CH - 18 [ Losing your shit ] part - 2

Then Grey and Halcen turned and headed out, back toward the town, passing Lenny on their way off the docks. They had a bartender to interrogate. They stalked up the levels of the god-cursed town. They could feel the eyes of window-peering lechers on them. Nobody dared come to confront them. The two men had a look about them. They were out for blood. These town-dwellers were not equipped to handle that.

Finally, they made it to Diego's Tavern. They could hear the normal noises of a bar that they had heard throughout their lives. This was no different than any other bar, regardless of how cursed their island was. And that was too bad for the bar-divers. The inside was a regular setup; tables and chairs all over with people sitting in them. It was still rather early in the day to be drinking, so there weren't many people, just a few random assholes. These were the drunkards that couldn't make through their day without having a drink. They had to cut out of work early to get to the bar.

Shameless scum.

Halcen and Grey burst in throwing glares at all the slobs sitting around the inside. None of them wanted to deal with whatever was about to go down. They cleared out quickly, probably finding this a good chance to skip their tabs; vermin that they were.

The two men walked to the counter where the man worked. Diego. He was quite a large man, thick tan skin, short brown hair. He seemed late forties. He had a nice face. Lenny wasn't wrong. He seemed okay. Seemed.

Halcen and Grey stood before him. "Listen here, man," Halcen started, amped up.

Grey stopped him, sitting down on the stool in front of the bar. "Listen, Diego, we've got some questions."

"I don't serve outlanders. Sorry." They believed that he actually meant it.

"We're not here for a drink," Grey told him.

"I was afraid of that, the way you scared my customers out of here."

Halcen picked up from there, "Yeah, well maybe we're just returning a favor."

"Have I done something to you?" Diego asked earnestly.

"Not you specifically, but your town sure has done a number. Our friend is missing."

"Oh," he took a moment, a sad glaze over his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I doubt it," Halcen spat.

"Listen, I had nothing to do with your friend. I just serve alcohol to the townsfolk."

"That's why we're here," Grey said, trying to focus on the point. "We want to know what they know."

"What who knows?"

"The townsfolk. We're sure somebody has said something about where she might have gone."

"Your friend? Why would anybody know where she went?"

Halcen smashed his fist down on the bar counter, alarming Diego. "You know why." He stared deep into his eyes. "We want to know where they take the girls."

Diego's face tightened. "I don't know anything about that."

"Don't lie to us," Grey said, calmly. "There's been a lot of weird stuff going on here. You know enough about it to be scared. Tell us what you know, and we'll be on our way."

"I think you gentlemen should leave." Diego pointed at the door.

Halcen grabbed his hand and slammed it on the counter, then started squeezing it tight, almost to the point of breaking the bones.

"Ow! Let go of me. What are you doing?"

"Tell me where they took her!" Halcen shouted.

"I can't tell you anything!"

"Why not?!"

"Cause they'll kill me!"

Halcen looked deep in his eyes. Diego was afraid. So Halcen lowered his voice in a rage unlike any other, and with evil coldness said "I'll kill you right now."

"No, you won't."

Diego was wrong. Halcen grabbed the rest of Diego's arm and pulled him over the bar counter and threw him on the ground of his own bar. He clattered into a mess of table and chairs, smashing his head. Halcen reached down to pick him back up, then slammed his body onto the tabletop. "You know, it's too bad I lost my knife, cause I could have some fun with it. But I guess I just have to beat you to death."

"What are you doing?!" Diego shouted.

"I told you. I'm gonna kill you!"

"Please don't!" His eyes teared up.

"THEN WHERE'S MY FRIEND?!"

"I can't tell you," Diego choked, crying.

"Then I guess I have to kill you." Halcen flung Diego's body against the near wall, crashing against some ledges where he had memorabilia items collected. They all clattered to the ground in the violent scene. Diego's face was bloodied. He was coughing and crying. Halcen reached down to pick him up and put him on his feet. "You know, if you just told me, I wouldn't have to do this. I only want the people responsible. But I'll kill anyone who gets in my way."

"I can't…"

Halcen dropped him with a hard punch to the stomach. Diego fell to his knees. Halcen grabbed his head and looked into Diego's eyes. They were tired; he didn't have much left in him. He pulled back his fist for one more strike. This one was going to do some significant damage.

"Alright! Alright!" Diego shouted, giving in. "I'll tell you. Please just… don't hurt me anymore."

Halcen let his head go and listened. "Tell me."

"They… they take them to the forest."

"Who? Where in the forest?"

"The Kumashinja."