The Big Mistake

“I’ll rip his head off, I swear to God. He took away the woman of my dreams, and now she’s my Lost Paradise.” Where I’m going, I’ll find out where this fucker took her. I’m done sleeping alone at night where a Goddess once laid next to me. I’m coming, I’m on my way, babe.

When I arrived at Pool Hall, a joint where you can find the right answers from the wrong people, I parked my convertible outside the building. Frank, the bouncer, biggest man I’ve met and yet I could still take him. Frank didn’t even ask anything from me, not because I’ve been here before, no. Frank has heard of what I’ve done to people, people who wrong me or thought themselves invincible and tried to come at me. Big mistake.

I grab me a seat at booth so no one will bother me. I’m not in the mood for pool. Shelly comes by to offer me everything on the menu, but I’m just here for a Jack and Coke and some info.

“Ever heard the name, Olivia Seli? Fine woman. Shy but beautiful when she wants to be, no offense to you Shelly. Don’t spit in my drink.”

Shelly gives me that smart ass look like I said something dumb, and I did but just couldn’t realize it, “I’ll go find out in a sec, Brune.”

Shelly… an angel disguised as a mother of four and more to come. Yeah, she ain’t a prize to any man who chases the young skirts, but to a real man, Shelly could mean the world. It’s too bad I already got me a woman… Olivia, where’d you go?

In that moment I had to leave, go somewhere to stop thinking about her. I charge to the bathroom and everyone pushes themselves out of my way, as if I were a traktor ready to plow anyone in the way. No one was in that janky shitter but me, so I crush the soap dispenser. The plastic shards cut my hand good, and I like it. The violent pain gives me a damn strong rush, one that helps me forget my Goddess, Olivia.

I clean off the blood with toilet paper and whatever soap didn’t spill on the floor. This place can’t keep up with its paper towels. I return to my seat with a tall glass of liquid gold, and I slam it like water, and Shelly comes to replace it with another. She knows me too well.

I slam that one too before she goes off, “Brune, I talked to some of the guys in back. They heard of your wife leaving someplace this morning with some guy down here a few nights ago. She looked stressed and having a hard time just sitting still, kept her hands moving.”

“They sure it was her?”

Shelly could see my intent ready to strike bombs on whoever this guy is, “Yeah, and the guy wore sunglasses indoors, asshole. Slick back hair, and the money to spend on her. I’d never seen him and neither had they. He dressed well though.”

“Thank you, Shelly.” I rise in a heavy motion, as if I were a monster. A real lunkhead of a man, and tonight I smelt something foul. This man took away my woman, and I ain’t stopping till she’s mine.

Shelly’s cold hand pulls me before I head out, “You gonna be good, Brune, Sweetie? Don’t go looking for something you ain’t ready for. You’ll hurt someone, or worse yourself.”

I encase her hand with both of mine as if she were a child, “Don’t you worry. Remember, I’m a nice guy.”

I smile and trudge out of Pool Hall pissed as hell. Whoever this slicker is, he better like the taste of boots when I find him. The problem now is, they could be anywhere… Olivia, where’d he take you? Why now? Things been rough at home, and I’m not perfect, but they weren’t bad. Never hit you or nothing. You didn’t run off on me, no. Some asshole stole you and now I gotta find him.

Two clowns who thought being a meathead and outnumbering me meant they had leverage. Don’t go into a fight not knowing your enemy. If they had guns I’d be dead already, and I don’t see knives or steel pipes. Big mistake.

“Hey fellas — ”

I swung twice so fast at both of their heads, my right went numb for a minute. Minutes pass and the two wake up next to another chained together. I bought them out near the outskirts of the state on the countryside. No one will find us here.

I bring out Switch, my switchblade, and he flicks out ready to cut, “So who wants to start?”

No one talks… until I cut the one on the left’s shin. Yeah, he ached in groveling pain, good. That’s what I like to hear.

“Alonzo, his name’s Alonzo, man.” I bet those chains and cuffs feel mighty fine while I gut his leg. I stab the other one in the leg and he yelps, but it’s useless out here.

“I don’t know where he is! W-We don’t know where he is!”

I twist the blade, and can feel the bone touch the tip of Switch, “Ah, fuck! Fine! He lives in Garrison Hotel, top floor. Swear, I swear!”

I smile, “Good to know.”

The horrid mess I left those two in would give anyone nightmares, hell, I know I’m getting them tonight. Whatever I don’t finish the Timber Wolves will eat. Plenty of them coming out near the outskirts of Verrick when people aren’t roaming around here. When the struggling stopped, I picked through their pockets in case they were holding out anything. Found both their phones, but couldn’t get into them. Shit! Might as well visit ol’ Garrison Hotel. A luxury in the downtown area, but the top floor meant a mighty fall when I grab this sucker by the throat and toss him off. Olivia… I’m coming baby, I’m fucking coming. A call comes through one of the goon’s phone.

