Home / Urban/Realistic / Underestimated Retribution / Chapter 43: Brown Is Missing
Chapter 43: Brown Is Missing
Author: Marve Lous
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Mark ran with his heart sinking further into his stomach, while Karen was somewhere behind running as fast as her heels would let her. All Mark could think of was his father.

But just as he approached the elevator door, he spotted a faint movement from the corner of his eyes. Didn’t that suit look familiar?

He approached the scene cautiously, praying with all the faith he had within him.

“Mark?” The figure lying on the floor stuttered weakly.

“Dad!” Mark screamed in alarm and dashed for his father, falling to his knees beside him.

“Mark. I think they’ve got me, son,” Gabriel muttered weakly.

“Who got you, dad? Stay with me, please!” Mark couldn’t keep the tears from flowing down. He had to act fast.

Mark slipped one hand into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone, while the other gently cradled his father’s head. He took in the situation again. It didn’t look any pleasant. His father had sustained a gunshot wound to the upper chest, just above his heart. There was no doubt that th
Continue to read this book on the App

Related Chapters

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 44: Brown Is Found Guilty

    Brown was in a fit of panic, running in circles around the hotel lobby and its unending corridors. He had no recollection of how he had gotten where he was or what he had been looking for.Why the hell do they have these many bloody corridors?How would an adult be lost inside a building, whether or not the building was as large as the Red Panda Hotel? As much as Brown wanted to feel stupid for letting his guard down in foreign territory, he had bigger fish to fry. Where had the gunshot sounds come from?Brown walked with the staggering grace of a drunk goat and barely saw more than a few feet in front of him. He cursed every single time he bumped into a flower pot along the corridors.The distant blaring of a siren cut a shallow hole through his drunken stupor and plunged him deeper into panic. He ran any which way, as long as it was away from the sirens.An angry man bumped into Brown on his way in the opposite direction and sent him staggering back a few meters.“Hey watch where yo

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 45: Jennet Is Furious Over Brown's Arrest

    Jennet had run in the direction of the fracas just from a pure mother’s instinct. She could have sworn that she heard her son screaming.“Would you slow down already?” Margaret struggled to keep up with the rest of the group, stopping every now and then to catch her breath.Brown walked in his own space, steady but not in a mad sprint like someone who had gone round a bend.There was a fleet of police cars blocking off the exit point in the direction they were going. An ambulance backed out and drove off into the street.“Let me go, would you!” Brown’s voice caught their attention.Jennet watched in horror as Brown was forcefully shoved into a police car. She rushed off to the scene to save her son.“Hold on! Where are you taking my son?” she asked anyone who cared to listen among the officers.“Mum! Mum, he’s framed me! The bloody bastard has set me up!” Brown cried, straining his neck backwards to look at Jennet.“Where are you taking my son?” Jennet asked again.None of them paid a

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 46: The Masked Man Acting Like God

    The limousine jetted through the night, and it would have been a peaceful ride, a nice ride around the city, if Bennet didn’t have to sit beside Jennet.She was going on another round of her murmurings about Brown’s plight, and how he wasn’t built for a prison cell.Who is ever built for a prison cell from birth? He rolled his eyes and reclined in his seat.“If you would only try and calm down, Jennet. We would find a way to get him out”. Margaret snapped, her face scrunched up into an impatient scowl.“Easy for you to say, huh. I suppose you have no idea what it feels like to have a son incarcerated for a crime he’s innocent of”. Jennet fired back, venomous hatred oozing from her words.“Well, at least, my child doesn’t go about shooting his stepfather”. Margaret rolled her eyes, and settled into her seat as though she had not just made Jennet’s problems even worse by her mean statement.“You old witch! How dare you?” Jennet roasted indignantly, and Bennet was glad he had sat between

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 47: Brown's Unfavorable Condition

