Gabriel

47. The Howling Room

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****UNEDITED****

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    GABRIEL

     Loud banging on my front door snapped me out of my thoughts, and as I yell, "It's open", I holler, knowing Michael is at the door. He storms in and hesitates for a second before giving me a quick hug I stand stiffly, and as he awkwardly backs away I see the worry in his eyes. He's never been the most affectionate brother, but he's there for me when it counts so I smile slightly at his attempt at consoling me.

     "I called one of my buddies down at the station in Harlem. He said he knows the place. It's a commonplace for the cops to raid, but they can never quite shake the occupants. It's been used recently under the name Scarlet O'Hare, but I dug a little deeper and came up blank. There's no one with the name so it's definitely an alias for whatever they've got going on over there. I have an address", he states as we leave. I lock up the apartment and take the elevator down to the garage. Pulling out my black Range Rover, he hops in on the passengers' side and we speed out to the streets. He hands me a slip of paper, and I nod, familiar with the area in south Harlem.

     "So what's it been in use for recently... if there's no Scarlet fucking O'Hare, then what's going on. Why do the cops already know about it? And why would someone send us there, with regards to... to her", I ask. Shit, I have gotten so fucking pathetic, I can't even say her name. It hurts too much and it's just easier this way.

     At his silence, I ask again, "Michael... what is it?"

     "It's...", he starts before looking at me nervously before clearing his throat.

     "It's a sex trafficking auction house... it's a usual midpoint for buyers and ... sellers to meet".

     My head swims with thoughts of her being sold to some scumbag for sex. I white-knuckle the steering wheel and push on the gas pedal a little harder as we speed through the Manhattan streets. Weaving through cars and plowing through yellow lights, I don't halt until we reach the apartment complex. The exterior is all old brick, and the windows and doors are boarded up with molding wood planks. The two-story structure lies between a vacant lot and a matching building. The afternoon sidewalks are almost empty and a cold breeze prompts me to quickly change out of my uncomfortable suit vest and into a stray sweater lying in the backseat. We hope out of the car and I pop the trunk, motioning for him to follow. I'd brought with me some extra protection, stacked up neatly in a black duffel bag.

     Pulling the bag closer, I open the top flap and start loading bullets into the handgun.

     "Wow, Gabriel, what is this? I thought we'd just check the place out... I didn't think we' were going all out... we should have dad with us or something...", he says hesitantly as he sees the weapons.

     "I don't have any time for that, and I sure as hell don't need daddy to hold my fucking hand. Plus, we've got our beasts as well, just in case things go south. I won't wait another minute. She could be in there, Michael, with god-knows-what happening to her, so I'm going in now. But it's up to you if you want to help. I won't force you in there with me", I retort, all the while, loading up with extra bullets anywhere I can fit and a few knives up my sleeves. He sighs and picks a riffle from the pile looking around every few seconds to make sure we stay pretty hidden.

     Once loaded up, I shut the trunk and lock the car, before jogging up the steps and peering through the crack in one of the boards. Someone sent me here, so I know we don't have the element of surprise on our side, but hopefully we can out-gun them. As I can only see darkness through the cracks, I step back, using my foot to bust through the planks and the door as well.