No Good People

Once home he showered, changed into casual but neat, brushed his hair, his teeth, and brushed the mud off his shoes. His mom asked him where he was going and he just said 'out'. It wasn't rude; it was just the sort of thing an eighteen year old told his mom. Kob never called but time was getting close to 45 minutes, and waiting was torture.

At 42 minutes he set off, making sure his mom didn't notice he was going up the street, not down toward the bus. The yellow car was still there, a Camaro. Nice, but an awful color. Further up across the street was a white Mercedes. Matt couldn't tell the model but it was a big one. There was a fat guy sat in the passenger seat with his mobile to his ear but not talking. Strange. This was a quiet street, usually with plenty of room for visitors in the driveways; there was no real need to park down on the street.

At exactly forty-five minutes Matt rang on the doorbell. He heard a far-off chime. No one came running. Nervous and wondering if it had been heard, he hesitated over ringing the door again. Ringing twice would seem pushy, right?

Inside the house the sound of the door chime raised hairs on everybody. Ricky dashed down front to slyly peer through the curtains. His mobile rang silent.

"Vince, who is it?"

"Some kid. He came out of one of the houses down the street then walked in."

"What's he look like?"

"Nervous, he looks nervous. "

"Ok. Stay on the line."

Ricky put the phone down to his side. Boyfriend? Unlikely if he's nervous. The lad probably likes her, but he's not familiar with visiting here. He probably saw her walk past his house. He knows she's in here, or he wouldn't have come. He looked down the hall; there was no movement from the daughter's room or bathroom. Maybe she was still in the shower? Drying her hair? Maybe the girls heard but Maria stopped Kob from coming down.

As Ricky returned to the back room the chime rang a second time.

"Okay, we're going to have to deal with this. You, Buff, undo her. Mrs. Braithwaite, follow me."

Ricky led her toward the front door.

"Mrs. Braithwaite, this is important. Last time we were in a situation like this you did very well, and no one got hurt right? You remember? Some lad, probably a friend of your daughters is out there. I need you to get rid of him, just send him on his way. Do you understand?"

Marj looked panicked.

"Mrs. Braithwaite, do you hear me? You need to get rid of this boy. No suspicion, otherwise you could be hurting people. Do you understand?"

Marj nodded. Ricky stood behind the door as Marj opened it, right on the third chime.

"Oh, Mrs. Braithwaite, I'm so sorry," Matt jumped out of his skin at the door opening with his finger still on the button.

"What...what can I do for you? Matt, is it?"

"Yes, that's right, Matt, from down...down the street," he was taken aback; he didn't think Kob's mom would remember him; it had been a long time since they'd seen each other.

"Matt, now's not a good time," Marj said and made to close the door.

Huh? Matt flew into a panic. Now's not good? It had to be now, Kob was meant to talk with her mom and get things sorted so he could get into her pants. If Kob's mom brushed him off, it would delay him fucking her daughter. He had to do something. He wanted to get into Kob's pants, today if he could.

"Ah, Mrs. Braithwaite, please, wait," he jumped in and held the door she was trying to close. "I'm not sure...ah...did Kob have a chance to talk with you?"

"No," she said, honestly not knowing what he was talking about. Matt could see she wasn't kidding.

"Kob, I saw her come home, she was going to ask you..."

"What?" Marj snapped, the stress getting to her. Right behind the door was a very nasty man whom she suspected was losing patience.

"Ah, well, Kob was going to talk with you about ah...well..."

It didn't look to Marj that this kid was going anywhere soon. She stepped up close to him and whispered in his ear.

"Look, Matt, listen to me, this isn't a good time. Please go. Now," she said, but couldn't resist the chance to whisper, "Call the police."

She stepped back quickly and closed the door on Matt.

Ricky's phone was still connected with Vince and it yelled at him.

"What?" Ricky said as Marj was locking the door.

"Ricky. She told him something. I guarantee it. She whispered something and his jaw dropped and he's looking right at me. She told him something, I guarantee it!"

Ricky didn't answer, he moved to Marj's side and pumped his fist into her solar plexus to drop her to the ground and stop her from running. The second after, he unfastened the door, swept out onto the porch and grabbed a confused and stunned Matt by the scruff of the neck and pulled him into the house, also dropping him with a punch to the stomach. It wasn't about pain or damage, just efficiency. Handling two people was always difficult by yourself. If the weakest two people in the world ran off in opposite directions, you would lose one of them, guaranteed. Being strong is only useful for one GPS point.

