“What’s it?”
“I’m beginning to feel like I don’t belong to this family. Nobody gives me attention anymore. And I’m bored with all the workouts, boxing, games and all the stuff we grew up with. I was wondering if you can make out time to teach me something new.”
“Ehhh… Something new like what exactly?” Scott asked as he removed his boxing gloves.
“Maybe a swordfight or something,” CJ said.
“Oh. Swordfight. Alright. When do you want to start?”
“Today would be cool if you have the time.”
“What else am I doing? I’ve got plenty of time. Alright then…” Master Scott clapped his hands. “…go get the swords lets’ begin.
Scott kept a collection of swords. He knew how to use a sword. In fact, he was really a master at it.
“I was wondering if we can go somewhere else. A remote place where nobody would see us, just the two of us.”
“If you say so. Go get the swords. Let me go change my cloth. Be right back in minutes.”
Scott went away as CJ went on his way to fetch the swords. While he was putting the sword into a car, Danny came out and watched. While he watched, Scott came out, he and CJ entered the car and zoomed off. Danny wondered what the two of them had in common.
CJ drove the car to the bridge, the bridge he tried to kill Danny on. “Is this the place you had in mind?” Scott asked as soon as CJ pulled over.
“Yes. It’s a good spot. I guess.”
“Of course it is.”
When the two got on top of the bridge, each with his own sword, Scott said to CJ, “I know exactly what you brought me here to do. You are unhappy that I gave Danny a position that was rightly yours. I expected you to be angry. But like I’ve told you several times, Danny is doing really well. And I did what did because I don’t want to lose you like…”
“Yeah. Like my brother JJ. Who cares? As you did what you had to do, now let me do what I have to do.” CJ said as he pulled his sword out of the sword cane. “Bring it on, old man.”
“You know we don’t have to do this. Even when I’m with no weapon, you can’t possibly kill me.” Scott said, pulling out his sword slowly.
“Well, let’s see.”
The two men began their swordfight. Master Scott kept knocking CJ down. CJ got lots of cuts on his body and his shirt looked jagged.
Master Scott got tired of the whole situation. He hit CJ real hard. CJ fell on his butt. Master Scott used his sword to knock away CJ’s sword, into the water beneath. He then pointed his own sword directly at CJ’s throat. CJ raised his hand in surrender.
“You know, when we were young, you told us that we should go get whatever we want. Tell me, how am I supposed to get what I want when you won’t let me? I’m beginning to feel l
ike you’re not my father.” CJ said as though he was about to cry.
Master Scott looked up at the sky, and at the same time, he put his sword back in its cane without looking. “C’mon son. Come.” He waved for CJ to get up for a hug. When the two hugged each other, Master Scott slapped CJ on the back, three times. He tried to make a statement. “It doesn’t always work like thaaaaah!” That was the sound he made when CJ drove a dagger deep into his stomach.
Master Scott dropped his sword and held the point where the dagger pierced his stomach. He was totally surprised. He didn’t know that CJ hid a dagger on his thigh area, within his trousers.
CJ left the dagger hanging on Scott’s body. Instead, he tried to push Scott over the bridge railing, into the open water, just like he did to Danny. Just like Danny did, Master Scott held the railing with his two hands. He was groaning in pain.
Without a second thought, CJ took up the sword that was on the bridge floor and cut off Master Scott’s fingers. Eight fingers were cut from Scott’s hands. Scott fell freely into the water while some of his fingers scattered all over the bridge.
CJ kicked Scott’s fingers into the water. He threw the sword into the water too. He went back to where he parked his car, reversed the car, and hit the road, heading home, as though nothing happened. And to him, nothing really happened.
Scott tried to have gentle sons. Sons that didn’t use cursing languages like: son of a bitch, motherfucker, fuck you, and some others. If you say any of these words where Scott would here you, he would point a finger at you and say, “Language.”
When CJ got home, Danny knew that something terrible had happened. CJ, with his jagged clothe and bloodstains all over, went into his room and locked himself up, again.
CHAPTER 12
Wind of Change
Danny, being perfectly aware of how suspicious CJ looked, and for the fact that Scott wasn’t with him, inferred that Scott was killed. And the only place that it might happen was on the bridge. That same bridge CJ tried to take, with brute force, Danny’s life.
Danny quickly rushed into his car, and raced to the bridge, to find what just happened. He was stupefied when he found his father floating freely on the water, with a dagger still attached to him.
Danny, not knowing what else to do, sat on the bridge. The thoughts of how CJ would want to overthrow him filled him. He wasn’t interested in continuing his father’s business. But he knew that if CJ ever succeeded in taking over the business, people would certainly suffer.
After the series of contemplations, Danny decided to hang on until he figured out what next to do. He went home and pretended that he didn’t see anything. Even if he raised an alarm, nothing much would happen because Master Scott had scared all the police forces that had tried before to oppose him.
