Chapter 28: Ego of the Vagrant
Chapter 28: Ego of the Vagrant
Mike suddenly dug into the pocket of his grimy jeans and pulled out a cracked phone. The pale blue glow lit up his face as his fingers tapped quickly across the screen. He held it up, flashing an article with a giant headline:"ButtManiac — The Pervert on the Train!"
Mike grinned wide, eyes locked on Caleb.
"Don’t lie to me, Caleb... hahah. Damn, I’m honestly shocked to meet someone this famous in a dump like this."
Caleb froze for a beat, holding his breath. His heart slammed against his chest, but his face stayed cool. Only one thought ran through his head:
Shit... even bums have phones now.
Mike snorted in satisfaction and leaned closer, gaze sharp.
"Now... tell me. What really went down behind all this mess?"
Caleb lifted his chin, a faint smile curling on his lips while his brain raced. Shit... even fate wants in on this game, huh? A thin laugh echoed inside his mind.
He exhaled slowly, then spoke, voice light and casual.
"Here’s the deal. Sarah’s mom? She’s also my client. That whole butt incident—pure accident. But then, she caught me fooling around with her mom. Sarah got pissed, felt betrayed, and decided to spread that trash rumor. That’s how I got branded ’ButtManiac.’"
Mike went silent for a second before bursting into laughter, loud and rough, bouncing off the cramped walls.
"You really are a bastard! Shit, I didn’t expect you’d be into rich, classy older women! Completely different from me Hahaha!"
Caleb only raised a brow, answering flatly.
"Huh? Different from you?"
Mike’s laugh cut off. His face shifted cold, smile thinning into something poisonous.
"I like younger girls... helpless ones. Ones I can force."
Caleb’s eyes widened. "You mean...?"
Mike grinned, flashing yellow teeth.
"Yeah, exactly what you think. And don’t get it twisted—I’m loyal to my boys. I always bring Anderson and Billy along to... enjoy the fresh meat. You should’ve seen their faces when I threatened to leak those photos—the ones with their slime-covered grins—on social media. AHHAHAHA! Fucking priceless!"
Caleb stared blankly for a moment, then drew a heavy breath. Well... that’s insane. This motherfucker deserves a beating.
Mike’s grin stretched again, eyes boring into him.
"You see? We’re not the same. You like to play it soft, charm your way in, make old women swoon. Me? I like it rough. Domination. Break them until they cry. That’s real pleasure."
Caleb stayed silent, expression flat. But inside, his fury was boiling over.
People like him... Anderson... Billy... they couldn’t be left alone. They weren’t just parasites. They needed to be erased.
The rickety door creaked open. Anderson and Billy stumbled in, laughing like idiots, the stench of cheap booze and cigarette smoke flooding the room. In their hands: a greasy box of pizza and two bottles of bottom-shelf beer.
"Yo, Mike! We brought the party!" Anderson shouted, dropping his ass onto the filthy couch. Billy cackled, snatching a slice without even bothering to wash his hands.
Mike turned to Caleb, smile suddenly warm, like they were all old buddies.
"C’mon, Peter. Eat. Drink."
Caleb’s brow twitched. He called me Peter, again? His eyes flicked over to Anderson and Billy. Just a glance was enough—those two weren’t predators with brains like Mike. They were more like failed teenagers, desperate for identity, tagging along with an older guy to look "cool." Trash. Mike was the real mastermind.
Caleb leaned back, studying him. A washed-up vagrant who still had some brains left... interesting.
The cheap pizza was torn apart. Beer bottles cracked open. Smoke thickened in the air. Caleb took a slice, one sip of beer. Tasteless. Stale. He pretended to blend in, but his head was busy running calculations.
Time dragged. Anderson lay half-conscious, sauce smeared around his mouth. Billy slumped against the wall, eyes half-shut—completely wasted.
Mike was different. He stayed sharp, lounging in his busted chair, cigarette in one hand, playing with a half-empty beer bottle in the other. His eyes never left Caleb.
Caleb felt it creeping—time to move. I need to start hijacking their common sense... He stood slowly, pretending to reach for his cap.
"I’m gonna hit the bathroom—"
Before he could finish, Mike cut him off, voice flat but heavy with intent.
"Tonight... Halloween Night." He grinned, blowing smoke toward the ceiling. "We’ll go fishing... plenty of young ones in costumes. And you’re coming with us. It’s gonna be fun. Be a good boy!"
Caleb paused, lips curving into a thin, cold smile beneath the shadow of his face.
Perfect place.
Mike chuckled. "You were heading to the bathroom, right? Go ahead. And don’t run—’cause you’re one of us now."
Caleb straightened up and answered, calm and sharp.
"Well, of course. My life’s already ruined. Normal life isn’t an option anymore."
Mike inhaled, exhaled a long plume of smoke.
"Good boy!" he sneered, jabbing a finger toward the grimy hallway. "Third door down—there’s your bathroom."
Caleb nodded, turning away. In his head, the thought burned:
Yeah, I can’t go back to normal life... but you motherfuckers won’t be going back to life at all tonight.
Caleb shoved the rotten wooden door inward. The stench hit him like a punch—stale piss, moldy walls, and a sticky, swampy floor.
"Fuck..." he muttered under his breath, face twisting in disgust.
He stopped in front of the cracked sink, staring at the blurry reflection in the dusty mirror. But his brain wouldn’t stop spinning.
What kind of hijack should I pull?
Mike... he couldn’t be allowed to live. Anderson and Billy too—they might just be trash, but they shared the same shit. Better to wrap it all up. Finish the quest.
Caleb gripped the edge of the sink hard, fingers trembling slightly.
The hijack has to happen downtown... fast...
Cold sweat slid down his temple. He shut his eyes, thoughts typing wild in his head, weaving a strategy.
Mike loved easy money. Always chasing shortcuts. Always playing boss over those two idiots.
Caleb lifted his head slowly, a thin smile curling on his lips.
I think I can use his ego.
The mirror’s reflection stared back with a dark glint in its eyes. A plan was forming—and in his mind, a single voice whispered clear:
Halloween night at the square... hahahah...