The Cunning

86

Puss leaked from the corners of Harvey's mouth, crusting over, emanating a putrid smell from the dead skin cells and bacteria festering in the wounds. The debit card had torn the muscle, but it was his yell that followed Jase's fist that had done most of the damage, ripping the skin further up his cheek, stopping a few inches from his earlobe.

His phone vibrated with a message from Mitch to let him know they would be picking him up in the next hour, providing he was able to talk. Harvey replied, telling them he would be ready. He winced, dabbing a wet cloth over the gruesome lesions, avoiding the mirror in a futile attempt to forget that Jase had permanently scarred him.

Mitch had taken Harvey's side, assuring he did well to tell them about the car bomb. Because of this, Mitch had promised the youngster that he would make Jase pay. Harvey could only pray he would keep his word. Jase and his merry nutcases were not the kind of people he wanted to remain on the wrong side of.

Mitch was leaning on his car outside. He hissed inwards through his teeth at the sight of Harvey. Jase had hit him twice. The first had caused the most damage, the second had broke his nose, leaving him with two glorious lavender eyes. He was just grateful they weren't still swollen shut.

"Fuck me. You look like you're on your way to audition for the Joker in the next Batman," Mitch grinned.

Harvey looked at him through his lashes, he wasn't ready to make jokes yet.

"Where are we going?" he mumbled, unable to move his mouth much.

Mitch flicked the butt of a hand rolled cigarette onto the road, opening the drivers side door. "To see a friend. Come on, get in."

They drove in near silence with the radio on low playing an Elton John CD. About fifteen minutes later, they turned onto an estate Harvey didn't recognise. Mitch parked on the driveway of a semi-detached house with closed curtains and graffiti on the garage door.

Harvey was apprehensive to follow Mitch inside. He didn't feel it was particularly wise to blindly step into another house with another dangerous man when no one knew where he was. Not that there was anyone out there that would run to his aid anymore. Mitch turned to see that Harvey was still sitting in the passenger seat.

"Are you coming or what?" he shouted.

The house opened up into a dining room with a large rectangular table up against the wall and a two seater sofa beneath the window with closed curtains. From the front door, Harvey could see through to the kitchen and living room. Both rooms were empty. Three men sat around the tabe. Two of them had been at the warehouse the other night.

"Fucking state of you," one of them said. Harvey didn't reply, lowering himself into the chair Mitch pulled out and pointed at.

"Did Jase do that to you?" another questioned.

"Him and his psycho girlfriend," Harvey muttered.

Mitch raised his brows, chucking a lighter into the middle and sitting at the head of the table. "He has a girlfriend?" He blew cigarette smoke directly at Harvey, "I've heard about him having a soft spot for one of the house girls but I didn't realise she was his girlfriend."

Harvey shook his head and then scrunched his nose up, flinching at the pull of his cheek muscles.

"Not really. She's just one of the girls that live there, but Jase has taken a shine to her."

"What makes her so different?" he asked. Harvey looked at the table, specifically on the cigarettes. Mitch noticed and slid them over.

"I don't know. Probably 'cause she's a head-case with tits. This was her idea." He pointed to his lips. Mitch nodded slowly, inhaling from his cigarette, studying Harvey's developing scars. It was gruesome, the act and the aftermath of a Chelsea grin. It certainly wasn't a sight for the faint-hearted. Definitely not something the average girl would suggest as ample punishment.

Talking about Madison made Harvey nervous, as if she could hear him. Jase was terrifying in a confrontation but at least you knew when you were in trouble with him. Madison wasn't so easy to read, leading him into a false sense of security. He couldn't shake the look she'd given him. Those fake pitying eyes were there every time he closed his own. When he recalled how calm she'd been, like the whole thing was a game, he shuddered.

"She told him not to kill me and give me this as some sort of sick warning." He was shaking his head furiously at the memory, still so clear in his head he could practically feel the piss warming his groin area. "Something's not right about her, she's fucking unhinged." He lit the cigarette. "At first, I thought she was helping me, turns out she's as fucked in the head as Jase is. And he seems to like it. It's like they live in this fucked up little space together."

Mitch cocked his head. Harvey probably wasn't the only one aware of the impact this girl had on Jase. He would put money on plenty of people in their inner circle being just as pissed about it. She might be able to play an important part in his plan.

"What's this girls name?"