IAN
In a dimly lit room, punching an already over beaten boxing bag, my mind raced with the possibilities and consequences of my future meeting with my boss, Antonio Moaski. He is a wicked man ruling his self-created and equally harsh world. His world that swallowed my family and threatens to do the same to me. I was the collateral that he took against the loan he gave to my father. My father, a drunkard lost it all in gambling and then got himself killed leaving me to repay the loan in kind. I was taken away from my family when I was just three years old and after that, I never saw their faces again. I have been doing not-so-legal-jobs that were assigned to me by the boss. This would be my last job, then I am free.
You must be thinking why did I stay? Why did I not run after my father was killed? Why did I spend 17 years in this shithole of a gym? Because I had no where to go. I don't know my real family and this gym is the only home I have ever seen.
"Ian, the boss will arrive in ten minutes, go get changed", shouts Jace from the other side of the gym.
Jace and I have been best friends since I was brought here. We fought together, trained together. He is the illegitimate son of 'the boss', his mother, the boss' wife had run away with her lover behind his back only to get killed. Jace has been here since then. His father detests him and so does he. Seeing the reputation of the boss, why is Jace alive is still a mystery around here. He could not kill him when he was a child and now he cannot even think about touching him in my presence.
Jace emerges from the office area inside the gym, in a grey suit with a tie. "Why are you all dressed up dude?" I ask as I clean the sweat from my forehand with a towel.
"It is not only you who have been called for the job Mr., but the great Jace Lighthood will also be accompanying you," he says with a mild smile but only I can understand that he is hating the idea of seeing that man.
Jace has dirty blond hair which he keeps to a side with a body of an athlete just like mine the only difference being that I had jet black hair compared to his golden one. We both stayed in an attic at the backside of the gym and practiced here. We earned money by ring fights in the underworld all around Connecticut and there would be no arena that didn't know our names. I must be sounding cocky, but this was the truth. This was all we knew since childhood. We were homeschooled and never went to college.
"Why are you so lost in thought, Ian? Just get ready and we will deal with whatever nonsense this meeting is about together," he said. But that is what scared me the most. Previously for any work, we were just sent some coded letters with information of the job but a personal meeting, that was new.
"Yeah! Yeah! I'll just go get changed."I quickly take a shower and wear my 3 piece navy blue suit. I set my hair as I walk out of the door where Jace is waiting for me leaning on the doorframe.
"Let's go". I say and we make our way together to the office area where the boss would be holding the meeting.
"He just settled in. Here we go." Jace says as we enter the dimly lit semi office type room with a round table in middle and couches at the side. The boss sits at the head of the table with a file in his hand. He listens us coming in and wave us towards our respective seats. Everyone here knows their position, we sit at the table according to the hierarchy of importance.
I sit at the right of the boss whereas Jace takes a seat beside me.
"I have a job for you both. Keeping in mind, it is your last job Ian this would be a little difficult to handle". Antonio says making me wonder what the "difficult job" would be. Normally the jobs I get assigned are winning strategically important MMA fights, training other fighters or sometimes handling drug business. Anything else never came my way and I can't be more glad about it.
"You two have to take admission in New Castle University here in Connecticut itself. Ian has to study psychology whereas Jace will take admission in arts department." Antonio says looking directly at us . I try to find some humour behind his words but fail. Jace has a similar confused look etched on his face.
I chuckle. "Are you serious? Why would you sent us to college. You already made it clear that we are nothing more than a burden to you. So why bother now?"
"No, seriously ? Do you want us to graduate from college,have nice degrees, work like normal people and make you proud dad? Is that want you want." One could literally hear the venomous sarcasm in Jace's words. But as usual it sounded funny to that asshole.
"Such high regard you have for me. You are my kids, I have raised you and kept you alive all these years. But you got one thing right, me sending you to college is not some philanthropy from my side, it is a requirement for your new job." He says slightly smiling to himself. I literally hate this man.
"You have an interesting case, this one." He says giving us both a respective file. Mine was black, Jace's was red.
Antonio kept speaking. "There is certain someone who thinks he is smart enough to cross me, I need to teach him a lesson. I need everything that is dear to him which I will destroy in front of his eyes to set an example for anyone who remotely thinks of fucking me again".
"What do you need us to do?" I ask with skeptical eyes and my mind trying to make sense of his venomous voice.
"That file I gave you, open it". I do as he says. I find a beautiful brunette with light brown eyes staring at me. She smiles posing for the photo and I dare say the smile is the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. But the photo of the girl in Antonio's file is never a good thing .
"She is Mabel Saunders, daughter of Alex Saunders, she studies in.." He is cut off in between by Jace.
"But Alex was our trusted middleman. Why his daughter?' asks Jace looking almost terrified. That will not bore well for him. Before he utters another sentence, I give him a cold stare and he instantly shuts up.
His tone doesn't go unnoticed by Antonio. He stands up and slowly walks up by Jace's side. I get tensed and sit straighter almost at the edge of the seat.
"Why Jace, do you have a problem?" He asks in a low lethal voice as he settles his hand on Jace's shoulder. "Alex tried to cut me, I will cut his daughter a thousand times before Alex begs me to take her life to end her misery and I will, I will end them both. And you know what, this is your job bring that girl to me, make her trust you, fall in love with you and bring her to her death."
Jace and I go still. He wants us to bring an innocent girl to her death for a mistake his father committed?
"Before, you two can refuse there is a little incentive that will boost your morale to do this job. Bring her in." he shouts.
Two burly looking men all dressed in black come in carrying a petite woman whose face is covered in a black cloth and her arms tied behind her back, her calls for help muffled by the cloth in her mouth.
"Do you know who she is, Ian?" asks the boss with a cruel smile etched on his face.
I stand up and go near where the girl is being held . I remove the cloth hiding her face and I am taken aback by the view I see. She is an exact female replica version of me. She is as stunned as me. We both stare at each other for I don't know how long until I hear a voice that shatters me into pieces.
"She is your twin sister, Ian."
HEY GUYS!
Things are about to get a lot more interesting. Stay hooked up for a ride full of twists and turns ahead.
How did you find Ian's back story? Do we know him from somewhere from the story before?
Vote and comment, munchkins.
Until then
Much Love
Khyatee
YOU ARE READING
The Last Debt
Mystery / ThrillerMabel Saunders is the only daughter of a business tycoon, Alex Saunders. She has a perfect life but one day she is forced to flee the place where she grew up leaving behind all the friends and family she ever knew. Her life is in danger as the most...