Henry Townshend is a ghost magnet (room_302) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-02-16 04:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, henry townshend |
Who: Henry and NPC!Debt Collectors
What: A case of mistaken identity gets Henry into trouble
WhenVery early this morning
Where: Henry's apartment then Orange County's scuzziest motel
Rating/Warning: Medium - mild violence and lots of cursing
Status: Complete Narrative
It hadn’t been Henry’s original intent to stay out all night. When a couple of the actors and crew at the porn studio had invited him to come hang out with them at a local bar after a late afternoon shoot, Henry had agreed with the idea that he’d have two beers and then head home. Apparently with everything that had been going on lately, more bad weather and odd-as-ass reports coming in from both the news and the network, Henry had been in need of the distraction. Two beers turned to five beers and two tequila shots and by the time Henry staggered into the lobby of his apartment building it was quickly approaching one in the morning.
Though he wasn’t falling down drunk, Henry had not been in much of a condition to drive. He’d left his car at the studio, which had been only a couple blocks from the bar, and took a cab back to his apartment. The lobby was empty and eerily quiet when he entered. The lights in the scones on the walls had been dimmed for the evening, which Henry appreciated. He should not have had those tequila shots. His head was already starting to throb letting him know the old rhyme of “beer before liquor, never been sicker” was more than just a clever little diddy. It was wisdom he would do well to remember next time.
Henry leaned against the wall as he waited for the elevator to come down from one of the upper floors and collect him. He closed his eyes and waited for the pleasant little ding that would indicate the elevator had arrived.
As he waited another man entered the lobby. From where he stood, Henry watched him cross the lobby towards the elevator bank. He didn’t recognize the short stocky individual dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a t-shirt, but it was a sizable apartment building and Henry barely knew the people who lived on his own floor. The man was dressed a little odd considering the bizarre weather they’d been having recently, but Henry didn’t give it much thought. He’d taken advantage of a clear sunny day as well and left his raincoat and umbrella at home soaking in cold water in vain hopes he’d get the blood stains out.
“Evening,” the man looked him over before nodding politely. “Long night?”
Did he look that bad? Henry pushed himself off the wall in hopes to gather himself together a little more if he had to interact with this person. “Yeah, could say that. Went out with coworkers. Celebratin’ the end of a long project.”
“Ah,” the man nodded as if he understood. “Congratulations then.”
The elevator arrived and both Henry and the stocky man stepped inside. Henry hit the button for his floor first. The man pressed the button for the floor below his. The elevator doors closed and the car started moving upwards.
Henry situated himself in the back corner, using both walls to lean against. He wasn’t up for anymore small talk and was relieved when his companion remained quiet. The floors ticked away and finally the elevator came to a stop to let the stocky man out. Henry opened an eye to see they were at the fifth floor. One more stop and he’d be able to drop into bed.
“Good night, Mr. Townshend,” the man said as he stepped off.
“Night,” Henry yawned back.
It was only a few minutes later when Henry made his way down the hall towards his apartment door. He had fished his keys out of his pocket and was debating on whether or not he should send Revy a text and ask her for a ride in the morning. She was probably dead asleep at this hour and likely wouldn’t be pleased to be woken up by her phone buzzing on her night stand. It would probably be better to pester her in the morning.
He’d reached his door at this point. He unlocked both locks and had just started to open the door itself when something rammed into him from behind causing him to go crashing through the entryway and sprawl face first on his floor. He tried to scramble to his feet and turn around at the same time. He caught a brief glimpse of two figures in his doorway silhouetted by the soft light in the hallway behind them. Before Henry could process what the hell was happening the two figures were on him, grabbing for his legs.
Headache now forgotten, Henry kicked them off and scrambled to his feet. There was no time for him to process what was happening. His only thought was escape. The two men were blocking the door. Henry looked over his shoulder at the sliding door that lead to his balcony. No good. He was six stories up. Even if he beat the odds and survived the fall onto the concrete parking lot, he’d likely break every bone in his body.
They were coming at him again. In the fluorescent light leaking into his living room through the slats from the streetlamps outside, Henry could just barely make out their forms in the darkness. He tried to dodge out of the way of the first one who came at him, but caught the second directly in the chest. The two of them tumbled over the coffee table, knocking it on it’s side and completely upsetting the books and magazines on it.
The air knocked out of him for a moment, Henry scrambled out from underneath his attacker and tried to run for the door. His foot caught on the leg of the upturned coffee table, causing him to stumble. It was just enough of a delay for one of the men to grab him by the ankle. Once again Henry fell face first onto the floor. What little air he’d managed to get back all left him in a whoosh. Dazed for a moment, Henry went into survival mode in which all he could do was kick and thrash his legs violently until the grip on his ankle was released. Free again, Henry jerked to his feet. He grabbed whatever he could get his hands on in the immediate area – books, DVD cases, a vase his grandmother had given him – and hurled them at his attackers.
The gun from his dreams was in his bedroom. If he could get to it, the entire tide of the fight would be turned. Henry turned and started for the short hallway that lead to his bedroom. He almost made it. He was only a few steps shy when a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back by his shirt. He was wrestled to the ground. Henry still was unable to process what was going on. The last thing he remembered was being punched square in the face.
****
The next thing Henry was aware of were voices. They were muffled and Henry couldn’t make out what they were saying at first. It took a moment before his ears decided to work properly again.
