Free Kaleidoscope by Ethan Spier Page A

Both he and Kelser stepped inside and shut the door behind them.
    "You're an elusive man Deacon," Richards said, moving towards him.
    Deacon retreated back into the flat, his eyes wide as they darted between the two men.
    "I don't know what that bastard Travis told you but I don't have that money." he said, still moving backwards until his spine finally hit the wall behind him. "He's been trying to stitch me up with that shit for a while now."
    "We know you have that money; there really isn't any point in denying it. You know what this man is capable of." Richards nodded in Kelser's direction, who walked over to the window and slid the small, worn curtain closed. The room was bathed in semi-darkness. "Tell us where the money is and we'll leave you alone."
    Deacon watched as Kelser moved slowly around the room, circling like a vulture and gazing at him with unsettling intensity. Kelser raised a hand and scratched his cheek, just below the thick scar that arched around his face.
    "I don't have the money; I don't know where it is." Deacon said in a low whisper, not daring to take his eyes from Kelser.
    Richards shook his head slowly and went over to the other side of the room where he picked up a small wooden stool. He placed the stool in the centre of the room and glanced at his companion. Kelser pulled out a gun and pointed it at Deacon.
    "No, please God no," Deacon said, instinctively raising his hands and closing his eyes tight.
    "Sit down," Kelser sneered, nodding in the direction of the chair.
    Shaking, Deacon moved over to the stool and sat down, the wood creaking as it bore his weight. His eyes were fixed on Kelser as Richards walked around and grabbed his arms then used cable ties to secure them behind his back.
    "Please, you don't need to do this," Deacon pleaded.
    Kelser put his gun away and approached the terrified man. He stood before him for a moment, staring down without the slightest hint of emotion on his face. Deacon felt fear wash through him as he gazed up into Kelser's eyes; there was nothing behind them, just a void.
    Suddenly Kelser moved behind him and Deacon felt him grab one of his fingers. Before he had time to scream, he felt Kelser grip hard and pull it backwards. He heard a crack before an intense pain radiated through his hand and up his arm.
    "Aarrgh!" The guttural cry left Deacons mouth involuntarily.
    "Where is the money?" Kelser asked quietly as he moved around the front again.
    Richards stepped forward and leaned closer to Deacon, whose face contorted with pain. "Tell us where the money is and we leave, it's as simple as that," he said.
    "I don't have the money." Deacon looked up as sweat and tears fell down his face.
    Kelser stepped forward and swung a fist into Deacon's face.

    ***
     

    Kelser washed his hands in the bathroom as he gazed into the mirror, his own vacant expression staring back at him. Deacon's blood was diluted with the running water and flowed down the sink. It had taken almost thirty minutes before Deacon broke. He had sustained a broken nose, three broken fingers and a heavily bruised torso before finally relenting. Kelser thought it was amazing how much pain some people could endure in the hope of wealth. Deacon had begged them to stop and eventually told them that he had placed the money in a safe-deposit box. He gave them the bank's location and the pass code for the box as blood fell from his crooked nose. Kelser had even allowed the hint of a smile creep onto his face when Deacon finally gave up his secret.
    He dried his hands on a towel then went to leave the bathroom and return to Richards in the front room. As he stepped close to the door he heard the sound of low whispering from the other side and leaned forward. He could hear Richards saying something to Deacon, who was still sitting on the small wooden stool. The sound wasn't clear but Kelser managed to make out several words.
    "...police... testify... Hellam... protection."
    Kelser stood by the door for a few