Kings of the World: Last Coors Banquet Series Part 3 | Lawrusso

Kings of the World Chapter 4 / 15

"Yeah, yeah," Daniel said, as he went behind the counter. He quickly found a knife sitting among the racks of mouldy cake and passed it to Johnny.

Daniel watched as Johnny leaned down towards her, pressing her head against the floor. His actions were slow and deliberate, betraying the fact that he had once cared for her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you," Johnny said quietly. "But I promise I'm going to find Robby and keep him safe."

Daniel watched as Johnny slipped the knife through her ear canal into her skull, and her body went limp against the cold dirty floor. He took off her jacket then laid it over her head, picked up the phone and put it in his pocket.

Johnny stood over her body, looking down at her, and Daniel thought back to his family, locked in a car outside a shopping mall. Were they still in there, uselessly pawing against the windows, trapped for eternity?

Johnny walked out of the store and went back to the the car without a word. He was leaning over and rooting through the glove box when Daniel got back in, and he pulled out a phone charger.

Daniel closed the door, then said, "Johnny."

"Don't," Johnny replied, as he plugged the phone into the charger. "I know what you're gonna say and just don't."

Johnny held his thumb on the power button, and the phone finally blinked into life. He looked at it for a moment, then asked, "How do I use this?"

Daniel took the phone, and swiped the status bar down. There was an unread text message notification, and Daniel didn't know what to hope. There was only so many ways this could go, and Daniel knew that the most likely end was Johnny drinking a bottle of Whiskey in the garage until he passed out or worse.

He took a breath and opened the message.

"Well, what is it?" Johnny asked.

"It's a message from Robby," Daniel gasped.

Johnny grabbed the phone and read the message. "Who the hell is Trey and why would he be at his place?"

"There's another message below," Daniel said, as he scrolled the phone down.

It was an address. There was an address in the second message.

"Johnny, it's been months," Daniel said, looking up at him.

"I have to check it out, you know that right?" Johnny said, as he started the car.

"I know. I know you do, it's just... I know what it did to you last time," Daniel said softly. "If we go there and we don't find him I don't want you to end up hurting yourself again."

"I haven't done anything like that in a while," Johnny said, wincing. "I told you I wouldn't. I don't need to now."

"I know," Daniel said. "I just worry about you."

"Johnny!" Daniel shouted as he followed him through the garage door.

Johnny took off at sprint, running past Miguel who was stood in the hallway, watching open mouthed as Johnny ran up the stairs and out of view.

"What just happened?" Miguel asked.

"It's a long story," Daniel said, as he started up the stairs.

"No," Miguel said loudly. "What happened out there? What's wrong?"

Daniel paused on the stairs, closing his eyes. "We found his son," he said. "We found Robby."

"Wait, isn't that a good thing?" Miguel asked.