Taking advantage of the element of surprise, he lifted both of them by their collars and ran them down the hall to the back room.

"Secure her," he told the smaller guy.

"What have you done to her?" yelled Michael.

"Not me," Ricky said calmly, but puffing. "Ask her what she's done."

Marj was crying as she was re-cuffed to her chain. Ricky pulled Matt's hair up sharply at the front, looking into his face.

"Where do your parents think you are?"

Matt didn't answer. Ricky laughed. He could tell Matt had come here in secret. He was swift to give the order to Buff.

"Swimming."

Buff understood. He came over and picked Matt up to his feet, then kidney-punched him back to his knees - making him scared and compliant enough to pick up and drag out to the back garden. Buff lay himself and Matt on the edge of the pool deck and grasped Matt's hair and neck. He pushed his head under the water.

After a bloodcurdling scream Marj fainted, half-hanging by her wrists. Michael tried to prop her up but it wasn't easy with his hands cuffed behind him. As terrifying as it was, he couldn't help but be drawn to watch the battle outside. And it had become a battle. Matt lost his fear of action, realizing he was in mortal danger. He fought and kicked and twisted. But Buff was called Buff for a reason. He wrapped Matt's body in his legs and held him firm, Matt's head constantly under water. As much as he tried to save himself, the life and the oxygen were running out. The light dulled.

As darkness crept in Ricky stepped up beside the two men and pulled Matt's body from the water, laying him sideways to the pool. Matt gasped as he fought back the blackness, forcing water out of his lungs and air in. Ricky watched him cling to, then regain life before kneeling down to his face, smiling.

"You almost died," he said coldly and clinically, waiting for Matt to look up and recognize what he had just said. "Can you hear me? Yes? You almost fucking died. Well, son, I'm sorry to say this is just a delay. I wanted to make sure you knew what was going to happen. In a few minutes you're going to be on the ground here, just where you are now, dead. Now me, I'm going to be in the house over there fucking the shit out of the Braithwaite daughter while your body is getting cold here on the tiles. All that stuff you wanted to do in life, gone. Your girl in there, she'll be pregnant to me and you'll be right here, fucking dead. Can you imagine? Well, you can soon enough. In less than three minutes from now you'll be gone from this world. Fucking amazing huh? Just like that. Gone. Has it been worth it, have you had a good life? I hope so, because it's all finished now, and it's going to hurt."

Ricky used to talk like that to bugs before he squashed them as a kid, and to cats and squirrels before he shot them as a teen. He'd perfected the tone as much as he could to horrify.

"Please. Don't."

"Buff, he's yours."

Matt was sobbing. If he'd had the strength he would have cried out to beg for his life, but the air hadn't circulated enough energy back into his soul. This time when the water came into his lungs it didn't come back out. When the darkness came, it stayed. Just as Ricky promised he became a corpse lying alongside the Braithwaite's pool.

Standing up, Buff looked at Ricky who gave an approving nod.

"Bring the car through the garage," he told him.

Marj came to, but Michael and her were in shock. They clung to each other as best they could, the handcuffs not long enough to allow them to drop to the ground. They stood and pushed into each other, gasping and groaning. Matt's body lay prone on the pool deck.

Ricky didn't talk to the Braithwaites, he quietly and efficiently helped organize the moving of cars to allow their own through the garage and lift Matt's body into the trunk of the Mercedes. Vince and he spoke in the privacy of the garage.

"Once we've finished the main event here, go throw him off a bridge, a high one with strong impact. Hopefully those lazy bastards won't notice the chlorine in the water. Make it look like the Braithwaite girl turned him down, scratch some message on the wall or footpath with a stone. Got it?"

Vince nodded. He was experienced at his craft.

Ricky returned to the back room, closing the door to the patio and pool.

"Well, that kept us busy while we waited," he said calmly.

"You monster," Michael growled.

Ricky came in close to Michael.

"Let's get this straight. That lad was out the door and seconds from away from his own safe life when your wife drew him in. She killed that young boy, Mr. Braithwaite. Don't you ever doubt it."

Ricky left the Braithwaites with Buff and the other 'moron' to check on Maria and the daughter.

"Almost done," Maria ducked out to tell him. "What's with all the cars moving around?"

