PREYS AND PREDATORS

Chapter 5

Wick pouted awhile."You just said out my mind,pal."Sluggishly he stood up while I requested for a refill of my stout."I did some reasoning."He hesitated."Addy, you recall that time when you and Roland went out for investigations and ended up shooting a teenager with a tattoo with the figure of a horn?"

Two months back, Roland had pleaded with me to help him on a case. After persuasions I complied and together we hit the road every day to make some research in a particular neighborhood. One fateful day we set out as habitual to do some useful research.

In the process we heard a faint shriek. Curiosity got the better part of us and we began to trace the shrill cries and since we both had the same habitude of snooping we played along so well. As it transpired we heard it again and didn't squander time and swung into action.

We took a turn to the left and arrived at a narrow,pacific path. The further we went the louder it got. Slowly trooping along. Without hesitation we sheered to the right and our sidearm went before us. For some reasons we solidified at what we saw.

Three teenagers,one female and two males were at a corner not so distant from where we stood. The blonde girl was probably forced to bend. Doubling up in pains with hands on the wall she yelled. While a tall dark boy drove to and fro into her the other short one was attempting to shut her mouth with the hands but to no avail.

None of them were conscious of our presence yet. It took me three seconds to ascertain that this was a case of r**e.

"Hey!"I remembered saying that. At the sound of that they perceived us looking at our direction.

The short one took to his heels at once and the tall dark boy immediately withdrew from the girl and tailed the first with hands on his unfastened trousers.

I had no intention of firing any shot. They were all kids. But Roland had miscalculated. Or perhaps took this too personal. Thinking the dark boy was our runaway criminal that we had been seeking for the whole time. All things considered he looked so much like the recidivist that I too thought so at the start. Roland followed his instincts that happened to let him down and considered shooting to be a better alternative. The first shot was squandered,the second wasn't as it got him in the neck and grounded him stopping him in his track.

The short one ahead took a glance at the back, stopped and scurried away. Roland must've not taken him as a threat to have left him. After we proceeded to the inert body. Blood already flowing out of the bullet hole. My colleague knelt down to turn him over and discovered his error.

Right after checking his pulse he knew he just murdered the wrong person. There was a tattoo on his left arm,a figure of a horn partially covered with some kind of piece of clothing. That was the symbol of the red horn cult. The dead teenager must be a member.

I glanced at Roland and asked him what we were going to do to the lifeless body.

"Don't worry about it."He told me.

And I didn't. After all he pulled the trigger. Afterwards I left him and took the blonde girl to the hospital. What he did to the body was unbeknownst to me.

Also he told me not to tell anyone about it but I told Wick because he wasn't a blabbermouth.

"I didn't pull the trigger, Roland did."I finally broke the long silence and pointed out."Besides he wasn't so innocent. He was a r****t and cultist. Pretty bad with the ISTs."

"Well yes. But you said there was another guy there that day. I can't rule out the possibility that he was also a member."Wick gripped the wooden dining table from behind and hoisted himself onto it.

I watched his legs dangle below the table awhile. Andre by now,was seated somewhere with a sandwich in hand and his eyes pinned on his phone.

"What are you driving at?"I questioned.

He placed his hands between his thighs."Alright look. Two gumshoes went out questioning strangers,heard a shriek and traced it,then found two teenagers, killed one,left the other. Now they found out the dead guy is a cultist. Few months later the cop who took the shot was ruthlessly murdered by members of this same cult. What do you call that?"

I didn't care much."John Wick series?"I saw him give me a dissapointed stare to get serious."Payback?"My eyebrows lifted while I asked.

He nodded briefly."But you know my fear?"

Something about him seemed freaky and I wondered what he meant by that. Thoughtfully I chewed my inner cheek."What's your fear?"

He blurted it out finally."You could be next."

Aware of my condition I stifled a laugh.

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