Page 55 of Sadistic Retribution

“So?” Synn asks impatiently, tapping his foot with his arms crossed.

“It’s what I suspected,” I start to explain.

I tell them about my father’s fucked up dinner with Zara and her father, and the threats from my father.

“Hell no!” Synn yells. “I swear to fuck...”

“He threatened Killer.” I finish with, my jaw in a rigid line.

Trikk's face turns deathly white. Razor doesn’t look much better. Purge is shaking his head, saying “Nope... no... hell-to-the-fucking-no!"

I look at them each in turn. “It’s safe to say, since Synn and me both were set up, the rest of you will be too. The question is—why? What do they have to gain, besides even more power? And why now?”

Purge chews on his lip. “I have theories, but nothing I can even remotely prove at the moment. Add it to the ever-growing roster of shit I need to figure out.”

“Let’s table it in the short-term. We need to focus on getting Killer back first. Everyone in agreement?”

“Yep!” Trikk exclaims.

“Hell yeah,” Razor adds.

Synn just looks at me. “Duh, man.”

“Whoever sees Ghost first, relay this to him, please. I need to go shower off the stench of my father right now.”

I head off to the bathroom, my mind going a mile a minute.

Synn

I can’t sit the fuck still. I just want to run through that fucking fence—see if my Pazessca is in that building. It's electrified top to bottom. There are no gaps or ins of any kind. It's impossible to get past.

Trikk interrupts my chaotic thoughts. “Just talked to Harris, bro. Told him about the building. He said he’s looking into it.”

“Not good enough,” I growl.

“I get it, bro, but it’s all we got.”

Purge's voice sounds from inside his room. “Guys—there’s something weird with this mob shit. There's a family I’ve never heard of before. I can’t see the name or anything, but I’m seeing the mention of seven families—not six.”

I pace, around and around the room. “What the fuck is going on?”

“I’m still digging. It could be a mistake, or something else. This will take me a hot minute, so I’ll do my best.”

I grind my teeth, the scraping sound making my head hurt. Soon, Pazessca... hold on.

Phoenyxx

My stare is blank, my mind wonderfully empty. The only thing I feel is anger. And rage.

The masks walk me into an elevator, going up. We're let out onto a floor with nice decor and gleaming floors. I’m shuffled into a room, the door closing behind me.

“11! Congratulations on your breakthrough. It's time for the next step,” Demon announces.

I wait, not saying a word.

“You get a choice,” Demon continues. “You can go back to your cell block, fight, and stay there for good. Or...”

Horns finishes. “Or, you can work for us—for The Retreat itself. You would go back to general population, with your former peers. You would take orders directly from the Director.”