Page 75 of Thrill Me (Dark Odyssey 3)

I like it though. It’s a sign of respect and acknowledgement. They acknowledge who we are and what we can do.

There’s a barmaid behind the counter and the bartender who looks on at us. I glance at Nick who gives a nod that he’s the guy we need to talk to.

As soon as I look at the guy he makes a run for it.

Motherfucker.

I hate when they do that, but then again I love a chase.

Something primal sets me off and adrenaline moves me to follow him.

We chase him right into the back and he runs, he runs past the kitchen and starts turning stacks of boxes over in an attempt to slow us down but we’re too good for that. We leap over them like they’re nothing.

Eventually we get outside and he tries to jump a barbwire fence. He gets half way up, hooks on the barbwire badly and falls over the other side landing with a heavy thud.

Fool, he didn’t see the opening in the side. We just walk through and maroon his ass, guns pointed at his fucked up face. Even in the moonlight I can see the dazed expression of an addict. I’m guessing heroin and some other shit. His pupils are wide and his nose starts running.

“Cole Tannen, well hello there,” Nick teases.

“Going somewhere?” Gabe continues the taunt.

I just crouch down and wrinkle my nose in disgust when I smell piss and see this fucker has pissed his pants and the trickle of urine drains down his legs.

Pathetic motherfucker. I hate weakness and I hate men like this who have no balls.

“You’re working with the Fontaines,” I state. “Got some questions for you.”

“Please, I don’t know anything,” he splutters, voice rising several octaves.

‘Well, we haven’t asked the question yet, how do you know you don’t know the answer if you don’t know the question?” I sneer.

He starts shaking when I get up in his face and wave my gun around at him.

Whatever the fucking drugs have done to him has him shaking uncontrollably. I just hope he doesn’t actually shit himself. I can’t stand that. Nobody should be that afraid.

“What do you want to know?” he asks.

I nod and tap his cheek with the butt of my gun. “That’s better. Geez man we could have been in the bar having a drink and talking but instead we’re out here. This is okay though, talking like a bunch of gangsters under the moonlight. So my question is this Cole… what have you and the Fontaines been up to?”

His lips tremble. “Nothing. They hired me once. That’s all. I don’t work for them no more.”

What a lying motherfucker. I don’t know whether I should be insulted he’s not scared enough of me to cough up the truth, or the fact that he’s lying out of his ass. I glance at Nick who rolls his eyes and Gabe releases a slow growl.

I decide to play this another way. Play with him. I reach for the knife in my back pocket and rub the back of it against my forehead. If he’s not scared of me, he should be. I guess it’s that pesky little personality trait of mine that appears to be even tempered. It’s also common in psychos. Time to bring out the psycho in me. I’m one psycho who has family and if this shit gets out of control like I think it will, I’ll have a lot to lose.

“You ran when you saw us. Why? Suggests you have something to hide when you run off like that.” I chuckle.

He starts laughing. The laughter is offkey and unbalanced like it just comes from him involuntarily. It’s clear it’s the drugs again.

“Yous are Giordano’s, you looked like you were going to hurt me, you know? That’s all. I swear. I swear it.” Cole starts shaking again, and laughing.

This is how drugs can screw with you and a closer look at him now suggests that the extra shit he’s under is the new drug on the street, Chrysanthemum. This is what it does to you. The state of him is a dead giveaway.

What’s also a dead giveaway of his lie is that the drug is exclusive among the upper class. Costs a pretty penny and more importantly, is a favorite among the Fontaines.

Stupid fucker. I don’t have time for pity. He signed his death certificate when he signed up to work with the Fontaines. I glance at Gabe who nods and I hit Cole with the gun again.

Cole cries out.

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