It'll Take Our Hearts

3- Memories Bring Back Enemies

1322 Words

[Dice]

His head hurt. Actually, screw that, everything hurt. He groaned, shifting in his chair, which, by the way, was extremely uncomfortable. He sported a gag and blindfold, and, to top it all off, he was tied to a chair. Dice had absolutely no idea where he was or what happened to him, other than his weak struggle in his suite.

He stilled, trying to listen to his surroundings. No sounds, except for a chilling wind blowing above him. There was an open window. He inhaled, smelling the air. A bit musty- and- salty?

Salt! He was near the ocean, probably on Inkwell Isle Three! "Good work, Dice" he smugly thought to himself. Apparently, being a former gang member taught you a lot of methods for finding information. Who knew?

He continued fidgeting. He could feel he had only his button-up and slacks, apart from his shoes. Dice's stomach dropped with sudden realization. This was bad. He was stuck, Satan knows where, tied up, with no way of contacting his Boss. 

Oh no.

What was he going to do about seeing Luci? He needed to get home. He needed to get home right now- He stopped moving. A noise. To his right. Dice tried turning his head, only to find his gag ripped away, scaring the life out of him. He recoiled, jerking backwards.

He heard a low chuckle from behind him and froze. "Hello, Dice." the man said, making no move to show himself. That... voice. He almost, for only a second, thought he had recognized it. Dice swallowed. It couldn't be. No. Not after all this time.

"H-Harvey?" Dice choked out, his voice cracking. He cursed himself for faltering. Another low chuckle. "Gold star for Dicey boy." he laughed into Dice's ear. He felt sick. Harvey hated his guts. And for a good reason, too. 

Dice started to doubt whether or not he would get out alive. 

Dice mustered up strength to challenge the man, saying, "What do you want from me, Harvey?" He did not answer right away. "Harvey. What do you want?!" Dice's voice rising the slightest bit. Harvey firmly placed his hand on Dice's shoulder. "No need to panic, Dicey. I only want a bit of information. And you're going to give it to me, aren't you?" he purred sweetly.

Dice sucked in a breath. "Information about what?" he bit out, already knowing the answer. He just wanted to hear Harvey say it, just to be sure. "You. Your boyfr- oh, Boss, the employees, the Casino, everything, Dice. Every bit of knowledge you have in that die head of yours." he laughed and started pacing around him.

"Over my dead body." Dice hissed. Harvey gave a crazed smile. "Nearly dead, Dicey. Nearly." he corrected. Dice paled. They must really want this information. The infamous gang among the Isles had horrifically creative ways of getting information. As if to read his mind, Harvey cut in.

"You know better than anyone, Dice, that we will do anything to get information that we deem important. Remember your... special job?" he asked innocently. Dice flinched and nodded, silent. He had hated that job. He was good at what he did, but he didn't like it or the knowledge it left him with. He also didn't like being reminded of it. It was something you left alone after its passing. That's why he left. To just- get away from it all.

It brought back memories.

Harvey continued on with the tense conversation. "It's just a bit of information. Not hurting anybody, right? You can just tell us what you know, answer our questions, then we'll let you go back to your Boss. Wouldn't you like that?" he said, luring Dice in with his faux-friendliness. There was no way- he could absolutely not tell them anything. Dice knew what would happen if he sold out his Boss and colleagues. Bad things. Luci would lose his trust, Dice would lose him, his rock, the only person he loved. And not only that. They were planning something, and they need him to give away information. 

 No. Stay loyal to the casino and faithful to his Boss. 

"I-" Dice sighed, hanging his head. "I can't, Harvey. He's the Boss. I can't just- betray- no, you know what?" Dice ended his query with a sneer. "I wouldn't. I won't. He is my Boss, and I work under him and him alone. I will not be giving you jack. Shit,"  he finished, shaking his head in decisiveness. Harvey stopped pacing, taken aback by his sudden change in attitude. Then smiled.

Harvey stepped close and leaned down next to Dice's head and whispered, "We have ways of making people talk, Dicey. Remember when I taught you to fight? We still have that here," he chuckled. That should do it. 

It threw him off. Of course he remembered. What kind of half-wit did Harvey think he was? 

The whole group used to get together, about every month or so, and hold some sort of sick "tournament" for boxing. They had a ring and everything. Now that he thought about it,  "boxing" was probably the worst word to describe the event. It was just dirty fighting. No rules. He had vivid memories of throwing punches and trying the best he could, only to be picked up and tossed around like a ragdoll by three others at a time. 

"You showed promise. Yeah, you were just a kid, basically. But you could dart in and out of people like I've never seen!" he gave a cruel chuckle and continued. "You think you could still do that, Dicey?" Although he was still blindfolded, Dice's eyebrows shot up in horror before settling back down in a grimace.

"I'd beat your ass, Harvey, and you know it," Dice spat. Harvey skeptically raised an eyebrow and purred, "You're outta practice, Dicey. I'll beat you into dust."

The man continued pacing before finishing his bold exclamation. "You've been away for so long! How do you expect to be just as- mediocre- as you were, hm?" he queried. "I wasn't bad, Harvey! I could.... fight like any other guy," Dice finished with a mumble. Harvey grinned. 

"We shall see, King," he sneered, fixing the gag back around Dice's mouth once again. Harvey stalked off, throwing a wave over his shoulder.

"Au revoir, Dicey. You have some thinking to do."

Well he wasn't wrong about that. When he finally heard a door slam shut, he relaxed. He was sure in deep now. He briefly contemplated trying to undo the knots that bound his hands together before mentally shaking his head. They'd just pummel him..... Which brought Dice's mind to another subject.

The fighting.

They would shatter him like glass in their kind of fight. A free-for-all. No rules, except you stopped when the other person passed out or broke something. Kicking, biting, hair pulling, anything was fair and expected. He might have a chance.  Although he stood at a reasonable height of six foot-two, he had a thin build. Weighing in at a hundred sixty-five, he was light and aerodynamic, perfect for being suplexed into the ground.

He inwardly laughed at the concept of someone hurling him into the air. 

All he had to do was fight smart. Pay attention. Hit 'em quick, get out fast. Use his weight to his advantage. He might be able to win!

Except, there was no winning. Harvey'd just send in more and more guys 'till he was a heap of bloody muscles. It didn't even matter, hardly. The only way Dice could 'win' was by holding out until Harvey ordered someone to knock him out or got bored.

Hmm.

His mind began to settle for the fact that there might be a couple hard decisions in his future.

And, for the first time in nine years....

Dice didn't know what to do.