Through Smoke: The Troubled Heroes Series (31 page)

Feeling discouraged, he turned to walk away when he felt an arm on his shoulder.  “You looking for Casey?”

Michael didn’t recognize the guy.  “How did you know?”

“I’m a good friend of his.  He’s talked about you to me.”

Michael couldn’t help but look at all of the piercings the guy had.  There were two in his nose, several in his eyebrows, not to mention his ears where the skin was almost invisible under all of the metal hoops and studs. 

“Yeah, I’m looking for Casey.”  Michael pulled his hat down over his forehead, attempting to shield his face from the rest of the crowd.  He had been a bar goer himself, but this particular establishment made his skin crawl. 

Casey’s friend’s face grew solemn and he looked down.  “Man, I wish I knew.  I been told he left with Viper and no one’s seen him since.  All of us know your bro is in deep shit with Viper.  I just wish I could’ve been here when he supposedly left with him.”

Michael adjusted his hat again, fighting off the sense of dread in his stomach.  “Oh, and what would you have done differently?”

Shrugging, he pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and lit it.  “I woulda made sure Casey didn’t go with him without a fight.  From what I hear, he went voluntarily.  No telling what he was thinking.  That kid is crazy sometimes.”

Michael nodded.  “What’s your name?”

“Josh, but pretty much everyone around here knows me as Smiley.”

From just what Josh said, it confirmed what Eva had heard earlier in the day.  “Any idea where Viper lives?”

Smiley frowned and took a long drag off of his cigarette.  A group of people yelled for him and he held a hand up in their direction.  “No idea.  I know he’s a Hell’s Kitchen guy, but that doesn’t really narrow it down for ya.”  He put his hand on Michael’s shoulder and squeezed. “I truly am sorry, dude.  I hope you find him.” Looking back at his friends, he gave them a wave. “I gotta get going.  Good luck.”

Before Michael could even say thank you, Smiley was walking back to his friends.  Pulling out his cell phone, he decided to text Casey one more time, just for the hell of it.  He had nothing to lose in the matter.  He sent a short message asking if he was okay and then dropped the phone back in his pocket before making his way down the street to the next bar, his hope quickly dissipating with each step he took.

He could’ve sworn he felt his phone vibrate, but for a split second he told himself it was just his wishful thinking.  Expecting no message, he tried not to get his hopes up as he checked his phone.  His pulse quickened when he saw that there was a new message on the screen.  Opening it, he would’ve jumped for joy if he were anywhere other than on a street corner in the middle of the night.  It was Casey saying he was okay, but to hurry.  He responded back asking where he was, and to his surprise, Casey instantly answered back informing him he was at the old box warehouse on Fifty-Third Street.

Michael’s pace quickened, and before he knew it, he was in an all out sprint to get there.  He was about ten blocks from the warehouse and knew that with every second they waited, the more danger Casey was in.  The cold air burned deep in his lungs, but nothing was going to hinder the process of getting to his little brother and stopping Viper from whatever he was capable of. 

He stopped completely when he got into the vicinity of the old and abandoned building. He had reported to this place various times before, for fires and help for the paramedics when there were groups of homeless people in need of medical attention.  It was silent and dark, and he wondered if Viper was there as well.  Maybe Casey didn’t know if he was alone.  Viper could easily be in a different room.  He ran his hand down one of the windows that was boarded up, trying to find a place to go in without being too loud and obvious. 

There was an opening just big enough for his body, and he squeezed through.  A musty scent was the first thing he noticed.  It stung his nostrils and he felt a sneeze coming on.  Suppressing it, he buried his face in his hands to try and mask the intensity of the allergic reaction to the moldy building.  His eyes searched as he made his way down a dark hallway.  The only light was coming from his cell phone.  He texted Casey again, this time asking his exact location in the building, hoping he would know that and most of all, hoping that Casey wouldn’t get caught on his phone.

Again, he responded almost instantly.  Just from that, Michael could tell that Viper was probably nowhere around.  He was down in the basement.  Michael found a stairwell and went down, swallowing the bile in the back of his throat as he got to the bottom.  There was yet another door.  Pulling it open, the hinges let out a loud screech.  He clenched his teeth and winced.  If Viper was in the building, he for sure knew something was going on now. 

He used his phone as a flashlight.  The basement was just one massive room.  There were piles of junk, wood, and various pieces of equipment from back when the factory was in operation.  He still was unable to spot Casey.  Something didn’t feel right and his instincts were screaming at him to get out, but he couldn’t just leave Casey there.

Was that in his mind or was he hearing footsteps?  Turning on his heel, he knew for a fact it wasn’t his imagination playing tricks on him.  There was definitely someone else in the far corner.  Their silhouette began to move toward him.

“Who’s there?”  Michael’s question echoed throughout the room.  The person didn’t answer, but as they got closer, he noticed the shoulder length hair and stature of the man.  It was Viper.  Michael began to walk backward, but for some reason his body wouldn’t move very fast. It was as if he was in quicksand.

“Well, if it isn’t the fireman himself.  Today is my lucky day.”  Viper clapped his hands together.  The echoing was so loud that Michael would swear that it would cause the building to collapse.  “You’re dumber than I thought, Mikey boy.”

Michael was frozen.  He couldn’t even think up anything to say.  Staring into the villain’s eyes, he had felt the most hatred he had ever experienced in his
life, and at that moment
, there was nothing he could do about it.  Viper had control over him.

“You really fell for it.  You thought Casey was texting you, but in reality, it was me with his phone, luring you right into the trap.  You took the bait.  Hook, line, and sinker.  Far too easy.  Far too easy.”  Viper gave Michael’s cheek a light slap as he grabbed his phone out of his hand.  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, McGinnis.”

