Debts To Be Settled

19

Tommy wears his favorite hoodie, his sturdiest pair of jeans, and his most well-kept pair of shoes. He pulls the hood over his hair, looking down at the sidewalk to allow the shadows to fall over his face. He carries his radio. It quietly blurts out the last known sightings of certain vigilantes, muffled only by the fabric of his hoodie. He clings to it even tighter as he crosses an imaginary but visibly felt line that dices up the island into smaller chunks based on how much crime is allowed to spread. The streets grow dirtier. The buildings are shorter and thinner with dilapidated parts like starved children hiding themselves in the flashing darkness from the broken street lamps. Items deemed as useless are left discarded haphazardly on the ground, ready for someone to collect them and give them purpose. Screams create a constant background noise, a mix between horror and arguing. Dozens of eyes exist within the shadows, waiting to strike like vipers in a vase. Tommy doesn't meet anyone's eyes.

He shivers, but that has very little to do with the temperature or the whistling wind. He is absolutely terrified. He has purposefully gone into one of the shadier places on the island. He is carrying around an object that while most people here wouldn't recognize, they would hurt Tommy for. Those who would recognize the radio would kill Tommy for it. They might kill just for the fun of it and take the radio as recompense for Tommy wasting their time. While it isn't fair to assume the worst from everyone in this area, the statistics make it very clear that one should always be wary. If this place can be avoided, it should be. If it can't be avoided, try to look as poor and harmless as possible. Tommy might have the harmless part down, but he hasn't muddied up his clothes or chosen his own life over the radio.

The one thing that keeps Tommy trekking is the thought of Wilbur. The people in this backstreet are nothing to the Syndicate. Wilbur is being tortured right now by people who know exactly where to hit and with how much force to ensure pain without fatality. Wilbur is going through all of that right now with no hope for the future or a means to escape. Tommy has to be the brave one right now, even if every step forward makes his heart jump like a fleeing rabbit.

Tommy hears a clicking noise. He looks up slowly, daring not to move any faster than that. He sees a man's dirtied sweatpants first. He doesn't see a shirt, but he does see a chest covered in scars and tattoos. The man is holding a gray and black gun to Tommy's head, his finger firmly against the trigger. Tommy takes control of his breathing. He meets the man's dark, greedy eyes. The thought of Wilbur tied up urges Tommy to start speaking, "What do you want?"

"Drop the radio, kid. And I wouldn't mind seeing what's in your pockets," The gunman demands, a cheeky smile rising to his face that makes Tommy swallow thickly. Tommy opens his arms. His radio starts to slide away from him. He leans down onto his knees to gently place the radio on the ground. He winces when the bottom gets covered in the murky puddles in the alleyway, but he has no other choice. At least he didn't have to drop it and potentially break it.

When the radio is on the ground, Tommy eases back up onto his feet. He keeps his head down and back hunched to make him look less imposing, but Tommy doesn't really think that's a problem. The man in front of him has a gun. Tommy doesn't have weapons. There's no reason for this man to consider Tommy any sort of threat. If he does, there are a lot more issues going on inside his head that Tommy doesn't have the time or will to care about.

Tommy reaches into the pocket of his hoodie. He doesn't find anything in there, but he didn't expect to. He doesn't like when something weighty is in his hoodie pocket. It distracts him too much and throws off his sense of balance. He does put things in his jean pockets, though. Tommy tries to recall what he has in there as he pushes his hands into his front pockets. He finds his keyring with all the attached keys. Tommy winces as he drops it to the ground. He hopes he isn't causing Madeleine too many problems right now. If someone takes the shop keys, she might lose everything. Tommy would certainly lose his job.