Page 66 of Ricochet
I pulled the lid up and an unmistakable stench of blood infiltrated my nostrils. Living the way I was living, and doing the things I was doing, there was almost nothing that could take me by surprise.
But this… This monstrosity sitting in this box, this was a whole other level.
What was once blond hair, was now colored in red. Damien’s lifeless eyes stared at me from the bottom of the box. Their vibrant blue diminished by the death that came to him. His face was purple and red, and I could only imagine the terror he went through with the Sons of Hades.
“Sadistic pieces of shit,” I whispered. Even in death his expression was a terrified one. His left cheek was missing, the muscle structure hugging the bones visible all the way from his eye to his jaw. What disturbed me the most was the branded sign on his forehead. The three-headed beast with their teeth on display and the quote I saw once before.
Only once, but it was enough to haunt me for the rest of my life.
Tempus Fugit, Memento Mori.
“Time flies,” I started reading out loud. “Remember your mortality.”
“Remember your mortality, Kieran. We all have to die one day, and it is up to us how we chose to spend this life.” That was what Ophelia once told me. Remember my mortality.
“There is a letter for you,” Cillian started, still staring at the box. “Here.” He pulled it out of his pocket, handing it to me.
I turned it around, seeing my name in a clear, white script on the backside. The envelope was black, sealed with their insignia. The three-headed dog, Cerberus.
Tristan came closer, gagging at the sight in front of him.
“What the fuck?”
I tuned him out, I tuned them all out, as I started tearing through the paper, and pulling out the letter addressed to me. I rubbed my eyes, the words getting blurry, and focused back again on it.
Dear Kieran,
It’s been a long time since the last time I saw you. How have you been? I’ve heard you reallocated your whole operation to the mountain side. Good for you, really, really good.
Do you remember that time your crew came to Las Vegas, and slaughtered half of my club? No? Well, let me refresh your memory, my old friend.
It was summer, three years ago, when you decided to snatch our territory away from us. When your soldiers raped our women, killed the kids playing in the clubhouse, and slaughtered half of my men. Oh, wait. Wasn’t it just after we granted you the right to transport your drugs through our territory? Well, my old president granted you that. If it had been up to me, I would’ve cut your throat and fed it to my dogs the moment you stepped anywhere near us.
You, my friend, bit the hand that fed you. You spat on the trust we gave you.
Your greed, your infinite need for more took away innocent lives, so I took away something from you. How is your daddy dearest? Still alive?
What about your mommy? Damn man, those dresses of hers… Phew, I can almost imagine her completely naked.
Now I took something from you, and a little bird told me this was your main shipment for the quarter. What a surprise, right? I’m not sure if I should even be negotiating with you, or with your father, but I guess I could try. No?
I really loved hearing the screams coming out of your man here. He shared some interesting information with me, so how about this?
You have five days to get yourself and your brothers to Las Vegas, or you will never see this whole shipment or your mommy dearest. My men took quite the interest in her, and I must say —she looks absolutely dashing for her age. Hell, she might be a good addition for one of my dance clubs. Does she like knives? Her cream-colored skin would look beautiful in red. What’s the color of your blood? Is it darker or lighter? Is your mother’s the same?
Oh, man, I’m getting hard just thinking about it.
Anyhow, you know what I want. And what I want, I always get —one way or another.
I truly hope you’ll be ready to give me everything I need in five days, or, well, we both know the consequences. There is an old Cathedral on the outskirts of the city - Saint Angelle’s Cathedral. I hope to see you there at 5 pm.
Oh,I almost forgot. I hope the blood didn’t stain your furniture too much. It’s really grueling getting it out.
With all my infinite love,
Storm.
Was my eye twitching?Yes, yes it motherfucking was.
