One Way Or Another

Chapter Four

Officer Dave arrived at Venus' house and knocked on the door. She answered it with her hand covering her mouth, still feeling queasy from what she had seen.
"You ok?" He asked. Venus just shook her head as she lead him to the box. "Jesus Christ!" He exclaimed as he stared at the tongue. "Have you called 991?"
"No, you were the first person I thought to call. I'm just glad Sam had your number." Her head turned to the box. "Does it look real to you?" She asked. "I...I just don't want to believe that it is..."
"Well...sorry, but it looks pretty real...I'll uh...I'll take it down to the station, see if csi can find anything on it." He left as Venus was unsure of what to do with herself.

She soon got a phone call from her producer.
"Hey, can you come in?" He asked in a rather polite manner.
"Sorry, I cant...I'm going through some things." She said wanting to match his politeness.
"Please Venus, this'll only take a few minutes." So once again reluctant, she went to the studio to meet with her producer.
"Hey V," She now shuddered at being called that. "how would you feel about going on a tour?"
"What?! I can't, Mike's missing and I think he's in danger."
"What makes you say that?" He asked intrigued.
"I haven't seen him in days and then earlier today a box with a...with a..."
"What? Cat got your tongue or something? Spit it out." Venus stood up and went to leave.
"I'm sorry but I can't do this."
"Hey! You need to do a tour Reed! If you don't, then you can just kiss your career goodbye, understand?"
"Thanks for this, Tom, must do it again sometime." She replied sarcastically before storming out...

Mike woke up in a pained state. He could still feel where his tongue used to be and was unadjusted to it being missing.
"You'll get used to it." The Voice told him. "The phantom pain..."
"Pease, ont oo is"
"What's that Michael? I can't quite understand you."
"Pease, et me go."
"Let you go? Why? We're just getting started after all."
"I've one nutting o you."
"No, but you have to Venus, haven't you Michael." Mike shook his head as he began to cry. "Oh yes you have. You know it and this...well this is just some Karma. So Michael, what shall we remove today..."
"Pease, et me go."
"How about an ear? Maybe then you'll remember to listen when I tell you, there is no way out of this Michael. This does not end in you being saved at the last second, or you breaking free. You are going to die, Michael. And once you are gone, then she'll be happy again." Mike sobbed uncontrollably as the voice grabbed a straight razor and began cutting, embracing the blood as it squirted in his shadowed face...

A few days later Venus ran into Dave again at the bar.
"Hey, please tell me you got something on Mike." She said desperately as she took a seat next to him
"Well...the tongues real, though I got nothing on who it belongs to, or if it's even Mikes." Dave told her.
"I'm guessing that also means you haven't been able to find him either." Her head slumped in sadness as she got no reply.
"Hey when you was the last time you ate properly?"
"What?"
"It's just you look kinda tired, and your stomachs been rumbling since you walked in."
"I haven't exactly been too focused on myself recently..." She admitted. "I mean how can I?
"Here." He placed a menu in front of her. "Please. Eat something." Though reluctant, she picked up the menu and ordered.

"So tell me about yourself." He said as they ate.
"Not much to tell... left Ohio, became a singer, met Mike, fell in love..." She showed a look of sadness as her mind dwelled on Mike once again.
"I'm curious, any reason why your parents named you Venus?" Dave asked as he tried to change the subject.
"They didn't. My real name is Nita. But I always thought Nita Reed was kind of a shit name, so I chose Venus. My dad was an astronomer and he could always find it and point it out to me. This little crescent shaped thing sitting in the sky, I could just lookup at sense peacefulness. Can't do that anymore though...What about you? What's the story behind Officer Dave?"
"Uh...I grew up in Pasadena...moved out here to L.A. when I was 20...did my training in the academy, became a police officer."

After they finished their meals Dave escorted Venus back to her car.
"Thanks for this." She said.
"Don't worry about it, I'm just trying to make sure you don't overdo it and that you still look after yourself."
"I know I should but it's just been so hard without Mi-" She cut herself off before tears started to pour. "Thank you." She said once again before hugging him and getting in her car to drive off...

"Well well well, Michael. Do I have a treat for you!" The Voice said as he approached its victim. "Wanna see what Venus has been up to since you've been gone?" The Voice took out a series of pictures, each one showing Venus with Officer Dave, laughing. "Don't they look cute together?" Mike groaned in pain. "And check out this one..." The Voice showed him a picture of the two hugging as Mike began to cry. "I think this one is my favourite...She's moving on Michael. Soon she won't even remember your name...Don't worry though. You'll be long gone before then..."