Fade To Black

When It Rains, It Pours

After twenty-five minutes of explaining the actual story to Mr. Butler I felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders. I was still really skeptical about whether this guy was here to hurt or help me. Maybe this was just a set up to see if I would run my mouth. I only told him what happened because has my attorney he has to keep what we spoke about confidential. So that made what I told him a little easier to deal with. The look on Mr. Butler's face was one of a man deranged, I had to know why my situation meant so much to him.

"Sir, is everything alright? You look like your dog just died." I said and I could see him relax his body from the tension of hearing my story.

"Is that everything Mr. Simmons? Did you miss anything at all?" he asked in a clearly disturbed tone.

"No sir, that's the story, but  can I ask you a question?"

"Yea, what is it?"

"What exactly is going on, because I feel like I'm just a pawn in a game played by corrupt King's and I don't have a chance on winning. Also is this a personal thing or business as usual?" I asked, I needed to know exactly what kind of chance I stood on being a free man.

"Derek Shaw, your old lawyer. Was my wife's brother." he said as he went to pull a folder out of his file cabinet. "A few days ago we found him like this." He threw the folder on his desk, I looked at the content in the folder and nearly threw up. It was my lawyer Mr. Shaw who looked to have been tortured. They cut off both of his ears and removed both his eyeballs from the socket. On his forehead was written "See no evil, hear no evil." I never seen no shit like that except in movies.

"Calm down son, everything is going to be alright" I heard subconsciously, when I tuned back into reality, tears were coming down my face and I was trembling. Who the fuck would do something like that to such a nice guy. Nobody deserves what happened to him.

"That's really fucked up man, do you know who did that to him?" I asked, but really I knew who did it. A lot was starting to make sense now.

"The people who are trying to send you to prison are the people who killed my brother-in-law, and I want to see everyone of those bastards go to prison. I need your help Benjamin, I need you to testify against these people when I get the proper evidence needed. Can you do that for me? Please!" he pleaded, I really wanted to help, really I did. But after what I just seen, prison didn't seem so bad.

"Sir with all due respect, I really want to help you. But how can you reassure me that I won't end up in your drawer with no eyes and ears? This shit just went way to the left man and I don't think I'm ready for all of this." I said to him as I was heading towards the exit.

"You're as good as dead if you don't" I heard him say in a whisper. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you'll be killed if you don't help me. The information you've just given me is detrimental to the opposition. Once they see that I know what I know. Who do you think they are going to assume told me?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"You can't tell anyone what I told you, attorney client privilege. I'm not stupid bruh, miss me with all that! " I shouted, how is my own lawyer trying to black mail me right now.

"You're right, I can't tell anyone that it was you, my client, who told me anything. I can however use the information that you've given me to help with my case. But do you not think that these people won't assume it's you who told me?"

"You keep saying these people? Who the fuck are these people?" I asked not really sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"The Italian Syndicate." he said and my throat swelled up. I immediately lost breath. These guys made Whitey Bulger and his people look like Saints. I was at a lost for words, I couldn't believe how deep in shit I was. I was between a rock and a hard place.