Chapter 33: This is How the World Ends

Martin and Bruce left the club together and headed to the parking lot. They had stayed late because they were drinking with Hart and others.

The security on West Street in the early morning was not great.

Martin watched two black men walking by from the roadside. His hand instinctively reached into his clothes and gripped the handle of his gun. When the men walked farther away, he said, "Why does it feel like we're in Iraq?"

Bruce replied, "There are no weapons of mass destruction here."

At this moment, a cloud of black smoke drifted in. A beat-up old van drove past and stopped in front of the Black bar.

The door opened, and several armed men dragged three young black men out.

Martin recognized one of them. He had bought beer from him a few nights ago. The other black men seemed to call him Fred.

Bruce also recognized them: "The ones who robbed the Black bar?"

Martin said, "Probably. Looks like they got caught."

Bruce stood by the passenger door of the Ford, gesturing for Martin to hurry and unlock it. He continued, "Losing hands or legs is normal. They might even get their fingers cut off."

Martin, who rarely dealt with black people, asked, "What were they thinking?"

"Growing up in the worst slums, with no skills, no knowledge, no experience, stealing and robbing becomes part of life," Bruce pointed to his head, "Plus, with their emotions running high, they're hard to control."

Martin opened the car door and asked, "If I were to wish someone had a bunch of black kids?"

Bruce climbed into the passenger seat and laughed, "You're too cruel!"

After dropping off Bruce, Martin returned home. He parked his car in the backyard. The house next door, belonging to Carter, was pitch dark.

After a quick wash, he lay down on his repaired wooden bed. Martin pulled out a check from his pocket, placing it under the mattress, reminding himself to cash it the next day. Carrying it around or keeping it at home wasn't safe.

Whoever is poor in the Clayton community is fucking safe.

Vincent kept his promise and paid a full $10,000.

Martin received a $15,000 bonus from Vincent while also clearing out a $6,000 high-interest loan principal.

He roughly calculated his income and expenses. His former boss, Max, generously gave him $3,000, and the three days of filming "Urban Guy" earned him $1,800.

There was also his hourly pay and tips from bartending.

The major expenses were for guns and the car. He bought a lot of bullets while practicing shooting. After putting down a deposit on the car, he had paid off the first installment. Plus, there were miscellaneous expenses like food money for Elena.

Martin hadn't checked his account in a while, but with the new $10,000, his balance should definitely exceed $20,000.

Money gives people courage. With a certain amount of capital, you can act boldly.

Suddenly, Martin remembered he still owed Elena for rent.

Staying in someone else's house and meeting people doing multi-million dollar deals regularly, continuing not to pay rent didn't seem right.

...

In an apartment in Midtown, Scott came out of the bathroom after his shower.

Sophia, wearing shorts and a tank top, exposing her well-developed thigh muscles and clearly defined abs, pointed at the water and pills on the coffee table, "Take them."

Scott walked over and saw they were painkillers. He immediately shook his head, "I'm not sick. Why should I take these?"

Sophia didn't try to persuade him. Pointing to the open bedroom door, she said, "Here are the rules: besides the bathroom and this room, all other rooms are off-limits. Got it?"

Scott walked over with a smirk, "As long as I'm comfortable, everything's negotiable."

Sophia tossed him a full-face mask, "Put it on and follow me."

Scott chuckled, thinking it was some kind of mysterious game.

Once he had the mask on, Sophia led him into another room.

The crisp sound of metal cuffs clicking shut followed Sophia's stern shout: "You are under arrest!"

A black rubber baton was in her hand.

It wasn't long before Scott was screaming in pain, regretting not taking the painkillers.

Resisting? Sophia pulled out a handgun, pressing it against his mouth!

For Scott Carter, it was a night of misery and one he would never forget.

At last, morning came. Scott hobbled out with one leg propped against the wall.

Sophia sat on the sofa, a silver handgun laid before her, "I've called a car for you. It's at the apartment entrance."

She picked up a phone and tossed it to Scott, "Keep this on 24/7. Come whenever I call. You understand the consequences of not answering?"

Scott wanted to cry but seeing Sophia pick up the gun, he obediently took the phone, "I understand."

Sophia thought of Vincent, grabbed her bag, and realized she didn't have cash or a checkbook. She stood up, "Wait here for a bit."

She walked into a tightly closed room, opening the door.

In the brief moment the door swung open, Scott sneakily peeked inside and saw some boxes.

Sophia quickly came out with a wad of $20 bills, throwing them at Scott, "Your service fee."

Scott's expression instantly changed, and he suddenly felt much less pain. He said, "I promise to come whenever you call!"

Sophia waved her hand, "Get out."

"Goodbye," Scott thought. Compared to Martin-Davis's father and son, who would use him for free, Sophia was much more honorable.

At least, Sophia paid him.

...

In the morning, in the Carter family yard.

Elena looked at the messily cut wire mesh fence and said, "Damn it! I want to break Scott's nose!"

Martin pulled off a wire, "I'm free during the day. How about I buy some to replace it?"

Harris came out of the house, "If you buy new ones, it's just giving Scott free money."

Elena thought for a moment, "I'll figure out how to get some wooden ones. He won't touch them if they aren't worth money." She asked Martin, "Did you get the wood for the bed from the churchyard?"

Martin asked back, "Are you planning to dig up the graveyard?"

Elena rolled her eyes, "I'm not a freak like you!"

"Can we discuss this later?" Lily came out holding a phone, "Scott said he's injured and wants us to pick him up near the community."

Elena pretended not to hear, "Let's go eat."

Lily hung up the phone and wanted to speak again when she saw how close Martin's hand was to her head. She decided to stay quiet.

Five people sat around the dining table, eating bread and fried sausage.

Martin said, "Breakfast has been quite hearty lately."

Elena waved her chastity ring, "The idiots at the Methodist and Wesleyan churches appreciate me, and they always give me extra meat."

Martin drank a glass of milk and said to Elena, "Calculate how much rent I owe you."

Elena nodded, "When I have time, I'll find the ledger and see the exact amount."

Finally, Lily found an opportunity to speak: "Is the world ending?"

Martin stared at her, "Don't make me hit a minor!"

Lily took a sip of milk. Countless profanities surged in her mind but stopped at her clenched teeth, puffing up her cheeks.

After breakfast, Martin drove Elena to the Methodist Church. He contacted Bruce and went to the gun club in the morning to practice. In the afternoon, he called Jerome.

His most respected captain had gathered a lot of information about that film crew from Los Angeles.

*****

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