The Blood Gang

Chapter 1

(NOW)

The front door opened and someone entered the house.

I turned my head slightly to look at him. "You're late. It doesn't take an hour to walk here."

Michael smiled. "Just hanging around."

"With your girlfriend?"

His smile faded. "It's not like that. I told you a year ago."

I shrugged. "Just do your homework."

He rolled his eyes and walked upstairs. My iPhone rang.

I picked it up. "Who's calling?"

"I think you know, Flores." The voice was sneering and familiar, though I couldn't place a name with it.

"Um, no, I don't know."

"I'll refresh your memory. You killed my brother."

"Hmm..." Oh wait. Zudd. The son of everything evil and stupid. "Ezekiel?"

"Yes. You killed my brother."

"No I didn't."

"Did too."

"I swear on my brother's head."

There was a long moment of silence. I couldn't even hear Michael doing his homework... if he was. Then Ezekiel spoke. "You don't have a brother."

"Maybe I got one."

"You can't just get one."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"I got one."

"No you didn't."

"I swear on my sister's head."

Another moment of silence. "You don't have a sister, either!"

"Maybe I got one."

"Dad?" Michael called from upstairs. "Who are you talking to?"

Ezekiel tapped something on wood -- it sounded like a pencil. "I want you to swear on your son's head that you didn't kill Zudd."

I will kill you.
And feed you to my dog.
If I get one.

"Because if I find out you're lying and that you really did kill Zudd, I am going to make the rest of your short life very painful, both emotionally and physically. And if you didn't, and you don't tell me who really killed him... I'll kill your son."

I shook my head. "You'll never get your hands on him, not when I'm alive."

"Then I'll kill you." He hung up.

I slammed my phone on the table and buried my head in my arms. This was going to be hard. I sighed.

Michael came downstairs. "Dad, you okay?"

"We're having dinner in an hour. I'll tell you then."

"But are you okay?"

"Just. Do. Your homework. I'm fine."

Or at least I will be. Once Ezekiel and whoever he pays to do his filth is in Hell, I will be just fine.
Just fine.