landed on a new recruit.
“Who are you?”
“Uh, Josh, sir. I’m new.”
The recruits were getting worse and worse if this one was any indication. The criminals were good choices, but these boys always ended up being a waste of space and resources. He smoothed his hair back. Simple solution, send the rookies out first, if the buggers were killed, no big loss, he’d recruit more. The boy called Josh couldn’t have been more than twenty-six or -seven. He was short, and painfully thin with greasy brown hair and a sneaky look permanently etched on his face.
“Well, come on, lad, I don’t have all day. Where the hell is she?” Bruce stood glaring, arms crossed.
The little bug stuttered. “Ned and I were talking at breakfast this morning and he told me he saw Maggie leaving late last night when he was doing his rounds.” The boy pointed to the one called Ned. Bruce wanted to scream in frustration. He wanted strong men not these boys cowering before him. These two not only would never last as minions, due to this treachery their life was forfeit, unbeknownst to either of them.
Turning to Ned, Bruce leveled his most ferocious look at the kid. Before he could say a word, Ned jumped in. “She wanted to go for a walk, swore she’d be back by morning. I’m not sure Maggie is mentally ill. Seems pretty normal to me.”
Eyebrows raised, he glared at the kid. “All the patients here are disturbed, some less than others but still, they have issues. The front door is bolted shut she couldn’t have used it.”
The boy stuttered. “Uh, she wanted to explore the tunnels.”
Motioning with his fingers to get on with it, the recruit told his tale.
“I was checking to make sure everything was locked up before I went to bed last night. I heard a noise coming from the storage room. Maggie was in there. There’s a grate in the wall behind the cleaning cart. It goes to the sewer system.”
Narrowing his eyes, Bruce wanted to haul off and smack him. “How do you know this, and where is she?”
Gulping, eyes twitching, Ned answered. “I used to work at the hostel where she’d crash sometimes. There was a similar opening in the laundry room. I told her how you could basically get all around Edinburgh completely underground by using the tunnels. The main tunnel leads to Edinburgh Castle. Maggie said she wanted to explore, so maybe she went to the castle. From there she could go anywhere, but she’s probably holed up in a hostel or an abandoned building.”
Josh sneered. “Stupid idiot. Who lets someone go out through a grate in the middle of the night? You had to know what she was up to.”
“We’re Maggie’s friends.”
“Friend?” Josh sneered. “I’m not her friend. She was dumb enough to let me live with her. She deserved what she got.”
Without warning, Ned turned and slugged Josh, sending him to his knees.
“Ow! What the hell, dude?” A few of the men broke it up before Ned could land another punch. Josh looked like he was holding back tears, his face blotchy and red.
Nodding at his men, two of them grabbed Josh, and two took Ned who had murderous intent written all over his face. “While I appreciate your telling me, you should have immediately told whoever was on guard duty as soon as it happened. Hold Josh.” Stepping up to the scarred kitchen table, Bruce selected a sharp knife from the locked drawer. “Ned. Place your hands on the table.”
The kid turned pale as milk. “Please, don’t hurt me. I told you everything I know. It was a mistake, I won’t make it again.”
“No you won’t. But stupidity will be punished. We must always remember to keep our residents safe.” He brought the knife down hard on the kid’s right hand taking off his ring and pinky finger. The crunch of steel meeting bone was loud in the silent kitchen. Ned screamed in agony as blood ran down the table, dripping on the floor. The boy’s eyes were glazed in pain, tears streaming down his face as he faintly
“Who are you?”
“Uh, Josh, sir. I’m new.”
The recruits were getting worse and worse if this one was any indication. The criminals were good choices, but these boys always ended up being a waste of space and resources. He smoothed his hair back. Simple solution, send the rookies out first, if the buggers were killed, no big loss, he’d recruit more. The boy called Josh couldn’t have been more than twenty-six or -seven. He was short, and painfully thin with greasy brown hair and a sneaky look permanently etched on his face.
“Well, come on, lad, I don’t have all day. Where the hell is she?” Bruce stood glaring, arms crossed.
The little bug stuttered. “Ned and I were talking at breakfast this morning and he told me he saw Maggie leaving late last night when he was doing his rounds.” The boy pointed to the one called Ned. Bruce wanted to scream in frustration. He wanted strong men not these boys cowering before him. These two not only would never last as minions, due to this treachery their life was forfeit, unbeknownst to either of them.
Turning to Ned, Bruce leveled his most ferocious look at the kid. Before he could say a word, Ned jumped in. “She wanted to go for a walk, swore she’d be back by morning. I’m not sure Maggie is mentally ill. Seems pretty normal to me.”
Eyebrows raised, he glared at the kid. “All the patients here are disturbed, some less than others but still, they have issues. The front door is bolted shut she couldn’t have used it.”
The boy stuttered. “Uh, she wanted to explore the tunnels.”
Motioning with his fingers to get on with it, the recruit told his tale.
“I was checking to make sure everything was locked up before I went to bed last night. I heard a noise coming from the storage room. Maggie was in there. There’s a grate in the wall behind the cleaning cart. It goes to the sewer system.”
Narrowing his eyes, Bruce wanted to haul off and smack him. “How do you know this, and where is she?”
Gulping, eyes twitching, Ned answered. “I used to work at the hostel where she’d crash sometimes. There was a similar opening in the laundry room. I told her how you could basically get all around Edinburgh completely underground by using the tunnels. The main tunnel leads to Edinburgh Castle. Maggie said she wanted to explore, so maybe she went to the castle. From there she could go anywhere, but she’s probably holed up in a hostel or an abandoned building.”
Josh sneered. “Stupid idiot. Who lets someone go out through a grate in the middle of the night? You had to know what she was up to.”
“We’re Maggie’s friends.”
“Friend?” Josh sneered. “I’m not her friend. She was dumb enough to let me live with her. She deserved what she got.”
Without warning, Ned turned and slugged Josh, sending him to his knees.
“Ow! What the hell, dude?” A few of the men broke it up before Ned could land another punch. Josh looked like he was holding back tears, his face blotchy and red.
Nodding at his men, two of them grabbed Josh, and two took Ned who had murderous intent written all over his face. “While I appreciate your telling me, you should have immediately told whoever was on guard duty as soon as it happened. Hold Josh.” Stepping up to the scarred kitchen table, Bruce selected a sharp knife from the locked drawer. “Ned. Place your hands on the table.”
The kid turned pale as milk. “Please, don’t hurt me. I told you everything I know. It was a mistake, I won’t make it again.”
“No you won’t. But stupidity will be punished. We must always remember to keep our residents safe.” He brought the knife down hard on the kid’s right hand taking off his ring and pinky finger. The crunch of steel meeting bone was loud in the silent kitchen. Ned screamed in agony as blood ran down the table, dripping on the floor. The boy’s eyes were glazed in pain, tears streaming down his face as he faintly
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