Monday, September 29, 2003
ADOLPHO’S BIG NIGHT: Chapter 2
(Note: This is the second piece of a serialized story that I’m posting this week while I concentrate on a few other matters with my writing time. For part one, look back here. Now, let’s hunker down for the thrills and excitement of:)
THE FAMILY
Adolpho had been bopping along to the beat, resting his eyes and savoring the physical sensation of a deep, strong bass line. As he raised his glass to drain the final mouthful of lager, he stepped back for balance. A hard elbow caught him in the kidney and he gasped, choking on the now-flat beer. Eyes watering, he turned abruptly. Before he could stop coughing and focus on whoever had struck him, a meaty hand on a massive arm thrust forward to seize hold of him, fingers wrapping around his throat, squeezing, nearly circling his neck. Adolpho�s eyes continued to water and his tongue began to swell as he gaped at his attacker, and the three other men who were clearly with him. They were grim-faced, all wearing tailored suits and silk neckties. One was short, with an ugly scar at the corner of his mouth; one, of standard height and weight but with a robust build and dour sneer; one, who might charitably be called husky; and the one outsized gargantua who was nearly lifting Adolpho from the ground by his larynx.
�What the hell brought you back here?� the standard sized suit asked. His voice was flat and rather quiet, but cut through the music and the throbbing in Adolpho�s ears like a cleaver through a chicken�s neck. �We explained the rules. You can’t just disrespect us like this. You know what happens next.� Adolpho tried to speak but his tongue had filled his mouth and there was no air getting into or out of his lungs. The scar clucked a slow disappointment, shaking his head, his eyes fastened to Adolpho�s with cold intensity.
The husky man reached into his suit and pulled out a cell phone, asking �Should we tell the captain?� �Sure,� replied the flat-voiced man, �and Cliff, you can let him breathe, but don�t let him slip away. We know this guy can run.� The bratwurst fingers relaxed a micron or two and air poured into Adolpho�s straining lungs. Beer dribbled from his lips and his eyes were wide and frightened. �I�ve never been here before!,� he gasped. �Who are you?� The husky one pointed a finger at Adolpho, and Adolpho stared at it. With shocking suddenness, he lashed out a kick against Adolpho�s knee, the heavy leather shoe smashing his patella. As Adolpho fell forward and a scream welled up in his throat, the flat-voiced one locked him in a chokehold that killed the cry. �We�re leaving now,� he gravely intoned. �Make the call outside.�
Outside, the air was crisp and the sky was dark. Husky still had the phone in his hand and pressed a speed dial code. As he brought the phone to his ear, however, he toppled backwards with a choking sound. Six enormous men who’d been loitering on the sidewalk outside had swarmed into a tight half-circle around them; one of them had stepped behind husky and pulled a wire garotte from his sleeve, with which he was cutting through the flesh of Husky�s throat. Scar stepped quickly to the side, reaching into his jacket. One of the other six men thrust a dark cylindrical object toward Scar, and a sound that Adolpho had never heard in person � but which he recognized from movies - repeated several times: the sharp hard rasp of a silencer on a handgun. Scar�s body spun in a quick pirouette and he fell to the cracked pavement.
The garotter let the now-motionless Husky fall next to him, and their blood mingled as it flowed into the gutter. Flatvoice, with a strange calmness, smiled with his lips and held his hands out to the sides - �Now look, we only need to talk to him, no one needs to take this any further - �
A man from the new crew took hold of one of Flatvoice�s outstretched arms with one hand and, with the other, pulled a huge and heavy blade from beneath his coat, more of a sabre than a knife. With a single fluid motion he sliced through his forearm, let the dismembered hand fall to the sidewalk, let Flatvoice collapse to his knees, gazing in disbelief for a moment at what had happened. The manmountain who�d been strangling Adolpho threw himself to the sidewalk with surprising agility, rolling and pulling out a sidearm. Shots rang out, not silenced, and one of the new crew flew backwards. Gore spattered the outer wall of the club. Three others pulled their weapons and dispatched the giant and what was left of the man with the flat voice.
Adolpho shook with fear and nausea. The men who now surrounded him were heavily muscled and hardlooking, but looked on him with wry approval. �Way to go, kid. They said you wouldn�t have the balls. Now let�s get back to the office - we have a surprise for you. We think you�re gonna like it.� �Okay,� Adolpho gasped, casting a glance over the carnage sprawled across the sidewalk, five corpses like so many bags of garbage left for city clean-up crews. He saw no option but to accompany these men who’d saved his life, wherever they were going. He thought to himself, �now things are getting interesting...�
