Chapter 5 THE STRANGER

In a flash, the room that was lit a second ago is engulfed with smoke as the heavy menacing echoes of the giant etch closer. Through the dark clusters of the white puff expelling from his cigarette clouding his face, I get a slight glimpse of his not-so-pleasing face, to say the least. The fact that his visage doesn't ring a bell tops the reverence and panic I am nursing inside, making me cling tight to my protector - Liam.

His shaved head glimmers through the smoke, and more fear spews in the room as the unfamiliar scourging giant figure racks tall before us, choking our lungs out with the heavy smokes of cigar that leaves me coughing my lungs out.

After torturing us to his satisfaction, he puts off the cigar, and we allow a moment for the atmosphere to clear, but then, the clear vision of him bleeds more extreme terror, disturbing the aura. I feel my bones turn icy as fear cuts through them. I would have preferred to continue choking out of the smoke and the repellent smell of cigar than seeing his face. Everything about this unfamiliar beast bleeds fear and everything that evil depicts- from his shaved glistening shapeless head, to the dark ugly face that has traceable scars adding to its vileness, to his red eyes that I can't stand even for a second, to the exaggerated huge muscles that make his disgustingly scary, and even the black suit doesn't sit well with me. The way his eyes are darting from one corner of this small sitting room, taking in all the components of this house is more unnerving. He is a perfect criterion of an impending doom.

A moment of dreadful silence!

I know I have encountered so many people in my rundown for gathering my mother's medical bill. I know I have borrowed from a few people. But this isn't a face anyone would ever forget. So I am sure I have not encountered this monster-like before. And I am also certain that he can not be a representative from the bank. If his expression and demeanor were different, I would have thought that the bank has come to finally possess this house, but this monkey...

Who the heck is he?

I was conjuring all the bantam bravery in me, ready to confront this stranger, but I find myself choking on my well-deliberated words as my eyes meet the beast's. I swallow really hard and dry, averting my gaze from him and opting to watch his moves through the corners of my eyes. My tongue gets glued in my mouth, and I forget to breathe as he embarks on inspecting us, his glare more stuck on Liam who is trading back the glare with the same intensity. It is getting worryingly intense here!

"Who the heck are you?" The monster's gravelly baritone reverberates in the whole room, adding more terror.

That made me snap my eyes at him, and I realize that the question was not actually meant for me. It was for Liam, who is about to murder him with his stern looks.

The fool has balls! He is the one who banged in on us without notice, causing all this unwarranted tension and havoc, yet he has the guts to ask this?

"I should be asking you that. Who the fuck are you and what's your deal here?" Liam fires back, irritating the demons of this other beast. The way his eyes are scorching Liam's face. The way they are darkening as he scans him. The mere way he is fuming with rage...

I leave my hiding place, and jolt in front of Liam, standing between the two antagonistic lions. The beat's eyes shift to me, while Liam attempts to nudge me back to his back, but I stay put. I am not a coward, neither am I in the wrong. I won't allow the scary eyes of this moron to intimidate me either.

"He is right. You broke into my house. The least you can do is explain who you are and what the fuck you..."

"You watch it, little dove." He cuts me off. Little dove? How annoying can this moron get?! "I wouldn't want to dismantle this beautiful face before I even do what my boss send me here to do." Forget his affirmative voice, but his entire completion says it all. He can slap the shit out of me in no time and without a second thought. But all that aside as well. His boss send him? To who because I don't remember working for a mafia boss even in my desperate situation?

"Who is your boss and what does he want?" I fire, cool like a cucumber, waiting to kick this moron's ass out of my house and sue him for breaking down my door because I am sure he missed his way to wherever he was sent to. I have never dealt with these kinds of people.

"My boss wants you to pay up what you owe him right now - Dr Morris from Uptown Casino. Does that awaken your brain?" He queries in a sarcastic tone, obviously, mocking me.

I cower back.

Boss Morris! Of course, I know him. He is the owner of the casino I worked part-time for the last two months before my mother's demise. I also know I owe him. Quite a lot actually, but we had an agreement, right? Actually, the agreement is already in use because in the last couple of days I didn't receive any cent. He collected all my tips and my daily earnings as part of the repayment and that was supposed to be the case until all the debt is settled. So, what is this now?

"But we had an agreement with the boss," I mumble softly, hoping that there is some kind of a mix-up here. What I owe him is huge. I would have to work for him for almost a year to cover the debt. He can't seriously ask me to pay him in cash. That was even no part of the agreement.

"You broke that agreement the minute you stopped going to work and your little dumb brain thought it wise to ignore his calls, you little whore! What did you think? That you can hide?" The monster mocks again.

Forget his insolence because I don't have the strength to fight for now, but can this boss who turns out to be gross understand that I am grieving? I lost my mother a week ago for crying out loud! And about not picking up his calls, I have just been reminded that I have a phone. I don't know where that shit is. If I wanted to run away, he most definitely wouldn't have found me here, right?

"I didn't refuse to pick up his calls, okay? I just lost my mother and..."

"I don't care whether you lost your mother or your entire family, Lynda, or whatever your fucking name is!" That sets everything, including Liam, in shocking awe. Then he adds, drawing me to more awe. "Be grateful that it is me who came to this filthy disgusting dumpsite to look for you because I doubt the boss would have even given you time to open your mouth. You have no excuse, Lynda. The boss is most definitely not known for his kindness, but he showed you that, and you abused it. You have two options - the 100,000$, or you quietly come with me."

Huh! Wait a sec. One thousand what? But I took just 70,000$ and I repaid part of it!

"Why 100,000$?" I am squirming as I implore, my mind spinning a thousand degrees. I can't even raise a single dollar right now not to talk about this exaggerated amount.

"Interest, sweet heart!" He affirms.

Interest? But there was mention of any freaking interest on that fucking deal. This is broad daylight robbery! But who cares? The poor have no say in this world. The rich walk all over us however way they damn please, especially they have done you a favor. Screw this life! What the heck am I supposed to do now, huh? And what a shame! They sick bastards had to bombard me just now of all times? What does Liam think of me now?

"I don't have all day here! If there is no money which I presume is the case, then start moving your ass!" The monster howls, almost deafening my ears.

I thought they were good people. I never thought they were this kind of people. Turns out my desperation blinded me from seeing their real faces. What are they going to do to me?

"Wh...at will he do to me?" I didn't mean to showcase my fear, but I couldn't curb it either. These sort of people are crazy abysmal maniacs. Heartless monsters who wouldn't think twice about tossing you into a cage of hungry lion's. Death is better than being their possession.

"How about you find that out for yourself when you get there, Huh?" He retorts annoyingly, like he is indirectly saying, 'I will slap the fuck outta you if you dare open your mouth again.'

I get the memo. And I obey. But I take a second and close my eyes, wondering what awaits me ahead. If this is my fate. Will my problems ever end? "Move already!" The agitated impatient dickhead howls at me again, pushing me forward, but a familiar soft touch holds me, pulling me back.

The monster and I turn around as Liam pulls me to his side, pinning my waist to his in a tight embrace.

"She. Goes. Nowhere! I am paying off her debt, and after that, you and your fucking gang better not show your shadows even a kilometer close to her!" Liam states in an despotic tone that dares even the devil to disobey, and lull breaks again in the neck of the woods. It's now the monster's turn to swim in incertitude and denial and bewilderment, while I am just blankly staring at Liam with no words to say. What can I possibly say?