Adrian found the place at 9:45. A rundown nightclub on the south side. Lights flickering. Music thumping through cracked walls. He circled twice. Noted the exits. Front door. Fire escape in the back. A window on the second floor that didn't close all the way.
He went in through the side alley. Stairs at the end. Narrow. Creaking. Led to a door with no sign. Adrian listened. Cards shuffling. Chips clicking. He pushed the door open.
The room was small. Low ceiling. Smelled like alcohol. A single table in the center. Six men sitting. A few standing along the walls. Cole sat at the head. Mid-40s. Grey stubble. Eyes tired and mean. Chips stacked in front of him.
Adrian slipped along the wall. Found a shadow near a broken jukebox. No one looked at him. He watched.
Cole played slow. Lost a hand. Didn't flinch. Won the next. Still didn't flinch. Adrian waited. Ten minutes. Twenty. He studied the room. Three men carrying. One near the window. Another by the door. Adrian stayed in the shadows.
At 10:30, the door opened. Three men walked in. A suited man led them. Clean shaven. Expensive watch. Eyes scanning. Behind him, two big men. Hands empty but ready. The room went quiet. Cole looked up. A flicker behind his stone face. Fear.
The suited man stepped to the table. "Cole."
Cole set his cards down. "Didn't expect you until next week."
"Plans changed."
The suited man leaned closer. "You owe. Not just money anymore."
Cole's jaw tightened. "I'm good for it."
"You're out of time."
Cole's eyes darted around the room. Looking for a way out.
Adrian saw his chance. He strode up to Cole. Voice low. "Cole. Victor's money."
Cole looked up. Unimpressed. "Kid, go to hell." He shoved Adrian aside.
Adrian grabbed an empty bottle. Slammed it on the table. The sound echoed. Cole's eyes widened.
"I'm not kidding, old man."
Cole's expression shifted to fear. But the suited man stepped forward. "We have business with him."
Adrian blocked their path. "Not today."
Cole leaned closer to Adrian. "Deal with him and his guys, and I'll pay Victor's debt. Plus I have a stash in my house. Enough to pay Victor's debt."
Adrian thought. No choice. If Cole got taken, the debt went with him. No money. No clue. No answers.
"Fine," Adrian said.
Cole stepped back. Adrian stepped forward.
"Cole's not going anywhere," Adrian said.
The suited man tilted his head. Amused. "You don't know who you're talking to."
"Don't care."
The suited man nodded to his men. Adrian's heart kicked. He didn't know how to fight. In the compound, he survived by being invisible. Not by throwing punches.
The first man came fast. Adrian dodged left. Not clean. The fist grazed his ear. He swung. Caught the man's arm. The man grabbed Adrian's jacket. Yanked him forward. A knee to the stomach. Adrian doubled over. Pain flaring. The second man came from the side. A punch to his ribs. Another to his back. Adrian dropped to one knee.
He swung anyway. Wild. Caught the first man on the jaw. A lucky hit. The man staggered. Adrian pushed up. Swung again. Missed. Took another hit to the face. Blood in his mouth. He kept swinging.
Then something inside him snapped. Rage. The kind that lived in him since the hospital. Since his father left. Since no one came.
Adrian grabbed the first man's collar. Pulled him close. Headbutted him. Once. Twice. The man's nose crunched. Blood sprayed. He went down. Adrian turned. The second man was coming. Adrian lunged. Wrapped his arms around the man's waist. Drove him into the wall. The man's head hit hard. He slid down.
Adrian stood there. Breathing heavy. Hands shaking. Blood on his knuckles.
The room was chaos. Men shouting. Someone ran for the door. Adrian looked for Cole. Running toward the back. The suited man right behind him. Adrian ran.
The hallway was dark. Narrow. His shoulder screamed. He didn't remember hurting it. But it hurt now. Bad. He held it with one hand. Pushed through the pain. Stairs. Down. Almost fell. Caught the railing.
The back door burst open. Alley. Cold air. Rain. Cole in front. The suited man behind him. Gaining. Adrian chased. His shoulder throbbed. His ribs ached. His face was wet with blood and rain.
Cole turned a corner. The suited man followed. Adrian followed. Empty street. Cole was fifty feet ahead. Then the suited man was forty. Adrian was thirty behind. Cole looked back. Tripped. Caught himself on a dumpster. The suited man reached him. Grabbed his collar.
Adrian closed the distance. Twenty feet. Ten. He lowered his good shoulder. Slammed into the suited man. Both hit the wet ground. Adrian scrambled up. Left the man on the ground. Turned to Cole.
Rage. Pure rage. Adrian grabbed Cole by the collar. Yanked him close. "Where's the money?"
Cole's eyes went wide. "I'll take you. Just don't—"
Adrian pulled him closer. "Don't what?"
Cole pointed down the street. "My house. Three blocks. It's there. All of it. I swear."
Adrian let go. "Walk."
Cole walked. Adrian followed. Close. His shoulder screaming. His ribs aching. Three blocks.
Cole stopped in front of a small house. Dark. Quiet. He unlocked the door. Led Adrian to a back bedroom. Pulled a painting off the wall. Behind it, a safe. He spun the lock. Opened it. A duffel bag. Heavy. Cole handed it over.
Adrian unzipped it. Cash. Bundles. Stacks.
"All of it," Cole said. "Every cent. Plus extra."
Adrian zipped the bag. Sling it over his good shoulder.
"Tell Victor it's done," Adrian said.
Cole nodded. Didn't speak.
Adrian turned. Walked out. Into the rain. The bag was heavy. His body hurt. His face wet with blood and rain.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Looked up at the sky. For the first time, he felt proud. He had the money. Now he needed the clue.
He started walking. Next stop, Victor's place.....