Darkness. [part 2 of 2]
Continuing from here. Not for pup knowledge, please.
Warning: The entry is cut for length, language, and a lot of violence.
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Breaking and entering had been Michael's specialty once upon a time, and it was a skill that had been put to use tonight. Not that it had been hard to make his way into Ray's home; he lived in a big enough piece of land that he didn't have to worry about neighbors, and the house lacked a security system that could keep him out. No dogs, no guards, no cameras. For a moment he had even started to wonder if he had gotten the right address, but his doubt was forgotten as soon as he heard a car pull up, followed by the voice of someone talking on the cell phone.
This was it. If there was any doubt in his mind that he wanted to do this then this was his moment to sneak out before he could be seen. He could just get back in the pick-up that Kyle had given him to use for this and drive back to New York. Maybe he could get some sleep, wait for Tess to come home, and keep waiting.
No, he decided as he waited by the door, hidden in the darkness the house was in. This was where he needed to be. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to do it.
Soon the door opened and Michael wasted no time; he approached him, gun in hand, and set it against the back of his head. "Put whatever weapons you have on the coffee table."
Ray didn't move at first, but soon did as he was told. Once he finished setting down two guns on the coffee table as instructed, he turned to face Michael with his arms raised. Michael turned on the lights then, and as Ray realized who it was he didn't look surprised to see him there; he just let out a small chuckle. "Well, well... Guess your contact is better than I thought."
"Good, then you know why I'm here and we can get to the damn point." Michael motioned towards a couch in the living room so Ray could sit there and, to his surprise, that was exactly what Ray did. "Where is he?"
Ray let out a laugh this time as he leaned back against the couch. "Look, just 'cause I sat it doesn't mean I'll just roll over for you. I ain't tellin' you shit. You got me? I don't care what you're going to do. You won't find Jack; he'll find you."
Michael didn't lose his cool, surprisingly enough. "One more chance. I'll even give you some time to think of your answer, so you better think long and damn hard before you open your mouth. Where is he?"
"Go fuck yourself, man. I told you, I ain't tellin' you a damn thing."
Tilting his head slightly, the right corner of Michael's lips tugged upwards. "Wrong answer," he said, his voice lacking the amusement his face was showing, and without a second thought he fired his gun. The bullet landed on Ray's left knee, causing him to start cussing loudly as he writhed in pain. As Michael took a step towards him Ray suddenly tried to reach for the gun he had set down on the coffee table, but was stopped by yet another bullet, this time on his right forearm.
"You think now I'll say anything to you?" Ray grunted through clenched teeth, the pain making it hard for him to breathe, let alone talk, properly. When Michael aimed again Ray managed to hide any sign of fear from his features, but he couldn't fight back the dread that was building up inside of him. "If you kill me Jack will know immediately that it was you. You'll be in even deeper shit than what you're in now."
"Really? Well, fuck, why didn't you say so?" Another shot rung out, and Michael shot Ray on his other forearm. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm running out of limbs to shoot. And as much fun as this is, I don't have all night." He paused, waiting for an answer, but nothing came and Michael shook his head in exaggerated disappointment. "So. Third time. Where. is. Jack?"
Ray smirked in between grimaces. "Probably enjoying himself after that lapdance your girlfriend gave him." Michael tensed up immediately at that, and Ray's smirk widened. "Yeah, my man, I know who your girlfriend is. Well, me and the rest of New York and many visitors of that great state," he added, taunting, even if deep down he knew he was making a big mistake. "Who do you think tailed you so that Jack could have his information?" Choking out a chuckle, he passed his tongue over his lips. "She's quite the pro, ain't she? You must be fuckin' proud."
Whatever patience Michael had ran out then, and the calm expression on his face dissolved as he shot the good knee Ray had left. He would have shot him right in the mouth for what he had said, but he needed him to talk. He knew Ray was trying to just get a rise out of him, and that he should remain calm so he could think clearly, but he was way too far from that point by now. He just couldn't. Not when he knew that Ray had been responsible for Tess getting threatened. Not when it had been his fault that Jack had been so close to her. And, as if all that wasn't enough, Michael had been so paranoid about Jack coming back to taunt her again that he had been going to work with her the past few days to keep an eye on her. She had agreed to it, and it was the only thing that he could have done to make sure she'd be safe, but seeing her dance for other men had irked him a lot more than he had ever thought it would. In fact, just the reminder of it intensified his anger and made him lose whatever little control he had left.
Michael broke the small distance that remained between them, took a good amount of Ray's hair into his hand, and yanked his head back as he put the gun under his chin. "You think I'll feel guilty for blowing your goddamn brains out right now?" he sneered as he shoved the gun harder against his skin. "I won't lose one bit of fucking sleep over it. Not over you, you piece of shit."
By now Ray's arrogance had also disappeared, and he stayed silent for a moment. "You wouldn't kill me," he said in a lower voice, wincing when Michael yanked his head farther back. "You don't have it in you."
