The Kiss that Sparked it All

Elton’s wrists were loosely tied, a clear sign they didn’t take him seriously.

As he came to, he could hear his captors cracking dirty jokes in the van, their laughter booming through the confined space.

“These rich folks are a real hoot, thinking we’re all dumb as rocks. Boss, you’re the brains, just tossed out a hook and they couldn’t wait to throw their cash at us,” chuckled a man with a deep voice.

Elton kept his eyes shut, trying to discern how many people were in the van.

His initial plan had been to rescue the two kids if these goons took him, but he had to weigh his own capabilities. If the stakes weren’t too high, he’d take action; otherwise, he’d have to patiently wait for the cavalry – the police.

He had faith in the force.

“Those knuckleheads would’ve called the cops by now. They just haven’t shown their faces to us. How long have we been dodging the cops? You think I don’t know them? They’re scared stiff of spooking the quarry; they’ll meet our demands for sure. Heck, if we knew it’d be this easy, we should’ve asked for more. Our guys could’ve had a bigger cut, then we’d all go out for a round of beers to celebrate!”

The man’s voice oozed confidence, his words dripping with arrogance and disregard for law enforcement.

“Heh, Boss, always looking out for us. With you, we’re never hungry,” another voice piped

1.

No wonder they were so dismissive of the police; these were seasoned criminals, slick as

eels.

Elton frowned involuntarily; the knowledge that they were old hands at this game made him worry about their chances of escape.

In any case, if push came to shove, as long as his daughter got away, that was all that mattered. He was prepared for the worst when one of the thugs realized he was awake.

“Hey, old man, you think I’m a fool? Keeping your eyes shut so tight.”

The goon was rude, landing a punch in Elton’s gut.

Elton groaned in pain, and only then did the Boss take notice.

“Monkey, find out who this chump is. This wimp can’t be a cop, right?”

“Got it, Boss.” Without giving Elton a chance to reply, Monkey, a scrawny man, started beating Elton.

08-11

It wasn’t until Elton was dizzy, lying on the floor barely able to whimper, that Monkey asked, “The Boss asked you something. Don’t you try to fool us, or it’ll be curtains for Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

you.”

“… I’m the girl’s dad, not a cop. You can trust me,” Elton said weakly, waving his hand.

Muffled laughter filled the van, mocking, “With you being such a pushover, we wouldn’t believe you’re a cop even if you said so!”

“Ha, imagine that, we’ve got a volunteer. This guy’s not afraid of kicking the bucket, huh?”

“Dude’s the little girl’s dad, obviously he’s got a mountain of fatherly love. What do you know?”

That last remark seemed to hit a nerve with Monkey, who silently gave Elton another beating.

It wasn’t until the Boss told him to knock it off that he stopped.

“Don’t bring up dads in front of Monkey again.”

It was an unspoken rule in their tight-knit crew, but with the fresh cash in hand, the Young hothead got carried away and dared to broach the subject in front of Monkey.

“Yes, Boss,” came the reply.

Elton spent the ride curled up in fear of another assault. He knew he wasn’t the fittest, but he wasn’t a complete pushover either.

However, today’s beating was a harsh revelation. If he angered them any further, he might not have the strength to run when the time came.