chapter two

Just like that he was gone...

Sara the bar tender had just finished her shift and was on her way to her car when she saw Maya and the two men on the floor. She ran to her.

"Are you ok? What happened here?"

Maya stared at her, "They attacked me. The man you pointed out at the bar, who had asked about me saved me."

"Are they dead?" Sara asked not so surprised that they were on the floor and he wasn't.

"No" Maya replied.

"Whose blood is that then?"

"That's his blood."

"His name is Maximus."

"Oh... so that's his name she whispered more to herself than for anyone to here.

"The man came charging at him with a knife to his throat and he just stuck out his hand to stop it. The knife went through the palm of his hand, as the knife went through the gripped the guy's hand pulled him and punched him square in the jaw. The man let the knife handle go and dropped to the floor. It was a shocking and impressive all at once. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him."

Sara was, smiling. "Ya that sound like him, I bet you he didn't even flinch, did he? I have never seen him in action but the way you describe him it fits him almost perfectly" She said excitedly.

"No he didn't even move his feet, they came to him, his eyes went glossy, it looked like him moving but it wasn't him. Am I making any sense here or am I going insane?" She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

Sara looked at her for along moment. Maya was in her own little world thinking about him.

"Forget it honey, I’ve tried. There is nothing you have that he wants’ or needs, I’ve tried, but then again he seemed interested in you so I may be wrong. I've heard stories about him, the word is he is the boss man, of what no one says they just call him boss, though he hates it, and he tells everyone he prefers Maximus. I have heard tell stories that seem completely outrageous, and impossible, and stories that make you think twice about him. All I know is what I see and ask him. I asked once if the rumors where true that he had killed a man, he laughed. He said yes he had killed a man, then his laughing died out and he kept drinking and stared at the mirror, after I thought he wasn't going to say anymore he pointed to the mirror and said “there you see him?" All I saw was his reflection, and then he said that’s the man I killed, countless times, and he just won't stay dead." "They say he is mad, but they say he is brilliant, some think he is super human, and other in lieu with the devil or an agent of god. I think he was born in the wrong time, one man describes him as the best warrior there he has ever seen and would have been in the history books if he were born way back then."

The cops arrived pretty fast, or did it take forever, she didn't know, all she could see was him. His eyes said so much, yet he said nothing. An officer had taken her by the hand and escorted her to the ambulance where they checked for any injury.

"Is that possible?" She asked herself.

"Excuse me lady did you say something?" the police man asked.

"No, sorry I was thinking out loud."

"Its ok lady I understand you were just assaulted would like some of my men to escort you home? We will be passing by in the morning to ask you some questions."

"No, officer no thanks you. One thing I will ask of you though when you find the man that saved me may I know of his whereabouts? I would like to thank him personally."

"Sure thing lady, here is my direct number to the station if you need anything else, and I have your number, so I will be giving you a call as soon as we find him."

"Thank you, officer."

"The name is Cain ma'am." and he walked away towards the other woman that waited with her.

She didn't even here what he had said. She got in her car and drove away... She reached her house, a few minutes passed 1:00 am; she was exhausted from the night’s events and a bit scared. Once inside her house she locked every window and door and placed the alarm. After a hot long shower, she threw herself on the bed and just laid there. She didn't think she could fall asleep, but just thinking of him and what she saw in him that made her feel so exhilarating, she just lost herself in his eyes and in her dream she created a different ending.

By now the whole club had heard the commotion, and all had stopped to see and ask what all the commotion was about. One man had even recorded the whole thing after calling the cops. Sara loved the attention, but once word got out that it was the boss man's doing, the whisper’s started again. They have all heard of him but few knew who he was, except for the ones that worked with him. They kept his identity pretty much to themselves and had entrusted her with it as well. She so badly wanted to tell everyone, but she knew it would hurt him and she would lose him.
She couldn't understand why she was so scared to lose him, his presence made her feel safer than with any other man she had been with, even though she only saw him for a couple of hours a day. His presence was very exhilarating. She smiled to herself. Cain the officer had interrupted her thoughts.

"Sara... Sara, do you know the man that helped the young lady Maya?"

Remembering something his brother had said to him, the name the place it all sounded so familiar. He was trying to recall what he had said.

"Yes," she replied and lost herself in the crowd.

"Well can you tell me more about him?"

"Oh, yes sorry officer, yes his name is Max... I meant Maximus and he is a regular. That is all I know."