No number listed, but I answer to listen, “Hey, Harris. You get it done or what? He dead?”

My mouth keeps shut like a portcullis as I listen to this sweet talking man-rat go on.

“Anyways, asshole, I got your payment down at the Garrison. Meet me at the top for a drink.”

He hangs up and I get moving on. Alonzo… I’ve heard that name before, don’t remember where though. He must be worth something to have my Olivia up there, hire those two, but where and why are the questions I need answer. I don’t have time for questions now!

A smooth drive of traffic that’ll eat away anyone’s patient and I arrived at the tower of power, Garrison Hotel. Parked a block away, a mut like me sticks out in a place full of suits and fancy dressed high-nosers. I’ll try me the back way where they load and unload everything —

I’m jumped before even reaching the place.

“Can I shoot him? Let me shoot him, babe?”

That voice… the one on the phone. It’s him. I haven’t opened my eyes yet and I already know who he is: Alonzo. Bastard had the same scratchy voice, like nails clawing at a chalkboard. I’d choke him if it weren’t for these goons holding me down, and my eyes covered with their dry, cracked hands. Use some lotion, fuckers.

“Leave him, Alonzo. Just get rid of him.”

That voice! Olivia!

“Olivia! Olivia! Hey, what’ve they done to you? Tell me please,” I said, struggling to push myself up against these two ton dumbells of men. I get a smack across my jaw, a streak of my blood flies from my mouth to the floor. Even with my strength, I’m helpless against these two barrels of weight on my. I hate this feelings, fighting it knowing it’s pointless to struggle and tiring myself out.

“Would you stop you dumb oaf,” said Olivia. And of course I listen to my Goddess in confusion, halting my fight for freedom. “Alonzo, just get rid of him so we can leave but don’t kill him, please.”

Leave? With him? Why Olivia? I don’t understand, and I don’t think I want to either…

“Just let me toss him him, Olivia,” said Alonzo. “I’ll just say he tried getting violent and tripped. No one will say otherwise, right?”

I’m comfortable with dying, no problems there. But what bothers me is this scrawny slimy bastard deciding my fate. If I’m going it’s not going to be some fall, no. I’ll be loud with a hellstorm following behind me, blood-for-blood.

Then comes the weasel, striking my face and tearing open skin on my temple, sticking the barrel of his pistol in my mouth. I bet he got off on this. I can’t wait to get my fingers around his neck, crushing the life out of him, and reclaiming my Goddess.

The clicking of heels echoed as if everything had halted. Olivia strolled towards us, “Let him be. Let’s just leave.”

“But… but,” said Alonzo.

He didn’t stand a chance against her, “I said let’s go,” said Olivia. Her heels trudged to the other room in silence, or so I believed. Nothing made sense to me in these moments.

The asshole removed his cold pistol from my mouth, and the goons released me, but not before slamming their shoes into my face. I’ve had worse, but they beat me until I drifted in-and-out of unconsciousness. Hallways, rooms, blood; everything I could recall before the drive to what were my last moments. I’m sorry Olivia. I couldn’t save you or myself.

I woke up on leather seats in the back of, what I think is, a Tord Forrest. And I smell fish. I hate the smell of fish. These two must’ve got lazy on me because I don’t see no cuffs or nothing tied around my wrist or ankles. Big mistake.

I try not to attract the mindless thugs attention while peeking out the window: a wharf and warehouse, meaning they drove down to Fourth Ward. They couldn’t kill me there with Olivia noticing, and this makes the clean up easier too. She loved me enough to save me, and buy some time before I hunted Alonzo down one last time. I love ya baby. We aren’t too far from the Hotel, so Olivia and the dead man, Alonzo, aren’t too far. Just got to wait for my moment with these two, killing one and saving the other for questions. You’d think the formula would change…

Tension drives me into sweat and anxiety. I can’t fuck this up or I’ll be dead for sure, hell, I’ll be dead soon anyways. Might as well go out fighting, just the way I like it. So I reach for the passenger’s pistol while kicking the driver’s face with the drop on them. The car spun out, slamming against one of the warehouses. Crawling out of the Kord seemed like the right idea at the time, my muscles aching and weary. I don’t remember smelling of pure violence in my life, but when I roll out of the backseat unto the cold, hard cement, I laid there with a smile. But there wasn’t much time for savoring the moment, I hunched over before my body decided to act again. My jaw couldn’t move like before… must’ve fractured it, and the temple wound opened up and began to bleed a second time. I had enough.

