Paying the price by Lubna (short books to read TXT) 📖
- Author: Lubna
Book online «Paying the price by Lubna (short books to read TXT) 📖». Author Lubna
Lying on his side James could hear a few voices, talking between each other, quietly. He didn’t open his eyes but just stayed in the same straight sleeping position, smelling the strong smell of antiseptic lingering around him, he breathed out. His back was turned to the people who were now starting to talk louder.
“How hard did you hit him? It’s been a day and a half he should be awake by now, all he’s done is stir in his sleep!” a woman’s voice said, whom he didn’t recognise.
“It was just a punch Sam, a normal light one, honestly,” said a man’s voice he didn’t recognise either.
“You’re normal punches Rick, have gravely injured many, this is a 16 year old kid we’re talking about, you could’ve been a bit more easier on the Daim’s kid!” the woman named as Sam said angrily.
With his eyes closed James rolled onto his back, his body felt heavy and limp, he couldn’t feel his legs or his arms, everything felt numb. Slowly he opened his eyes the bright light above him, blinding him making him blink frantically.
“Wait, I think sleeping beauties awake,” said Rick as he looked at James. James looked back at Rick, blinking a few times. With his pale blue eyes, blond shiny hair and white teeth gleaming on show, Rick seemed quiet friend and young. Maybe 19 or 20 James thought. “Orite James, or should I say Jay, isn’t that what your friends call you?”
“Who the hell are you?” James asked, gruffly sitting up. The room was spinning around him. “Why am I here, what the hell, man I cant see properly!” he slurred slumping back down.
“That we can’t tell you right now until later on, but I’m Sam and that is Rick,” Sam said waving towards Rick. “You can thank him for the pain you must be feeling right now,”
“Wait I know you, your the one that was following me along with that other guy, while I was at town, you… you followed me, bloody smacked me and now am here!” James said getting back up and frowning.
“Hey I had to, you were running like mad…weren’t my fault,” Rick shrugged.
“Look I don’t see why I’m here, I haven’t done anything wrong, can I just go please, my mums all on her own, she’ll be worried sick,” James said looking at the needle poked into his skin. “What’s this?”
“Rick, go and tell Craig he’s awake, he’ll want to know…Now,” Sam said ignoring James.
“Orite orite I’m goin’, see you later Jay boy,” Rick smiled and winked as he walked out the white doors.
“Look lady…” James started looking at Sam, angrily putting his hand through his brown hair.
“My names Sam if you cant say that then you can say Mam, if you cant say that then you can say Miss, if you can’t even say that then don’t bother saying anything, until you can talk politely!” she snapped.
“Ok, ok Sam,” he emphasised on the ‘Sam’, “Why am I here? I haven’t done anything wrong for you guys to beat me up and shove me here!”
“I know you haven’t done anything wrong, but you have done something. You were just curious weren’t you James?” Sam said folding her arms. She looked like she was in her mid 30’s, with light brown hair with odd strands of grey in it, she was pretty but it years of stress showed on her face.
“What you on about?” James stopped still and looked at Sam. “Look I don’t need to be here I…I gotta go am feelin’ flippin’ suffocated here!” James exclaimed ripping the injection out his skin, whimpering as it slid out.
“You know what I’m talking about James. Who killed you Granddad? Why? For what reason did he suffer? Watching a loved one dieing and not knowing the reason why they were killed can drive anybody to do anything!” She said, “Isn’t that right James?”
“I…I…look please can…” James stuttered but Sam wasn’t having any of it.
“Answer my question please James, we won’t tell anyone, we’re not the police, you won’t get in trouble!” She said her eyes staring at him, James squirmed, he didn’t like where this was going.
“Then why do I feel like I’m being interrogated?” He said making a face.
“Answer my question!” She said.
“Yes you’re right.” James admitted slapping his hands on the bed, “But what has it got to do with anything, it was just a thought wasn’t it!” he said shrugging.
“No it wasn’t, James, Wasn’t it you on 18th July who went to the disused factory to find out who were those killers, Riley and Ray? You went along with your 2 friends?” She asked, a few minutes passed and James breathed in and out slowly: it dawned on him; she knows he thought.
“Yes…” he said rubbing his arm consciously.
“Instead of finding out anything useful you and you’re friend Darren suffered another loss, loss of you friend; Scott Davis?” she said.
“How do you know?” James asked looking shocked, “We didn’t tell anyone!”
“I know everything James Daim, you’re born here in London, grown up in London, you’re soon to go college, your mothers name is Grace Daim, your granddad was killed 16th July by a gang, and your dad was killed by the same people…it was just your birthday a few days ago, you met your old friend Amy after a very long time, 3 years? Pretty girl I see,” she said, nodding her head.
“Who are you?” James asked his eyes wide open, “you freak!” he added disbelief clear on his face.
“I think you should just get dressed and I’ll take you to somebody who I think will make much more sense to you!” she smiled pointing at his clothes on the chair opposite his bed.
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“I still don’t know why im here?” James said as her walked down the corridor following Sam her heels tapping on this floor.
“Like I said, when you meet Craig everything will make sense,” Sam said stopping at a door, “He’ll be waiting inside, just walk in, and I’m telling you now: he doesn’t, like he says, take “crap” from anybody, so just be careful,” she said a small smile on her face
He opened his mouth again and then closed it, “Ok,” James grunted and opened the door. No point in saying anything he thought shaking his head. Walking into a small-boxed room he found a man sitting at a small rectangle table, he didn’t look like the mean type but not even the type of man who’d take ----- from anyone, so James thought about leaving out the drama. James looked at the man carefully, trying to recognise him, but he didn’t seem to remember him from anywhere. The guy had a big structure but not too overbuilt, his eyes were grey but seemed tired and his hair was darkly coloured, still he didn’t ring a bell.
“How are you feeling James?” the man said, “I’m Craig, Craig Sheck, have a seat,” he said waving to the seat opposite him, not even letting James breath an answer.
“Hi… does everyone know my name here?” James asked taking the seat, “I honestly don’t know why I’m here? And it’s seriously starting to take the…” looking at Craig’s face James coughed “…the P word,”
“Well, I don’t think everybody, and I don’t expect you to know everything, but I’ll enlighten you and tell you why” he said, “What do you know about you’re Dad? Brian Daim?” He asked.
“My dad, well, my mum told me…he died in a car accident just few days before I was born, she said he had had a hard life?” James said shrugging, “I don’t know much, mum doesn’t say much about him…”
“Hmm, well your father did have a hard life, harder then some, but he put himself in that position, but was willing to do anything to move out of it, and when I say anything I mean anything,” Craig said.
“What do you mean?” James asked frowning, “How do you know my dad?”
“Your Dad, what do you know of his past?” Craig said leaning forward
“Well umm, I know he dropped out of school when he was 14, got involved with wrong people, but like I said my mum doesn’t talk much about him,” James said shaking his head and putting his hand through his wet hair.
“Your dad James, did leave school at 14, he did get involved with the wrong type of people, he did ruin his life, his future by just carrying out a few simple jobs, like selling a few class A drugs, nicking money from here and there, things that added up slowly till when he was 18 nothing could stop the trouble that was ahead of him. Each time he tried to run away from it all someone would claw him back; blackmail him saying that they would ruin his families life if he didn’t carry out the one job. The police were after him too, but they never seem to catch him out, as him and your mum were always moving places. But I guess it had all got to him and he tried… tried killing himself by jumping in front of my car all those years ago,” Craig drank some water and looked at James.
“And?” James asked “Then?”
“That James is where it all started,” Craig sighed
“What started?” James asked confused tilting his head sidewards.
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Publication Date: 02-07-2010
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