Clenching his jaw shut for a second, Michael had to force himself to not push the trigger yet. "Whether I kill you or not is not an issue anymore, but it's up to you whether I take my damn time or end your misery faster. Where is he?"
The answer was more silence, but it didn't last long. Just as Michael was about to let go of him so he could continue beating him, Ray started to talk. "I don't know where he is. No one knows, exactly; I'm just the contact that he has here and Alena calls me to arrange things when she needs it."
"How do they communicate with you?"
"Alena calls me. She called two days ago, just to see if I knew anything new about you." He paused, as if deciding what he should do, but before Michael could do anything drastic again he continued. "Marc, his brother, has properties in Greece and Italy. Alena has some more in Brazil, Colombia and Argentina; her old man gave them to her. They never stay in one place for long. When they left New York last I know they were headed towards Italy."
"How the hell would you know that?"
"I arranged the flight."
Michael didn't say anything else, instead he just took in all the information Ray had just given him and let it settle somewhere in him. It was impossible to know whether or not they would still be in Italy, but now he finally knew where to start looking. So, with a satisfied nod, he let go of him and set his gun back on the holster that was on his waist.
"Does that mean you ain't going to kill me?" Ray asked as Michael took out the cell phone he had just put in his pocket on his way in. To try and trace the calls, he realized, and watched Michael zip up a backpack that had been on another couch.
For a moment Michael just continued what he was doing. When he was done he lifted his gaze just slightly towards him and gave him a small smile, one that no one who knew him now would ever recognize as his own. "Yeah. Something like that."
Without bothering to say anything else, he readjusted the gloves he had been wearing the whole time, and stepped out of the house as Ray kept calling him back in and calling him a coward. Jack would kill Ray himself, after all, if he knew what he had told him; betrayal was something that wasn't taken lightly. When he reached the end of the driveway and was about to continue his way down the road towards where his vehicle was, Michael turned back towards the house and dug out a small detonator that he had put in his pocket before leaving. The idea belonged to one of Kyle's new friends, who wanted to try out something he had put together and had given it to Michael in case things got rough. The homemade explosive was secured in the backpack that was still back in the house, and without giving it much thought Michael pressed the button that would set it off.
Sure enough, in a matter of seconds, the explosive was heard and the house was engulfed in flames soon after. As Michael stared at what he had done the last thing he felt was remorse, and even if a small smirk started to grow on his lips he didn't feel enjoyment out of it, either. It was just a job, something that had to be done, and he had done it well. That he took pride in.
"Never leave loose ends behind," he muttered under his breath as he started walking again, "you did teach me well, Jack."
Warning: The entry is cut for length, language, and a lot of violence.
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Breaking and entering had been Michael's specialty once upon a time, and it was a skill that had been put to use tonight. Not that it had been hard to make his way into Ray's home; he lived in a big enough piece of land that he didn't have to worry about neighbors, and the house lacked a security system that could keep him out. No dogs, no guards, no cameras. For a moment he had even started to wonder if he had gotten the right address, but his doubt was forgotten as soon as he heard a car pull up, followed by the voice of someone talking on the cell phone.
This was it. If there was any doubt in his mind that he wanted to do this then this was his moment to sneak out before he could be seen. He could just get back in the pick-up that Kyle had given him to use for this and drive back to New York. Maybe he could get some sleep, wait for Tess to come home, and keep waiting.
No, he decided as he waited by the door, hidden in the darkness the house was in. This was where he needed to be. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to do it.
Soon the door opened and Michael wasted no time; he approached him, gun in hand, and set it against the back of his head. "Put whatever weapons you have on the coffee table."
Ray didn't move at first, but soon did as he was told. Once he finished setting down two guns on the coffee table as instructed, he turned to face Michael with his arms raised. Michael turned on the lights then, and as Ray realized who it was he didn't look surprised to see him there; he just let out a small chuckle. "Well, well... Guess your contact is better than I thought."
"Good, then you know why I'm here and we can get to the damn point." Michael motioned towards a couch in the living room so Ray could sit there and, to his surprise, that was exactly what Ray did. "Where is he?"
Ray let out a laugh this time as he leaned back against the couch. "Look, just 'cause I sat it doesn't mean I'll just roll over for you. I ain't tellin' you shit. You got me? I don't care what you're going to do. You won't find Jack; he'll find you."
Michael didn't lose his cool, surprisingly enough. "One more chance. I'll even give you some time to think of your answer, so you better think long and damn hard before you open your mouth. Where is he?"
"Go fuck yourself, man. I told you, I ain't tellin' you a damn thing."
Tilting his head slightly, the right corner of Michael's lips tugged upwards. "Wrong answer," he said, his voice lacking the amusement his face was showing, and without a second thought he fired his gun. The bullet landed on Ray's left knee, causing him to start cussing loudly as he writhed in pain. As Michael took a step towards him Ray suddenly tried to reach for the gun he had set down on the coffee table, but was stopped by yet another bullet, this time on his right forearm.