    “Please let me know when you get a lead”. Mark implored inspector Conrad over the phone before placing the phone back in his pocket. He let out a sigh and felt the weight on his shoulders bear down on him with more gravity. Cornelius Shapiro was still nowhere to be found and the police had spared every officer available to comb the city in search of him.Mark shook his head to gain composure and walked back into the hospital’s waiting room where he and Karen had been for over an hour. Neither the doctors nor the nurses had anything to share with them yet, and all Mark could do was pray that his father made it through the surgery alive.Karen looked up to him, with a glimmer of hope shining through her tear filled eyes. When Mark shook his head in the negative, she simply nodded, and broke down in a fit chest racking sobs.“It’s okay, Karen. They’ll find him soon. And whoever is responsible for his disappearance is going to pay dearly. You have my word”. Mark assured her, putting an ar

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 48: The Outrageous Ransom

    “The bloody nerve of these bastards? Ten million dollars in cash?” Karen cried out in despair, pacing about Gabriel’s hospital room. The kidnappers has been very plain about their demands: the money or he dies.Phoning the police was completely out of the question, because they had made it clear that any attempt to contact the authorities over the matter would also lead to the same result; death.“It’s okay, Karen. As long as he’s gonna come back alive, nothing’s too much.“You don’t understand. My uncle has incurred a trailer load of debt in the last few years. From insurance companies, to salary rebates, and taxes. I run the accounts so I’ll tell you, it’s really bad”. Karen cried in despair.“Cornelius never mentioned any of this to me”. Gabriel mused quietly to himself.“I’ll pay”. Mark suddenly blurted out. “I’ll take care of the ransom. As long as Mr. Shapiro gets out well and alive. That’s really all that matters now.”“Are you sure? I mean, that’s a lot of money”. Karen began

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 49: Blocked Off The Plan

    Jennet sat in tears as she watched the officers haul her son away and into the prison. How did they get here? A pang of guilt stung her heart because she knew the real truth; her son was indeed innocent. Every time he screamed in frustration and anger, it rented a fresh piece of her heart from the seams.But how could she admit to it, especially after she had spoken with the real mastermind behind the crime? The police would be quick to label her as an accomplice.I’m sorry son. Jennet pulled out a handkerchief from her purse and wiped the corners of her eyes.“Get my son out of there, please”. She turned to Devon, who responded with a solemn nod.“I’ll do everything within my power to get him out, starting with gathering the right evidence.”Of course. Jennet broke down into tears at the realization. Bennet clearly hadn’t informed Devon about the peculiarity of the case. Number One was never going to let any evidence point back to him. While Devon consoled her, Jennet’s phone rang f

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 50: Mark & Karen Has Been Kidnapped

    The car came to a stop before a construction site in a location Mark suspected to be on the other side of town. The driver didn’t make it any easy to memorize any landmarks, as he made sure to drive in circles until Mark lost track of how many turns they had taken.All through the journey, a man had sat quietly in the passenger seat, never turning back for once to regard them.“We’ll be okay”. Mark promised, holding Karen’s hand in his. He silently prayed that they would be okay eventually. The man sitting in the passenger seat climbed down and held Karen’s side door open.“You both get down from here”. The man said in a gruff voice.He had on a black sleeveless shirt, and looked as thick and large as a rock. His skin was crawling with multiple tattoos and his face had a long scar running down from his forehead, down to the side of his chin.Mark swallowed down his fear and walked in the direction the man nodded towards with his head.“Uncle!” Karen cried out in terror when they arriv

  • Underestimated Retribution    Chapter 51: Saved By The Tracking Button

    Mark’s vision was blurry and his head rang with a terrible headache. He squinted his eyes till he could make out the figure of the tattooed man in front of him.“You would let us go first, before I..” He tried to bargain but was shut up by another hard slap from Donnie, that sent his chair flying backwards, and crashing on the floor with a loud thud.“No! Please stop!” Karen cried in anguish. “Please, don’t hurt him anymore. You’ll kill him!” She cried in frustrated anger.“Get him up”. Mark heard the tattooed man instruct Donnie.“Let them go at least”. Mark said, spitting out some blood after he spoke.The tattooed kidnapper walked up to him and crouched low till he was breathing hard into Mark’s face.“You don’t get to make any requests or demands for that matter.”Mark looked away in defiance, the metallic taste of blood mixing with a bitter anger and an equal hunger for revenge, inside his mouth.“Please, I beg you. You've hurt him enough. Just let us go!” Karen cried.“Please, l

