VICTOR CAREER SYSTEM

NARROW ESCAPE

"What if I don't want to go with you?" Victor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Then you'll have yourself to blame for what happens next," Duke retorted. Victor swiftly yanked his arm away from Duke's grip and sprinted down the street.

"Hey!" Duke yelled as he gave chase. Victor had no idea where he was or why this stranger was pursuing him. All he knew was that he had to escape.

As he ran through the unfamiliar streets, thoughts raced through Victor's mind. "Who is this guy, and why is he after me? What did I do to provoke him? I don't even know where I am. How will I find my way home?" Panic gripped him as he continued to flee.

Victor stopped abruptly when he spotted an alleyway between two buildings on his left. Glancing back, he saw that Duke was about ten feet away. Without hesitation, he darted into the alleyway, emerging onto another street where cars sped by. He knew he had to cross the road.

"I need to cross this road, no matter what," Victor muttered to himself. Just as he was about to dash across, Duke grabbed his shirt from behind, jerking him backward.

"You're coming with me!" Duke growled, taking Victor toward the gap between the two buildings.

"Help! Help!" Victor screamed, hoping someone would come to his rescue. Before he could yell again, Duke produced a handkerchief and stuffed it into Victor's mouth.

Duke was breathing heavily from the chase, but he continued to grip Victor's neck and press him against the wall.

"I can't believe you made me chase you this far. If you had just come with me, you wouldn't have needed to run so much," Duke declared.

"Mmmm, hmmm," Victor mumbled, attempting to communicate.

"You don't need to say anything. I know you might be wondering who sent me after you, but that information is confidential. All you need to know is that you messed with the wrong person, and I am your karma," Duke explained, punctuating his words with a punch to Victor's stomach. He struck again, but this time, Victor used his left leg to deliver a kick between Duke's legs.

"Ahhhhh!" Duke screamed in pain, releasing his grip on Victor's neck. Gasping for breath, Victor removed the handkerchief from his mouth and made a run for it.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Duke cursed as he writhed on the ground, clutching his injured groin. "I can't believe I let him slip past me!"

"The boss lady isn't going to be happy about this," he muttered as he got up, looked around in frustration, and realized that Victor had vanished from sight.

Duke unleashed his frustration by punching the wall with all his might. "Fuck! He escaped!"

Meanwhile, Victor sat in the backseat of a cab, his breath still heavy from the chase. He rubbed his neck, feeling the pain from Duke's grip. Thoughts raced through his mind. "Who was that guy, and who sent him? He mentioned that I messed with the wrong person, but who could that be? I need to go to the police station and report this. If he knew my location, he might know where I live. He looked like he was out to kill me." Multiple thoughts swirled, but he knew he couldn't head home immediately. His destination was the local police station.

***

Tacha, sitting on the hotel room couch near her friends, had her phone ringing loudly. She glanced at the caller ID, seeing it was Duke.

"I'll be right back, ladies. I need to take this call in private," she announced to Natalie and the others.

"Sure, Tacha," Natalie replied.

Tacha stepped into the hotel room's restroom, sat down on the toilet lid, and answered the call.

"Why couldn't you have just texted me, Duke?" she scolded.

"I'm sorry, boss, what I have to tell you requires a call," he responded.

"Go on then. What's the update?" Tacha asked impatiently.

"I found the guy you wanted me to deal with. I had him, but he managed to escape. I was about to rough him up when he kicked me and ran off. I lost him, boss," Duke explained.

"Oh my god!" Tacha exclaimed, realizing her friends might hear her through the thin walls. She lowered her voice. "I can't believe you lost him."

"I'm sorry, boss. It wasn't intentional. I thought I had him cornered. Please calm down and give me further instructions," Duke pleaded, knowing Tacha's temper could be dangerous.

"Damn it. Let me think for a moment. Hold the line," she said and placed the phone on her lap.

Tacha contemplated her next move. If Victor had escaped, he might have gone to his house or a police station. The smart thing to do would be to report the attack to the police, which could lead to a description of Duke. Tacha decided to have Duke go to Victor's house first.

"What you'll do is wait where you are. I'll find a way to get Victor's address from my friend, and I'll send it to you. You should then go to his house and look for him there. Stick to the original orders: rough him up, and you can trash his apartment if you need to. But don't kill him. If you can't find him there, I'll call one of my contacts in the police station to have him brought to your location, and then you can rough him up. Do you understand?" Tacha instructed.

"Yes, boss. I'll wait for your call," Duke replied.

"Good. Stay alert," she said as she ended the call.

***

Victor arrived in front of the Springfield Police Department downtown. His head still bore the bandage from the concussion, and his neck ached from Duke's grip.

"Why has my day been like this? It's been nothing but chaos," he pondered. However, he knew he needed to report the incidents to the police. They might have a way to apprehend the mysterious man who seemed intent on harming him.