Both goons were either dead or knocked out, so I tossed out the driver and kept the passenger. No, I didn’t forget about their pistols either. I’ll need both pistols when the real fighting begins. I’m surprised no one showed up when the crash happened, not surprised though. If they need to keep bodies unseen then no one can be around to talk about them.

Scouting the car for any hidden surprises, I found me a gift when I popped the trunk open: two pump-action shotguns, with the shells to boot, laid there looking mighty fine. Bastard probably would’ve filled me those shells. A horrible way to go, but for the two goons though…

Nah, I’ll find my way to Olivia with what I got and break heads then. At least the damn Kord still worked, a bit off balance, but it worked when she turned on. Then I hear a damn loud cough where I dropped off the driver. Yeah, he made noises for his aches and pain… until I came along with his pistol aiming at his face.

“What’re gonna do,” I said. This is the part I don’t enjoy: watching a man tremble in fear, especially when I’m the reason.

“F-Fuck, I don’t know. I can tell you where he is — where Alonzo is… I’ll call him for you,” said the begging man on his backside.

I toss him his phone and listen for the dialer, “H-Hey… um, Alonzo, uh, sir. We got him… Yes, yes. We have him locked in a crate that’s ready to be dropped off to the bottom of the ocean, just like you said, we even unloaded the shells into him too.”

The pistol moves on its own, pressing its barrel onto the driver’s forehead, “Yup, yup, he bled to death. N-Now w-where can we meet y-you? Yeah, yeah? Cool, got it. Be there in a sec.”

The call ends and the scared bastard hands me his phone, “H-He’s at Clementine’s, it’s on — ”

One stomp with my boot is I needed to shut his trap. Clementine’s… I know where to go from here. No reason to waste his breathe, or my time. Way out of my way and I can see why that rat scurried over there: Clementine’s front’s as a shit hole bar, but down in the basement lies the gambling and sex trafficking. Never gone down there. Never had a reason. Don’t know why men would enjoy in the pleasure of hurting little girls like that, damn cowards, and people think I’m a bad guy. From what I hear, they barter women as if they we meat about to spoil, or livestock that ain’t got much use left in the world. Doesn’t matter now; I’m driving this junk piece into that place and doing the world a favor by burning Clementine’s down with those sickos inside. Olivia, you better be pristine when I find you…

Traffic was light during my thirty minute, lonesome drive which wouldn’t seem so bad if my anxiety weren’t shooting through this car roof. My imagination showed me images of what those slavers were doing to you, scarring up your perfect body and chaining you up in a cage while Alonzo, the worm of Verrick, smiling as it happens. The only salvation from my rage seemed to be replaying the last moments of Alonzo’s life, and how I’d execute him. I want to put his head in a blender.

Sauntering into a filled parking lot, I counted as least… twenty, no, thirty guys in there when I parked. I don’t know what to expect, don’t even have a decent plan, but I got my witt and sharp instinct, oh, and a trunk full of ammo. Let’s get this shit going.

Of course I slash every tire in the lot to bring out the crowd when the alarms start shouting. I trade bullets with them, but it’s a bad deal on their part. They can’t see me yet I can see them. Clementine’s has lamps surrounding the place whereas I’m a shadow in the darkness with only flickering alarms showing where I’m at. Eventually the warriors of Clementine’s decide to wait for me inside. Big mistake.

I go to the electrical box in the back and cut the power. No they got to play my way. I don’t much time before the thugs-in-blue show their faces. Maybe fifteen minutes at best since we’re so far out of town. They better bring a chopper for me.

I watched a few of come out in a pack of five from around the corner of the entrance. Must’ve felt pretty courageous among the wolf. Wasting no shells as those courageous few joined the other corpses outside, but I fell for the bait…

Nothing like a breeze of bullets flying at me through the wall. I maneuvered from there towards the back near the cellar down. The bloody pain told me there were two that got me: one in my left bicep and another my right upper thigh. I wasn’t going anywhere far or fast now, and fighting up close seemed like a bad idea. Fuck… I love being up close and personal but these greasy scum choose for me.

For the next minute, I shot enough shells into Clementine’s to make her scream until my box of ammo ran dry, and in they shot back. Poor Clementine, I’m sorry what I’ve done to you, girl. The scene turned quiet after, smelling of pure gun powder. I’d peek inside from a broken window and chucked a piece of the wooden frame onto the floor… nothing responded. I made my way in with patience, and without a series nine-mil’s adding more holes into me. For a shithole… it sure reeked of it. Me breaking Clementine’s hymen didn’t mask the stink of booze, blood, and the bad omen yet to come.