"I'll tell you later. When you're ready, bring her into the front room, and don't take her back down to see her parents again, is that clear? Let me know?"

********************

Maria presented Kob to Ricky in the front living room almost as a chaperone would; it was a strangely formal mood. Afterward she 'retired' to the back room to help look over Kob's parents.

"Please, sit," Ricky asked politely, smiling.

Kob stumbled slightly, she had taken her contacts out in her bathroom and wasn't wearing glasses. Ricky noticed and helped her around the coffee table to sit on the sofa. At first he remained standing.

"Did Maria explain why we are here, what is expected of you?"

Kob shook her head slowly.

"Nothing at all?" Ricky clarified.

Again Kob shook her head.

"Well, okay, that's...okay, where do we start? My dad and your dad do business together. Mostly it's gone very well; both our parents are good at what they do. But occasionally, just occasionally your dad hasn't delivered his end on time. When that happens we ask politely - twice. But sometimes he forgets how important we are to him, what we've done for him, he gets too busy with other things so we give him gentle reminders. Do you know what I mean?"

Kob morosely shook her head and Ricky laughed.

"I guess not, huh? Well, let me put it this way, my family delivers on time every time, without fail. Never once have we been late. Your dad however has a tendency to deliver late at times. When he's really late we give a penalty. Does that make sense?"

"I guess," Kob whispered.

"We've only actually had to give a penalty once before this, so let's keep things in perspective; overall the relationship has been very good. The first time was almost five years ago. Now this is the second time. Do you understand what the penalty is, Kathryn?"

Kob looked at him. She didn't know what to say. Ricky could see the terror in her face.

"It means I now have permission to kiss you," Ricky told her, pausing to let that sink in. Kob was thrown. The thought of having her face so close to this strange man that their lips would touch, it frightened her - but there had been a brief moment where she had feared much worse, to which kissing seemed mild.

"Kathryn, are you listening?"

Kob neither nodded nor shook her head but she did come back to attention, looking him in the eye. She wanted dearly to know her exact fate, but at the same time dreaded it. Ricky pushed away the heavy wooden coffee table and knelt in front of the sofa where she sat. She wore her school socks with no shoes, a tartan knee-length skirt and a pale blue shirt. There was a tie that was part of the uniform but she rarely wore it. Sitting as she was, her knees were bare and shaking as she tried to hold them still. Her whole body jumped as Ricky reached out to steady them.

"Kathryn. This isn't your fault, but you and I are going to kiss. If you don't, bad things will happen to your mom and dad. Do you understand that?"

Kob screwed up her face and began crying. Ricky learned years ago to ignore tears.

"Kathryn. I need you to answer. Do you understand?"

Kob looked up and nodded slightly. Ricky leaned over to the tissue box on the coffee table and used the soft paper to wipe Kob's face. They had all the time in the world, the sun was still high in the sky, streaming into the front room. Ricky had all afternoon and night if needed; there were no other pressing engagements when such a beautiful young thing was available.

"We're not going out, so you can take your socks off if you like," he said gently.

Her feet were hot so she didn't stop him removing them. He held and massaged her arches but Kob was too afraid to feel any relief.

"Kathryn. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Kob lifted her chin and looked at him. She hadn't expected anything personal would come up. He asked the question again. Kob nodded.

"Where does he live?" Ricky asked casually.

Kob's eyes widened in fear, Ricky saw it.

"No, no, don't worry! You don't have to answer that! I have no intention of seeking out any friend of yours, our business is with your family. Just curious. He lives nearby or it's one of those long-distance facebook type of boyfriends? That's all."

"He lives just...," Kob sort of pointed toward the front door.

"Next door?" Ricky prompted.

"No, further..."

"But nearby. Same suburb? Same street?" Ricky asked. Kob nodded. Interesting, thought Ricky, that dead guy was definitely her boyfriend then. Why was he so nervous? She wasn't going to be happy when she found out he jumped off a bridge.

"Have you two kissed already?" he asked her.

Kob didn't react.

"Come on, it's not so bad to say."

This time she nodded.

"Well, that's good. Then it's not so bad when you and I kiss, right?"

Kob looked at him, puzzled.

"Well," Ricky explained, "if you and I kissed before you and him kissed it would be worse, right? He got to kiss you before we did it. Good for you two then. It won't be so bad when you go back to him after we've finished."

