FIFTY-TWO

"I've gotta hand it to you, Mr Spire, no other hitman I've hired has been able to work this swiftly or make my enemies literally grovel at my feet and beg for me to spare them, I salute you."

"First off, I'm not your hitman and second, don't get used to it."Luis said.

Johan took a sip of his glass of vodka then said,"Well despite that, I have a new mission for you."

"And what could that be?"Luis asked, angrily.

"Do you know this man?"He asked, displaying a picture on a screen.

"Yes, what about him?"

"He's owing me a large sum which I hope to be paid promptly and quietly, I hope it wouldn't be too much to ask."

Luis frowned as he put his mask on, then just left...

***

I accessed all the video cameras I could find to at least spot a lead to where they had been taken and found one, one of the servants who did all the kidnapping was actually an old friend of mine and I knew everything about him, why did he do this then? I was about to find out.

I decided not to tell Mack immediately of my findings as he could overreact and ruin everything, so I went alone.

I knocked the door, but there was no response, then I heard struggling from within.

I called his name, then he called for help.

I knocked down the door and ran in and saw him struggling and beginning to foam at the mouth with a dart in his neck.

I ran to his side and yelled,"Jeremy! What happened?! Who did this to you?!"

His eyes popped out, turning red and his body was shaking violently, I was about to get help when he gripped my heel with a massive surge of strength I didn't know he still had, then he strained to say,"Ranch...Mock ran..."

Then he fell silent.

I looked down in sorrow and slowly closed his eyes, then lifted his body between my arms to take him somewhere with more meaning.

His high classed family blamed me for his death, he actually had the ability, family and connectivity to be just as rich as, if not more rich than Xander, but...he wanted my life.

I invited him to live as a guest in my home or come to my college on full scholarship, though he didn't quite need it, but he shook his head and said,"If I want to be like you, I think it best if I started from rock bottom."

And since that day, he worked as a servant in Rose's mansion.

I threw my study table out of order and yelled in fury, how could I have let this happen?!

I sat down on the nearest chair, squeezing my own head, till I heard the door open, it was Lucy.

She came in and sat beside me then asked what was wrong.

"I let someone die today...and not just anyone, my frickin best friend!"I yelled and threw a punch at a wall.

She caught my fist and gently placed it back on my lap then said,"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it... I'm sure if you could have done something about it, you would have... besides, maybe the person didn't die in vain."

I looked at her, then asked,"What does Mock ranch mean?"

"Pardon me?"

"Mock ranch, it was the last thing he said."

"I've never heard of such a place."

"Of course, now he did die for nothing."

"Tommy, who was this person?"

"Jeremy, one of the first bullies I experienced in New York, who ended up telling me of his wish to have my life, then it went down hill from there."

"...is it possible he was talking about the M-O-C-C ranch?"

"What?"

"The M-O-C-C, it's a private country club owned by the Cruyff family, the Mid Oakland Country club, I've been there a few times and it has a horse ranch filled with rare breeds, do you think that was what he meant?"

"...I don't know, but that could be a good place to start searching."

***

A man brought a bowl of liquefied oatmeal and placed it before Rose, then said she should eat it, freeing one of her hands.

"I'm not eating until I'm sure my sister is safe."She said.

"Oh really?"He asked,"Let's see how she is shall we?"

He shoved a phone in her face and it was on the selfie camera, he began laughing as she frowned then she grabbed him by the ear with her free hand and bit it, hard.

He yelled in pain and the other men had to separate them, then they slapped Rose across the face then shocked her with a taser.

She screamed loudly then fell, motionless, on the bed, as they forced her mouth open to pour the fermented, watery liquid into her mouth.

She tried fighting back but they tased her again then tied her back to the bed and began laughing at both her and the man she bit, then he lost it and tried to strangle her, but the others pulled him back and dragged him out of the room and her heart sank when she heard a bang after he begged for his life.

Her back ached and was drenched in sweat after lying on the same spot for days, how many? She lost count.

A few hours later, a new man came and untied her, then dragged her out by the hair.

He took her out of a shed then threw her before a horse...her horse.

She looked at it as the man tied a rope to her hands, but she was too weak to fight back at this point.

He laughed as he turned her to face him and asked,"Remember me? I'm the guy you made your sister impale and then left at the hospital without paying my bills, now it's time for a taste of your own medicine."

He slapped the back of the horse and she screamed, and so did I...