The Amazing Doctor Irvington

Chapter Three

"No more excuses old woman, you have to pay up your debt today." The leader of the thugs who had a scar on his face yelled at Judith.

Derek's eyes were ripped off every emotion as he stood there with brows furrowed in confusion.

He held his mother gently on her arm, staring into her eyes as though he could read her thoughts.

When he noticed his mother's gaze lowered, his heart broke.

"It's the money we owe Easton. After selling the house to him, it still wasn't enough to cover up the debts of the charges against you."

Derek's eyes clenched shut as he heard those words. Easton have ripped him off his house, and now his parents have been suffering for his debt.

The thugs grabbed few sticks they found on the ground and surrounded them.

"Bring out the money now." The leader ordered. As he walked closer to Judith.

Judith quickly went inside the house and came out with a small bag of money. 

She handed it over to the leader. When the thug opened the bag, he saw the one dollar bills and a few fifty bills. 

His eyes raised to Judith veraciously, but he held back his words for a moment. 

'The money wouldn't be enough' He thought and a mile appeared on his face.

"Count them." He ordered the others.

Derek held his mother's hands. He felt the muscles of his heart clenched at every glance of his mother.

He couldn't believe they have lived such way for five years. In an old house with no heated floors or heater to help with the cold. The environment was very quiet, and not easily accessible. 

Derek felt ashamed of himself for the first time.

But then-

"It isn't complete."

"I thought you said you have the complete money ?" The leader shouted at Judith as he walked towards her.

The thug thundered causing Judith to jump in shock. She instantly fell on her knees as she clenched her hands against the other.

"Give me more time. I promise to meet up your payment."

The leader raised his hand to hit Judith,but then-

Derek grabbed the thug's arm midway.

His eyes reddened as he threw the thug arm away from his mother.

"Don't you dare " 

Derek stood in front of his mother, his gaze dripping with maliciousness as he asked,

"How much is it?" He asked. 

The leader looked behind to his fellow thugs and they erupted into laughter.

"Derek Irvington, didn't you just get out of prison? What money do you have to pay off your debt?"

They laughed at him again.

One of the thugs then said, "This is not the prison, we don't have any chores for you to do." 

"I heard he was in charge of the bathroom in the prison. What a shitty person." 

"Apparently, Derek is unfortunate both in prison and outside of prison." 

They kept mocking him. 

Derek didn't utter a word. He watched their stupidity. He kept checking the watch on his wrist as if keeping track of how long they've been laughing.

After about few minutes, Derek clapped his hands in the air and they all stopped laughing. 

"I have the money." 

The thugs instantly sent mute. The leader walked closer to Derek with a sly smile on his.

"Where is it?" The thugs asked but Derek seemed relaxed.

"Follow me." Derek said to them. He turned to his mother and then said, "I will be right back after I finish paying them."

Derek led the thugs down a narrow, overgrown path away from his home.

 His mother’s frail figure, cowering before them, flashed repeatedly in his mind. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm, though the rage inside him felt like it could explode at any moment.

The leader of the group sneered as he followed. He suddenly mocked Derek’s silence. “So you saved up in prison?" 

Derek didn’t respond. He walked ahead, the cold air brushed against his skin as he led them deeper into the woods.

With every distance, it became more and more isolated.

After what seemed like hours of walking, Derek stopped. He turned to face the thugs.

“Alright, we’re far enough,” Derek said calmly, his voice low. “There’s no money. There was never going to be any money.”

The leader scoffed, instantly he stepped forward with a swagger. “Is that so?” He cracked his knuckles, his lips curling into a sadistic smile. “Then I guess we’ll have to take payment another way.”

Derek’s jaw clenched. “After what I saw back there, there’s no way I’m giving you a damn thing.”

One of the thugs, a burly man with a shaved head, lunged at Derek, swinging a fist toward his face.

 But Derek was quicker—much quicker than they anticipated. With a swift motion, Derek caught the man’s arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to his knees with a crack that echoed through the woods.

The thug let out a howl of pain, his face contorted as Derek shoved him into the ground. The others stared in shock.

They froze for a minute, unsure of how to proceed.

When the leader snapped back to his senses, his brows furrowed and his eyes were deep with anger. 

“You think you can take all of us? We’ll tear you apart!” He signaled to the rest of the group, and they charged at Derek in unison.

But Derek had spent years in prison, honing his body, his skills, and his mind. 

Derek ducked under a punch, delivering a sharp elbow to one thug’s ribs, sending him sprawling. Another tried to tackle him from behind, but Derek flipped him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground with a sickening thud.

One by one, he took them out.  

The scar-faced leader was the last to stand, fury blazing in his eyes as he pulled out a knife.

“You’re dead, Irvington!” he spat, lunging forward.

Derek sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing the leader’s wrist and twisting it until the knife clattered to the ground. With a brutal kick to the chest, Derek sent the leader crashing into a tree, where he collapsed, gasping for breath.

 Derek stood among them, unscathed, his chest heaving with controlled breaths.

“Get up,” Derek ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

 The men struggled to their feet, wincing with every movement. The leader, still panting, staggered to stand, clutching his ribs where Derek had kicked him.

Derek’s eyes bore into them, his voice low but lethal. “If you ever come near my family again, and I will kill you. Do you understand me?”

The leader stared at Derek. His heart filled with so much hate but he nodded.

 The others quickly followed, muttering their agreement as they backed away.

“Get out of here,” Derek growled.

Without another word, the thugs fled, stumbling over themselves as they hurried away from the scene. Derek watched them disappear into the trees before he finally allowed himself a moment to breathe.

Immediately he was left alone, Derek sank to his knees and his hands trembling. 

With a deep breath, Derek stood up, wiping the blood from his knuckles. 

"I will make them pay for this." He spat with rage. "Lucy and Easton."