The Hunt

4

They locked him in the utility closet until the nerves and shakes and sweats wracked through his body and he gave up. It didn't take long, Sherri had been pulled out of her room by the shouting, but didn't put up a fight when she saw what was happening. Eventually, he cried out he would do it ... even if to just get out the closet.

Someone shifted from the bottom of the door then wretched it open to reveal a smug looking August.

"Runner?" he asked

"Fine, fuck! Just ...get me what I need!" he shoved past the shorter man and glared at Jack and Sherri.

"He does what he wants!" Jack cried out as Sherri laughed.

"We need a runner...I can't wait another few months for Tom to grab another stray, and you can't say shit to him or we won't get anywhere" she pointed accusingly at Charlie "keep this little deal you have with August to yourself"

Charlie wanted to argue he never made a deal, he was being held hostage- but instead he reached out for the small vial of violet liquid that August returned to him.

"Dun bother lookin for anymore, I ain't got none in this house" he mumbled before taking his cap off to reveal a mess of blonde hair "You rat on me, I'll let the gators have ya".

He was no longer angelic looking and Charlie wasn't sure why he thought that at his first glance. He had yellowing and crooked teeth that stood out at odd angles and probably should have been in braces a long time ago- his face was round and eyes big and blue but he was smirking at Charlie's misfortune with those ugly teeth and ugly scar on full display. He was a demon.

August dropped his grimy hat onto Charlie's dark hair and laughed before leaving to go back upstairs.

"Fuck ...fuck you! FUCK YOU!" Charlie screamed as helplessness once again flooded his body and set his nerves on fire. He was so sick of being weak, a pawn to those who dared to play the board.

He left the house soon after, despite Jack and Sherri's long looks. Fresh air whipped him in the face as he jogged down the street. Houses flashed by with manicured lawns and tidy flower beds, a far cry from NYC, shit this was a far cry from that strange house-share down the street. The early morning was cool, with the sun barely nipping at the heels of the moon, it made the world here feel empty. There were no cars honking, no people shouting- he was truly at the edge of the world and it felt fitting for his state of mind.

He ran towards the town centre where he only saw a couple 24hr convenience stores open still. With no money, he sighed and craved a smoke or a drink or anything...he had no plan, nothing to work with. A wall near a 24/7 called to him and he hitched his body up, taking a few long breaths to calm down.

"It's just as well that I need to grab something for breakfast before we all go tell Martyn you're joining the team..." Jack's voice piped up from behind him and Charlie didn't bother to stifle his groan "Oh I bet" the man sighed.

"Did you follow me?"

"We picked you up and dropped you in the deep south, you've been turned upside down and inside out...and took a punch from August. I wouldn't be doin my Christian duty if I didn't make sure you didn't accidentally fall into the Bayou..."

"Can he really stop anyone selling to me?" Charlie didn't elaborate, they both knew what he meant.

"I'm afraid so, his uncle is Landry Mane...he's not like the mob or anything-shit I don't think the Cajuns have one but the Mane's operate on another level...they will fucking kill you. That's just the Mane's by the way, the rest are actually lovely...amazing food"