Taken and Misused.

[Vaughn’s Point Of View]

“Vaughn, this isn’t a good idea man” Darik said, following behind me.

“I agree, isn’t this like going into the lion’s den?” Marco muttered from my left.

“I’m not much of a fan of this idea either, couldn’t we just call him?” Nathaniel added.

I sighed, ever since I had told them I was going to meet with the big boss of the black market they had been dead set against the idea. But last night Marco had called me and he had sounded like he was ready to have a heart attack. The fact that Darik had lost his car, the car that had had a black market renovation, had traveled to the man who had given them all of the parts. According to Marco this man was not happy about Darik loosing the car, or the fact that because of that set back we hadn’t been able to get the four thousand dollars that was supposed to be repaid each week. So we had lost one of the cars the black market boss had invested in, and we were behind on payments. Which leads me to my main point. These were people you didn’t fuck around with; with normal business people you could just say you need a few more days. With people who deal in illegal business daily and are very rich form it, killing their problems just seems to be a lot easier. And now that we were causing problems rather than making them money, we were a problem. Anyways, Marco had come home last night and a note had been pinned to his kitchen wall with one of his steak knives. It had said, ‘you shouldn’t have turned our deal bad’ then under it was an address. Just those few words but the menace and threat behind them were as evident as they would’ve been if he had just written ‘I’m going to kill you.’

So I had made the decision to meet this man in person. And so far, it had been very unpopular among the others. “We either confront him and explain or we run and wait until he finds us, I’m sure we can work out a deal” I said.

“I just don’t-“ I cut Marco off before he could continue. I was sick of him complaining about this when all of this was his fault anyways.

“Marco, I’m trying to solve the problem you pulled us into without having to have everyone uproot themselves and scatter again” I said, keeping my voice low and even.

“You just don’t want to leave Elisabeth” Darik said, catching my eyes with a knowing stare. Darik was the only one who wouldn’t buy my ‘I think of Elisabeth as a sister’ story. He knew I had feelings for her but he never pushed me into anything because he knew how I felt about entangling her into my life further.

“That’s my business Darik” I said, even though he spoke the absolute truth. If I left I wouldn’t keep connections with anyone here, I’d never see her again.

“How do we even know the address on the paper is where this guy will be? What if it’s a trap?” Nathaniel asked, pulling me out of that uncomfortable subject.

“We don’t, I thought you believed in faith and all that shit?” I muttered, casting him a glance with an eyebrow raised. He gave me a sarcastic stare back.

We stopped in front of a small store that looked like it was just a small, run down convenience store. I turned towards my friends, taking the note from Marco and making sure the address matched up. “This is the place” I said, a little unsure.

“I should ask for decorating tips” Nathan muttered, always the jokester.

“You guys stay out here, I’ll go in and check” I said, turning to walk in but Marco grabbed my arm.

“We can’t let you go in there alone man, we’re all in this mess together” he said, looking ashamed of himself for getting us into this mess. But I couldn’t let us all go in there, just in case it was just to get slaughtered.

“Admit it guys, I could talk us out of a sealed box. Let me try to convince this guy we can make him money if he gives us another chance, speaking money is my best talent and I’m sure mister big shot speaks that language too” I said, trying to make light of it so they’d let me get my way.

“And if your master plan doesn’t work?” Nathaniel asked, looking the most torn out of all three. I could tell he doubted my words. They were similar to what I had told him last time this had happened. That time I hadn’t been able to talk my way out and I had almost died. The thought made me shudder.

“If it doesn’t work then we do what we did last time, scatter then regroup, same place as always” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “We’ll make it through this… think of it as an adventure” I said, speaking the same words I had said to Elisabeth when I had helped her get past the watchful eyes of her apartment manager. My plan had to work, I wasn’t ready to let go of Elisabeth yet.

“Good luck man” Darik said, giving me a quick one armed hug. “I’d better see your ass in Mexico if this goes wrong” he added, referring to the place we always met up at.

“It won’t go wrong” I promised, hoping I could keep it. After that I turned and walked into the convenience store. I walked up to the counter, clutching the note in my hand. The store clerk looked up at me and smiled nervously. “I’m.. Vaughn… Hart?” I questioned, wondering if this man knew who I was and would direct me the right way. I saw him nod and turn around and pick up a phone, he spoke into it in Russian and I had no clue what he was saying but as suddenly as he had picked up the phone he put it back down. “So?” I questioned.

“One moment please” he said, his words slightly shaky as if he were really nervous now.

I scratched my head and tapped my fingers on the counter, wondering what I was supposed to wait for and then I felt a huge hand wrap around my upper arm and I looked up to meet the eyes of a very muscular man. His beefy fingers wrapped all the way around my arm and I was no string bean so it was quite unnerving to notice this man was about twice my size.

“The boss will see you now” he spoke in a very deep voice; I had to wonder for a second if this was Frankenstein’s cousin but I kept the remark to myself. I was led through the back of the store and out a door that said employees only. After that a dark bag was stuffed over my head, my hands were bound behind my back with a zip-tie and I was shoved into a car.

What I surmised was twenty minutes later the car stopped and I was yanked out of it. It took me a moment to catch my footing and when I did I was yanked off of it again by Frankenstein. “I can tell you’re very hospitable here” I muttered, which earned me another yank off my footing.

I had no clue where we were going and I lost track of what was going on the moment I stepped out of the car. Now I was in an elevator by the feel of it and I had a feeling we were going up. I didn’t have to guts to make a smart ass remark even though it was against my nature. I was here to make friends. I had to keep reminding myself that. We stepped out of the elevator and I followed Frankenstein’s lead blindly, unable to use my hands to feel my way. I heard him mutter a few things in Russian and then we were on the move again. I heard a door open and then close after I was shoved through it.

“Remove the bag” said a soft, yet assertive voice. The bag on my head was pulled off and I shook my head as it was. I opened my eyes and met the cold, hard, and speculative eyes of who I assumed was the big dog of the black market. The guy who made everything illegal happen. “How nice to see you Vaughn, what brought you to my home?” his voice was full of false friendliness and I knew I had no hope of getting this guy to change his mind. The realization was a cold stone in my stomach and it made me sick.