Page 2 of Love of the Egoist
Staring at the bronze valve, Kuon guessed the blood of many people had been flushed down this drainage system.Will my blood also merge with the sewage?He clenched his jaw when another jab urged him down the stairs and toward the opposite wall, where a huge metal cell glinted in the electric light. He didn’t want to go inside, didn’t want to be locked away in a fucking cage like an animal. The thought alone sent chills down his back. He balked, turned around, but someone grabbed his elbow from behind, forcing him to spin again.
One of his escorts—the lanky, middle-aged man with cauliflower ears, bleak copper eyes, and hard lines around his mouth—brought his face closer to Kuon’s. Stretching his neck forward, he twisted his angular chin right and up, which positioned his head in an unnatural, creepy angle. He granted the detective a murderous grin as his fist collided with the bottom of Kuon’s ribcage in a sinking left hook.
Fuck…
Kuon saw it coming in slow-motion. His battered, dehydrated body froze, as if his brain knew what was coming, but could do nothing but wait for the confirmation that something horrible had happened. He tensed up in the last moment hoping his muscles could withstand the impact.
The fist sank deep down under his ribs and moved up. The impact vibrated through his body toward an invisible spot in the middle of his spine, right between his shoulder blades. It felt like nothing for a split second, only weird stillness in his whole body, numbness of his brain, and reactions.
And then everything collapsed.
A burning wave of boiling acid rushed through his veins as something burst inwards in his stomach. His heart choked with blood in a maddening dash, then dropped its rate inert in his chest. His diaphragm and abdomen contracted, leaving him with no air as the paralyzing pain spread from the point of impact and radiated into the pit of his stomach.
That’s it? This is how I die?
He hunched forward as if a black hole opened in his stomach and his lungs got sucked in. The world tilted and Kuon dropped to his knees, folding in an almost fetal position.Get up… get up or you’re gonna die…He willed himself to move, watching the attacker snigger and approach for another hit, but couldn’t lift a hand. Mortal weakness crushed his spine, shutting down his motor functions and cold perspiration coated his body.Fuck, no… get the fuck up!Every single cell, every nerve ending oscillated with excruciating pain. His mouth gaped in an attempt to breathe, and a hoarse gasp slipped out of his throat.
“Enough,” said someone. Echoes twisted the sound of the voice, stretching and distorting it, making it impossible to determine where the sound was coming from. The world dimmed, and for a second Kuon feared he would lose consciousness.
“No fucking way. I wanna have some fun,” said a new, rattling voice. A black, big-eared shadow snaked over the floor toward Kuon. “I’m gonna charge him for every cent of my bonus he cost me.”
“I said enough,” thundered the echoing voice. “Get out, or this will cost you some teeth.”
“Fuck you…” grumbled the rattling voice, but the confidence disappeared from his tone as he retreated.
Wavering at the thin border between the void and reality Kuon closed his eyes, trying to gain control over his body. His stomach pulsed in pure agony as Kuon’s mind disintegrated in the pain and panic. Pulse, drumming in his ears, stutteredbroken-broken-broken-broken. His eyes burned, and his sore throat closed up as fear that his body might be damaged beyond repair scalded him.
The soft rustle above his ear grasped his attention, and Kuon instinctively opened his eyes. Through the tunnel of his muddy vision, Kuon saw Greg’s wide frame kneeled beside him. A huge palm pushed his shoulder, and Kuon fell on his side. Something exploded under his ribs and electrocuted every cell in his body. His cheek met the cold concrete floor. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. He didn’t exist anymore. The burning, emptying pain replaced his whole being. Strong fingers clasped around his ankle. His tennis shoes, one by one, left his feet and flew across the basement. His belt followed. Kuon didn’t care. Greg’s hot hand grabbed his forearm and jerked him to his feet.
“Ugh...” Kuon hunched forward, unable to stand straight. A wave of nausea clutched his stomach. His vision shut down as he floundered, then collapsed, hanging on Greg’s hand like a lifeless puppet on a string.
