Scorpions
A few hours had passed since Redford had dumped the body in the alley, and he had felt more and more confident that he had heard a cry coming from the rolled-up carpet when it landed in the dumpster.
He debated with himself whether he should go back to check it or not. He had collected the money already, but the nagging feeling that she was alive was disturbing him.
He called up Mr. Wraith to discuss this further with him.
"Hello?" Mr. Wraith answered after a signal and sounded distraught. "Hello, Mr. Wraith. It's Redford Calling."
"Redford? Was there a problem with your payout?"
Mr. Wraith needed clarification. "No, it was all there. But I do believe the girl might have been alive..." A gasp was heard.
"Oh? You killed her then, I hope?" Mr. Wraith asks a little too eagerly.
"No? I'm not a murderer, and I was almost caught while disposing of her, so I fled the scene," Redford replied, a little angry. He was not a murderer, "For goodness sake, Redford, go back and check!"
Mr. Wraith ordered and hung up!
That man was a loose canon. Redford did not like doing his dirty work, but he did pay a handsome amount for each job; that's what kept him coming back. Redford put on a black Tracksuit and a cap to hide his face before he headed outside and jumped in the car to drive back to the scene.
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Mr. Wraith was sweating heavily. This could have been better.
If Mallory was alive and someone found her, it could mean the end for him and his family. He needed to find her before the police were brought in. Mr. Wraith asked Aurora to call different hospitals nearby to describe Mallory and see if they had gotten a patient matching that.
"Let's start there," Mr. Wraith thought, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and drank it at once.
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Hunter started to come back to reality after smoking a few joints and walked into his bedroom, where Mallory was lying on the bed.
He sat on a chair beside her and grabbed her hand.
He studied her closer, and he somehow remembered her.
But he couldn't place her in his memory.
Her light, red, wavy hair sparked something in him.
Hunter shook his head and leaned back in the chair, deep in thought.
"Boss is calling," Hunter winched when Blade touched his shoulder.
"Oh, thanks," He took the phone from Blade and left the room.
Blade sat down next to Mallory and did the same as Hunter did moments ago. He studied her with a puzzled look. And just like Hunter, she somehow felt familiar to him, something about her hair.
"Yes, boss, the deal is done. Something came up right after, which delayed the call to you. It won't be repeated." Hunter stated confidently, and Duncan grunted.
"I trust you, Hunter, but let's keep this a one-time thing, yeah?" Hunter nodded. "Yes, boss!"
"See you tonight at the club!"
Hunter hung up the call and rushed back to his bedroom.
"Isn't it something about her, Hunter?" Blade asks as soon as he sees Hunter in the doorframe.
"I know, right." Both men kept silent, and their sight was set on Mallory.
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Redford arrived at the scene and parked the car next to the alley. He pulled down the cap and hurried over to the dumpster. One quick glance made his stomach turn. Next to the dumpster was the carpet unfolded, and the girl was gone.
He looked through the alley before he had to accept the fact that she might be long gone by now.
Redford returned to his car, drove off to park nearby, and called Mr. Wraith.
"Hello?" Mr. Wraith answered with a stressful tone.
"Mr. Wraith, Redford calling with bad news. The carpet was lying next to the dumpster unfolded."
"Bloody hell!" Mr. Wraith scolded, drunk from the bottle of whiskey he just finished. "Find her! Find her, Redford!" Mr. Wraith screams, and Redford rolls his eyes.
"I am not going to play detective. I did my side of the job. You messed up, Mr. Wraith. Good day!" Redford hung up and drove back home. He needed a vacation, maybe the Maldives?
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Mr. Wraith roared and threw the empty bottle of whisky into the wall. Crash. Millions of shattered glass splitters were covering the carpet. Calvin, who just happened to pass by Daddy's office, winced at the sound and decided to see what the commotion was about.
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"Dad, what's up?" Calvin asked as he leaned into the door opening. "What's up? Mallory is alive and on free foot; that's what's up!" Calvin gasped. "Alive? Was she dead?" Mr. Wraith stood up and wobbled over to his son. "Son, it's time to talk." Calvin swallowed and nodded.
"So we are in trafficking?" Calvin gasped for air. This was unreal.
"You kidnapped Mallory?" Calvin mumbled silently.
"No, I didn't do anything. We have employees who do our dirty jobs. As for Mallory, she was taken from her backyard because her father is a dreadful man who kept trying to shut down our business." Calvin backed away from his father.
"I can't be involved in this." Calvin cried out in fear and was about to leave the room when his dad grabbed his neck and threw him across the floor.
"Yes, you are. But it seems you need a lesson to accept your destiny." Mr. Wraith hissed at his son.
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Ana hooked Mallory up with an IV and a catheter before showing Hunter how to change her bandages and the medication procedure.
"I will come back daily to check on her, but she's recovering." Hunter sighed in relief, "Thanks, Ana, you're an angel, a very expensive angel,"
Ana rolled her eyes. "I would love to do this for free, but we all need money, yeah?" She elbowed him and left for the evening.
Ana was a doctor who did undeclared work on the side. Hunter was a member of The Scorpions, a gang that traded drugs and sold a smaller quantity of weapons. The gang was connected to the mafia and held a big turf around Birmingham and some other parts of London. Hunter was the right hand to Duncan, the gang's leader, and Blade was Hunter's number one guy. Hunter and Blade had been friends since they were five years old and had been stuck with each other since.
Sharing a similar childhood with abusive parents who were alcoholics made them feel like brothers.