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The Italian barely moved but it was enough, the slightest turn from right to left to Seong’s unasked question. Thomas would be the only person they would be taking with them from that warehouse. No others. No matter how much the Cat did not like it either, their hands were tied.
“This is where you get out, Gatto.”
Countdown
“Matty,” Peacock said, staying seated at the cafe-style table so much like the one Seong had sat with him at way back then. “I didn’t expect you here. I figured you’d be busy keeping those other men distracted.”
The smile Mateo gave masked rage that Seong had seen many times before, usually right before someone died. But the man was used to Peacock. “I put some others on the task,” he said, still sounding as friendly as he had with Felinus. “I wanted to see this boy that caused such a stir.” He glanced at Seong. “This one seems interesting but I rather liked how the redhead handled himself the other night. Where is he?”
Peacock glanced at a watch on his wrist.
Thomas’s watch, Seong realized, curling his hands into fists as they trembled at the sight of the cute baseball patterned watchband Danny had gotten Thomas.
“He should be with Gravel at the computers in the back,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “You know where it is. I imagine you’ll be talking to him a lot so might as well get acquainted.” He smiled, that cold smile he always made whenever he was furious about something. “Careful though. He’s been mouthy. If you break him, you pay for it.”
Mateo matched the smile. “I wouldn’t dream of breaking something so valuable,” he said, tapping a hand on Tiger’s chest and starting to walk away.
“Alone at last, Popi,” Peacock said when the two walked through a door. “Sit.”
Seong looked at the chair that was positioned next to Peacock instead of across from him like it should have been. “I’ve been sitting too long,” he said, standing in the place the chair would have gone and leaning his legs against it. “I’ll stand.”
Pale eyes flashed at him, once something that would have made Seong cower into compliance. Now Seong gave him a bored look. “I said,” he growled, pushing the chair out, “sit!”
“No, I’ll stand,” he said evenly, meeting those eyes. Just looking at him made his skin crawl and his throat burn at the thought of him touching Thomas.
The vein on the back of Peacock’s hand bulged as he tightened his grip. “Is that any way to talk to your Mas-”
“I don’t have a master,” Seong interrupted. “And you are not even on my level these days.” He willed the watch on his own wrist to buzz as he smiled, hoping it was even half the smile he had seen his four closest friends give men who deserved to die. “That’s your problem, Sarkis. You think you are the best in the room when you are nothing more than scum on my shoes.”
Peacock stood up, trying to tower over Seong and failing by two inches. “I took apart that little program you put in his phone,” he snarled. “I twisted it into my own design and made an alley cat into my pet.”
Seong laughed at him, the sound harsh even in his own ears. “You mean the program I threw together in an hour to be training wheels and an assistant to the alley cat’s own ability? The alley cat that you had to lock in a closet because he’s too feral for you?” His smile widened as Peacock’s face darkened. “You don’t have a cat, Sarkis,” he told him, seeing something move behind Peacock. “You have a collection of brainwashed people who think your shit is gold. I, on the other hand, have a Zoo.”
His watch buzzed as Bat rushed Peacock, catching the arm that had started to rise. In one fluid, far too practiced motion, Bat’s other hand wrapped a thick fabric over Peacock’s mouth. In the same motion he pulled Peacock down to Bat’s rising knee. The meaty crack of bone filled Seong’s ears as Peacock screamed into the fabric which kept it from carrying.
Seong’s eyes flicked from Peacock’s arm now facing the wrong way to Bat’s eyes. “The cracking is not better,” he told him, tasting vomit in the back of his throat.
“Good to know,” Bat grunted, giving the arm a further twist as Peacock continued to scream. “You might want to step outside. Can’t mute this.”
A hand wrapped around Seong’s wrist. “Come on, Seong,” Felinus said softly. “He will not hurt anyone ever again and we will make sure he suffers for every time he touched you, or anyone else, but you don’t have to watch it.”
Seong took a step back as Bat shoved the cloth deeper into Peacock’s mouth, Brutus coming around the other side to grab Peacock’s other arm. “Thomas’s watch,” he breathed, noticing the red band on Peacock’s wrist before it was twisted behind his back.
Brutus looked down, then pulled it free and slid it across the table. Where Felinus picked it up.
“Come on,” Felinus repeated, tugging at Seong until he took another step back. Then he took another, and another, until the sun pressed into his back, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on Bat and Brutus as they dragged the gagged Peacock away to another section of the warehouse.
From somewhere within the warehouse, a single gunshot echoed through the building.
* * *
Thomas glared at Gravel, who glared right back at him. “This is stupid,” he growled at the other boy. “You don’t want me here. I don’t want to be here. They,” he jerked his head towards the woman and two men passed out on beanbag chairs and an old dirty couch, “would never know. Just let me leave.”
“No,” Gravel snapped, finally seeming to have some confidence. “Peacock wants you.”
“Peacock,” Thomas said, barely holding his temper together, “is a crusty old pedophile who only wants me because he thinks it’s going to get him his old toy and a new toy to play with.” He leaned forward. “I’m not going to be a fucking toy. Let me walk out of here and maybe things won’t end as badly as they will if you don’t.”
Fear flickered in Gravel’s eyes but he shook his head firmly. “You are staying here, AlleyCa-”
