The Betrayal

Twelve

October 5 1996

Billy

"Hope you enjoyed your meal, Billy. And again, I'm really sorry for bringing you here that way." Baldoni came into the room after a while and sat on the chair.

"What do you want from me? My family has no money, so..."

"Oh, I do know that. In fact, I know much more things about your family than you could imagine. I bet your Mom and Dad haven't talked you or your brother about your uncle Sam, have they?"

"What do you my family of?" 

"Oh, it's a long story, but I'm not the one to tell you. When you go back home...we'll, if you go back home, you'd better ask your folks.We've got so many memories joining us!" He tried to sound melancholic.

"If I go back?" I didn't hide my fear "Are you...are you going to kill me?"

Baldoni let go a laughter "No, no one's dying here. But you know, I feel like knowing you better, and nothing better to do it than going on a small trip. Have you ever been to Canada, Billy?"

"Yes, I...My father took us on holidays, some time ago."

"Did he? Well, he probably  didn't show you the best things in Canada, but I will don't worry." He took a look at his watch "Well, I should be going now. It's been great talking to you, son." He looked at me in a really scary way and just left the room.

I remained seated on the floor, trying to find out a meaning to that awkward conversation. What did Baldoni know my family of? And that "son" he had said when leaving, it gave me the chills. Was I actually his son? I tried to push those thoughts from my mind but they kept coming back. Finally, I focused on finding a way to get out of there.I had to take advantage of the first chance I had, it could be the only one.

  It scared me though, what if I failed in my attempt? Baldoni had already killed two men, he would probably kill me too if  I caused any trouble.

I got up from the mattress and walked around the small room I was locked in. A  window let some light in it, but it wasn't big enough as to try to go out through it. I had just one chance...next time they would bring  me something to eat. That would be the moment, but I would have to be very fast. I had noticed it was only one who came each time, and he left the door open. One strong push the moment he came in, enough to make him lose his balance, and then run as fast as I could.  

After a while, I noticed footsteps coming and I heard the tingling of the keys, and the squeak of a rusty lock. I got up quickly and hid behind the door.  My hands were sweating, and I tightened my fists in an attempt to keep my tension under control.

Baldoni's partner came in, and seemed startled by not seeing me on the mattress. 

That was the moment. I pushed him, and rushed through the door...

"What the...? Get him, he's getting away! " He got up and followed me to the corridor.

Baldoni came out of nowhere and blocked my way. He  gripped me tight , and I had no way to get rid of him. He was staring at me, with eyes cold as ice. It was as if they had no life.

"Bad decision, kid. Very, very bad decision. I'm really disappointed with you, Billy, I hoped we could get along, but it looks like I was terribly wrong.  You know, if there's something I can't stand is people being ungrateful, and that's exactly what you've been. We've treated you kind and pay us this way, trying to run away? Well...if you prefer we play rough, we'll do it."

He pushed me back to the room. His partner  punched me on the stomach, and I bent with pain. Then, the two of them started beating me. I begged them to stop, but they just didn't listen. I don't really know how much did it last...every single bone in my body was aching. 

I guess I finally passed out because of pain. When I woke up again, I tried to move. No way. My arms were tied, to a kind of beam or something, and I was sat with my back resting to it.  I cursed my  luck, for having failed me, and wondered if I would have a new chance to go out of that damned place. 

After a while, I heard  people arguing at the outside. I recognized one of the voices, it was the man who had blocked me in my failed attempt to escape , he was arguing with a woman. By her tone, she seemed to be scared of that man too. I tried to understand what they were saying but it was almost impossible, all I heard were undistinguished voices.

It didn't take long before the woman brought my dinner again. She had probably been instructed not to untie me, and had to feed me every small bite I took. She gave me something to drink and after a while I began to feel dizzy until I finally fell asleep again.

October 6 1996

 I woke up with a heavy head, and felt like I had the worst hangover ever. I thought I would throw up but managed to hold it back. 

The squeaking of the door put me on alert again and I prepared myself for whatever could come. Baldoni came in first, followed by his partner. 

"Today is your lucky day, kid. We've brought you company."

My heart sank. Along with them, and unconscious, they had Scott. They left him over the mattress, and went away again. 

"What have you done to him!" I shouted.That was getting harder by the moment... Why had they taken Scott?  And what were they going to do with us?  I tried by all means to free my hands, but the knots were too tight. 

"How touching!" Baldoni mocked "No need to worry, he'll wake up soon."

It took some time before Scott wake up, a bit disoriented. He blinked twice and led his hand to his temple. Then he saw me and tried to get up but he was still out of balance.

"My head, it hurts like hell." He almost stumbled over the mattress when he tried to get up again "Billy, where are we?" He then saw the bruises I probably had "God, have they hurt you?" 

"I tried to run away tonight  but had bad luck...they started beating me and then they tied me, like a sort of punishment. This man's insane, Scott. He killed the guy who took me just like that, without even a blink.And he..he said he knows Mom and Dad and plans to take me to Canada." A shiver ran through me again.

"He does know them." Scott admitted "Everything we've been always taught was a lie, Mom was in a gang with that man, when she was younger. That's how she met Dad, he was in the squad that arrested him. And now..."

"And now he wants revenge. But it doesn't make sense, he was acting weird , as if I..."  Scott and I looked at each other, both of us unable to verbalize what we were thinking.

"No, it can't be. Do you really think...?"

"I don't know what to think, I just don't know.Hey, please try to untie me, my wrists are hurtin like hell". 

Scott kneeled by the beam and tried to loosen the knots but they were too tight.

"Kerstin is also involved in all this." He explained "That Baldoni made some threats against him, and Dad decided to send me to Florida, to Aunt Helen's, and Kerstin suggested I should stay at her house before I left. She insisted it was for my safety but she probably wanted to keep me under control. And yesterday, when Mom and Dad told me the truth, I just ran away and stayed at Pam's. This morning Kerstin was taking me to the airport but she gave me in to the dudes who brought me here, they followed us all the way. And they left Pam there alone, in Kerstin's car. Fuck, I can't believe she did this to us!." 

When he told me everything that had happened in those three days, I didn't want to believe it. We had known Kerstin for so long, and yet we didn't know her at all. How had she been able to betray us that way?

"Can't believe it, why should she do this?"

The noise of the key turning on the door interrupted us, before I could go on.

"Visit time for you two."

One of the men was at the door, and behind him there was a woman.  Scott and me looked at each other, in shock. Was it really...?

"I'm sorry this has happened this way, sons. I think I have to explain you a lot of things"

**

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