The Mysterious Mr. Miller

12. A BUNCH OF RASCALS

With as much courage as I could gather with my trembling legs, I climbed the stairs of the basement. I heard sounds of footsteps after me and that forced me to increase my speed. My heart was racing inside my chest and I could almost hear it in my ears.

I ran as fast as I could but to no avail as I came across a pair of security guards trying to block my way.

"Let me go." I shouted at them. One of them locked my wrist behind my back and the other attempted to block my other hand that I was using to set myself free.

"Didn't you hear what she said? Let her go." I heard Sean's voice as he walked over towards us. His face was black, no guilt, no surprise, nothing that stated I just killed a man. I felt my skin prick as he reached me and freed me from the guards.

"Let's go. We can talk inside." He said, stepping near me and attempted to hold my hand.

"Don't touch me with these hands of yours." I spat, stepping away.

He looked at the guards around us, standing with their heads bowed. "Come inside." He said, this time with a little less softness in his voice.

"I won't." I said and pushed him away.

His nostrils flared at this and he bent down to pick me up and throw me over his shoulder. I screamed and punched his back as he walked forward with me. I struggled with my legs but his hold was too strong and I was too frail.

"Put me down this instant." I said, struggling.

He entered the building and lay me down on the couch once we were inside the lounge. He then put his arms on both sides of me to stop me from running.

"You killed him." I said, ignoring the tears that were spilling down my cheeks. I had never been this afraid of someone before, or this disgusted. I knew before that he wasn't a saint but killing someone is where I drew the line.

"Yes. As you saw." He said without any hint of remorse.

"You.... You..." I stammered, trying to find my words. "How could you? Didn't your hands tremble?"

His dark eyes were void of any emotions, his mouth was pursed and his jaw was clenched. "They did the first time I killed someone. I was 17 then."

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets at this. I tried to shrink back but my back was against the couch. I just knew I wanted more distance between us.

"You are a murderer." I said. "You are an evil person."

"Kind of you to notice." He said. "While we are on the topic of murderers, your father was one too."

His words hit me like ice cold water and I shivered. "You are lying." I denied, trying to push him but he was strong. His chest was like granite and I was too weak to push him.

"I wish I was." He said. "Do you want to know what he did before he was a teacher?"

"He was always a teacher." I shouted. "Don't feed me nonsense."

"That's what he told you. You know what he really was? A criminal, a gangster. A mafia member." He said all those words like they meant nothing.

"You are lying, you dick. My father was an innocent man." I gritted.

"Then why would he send you to us and not some Geography teacher friend of him?" He asked and I felt dizzy all of sudden. This information was too much for me to handle. So many things were running through my mind and making me feel weak in the knees.

"You... You all....Is this.... Do you... belong to Mafia?" I asked, looking around myself, realizing for the first time where I was and around whom. I had spent so many days locked up in house with so many dangerous people.