Page 27 of Volatile Waters

“Meh, that title belongs to the one who tried to fool me. Dumb American.” I gestured for my men to lay Timothy down and hold the syringes to his arm.

Timothy immediately started to struggle and plead, “Don’t do this. No. Stop. I don’t do drugs…”

Meanwhile, Harold was becoming frantic, “What’s going on? What are you doing to him?” There was a slight pause as he tried to disguise his fear and calm his tone. “Don’t do anything you will regret, Yury. Talk to me. I’m trying to save young lives here.”

I took a picture then sent it to him. “Maybe you should stick to selling drugs—ruining lives.” I knew my next words would kick him in the balls. “Obviously, this present circumstance shows that it is what you are best at.” Being careful not to show my location, I pointed my cellphone toward Timothy to show Harold the view.

With knees and hands, Kirill, Adrian, and my men were putting their full weight on the teenager, who had yet to reach his full strength, making him an easy target for the experienced.

Harold yelled, “No! What do you want me to do to save his life? I have what you want!”

“You don’t. We both know it is another false document.”

Harold begged, “Please, listen to me. I swear I’m not trying to piss you off, but this man Summers, he’s impossible. He thinks he’s above everyone. He’s not home and won’t answer my calls…”

As he continued his plea, I looked down to see Timothy, staring at me in a horror I instantly recognized. It’s the moment you realize you are dispensable, not important enough for your father to fight for your happiness or safety. I think I stopped breathing as I witnessed Timothy’s eyes glaze over in a numb awareness. His struggle ended, and he laid flat on the dock, awaiting his sentence. I think he realized the man who had the true power, his father, was sacrificing him. Timothy, staring at the dark sky above him, now understood he was merely a pawn in a circumstance beyond his control.

My ringing ears finally heard Harold again. “…I know what you’re capable of. I’m scared. You have all the control. Please, spare this good kid. It’s Summers you want. Just tell me where you are, and I will come to pick up the kid.”

Again, being trapped between duty to my father and my developing conscious, I became unstable, confused with what to do. Unbeknownst to Harold, his wife was on a downward spiral due to my actions and his. Now, I was about to make him witness another failure of ours. I struggled with my next words. “I, er, just… want to, uh, remind you of what we do to traitors. How we will teach a lesson.”

With his alarmed eyes watching me through his phone, Harold nodded. “I’ve already learned that lesson well.” His next expression suddenly showed him getting lost in thought of the son we murdered. I was sure of it. His step faltered as he pulled his untied son from the floor. “Tell me what to do, and I will do it.”

There was nothing he could do at this point. I had a father to appease. And I had to damn my soul further. The only mercy I could offer was for Harold not to watch my next cruel move, so I lied. “I want the correct copy.”

Harold’s eyes closed in frustration. “Summers was bluffing. That certificate will not lead back to you.”

What Harold didn’t know was that my cousin’s wife was about to use her copy against us. If more connections were made—if officials found the same document in Summers’ care—it wasn’t going to be difficult to find us. I was being trained to eliminate any potential hazards to our profession. Even though I knew Harold couldn’t get his hands on the hazard, that I would have to do it myself, I wanted him gone before he recognized where I was and was forced to witness a murder in which I wished I didn’t have to commit. “Go get it or Timothy is going to the bottom of this lake.”

After a long pause, Harold nodded in defeat. He had been in this business for a long enough time to know that now, it was time to protect what he could. Holding his son’s arm, he guided him toward the stairs.

“Tsk. Tsk. Leave the boy as my insurance policy.”

Harold jolted, his eyes darting around to the windows and sliding door. He stared through the glass and into the night as if finally understanding how close I truly was. With much determination, he told me, “No.”

“Then I will shoot him as he heads for your car.”

“Fuck!” yelled Harold after a moment of silence.

Then he hid his son somewhere in the house before racing his car away from the boys he was trying to save. I didn’t care. Him hidden didn’t change my plans.

Kirill asked me, “So, now we wait?”

So aggravated with what I had to do, I punched him, right in the face, knocking him off his feet. As he stared up at me from the dock, I growled, “Maybe you should spend less time at the strip clubs and do your fucking job instead of fucking whores.” I pointed to Timothy while continuing to speak in my native tongue. “He knows where Seafoam’s child came from. Killing him is not a bluff, you idiot!”

Kirill rubbed at his jaw. “Why does this bother you so?”

I roared, “I don’t know!”

“Just tell me she gets to live.”

We all looked at Timothy. He was full of surrender to his upcoming death, yet had the dedication to plea one more time for his sister’s life. At the moment, his righteous actions, as noble as they were, made me even more irate. So, I lashed out. Squatting in front of him so we could be face to face, I sneered, “Remember my profession? If you don’t, it’s okay. Your sister will soon.” He gaped as my palm cupped my groin to be sure my message was clear.

The loyal brother mentally unraveled. He had been ready to die but now fought to live. He was a tied-up ball of pissed hysterics. He started screaming at such a loud tone; the inevitable had now arrived. He had to be silenced, once and for all. I took no pleasure in giving out demands while trying to hold him still as needles were inserted one by one. Drugs were forced into veins that didn’t want to stop fighting for life, and they were forced to carry death throughout his whole body.

Timothy’s struggle slowed.

His expression showed understanding as the drugs took hold…

His dazed eyes met mine. “She’s… good. She’s… good.”

The rest of my men loaded the small boat as Timothy’s gaze held me in a frozen state. Maybe I sensed what I had done—what wheels of destiny I had started to spin with this murder. Attempting to permanently sever the bond between Little Treasure and her brother, I was unknowingly creating another bond. A bond only death would see part.

“Timothy!” Harry screamed after opening the sliding door off in the distance.

Yes, the wheels of fate had begun to turn.

The boat carried me across the lake while a promise was being made between two young men, one dying, and one to fight on for Little T.

On a night neither would ever forget, because of me.