Read Online The System - A Detroit Story - by John Silver - Free Book Online
Authors: John Silver
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stared at the wallet. "Just drop it on the ground." He looked at the short guy who had his hands in the air. "You too."
The short guy reached around to his back pocket. As he pulled his wallet out he saw a giant in a track suit walk up behind Martin and slam him in the ribs with a baseball bat. The 38 flew out of Martin's hand. He made a small, short squawking sound and fell to the ground, wrapping himself in his arms, his legs making crawling motions against the rough asphalt.
"Pick up your wallets," said Vlad. He stood over Martin and looked down at him.
"Holy shit," said the short guy. He and the tall guy picked up their wallets.
"Gentlemen, I apologize," said Vlad.
"Shouldn't we call the cops?" said the tall guy.
"No," said the short guy. "Cindy doesn't know I'm here. If she finds out I've been spending money at tittie bars again, I'm dead," he said. "She'll leave. This time for real."
"Don't worry," said Vlad. "I will take care of this."
Martin let out a cry and gasped for air. Vlad faced the two men. "Come back again. See the man at the door," he said. "Tell him the boss said for you to have special treatment. On the house." Vlad smiled then turned and looked down at Martin. "Forget this. Now go."
"Okay, man. Whatever you say," said the tall guy. The two men got in their car, backed out, drove through the parking lot and turned onto 8 Mile road. The short guy in the passenger seat looked back and in the shadows saw Vlad standing over Martin.
Vlad tapped Martin in the head with the bat. It had been awhile. He was going to enjoy himself. The bouncer pulled up in a non-descript black Ford Taurus and popped open the trunk. Vlad hit Martin in the head hard enough to knock him out, but not do any severe damage. He wanted him awake and alert when the time was right.
* *
Martin came to, arms and legs tied to a wooden chair, his mouth gagged with a filthy strip of cotton bed sheet. He blinked and tried to hold his hands to his head but they wouldn't move. Martin pulled at the ropes, but every exertion caused his head to throb.
Vlad circled him. Martin looked up and followed him slowly with his eyes.
"You try to come in my club when you are told to leave," said Vlad, circling slowly. "Then, you try to rob my customers. In my parking lot. At my club."
Vlad stopped in front of Martin's face.
"Very bad for business," said Vlad. "And for you." He pulled a pair of wire cutters from his back pocket. "You know, in some countries they cut off a thief's hands." Vlad held the cutters in front of Martin's face and snapped them open and shut. "I think you will learn a better lesson this way."
Martin's eyes widened and he shook his head from side to side, jumping in the chair. Vlad held down Martin's left hand and cut off his thumb, hearing the gristle pop and the bone snap. Martin screamed through the gag, then let out a succession of long sobs. Vlad quickly held down Martin's other hand and cut off Martin's right thumb.
Vlad held up the thumb so Martin could see it.
"Now, you can no longer hold a gun," said Vlad.
Martin moaned through the gag.
"But still," said Vlad. "Maybe a knife?" Vlad held down Martin's right hand. Martin looked down at his mangled hand, looked at Vlad, made noise and shook his head.
"Do you have something to say?"
Martin shook his head up and down.
Vlad pulled the dirty rag from Martin's mouth. Martin's head dropped, spittle running down his chin. "Please," he whispered.
"Have you learned your lesson?" said Vlad.
"Please…yes," said Martin.
"Will you ever try to steal from my customers again?" said Vlad.
"No," said Martin. "Never. Please…."
Vlad looked down at him, and held down Martin's right hand. "I want to make sure" he said. Vlad quickly cut off the four fingers on Martin's right hand, starting with the index finger. Martin screamed. Vlad was amused at the power behind the outcry, coming from such a little man. The fingers dropped to the floor, one by one. Martin
The short guy reached around to his back pocket. As he pulled his wallet out he saw a giant in a track suit walk up behind Martin and slam him in the ribs with a baseball bat. The 38 flew out of Martin's hand. He made a small, short squawking sound and fell to the ground, wrapping himself in his arms, his legs making crawling motions against the rough asphalt.
"Pick up your wallets," said Vlad. He stood over Martin and looked down at him.
"Holy shit," said the short guy. He and the tall guy picked up their wallets.
"Gentlemen, I apologize," said Vlad.
"Shouldn't we call the cops?" said the tall guy.
"No," said the short guy. "Cindy doesn't know I'm here. If she finds out I've been spending money at tittie bars again, I'm dead," he said. "She'll leave. This time for real."
"Don't worry," said Vlad. "I will take care of this."
Martin let out a cry and gasped for air. Vlad faced the two men. "Come back again. See the man at the door," he said. "Tell him the boss said for you to have special treatment. On the house." Vlad smiled then turned and looked down at Martin. "Forget this. Now go."
"Okay, man. Whatever you say," said the tall guy. The two men got in their car, backed out, drove through the parking lot and turned onto 8 Mile road. The short guy in the passenger seat looked back and in the shadows saw Vlad standing over Martin.
Vlad tapped Martin in the head with the bat. It had been awhile. He was going to enjoy himself. The bouncer pulled up in a non-descript black Ford Taurus and popped open the trunk. Vlad hit Martin in the head hard enough to knock him out, but not do any severe damage. He wanted him awake and alert when the time was right.
* *
Martin came to, arms and legs tied to a wooden chair, his mouth gagged with a filthy strip of cotton bed sheet. He blinked and tried to hold his hands to his head but they wouldn't move. Martin pulled at the ropes, but every exertion caused his head to throb.
Vlad circled him. Martin looked up and followed him slowly with his eyes.
"You try to come in my club when you are told to leave," said Vlad, circling slowly. "Then, you try to rob my customers. In my parking lot. At my club."
Vlad stopped in front of Martin's face.
"Very bad for business," said Vlad. "And for you." He pulled a pair of wire cutters from his back pocket. "You know, in some countries they cut off a thief's hands." Vlad held the cutters in front of Martin's face and snapped them open and shut. "I think you will learn a better lesson this way."
Martin's eyes widened and he shook his head from side to side, jumping in the chair. Vlad held down Martin's left hand and cut off his thumb, hearing the gristle pop and the bone snap. Martin screamed through the gag, then let out a succession of long sobs. Vlad quickly held down Martin's other hand and cut off Martin's right thumb.
Vlad held up the thumb so Martin could see it.
"Now, you can no longer hold a gun," said Vlad.
Martin moaned through the gag.
"But still," said Vlad. "Maybe a knife?" Vlad held down Martin's right hand. Martin looked down at his mangled hand, looked at Vlad, made noise and shook his head.
"Do you have something to say?"
Martin shook his head up and down.
Vlad pulled the dirty rag from Martin's mouth. Martin's head dropped, spittle running down his chin. "Please," he whispered.
"Have you learned your lesson?" said Vlad.
"Please…yes," said Martin.
"Will you ever try to steal from my customers again?" said Vlad.
"No," said Martin. "Never. Please…."
Vlad looked down at him, and held down Martin's right hand. "I want to make sure" he said. Vlad quickly cut off the four fingers on Martin's right hand, starting with the index finger. Martin screamed. Vlad was amused at the power behind the outcry, coming from such a little man. The fingers dropped to the floor, one by one. Martin
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