"Maximus he asked curiously, and said softly to himself, Boss man."

He started to recall what his brother had told him the day before last, that if he ever wanted to have a drink he knew a place where it was nice and the bartender Sara was very attentive and good.

Sara flinched, how the officer knew. She had to ask, "You seem as if you know him, is he dangerous? Is he in trouble?"

Cain looked up and checked her out a moment and recalling his brother description of the young woman. It was her Sara, beautiful as he described her, "Forgive me Sara yes I know him he is my… my brother..." he looked back down again and lost in his own thoughts, but still speaking out loud, "Dangerous to the wicked and to those that underestimate him and to those that don't underestimate him yes, but to women and to the general public and his family he is a nothing more than a good, misunderstood man, but trouble seems to find him everywhere he goes. I was supposed to be with him tonight,” he started talking more to himself now than to Sara.

He picked up his phone and quickly called his brother’s cell phone. It rang and rang and no answer. He kept trying.

"Are you his older brother?" she asked while watching him frantically trying to reach his brother. I took him a minute, but he answered while dialing again.

"No, I’m his younger brother, Sara listen I’m sorry I have to go I’ve heard much about you, I’ll send an officer to write up your statement and escort you home, forgive me I need to go now."

As he turned to go toward the other officer, Love had picked up the phone call.

"Love is he there?"

"Yes Cain, calm down he is alright he is home, come when you can he is still bleeding and i can't repair him."

"Ok, on my way, don't let him go anywhere."

"Don't worry about him going anywhere, he is intoxicated. He will be here when you get here."

Sara was intrigued; she did not know he had a brother. She didn't even know he had family. The officer in front of him was his brother... she could see the resemblance now that he mentioned it, they have the same chin, different built but good looking just the same. He was smaller than Max, and seems much younger. Max also seemed to have a love of some sort. That explained a lot to her.

"Wait..." she cried out.

Cain turned back and she quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen she carried and wrote down her number. "Please call me and let me know if he is alright."

“He gave her a quick nod and rushed to the nearest officer and the officer came walking her way and just like that he was gone too.

"A brother and someone called Love," she thought to herself. "This man becomes more interesting every day."

Cain drove as fast as he could to his brother's place, there was always parking, not many people lived in the neighborhood, it was a place for thugs. Thugs that would make you think twice about driving through, but his brother did. His brother was always a little out there as far as he could remember. A genius wasting away his life, he thought, but he respected him. He was always there when he needed him. No excuses, not even when he was being with his finances. He never asked any questions. He was a man cain could count on for anything. He felt he needed to be there for him now. He arrived at the apartment building, everyone stared they knew who he was, and they wouldn't dare touch him even if he wore a badge. He didn't know what his brother had done to them or did for them but they respected him and never messed with him after the day he moved in. In fact anytime my brother asked for something to get done they would jump on it and get right to it. He was fixing the neighborhood slowly, somehow. He ran up the stairs and three of the thug’s followed. He turned around, and they stopped.

"May I help you young gentlemen with anything?" Cain turned around to say.

One of the young men said, "na homey, but we don't see you come around to often and in a rush like that so we figured, Boss man was in trouble."

Cain realized they where truely concerened, how his brother can get to these kids bewildered him. It was amazing, how many people cared for him.

"I don't know kid, I’m sorry that is what I came to find out."

"My name is Tommy... Cain and I know perfectly well who you are."

Cain Stared at him for a moment. "Tommy, he talks about you all the time, and how proud he is of you. Pleasure to meet you Tommy."

Tommy almost broke into to tears, but held them back. Cain smiled and said; don't hold them back, to hold back tears are to stop yourself from reaching ultimate happiness, and freedom."

A tear rolled down Tommy's cheek and he smiled. "He's given you the speech too I see."

"Way before you was born Tommy." and he smiled back.

"Come quick I think he may be hurt."

They rushed to his door, it was locked, and he grabbed his keys and opened it. Looking down trying to open the door he could see there was blood leading straight to his car. He was injured; the young thugs saw that as well. the door wouldn't open, even after turning the key. He yelled out Love let me in it's me come on i don't have time for this. He opened the door and ran inside scream out his name.

"Maximus, Maximus...." and then he saw him two empty bottles on the floor and his hand lay out on the bed still bleeding. His shirt off revealing all the scars and the amazingly built body he had so hard to maintain.

