Beyond the Stars *Dark Louis Tomlinson*

Chapter 18

Playing at McCoy's Pub has become my night job. I am paid a hundred and twenty pounds a night for four nights a week. I have decided that once I finish my show tonight, I am going to find Dana Mathers and talk with her. She shouldn't be too hard to find. She's probably hanging around the street corner and I know what she looks like now.

"Thanks everyone, you've been excellent," I say in the microphone when I finish my last song. It's almost eleven now, so I got to find her before she snatches another victim.

"The crowd loves you," Seamus comments, handing me my pay. "You were great as usual. Thanks again for agreeing to play here."

"No problem, Seamus. I got to go, but I'l see you Wednesday night, yeah?"

"See you then. Take care of yaself."

I nod to him, packing up my guitar and putting on my coat. Only three days until the New Year. Exciting, right? Let's just hope that 2014 will be much better than 2013. So I got to finish this year by taking care of some business, which involved Dana Mathers.

The air of London is bitter cold when I get to my car. Winter in England is always so harsh. I drive in the direction of the club where Dana supposedly attempted to kill Louis. I still have to figure out the facts of this sketchy and utterly convenient story.

The club is pretty packed considering it's a Saturday night. There are a lot of people waiting outside and the line moves slowly. I hesitantly exit my car and cross the street. Luckily, the silhouette of a busty blonde lighting up a cigarette and leaning against the wall of the club comes into view. She's talking to some young, unsuspecting guy. The poor bastard.

"Hey!" I call, getting both of their attentions. "I suggest finding another girl tonight. This one'll cut your heart out. Literally. And I'm not kidding on this one, she's done it before."

The guy glances at Dana with a frightened expression. He quickly runs off into the line, glancing back to make sure she isn't following him. I lean against the wall next to Dana and snuggle into my coat. She sends me a glare as icy and cold as the London weather tonight.

"The fuck was that?" she spits angrily. "And who the fuck are you? How do you know my work?"

"Dana Mathers," I greet, extending my hand. "Pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Adeline McKay. I believe you tried to kill Louis Tomlinson last week at this same club?"

She stares at my hand. "How would you know that?"

I put my hand back in my pocket. "Because I was the one who stopped him before you could take him back to your place and cut out his lung. He told me you were going to kill him."

"You were the bitch at the club who interrupted my plan," she accuses, wagging her little finger in my face and taking a drag on her cigarette.

"Guilty."

"Well, what the fuck do you want? I'm kind of at work. I need an organ soon. Rent ain't gonna pay itself, lil bitch."

"I was just wondering if you really drugged him and were planning to kill him. You know, I'd hate to find out he lied about it."

She flicks the end of her cigarette. "Nah, it's the truth. I just wanted to do the job before anyone else could."

"What are you talking about?" I ask, suddenly interested.

"You really have no idea?" she asks. I shake my head. "Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea how many people are out to kill your little boyfriend. I just wanted to do it before anyone else could. Can you imagine how much Louis Tomlinson's organs would sell for on the black market? I'd be the richest broad in all of England."

"Why do they want to kill him? What did he do?"

"I'm not sure if it's true or not, but he's accused of cheating. You see, he works in the underground boxing business. He used to box, but now he manages boxers. He has a couple of them. And the manager is always given the big bucks and required to drug their boxers before matches. It's some sick entertainment thing, I guess. One of his boxers was accused of cheating by being injected with steroids instead of the usual LSD or ecstasy. It's funny, you take one wrong drug and everyone wants to kill you."

"So he gave his boxers steroids?"

"Supposedly. Like I said, I'm not sure. He still works there, though, because the Russians he was against are boxing in another country for the meantime. But they'll be back. And when they do come back, Louis is a dead man. They already killed his boxers. He had to get replacements for them."

"Good lord," I mutter. "Hey, why do you cut out people's organs and sell them on the black market? Just for the hell of it?"

"It seems like it, right?" she asks, taking another drag on her cigarette and blowing the smoke out into the air. "The reason I got into this business was because of my mother. She got in some bad stuff when she ran away from home. She got into prostitution because that's what got her a place to live and food in her mouth. Soon enough she got pregnant with me. She tried to abort me because she knew she couldn't handle raising a child, but it obviously failed and I came out nine months later. She was eighteen at the time."

"So, what happened? You got some mummy issues?"

"Watch ya mouth, lil bitch," she sneers, throwing her cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. "But yeah, you can say that. She ended up coming back to her parents because she was so messed up and they had a grandchild with no home. They took us in on one condition. My mum had to get a job to help pay for diapers and baby formula and all that. So she went back to prostitution, but managed to make sure all her clients wore condoms so she didn't have to worry about another kid. Then one psychopath came along and cut out all her organs and sold them on the black market."

"All of her organs?"

"Yup. Every single one. We ended up cremating her because the damage was so bad. So I lived with my grandparents basically my entire life. I was about four when she was murdered and I've always been angry about it. She was just trying to take care of me. So I go around doing the same in hopes I'll stumble upon my mum's murderer. I mean, it's only fair."

"Yeah, I suppose. Great talking to you. See you around, Dana."

"Do you think I'm a bad person, lil bitch?" she calls, causing me to stop in my tracks. "I just want you to remember that no person is all good or all bad. It's when we let one outweigh the other that defines us."

"You cut people's organs out for a living. Are you really trying to tell me that you're not a bad person?"

"You try losing your mum at a young age because she was murdered. One way or another we try to avenge the ones we lose. Stay safe, lil bitch. Being involved with Louis is dangerous, 'specially when there are people after him who are willing to make him suffer."

"Thanks, Dana. Have a good night now."

She nods, sending me a lopsided smirk. What an interesting person. I shake my head, puffing out my breath and climbing back into my car. Oh gosh. I don't want Louis to die.

At this point, I will do anything to keep him alive even if it means my certain death.