Michael ducked his head in defeat.  How could he have been so stupid?  “Where’s my brother?”

Viper let out a low and devious laugh.  “Oh, you two will meet up again soon.  Don’t move too fast now.  The fun has yet to happen.”  Viper paced back and forth in front of him and all Michael wanted to do was find a way to kill him.  That wish was shot to hell when two other men appeared behind Viper, each with a handgun.  There went any chance of him taking on Viper one on one.  “Well, since it was so easy to get you here, we have some time to spare.  What do you say we have some fun to kill some time?”

“I just wanna make sure my brother is okay.”

Within a split second, Michael found himself face down on the floor, a sharp sting across his face where Viper had struck him.  It tasted like he had a penny in his mouth.  He could feel blood dripping from his nose and his lips, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.  Viper sent another sharp blow to his stomach and he had an instant need to vomit.  His body jolted and dry heaves came up his throat.  A burning sensation stung his nose.  The only thing in his system to puke up was the whiskey he had drank, and he immediately regretted that choice. Several more blows to his body occurred and the pain was so bad that he blacked out, and when he came to, his vision was blurry and they were still standing over him.

“Had enough, Fireman?”  Viper was slouching down at his face now.  “The anticipation I had in waiting for you was overrated.  You’re even more worthless than your brother.  He actually fought back.”

“Fuck you.” 

Viper looked up at the other two guys and laughed that same laugh that Michael was growing tired of.  “That all you got?  New York’s bravest, and all you can do to get back at me is say fuck you?”

So bad did Michael want to sit up and just clobber the hell out of the guy, but he had no energy left and with the position he was in, one sudden move and he would be a dead man.  Three against one and he had the definite disadvantage.  If he acted out of emotion that wouldn’t help Casey at all or do any good.  His plan for the moment was to give no more response.  Hopefully they would cool off and give him a chance to think the near future through.  He could only hope.

Viper stood up and said something to one of the men.  He thought Viper said to take him somewhere, but he wasn’t sure.  His vision was still blurry and his body ached.  A sharp pain shot through his skull when they lifted him up off the ground and dragged him across the cold and dirty floor.  His body was limp and lifeless.  Deep inside he was telling himself to do something, to not allow them to just take control of him, but he had to stick to his plan and be low key.  The less he fought back at the beginning the less they’d have their guard up, hopefully making it easier to fight back when needed.

They finally came to a stop in a room just bigger than a walk in closet.  It was illuminated with a lantern, and his heart sank when he saw Casey in a corner, his hands tied up over his head and his ankles cuffed together.  He was asleep, but at least he was alive.  They shoved him into the corner adjacent to Casey.  Lifting his hands above his head, he winced when they tightened the rope around his wrists.  It was so tight that he already could feel blood drip from underneath the rope.  His legs were extended out in front of him and cuffed to the floor
.  It appeared that Viper had victims in the closet before.  Michael could only wonder what became of the other victims. 

“Get comfortable.  Hope you have strong arm muscles.  You’re gonna be like that for awhile.”  One of the helpers knelt down at eye level to Michael.  He backhanded Michael across the face and Michael let out a low grunt. More warmth poured down his cheek.  “Just a word to the wise. Eat when we give you food and sleep when you can.” Again, another backhand and this time, Michael yelled.

Frustration grew within him.  They were in deep now, and he had no idea what they were going to do to get out of the hole they were sinking into. 

Chapter Twenty

Eva felt restless, and she jolted completely awake when she realized the other side of the bed was empty.  Running her hand down the comforter, she reached for the lamp on the bedside table.  The apartment was silent. 

“Mikey?”  She got out of bed and walked down the hallway, her heart racing.  “Mikey, are you in the living room?”

There was no sign of him anywhere.  His phone wasn’t plugged into the charger.  Every light was off.  His hat was gone off of the hat rack as well as his coat.  Anger coursed through her.  He had snuck out to go look without her.  Grabbing her phone, she dialed his number but it went straight to voicemail.  Contemplating on leaving a message, she decided to go ahead so he would know how mad she was.

“Mikey, this is Eva.  Why didn’t you wake me up before you left? I want to help you find him!  Call me as soon as you get this, please.”

Closing the face of her phone, she fought the urge to toss it across the room.  Instead, she sat down on the couch and scooted it across the coffee table.  The silence was haunting and she couldn’t handle it, so she turned the TV on. She could go out and look for Mikey, but what would be the point of that?  He knew his way around better than she did.  How could she have slept through him leaving?  She was angrier with herself than him.

Scanning through the channels, she didn’t even see what was on TV.  She just kept staring down at the phone, hoping that he would call her back soon.  As if watching the phone would send a vibe Michael’s way.  For some reason, she had a bad feeling about this.  Michael seemed desperate once he found out about Viper finally taking action, and his desperation would likely get him into some major trouble. 

Standing up, she walked to the same window
Mikey was always gazing out of.
  Maybe by some miracle she would see Michael on his way back home, and if they were completely lucky, Casey would be with him.  She pulled herself from that highly unlikely daydream, glancing back down at the phone with hopes that there was a message or missed call on it.  Of course, there wasn’t, so she dialed his number again and got the same story.  She hung up when the voicemail picked up.  There was no need to leave another message.

Michael’s arms were in excruciating pain. He had no idea how long they had been raised over his head, but his arms were screaming and all he could do was pray that soon his muscles would go numb. Casey was tied up in the same position as him and was still asleep.  Maybe his body would soon give in and he could sleep as well.  At least it would pass the time, but sleep definitely wasn’t a good idea.  He needed to stay awake to make sure they didn’t mess with Casey.