Accused + Silence (Continuation) 💣🤍 criminal bromance

5. Blind trust

Saturday 07.05 :

"Could you tell me what's going on, since we're liquid like this?" - I asked, feeling like he wasn't going to answer me.

He started quite calmly: "It was a project for a client. Normal routine, but this man was offering me an unusually large amount of money."

"Isn't that normal?"

- "Well it isn't. It really was thousands of euros just for me to outfit you for some sort of advertising campaign."

"An advertising campaign? Didn't the man say something more?" - I pry.

-"That's the point. He was more concerned with getting a meeting with you than with the campaign."

"But you said you were a mechanic."

- "About a year or so ago, I needed extra income, so I got into this. I'm looking for corporate clients and vice versa. Mostly I'm looking for sponsors for them, or one-off work in promotions and so on. I'm making gross money and it's paying off."

"Well, what do you know about the man? How do you know it was him now?" - I continued to pry.

- "I don't know much, but I can't think of anyone else like him right now. He seemed fair enough at first, but then he started pushing me. I certainly shouldn't have trusted him, but I'm not going to change that." - he said.

"And you really think he'd be capable of something like that?"

- "I honestly don't know, but I think so. There's probably going to be something..."

"But why would he shoot!" - I asked in confusion.

- "I don't know. But the thought of introducing you to him makes me sick." - he said with his gaze fixed on the ground.

"You can't help it." - I muttered.

I didn't want him to feel bad, but it was all so strange. Without a word and in pain, I walked on. I didn't know what to make of it, but I couldn't tear myself away from him either, because I wouldn't have done it on my own, and Tony knew it too. I just had to trust him blindly.

We walked along an unpaved path through the forest. There were leaves, various needles and bark everywhere. Yet there was no mud. The path was quite wet, but not wet enough for mud. Those trees were really beautiful. I hadn't been in the woods for a very long time, I was so engrossed in work that I didn't have time for such things.

It was slowly getting darker and my nervousness was increasing.

...

Tony started digging in his backpack and pulled out a candy bar: "You want one?" - he offered me.

I looked at him in surprise. He halved the candy bar and offered it to me. I was really hungry, so I accepted it and bit into it as if I was eating for the first time.

We both walked on in silence until he spoke:

- "We'll keep going. We can't afford to stop. It's getting dark and I wouldn't want to spend the night here." - he was saying as if I was asking him something.

It was clear to me that we had to continue, but I doubted that we were getting close to our goal. I had the feeling that he was pulling me down a completely different path. But why would he do that? I didn't know the answer to my question, but I couldn't shake the feeling. However, I had to distract myself somehow.

I couldn't think about it, but there was one more thing nagging at the back of my mind:

"Do you think he was the one who attacked me?"

- "It's quite possible." - he mused.

"But then why would he leave me in the woods and then chase me?" - I asked.

- "Then I seriously don't know. Maybe he just stepped out for something. I really don't know what could have happened."

"So you're saying you found me by complete accident?" - I assured myself.

- "You're implying that I'm what? That I knocked you out?" - he said a little irritably, rolling his sandy eyes at me.

"Well, I don't know. It could have been."

- "I assure you I found you and you were alone. No one was with you." - he said seriously.

"Actually, okay. I just can't figure out the reason why all this would be happening. Why would someone want to shoot me?" - I asked, but I didn't expect him to answer.

I had a feeling that wasn't even reality.
...

It could have been six o'clock and we slowly could not even see the road.

"Won't you try the flashlight from your cell phone?" - I suggested.

- "I can, I guess it doesn't matter anymore if I don't have a signal. So I might as well drain the cell phone completely." - he said monotonously.

"Try calling someone, maybe you'll catch it." - I suggested.

Tony looked at the cell phone for a moment, but finally agreed. He clicked on some number and waited.

- "It's ringing! Mm? Hello Stan? Can you hear me?"- he said in surprise. A glimmer of hope appeared - "Hello? Hello! Shit." - he let out in frustration.

"Nothing?"

- "I didn't hear him at all. I lost the contact. It's a miracle it dialed the number."

"Will you try again? I would have tried if I didn't have a cell phone in jail." - I inquired.

- "No. I only have 40% power. I'd better light the way. Maybe we're close."

Holding my left shoulder with my hand, I added in a tired tone: "How would you know?"

- "Well, I don't know, but I believe it. We just have to keep going."

I was getting sick of this. He kept saying the same thing over and over and where were we?

"Well, do you even know where we are? Because, I don't!"

- "Angus stop and come on! I don't have the nerve for this." - he said in frustration and exasperation.

I was angry, but I didn't have the strength to contradict him. I slowly walked behind him until he began to blend in with my surroundings. I stopped and tried to focus. I guess I was just tired, I was also getting cold, but I ignored it, so I kept going, but my legs stayed like jelly and I fell to the hard ground.

All I could hear was Tony asking - "What's wrong? Angus?" - while shining his cell phone in my face. But I couldn't react at that moment.

...