The town bell of Duskwood rang seven times when Phil, Jessy, and Thomas looked down at Poke who was tied to a chair in Phil's office.
"You got yourself in some deep shit," Phil uttered casually, his smile wide and menacing as his bat rested nicely on his shoulder.
"Look... I am sorry about the girl..." Poke blurted out.
Jessy kicked him against his shin, he let out a cry.
"Jessy, really, stand down," Thomas pulled Jessy away from Poke.
"I'm gonna make minced meat out of him!" Jessy fumed.
Phil followed Poke's eyes when he looked at Jessy in fear.
"You better listen to what she is saying, she has no mercy," Phil smirked.
"W-what?" Poke started to tremble.
"Yeah, and no morale!" Thomas added.
Phil looked at Thomas as if they were going to facepalm themselves.
Poke started to squirm. "Please, I have nothing to do with what Mike is planning. He threatened me! I'm sorry I kidnapped that girl, but Mike threatened me-"
"Oh? So you were the one who kidnapped Lia? At first, we just wanted you to help us find her since we know you work for Mike, but this changes everything. I think we can come to an agreement," Phil was now pointing the end of his bat towards Poke. "Of course, you are going to tell us, where Lia is being held, what Mike's plan is, and how we can save Lia. In short: you are going to help us save her."
Poke bit his lips. He looked at Phil then at Thomas and Jessy.
"No," he blurted out.
"No?" Phil was raising an eyebrow and Thomas had to hold back a very pissed-off Jessy.
"N-no... I can't help you save that girl. Mike will know it was me. If he knows... I cannot imagine the consequences. All I know is that the girl is very valuable to Mike, he will never harm her since she is worth a lot of money. Well, as long as she doesn't do anything stupid. Her only mistake was having that hacker Mike hate so much as her boyfriend-"
"He is not her boyfriend," Phil said furrowing his brows.
"He is not?" Poke looked away in confusion. "Who is spreading these rumors...?"
"You are going to help us or else I will, I will chop off your legs!" Jessy spat.
Poke shuddered. "Please, you gotta understand. Mike has ties to the cartel, I saw him pummeling a man almost to death, I cannot help you, he will know I helped you three!"
Phil raised an eyebrow. "So you won't help us?"
"No," Poke said firmly.
"Okay," Phil nodded. "Then you gave us no choice..."
Suddenly Thomas hit Poke with a frying pan, knocking him out right away.
Phil looked as if Thomas just has sprouted a second head on his shoulder.
"The hell was that for?!"
"You were going to hit him with the bat, right? I thought we should hit with something... easier, to make him speak. I didn't know that a frying pan can knock people out," Thomas explained looking genuinely surprised as he examined the frying pan in his hand.
"I was going to threaten him, feed him some BS to make him quiver a bit longer, I almost had him. Is that my frying pan?" Phil looked at the object in Thomas' hands.
"I had to get something to make him talk. Isn't that what Jake asked us to do?" Thomas took a step back to prevent Phil to snatch the frying pan.
"This is getting out of hand," Phil exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose.
They heard a groan. Poke seemed to be regaining his consciousness.
"Okay, let me handle him," Phil stepped forward, making Jessy and Thomas stand behind him.
"Oh God... please, stop hitting my head..." Poke pleaded.
"That depends on your cooperation," Phil was now tilting the chair, making Poke fall back a little. He started to whimper.
"Tell us where Mike is holding Lia," Phil demanded in a low and threatening voice.
"No," Poke declined.
"Are you sure? You might not like another hit to your head," Phil looked at the bump on Poke's forehead.
Poke laughed, albeit it was mixed with nervousness. "Then do so. I won't tell you even if you beat me up. I tell you, better you than him."
"One last chance Poke. Tell me where Lia is," Phil looked like he wasn't pretending to be threatening anymore.
"No," Poke looked Phil in the eyes.
"Okay," Phil said.
Thomas hit Poke with the frying pan, knocking him out cold. Again. Poke fell backward, with the chair he was tied to.
"For God's sake Thomas! Stop hitting Poke with my frying pan! Give me that thing!" Phil now grabbed the stainless-steel skillet, snatching it away.
"You were going to hit him anyway, I just did you a favor," Thomas scoffed.
"Let me talk to the scum," Jessy rolled up her sleeves.
"No! You two, get out of my office and let me handle this. I know what I am doing, and I will make him talk," Phil ran his fingers through his hair in frustration with his other hand while holding the bat and frying pan with the other.
"He is cracking, he is close to spilling the beans. I know it," Jessy looked at Poke like a cat eying a mouse.
Behind Phil, Poke started to groan. This time he was also whimpering in pain.
"Good, he is awake again. Look, you two, out. Now," Phil turned around to face Poke again and lifted him up, so he was facing him again.
"I swear to God Poke, if you don't speak now, I will make you crawl back home to your mother. Would be such a shame don't you think? Since I know your mama personally. I hate to see her cry," the bartender looked Poke in the eyes.
The man looked visibly scared. His breathing became erratic and for a split second, Phil thought he was going to buckle. Then suddenly his expression changed.
"I know you," Poke suddenly digress. "You are that good-for-nothing bartender who got arrested by the police days ago. Yeah, I heard what people were talking about you. You were involved in all the bad cases that happened in Duskwood. You were involved in Michael Hanson's disappearance... in Hannah's disappearance... Also, Amy's... and now, in- what was her name again? Emilia?"
Poke laughed as he lowered his head, not seeing the cold look in Phil's eyes. Jessy and Thomas remained silent. The room felt like the temperature just dropped.
"You... are a harbinger of bad luck. So no, I won't help you find that girl. There is absolutely nothing you can do that will convince me otherwise," Poke looked up, smirking at Phil.
"Oh?" Phil said as he gave the frying pan back to Thomas, swinging the tip of the bat up and down on his hand, as the three of them gather around Poke.
Suddenly the man tied to the chair was overwhelmed with a huge sense of dread. He gulped.