Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 58 - Hot Chilli

TW: This chapter includes scenes of violence and references to violence. Reader discretion is advised.

♫

Declan

We crouch together among the shrubs and trees at the edge of a shallow, slippery slope down to what appears to be the back of some shop or another. I don't know the buildings from this angle and cannot see anything familiar to help me figure out exactly where we are. The rain is also pissing down hard, getting in me eyes.

I glance at Joe crouching next to me when he takes a hit from his asthma pump. He seems to be doing so in prevention rather than cure, which is a relief. Trailing Eddie was perhaps not the greatest idea, but we didn't know that we were going to be doing bundu bashing in the rain and playing hide-and-seek on a muddy ridge.

Not far from us, Eddie is being pinned against the sidewall of the building in the hollow, crowded in by three older, bigger guys. His clothes are muddy, and he already has a few scrapes on his face, signs that he'd been in a struggle. I clench me teeth, anger bubbling up me throat.

This is the ideal spot for an ambush; nobody is likely to see or hear what happens down there. The building has no windows on this side and looks like a warehouse of some kind.

Why did Eddie take this route?

One of his attackers is keeping him in place against the wall by pressing a forearm against his throat. I don't think these boys are from Briar Cove because I've never seen them before and one of them is wearing a black Drymac with a Thunder Ridge High School insignia emblazoned on the back. I recognise the jacket because their sports teams all wore jackets like that last year.

I doubt that these guys are still in school; if they are, they must be bunking class to be here already and out of uniform.

"I can't give you the money from the cash register every day!" Eddie is gasping, clutching at the arm, cutting off his air supply. He is clearly terrified. "My sister knows how much is in there, and at this rate, we'll go bankrupt! We need that money to pay for my dad's hosp-"

"Did I ask for your family history? Stop being so f#cking dramatic, you bloody runt; most people pay by card. Just bring us the big bills this time, none of that small junk and don't try to cheat us again."

"We'll burn down that dump of yours and make you watch while we have some fun with your bitch sister," Drymac-guy snarls, laughing at Eddie's terror.

If this is a regular occurrence, why hasn't the boy gone to the police for help? Why didn't he tell us what was going on? He knows he can trust us.

"I'll give you a little incentive to inspire you," the guy holding him against the wall growls, pulling back his fist.

I hear vague shuffling sounds near me and see a blur of blue and grey, and then the thug delivers his punch, slamming his fist into the brick wall with a sickening crunch.

I knew what was happening but am still surprised to see Tanner standing near the corner of the building, his arms wrapped around Eddie. He and Hunter worked themselves along the edge of the ridge where we were hiding until they were in great positions to launch a sneak attack from two directions. One from the back of the building and the other from behind the attackers on this side of the building.

Tanner gives a look in the direction where he knows Joe and I are hiding and cocks his head to call us over. With Eddie out of the way, he storms back into the fray.

Hunter seems to be in the process of breaking Drymac-guy's arm while landing a kick in the third bloke's stomach. I swear he was next to me a second ago; I didn't hear or see him leave.