Chapter #28The Scorned Woman Gambit by: Nostrum   Trying to search for Gina in Tyneside would take too much time. You barely know her, since Nick barely visits your house; when he does, you two barely talk, as he mostly holes up in his bed to talk to her or hogs your Internet connection for whatever stuff he does. What little clues you have – she's a college student, she’s from Tyneside – doesn’t help. You’d do better by asking Nick directly, and if that’s the case, why not go for Nick directly?
Nick is a much better target, since you know him very closely. His nomadic nature makes it hard to pinpoint where he’ll be, but you can narrow the spots, and you know you can always expect him at your home. The replacement wouldn’t even be an issue, as you’re returning to be yourself – only a little updating from your own replacement. And you could always act as any of the other members on the family.
Had it been weeks ago, you wouldn’t even consider the idea. But now that you've had to replace multiple people, and people from your family have been replaced, it’s different. Replacing them yourself would be a better fate than have them being replaced by someone uncaring.
You need a way to travel there, however. A taxi or an Uber could take you there, but it’d take funds from you. However, you can always hitch a ride – you need a disguise so that you can’t be tracked, and if it goes into Edgefield, it’s a bonus.
--
You need a plan, though, and you know how to attack him. You know Nick’s tastes in women, so you dropped Bart for Annette, a hot blonde college girl; if you can seduce him, you’ll have him where you want. (And the thought of seducing your own brother makes your stomach churl, but if it’s that guy, he’ll owe you a big one.)
You start at the garage he works in – an auto-repair shop located close to the Alton Beasley Technical Community College, a hybrid high school/community college meant for people who prefer blue collar jobs. You’ve been there before and you know most of the others there, such as Rufus, the pot-bellied, bearded owner of the establishment, and Tom Needy, Nick’s best friend since high school.
It’s this second one you meet, using Annette’s charms to lure him. “Excuse me...”
“Oh, hey. Do I know you?”
“No, but I think you know someone I know.” (That ruins his day, definitely.) “You know where Nicky is?”
“I know a couple Nicky’s. I could even take you on a ride to meet them.”
You snicker, knowing he’s trying hard to flirt. (Just like Nick, Tom is a hopeless flirt – in fact, it's why everyone calls him “Needy”.) “Nicky Anderson. I was supposed to meet him today. Have you seen him?”
“Tough luck, my lady.” He instinctively grabs your hand and squares up. “I haven’t seen Nicky in a couple days. But if we go together, maybe we can--”
“It’s because of that Gina, isn’t it?” You snap your hand back, pouting. “I don’t know what he sees in her.” You turn around, flaunting Annette’s curves to him – your choice was deliberate, as her looks are far more flattering and could justify the comparison. “What she’s got that I don’t?”
“A man with terrible taste,” he replies as he grabs your waist. “C’mon - let me help you forget that clown.”
Clown? Tom would never say that about Nick. It’s like Jimmy and you – they’re almost brothers!
“He wouldn’t treat you like a clown,” you retort. “I’ve heard him talk wonders about you.”
“Yeah, well – he's not one to keep steady. I, on the other hand--”
That’s bullshit and you know it. Tom taught Nick how to be a womanizer (he even made you the offer), so you know he’s bluffing. That can only lead to one thing.
“He stole Gina from you, isn’t it?” You notice the mood shift in his eyes. “Is that why you’re angry?” (But then again, judging by what happened with Silva...) “Or is it because he chose him over you?”
“That’s nothing to worry about,” he says, leaving you aside. “What matters is that they’re together, and you’re in need of someone who could--”
“What if I could catch him by surprise?” Through Tom, you could easily get to his usual resting spots, potentially catching the impostor in the act. “Just take me where he usually hangs. I’ll deal with him once I see him.”
“What do you see in him?” he questions, you, wounded.
Someone who’s using my brother, you reply to him in your mind. But he needs an answer, and you need to play the part of the scorned woman. “Someone who needs a lesson. Are you gonna help me or not?”
“Sure,” he tells you, then shouts at the office. “Hey, Ruff! I need to take this lady for a spin. You don’t mind calling it an early day?”
You hear Rufus bellowing from his office. “And leave me like Anderson did, Needy? You better have a good reason why--?”
“I’m gonna bring him by the ear, boss! I got a girl he was in trying to get him.”
