don’t we do one more round and then I will read two back to back?”
“Deal.” The girls agreed simultaneously because that meant they would get to read twice as many chapters tonight. Madison handed the book across his lap to Chloe. As Chloe dove into the third chapter Derrick fell back into his mind.
He was glad now that he had Martin Pike abduct Michael’s son. It was originally a small ploy to send a message but now it had become an benefit to protect his downside. Michael may have risked things when his sickly daughter’s life was on the line but he would never be foolish enough to continue risking his son’s life. After all, Allison was expendable and Michael knew it. Even with the experimental treatments there was no assurance that it would even work. She was as good as dead and that stupid loan was just throwing bad money after good. It was a no-win situation for Michael. Especially now that Derrick held the trump card. He would make Michael pay for this. He chuckled to himself that Michael is going to wish he got off as easily as Ray Thomas did. No such luck this time around. Derrick licked his lips at the thought of Andrew Wright whimpering in his clutches. Now that Michael pissed him off so good, he was going to have a little fun with the boy. It was time for him to get his own hands dirty, just like Pike said. He was going to hurt that stupid kid so when it was all over the message would be very clear, crystal clear in fact, for Michael Wright. It was his fault that his own children would be harmed now. Derrick stared off into space, dreaming about his plans for the boy. Chloe’s voice blurred around his more important reverie.
Chapter 23
“If you struggle less, you will last longer.” The Debt Collector spoke directly toward the duck pond. He was sitting on the bench in the gazebo, throwing crackers to ducks that still weren’t on the water. The night air swirled around his head, lifting the smell of the cooked meat to his nostrils. He closed his eyes and inhaled the rich aroma. Then he reached down and flipped the slab over as the portable hibachi sizzled.
Above the Debt Collector, a body which was still living was affixed to the ceiling of the gazebo. The nail gun made short work of suspending the victim, piercing flesh and sinews and musculature. The face stared down in horror at the large man from its unlikely perch. Snot and spittle leaking from the top and sides of the duct tape around the mouth. Blood dripped slowly from thousands of holes, splashing down to the concrete floor of the gazebo and even landing on the large man. It took thousands of nails to hang this much weight above the ground. He didn’t seem to mind the blood dripping on him or all the nails he went through.
Martin hated the way Graves treated him. It had reached a boiling point. He refused to take his crap anymore. His father found out that there was definitely a limit to his patience with all the belittling and suffering. The large man felt a sense of renewal had washed over him now that he made up his mind to give back what have been given to him. It would be a relief.
He threw another cracker into the empty pond. “You know, it’s not so bad. Dying.” Martin thought about it and continued. “We die each day. Maybe not our body, but our spirit. There’s always failures and setbacks which kill parts of us. We ignore it but only for so long. Then it blossoms into a reckoning. Like a butterfly coming out of its shell.” The body above struggling to breathe against gravity and countless injuries. Martin enjoyed the quiet night air here at the pond. The sounds of pain above filling in between the last of the summer crickets that didn’t get the memo yet about autumn.
The Debt Collector stabbed the meat on the grill with his serrated knife and offered it up to his guest. “You want some? It is very delicious, I assure you.” Without waiting for a response he snickered and took a bite off the end of
“Deal.” The girls agreed simultaneously because that meant they would get to read twice as many chapters tonight. Madison handed the book across his lap to Chloe. As Chloe dove into the third chapter Derrick fell back into his mind.
He was glad now that he had Martin Pike abduct Michael’s son. It was originally a small ploy to send a message but now it had become an benefit to protect his downside. Michael may have risked things when his sickly daughter’s life was on the line but he would never be foolish enough to continue risking his son’s life. After all, Allison was expendable and Michael knew it. Even with the experimental treatments there was no assurance that it would even work. She was as good as dead and that stupid loan was just throwing bad money after good. It was a no-win situation for Michael. Especially now that Derrick held the trump card. He would make Michael pay for this. He chuckled to himself that Michael is going to wish he got off as easily as Ray Thomas did. No such luck this time around. Derrick licked his lips at the thought of Andrew Wright whimpering in his clutches. Now that Michael pissed him off so good, he was going to have a little fun with the boy. It was time for him to get his own hands dirty, just like Pike said. He was going to hurt that stupid kid so when it was all over the message would be very clear, crystal clear in fact, for Michael Wright. It was his fault that his own children would be harmed now. Derrick stared off into space, dreaming about his plans for the boy. Chloe’s voice blurred around his more important reverie.
Chapter 23
“If you struggle less, you will last longer.” The Debt Collector spoke directly toward the duck pond. He was sitting on the bench in the gazebo, throwing crackers to ducks that still weren’t on the water. The night air swirled around his head, lifting the smell of the cooked meat to his nostrils. He closed his eyes and inhaled the rich aroma. Then he reached down and flipped the slab over as the portable hibachi sizzled.
Above the Debt Collector, a body which was still living was affixed to the ceiling of the gazebo. The nail gun made short work of suspending the victim, piercing flesh and sinews and musculature. The face stared down in horror at the large man from its unlikely perch. Snot and spittle leaking from the top and sides of the duct tape around the mouth. Blood dripped slowly from thousands of holes, splashing down to the concrete floor of the gazebo and even landing on the large man. It took thousands of nails to hang this much weight above the ground. He didn’t seem to mind the blood dripping on him or all the nails he went through.
Martin hated the way Graves treated him. It had reached a boiling point. He refused to take his crap anymore. His father found out that there was definitely a limit to his patience with all the belittling and suffering. The large man felt a sense of renewal had washed over him now that he made up his mind to give back what have been given to him. It would be a relief.
He threw another cracker into the empty pond. “You know, it’s not so bad. Dying.” Martin thought about it and continued. “We die each day. Maybe not our body, but our spirit. There’s always failures and setbacks which kill parts of us. We ignore it but only for so long. Then it blossoms into a reckoning. Like a butterfly coming out of its shell.” The body above struggling to breathe against gravity and countless injuries. Martin enjoyed the quiet night air here at the pond. The sounds of pain above filling in between the last of the summer crickets that didn’t get the memo yet about autumn.
The Debt Collector stabbed the meat on the grill with his serrated knife and offered it up to his guest. “You want some? It is very delicious, I assure you.” Without waiting for a response he snickered and took a bite off the end of
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