"Are you going to take the money or not?" Vine sounded very impatient.
Ever since the day that he got the five test results; all of them confirming that indeed; he was never going to be able to impregnate a woman ever again, he had grown seriously vicious. He was angry with the world.
"I said are you taking the money?" he asked again, causing the recipient of the question to jump in terror.
"I…I will take it, sir." The prison officer stammered.
"What time should I come?" Vine asked in haste.
"Tuesday, walk in at 10PM. As I told you, you will need a uniform like mine."
"That will be sorted. See you on Tuesday then." Vine immediately walked away.
***
Tuesday evening saw a young prison officer, or seemingly so, walking into the prison hospital wards.
"You're here, sir." The officer on duty said.
"Stop addressing me as sir. The walls have ears."
"Yes," the officer smiled in guilt.
The two men starting walking down the corridor.
"CCTV switched off?" Vine whispered.
"Yes sir," the officer nodded his head.
"Don't 'sir' me! The curtains are all closed; in his room?" he asked.
"Yes." the officer nodded his head.
"The alarm disabled?"
"Done."
"Good." Vine said.
"This is his door, sir," the officer pointed at a closed door.
Irritated by the man continuing to address him as 'sir', Vine still chose to ignore it and he walked inside.
Lying on the bed was Gareth, lost in thought. When he heard footsteps, he assumed that it was a nurse, and he did not look up.
"Why are you here?" A very familiar voice asked.
Alarmed, Gareth raised his head and looked to see his former young master, looking squarely at him. His cold stare was fierce. It sure looked like bullets were just going to emerge from those eyes, and go straight to Gareth. He quickly reached out to grab the emergency alarm, and Vine shook his head. The corners of his lips arched upwards in great mockery.
"All of that has been disabled. Let's talk. Where is Jeremy Rain?" Vine asked in his usual voice which was difficult to get used to.
"I…I swear I have no idea. He managed to slip through my fingers, and I never saw him."
"Whose body was buried?" Vine continued to ask. His voice was neither raised nor emotional; his hands in his pocket.
"When I wanted to go and see lady Pinkerton, I overheard the two of you talking about letting go of the old horse. When I realised that my life was in danger if I failed to bring Jeremy's body, I searched even harder, but the man was nowhere to be found. In the end, I walked around and targeted a homeless man with a body structure and size close to Jeremy's. I had no option but to end his life, and I personally chopped his body to make it appear as if it had been mauled by crocodiles. I buried some of the body parts; and placed the remaining parts along the river, so that the police would think that it was the remains of Jeremy's body. That was how I did it, my young master." Gareth's voice trailed off as fear overtook him.
"Stop calling me young master. When you chose to betray me, you stopped calling me that."
"I made a mistake, my dear young master," Gareth pleaded for mercy.
"Gareth, you chose to use a knife while you fought me. I had access to a knife, a gun, an army of trained men as well as numerous other items which I could have used against you. But I used none of those. Didn't I tell you, Gareth Patrol, that a real man fights with his own hands? There is more satisfaction in strangling the prey using one's own bare hands. I am here to fulfill that." The young master said.
"Young master, please, please I beg you to spare my life."
"Did you think about your life when you chose to hold my son and his mother hostage? You involved a little boy in matters that did not concern him; and that was the fact that triggered my anger to the maximum. No one messes with Vincent Lisandro. That little man is the apple of my eye. If you mess with him once; you've messed with me a million times!"
"I understand, please forgive me." Garth begged.
"I am amazed that you are still lying in bed. Why are you not standing up to fight me?" Vine mocked.
"Out of respect for you, my young master, I cannot fight you. And also because I broke a rib, I am in pain."
"Was it me who broke your rib?" Vine sneered.
"It was you, my young master, but I hold no grudge against you." Gareth forced a smile.
"You are a weak man, Gareth. Breaking a rib should never cause a man to lie down and behave like a corpse. Now since you so desire to be a corpse, I will help you to become one. And believe me, none of what I am about to do shall ever be connected to me in any way."
While Vine spoke those words, he was slowly moving towards Gareth.
"What…what are you about to do...young master? Why...why are you wearing gloves, my young master? I…I…"
He failed to finish his sentence, for Vine placed his hand on his throat, and choked him with all his might.
Gareth used his hand to try and remove the hand, but it was all in vain.
"With my single hand, I will let you kiss goodbye to the world," Vine spoke with gritted teeth.
Gareth groaned. He really needed to use his legs. If only he could raise one leg and kick Vine. The nurse who had last visited him had neatly tucked the linen; thus Gareth fidgeted a lot, undoing the bed linen.
He remembered all the hard work he had done for Vine; the sacrifices made, and he told himself that he truly deserved to be pardoned.
He needed to remind Vine. He so badly needed to remind him that was it not for him, Vine would probably have never known that he had a son. Yes, because it was him, Gareth, who told the whole family that there was a girl called Kiara who was pregnant with a Pinkerton child.
A lot of things were running through Gareth's mind. He needed to remind his young master about the nights when he had been so wasted from alcohol and drugs; and he carried him home. And the days when Vine vomited in the car, messing up Gareth's trousers; yet the man did not complain.
Gareth raised his hand, and ignoring the pain in his rib, pushed with all his might. Vine was able to tell that Gareth was doing his best, but he too put in his best.
"You're not worth two of my hands, Patrol. With my single bare hand, I will end your life," the young man hissed.
Vine's entire face was a maze or veins protruding from all angles. His neck and shoulder muscles showed visibly; for he was putting in really tough work. All his energy was in the task at hand. Gareth, on the other hands, also had a maze of his own, on his face. The entire face had turned red; he was not breathing, and his eyes had bulged. Gareth failed to believe that Vine has so easily overpowered him. If only he had stood up to fight for his life!
Gareth started to lose all his energy. He had not managed to breath in a long time. His limbs started to move in great spasms; which gradually reduced. Then he lay there motionlessly.
Vine took some time before he loosened his grip; and then gradually removed his hand.
As if nothing had happened, the young master tucked Gareth neatly in the blankets, and made the bed look as neat as he had found it.
He looked at him and snickered before saying, "There is satisfaction in ending the life of an enemy using one's own bare hands. Now that I am satisfied; I am going to find my son. If anyone stands in my way, they will meet the wrath of my own bare hand."