Chapter - 35 Basement
1670 Words
I get out the bar, it’s two in morning. The road is busier than ever, nobody would expect a road to be so busy at this time on the night, but it is. The police men are still there, so are H.H.H’s men.
Suddenly after I cross the bridge, the only thing I hear is silence. I have never liked silence, ever in my life. But after being in such chaos, all I pray for is some silence, some peace.
I walk back to the gas station and meet Marty, and since I am done for the day, he invites me to his house.
I couldn’t go back to my house anyway because I said my mom, I had a night shift and plus I already paid for the nurse.
I stand outside Marty’s house. It is more of a shack and less of a house. I step inside and it gets worse. Dusty rotten couch, stench of over wore shoes filling the room. Coffee table with a broken leg and one cot which I can tell is definitely bug ridden.
“Welcome to home sweet home”, Marty says as he plops down on the couch.
“Do you want some water, Luna?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He walks up to a fridge, the paint on the fridge is all scraped off. He opens it and a terrible stench of fish fills the whole room.
The smell is so horrid that I have to close my nose.
“Has drug dealing started paying so less that you live in this stench”, I say.
I didn’t wanna sound rude but he is supposed be sitting in a cushy sofa and watching Harry potter with his kids and instead he is here living in this stench.
He laughs, “Well I am an undercover fish-seller who sells drugs part time. Gotta keep the cover.”
I cover my nose as he approaches me with a bottle of water which smells like fish.
“No offense Marty but I don’t think I can drink this water.”
He laughs, “okay fine I will stop messing with you.”
“what ?”
He goes to the cot moves it to the side and then removes the hidden floorboard starts digging up soil and after a minute, something like a handle starts to form. He pulls it up and all the soil falls to the side.
I can see a deep hole with a ladder going down stairs. I follow him and at the end of the hole, there is a room a bright room with a beautiful clean bed a couch, an attached bathroom and fridge full of edible stuff.
I smile, “I guess drug dealing pays good money.”
He chuckles, “It sure does.”
I sit on the bed as he takes a shower. I can see a tab and a headphone; it has all the latest shows in it.
There is even a microwave. I take out two packets of instant ramen and make it.
Marty walks out of the shower,
“Wow, how did you know that I wanted a Ramen.”
“I didn’t I was just cooking for myself, so I made one for you as well.”
We sit and eat ramen as we watch a web series, sharing the same earphones.
After we have finished our ramen, we sit and watch web series,
“Luna, there is something on your lips.”, Marty says and he leans in and start to wipe it with his thumb.
He lingers his thumb on my lips for more than necessary but I simply move back a little and smile, to make it less awkward.
“Thanks”.
But apparently that was not hint enough. He leans in to kiss me and I stop him.
“Marty what are you doing.”
“Luna, you are just….just so beautiful. I couldn’t resist I am sorry.”
He sits back and I move a bit away,
“Marty you are married, you have kids it’s not right.”
He looks at me, “ I have been undercover for years Luna, you just spend one day and you think you have the right to judge people. I don’t even know if I would make it back alive out of here, so I should just sit and wait to die and not try to live a life I can.”
I sigh, “Marty I am not judging you. I just think it’s not worth it.”
“I am sorry Luna, that I tried to do something you are not interested in and nothing else.”
“it’s okay Marty. I get it.”
I walk back to the staircase.
“Where are you going Luna.”
I look back, “I don’t think I can stay here Marty, I will see you tomorrow.”
He stands up, “I am sorry Luna, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“No Marty it’s not you I just need to go.”
Marty tries to stop me, but it is no use. I feel suffocated in that place and most of all. I miss Hiram.
As I walk down the road, I wonder what Hiram must be doing. Probably just sitting in the prison, or sleeping or maybe dreaming about me.
But suddenly I realise something. I see a guy following me and I immediately recognise him, he was the waiter who was bring drinks for that scar man. I am being followed. It will hard to lose him and if I try to cleverly out run him, he would become suspicious. I will have to outsmart him.
I have no other option; I will have to go back to Marty’s. I stop at a shop buy a pack of cigarettes and walk back to Marty’s house.
I knock and he opens the door.
“Oh Luna, thank god you are back.”
I walk inside, “I didn’t want to but I was being followed. I want to go back to the precinct and go full undercover. I don’t think it’s safe to do a part- time undercover.”
“Good call Luna, I can help you get to the precinct but before that I am really sorry Luna. Please don’t be so awkward, If not for me, then atleast for the mission’s sake.”
He does have a good point. I am supposed to be this really close friend and being awkward with him, might ruin the whole thing.
“Marty, I am not awkward. I just miss someone that is all and okay I will try to act less awkward. The incident is fresh, it will wear off and thing will go back to normal in no time.”
He nods, “I understand Luna and I am sorry again.”
I smile and follow him to the underground bunker. He walks inside the bathroom, removes the drain plug of the bathtub and starts to remove the tiles and I see a tunnel.
“This tunnel will lead us into an underground sewer channel and from there we can come out right outside precinct.”
“It is amazing.”
He bows and then goes inside the tunnel and I follow him.
After we enter the sewer channel he hands me a map.
“Now listen Luna, I can’t be out for long and you can’t to, if they come anytime searching for you or me, we will be in big trouble so I am going back use this to go to the precinct and comeback as soon as you can.”
I nod and starts walking, after a lot of twists and turns. I finally reach outside the precinct.
I walk inside and I am greeted by Thames.
“Luna what are you doing here.”
“I don’t have time Thames. I will be going completely undercover, is sergeant here?”
“yes, he is, but what happened.”
I walk inside sergeant’s office,
“Luna what happened.”
“Sir I am being followed, I don’t know if this is something they do all the time or if it’s just with me, but I need to go undercover completely.”
Sarge thinks for a while,
“Did you ask Marty? Was he followed?
“I asked him sir, he was not followed, but it could be a new thing”
“Hmmm, I think you should withdraw Luna, it’s risky.”
“But sir, if I withdraw now, Marty will be in trouble.”
“Hmm, okay so what do you want.”
“Sir, I want to continue the mission. I just want the nurse to be present with my mom at all time and I will quickly write a letter to her, which Thames could deliver to her.”
Sarge thinks for a while,
“Luna your mom is sick and as much as I want you on this case, I don’t think you should neglect your living mother for avenging your dead father.”
“I know sir, I know. I just need two weeks and if I can’t find anything. I will leave the mission.”
He nods and I sit on my desk, with a pen and paper. I write a letter, writing how much I will miss her and also telling her that I am going to a camp for two weeks to train the newly recruited officer.
I have no choice. I will have to get out Hiram out of the prison in two weeks anyhow.
I give the letter to Thames and tell him to visit my mom when he has time. He hugs me,
“I will go visit your mom Luna, don’t worry. I will miss you, take care, okay?”
I nod, “I will. You too take care Thames.
After this walk back inside the sewer and back to Marty’s hidden basement.
- Writer