Latest Chapter

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 194: THE VERDICT

    EPILOGUE : A YEAR LATER The courtroom was filled with apprehension and tension. From a mile away, one could observe and note the seriousness of the faces, how enraptured they seemed to be. The silence in the courtroom could be broken by just a pin drop, and everyone was rapt with attention, staring at the judge, the jury, the hideous criminal with beautiful eyes, slender waist, a beautiful body and the prettiest of faces, but with a heart darker than the devil's. The entire city was out for her, and everybody in the room was dying for justice to take its course. The entire courtroom was filled to the brim, and even from the outside, people were peering through the windows. It was the largest court in the city, but the turn up had been so massive that people had to look from the windows. That was the kind of reception that Karen Shapiro had garnered. A lot of people had heard her story, the murders she had committed, and how she had controlled the underworld of crime. She wa

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 193: THE PILL CALLED REGRET

    In the days that followed, Jenett Darius felt as if she was living in a dream. She could barely respond to questions that were thrown her way, and she knew it made the chief of police genuinely worried because of the agreement she had made to testify against Karen Shapiro in the court. How was she going to be able to do that when her purpose of living was no more? When her son was no more, the child that she had birthed hadn't even lived to experience the remorse that she was feeling? The removal of the guilt that had filled her chest by turning herself in? On a sunny Monday morning, she was shocked to find the chief of police opening the door to her cell. She jolted awake, and so did Margaret Woods. She had barely spoken to Margaret since she had heard the news of her son's death, and all she had wanted was for death to snatch her too. But no matter how much she wished for it, it never seemed to come. Death knew that it wasn't time for her to go, and it was playing its part by r

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 192: AGAINST ALL ODDS

    But Karen Shapiro was in no state to do what she had conjured in her mind. She was brought down by a simple Roundhouse kick, and her head was pinned to the floor as the cold metal of the handcuffs clamped on her wrists. Karen Shapiro was bundled back into her room, just like the common criminal she was. ********* When Mark Darius came to consciousness, he instantly found out that his side was hurting and that he was in a hospital. The dream he had been having was the same one that had tormented him during the previous nights, Karen Shapiro pursuing him endlessly with a knife, her screams making him terrified and making him perspire profusely. By the time he managed to sit up in the white, comfortable bed he was in, he was covered in a sheen of sweat. He also acknowledged immediately that the bed he was lying in wasn't his, and that his room didn't have a speck of blue in it. He had always been a green and orange color person from the start. And those were the colors that flound

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 191: GAME OVER

    When Karen Shapiro came to consciousness, the first thing she recognized was the continuous beeping of the heart monitor machine next to her and the needle that was in her skin. Her head felt as if it had been pounded upon severally and her eyes wanted to close of their own accord. Where was she? What had happened to her? For all she knew about her being in a blue and white room that stank of drugs and antiseptic, she knew within her that she was missing something. Something was wrong. She wasn't supposed to be in the room that she was, and she knew it. But she couldn't place it. At that same moment, the door opened, revealing a nurse in a white uniform that bore kind, brown eyes. Her hair was covered with a nursing cap, and when she smiled, it was cheerful and broad, seeming to light up the whole room. It made Karen Shapiro smile slightly even though she clearly didn't want to, even though her head felt as if a thousand nails had been drilled into it. The nurse proceeded