“That bitch had better come through” an unidentified male voice was saying. “The sooner we can get out of this place the better. It’s freaky here, man!”
“Shut up,” said a second voice, this one female. No sooner had she barked out her order then someone had Henry’s face gripped by the chin. “Hey. You. I know you’re awake. Open your eyes.”
Her voice was like a pick-ax through Henry’s pounding head. Slowly Henry opened his eyes. His left eye felt swollen and puffy. His view was completely taken up by a face of a woman. She was Asian, with a powerful looking neck. The sides of her head were shaved with the top left long and styled up in a very pointy and crunchy looking Mohawk. Henry’s amber eyes searched upwards to see just how far her hair could defy gravity.
The grip on his face tightened and drew his eyes back down. He said nothing and just looked at the woman blankly. Her almond shaped eyes were scrunched up at the corners as she looked back, as if she were scrutinizing him. “Are you retarded or somethin’?” She asked finally.
“Wha?” Henry tried to say with his cheeks all scrunched up in her hand.
“You wake up in a strange place with strange people and you don’t even ask where you are,” the woman said, “all you can do is fucking stare at me? You’re a creepy sonovabitch.”
Slowly the events of the night previous came back to Henry, hazed over due to alcohol and adrenalin. Along with them came aches and pains all over his body and the sensation that his hands were tied behind his back. He tested the bonds and found them to be plastic - probably zip ties - they were pulled tight around his wrists. He wasn’t going to be able to work his hands free.
This had to be a nightmare. Henry wanted this to be a part of his Dreams so badly, but he knew better. There were no monsters trying to gnaw on his butt and the woman in front of him was no ghost. He wasn’t going to wake up in his bed in a few hours. This was really happening and Henry had no idea why. He was a nobody, not important enough to be a blip on anyone’s radar.
Henry swallowed hard and licked at his dry cracked lips. “Who are you?” He asked finally, “What do you want from me?”
The woman let go of Henry’s face and sat back letting Henry get a better look at what was probably the dirtiest hotel in the entire county. Maybe even the entire state of California. Henry was glad the hit in the face last night had clogged his sinuses. This place looked as though it stank.
“Your girlfriend owes us money, Hank.” The woman got up from the foot of the bed she’d been sitting on to stand over Henry with her arms folded in what was actually a very intimidating pose.
“Girlfriend?” Henry stared. “I don’t have a girl-“
“Don’t even start that crap,” the woman with the Mohawk snapped at him. “We’ve been watching you, you know, Hank. Reeeeally closely. You’re with Rebecca way too much to be some kind of side fuck on the DL, catch me?”
Henry felt as though he’d fallen down a rabbit hole. Who the fuck was Rebecca?!
“I’m serious,” Henry protested. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t even know any Rebeccas.”
Lady Mohawk narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly she didn’t believe him and Henry had no idea how he’d be able to convince her otherwise.
“I don’t!” He insisted. “Look, you want money, right? You can have whatever I have in my wallet if you let me go, ok? Just take it and let me go. I’ll walk out and forget all about this, I swear.”
Lady Mohawk didn’t look as though she believed that either. “Just like I told ‘Becca before, I’m not here for chump change. I’m getting my $30k, one way or another.”
$30,000.00. Jesus Christ, that was a lot of money. Wait… Hadn’t Revy mentioned a few weeks ago that she owed some crazy asshole back east $30k? Henry’s heart dropped. Holy fuck they were after Revy. Then his eyes widened. Holy fuck, they thought he was Revy’s boyfriend?!
The laugh that bubbled out of him surprised not only his kidnappers, but Henry too. A quick smack across the face from the same stocky man who had ridden the elevator with Henry the night before shut him up nearly instantly.
“You think this is funny?!” Lady Mohawk screeched at him. She reminded Henry a little of a pterodactyl with her hair spiked up like that. She grabbed his face again. “Do you, Hank?!”
Henry narrowed his eyes at her. “My name is Henry,” he said.
Lady Mohawk grunted. “Your name is going to be hamburger meat if ‘Becca doesn’t cough up my money.”
“You think she’s going to care what you do to me?” Henry asked.
Here the anger seemed to melt away from Lady Mohawk’s features and was replaced by a gleeful grin. She released Henry’s face. “You better hope she does, Hank.” She patted his cheek almost tenderly.
She took a couple of steps back and removed a cell phone from where it had been tucked into her cleavage. She used it to take a picture of Henry trussed up on the motel’s dingy looking bed. She handed the phone to flunky with the instruction that “Becca” was to receive the picture with an adequate threat about sending body parts next.
Henry narrowed his eyes. These guys were idiots. All they were going to succeed in doing was pissing off Orange County’s Big Bad Bitch. He’d kick their asses himself if he could move, or knew how to kick someone’s ass.
Lady Mohawk had Henry gagged, something about not wanting to listen to him for the next several hours. She then made herself comfortable on the room’s second bed and made a show about inspecting her gun, just in case “Hank” got any cute ideas.
Henry had no cute ideas. All he could do was sit and wait and wonder what Revy was going to do when she realized what happened. Despite what he’d said before, he didn’t believe she was going to let him sit there and rot and he was sure she wasn’t going to just give in to what Lady Mohawk demanded either. These guys were stupid, but they were tough. Henry’s throbbing head and aching body was proof enough of that.
There was nothing he could do to stop what had already been put in motion. All he could do was sit there and listen to the sounds of Orange County raining blood outside.