Involving Torin

Chapter 39 - Involving Torin

Inside Kelly’s apartment, the three of them sat in silence. Kelly went to the kitchen, filled a glass with water, and brought it back to Torin. He took it without looking at her, his fingers still wrapped tightly around the blood-streaked bat. The wood creaked beneath his grip, and the veins on the back of his hand stood out as though he were still holding on to the fight outside.

Lenna watched him for a moment before speaking in a softer voice. “Breathe. Thank you. Misty is safe because of what you just did.”

The name seemed to reach somewhere the rest of her words could not. Torin lowered his eyes, and the image from the phone returned to him. Misty’s face had been on that screen only minutes ago, her little face caught in photographs she had never agreed to take. His grip tightened for a second before his fingers slowly relaxed around the bat. He looked down at his hand as though noticing it for the first time, then took the glass from Kelly and emptied it in one long swallow.

When he finished, he lowered the glass and leaned back against the sofa. His head rested against the cushion while he stared at the ceiling, breathing through his nose. The rage that had driven him moments earlier was still somewhere inside him, but it no longer controlled his body. His shoulders gradually dropped, and the tension in his jaw began to fade.

Lenna waited until his breathing had settled before standing. “I’m going to meet Misty. She needs someone with her all the time.”

Torin opened his eyes and gave her a small nod. Lenna picked up her things and headed for the door. She paused for a moment as if she wanted to say something more, but after looking at him, she decided against it and left the apartment.

The door closed behind her, leaving Torin and Kelly alone.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Kelly sat across from him, watching him without making it obvious. Torin looked different now that the violence had passed. He was still exhausted, and there was a faint redness around his eyes, but the wildness that had been there earlier had disappeared beneath a layer of fatigue.

After several minutes, Torin finally looked around the apartment. “Is this place alright?”

Kelly frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Your apartment. Does everything work? Do you have everything you need?”

The question caught her off guard. She looked around as though checking the place herself before shaking her head. “Everything is fine. I have what I need.”

Torin nodded and remained quiet for another moment. His eyes moved toward the window, then back to her. “If you need anything, let me know.”

Kelly gave him a small nod. “I will.”

Torin stood from the sofa and adjusted his clothes. For a second, he remained there as though he had forgotten what he was supposed to do next. Then he looked at Kelly and gave her a brief farewell before walking toward the door.

“Take care.”

“You too.”

He stepped outside, and the door closed behind him.

Kelly remained seated for several seconds, listening to his footsteps fade down the hallway. Only after the sound disappeared did she look toward the floor where the bat had been resting. The memory of Torin holding it returned to her, along with the ease with which he had used it.

She had known Torin as a weak guy his daughter used to push around, but tonight had shown her a side of him she had never seen before.

Outside, the night had already settled over Blazing Towers. Kelly stood at the front gate with Tina, both of them keeping their eyes on the empty road. The streetlights cast pale circles across the pavement, leaving the spaces between them dark. Every few seconds, Kelly glanced toward one end of the road and then the other, waiting for the vehicle they had been told to expect.

After several minutes, headlights appeared in the distance. A truck came slowly down the road, its engine growing louder as it approached the tower. Kelly stepped closer to the gate while Tina remained beside her, watching without saying anything.

The truck stopped in front of them, and Kelly walked to the driver's side. She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it through the window. The driver opened it under the light of the dashboard, checked the information, and then pressed a stamp against the bottom of the page. Once he was satisfied, he handed it back and climbed down from the cab.

He walked to the rear of the truck and opened the container. Several wooden crates filled the space inside, stacked tightly against the walls. Two men were standing between them, their faces hidden in the shadows. Neither acknowledged Kelly or Tina. One of them reached down and picked up a heavy black bag before carrying it toward the open doors.

The driver took the bag from him and brought it over to Kelly. When she accepted it, the weight pulled her arm downward, forcing her to adjust her grip.

The driver looked at her for a moment before speaking. “From this moment, there is no connection between us.”

Kelly met his eyes and gave a single nod. The driver returned to the truck, climbed into the cab, and started the engine. A few seconds later, the container doors were shut, and the truck pulled away from the gate. Kelly and Tina watched until the headlights disappeared around the corner before turning back toward the building.

They carried the bag inside, moving through the quiet entrance of Blazing Towers. Tina kept glancing at it as they walked, her expression becoming more uneasy with every step.

“This much cash is dangerous to keep here,” she said quietly.

Kelly did not disagree. She shifted the bag in her hands and continued toward the elevators. “It is. That’s why we may need Torin involved.”

Tina stopped walking and looked at her in disbelief. “Torin? You mean the same Torin Pascal used to push around? That meek loser whose parents were killed and whose sister was ruined?”

Kelly stopped as well and turned toward her. Her expression hardened immediately. “Never say that to his face.”

Tina stared at her, surprised by the sharpness in her voice. “Why? It’s the truth.”

“I know it is,” Kelly replied. “That’s exactly why you should keep it to yourself. You saw him tonight. If you say those things to him now, I might not be able to protect you.”

Tina crossed her arms but lowered her voice. “He’s still the same person. Pascal used to humiliate him whenever he wanted. Torin never fought back.”

“That was before,” Kelly said. She started walking again, and Tina reluctantly followed. “Pascal’s father is the mayor, while your own father has been dead for years. A lot has happened since then, and Torin isn’t the boy you remember.”

Tina glanced at her. “You really think he’s changed that much?”

Kelly looked toward the elevator doors as they approached. “You should have watched him today. I don’t think I need to explain this to you after that.”

Tina remained quiet for a few steps before asking, “So what exactly do you want from him?”

Kelly pressed the elevator button and waited for the doors to open. “We don’t need his money, and we don’t need him to follow orders. What we need is what happened to him after everything he lost.”

Tina frowned. “What does that mean?”

Kelly looked at the heavy bag in her hand before answering. “It means Torin has developed a kind of madness that most people spend their entire lives trying to avoid. He sees something he believes is wrong, and once he decides someone deserves to pay for it, he doesn’t seem to care where the line is anymore.”

The elevator doors opened, and Kelly stepped inside. Tina followed, still trying to understand what she meant.

“You’re saying that’s useful?”

“I’m saying it may keep us alive,” Kelly replied.

The doors began to close, cutting off the empty lobby behind them. Kelly looked down at the bag between them and then toward Tina. “If things get worse, we’ll need someone who can do things the rest of us can’t. Torin has already shown us that he is capable of going further than most people would.”

Tina looked at her for several seconds before finally looking away.

As the elevator descended into the building, neither woman spoke again. The heavy bag rested between them, and somewhere above them, the city continued moving as if nothing had changed.

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