Family Ties

Part 66

"I'm afraid it's only us now." He spoke quietly, looking at the four men who had their guns trained on him. "Do you still want to fight Alexis? I can kill these four in under ten seconds if you want." He let his words sink in, watching as Alexis' eyes jumped around the room, the four men all with their guns trained on one unarmed man in a mask and suit.

He felt real fear now. He'd watched as this man brutally mowed through every obstacle in his way. If he didn't witness it himself, he would have thought it impossible for one man to control a city, but from what he'd seen, his ruthless attacks showed his lack of mercy or fear. And a man with no fear was the most dangerous of all.

"But I must try at least once, Inquisitor." He smiled nervously, nodding his head and stepping back to the door behind him. He had to get away fast if this man could break through all his defences.

Jumping forward, Raymond vaulted over the desk, his arms outstretched shooting darts at the men who fell to the ground as if their muscles have been liquefied, unable to move, eyes staring at Raymond who had come to land in front of Alexis.

"There is no escaping the Inquisitor. This is my town, remember?" He taunted Alexis, pushing him back into the room. "You've tried to harm someone under my protection and it's not something I can forgive easily." He pushed Alexis into the office chair. "If I let this go, well, then everybody will be trying to test their luck with me. Do you see my predicament?"

Alexis looked at him as he was calmly speaking, almost pleasantly, as if discussing the weather.

"I really want to give you a second chance, but you had me fight to get to you, and gentlemen don't have to resort to violence." He shook his head leaning in. "What am I going to do with you? Surely your counterparts need a warning to stay away from here."

"I'll leave, no problem." He almost stammered. "We'll go and never come back again." He bargained for his life. If he'd listened to the stories that were told of this man, he would never have engaged him. The person in front of him had no conscience and would go to any extreme to get what he wanted. He was right, a man with no fear is one to fear the most.

"But will you though, or will I find you crawling away in a little hole like this in six months? Should I kill you?" He brought his face closer to Alexis'. "That wouldn't be very satisfying, would it? I wonder how do we solve this problem?"

"I'll never come back, you have my word!" He repeated fearfully. He'd never been in a situation like this where he was at the mercy of one man.

"Okay, I'll do you the favour of leaving you here alive but you can never return in any shape or form. If I find any trace of you in this city again, you will die." His warning was clear as he spoke quietly, his eyes boring into Alexis' who was staring transfixed back in horror.

"But to pay back my favour I ask only that you take one look at my face first." Raymond almost whispered, breaking the phial in his gloves and snapping his fingers under Alexis' nose, watching him inhale the green gas.

"No, no, I don't need to see it. I'll just leave," he tried getting up from his seat, but fell back, shaking his head as if it was cloudy.

"But it's the only favour I'm asking since you didn't honour the last one." He approached Alexis, moving his hand to his mask.

"No, please! I'll leave. Stop! I don't need to see!" He cried out desperately, closing his eyes.

Removing his mask, Raymond leaned in until his nose was almost touching Alexis'.

"You're going to have to open your eyes to leave this room." He whispered looking at Alexis' face, whose eyes were still screwed shut. "Very well, I'll put my mask back on." He sighed moving his head away from the trembling man in front of him.

When Alexis' heard nothing, he slowly opened his eyes to look around, and they settled on the most frightening and unsettling face he'd ever seen. It was worse than his worst nightmare and yet he couldn't tear his eyes away. It was as if he was being held captivated by those terrifying red, blood-filled eyes.

He leapt back once he'd gotten over his initial shock, but couldn't get that grotesque bone-chilling face out of his head. He felt as if he was losing his mind the more he looked at it, his heart beating fast as he was panting for air.

"This is my real face. I don't think I'll see you or any of your friends ever again." He put the white mask back on, watching the disgusted look on Alexis' face.

"What are you?" He asked in a fearful whisper, his lips quivering.

"I'm the Inquisitor." Turning around, he walked out of the house, where the cleaning crew was already loading men onto trucks to be carted away. "Burn it down." He ordered before getting into his car.

"Er, Ray?" Eric said hesitantly. "Do you really think it's necessary to torch the whole place? We've never done this before."

"Burn it all down, until there is nothing left. You can take care of the men and decide what happens to them when they wake up, but that house will be torched and in the news by tomorrow morning."

Taking off his mask, he sighed, wondering if he did the right thing by leaving Alexis alive, but he'd always used non-lethal methods before, but tonight, he was being sorely tested. There was one more stop he had to make before going home.