“Oh Max... why brother why?"

Tommy gasped and the other two with him voiced out there thoughts.

"What the fuck, yo Tommy have you ever seen some shit like this before? This be crazy yo. That's some shit I ain't ever seen man. Your boy must be into some really crazy shit."

start here

He picked up the two bottles and through them in the trash can where he found many more empty bottles. Blood was everywhere.

"You boy's are free to leave when you like, I don't think he wanted you to see like this Tommy."

Tommy's tears ran freely, he clenched his fist, is there anything i can do to help?"

Cain walked over to the side with the blooding hand, took off the t-shirt wrapped around it and gasped. The boy's yelled.

"Holy shit man what the fuck, he got knifed."

"Yo Tommy your boy here is really the Boss Man that we be hearing about then we down to roll man. If you need us hola this is crazy man it's like looking into some scary movie shit we ganna bounce."

Tommy clapped hands and the other two left the room. Tommy must have been at least 17 or so Cain pondered. He wondered why Tommy meant so much to him and him to Tommy so he asked.

"Tommy what is the deal between you and my brother?"

Tommy looked up in tears, "he's the only man I can call a father, and to the other's too. He gives us advice and has saved many of our asses more than once. He can handle any situation and keeps from the body bags from the head ponchos when we dealing." Tommy looked at Maximus again.

"Is he going to be ok?"

"Yes Tommy he will be fine, believe it or not this is just another good story for him." and he smiled sadly.

"Cain may i ask you something?"

"Sure Tommy what is it?"

"Who is he, and how did he ever get to be who he is now? You’re his brother, what's his story?"

Cain’s eyes locked on to Tommy's and said one word. "HELL"

"Tommy I can’t possibly tell you much because even i don't know, but I believe if there is a man that has walked through hell and made it out alive is my brother, he wasn't always like this. He was sweet helpful and more like a teddy bear. Everyone loved him, but something happened along the line of his life, and ever since then all I see is the fire he brought back with him when he got back. He was... different. His face was not of a little innocent boy anymore. He had those eyes, like our grandfather had. His attitude his composure. I'm not sure how to describe it but his face hardened, his smile gone, and he looked oh so dangerous. All i ever got was a smirk from him. I haven’t seen him smile for oh so many years already. I can only faintly remember his innocent smile. Now it's like he carry's the whole world on his shoulder and many do not appreciate what he does for them. I've seen him get stepped all over and all he says don't worry they will regret it one day. I can't even comprehend to understand that man and how he is able to do what he does. I wish i was half the man he is." and a tear ran down his eye.

Tommy placed his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "He is like a father to you as well and from what I have seen is he loves unconditionally and you have just confirmed that for me."

Cain looked back at Tommy. This boy... has just put what he couldn't understand in one sentence. It made perfect sense to him now. That what it was, but how? So many questions ran through his head all at once. Can i do it? How does he do it? How come I haven’t been able to figure this out? How did this kid see it? Anger, jealousy, and understandment came to him on why this boy meant so much to his brother. The boy was him... in a sense; he had the same potential to be good, unconditionally good. Whatever that meant. he then felt sympathy for the boy. He was happy his brother found an apprentice or someone he can teach and pass his knowledge too.

Max's phone began to ring. Cain reached for it, it started to get louder, he moved a little quicker, he finally got it in his hand, and he looked towards his brother. Max was looking right at him. Cain froze.

"Maximus..."

"Why do I scare you brother?" he asked Cain.

Cain swallowed, and replied, “I don't know."

Again he asked, "Why do I scare you brother?"

Cain let out a tear. "Because Maximus... because when I look into your eye's I see me, and I see weakness, then I see your pain, your anger, my anger, your strength's, my faults, my weaknesses... and I see the love... He made you out perfectly," he pointed to Tommy, "and I couldn't even see it when it was right in front of me, the whole time. you know i hate seeing you like this why do you do this to yourself. Other people are not your problem."

"I know brother but if their problems are in front of me and physically present, ill be dammed if i stand around and do nothing. You know as well as i do that that i will not sit around and do nothing."

Cain smiled and laughed the tears away. "ya i know. Well i would like you to know that i finally met Sara. She was as beautiful as you described her, but i really was not able to speak to her once i found out it was you, you do know that i need to take you in for questioning right?"

"Yes Cain i know, should we get going?"

"Let me clean you up a bit first then we can get going."