Landfill
Blood
Brendon went in first and I followed behind. The entire place was dark, dank and the smell of weed was so pungent, it nearly smacked me in the face. I blinked, trying to get use to the dark, but it didn't even matter; a flood of light came on quick.
I squinted at the sudden burst of light and gazed my surroundings; there was a factory of men working, despite our sudden arrival; so much cocaine, I could smell it over the weed and it made my head buzz. There was a tower of four lights in each corner and large stadium like lights on the ceiling; a man in a dark shirt and sweats stood at the foot of this all; the bricks of cocaine like a pillar, a flood of money -almost metaphorically- behind him. He had a shaved head and a smug look to his face; he looked just like his voice sounds.
"Hello, Nikki." Shane greeted as he rubbed his palms together. "Brendon. What brings you along?"
"Nick needed help." Brendon answered.
Shane chuckled and dropped his hands, "You give her the loan?"
I moved forward, "Look, take the money and leave me and my family alone. That includes Ryan, my friends and his." I grabbed the bag from Brendon and toss it at Shane.
Shane looked very displeased. His tongue slicked from his mouth and licked the corner of his mouth. "Feisty bitch, ain't ya?"
"I'm leaving now." I muttered. "C'mon, Brendon."
But, Brendon didn't budge. He grabbed my arm, and made me stay. I looked at him, "Brendon--"
"Look, Nicole." He told me in a hard voice.
My eyes move towards Shane and then to what Brendon was motioning to. Just behind Shane, or where he had been standing, was Ryan. Ryan, strapped to a chair, clear duct tape around his mouth, arms and legs.
"Ryan!" His name came out in a scream; the crew of men did not stop working.
I rushed over, shoving past Brendon and Shane. My eyes widened as I knelt before Ryan, his face was bruised, dry blood was around his mouth, beneath the clear tape. My heart was in my throat; the thick blood trickled down his jaw, his neck and soaked a spot on his grey crew neck t- shirt. His head hung, his large eyes were full of fear and regret; I knew it too well. I ran my hand through his hair; the back of his neck was dripped in sweat; "Baby, Ryan, are you alright? Are you hurt?" My voice was frantic.
I began to tear at the tape as he nodded slowly. I heard feet approaching as I tugged at the tape; running my fingernail along the length around his head for the ending. "Nikki, stop." Shane calmly said behind me.
I looked back at him, teeth clenched, jaw set; "Fuck you!" I shouted angrily, "You got it all, I'm taking Ryan with me!"
I heard a gun cock to my right; I shot my head towards it, seeing his henchman who opened the door. "I'd do what he says, girl." The guys smirked at me.
My heart fell into my stomach. "What do you want from me?" I turned back to Shane.
"Stand up." He ordered me.
My legs shook, but I did as he said, my hands stayed close to Ryan. He managed to hold my left palm in his; the tears were coming. I bit down hard on my lip, watching Shane, not giving his stance a bit of trust.
"You have it all," I told him again, "You got my $100,000 and your money and your drugs--"
"Shut up." He said shortly, voice still calm.
My knees knocked, I was so scared; more so of his power over the guy who was to my right. One false move and bullets could fly. Though, I was angry, fear ridden, and my body was going through so many emotions.
"What do you want?" I asked softly, each word pronounced promptly.
Shane smiled, shoulders went up in a small shrug. "What do you think I want?"
Anger was growing, but I fought it all. I squeezed Ryan's hand; the Henchman laughed, he must've seen it. "I don't think she likes you, man."
I shot a look at him, earning more laughter from the both of them, Shane snapped his fingers after a short moment of laughter, and a chair appeared from out of nowhere. I was pulled back into the chair by unseen hands, Shane stood in front of me, my own hands grabbed onto Ryan's arm. I wasn't scared, I was pissed; poor Brendon looked too afraid to move; he was so far from us, still back where I had left him.
"I want blood." Shane told me in a sneer. "Did your boyfriend tell you what he did?"
"I don't care what he did!" I cried, letting the impending tears fall. "I don't care, honestly. I don't. I don't."
Shane leaned down and got close to my face, "Well I do. And I want blood. Preferably yours."
"For what?" I didn't back down, I was becoming tired and irate.
Shane grabbed my jaw, causing Ryan to flinch; to shift uncontrollably in his tied position. Shane held my jaw hard, digging his jagged nails into my flesh; "I don't have my money or my drugs, Nikki. He won't tell me where they are."
I blinked and wrenched my face in his grasp to look at Ryan; "Tell him!" I screamed at Ryan, "Tell him where his shit is!"
Ryan just looked at me, that desperate look to his eyes. His skin was red, warm and his eyes were just flat, only desperation radiated out of them. I swallowed, "Ryan, please!" He just shook his head, causing my anger to flare; "Tell him!"
Ryan looked away from me, hanging his head. I let the tears flow, wanting to hang my own head, but Shane kept my chin and jaw up to look at him. "I thought this would work." He said to me, "But it seems your little boyfriend doesn't want to comply."
"Please," I began with a sob, my eyes flicking to meet his, "I'll give you as much money as you want, don't hurt him or me...nor my friends and family."
Shane let my jaw go and let out a high pitch, hyena type of laugh. "Are you kidding me?" I shook my head to his rhetorical question. "This man over here would rather let you bleed than tell me where my shit is. You're willing to go broke for him?"
"I have more than enough money I need." I answered shortly. "The only trouble is getting it out. My bank only allows $500 out of the ATM and $5000 at a time from inside. I doubt you'll let me write you a check."
Shane laughed again at my words; "You're smart, Nikki. I like you. You're hilarious, too."
"I'll give you whatever you want until you let us all go and leave us alone."
