Retribution

It was quiet. As Yohan rolled into the driveway, he didn’t even question why there wasn’t any car. He got out in a panic and looked up and down the street a few times before finally making his move for the door. The living room blinds were drawn up and the kitchen light was on. Yohan, assuming that was where he needed to go. Didn’t even look behind him as he stepped into the house.

When the door slammed shut behind him, I lunged forwards. With the knife in hand, I ran him through from behind and crashed to the floor. He wanted to yelp in pain, but my hand was already firmly over his mouth. With a muffled scream, I climbed on top of him and pressed the knife against his throat.

“What’s the matter Yohan? Does it hurt when you get stabbed in the back?” I asked as he settled down with his struggling. The knife was more than enough to stop his squirming in pain. I slowly took away my hand from his mouth.

“Have you lost your mind?” he asked before I rammed his head into the hard tile floor. In fact, I did it several times until blood began to run from his nose.

“No, in fact. For the first time in quite a while. I’m thinking straight,” I said as held him by his hair with my knife pressed hard against his throat. “Now tell me. Why did you rush over here?”

“I heard about the attack from Kirishima Clan and the raid by the police. I was just so happy you’re alive,” he said dizzily.

“Lair. You didn’t come into your post tonight because you were scared. You didn’t want to die. That night we killed those people. It must have rattled you to your core. Or it was the kid you left in my wife that made you soft,” I said. When he heard what I said he immediately began to squirm. He probably guessed what I going to do to him.

“Reinhard please, listen to me. She came onto me. I swear,” he pleaded.

“You know she said the same thing,” I retorted.

“That bitch is lying,” he cried before I smashed his head into the tiles again.

“That’s not nice. She’s my wife and the mother of your child. If she was still here, she would have been devastated,” I said. I could see the white in his eyes as he struggled.

“What do you mean if she was still here. What did you do?” he demanded. I pressed the knife against his throat.

“Keep it down Yohan. Wouldn’t want to cause too much of a scene now do we,” I warned. Cutting him very shallowly. Letting the blood drip onto the floor and knife.

“Woah. Reinhard chills out. I’m calm look,” he said and stopped his struggling.

“Don’t worry. She and the kid are safe. If I were you, it would be myself I would be worried about,” I said and rammed his head so hard into the tiles he passed out.

***

Yohan was sitting tied to a chair in the kitchen with a sock stuffed in his mouth and it tapped shut. I was sitting and watching. Waiting for him to wake up so that I could tell him everything. Then as if he heard my wish. He began to move again.

“Yo, Yohan. You’re finally awake. How are you feeling?” I asked from across the kitchen. He groggily looked around and when he saw the pile of gasoline-soaked wood around him. He completely freaked out. He struggled with all his might.

“Calm down now,” I said and walked closer sinking my knife into his leg. Leaving it there as a memento. He screamed with all his might, but it was pointless.

“Now, listen to carefully. I’m about to tell you everything. Okay?” I asked and sat back down in my seat. Maybe it was the pain. The fear or a combination of that made him submissive.

“The raid from the Police was my doing. I was working with them from day one. I wanted to get my friends out of the drug trade and at the same time. Stop the spread of that poison you guys were spreading so happily. In fact, everything was going exactly as planned. Until I got sloppy. George found out and he tried to silence me. Can you believe that? Instead of taking the aid, I offered, he tried to kill me. That’s how far gone he was. So, I killed him,” I began my explanation. It must have been quite the revelation because his eyes were stretched as wide as they possibly could.

“Then I made sure to find out where the lab was and central was. I got those little tidbits for you and Albert. Oh yeah, Albert was working with me the second he saw an exit. But George made me really hesitant of extending the same deal to you. Because you know. You might try to kill me,” I continued explaining as calm as someone would read a novel.

“In fact, I had a plan to extract you during the raid on the lab that I helped with. But you were a no show. Which I’m glad for. Otherwise, how would we two have ended up in this predicament? Isn’t it strange? I tried to save the three of you and all I could save was Albert. Insane,” I mumbled from myself. He moaned in pain and began to look worried for the blood pumping out from the knife wound.

“I also got Kirishima Clan to take care of the rest of the little posse you rolled with. Now the West Cartel is dead as well as Red Ash. Even if that was the only thing that went wrong, I would have counted it as a success. But no, you just had to get my wife pregnant. You just had to ruin the only thing I still cherished outside of my friends. But that’s okay Yohan. After tonight all will be forgiven,” I said and stood up. I sauntered over to the counter taking a box of matches and grinning from ear to ear.

Yohan returned to struggling in the chair. But I didn’t really care all that much. Besides I made sure he couldn’t break free from his bonds. But as he struggled so hard, he tipped the chair over and fell flat on the woodpile.

“My oh my. Yohan that’s a steel garden chair you’re sitting on. It won’t be broken as easily as a dining chair. Speaking of easily breaking dining chairs. You seem to enjoy laying face down on mine,” I mocked as he continued to struggle. I know I shouldn’t enjoy this moment this much. But Yohan was to blame for everything. He was the one that got the other two into the business. He took Judy from me. He got me the damned gun. It was all him from the very start. He’s the reason for the other me. It’s all Yohan’s fault.

“You know what’s the best part Yohan. You can probably smell it right. Well, that was syphoned from your own tank. While my car is parked a little way down the road. You see in that car is everything I need. If it isn’t in that car, it’ll burn. I’ll burn everything in this house to clean my slate. New beginnings and all that,” I continued with my monologue to a person who was now crying. He had realized his fate was inescapable.

“Now Yohan. The reason you are here is simple. You burn with everything else. That way you can get used to burning in hell. But don’t worry. One day I’ll find my way to you down there. That’s when the real suffering for you’ll begin,” I declared and struck the match. I lit the box of matches on fire and dropped it at the furthest point from him. The fire immediately began to spread.

While the fire inched closer calmly walked over to the phone and dialed another number. Unlike when I called Yohan. It was immediately picked up. It was Albert.

“Reinhard. I’m so glad you called. I had no idea if you were alive or night,” he said in a panic.

“Hey Al, calm down. What’s the matter?” I asked,

“It’s Mikey. He’s bleeding out, I’ve been trying my all to stop the bleeding, but it just won’t,” he said. I vomited. Maybe it was all the news of the entire day or everything I saw. Maybe it was a side effect of the other me retreating.

“Wait what. Get him to a hospital,” I shouted. I was punching the wall with all my might as I fought back the second wave.

“We can’t. If they hear he was part of the gang shoot out he’ll be arrested for sure. Then I’ll be taken in as well. It’s the only choice we have is to medicate him here,” he explained in a panic. “But listen, come over to my place. Please we need your help right now.”

With that, the phone clicked dead. I spewed a second time against the wall before stumbling drunkenly toward the door. As I stumbled out of my front door, I crashed through the flower bedding. The street was being illuminated by the roaring fire that was consuming my house. But I didn’t look back once, instead made for my car

I had no time to waste. If anyone could save Mikey it would be. He was there with me from day one. He followed my orders to the letter and not once did it fail him. I can’t allow him to die while he still served underneath me.

I pulled onto the lawn of Albert’s yard. I probably could have stopped on the sidewalk. But the logical side of my mind was devoured. As burst forth from the car and dashed over to the door. I hoped it was a push door. I crashed into it and pulled down the handle. Spilling inside the house. I felt as if I was spectating my body run ahead of me.

“Mikey!” I shouted and dashed to where I could hear people working.

“Albert where are you?” I shouted once more as I finally dashed to where the kitchen was.

“Reinhard, I’m sorry.”