The Wrath

Chapter Seven

Later that evening Kat is walking by herself as its beginning to get dark, she is jangling some keys in her pocket. As she passes an alleyway a figure steps out behind her.
Kats head is pulled back and a knife appears in front of her throat. Kat freezes her eyes wide with fear, not daring to move or scream. When the knife grazes her throat, Kat speaks tentatively, "Michael?"

"Hey lady."

The knife moves away from her throat, and he releases his grip on her. Kat spins around furiously. Michael folds up his knife smiling. He was wearing baggy jeans, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Kat pushed him angrily then exploded at him,
"You arrogant arsehole, you scared the shit out of me."
Now that the danger had passed, her fear had turned to anger.

Not bothered by her outburst Michael put his knife in his pocket,
"You surprise me Kat. The trouble you're in I didn't think you would be so easy to catch off guard. I'm thinking you should be more cautious."

Breathing heavily and her heart starting to slow down to its usual rate Kat snapped back at him.
"Since when did you become the monkey boy for those conmen?"

"You cheeky bitch. I prefer the title of delivery boy," replied Michael.
"Or when there is no delivery to come, which I suspect, I am demoted to messenger. Which is why I'm here with you right now."

Kat rolls her eyes, spreads her arms then responds sarcastically,
"Let me save you the trouble. He wants his payment, right?"

Michael folded his arms regarding Kat sternly,
"How much longer are we going to stand here and pretend that you're not in serious trouble?"

Kat smiles appearing unbothered, "I'm sure that I'll figure something out. I always do."

"Really? How? Please do regale me with your flawless, brilliant plan."

Kat shrugged her shoulders,
"I'm not sure yet, but I've successfully managed to get myself out of these tight and difficult situations before," she reassured him.

Shaking his head slowly, Michael hung his head down.
"You've never choked on me before Kat."

"I'm not choking on you now," answered Kat sharply.

They both fell quiet, Kat staring into the distance trying to think of a way out of her dilemma. Michael ran a hand back over his short blonde hair, still gazing down at the floor.
"Kat, don't get any deeper into this than you already are. Just pay the money, then this will all be over with."

He turns away from her then hears Kat speak quietly, "I don't have it."

Michael turns around in shock. "What?"

"I don't have it," repeated Kat as Michael takes a step closer to her. "Don't you think I would pay him if I could."

He grabs the collar of her top then pulls her closer too him as her hands grip onto his arms.
"Are you shitting me?"

Kat is trying to pull away from him, but he's a lot stronger than she is, "Look, this doesn't concern you anymore. It's my problem and I will deal with it in my own way."

Michael releases her,
"It was your problem. God, you think it's that easy for me don't you? You think I can just walk away from this. Well, you've fucked both of us up, because I promised him, on my word that you would deliver."

Kat looks at him in disbelief,
"Why would you do such a dumb and reckless thing, you moron?"

"Because I believed you," Michael shouted.

Kat shouted back at him, "I never asked you too."

Michael starts pacing while gesturing angrily with his hands and continuing to shout,
"I'm your dealer, I kept coming to you. If you couldn't afford it then you should have told me, and I would have stopped supplying you. When you guaranteed me payment I stupidly believed you. Now I'm in as much trouble as you are."

"What do you want me to say?" Kat snapped back angrily.

"Do you remember who you're dealing with? If they don't get their pay up, they will dispatch everyone you care about then come after you last. You double-cross them and there will not be a place in this world where his freaky little minions won't find you."

Michael stops pacing, Him and Kat face each other. There is fear, obvious and clear in his eyes.

"They'll find you too," replied Kat quietly.

Michael backs away from Kat,
"I'm out of this, you're on your own."

"Wait, help me. I don't know what to do."

Michael shrugs his shoulders helplessly,
"You think I have the answer?"

Kat pleaded with him.
"Please don't leave me to deal with them alone."

She approached him, a desperate expression on her face as Michael regarded her with sympathy.

"What would you do in my situation?"

Shaking his head sadly, Michael lowered his eyes,
"I wouldn't let myself get in this situation. The only way out of this that I can suggest is, get a gun and blow your brains out. You're as good as dead Kat."

He shoves his hands in his pockets, then after giving her one last lingering look out of sad eyes he turned and walked away, leaving her alone.

She leant against the wall then shut her eyes. "Shit."

Covering her face with her hands, Kats shoulders started heaving as tears broke from her. The hands which are cupped around her face begin to shake uncontrollably. Kat lowers her hands staring at them in puzzlement out of teary eyes. Suddenly her legs buckle under her and she stumbles against the wall. She reaches out, grabbing hold of a drainpipe to steady herself, she shakes her head clear, then rubs her hands over her eyes. She lets a few moments pass until the dizziness and blurred vision has cleared. Then she pushes herself away from the wall and continues walking towards her house. Every footstep, every cracked twig or distant voice causing her to look around warily.

It seemed to her, that every step she took was heavy, her heart was hammering loudly and her breathing was laboured enough to be heard from miles away. She continually looked around, but saw nobody following her, although she felt certain that she was been watched. She stiffened, not moving at all as she heard the snap of a camera close by, then she heard a sound made by a glass bottle been accidently knocked, she glanced wildly all around. Out of the shadows she saw an empty glass bottle rolling across the path in front of her. Kat immediately took a couple of steps backwards before turning and running in the opposite direction.