"Then you must understand what it means to me to have my son back at home safely, right?" Max asked.
His palms were beginning to get sweaty, his pulses were beating so fast, and he honestly didn't understand why he was suddenly feeling so uneasy.
"I do. I just don't celebrate until I have had the last laugh," Ben answered with a smile on his face, and in some weird way, Max felt reassured.
They stopped a few meters away from the entrance of the compound with the dilapidated structure.
Ben turned to look at Max as he said, "We don't know how dangerous they are, so we have to be very cautious. They might recognize you, so I will go in alone."
"Have you fucking lost your mind? My son is in there, and I honestly don't care what you think. I will get in there and save him!" Max said with a clenched jaw.
"Don't blame me for this," Ben said as the two stepped into the compound that was dank with grass almost reaching their knees.
"How does someone stay in such a place?" Max asked as he covered his nose using the back of his hand.
The place was musky and damp, and Max felt sick to the stomach.
The house was so dark from the outside that no one could peep and see what was in. Ben kicked the door, and it fell down with a thud.
He then unlocked his phone and lit the flashlight to see around the place, which was pretty much empty except for a mattress in one corner and a stool next to it.
"There is no one here!" Max cursed as he thumped the wall so hard that his fists began bleeding.
He was visibly angry, and he looked like a hungry lion ready to pounce on its prey.
"There was. They might have escaped," Ben flatly said as he lifted up the mattress to reveal a hidden burner phone.
Max rushed to Ben and held the burner phone in his hands, and without control, tears started streaming down his face.
He heard his phone vibrating, and he sniffled as he quickly removed it from his pocket, thinking it was Travis calling, but it was Noah.
"Where are you? I agreed to help, but I don't have the luxury of wasting time waiting for you…." Noah cursed into the phone.
Max slowly turned to look at Ben, who was just behind him with a mischievous smile on his lips.
"I'm sorry, Max. Travis isn't here anymore," Ben said as he punched Max hard in the stomach.
He kicked him in the stomach once again, and Max bawled in pain.
The phone fell from his hands with a loud thud, and Ben thumped it on the floor.
"At least you're here, albeit on behalf of your loving wife, so we can settle this score once and for all," Ben added as he pushed Max to the wall and continued beating him up like a sack of potatoes.
Xxx
Loud deafening music could be heard from across the street. Loud chatter by students.
Blinking lights inside the whole rented house. TV screens were all over the rooms, and alcohol was freely flowing.
"Goddamn! I had missed this so much. It feels like the perfect celebration for a friendly game well played," Ivan said as he beat his chest with pride and downed a bottle of beer.
"By the way, you played pretty well. You're still on top of your game, bro," Kevin shouted beside him as he took a sip of his drink.
"I know, right," Ivan said as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
He was on his third bottle, and since the night was still early, he would drink until he couldn't anymore.
"How are things? You've had so much going on," Kevin genuinely asked.
"Don't bring that up right now. I feel so suffocated already. Maintaining this image of a good boy sucks, and I honestly can't wait for it to be over," Ivan shouted above the music.
Kevin chuckled, but the laughter died down when his eyes landed at the entrance of the door.
"Ivan, we have to go," Kevin said with urgency, and Ivan squinted as he shook his head.
"The party is just starting. We aren't going anywhere," he almost shouted, but sensing danger, Kevin was adamant that they leave the place.
The music suddenly stopped, and the disgruntled students booed.
"Who the hell did that? Come on, guys! It's a Friday evening. What better way to ease into the weekend than party hard till morning?" Ivan shouted.
"Me! The mother of your child, you bastard!" Vera shouted in a loud voice as she made her way toward the front of the house.
Ivan, who was almost drunk, instantly sobered up, and he rubbed his eyes for clearer vision as he staggered towards Vera.
"Stop it, Ivan!" Kevin cursed as he held Ivan's arms, but Ivan struggled to let himself free.