My Cobra Guy

Episode Forty-Seven

***MATURE***VIOLENCE***

Daniel triple-checked the locks on the dealership. It was a reasonable way to procrastinate going home. He and Johnny hadn't spoken since the incident in the bathroom. He couldn't put off his duties as a sensei, though, no matter what the situation was between them.

As Daniel tested the large glass doors in the front of the building, his phone rang. It was Amanda. Again. She'd called so many times this week, but Daniel had not been up to the conversation he knew was coming.

"Daniel, what is going on?" she demanded. "Another karate riot? At an amusement park?"

Daniel sighed. "Sam's safe. The kids are safe. I was there. Johnny was there. We didn't think that was gonna hap—"

"Yeah, I know," Amanda said. "Kreese is unhinged. But you could at least answer your phone. We still need to be on the same page with our kids. Is she even safe at Miyagi-Do? You and Johnny aren't even getting along. Can you protect these kids?"

"Yeah. Johnny and I will keep them safe," Daniel promised.

"What's going on with you two?" Amanda asked. "And don't you dare lie to me."

Daniel clicked the button to unlock his car door. Guilt hit him. He really needed to sit down with Amanda one day and talk things out. He needed to come clean about his feelings. "It's complicated."

"Our daughter talks to me," Amanda said. "I saw you on top of him. But if Sam is living with the two of you, you both need to be responsible, and—"

Daniel's car shook as he opened the door. A grinning clown stood atop the roof. Daniel froze in absolute shock. The mask was familiar. That Glasgow smile. He tilted his head and tapped the tip of his knife, a drop of blood blossoming from the pad of his finger. A long tongue snaked out to lap the droplet. The clown cocked his head again.

Daniel shoved his phone in his pocket and sank into his fighting stance. He didn't even bother to turn it off. He could dimly hear Amanda still talking over the racing of his own pulse. Was the clown alone? Eyes sweeping left and right, Daniel almost missed when the clown jumped down, right at his face. Daniel barely dodged in time, though the clown had swung at him and that he couldn't dodge. He heard his expensive coat and shirt tear, felt the hot sting of metal cut his chest. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to make him stagger backwards.

The clown was huge but agile, quickly following Daniel, the knife swishing through the air at an incredible speed. Daniel ducked and tried to roll away, but the clown managed to land a foot on his calf. Grunting in pain, splayed on the ground, Daniel glanced up, waiting for the knife to come down. A fist hit him instead. His nose exploded in pain, the crunch of bone breaking bringing tears to his eyes. He barely had time to cry out when a foot stomped down on his right hand.

Next thing he knew, his ankles were grabbed and he was being dragged face down across the asphalt of the parking lot. His coat and shirt rode up, the concrete scraping his chest, cutting the flesh. He tried to find purchase with his hands but only bloodied his fingertips with his efforts. Daniel's head was reeling, his brain trying to understand what was happening.

"Amanda!" he cried out. Hadn't they been on the phone? Had she hung up? He wasn't sure. Colors were fading and before he could blink, another foot came down, bringing darkness.

* * * * *

Daniel came to with smelling salts under his nose. His ears were ringing and his eyes hurt. A bright light was shining in his face. His broken nose was screaming in agony. Where the hell was he? Rough hands lifted his head by his hair until he was looking up at the clown face. He was on his knees on a concrete floor. He heard chuckling to his right but he couldn't turn his head, the clown still gripping his hair firmly.

"Tell me, Danny-boy, did you ever think it would come to this?"

He knew that voice. Even as nausea roiled his stomach, he had enough of his senses to recognize Kreese's deep baritone. Kreese didn't wait for a reply, but bent into his line of vision to blow cigar smoke in his face. Where were they? He couldn't hear any sounds of traffic or people besides the asshole to his right. Had he been moved to a different location? Had long had he been out?

"Your little dojo is a joke. You should go ahead and close it down before things get really ugly."

Daniel was suddenly angry. Who the hell did this asshole think he was? How dare he kidnap him at his place of business. Even as the room spun, Daniel managed a chuckle.

"I think you've watched too many Lethal Weapon movies. Let me guess, a warehouse outside of town? Secret location? You're so predictable."

Kreese said nothing but must have given the clown some kind of signal because a fist connected with Daniel's jaw. Then again. And again.

"So predictable that you are still being ambushed though, hmm?" Kreese leaned over him again. "Tell me, how's my Johnny doing? He was my prized fighter, you know. The best of the best. Bad enough you beat him all those years ago, now you take him from me. I hear you two are even going out on dates."

Daniel gurgled a laugh as blood poured from his mouth. "Dates! You're worried about dates! I'm shoving my dick in his ass three times a day! Dates, ha! He loves it, too, you know. He begs for it. My little bitch-"

This time it was a kick that shut him up. Daniel heard a rib snap but he still tried to laugh. He had to laugh, because otherwise he would panic. He would give in to the pain and he would never get out of here alive. Perhaps he wouldn't anyway.

"What, what do you get out of this?" Daniel asked. "What the hell do you get out of turning kids into monsters? Do you beat off to the idea of one of your students abusing someone? Is that what gets you off?" The next kick landed square in his jaw and this time the crunch was from his front teeth breaking to pieces. As the clown continued to kick and punch, Kreese's voice sounded out. First to his right, then to his left, as if he were pacing and monologuing like some villain from a bad action movie.

"Oh, Danny-boy, you just don't get it. It's simple, really. I want Johnny back. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I always get my way."

The clown stood over him and put a hand to his neck, as if about to lift the mask, but Daniel never had a chance to see the bastard's face before he blacked out again.