Then it hits me: what if I shot Alanzo it this mess… or worse, I shot Olivia. No! No, no, no, no, no! No, someone that foul would’ve stunk worse than these lot and I know it. My instincts whisper for me to check the basement. If anyone else is alive up here in the bar then they’ll run for it once I’m downstairs. No real reason to stay behind to join the graveyard, and they know what’ll happen if their hearts get brave.

I kick the basement door, or what’s left of it, down the short set of stairs. It’s eerie standing up here alone in the dark, staring down into the abyss. My spine shutters my body, tells me none of this is right and I shouldn’t go down there.

I can hear a few of the girls mumble and those goons, “Shut it, bitches. Aye, get them out of here before the cops get here.”

Fuck it. Life ain’t worth living if those girls aren’t free because of me. Tossing myself down those stairs brought the light out of me. Dumbasses shouldn’t have been moving or shuffling so much, shit, it gave them away. I can tell from the flashes that I made a damn mess down there of the lot, and no one got up after that. Still… I can hear the girls quaking, praying to themselves in the corner all locked together.

But then the roach makes his escape from under the stairs to the main floor, and I swing that pump-action shotgun around for a shot. I know I got him… if I hadn’t run out shells. Shouldn’t have been so careless. Stupid me, always forgetting about the details while caught up in the moment. The girls should be fine once the feds arrive, and I don’t want them to see what I got for Alanzo.

“Hey ladies… it’s okay now. The police are on the way now. You’re safe.”

They must be shook from the scene, can’t blame them. I pull out that pistol while skulking up the stairs.

“Thank you,” whispered one of the girls, or at least I thought one of them said it.

No need to thank a monster for doing what he loves, ladies. They won’t even know me when this is all over.

Desperate to find that spineless twirp, two bullets whiz past me into Clementine, and I think she’s had enough abuse tonight. Alanzo’s silhouette stood there firing at me at killing distance. Why he missed didn’t make sense half a mag after only gave me the chance to aim my pistol at him. Then some bastard put a bullet into Alanzo’s backside, dropping him to his knees, and soon after he crawled towards me. Even I missed who shot him as I watched it happen.

I get to aiming at the shadow walking towards me, “Hey! Hey! Who the hell are you? Don’t fucking move, and tell me before you start crawling too.”

“Like I’d crawl back to you.” That voice shuts down my reality…

“O-Olivia… the hell are you doing?” She points that damn forty-five at me — she won’t shoot, no. My instincts convince me that my Goddess wouldn’t harm her faithful.

“Y-You never listen Brune”, I can’t see a damn thing but those tears sting more than the bullet wounds, “You don’t fucking listen. Now you drove me to this… this asshole.”

“Look, baby. We can do it all again. It’s no problem. I came all this way for you — ”

Another two shots silence me. I can’t tell if she missed on purpose or not, and I’d rather not know right now.

“No… just no. You don’t get it. You’ve always seen things your way, in your view without a second thought, Brune. I couldn’t keep going on like that, I couldn’t.”

“Look, I know things were rough Olivia — ”

“Rough! Rough? Not even close! I sat there taking in all your excuses, as if everything was fine. I wasted four years with you, wishing I could have that time back. Then you drove me to this asshole.” No longer is Olivia a silhouette as my eyes adjust from the flashes and outdoors… Olivia, even with your rage mixed with tears, you’re still a knockout with that pistol pointing at me.

I know my fate at this point and drop my pistol, “Then fire, babe. I know you too well, and that trigger ain’t being pulled while you’re pointing it at me.“

A bullet flies past my ear, rattling my head, but I won’t flinch for it, “Well damn… I was wrong again,” I said.

“No, you were right, Brune. I can’t shoot you, but I also can’t stand you either. I left you for Alanzo, not for spite or affection, so he could protect me from you. And do you really believe I could love someone like Alanzo? See, that’s what I mean. You don’t think. I-I don’t know what to do, Brune. I don’t. I gave it my all. And you’ll still come to my ‘rescue’ after this.”

Olivia’s silhouette presses the pistol to her temple, and I watch, tumbling over myself, “Wait! No, baby! Dont!”

Too late. The shot fired, and here I kneel: pissed off in these cold times. Maybe I should’ve listened more, or tried something new, who knows. I never really got my answers out of you, Olivia. Damn, dumb broad. You didn’t have to put yourself through that. But I don’t know: was I the problem? Was I? I can’t remember, and it doesn’t matter. I can hear the sirens coming. I don’t have the gull to pick up Olivia’s corpse, besides, the pain wouldn’t let me. What am I thinking? There’s no coming back from this, no way. But we’ll see. Even with all the bloody corpse, yours has a divine scent to it. I try not to think about any of it, so I curl Olivia’s head in my lap, and move her hair so it stays clean from the gravel. We’ll see though.