Darkness Falls

Chapter nine

"Imbécil." I slammed the door as I entered.

"What's wrong?" Mamá called out.

I didn't respond, marching into the living room, I switched the TV off and threw the remote at the wall. My sisters scattered.

"Jake, stop that." Mamá told me off as she entered the room. "What happened?"

"He's being a drama queen like always." Papá said as he entered the room and took a seat. "Stop scaring the girls, Santiago."

My blood bubbled as I tried to control myself.

~*~

"Jake, I need you to run down to the shops and pick up some supplies."

"Jake, go with Sparky to sort out those boxes of weaponry, I need them cleaned and polished within the afternoon."

"Jake, stop sulking and finish writing those notes."

With each instruction he gave me, I found myself getting more and more frustrated. I held my tongue so often I was surprised I hadn't bitten it off.

"You're doing fine." Col told me. "Just smile and you'll get out of this soon. I'm sure someone will find you a job so you can get out."

"Get out?" I growled, as I organised the weapons, whirling around to face him. "You don't get out of this kind of job, Col. How long have you been here now?"

"Twelve years." He admitted as I raised a knife. "Don't panic. In a few more years he'll slow down and someone will deal with him. Until then you need to hold your tongue."

I sighed and threw the knife so it stuck to the wall.

"I need to go outside."

"Don't go back to the shooting range. You'll accidentally kill someone." He chuckled. "Tell you what, we're running low on coffee. Can you go and get some decaf?"

"Coffee errands, really? I'm not eleven."

"You wanted to get out of here." He shrugged.

"Permanently. Not being degraded back to where I started at."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, just calm down. I know you, Jake. You say you have it under control and then it bubbles up later and turns explosive." He sighed. "Just like your father."

"Don't compare me to him." I muttered. "I'm trying to make sure that doesn't happen."

"That what doesn't happen?"

"I'm not turning into him." I said, picking up a gun to clean it. "I will quit now and work through the snow and rain to make sure that doesn't happen."

"So why are you still here?"

"I don't know." I growled.

"So are you going out, then?"

"Not yet." I mused. "I'll finish these first. You know I hate leaving jobs unfinished."

"Just work it out, Jake, alright?" He patted my shoulder before leaving the room.

I heard the door click shut and realised he'd locked me in. It was just me and a room full of weapons. No explosives.

"Idiotas." I grumbled.

If I wanted to destroy them, all I had to do was pick up a gun and open fire as soon as the door opened. Yet somehow they trusted me.

Probably because they knew I would never get the guts to shoot anyone that wasn't my father. I didn't want the collateral damage. But I was beginning to see that that was the problem.