All the efforts of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) didn’t do much in stopping Master Scott. That was because, if he personally noticed anybody that tried to stop him, he’d kidnap the person’s loved ones. That and some other deadly ploys had scared people from coming into Scott’s affairs.
Scott’s death raised an internal conflict. Danny, with the intense grief, that CJ got away with what he did, tried to keep his head up above the water. Teezee secretly tried to get back to his position. And CJ, he tried to take Danny out and replace his dead father.
“From today onwards, since I’m taking up my father’s position, I’m getting rid of the position of second in command. From today, I’d be the only one overseeing things.” Danny knew that that move would cause some disagreements. But he did it so that he’d have to face only his brother and let Teezee take some rest.
Danny’s action made CJ go crazy. The fact that Danny has all the power, which was something he couldn’t take. He started convincing Danny’s men to turn on their boss. Men that were loyal to Danny’s started turning on him slowly.
And Danny was smart enough to detect the foul move. He ordered that CJ be locked up in a torture room. Torture room, a specific room Scott built just to torture his victims. Danny’s men were reluctant at first. But later, they had to obey, because they all had taken a loyalty vow.
So, CJ got locked up, alone in a very dark room, with strong chains holding him by the neck.
Locking CJ up helped quieted the environment for Danny. He found a peaceful spare time to talk with Wendy.
“I had to lock my brother up,” Danny said, with a tone of tiredness in his voice.
“Oh my gosh. Was it because of the death of your dad?”
“Not even only that. He was turning my men against me. He wants all the power so badly that he killed his own father. That made me wonder what he’d do to me if I try to caution him or something. I may say that fear was one of the reasons why I locked him up. Plus, I was even planning to do something to him. You know, something very bad. There was something he did to me in my dream…”
“In your dream? That sounds funny. So you want to avenge what happened in your dream? Dude!”
“I know. It sounds crazy because you haven’t known what the dream was.”
“What was the dream?”
“I can’t talk about it right now. I’ll tell you next time.”
“Hmm,” Wendy said as she breathed deeply. “Just take it easy on your brother. He’s the only one you’ve got left.”
“I think I’d been better off without him. I’m gonna have to kill him. If he didn’t …”
“Danny! What are you talking about?”
“I said, I’m gonna have to kill my brother. But that would only be if he refused to change. I’d give him 7 days chance to make a decision. If he didn’t, then I’d kill him. I can’t run away from him. And I can’t let him take me out. So, taking him out is the only valid option I could come up with.”
“I’m not in any way in support of that.”
“I’m not asking for your support. I’ll do what I got to do. I know that if I let him, he’d make people suffer.”
“I don’t know. I really don’t.”
“It’s okay, as long as you won’t break up with me for killing my brother.”
“I might. Danny, I don’t think we should be talking about this. You said you’d give your brother 7 days. Maybe he might change. Maybe something might happen that would stop you from killing him. I don’t know… Just be careful. Okay? Bye.” Wendy said and ended the chat.
Danny breathed so deeply. He lay down on his bed and raced about in his mind, trying to figure out the best way to get rid of CJ.
When he couldn’t come up with a better choice, he went to the torture room to alert his brother of the little time he had to make a decision. The decision was either he became calm and forgot about taking up any position, or he kept being tough-head and then face his death on the 7th day.
CJ saw the whole situation as a joke. “Let me out and I’ll show you what I’ve decided. Or are you afraid?” CJ would say anytime Danny went into the darkroom to see him.
On the fifth day, Danny got really tired of the whole situation. He felt like changing the nature of his father’s business. He thought of making it into something that could be helpful in the neighborhood, like building amusement parks, zoos, museums, local libraries, and some other community services.
His plan was to give back to the society what they’d taken from it. That idea made him feel good. With that excitement, he rushed to tell his brother about the idea. He thought his brother would like the idea. Because that would give them the freedom to go out to the world and experience it, to heal their broken lives, to unlearn what they’d been taught from childhood. Danny knew that what they do wasn’t the natural way to live.
“What do you mean by ‘give back to society’? Danny! Let me out of here before you go do something stupid!”
Danny was surprised. CJ’s reaction made Danny understand that it would be hard for CJ to change. And with the knowledge of what CJ had done so far, Danny knew that he’d be worse than their father, Scott.
“W
ow! I totally didn’t see that coming. You only have two days left. I want you to be aware of it.” Danny said as he locked CJ back up and went out of the torture room.
Things were calm for the next two days. On that 7th day, Danny went into the torture room. In the room, CJ had stood on his feet for seven days. Any effort to try to sit down would be a suicide because a very strong chain that was hung up the room was holding him by the throat. There was no room to even try to squat down or move a few inches away from a particular spot. Indeed, it was a torture room.
“Your time is up, brother,” Danny said as he stood by the door of the darkroom, with a gun on his left hand. He reached out and switched the light of the room on. CJ bent his face. The brightness of the light almost blinded him.
THE GENTLE RACKETEER: A Novella Page 6