When Hugo finally woke up, he had to squint his eyes to bear the sunlight in the room. His head was spinning like a top. It took him a while to recognize the room he was in. As he tried to sit up, he received a painful reminder of the events of the previous night. His arm was killing him. He jolted with pain and lied back down. His groan was audible enough to attract Juan’s attention outside the room. He dashed inside to see if everything was alright. He found Hugo trying his best to endure the pain without causing much drama. Juan had hired a nurse to take care of Hugo as long as he needed. The nurse followed him inside and checked the IV. It was still half full. She injected a painkiller into the IV and started checking the monitors. Juan had prepared well. The room that looked like a military operated armory just hours ago, could now be mistaken for a hospital room with all the medical equipment lying around. Hugo was trying his best to find the least painful angle. “The vitals
Adam stood there with his heart in his mouth. His world had already been shaken by the recent events but the revelation from Dr Gupta somehow made it even worse. He took a seat and tried to catch his breath.“Are you sure?” He finally managed to ask.“The guy who sewed him up was my classmate in med school. He got a shitload of money for giving him first aid. The details were gory but everything made me wonder who the guy was. My doubts became reality when he finally gave me the name,” answered Gupta gravely. “Oh my fucking god! Where did it happen?” Asked Adam with an air of overwhelming panic in his tone. “He didn't know it for sure but he got the hint that some meeting had taken an ugly turn,” Gupta replied. Adam fell silent for a second. “How is he?” Asked Adam, genuinely worried for his health. All hell would break loose if he were to die before Jessica got her answers. “He’ll live. The bullet didn't hit any vital organs or arteries. He’ll be up and running in a week but jud
Meanwhile, Adam tried his best to come up with the right words before knocking on the door. No set of words in the world could possibly numb Jessica’s anger down. He let out a defeated sigh and knocked. The door abruptly opened the next second and Jessica stepped out of the room with a straight face, staring into Adam’s soul. Adam braced himself for another barrage of abuses and insults. He knew that he deserved it but only wanted it to wait until the uninvited guests had left. “Do I look presentable?” Jessica suddenly asked, straightening her clothes. Adam was taken aback. “There’s a couple of cops who want to talk to…” Adam tried to explain away but he was interrupted by Jessica.“I’m not blind. I saw them getting out of their car,” Jessica said and headed towards the stairs. Adam hesitated for a moment before following her down the stairs. Jessica knew that the arrival of the cops could never mean anything good in her already dismantled world but her anger suppressed her fear. S
As soon as Wade was done with the archive room, he ordered Carl to drive him to the bank the next day. The entire journey, his brain kept repeating the same words, ‘the hell was he doing there?’ If Hugo had visited the bank alone or just with Gabriel, it wouldn't have troubled Wade that much but the entire army of trained thugs left a lot of questions unanswered. The bank wasn't too far. They stopped the car at the parking lot and went to the entrance. Carlos saw them approach and blocked the way. He could see his own reflection on Wade’s goggles. Wade couldn't help but chuckle. “Aren’t you the same guy who allowed an army of goons inside the bank?” Wade mocked and walked right past him. Carlos had his confidence shattered and his posture weakened. He caught the badge hanging from Wade’s neck as he passed him. Wade stopped and turned back. Carlos was stiff with fear. “Why did you let me through, big man?” Asked Wade without a hint of playfulness on his face. “Because… you’re cops,
Back at Juan Varga’s liquor place…Hugo Ortiz refused to lay on the bed like a helpless person. He stood in front of the mirror and slowly buttoned up his shirt. He tried to move as little as possible to avoid stretching the stitches. Juan had procured a lot of things that he thought his boss might ask for. He was rarely nervous but nothing in his life had ever prepared him for what he was facing today. He stood behind his boss, trying to find the correct words to frame his question. “What do we do now?” Juan finally asked. Hugo didn't take his eyes off the mirror and pondered for a moment. “You know when I was just a boy, I used to keep chickens and roosters. The coop was in the garden of our mansion. There was no greater happiness to me than seeing my flock grow. I used to show my newly hatched chicks to everyone I knew,” Hugo told his story. Juan listened intently. “On Sunday mornings, my father and I used to hang out in the garden of the mansion. My father read the paper while
The van was moving at a blinding speed. The driver expertly shifted the car from lane to lane and maneuvered around the traffic. The interior of the van was extremely dark and the windows were painted black. The maneuvering made the passengers of the van lose their balance every once in a while. The old beggar tried to fight blindly and threw a few random punches in the air but he received a single well timed blow in his abdomen that made him fall down and roll into a ball. His head was covered by a small sack and his hands were zip-tied behind his back. It took him a while to regain his breath. “Do you fuckers have any idea who I am?” The old beggar yelled as soon as his lungs allowed him to speak. “I work for Vladimir. Ever heard of that name?” The beggar added and awaited a shocked or terrorized response. “We know. That’s exactly why you’re coming with us,” a voice laced with indifference responded from the darkness of the sprinting van. “I will rape your families, you fucking b
At Jessica’s house…Night had fallen and the house looked empty. Adam sat idly in the dimly lit living room and stared at the clock as it barely moved. The half full bottle of whiskey stared at him and he stared back. The voices in his head were continuously suggesting him everything ranging from violence to suicide. Recently, Adam had been encountering these thoughts quite frequently and in those times, the bottle had always been his best friend. But today, he didn't crave the alcohol. A part of him wanted the voices to finally consume him. The arrival of police in his already shook up life was not a good omen. It was the harbinger of even worse days to come. With police in the picture, god knows what Hugo would do to get his hands on Jessica. Among the voices, he could hear Jessica’s voice, calling him a liar. It made him break down. Tears fell from his eyes as he sobbed with his face buried in his palms. All this time he had tried his best to convince himself that he had no choice.
In front of the Citylights Strip Club…A convoy of cars smoothly maneuvered through the empty roads in the middle of the night. Juan Varga had swept the streets beforehand and taken care of any threats in the area. It was safe for Hugo to move in. Hugo sat silently in the car in the middle. The convoy scattered as soon as it was in the vicinity of the club. Only Hugo’s car approached the main gate of the building. The strip club had a long line in front of it and all of the patrons were men. The building was covered in neon outlines of nude female silhouettes. The club was owned by a Russian businessman who just wanted to have something in the US. The Bratva offered to take care of it for him. It wasn't an offer to be exact. They wanted a hideout and the owner wasn't given much of a choice but at least they didn't steal the money the club made. Hugo and Varga stepped out of the vehicle and cut the line. The people in the line were furious but they decided against causing any trouble.