Paying the price by Lubna (short books to read TXT) 📖

Daim’s place the other day, it’s him he gave us all the trouble and I bet you he’s got my phone!” Ray said getting awfully excited.

“Really, well more the reason to teach them a lesson ‘ey man,” the man named as Rex said reaching out for James. But before anyone could touch him, Darren jumped forward and punched Rick in his face. Chaos broke out and the men behind Rex started attacking Darren, James couldn’t watch his friend get beaten up because of him, so he lunged forward grabbing anyone he could trying to restrain them from beating his friend up. The pain in his back began to creep back but he took no notice and carried on struggling to stop them from hitting Darren, but he wasn’t making any difference. Scott didn’t know what to do he just stood there letting the men grab hold of him. Darren and James both carried on fighting but there was no point, there were 6 large men around them they had no chance of escaping. It was the end.

*****

“I knew this idea was a bad idea I said NO but nooo nobody listens to me, you wanted to come, you wanted to get into this even though you knew it was impossible, what was the point in even coming here? What did you get out of it? NOTHING! Except for a bunch of bruises?” Scott yelled at the top of his voice but James and Darren both stayed quiet.

Darren was pacing around the small boxed room, James sat on the table and Scott sat in the corner of the room crying after his outburst, each in their own thoughts not knowing what to do. They had been stuck in the same room for 3 hours, it seemed that they were the only life in the whole building no sound or movement could be heard.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE I NEED TO GET OUT,” Darren yelled, banging the door as hard as he could.

“Calm down Darren we’ll work something out,” James said scratching at the table he was sitting on and then as though a light bulb had just switched on inside his head, “I know I have an idea”.

“Well its all we got, so tell us,” Darren said looking at James and to Scott who didn’t look any of them in the eye.

****
“Ahhhhhhh help me now help, he’s hurting me help!” Scott screamed on the floor as Darren kicked him.

“Leave him Darren, get off him!” James yelled trying to hold Darren back from beating Scott. They heard noises outside the door and James ran behind it grabbing the table leg they had taken apart from the table.

“What’s happening here you stupid girls, having a cat fight are we?” a bulky man came in wearing a cap and leather jacket. “Where’s the…” He didn’t get to finish his sentence; James had smacked the table leg across the man’s head causing him to fall on the floor.

“Is he dead?” Darren asked helping Scott up.

“No I think he’s just unconscious!” Scott said brushing dust off himself. Looking at Darren’s confused face he smiled and said, “And that Darren is a long word for deep sleep, and next time a bit easy, you’re like twice the size of me,” he laughed rubbing his stomach. Darren smiled back and patted him on the head like a dog.

“Yeh, ok lets get crackin’ ‘ey? ” James said checking if anyone was outside the now open door, “Ok we’re clear, lets just get going,” The three crept out the room and followed the corridors they remembered walking through when being dragged to the boxed room.

“OI WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING…GET ‘EM THEY’RE ON THE RUN, GET ‘EM,” someone from behind them started yelling. James and the boys broke into a run as fast as their legs could carry them. They heard a large thud but didn’t look back because the footsteps were pounding closer behind them, James and Darren carried on running and that’s when they noticed.

“SCOTT!” James and Darren shouted, looking back.

“You Daim get back in now or I swear he wont be the only loved one of yours I’ll rip apart,” snarled Riley pointing his gun to Scott’s head and staring right at James.

“Leave him alone, we’ll go from here without saying anything, we won’t tell anyone about this,” Darren asked trying to keep his cool but fire was blazing in his eyes.

“James p-p-lease help m-me, please,” Scott pleaded, tears falling from his eyes.

“Leave him alone,” James asked making sure not show any sign of weakness.

“I said get in back in the room then I’ll think about it!” Riley spat, his gloved hand tightening round the gun. But James wasn’t going to listen he walked towards Scott and the man not caring that the gun was no pointing at him.

“Leave him alone,” James said not asking but ordering now.

“Yeh right,” Riley laughed and with that James ran towards Riley but he was too quick, his gun was back at Scott’s head and BAAM. Scott’s body fell to the floor, still and never to move again.

“NOOOOO!” screamed Darren and James at the same time. Darren just stood there, speechless; his best friend had just been shot dead in front of him. But he snapped out of these thought and said to himself he had to act or it wouldn’t only be Scott dead in front of him.

“I’m gonna kill you!” James cried as he ran for Riley but Darren had already grabbed James’s arm and tugged at him to run, he didn’t want to loose another friend.