He steps out, taking a good look at you. “Should’a known that kid was getting into trouble.” He approaches you, wiping his hand on his trousers before greeting you. “Rufus Patrick, young lady. Excuse this meathead – he and Anderson are supposed to be friends, but they had a rough-in because of some girl. If you can tell him that his boss wants him ASAP or else he’s out, I’ll appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry,” you tell him, showing confidence. “When I’m done with him, he’ll come back to you with his tail between his rear.”
“I hope so, young lady. And don’t get too cozy with this one either – they're birds of the same flock.”
{}No need to tell me, you mentally reply. But I’ll make sure the guy posing as Nick pays. I’m not gonna let him ruin Nick’s dream job.
--
Your attempts to find Nick, however, were fruitless. Neither him nor Gina are anywhere they’d usually be, meaning they’re either hiding in one of their safehouses or they’ve changed identities. That, or Nick’s impostor is dropping him off at your house, which means there’s only one option.
“Thanks for your help,” you tell Tom, “but I guess he’s hiding from me.”
“From us,” he clarifies. “So, what about I make it up by taking you on a date?”
“Unless that date’s on his house, no way. He has to visit his parents any time soon. So I’m gonna wait for him there.”
“I can take you there. I know where he lives – I'm from Edgefield, actually.”
“Thanks, but it’s alright. It’s getting late, and I don’t want my roommates to wonder where I am.”
“That’s a shame. How about I leave you my number?”
“Can you write it? My phone’s on the fritz and I wouldn’t wanna lose it.”
“Sure.” You see him lean behind his door, using an old receipt as the paper. “Here,” he says as he finishes jotting it up, winking at you. “Hope you don’t lose it.”
“I won’t,” you say as you shove the receipt between her bosom. “And thanks. I think you deserve something.” Without warning, you lean close and tongue-kiss him. It’s amazing how quickly you’ve changed – you don’t even care you’re kissing another guy, let alone an acquaintance; you’re using that kiss as a tool and you’re enjoying it. (Though he’s nowhere near as good a kisser as Clark.)
As you send him off, you move behind some bushes and check yourself. You check her belongings, using a pen on her purse to jot her name and direction; you never know when her identity might be useful, or one of her friends. You store the paper on your backpack and look around for a taxi.
Ten minutes later, you see one stopping by, while you roam around the commercial district. You don’t care how he looks, or the language he speaks – all you care is one thing. “Hi. Can you take me to the corner of 49th and McKinley?”
“Yes,” the man replies in a foreign accent. “Cash only. No card, no e-wallet.” He points outside. “Those are my fares.”
You glance outside (you don’t care, after all) and nod. “Sure. I think I got enough.”
“Step in.”
You slide in, drawing the black pen while watching any spot you could use to trap him. You still make questions to engage him, extracting information. “Say - do you make trips to Edgefield? I got a boyfriend there, and he...”
--
“Yes,” the woman says to your previous answer. Are you traveling to Edgefield?
“Cash only,” you repeat as he said, but with a clearer accent. “No card, no e-wallet,” you say as you point outside. “Those are my fares.”
“Money isn’t an issue,” she tells you. (And she appears not to worry – she's dressed modestly, but it’s the way she looks at you with disdain that tells you she lives at least a comfortable lifestyle.
It won’t be the most comfortable trip back home – crooked nose, pursed lip and wrinkles make her look bewitching in the wrong way, and you wonder how the pen will react to those fillers on her breasts – but beggars can’t be choosers. If she has money, it’ll help you on the long run.
You drive her around the city, looking for an alley to hide her. “Is a shortcut,” you tell her, but you know the plan. You hid your gun on the side, safety on, ready to mug her.
Once on the alley, you stop, and as she wonders why, you move to the back, pointing at her with the gun. “Alright, ma’am. You cooperate and I’ll let you live.”
You cover her mouth before she screams, then you threaten her. “I said cooperate. Now, I need a few details from you.”
“Wh-what do you want?” she yelps, squirming.
“Pin. Passwords. Account numbers. Mother’s name, the name of your dog – anything to bypass security questions.”
“Isn’t my money enough?”
“You wanna live!?” you growl. “Then cooperate. Help me, and I might even make it up for you.”
“How?”
“Question time over.” You cock the hammer, nearing so close that you can breathe in her face. “What’s your choice?”
She agrees. And as for your offer?
Once you ruin that guy, it’ll be a nice service bonus.  You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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