"You think now I'll say anything to you?" Ray grunted through clenched teeth, the pain making it hard for him to breathe, let alone talk, properly. When Michael aimed again Ray managed to hide any sign of fear from his features, but he couldn't fight back the dread that was building up inside of him. "If you kill me Jack will know immediately that it was you. You'll be in even deeper shit than what you're in now."
"Really? Well, fuck, why didn't you say so?" Another shot rung out, and Michael shot Ray on his other forearm. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm running out of limbs to shoot. And as much fun as this is, I don't have all night." He paused, waiting for an answer, but nothing came and Michael shook his head in exaggerated disappointment. "So. Third time. Where. is. Jack?"
Ray smirked in between grimaces. "Probably enjoying himself after that lapdance your girlfriend gave him." Michael tensed up immediately at that, and Ray's smirk widened. "Yeah, my man, I know who your girlfriend is. Well, me and the rest of New York and many visitors of that great state," he added, taunting, even if deep down he knew he was making a big mistake. "Who do you think tailed you so that Jack could have his information?" Choking out a chuckle, he passed his tongue over his lips. "She's quite the pro, ain't she? You must be fuckin' proud."
Whatever patience Michael had ran out then, and the calm expression on his face dissolved as he shot the good knee Ray had left. He would have shot him right in the mouth for what he had said, but he needed him to talk. He knew Ray was trying to just get a rise out of him, and that he should remain calm so he could think clearly, but he was way too far from that point by now. He just couldn't. Not when he knew that Ray had been responsible for Tess getting threatened. Not when it had been his fault that Jack had been so close to her. And, as if all that wasn't enough, Michael had been so paranoid about Jack coming back to taunt her again that he had been going to work with her the past few days to keep an eye on her. She had agreed to it, and it was the only thing that he could have done to make sure she'd be safe, but seeing her dance for other men had irked him a lot more than he had ever thought it would. In fact, just the reminder of it intensified his anger and made him lose whatever little control he had left.
Michael broke the small distance that remained between them, took a good amount of Ray's hair into his hand, and yanked his head back as he put the gun under his chin. "You think I'll feel guilty for blowing your goddamn brains out right now?" he sneered as he shoved the gun harder against his skin. "I won't lose one bit of fucking sleep over it. Not over you, you piece of shit."
By now Ray's arrogance had also disappeared, and he stayed silent for a moment. "You wouldn't kill me," he said in a lower voice, wincing when Michael yanked his head farther back. "You don't have it in you."
Clenching his jaw shut for a second, Michael had to force himself to not push the trigger yet. "Whether I kill you or not is not an issue anymore, but it's up to you whether I take my damn time or end your misery faster. Where is he?"
The answer was more silence, but it didn't last long. Just as Michael was about to let go of him so he could continue beating him, Ray started to talk. "I don't know where he is. No one knows, exactly; I'm just the contact that he has here and Alena calls me to arrange things when she needs it."
"How do they communicate with you?"
"Alena calls me. She called two days ago, just to see if I knew anything new about you." He paused, as if deciding what he should do, but before Michael could do anything drastic again he continued. "Marc, his brother, has properties in Greece and Italy. Alena has some more in Brazil, Colombia and Argentina; her old man gave them to her. They never stay in one place for long. When they left New York last I know they were headed towards Italy."
"How the hell would you know that?"
"I arranged the flight."
Michael didn't say anything else, instead he just took in all the information Ray had just given him and let it settle somewhere in him. It was impossible to know whether or not they would still be in Italy, but now he finally knew where to start looking. So, with a satisfied nod, he let go of him and set his gun back on the holster that was on his waist.
"Does that mean you ain't going to kill me?" Ray asked as Michael took out the cell phone he had just put in his pocket on his way in. To try and trace the calls, he realized, and watched Michael zip up a backpack that had been on another couch.
For a moment Michael just continued what he was doing. When he was done he lifted his gaze just slightly towards him and gave him a small smile, one that no one who knew him now would ever recognize as his own. "Yeah. Something like that."
Without bothering to say anything else, he readjusted the gloves he had been wearing the whole time, and stepped out of the house as Ray kept calling him back in and calling him a coward. Jack would kill Ray himself, after all, if he knew what he had told him; betrayal was something that wasn't taken lightly. When he reached the end of the driveway and was about to continue his way down the road towards where his vehicle was, Michael turned back towards the house and dug out a small detonator that he had put in his pocket before leaving. The idea belonged to one of Kyle's new friends, who wanted to try out something he had put together and had given it to Michael in case things got rough. The homemade explosive was secured in the backpack that was still back in the house, and without giving it much thought Michael pressed the button that would set it off.
Sure enough, in a matter of seconds, the explosive was heard and the house was engulfed in flames soon after. As Michael stared at what he had done the last thing he felt was remorse, and even if a small smirk started to grow on his lips he didn't feel enjoyment out of it, either. It was just a job, something that had to be done, and he had done it well. That he took pride in.
"Never leave loose ends behind," he muttered under his breath as he started walking again, "you did teach me well, Jack."