บท 7: You're Dead!
Turai's footsteps echoed in the empty street as he abruptly halted his journey back to the orphanage. A nagging thought tugged at his mind, urging him to retrace his steps to the alley where he had left the battered men. His instincts, honed by years of survival, told him there was more to uncover about this threat to his home.
With a determined set to his jaw, Turai turned on his heel and made his way back to the scene of the confrontation. The alley was quiet now, save for the pained groans of the men he had left broken and defeated. As he approached, his eyes scanned the prone figures, searching for the one he deemed most likely to break under questioning.
He zeroed in on the man he had dealt with last, the one whose arm he had shattered. Crouching beside the whimpering figure, Turai's voice was low and controlled as he asked, "Who sent you?"
Silence greeted his question. The man's eyes, wide with fear, darted away from Turai's piercing gaze. The young boy stood up, his mind working through his options. Torture was an obvious choice, a method he knew would yield results. But Turai's specialty lay elsewhere – in the realm of fear and psychological manipulation.
A cold smile played on his lips as he took a few steps back, positioning himself where all the conscious men could see him. "I'll ask again," he said, his voice carrying an edge that made the men shiver. "Who sent you? And know this – for every time my question goes unanswered, one of you dies."
The threat hung in the air, heavy and palpable. These were hardened thugs, men who lived by a code of silence. But Turai knew better. He had seen their kind before – they all valued their lives above all else. Given enough pressure, they would break.
When his question was met with continued silence, Turai's smile widened. It seemed fear would indeed be the key. Without hesitation, he strode towards the man in the most pain – the one whose ribs he had cracked earlier. In one swift, brutal motion, Turai delivered a crushing blow to the man's neck. The sickening crack echoed through the alley, followed by gasps of shock from the remaining men.
Turai turned back to face them, his young face a mask of eerie calm. "Now there are only four of you left," he stated matter-of-factly. "Two have met their end at my hands. Shall we continue?"
The remaining men exchanged panicked glances. Turai could see the conflict in their eyes – the fear of what he might do warring with their fear of retribution from their employers. He nodded, acknowledging their dilemma.
"I understand your predicament," Turai said, his voice almost gentle. "You fear what might happen if you're spared by me but not by those who sent you. It's quite reasonable." His tone hardened as he continued, "But you're afraid of the wrong people."
Without warning, Turai lashed out again, ending another man's life with brutal efficiency. The remaining three flinched, their resolve crumbling in the face of this child's terrifying capability.
It was more than one of them could bear. With a whimper, he blurted out, "It was the men who came last week! The ones who wanted to buy the orphanage!"
Turai nodded, unsurprised. His suspicions had been confirmed. Turning to the man who had spoken, he offered a chance at freedom in exchange for another piece of information. "How much were you paid for this? Tell me and you can walk away."
The man's response, "over sixty silver coins," ignited a new fury in Turai. The amount wasn't even enough to cover a month's expenses for the orphanage. With barely contained rage, Turai honored his promise and let the man go.
"You may leave." Turai gestured.
He turned to the next, extending the same offer of freedom for information. When asked about their contractor's hideout, the man admitted ignorance – their employer had always come to them. Though unsatisfied, Turai kept his word and allowed the man to leave.
Finally, Turai faced the last remaining thug. His question was simple but crucial: "What was your plan?"
The man, eager to save his own skin, spilled the details. They were to stage a fight with another group, setting the orphanage ablaze in the process. After the destruction, their employers would return, feigning sympathy and offering compensation.
The full scope of the threat dawned on Turai.
"Nooo!" Without a moment's hesitation, he bolted from the alley, racing against time back to the orphanage. He had only dealt with half the danger – another group was still out there, poised to carry out the plan.
As Turai sprinted through the streets, his mind raced faster than his feet. He had been gone too long – had the other group already arrived? Were the children safe? What about Mrs. Benson?
His fears were realised as he rounded the corner to the orphanage.
~~~~~
A group of half a dozen thugs stood before the building, armed with lamp oil and bundles of hay. They seemed agitated, likely having waited for their counterparts who would never arrive.
"It's been thirty minutes and those bastards are yet to arrive. Let's burn the place down without them." One of the thugs spoke without regard for secrecy.
His words fueled the others who immediately began approaching the orphanage but just then, Mrs. Benson rushed outside.
"Please! Spare us all. We did nothing to deserve this." She went on her knees without hesitation. She didn't have a care for the world on how others viewed her. If kneeling was enough to rescue the kids in her care, she would kneel a thousand times over.
However, her pleading fell on deaf ears. "Out of the way."
Like a bag of dirt, she was shoved to the side with so much force that she literally flew in the air for a few seconds and then crashed into the wall.
To Turai's horror, he watched Mrs. Benson rush out of the orphanage, her voice raised in desperate pleading. The men paid no heed to her words, their faces set in grim determination.
Time seemed to slow as Turai watched one of the men roughly shove Mrs. Benson aside. Her small frame flew through the air, and with a sickening thud, her head slammed against the orphanage wall.
In that moment, something inside Turai snapped. The careful control, the calculated violence – it all gave way to a surge of pure, unbridled rage. His vision tunneled, focusing solely on the men who dared to harm the woman who had shown him kindness when the rest of the world had turned its back.
"You're dead!" With a feral growl, Turai launched himself towards the group, his young body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash hell upon those who threatened his home.
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