“You are gonna report it.” This time, the echoing voice came from above. Although it sounded calm, Kuon heard a threat within. Bending forward Greg released Kuon’s arm, leaving him on the floor. The sound of his military boots moved away as a loud metallic clang of keys and unlatching of a lock rolled out into the empty basement. Heavy steps returned, and the persistent hand grabbed Kuon’s arm again, tugging him to his feet and toward the cell. Kuon tried to move his legs but stumbled. His right foot twisted inward, and he would have dropped again if he hadn’t been supported by Greg’s hand. The basement swam in front of his eyes.
He felt as powerless as a sheep dragged to a slaughterhouse by a farmer. His vision jumped from the back of Greg’s head to the metal threshold that caught the toe of his right foot and then to the tin bucket in the left far corner. Stopping in the middle of the cell Greg shoved him forward, casting his body down onto the thin bamboo mat. Releasing a sigh, as if handling Kuon was a heavy job that Yugo clearly underpaid him for, Greg fished keys out of his pocket, squatted down beside the so-called bed, and removed the cuffs from Kuon’s wrists. Lingering for a moment, he gave the prisoner an appraising look before getting up and leaving the cell. The door clanked, and a metallic rumble indicated three whole turns of the key in the lock. Kuon didn’t bother to look, staring with empty eyes at a glint of light blazing at the central metal bar. The pain numbed his brain. He didn’t care what happen next or if he would be killed. All he wanted was to be left alone and the pain to go away.
Clutching his middle with his hands, Kuon closed his eyes listening to retreating steps that grew louder as if the construction of the vast place was designed to radiate all the sounds into one spot. The soft click ricocheted within the basement, killing the buzzing noise. Even with his eyes closed, Kuon knew everything around him turned pitch black. The door slamming completed the darkness, and everything stopped existing.
??E??
KUON OPENED HIS EYES, then closed them, rejecting reality. Thick metal bars blinked in the dark space, reflecting the gray morning light. Crispy air, creeping into the basement, brought the smell of freshly mowed grass and pine gum. Velvet, sappy, and full of freshness it chilled the marrow of Kuon’s body.
He shivered, sucked in a sharp breath, and opened his eyes again. His teeth chattered, releasing white mist swirling in the air. Fighting the cruel chillness of the fickle spring morning for each and every drop of warmth, his shaky fingers clasped around his shoulders.
So fucking cold…A lethargic, lazy thought moved in his head and died. He closed his eyes, listening to his body. The dull pain still possessed a huge section of his torso, but it didn’t feel lethal anymore.I should move, or I will fucking freeze to death…
Putting his weight on one elbow and twisting his body forward, Kuon tried to sit up. Blood rushed to his head, his abdomen contracted, and pain rocketed from his liver through his stomach to his chest. Slumping back, he swallowed nausea and a bitter taste in his mouth. Weak light, streaming from above, failed to illuminate the basement, but Kuon still pulled up his shirt and glanced down. A black bruise marked his skin on the lower right section of his ribcage.
Fighting the urge to touch the swollen area he frowned, then pulled his shirt down.Whatever…If I don’t die from this, Yugo will probably kill me anyway. Bruised liver or not, it’s not like I can call for a doctor. I need to get the fuck out of here.
Grabbing the nearest bar and trying to keep his stomach as relaxed as possible, he bent his arm and drew up his torso, placing himself in a half sitting position to have a better look around.
The basement drowned in the gloom. The concrete walls absorbed the night moisture and darkened, exuding the strong smell of dampness and mold. The green hose hung on the opposite wall, and his tennis shoes lay abandoned under the staircase.
He regretted Greg’s cautiousness. He could have taken the laces but left Kuon the shoes. At least his feet wouldn’t be so fucking frozen.It’s not like I can strangle anyone with a bruised liver and a frigid body… Ugh, fuck it.
Throwing his head back, he looked up in a slight hope of seeing a large window. His heart sank. A row of narrow windows stretched out under the ceiling, resembling horizontal military-style embrasures, but now all of them were closed with wooden bars that worked as blinds. They were too narrow to squeeze through and too high to reach.
“Heeeeey!” Kuon called, deep down knowing it was useless, but he still needed to confirm his suspicions.
