The Betrayal

Five

October 5 1996.

Billy

"Out!" One of the men who had taken me last night opened the door of the cellar I was locked in and gestured me to follow him. He sort of pushed me to an office where the other man was, along with two other men. They were sitting on the armchairs in the office and I couldn't but feel like a prisoner about to be sentenced to death.

"Ah, here he is." One of the men said. He was shorter than the first one and had a scar in his right cheek. "Good job, Konrad."

"It was easier than expected." The other one replied "It was all just as you told me." He then turned to me and picked up the phone"Now, it's time to call home, but don't make any stupid thing. Your number, now."

"312 653 8712" I barely whispered, not daring to refusing to give it to him.

"Good boy." The man connected the hands free mode and  dialed my phone number. It didn't take long before Scott answered, with an anguished voice 

"Billy?"

"Sorry kid, Billy can't answer the phone right now. Now, be a good boy and let me talk to your Mama okay?" Konrad replied in a stern tone.

"Who are you?" Scott insisted. I mentally asked him to wake my Mom up.

"That doesn't matter now. Do as I tell you and don't make me waste my time." 

About a minute or so later, I finally heard my Mom's scared voice "Hello? Billy?"

"You will talk to Billy in a moment, Mrs Henderson. But now, listen carefully. We want one hundred grand in a sports bag, you have three days to gather them." The man made me a sign and I only could say a few words before one of the men clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Ma, what's this about? Why...?" 

"Billy, hold on honey. We..." 

"Three days Mrs Henderson. We will contact you again." The man said before hanging the phone.

"We...we do not have that money..." I exclaimed "You've probably taken..."

"We've taken exactly who wanted to take, kid. And I bet your Dad knows how to get that money."

The man with the scar let go a laughter "He will, if he wants to see his kid again." He then turned to the other one "It's been great making business with you, Konrad, but we'd better be going now. " He made a gesture to who seemed to be his second "Take the kid to the car, Vic."

"Take me where?" I had the feeling my legs wouldn't hold me.

"None of your business kid, but you will be much better than here." The man let go an ironic laughter.

"Wait a minute, Baldoni. We have still some unresolved issues."  Konrad stopped him extending his hand.

"Do we, Konrad? I don't remember such a thing."

"Ten grand for bringing the kid here, Baldoni." Konrad answered sternly."That's what we had agreed and that's what I will have, not a cent less."

"I'm not so sure of that. In fact..."

"In fact I also have unresolved issues with the kid's father, Baldoni. And he can help me arranging them." Both men's tone was becoming more threatening. I tried to get rid of Baldoni's man's grip but he was stronger than me. 

"Don't make any stupid move, kid." He hissed in my ear. I didn't even dare to breathe and was scared of thinking how would the situation end.

"All things are negotiable, my friend." Baldoni said in a move relaxed tone. "After all this is just business, right? I'll give you two now and the rest when..."

"No, this is not negotiable, my friend." Konrad replied in a clearly furious tone. "Ten grand or he stays here."

"Okay okay, as you want. " Baldoni led his hand to his jacket and pulled out a gun.  Before Konrad or his man could react, he shot them twice. 

I ducked down and held back a cry.

"Hurry up, Vic. Take the kid to the car before someone comes."

"No! Let me go please, I won't say a thing but please let me go." I pleaded with them.

"I'm having a headache, Vic. I don't want to hear one more word, you already know what to do."

With the corner of my eye I saw that guy Vic taking out a bludgeon from his rear pocket and knocked me with it.  When I woke up I was in a van with no windows in it. I tried to get up but my head hurt like hell and I fell down again. Whoever was driving, was going too fast and I bounced from one side of the van to the other. 

The van finally stopped and I braced myself for what could come. After a short while Baldoni and Vic opened the doors and pulled me out of it. They dragged me to a nearby house and pushed me to a small room in the back of the house. It was almost empty , with no other furniture than a mattress, a table and a couple chairs. There was a beam right in the middle of the room, and a small window in the ceiling provided a reduced amount of light.

"I'm really sorry for what you've just seen, Billy." Baldoni said with an unusually soft tone. "This shouldn't happened, but I can assure you we will take good care of you."

"What do you want from me? Why have you brought me here?"

"You will know when the time comes, Billy. Now, and for the time being, just rest and try to sleep, guess you will need it."  He turned to the other man "Vic,  bring some food to our guest, he must be terribly hungry. We have some pasta and a steak specially made for you, hope you like it." Baldoni said with what pretended to be a friendly smile. 

The other man, Vic came in with a tray and left it over the table. Then, without even saying a word he left and closed the door after him. I took a small portion of the pasta and it tasted good, and despite everything I ate it willingly. 

I lied then over the mattress, trying to figure out a way to  escape. Slowly and imperceptibly I fell asleep, defeated by tiredness.

When I woke up a woman was taking the tray away.She looked scared and fragile, and almost dropped the tray down.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized. "Thought you were still asleep."

"No, it's okay." I hoped she could help me escape."Let me help you."

"No, no, I'll do it." 

I decided to test my luck a bit further "Do you know why am I here?"

"Don't ask, please don't ask." The woman took the tray and left the room again, and closed the door from the outside.