Hit and Run

Chapter 36: Changing Of The Tides (Wolfe's POV)

I rest my head on my new prison bed. Evan was kind and generous enough to let me have my own metal bed to sleep on complete with no comfort, no pillows, no mattress and no blanket. It's the perfect medieval prison hold, at least it feels like a dungeon given there is no windows to be had here.

Pop Eye comes in and spits in my face. I've been here so long, that I don't bother look at anyone's eyes. For the past month, Austin has made it clear that he needs more time to collect information from Evan. He brings me handwritten notes from Annie and I can almost remember what she looks like. My mind plays tricks on me though, I hope it's not lying about my memories of her. Was any of it real, it's hard to know if she really existed at all.

"Hello Big Bad Wolfe, here's your daily oatmeal. It's cold like it is every morning. Austin said to give you coffee though. He needs you awake for another interrogation. That man must really hate you if he's requesting your presence so much."

His fists come to my face and near the cheekbones. I can almost sense myself flinching. It's embarrassing to flinch when my natural impulse before torture would be to hurt them all. But they've broken me, some parts of me have withered away in here.

I'm a strong man but eventually, the mind will snap backward and will spiral like a tornado descending into madness. Before that happens I need to leave with my wits in tact. Today I am going to beg Austin for death, because clearly this has no end in sight. Perhaps a plea for death with show him how desperately I need to be relieved of this underground prison.

Pop Eye tightens my handcuffs and smiles like he knows something about dooms day that I don't. I skip the theatrics of calling him names, he almost broke my ribs the last time I called him Poop Eye.

The hallway feels narrower than usual. I've grown accustomed to counting the twelve steps to the interrogation room. It's something to pass the time. My boredom is another way they dull my senses over and over again.

"Hello, Pop Eye. I can see you gave Wolfe coffee. That's good. I have photos for him to review with me today for the case and I need to make sure he knows fact from fiction. I have something for you Pop Eye."

He tosses a bag of peanuts at him and he starts chewing them loudly in front of me.

"Thanks, Austin. Don't be too long, Evan needs him upstairs in thirty minutes."

"Of course. Tell Evan I only need him for twenty minutes."

Pop Eye makes a cheek-clicking sound and clicks his tongue on the side of his face. The drool rolls out as he wipes it away. He's a vile man with very little bear. They should call him Pooh Bear for short. Pop Eye closes the door on his way out.

"Today's the day, Malcolm. After this interrogation is at hand, you will be free. You see Pop Eye works for me. He might be a dumb brute and he certainly played his part with you well I'll admit. You see as we speak, Evan Schultz is talking to Pop Eye. Pop Eye has been ordered to arrest Evan, and bring him to me. Now if you don't mind. I need the handcuffs that are on your wrists. They don't belong to you. They belong to someone else, Evan Schultz according to my calculations will be here in about five minutes."

Austin hands me lotion and I rub it all over the places those handcuffs rubbed against. Handcuffs are a nasty business, the metal alone cracks the skin raw.

"How can I trust you? I've been in here too long, I feel like I am going nuts." My hands still ache from the chains I was supposed to wear. I've been beaten up in my day, but nothing like this. This beating me up over and over, only to heal me again and again until they break me again.

"I know. I made you wait longer than I originally thought. But as Evan's trust in me grew I had no choice but to interview him daily. Your pains have not gone unnoticed. I have already aligned hospital care and therapy up for you the minute you get out of here. In case you decided you hated me for this. But I had no other choice."

I know he did what he did for information, but these scars will stay with me forever. I thought I was strong but my spirit halfway gave out in this place. Pop Eye drags Evan Schultz into the room, and slams him on the ground in front of me.

"Hello, Evan. It's cute you thought you had power here. It's not fun when the corrupt bullshit comes crashing down around you is it? You're going to gravel on the ground for what you did to Artie Ainsworth. Say it, or I will kill you now," Austin says as he orders Pop Eye to punch him in the stomach. I watch unable to process what is happening. I am either to stunned or dazed, but I am happy somewhere inside my confused mind.

"You bastard. I should have done more digging. I finally realized what you were up to. And it's too late for me. But I will never apologize for killing your cousin, Austin Ainsworth."

Austin goes into his coat pocket and takes out the recording device and plays it back to Evan.

"I've just sent you a little confession to the police. They are very happy that you've agreed to go with them quietly. As for you, Malcolm Wolfe, you are free to go. I will have Pop Eye here escort you out."

"You have no power here, Austin. I will be back. I will buy them off. You can't make me talk."

Austin smiles and slaps Evan across the face.

"That is very cute of you but you are wrong. I can make you talk and I did during every small conversation we ever had. Little by little I recorded you and little by little the police built your case. You aren't going anywhere, Evan. You might even get the death sentence. It hasn't been decided yet. Regardless of what you think, you have lost. Your money is now being rewired into a new account, Malcolm Wolfe will be in charge of you estate. You have no power here. It's either you cooperate and live or defy me and die. See you in court, Evan Schultz."

Pop Eye takes Evan away and I don't watch. I hear him fight off the cops, but I don't watch as they drive the bastard away. If Annie can't watch then neither will I. I follow Austin out of the dungeon and see the sun for the first time. He hands me sunglasses and offers me a ride. In the car, we talk about the case and Artie's funeral. I have my freedom, but it has come with a price my mental health and losing Artie Ainsworth.