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 190: A MOTHER'S TORMENT

    Swallowing, he spoke those dreaded words that Jenett Darius heard in her nightmares for days, those words that seemed to stick in her mind, that had left a firm imprint in her soul. “I'm afraid your son has been found dead amongst the bodies of the dead in the aftermath of the Splendid bar shooting. He was alive when the ambulance left the bar, but he was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital. He died from several gunshot wounds.” He paused, and Jenett Darius could only hear the blood pounding in her ears and the hammering of her chest. She couldn't believe it, she was hoping it wasn't true. But it was reality, the cuffs on her hands were real and the chief was still standing in front of her. “I'm sorry that I'm the one that has come to you bearing this sad news, Miss Jenett. I wish I could take it back, but it has already happened.” When she didn't speak, he ventured further, touching her lightly on the shoulder. It was clear that he wanted her to say something, to at least

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 189: THE AFTERMATH

    As soon as he struck Karen Shapiro on the head with the heavy box, he knew that he had only a few seconds before he would totally black out. And that was why without wasting a precious second, Mark Darius made his way to the phone in Derek Campton's hand. Without skipping a beat, he dialed the popular emergency line, his hands trembling. The amount of blood he had lost was going to determine if he got to live or not, and Mark Darius knew that he had lost quite a lot of blood. “911, what's your emergency?” Smiling, Mark Darius was slowly embracing the darkness that was enveloping him. He was fighting to stay alive, he was fighting death, the darkness, and even though it looked bleak, he was sure that he was going to win. He was going to say his location before the darkness enveloped him completely. It had been quite a long day, and Mark Darius wanted nothing more than to lay down and rest. He had been fighting a battle which he didn't know how it was going to turn out, and t

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 188: THE CONFESSION

    “I can drive you to the station. I believe one of the staff can help to look after Atticus. He's eating, and as far as food is involved, he's good to go.” Sergei stared at her, slightly worried. He was just a little bit different. Even in the urgency of the moment, he was rethinking things, making sure that he wasn't leaving out any detail. He was very observant, and she could see why Mark had maintained his service throughout the years. “Are you sure? You should rest, take a shower. I assure you that Mark will be alright. He knows how to take care of himself, fight his battles if you know what I mean.” She nodded, knowing that she would do anything to know that Mark was safe and sound. He had fought for Atticus, and it was up to her to do the same for him. She would gladly do it without blinking or hesitation. “I'm certain. I need to be sure that Mark is safe and that Karen hasn't killed him yet.” Sergei nodded, finally acknowledging her pleas to follow him. He had carefully c

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 187: LOOKING FOR MARK

    She didn't know why, she couldn't fathom the reason. It was probably what she had deserved, but the fact that she had been so close to getting away hurt her everyday of her life. After she closed the box successfully, she turned around to see a smiling Mark Darius, the smaller of her boxes with its edges that were made of metal in his hands. And before she could move or raise her hands in defense, the box had been slammed on her head, sending her into a darkness she had never encountered throughout her life. ********** Farida Atticus stared at her son, then smiled. Out of everything that had happened to her in the past few weeks, he seemed to be the only good thing that had emerged from it all. For the fact that he had managed to come out of the devil's lair that was Karen Shapiro's home unshattered and unharmed, there was every reason for her to be happy. Yes, her life had been a mess because of love, but there was one thing Farida found herself acknowledging. She st

  • Underestimated Retribution    

    CHAPTER 186: BEATING THE ODDS

    But it was clear that Mark Darius was having none of it. His mind was made up, and he stared at her, his gun very much active in his hand. He was going to use it, no matter what she said. “I can give you the contract right now.” Mark Darius smiled instead, as if he knew of her plans to bolt and do something unpredictable like she had done a few minutes ago. He looked purely ready for her, her antics and whatever she was going to try next. “You should've thought about that before trying to shoot me, Karen Shapiro.” And with those words, he fired. It was a single shot, and the bullet pierced her upper arm in a jolt that sent her to the floor, holding her now bleeding hand. At that moment, Mark Darius let out a cry. He had fallen to the floor, and the gun was out of his hand. Staring at him in pain, Karen Shapiro could see that he was in pain. He was clutching his side, his knuckles completely white. Despite her bleeding arm, the sight of Mark Darius in pain seemed to give her st