Kob said nothing, in disbelief at her position.

Ricky moved his body closer and pulled her knees apart, just enough to wiggle himself in close to her. She'd been cleaned and smelled good, and she was shaking like a leaf.

"Time to start," he whispered.

Ricky had kissed many people in his life, Kob only one. Ricky was a professional criminal who brought a peerlessly cold heart to his job but he knew how to compartmentalize. He knew how to be warm to a woman he wanted to enjoy. It was no accident that Kob noticed he smelled good and his face was shaven smooth.

Kob was hopelessly inexperienced. Even if it had been love rather than terror that drove her emotions, she still wouldn't have known what to do with her hands, her tongue, her breathing. Even her hair annoyingly tickled her face when it fell across her nose. Noticing, Ricky swept it away, surprised at how soft it was. At first he kissed gently and slowly in short bursts. Kob's natural reaction was to pull back and after a time Ricky let her.

"Kathryn. You need to do this properly okay? You don't want your mom to lose a finger do you?"

Kob started sobbing. Ricky didn't mind girls crying, he ignored it and again held her face and kissed her. Kob didn't pull back, but she did not kiss well. Ricky stopped and looked into her eyes. This was going to take just a little more persuasion.

He stood up and moved to the entrance of the hall and called out 'Maria!' She came quickly.

"Honey, take the ring finger from the mom, will you?"

"No, no, no!" Kob leapt up across the room to grab Ricky's arm. "It's okay, it's okay, I'll be good. Really!"

She was pleading and crying. Ordinarily Ricky never rescinded an order on any form of begging, but just this once he paused.

"Maria, stay here in the doorway. I want you to watch us. If Miss Braithwaite does well in the next 5 minutes I want you to leave and go back to your TV or whatever is happening down there. If she doesn't do well, take a finger from each of them. Fair enough?"

Kob trembled at this terrible thing that was happening. How could this be? Where was Matt, he should have been here by now, why didn't he come to save her? Ricky led her back to the sofa and Maria stood watching them. In the same position as before Kob sat and Ricky knelt in front of her. He held the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. Kob kissed back, as best she knew how. Ricky could sense she was trying so he left any other advances for a period and enjoyed the closeness of this darling young woman's face, lips and smell. When he put his tongue in her mouth she briefly resisted but one glance to Maria brought her own tongue into his mouth. They kissed until their jaws were sore, Ricky moving slower than he would with a real date, not rushing. He nodded to Maria who drifted out of sight.

Ricky's kissing slowed but became more sensual, running his lips over her face, her ears, her neck. Kob was stiff, but compliant. He told her to kiss his neck and she did.

"See, this isn't too bad?" he said to her, pulling back to look into her eyes. "There are worse punishments than being kissed, I can tell you. It's nice to have all your fingers and toes, right!"

After a quick laugh Ricky again connected with her lips, running his hands through her hair, around her neck, pulling the collar of her shirt away to her collarbone.

"Is your boyfriend a good kisser?"

Kob's face went red and Ricky smiled. They were becoming more comfortable, though Kob's trembling remained.

"Is he? Does he kiss you here?" he continued to tease her, running his lips and tongue along her shoulder. He suspected no.

He broke off and sat back on his knees, looking at her sitting on the front edge of the sofa. He reached out for the top button of her shirt. Kob froze. A single tear tumbled down her left cheek.

"No. Please. You said we were only going to kiss," she begged quietly.

"I didn't say only. Just...it's okay, we're just going to fool around a bit, nothing serious. We're just kissing and fooling around, right?"

He brought his mouth to hers and kissed as he undid the second button. She pulled on his arm but not enough to stop him. Ricky moved down and kissed her neck and her shoulder blade as one hand kept opening buttons. Kob moved her head to one side. When the front of her shirt was entirely undone his hand slipped around the skin on her waist making Kob jump. Ricky's other hand traced up the middle of her chest, avoiding her tits before coming to rest on the skin of her shoulder.

"Oh, your boyfriend must like this bra," Ricky looked down and complimented her, before returning to kiss her neck and face, then lips. "Does he?"

Kob said nothing.

"Kathryn. Tell me," he said more strongly. "Is this one his favorite, or some other one?"

"This one," she whispered.

Ricky ran his hand down to hold her tit for the first time, squeezing on the bra.