Club Bespoke Pt. 04

The wait was agonising. He knew there was another appointment immediately after his but there was a chance it was delayed or had been cancelled. Then again, given the hoops one had to jump through to get appointments here, both seemed very unlikely. He also had to hope that whoever walked through that door did so in clothes that would actually fit him. It wasn't really something that had been considered when planning this because it was a non factor; Lucy didn't need the clothes so no one had checked. But it would be all but completely obvious what he had done if he walked out in a suit a few sizes too big or small or something.

Before he could consider anything else, he heard the click of the electronic lock on the door. Hayden felt his heartbeat immediately quicken as his body prepared him to strike. He pressed his back against the wall and listened as the door clicked shut and he heard a soft footfall approaching him. He held his breath as the man walked past him, somehow oblivious to him being there.

He was slightly shorter than Hayden, which Hayden supposed was good, and was balding, like his hair was making a slow but concentrated effort to escape from his face. There was something oddly familiar about him but Hayden couldn't place it. He couldn't think much more about it however as his attention was drawn to the bag the man was carrying. It seemed almost to resemble a tool bag, the kind a craftsman might carry with him, but smaller.

Hayden mentally shook himself. He couldn't delay this any longer. Any moment now the man was going to spot him and he'd lose his chance to strike. He tentatively raised the syringe ready to plunge into the man's neck and stepped forward. He wanted to be quick, but his body was clumsy and stiff with fear. He brought the syringe down and hit nothing but air.

The man had turned and spotted him just quick enough to avoid his attack, dropping his bag in the process as Hayden stumbled past him. He turned and froze, staring at the man in a wide eyed panic.

"Who the fuck are you? Where's the thing that is supposed to be in here?" the man demanded.

Hearing Lucy referred to as a 'thing' would have been bad enough, but Hayden's eyes had been drawn down to the contents of the bag that were now on display. It had unravelled as it hit the floor revealing within a set of shiny, metallic instruments. Hayden didn't recognise what some of them were but there was at least one he remembered all too vividly: a set of pliers. Hayden remembered where he'd seen the man before.

"You're the sick bastard who pulls their teeth out!" Hayden bellowed.

Before the man could respond, Hayden had thrown himself on him, the two tumbling to the ground sending the syringe across the room in the process. Hayden was filled with a rage he didn't know he had in him and he swung wildly at the man's face, feeling but ignoring the pain rattling through his knuckles as he connected with the man's cheek. Hayden's wild, unfocused rage was only going to get him so far though, and he felt the wind leave his lungs as the balding man struck him in the ribs. Hayden fell to his side with a groan as the man lurched to his feet.

Hayden felt his insides scream and the taste of iron in his mouth as the man laid a stiff kick to his abdomen. His vision went hazy and it was all he could do just to protect his body. There was a very real chance that this man could have urges beyond just causing pain and right now he had the opportunity to go one step further if he so wished. The kicks stopped, and through blurry vision, Hayden peaked out and saw his impromptu opponent searching in his bag for something. Given what he'd already seen in the bag, there was no telling what kind of sick experience Hayden was about to be put through, and he tried to drag himself away from the man towards the door.

"Oh no you don't!" barked the man as he closed the space between them and kicked Hayden in the face, a sickening click sounding across the room as Hayden's nose broke from the impact.

Hayden had never felt so much pain in his life, his eyes watering as his broken nose started to bleed. His hands grasped around him looking for something, anything he could use to defend himself. He could just about make out the man stood above him holding something in his hand that he then raised to his ear. It was a phone. He was about to call security!

"Hello, get me a manager, right fucking now!" the man seethed into the phone.

This was Hayden's last chance. There had to be something he could do to stop this guy from alerting security. The van was still waiting for him outside and if the club's security was put on high alert, then none of it would have mattered; Lucy would be captured and likely taken to the same place any other 'defective' Representatives went. He couldn't let that happen.

Lashing out with his foot using whatever little strength he could manage, Hayden connected with the balding man's knee causing him to scream and buckle. Hayden felt a sudden burst of adrenaline and got to his feet. On instinct he grabbed the man by the back of his head and drove his knee right between his eyes, giving him a broken nose to match Hayden's and sending him tumbling backwards.

The phone had flown out of the balding man's hand but the call was still active. The two looked at one another and back to the phone for a second, each realising they needed to act fast. The balding man dove for the phone, grasping it in his shaking, stubby hands and lifting it to his mouth.

"Send help, plea... aaaargh!"

The balding man screeched from the pain of something thin and sharp entering his neck. Hayden stood over him staring into his eyes as all consciousness slipped out of them before pulling out the syringe.