Shane looked to his henchman and they seemed to be speaking telepathically. He gave one nod before returning his attention toward me. "I won't make this easy for you."
I squinted at the sudden burst of light and gazed my surroundings; there was a factory of men working, despite our sudden arrival; so much cocaine, I could smell it over the weed and it made my head buzz. There was a tower of four lights in each corner and large stadium like lights on the ceiling; a man in a dark shirt and sweats stood at the foot of this all; the bricks of cocaine like a pillar, a flood of money -almost metaphorically- behind him. He had a shaved head and a smug look to his face; he looked just like his voice sounds.
"Hello, Nikki." Shane greeted as he rubbed his palms together. "Brendon. What brings you along?"
"Nick needed help." Brendon answered.
Shane chuckled and dropped his hands, "You give her the loan?"
I moved forward, "Look, take the money and leave me and my family alone. That includes Ryan, my friends and his." I grabbed the bag from Brendon and toss it at Shane.
Shane looked very displeased. His tongue slicked from his mouth and licked the corner of his mouth. "Feisty bitch, ain't ya?"
"I'm leaving now." I muttered. "C'mon, Brendon."
But, Brendon didn't budge. He grabbed my arm, and made me stay. I looked at him, "Brendon--"
"Look, Nicole." He told me in a hard voice.
My eyes move towards Shane and then to what Brendon was motioning to. Just behind Shane, or where he had been standing, was Ryan. Ryan, strapped to a chair, clear duct tape around his mouth, arms and legs.
"Ryan!" His name came out in a scream; the crew of men did not stop working.
I rushed over, shoving past Brendon and Shane. My eyes widened as I knelt before Ryan, his face was bruised, dry blood was around his mouth, beneath the clear tape. My heart was in my throat; the thick blood trickled down his jaw, his neck and soaked a spot on his grey crew neck t- shirt. His head hung, his large eyes were full of fear and regret; I knew it too well. I ran my hand through his hair; the back of his neck was dripped in sweat; "Baby, Ryan, are you alright? Are you hurt?" My voice was frantic.
I began to tear at the tape as he nodded slowly. I heard feet approaching as I tugged at the tape; running my fingernail along the length around his head for the ending. "Nikki, stop." Shane calmly said behind me.
I looked back at him, teeth clenched, jaw set; "Fuck you!" I shouted angrily, "You got it all, I'm taking Ryan with me!"
I heard a gun cock to my right; I shot my head towards it, seeing his henchman who opened the door. "I'd do what he says, girl." The guys smirked at me.
My heart fell into my stomach. "What do you want from me?" I turned back to Shane.
"Stand up." He ordered me.
My legs shook, but I did as he said, my hands stayed close to Ryan. He managed to hold my left palm in his; the tears were coming. I bit down hard on my lip, watching Shane, not giving his stance a bit of trust.
"You have it all," I told him again, "You got my $100,000 and your money and your drugs--"
"Shut up." He said shortly, voice still calm.
My knees knocked, I was so scared; more so of his power over the guy who was to my right. One false move and bullets could fly. Though, I was angry, fear ridden, and my body was going through so many emotions.
"What do you want?" I asked softly, each word pronounced promptly.
Shane smiled, shoulders went up in a small shrug. "What do you think I want?"
Anger was growing, but I fought it all. I squeezed Ryan's hand; the Henchman laughed, he must've seen it. "I don't think she likes you, man."
I shot a look at him, earning more laughter from the both of them, Shane snapped his fingers after a short moment of laughter, and a chair appeared from out of nowhere. I was pulled back into the chair by unseen hands, Shane stood in front of me, my own hands grabbed onto Ryan's arm. I wasn't scared, I was pissed; poor Brendon looked too afraid to move; he was so far from us, still back where I had left him.
"I want blood." Shane told me in a sneer. "Did your boyfriend tell you what he did?"
"I don't care what he did!" I cried, letting the impending tears fall. "I don't care, honestly. I don't. I don't."
Shane leaned down and got close to my face, "Well I do. And I want blood. Preferably yours."
"For what?" I didn't back down, I was becoming tired and irate.
Shane grabbed my jaw, causing Ryan to flinch; to shift uncontrollably in his tied position. Shane held my jaw hard, digging his jagged nails into my flesh; "I don't have my money or my drugs, Nikki. He won't tell me where they are."
I blinked and wrenched my face in his grasp to look at Ryan; "Tell him!" I screamed at Ryan, "Tell him where his shit is!"
Ryan just looked at me, that desperate look to his eyes. His skin was red, warm and his eyes were just flat, only desperation radiated out of them. I swallowed, "Ryan, please!" He just shook his head, causing my anger to flare; "Tell him!"
Ryan looked away from me, hanging his head. I let the tears flow, wanting to hang my own head, but Shane kept my chin and jaw up to look at him. "I thought this would work." He said to me, "But it seems your little boyfriend doesn't want to comply."
"Please," I began with a sob, my eyes flicking to meet his, "I'll give you as much money as you want, don't hurt him or me...nor my friends and family."
Shane let my jaw go and let out a high pitch, hyena type of laugh. "Are you kidding me?" I shook my head to his rhetorical question. "This man over here would rather let you bleed than tell me where my shit is. You're willing to go broke for him?"
"I have more than enough money I need." I answered shortly. "The only trouble is getting it out. My bank only allows $500 out of the ATM and $5000 at a time from inside. I doubt you'll let me write you a check."
Shane laughed again at my words; "You're smart, Nikki. I like you. You're hilarious, too."
"I'll give you whatever you want until you let us all go and leave us alone."
Shane looked to his henchman and they seemed to be speaking telepathically. He gave one nod before returning his attention toward me. "I won't make this easy for you."