Page 90 of Payback
“W-What?” he croaked, expelling a tooth in the process. My gaze followed the fall of the tooth as it merged with the slimy mix of red, forming a viscous trail of saliva and blood that descended to the plastic surface beneath. It was an undeniably repulsive sight, yet I remained impassive, fixing my attention back onto him.
“I said, tell me,” I repeated.
“What, man?”
“Why do you believe I should simply walk away?” I asked.
“You just don’t understand...”
“Yes, you’ve made that clear. But what is it that I don’t understand?”
Typically, I refrained from asking about information not meant for me. An overabundance of knowledge was not a good thing. It carried the potential for grave repercussions. Therefore, I executed my tasks obediently, without posing questions. Yet, Pete’s persistent fixation on those two words, “walk away”, piqued my curiosity. The room was no longer illuminated by sunlight, but the city lights provided sufficient visibility between us. I could discern the extensive damage inflicted upon his body. I had adhered to Vince’s directive, meticulously following the course of taking it slow. However, I had no intentions of prolonging this any further. There was someone awaiting my return, a person who had confronted the harrowing reality of her actions for hours on end. Despite my discomfort with knowing too much, I felt an undeniable compulsion to uncover the truth. Perhaps Pete’s words were the result of intense drug-induced confusion. Yet, regardless of the source, I needed him to explain himself.
“I can’t... say,” he whispered, shaking his head.
“Yes, you can, Pete. What am I failing to comprehend?” I probed.
“No...”
“Pete, do you want to live?” I asked, though neither of us had any doubt that he wouldn’t be leaving here alive. Still, he nodded, as that was an undeniable truth. Despite the wretched state he had been reduced to, his body clung to the basic instinct of wanting to draw breath. Survival was a deep instinct in all of us, but he was fated to die. We both recognized that evading the clutches of the devil was an impossibility. The devil came for everyone in one form or another. Heaven was a falsehood, and our dwelling was hell. Those who believed otherwise were simply blind to the fact that all of us were rotten to the core.
“Then tell me what I’m overlooking. Why should I walk away?” I prodded.
“If they found out you were here, they will...”
“What? Who are they?” I interrupted.
“No, I can’t tell you, man. You can’t know.”
“Know what?”
“I can’t tell you. I am not allowed to,” he stated.
His words grew increasingly perplexing, leaving me uncertain about how to react.
“What are you forbidden from telling me?”
“I am forbidden from naming them,” he conveyed. “I am barely permitted to mention them.”
“Who are they?”
“No, I can’t. Just walk away. If they find out you were here and the treatment you’ve subjected me to, you’ll regret it,” he warned.
“Is that a threat?”
He shook his head, detecting the underlying accusatory tone.
“No, man, it’s a friendly caution. Listen, they know who visits me. They keep an eye on what I do. They know everything.”
“But I need to know their identity.”
Again, he shook his head. “It’s better if you remain ignorant.”
“What if we made a pact? Your life in exchange for that information?” I proposed, though my intention wasn’t to honor the agreement. My loyalty belonged solely to Vince and no one else.
However, Pete persisted in refusing, shaking his head once more, which confused me greatly. I was certain he would eagerly embrace such an opportunity, given that it would secure his own survival. How could he possibly reject it? Any person in his dire circumstances would be desperate to seize a lifeline. Nonetheless, he kept refusing the proposition.
“I can’t. Uttering their name would seal my fate regardless,” he disclosed.
