Revenge or Revolution?

25.

After some months of sitting in the crowd, Steve had agreed to accept the offer of him being on the coaching staff. He wanted to be as close to the game as possible so that he didn't lose his touch totally. It wasn't as good as playing but it kept a fire of basketball alive in his heart. Sometimes, he used to play with the players in a scrimmage in a way that Kyle couldn't know. He was still good. The bad part was that he had to stay after the game planning for the next game strategy with the coach. He did it when he was the captain of the team but now since he couldn't play, there were some of his signature plays which others couldn't implement like him. But they were still told to them by the coach and it broke Steve's heart to see those moves fail so miserably.

After the strategies were discussed, it was Steve's responsibility to close the gym and the locker room for the day. He had taken this job and turned it into an opportunity for practicing. It was the only time, there was no one in the gym and he could practice his jump shots. Since he knew that what happened to him was a prank, he wasn't scared of getting another attack.

It was one such day when Grestown high had lost by 20 points against Fresco College. It was a disaster and the whole coaching staff was furious at the players. As good as their offence was, their defense was just as bad. The opposite team had scored 50 points in the first half and it was a shame to the home team. As the paint game was elite of Grestown high, they were perfect from inside. But when the game was going at the pace it was going, they needed more 3s but all they kept on hitting were mid-rangers. Steve was so angry at it that when everyone had left the gym, sad due to this shameful loss, he started practicing on his 3s.

He had a drill to make himself better. After every miss, he'd do a full court sprint. This made him improve his stamina and made him better in shooting in fast break. Steve's catch and shoot game was improving day by day.

After the practice, Steve usually took bath in the locker room and then went to his dormitory. This all usually ended by 7:30 pm. But today, Steve was angry as well as disappointed in himself as well as his teammates. He didn't know what time it was and he kept hitting 3s till he was satisfied. It was way past 9 when he realized that he should be heading back. He put the basketballs in the rack and headed towards the locker room. He was so tired that he decided that he'd take the bath in his the common bathroom in the hostel rather than here in the locker room. He changed his clothes and was leaving when he heard 2 people talking.

He could clearly make out one voice. It was Brian. Steve couldn't believe the coincidence. Was Brian doing it on purpose? That couldn't be true. No one knew that Steve was here.

'I know that Steve usually leaves the gym at 7:30 and he is the last one here, so this is a safe place.' Brian's voice was crystal clear. What Steve couldn't identify was the other voice.

'Well, ok,' a hoarse voice said, 'I have to thank you, Brian!'

'You got the remaining half of my money, Sean?'

'Yeah, here you go.' Sean said as he handed a wad of cash to Brian. It was remaining 50 grand from their deal.

'It was the best night of my life!' Sean continued as Brian counted the money. 'She is so delicate and she has the best figure I've ever seen. In the beginning, hundred thousand seemed to be too much money, but after that night, I can give you five hundred thousand to have it again! You are so lucky that you get to be with her every night! I am really jealous of you.'

'I told you Sandra is a blessing in bed. She is amazing!'

Steve understood what they were talking about and he was just dumbfounded.

'But how did you make her come to the bar?'

'It was easy. I know how she hates that I smoke. I just hid a pack of cigarettes under my bed, but in a way that she'd find it easily. Then, I just insulted her a bit and I knew she'd be so angry that she would run to the bar.'

'And there you had kept your friend as a waiter who slipped the roofie in her drink which you gave to me. You are a genius, Brian!' Sean shouted.

'And I knew that Flunitrazepam will be perfect for your needs.'

Steve couldn't hear it anymore. He kept quiet when injustice was served to him, but here they ruined a girl's life and he couldn't take it. He came out from the back of the lockers where he was hiding.

'How dare you, Brian?' Steve jumped on Brian and hit him in the gut with a punch. He was so angry that he might kill Brian today.

Sean and Brian couldn't react when they saw this huge man jump out from the locker. Steve had gotten more ripped by practicing more instead of not playing. Sean was scared that Steve had heard everything they just talked about. And Brian was just too startled to even see the punch he got in the gut.

'Wait, I can explain!' Brian shouted.

Steve was angry. He was not going to listen to anyone. He just went ahead and hit him again. At that time, Brian saw a rod was there in the locker room which was kept there to for some maintenance work. As he received another blow to gut, he pointed to the rod when Sean was watching them in bewilderment.

'I am sorry, Steve,' Brian tried to move towards the rod slowly and in a way that Steve didn't notice, 'I didn't mean to do it!'

Steve was too angry to notice anything. He was just going to hit Brian again when he saw it. It happened so fast that he had no time to react. Brian had grabbed the rod and tossed it to Sean. Steve spun around but before he took the full turn, Sean had already hit him with the rod. Steve grabbed his head and spun and fell. It was clear that he had gone unconscious.

'What did you make me do?' Sean was screaming. He was just too scared.

'Give me the rod!' Brian ordered. Sean obeyed and handed him the rod.

Brian took the rod and hit Steve on his head multiple times till he started bleeding from his skull.

'This should keep you quiet! You don't deserve to live, you sneaky idiot!' It almost seemed that Brian had blood in his mind and he was getting the result. Steve had stopped moving.

'Don't you dare tell anyone or else your condition would be worse than him.' Saying this Brian wiped the rod for any fingerprints and went out of the locker room.

Sean just stood there. He was too scared to do anything but he decided that he couldn't just leave Steve there. He didn't want to be a murderer and so he called the hospital anonymously and gave the address of their college. As soon as he heard that they had sent the ambulance over, he left the gym door open and went away.

Brian had proceeded to the boys' dormitory basin and as soon as he reached, he thoroughly washed his face. He couldn't believe what he just did! He slapped himself hard again and again to get himself back to sense.

What's done is done but now Brian thought of other problems. Sandra. She would start asking questions when she would know that Steve died. And she was intelligent enough to trace it all back to him. He had to do something to make them go away from Grestown and make Sandra hate Steve. He thought of the idea which he had seen in an old classic movie once. He wrote a letter on computer and printed it with a made-up story.

It had been a success at the time but the ghost of Steve had come back to haunt him after so many years!