21. Jake

Things were going from bad to worse. Jake could sense that Connor Reed was every bit as evil and deranged as Damian had spoken about. Except one thing that Damian hadn't mentioned was just how mean Connor could be on a personal level…

‘I can't believe you live in such a shitty apartment!' Connor said, wiping his long fingers across the table in the corner of Jake's studio. ‘Small. Cheap. And not the kind of place I'd ever be seen dead in. Oh well, perfect for you then!'

‘Fuck you!' Jake blurted out, instantly regretting it.

Connor seemed like a man on the edge, and the more he spoke the more that Jake just knew he had to do something. But what?

Running out of the apartment probably wasn't an option given how many men Connor said were dotted around the building. It would be suicide to try and duck and dodge past his thugs with their guns.

Jake glanced over toward the window on the far side of the studio. There was a fire escape directly outside it. That could be useful. But there was no way that Jake would be able to get to the window, open it, and then climb out before the giant Connor had his hands all over him.

Things were looking hopeless, and it was a horrible feeling.

If only I could distract him…

No. He'd be expecting it…

What if I…

Jake was desperately trying to run through some options, but nothing was coming to him. The fact that Connor was seemingly determined to keep on tormenting and taunting Jake was making it extra-difficult to concentrate too…

‘Maybe I should just burn this place down?' Connor said, sneering as he grabbed Jake's TV and pulled it off the wall. ‘It's not like anything in here is worth a dime.'

‘No, please!' Jake said, shaking his head in dismay as Connor casually picked up Jake's vintage Nintendo and threw it across the room and into the wall. ‘No!'

But Connor wasn't done yet.

The more Connor belittled and tormented Jake, the more it seemed like he was genuinely enjoying the situation. Connor was cruel, and was abusing his power in just about the most disgusting and mean-spirited way imaginable.

‘I think I might just burn this place… and then head down to that freakshow kink hangout you have,' Connor said, sneering with delight. ‘What's it called? The Whip Smart Club? Yeah. I could burn that joint down, with all your friends inside, and then buy the wreckage for cheap and turn it into a strip club or something. I could even make you dance for me there. How about that?'

‘Shut up! Shut up! Shut the fuck up!' Jake said, Connor's taunts pushing him over the edge.

With that, Jake picked up his Nintendo squishy alarm clock and threw it as Connor. In a sheer panic, Jake then charged past a momentarily confused Connor and jumped into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Jake immediately pressed his body up against the door. There was no way he was going to be able to stop Connor just barging into the door and opening it. And if Connor was being mean before, what was he going to be like now?

OMG OMG OMG.

What have I done?

What the hell am I going to do now?

Jake could hear Connor shouting at the top of his voice. He sounded furious. And rather than simply wait to see what Connor was going to do next, Jake jumped into action and began moving his bed up against the bedroom door to act as a barricade.

Once the bed was secured, Jake then tried his best to topple the wardrobe and succeeded in blocking up another segment of the bedroom door.

‘Screw you!' Jake shouted, his voice full of wild abandon but his heart thumping harder than he had ever known.

Yes, he may have successfully barricaded himself in the bedroom, but Jake had no plan for what he was going to do next. Jake felt a mix of jubilation and fear, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from calling out to Connor once more…

‘You just wait until Damian catches up to you!' Jake shouted, his voice full of emotion. ‘He's going to blast you off the face of the earth!'

Woah. Did I really just say that?

I… I…

Well I hope Damian really does kill Connor, so…

But if Jake was expecting an angry response from Connor, he couldn't have been more wrong. Instead of furious shouting or the sound of the hulking gangster trying to break through the barricade, all Jake heard was… laughter.

‘What's so funny?' Jake cried out, frustration in his voice.

But the laughter continued. It wasn't the kind of fun, joyous laughter that Jake loved to enjoy with his friends. It was a cold, cruel laugh. The kind of devilish cackle that Jake knew spelled trouble.

‘Boy, there's no escape!' Connor said, breaking away from his maniacal laughter. ‘All you've done is trap yourself! You're a rat in a cage, and I've got you just where I want you!'

Jake covered his mouth in an attempt to stop himself from bursting out in tears. But it wasn't enough. No matter how hard Jake tried, he couldn't keep his tears at bay.

As Jake slid down the wall and sat on the floor, the tears began to tumble down his cheeks. He had nowhere left to run. Connor was right, he was totally trapped. And it was all his fault.

‘Shit,' Jake said, kicking his feet against the rough, thin carpet. ‘I've fucked myself.'

Jake knew he needed to cool down and relax, but without Damian there to guide him or threaten him with a paddlings, all Jake could do was get more and more riled up.

Urgh. I hate this!

I hate… everything!

I wish I could just run away like I planned…

Jake wished he was with his friends in the Whip Smart Club. All he wanted to do was have fun, let loose, and forget about everything.

In that moment, Jake regretted ever even applying for the job at Damian's Den, let alone getting involved with Damian himself. Jake cursed the moment he decided to try and get one over on Jack Bouquet by stealing the food. Jake was beginning to realize that he simply faced up to Jack and defended himself, none of this would be happening now.

I hate this.

I wish things could be different.

I wish! I wish! I wish!

Jake started kicking his feet down on the floor again, his anger and frustration at the whole sequence of events that led him to this point bubbling over once more.

But then Jake suddenly realized something.

Jake could no longer hear Connor. There was no more cackling. There was no more taunting either. Was it possible that Connor had… gone?

But before Jake could get too excited, his hopes were dashed – and dashed in the most brutal way imaginable.

‘You might want to stop your fussing and listen to me,' Connor said, his voice sounding close like was pressed up against the bedroom door. ‘I've got your ID cards here. And all of your banking details too. Who the fuck writes all that shit down in a notebook?'

‘Hey, no,' Jake cried, his voice full of fear and desperation.

‘Yes, that'll do it,' Connor said, his voice dismissive and full of arrogance. ‘Now listen up. You either come out of your little hideout, or I'll be keeping your ID and all your other details with me. So you can forget about going anywhere's going anything, or ever escaping from me again.'

Jake let out a scream of sheer frustration, totally losing control of his emotions.

‘Ha! That's it, you just get comfortable with the fact that I won you now' Connor laughed. ‘And we can talk about exactly what you'll ned to do to get your life back soon too…'

Jake was horrified. He didn't know what to do. It was an impossible choice. If he didn't leave the bedroom then he knew full well that Connor would be in possession of his life savings, IDs, and everything that he needed to start a new life.

But if Jake did leave the bedroom, then Jake suspected that Connor might take things to a way darker place right there and then…