TICK TOCK Chapter 15 (Part: 1)

Chapter 15
Luke

Three months had passed since my beating and since Dani had gone. Business was pretty much back to usual with the exception that I was earning less money; quite a bit less, but that was understandable considering the debt. Pez was cagey when I asked him about the money and he told me that it was ‘sorting itself out’. Every month he would tell me how much I’d managed to pay off and I assumed that he was buying his drugs in for a lot less and selling them at the same price because the debt was reducing far faster than I’d anticipated. Still not fast enough though. I didn’t want to be beholden to him for years to come, but until it was paid off, there was little I could do. My plan after that was to make enough money to get away from the area and get away from him. Spain maybe, somewhere warm where I could relax and start over. My days of living in the fast lane were destroyed the night that I was on the receiving end of the dark side; the side that I was usually controlling. Being a victim had changed my perspective and left me with a haunting fear of things going wrong again, or Pez deciding that I was no longer of use to him, Gunner hovering in the wings waiting to finish me off with a huge grin on his face; a feeling of constantly being on borrowed time.
I thought of Dani often and no one had even piqued my interest enough to take things beyond one night. I missed her, despite what she’d done. She was a feisty little bitch with a huge heart and underneath it all, she had just been desperate for someone to love her. My dreams were splattered with images of her torture and suffering, scenarios playing out most nights, causing me to wake drenched in sweat, heart beating wildly. I would have to get out of bed and smoke a joint just to calm myself down, and as a result, night times became a place of fear for me, a reminder of my role in the loss of life and a place where demons haunted me.
My phone rang, causing me to jump as it brought me back to the present.
“Mick, how’s it going?” I question.
“Luke, Carlos just rang me and you know that skinny friend of Dani’s called Marsha? The one I tracked down, well, she has been sniffing about the past two weeks in all of the clubs asking about Dani and if anyone has heard from her, or seen her. Apparently, the mother is back in town and she is unduly worried because Dani has not been returning her texts. From what I’ve heard, the mother thought that she was backpacking in South America and she expected her to be home by now. This could lead us all down a very rocky path, mate. Maybe we need to think about how we handle it because I reckon it’s only a matter of time before the police turn up at your door.”
“I’ll meet you in the pub at six, because I think we both need to be clear on what we’re going to say, just in case they dig up any dirt on us being in Germany.”
“OK, see you soon, pal.”
I’d known deep down that this day would come because people don’t just disappear off the face of the earth, and Dani’s mother was bound to start asking questions sooner or later. My main priority at this point in time was not involving Pez because, without a doubt, that would seal my fate.

I walk into The Flying Fox hours later and it feels like my second home. You would never really come into this pub unless you were dealing with the illegal in some way. It’s dark and dingy, with once white, yellow-tinged net curtains hanging at the window, blocking out the little daylight that is able to penetrate through the dirty windowpane. There’s always a coal fire burning, even in the summer months, sending out plumes of smoke every time the door is opened, leaving behind blackened fragments of ash lingering in the air long after the door has closed. There are no carpets, just bare floorboards singed with stubbed out cigarette butts from long ago. Uneven wooden tables and chairs are scattered around, and some are hidden away in dark corners as if to encourage the illicit dealings that take place. The wooden bar is old and dated but it feels right, and fits in with the ambience and clientele that frequent the place and the smell that lingers in the air, a smell of cigarettes, stale beer and untold stories.
A few people nod as I enter and what I like about this place is that most people in here are up to no good but everyone respects that and keeps out of people’s business.
“Mick, my man, how are you?” I ask, patting him on the back as I reach the bar.
“Good, mate, but a little jittery over all of the questions being asked. Pez is a mean fucker and I don’t want to get drawn into his world if I can help it, so I’m nervous, Luke. Really nervous.”