“Come on then,” Riley laughed

“James leave it, we can’t do anything now, please just come!” Darren urged. James tried running but Darren’s grip was too hard, so he had to listen. Standing still James took one last look at Scott’s lifeless body, and ran down the corridor towards the open exit with Darren right by his side.

“YEH YOU KEEP RUNNING JAMES DAIM, YOU KEEP RUNNING, JUST LIKE YOUR DAD DID, SOON YOU’LL BE WITH BOTH YOUR GRANDAD AND DAD!” Riley said, loud enough for James to hear, “Run after them you doughnuts,” he said to the appearing men behind him, but James and Darren were already across the factory field and had disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter 4

Half an hour later at Darren’s house…

Back at Darren’s house, Darren cried and James just sat there, they were taking in everything that had just happened. Their best friend Scott had been killed in front of them. For nothing. James had found out nothing else except for the fact that the same people, who had killed Scott and his Granddad, had killed his father and they were now after him.

“What are we gonna do now James?” Darren said through silent controlled sobs.

“I don’t know Darren, but one thing I am certain about is that they’ve killed my Dad, they’ve killed my Granddad and they’ve killed my best friend, and now they’re gonna pay the price”…

Chapter 5

7:30 pm the sky was pinkish and orange, the sun was setting, and James stood in front of his front door. Taking several deeps breaths he turned the key in the lock and opened the door.

“James, James is that you?” James’s mum’s worried voice sounded from the kitchen.

“Yeh, it’s me,” James grunted taking his shoes off.

“You’re back early, I thought you’d be staying a bit longer?” his mum said, coming into the hallway and looking straight at his face, “Why are you so dirty, and is that a bruise on your face. What have you been up to James?” She said her eyebrows rising.

“Nothing mum, Darren and me were just chillin’ in the park, that’s it, we were just mucking about, I’ll clean up,” James said starting for the stairs.

“What about Scott? Weren’t you staying down his?” His mum asked her confusion clear on her face. James closed his eyes; the sound of Scott’s name made his heart sink.

“Yeh, we were, he wasn’t feeling well, so…he went home and…we came home early,” James said looking at his dirty socks, trying to avoid eye contact with his mum.

“Ok…well, hurry up and get changed then, I’ve made dinner,” She said not saying anything more.

James ran up the stairs the second his mum was back in the kitchen. Running into his room he shut his bedroom door, sat in front of it and just cried. He hadn’t cried much when his granddad had died because it had all happened too quick to take in, or at all when Scott had been shot in front him, all he had felt was anger but, now, when it had all dawned on him, that he had been there on both occasions, and wasn’t able to do anything to prevent them from happening; his tears just felt continuously, silently.

Earlier on when they had got to Darren’s house they had both just sat there, watching the news, not saying a word to each other. They had already thought about what their excuse was, for some reason the two boys didn’t feel the need to tell anyone about what had really happened, it was something that was only for them to know about and only for to sort out. When it had got late, saying silent goodbyes, James left.

All James wanted was to see Scott, and tell him he was sorry, sorry for not listening to him, sorry for not waiting, sorry for thinking they could do all this by themselves. But he knew it was impossible.

Now sitting in his room, James looked at the bruises on his arms and sighed. Getting up he turned around and took a look at his back in the mirror.

“Wow,” he said. The bruises had now turned to a dark shade of purple and were getting more painful. Taking his shirt off and throwing it into the basket, he opened his bedroom door making sure his mum wasn’t around, and ran to the bathroom. Turning on the shower he undressed and slid in.

The water ran over his tense arms down his body and over his cuts, the warms water caused a small amount of pain but he didn’t flinch, he didn’t do anything but stand there under the power of the water thudding upon him, deafening him.
After the shower he walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

“You took your time Hun,” James’s mum said, placing a large piece of lasagne in front of him.

“Thanks,” he said looking at the plate in front of him. Sitting down next to him with her own slice, James’s mum stroked his face.

“You’re strong James. Just like you’re Dad,” she smiled her eyes shining.

“Thanks mum,” he smiled poking the lasagne, not knowing what to say, “I wish I knew him better,” he said picking at a carrot.

“I know, things have been hard on you, I’m sorry for what I said earlier, having a go at you, your granddad was good to me, it’s just not fair the way he went,” she said quiet tears rolling down her face.

“I know mum, I know,” James said reaching an arm out to his mum, hugging her, “I love you mum,” he sniffed keeping his tears in.

“I love you too James,” she said through silent tears.

Tuesday

The morning sun