{CHAPTER EIGHT}

~~~~~~~~

Jackson's Uncle found himself in a dusky  room, the air heavy with tension and the faint scent of fear. Across from him sat a formidable figure, clad in a sharp suit and a dark sunglasses, exuding an aura of power that seemed to fill the entire space. The man nonchalantly flipped through the newspaper, each rustle of pages echoing ominously in the moon.

In the stark light, two massive forms loomed in the corner, their powerful bodies tense with anticipation. One of them swiftly advanced, moving with a predatory grace, seizing Jackson's Uncle with a tight grip around his throat.

His Uncle's frantic gasps for air reverberated off the walls, the sound of desperate symphony of struggle and survival. His hands clawed at the iron grip around his neck, fingers digging into the unforgiving hold as he fought against the suffocating darkness closing in around him.

Each moment felt like an eternity as he battled to break free, the taste of fear sharp on his tongue, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat of impending doom.

"Four weeks turned into four months, four months into four years! Where is my money!" The man's voice reverberated with a mix of anger and urgency, his demand cutting through the tense silence like a knife.

Jackson's Uncle struggled to find his voice, barely audible as he wrestled against the tightening hold around his neck "I... I have plans to repay Reaper," he managed to speak, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek.

Reaper's voice thundered through the room, "Plans! Plans!! Plans!!" as the newspaper he had been skimming through crashed onto the table with a resounding thud.

Reaper making a beeline for Jackson's Uncle, who was still struggling to break free from the vice-like grip of the burly man around his neck.

Motioning with a single commanding finger, Reaper signaled the burly man to release his iron grip from Jackson's Uncle's neck.

"So spill it, what's your excuse this time?" he questioned, leaning casually against the edge of the table.

Jackson's Uncle, freed from the tight grip heaved a sigh of relief, breathing heavily.

"I don't repeat myself!" Reaper remarked, shooting a glance to his side while still leaning against the table.

"I've got plans, Reaper, and mark my words, I'll settle my dues shortly," Jackson's Uncle rushed to say, his breath still coming in short gasps, gently soothing his neck to ease the discomfort.

"I'm sick and tired of listening to your ridiculous plans and waiting around for them!" Reaper stormed out in a fit of rage, his neck visibly pulsating with anger as he spoke.

"I swear! My plans are already in motion. Soon, I'll settle my debts..." He pleaded earnestly, only to be abruptly interrupted by Reaper.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa.... Hush now, Let me stop you right there," Reaper said, helping himself to a glass of wine on the table. "Remember you saying this same thing years back, huh!? Remember?"

"But tell me, what really down?" Walking close to Jackson's Uncle, leaned close as he whispered... "They crashed and burned!"

Jackson's Uncle, taking a quick glance at him, said, "It all crashed because of my brother's boneheaded decision. He poured his cash into that shady investment, only to uncover the truth; they were con artists, disguised as investors, bleeding him dry and taking out both him and his wife."

"If he hadn't messed up so bad, It was my initial plan to take them out and possess all they owned, not those filthy scammers. I should have been a step ahead of them," he growled in anger.

Reaper's furious tone cut through the air, "If you're so damn aware of what went down before, how the hell do you expect me to buy into this new crap of yours, knowing that the old one blew up in your face?" He was challenging the credibility of the current plan after the previous failure.

Reaper thundered, staring at the two hulking figures standing by the corner, "Snatch him!"

Just as they lucked forward, Jackson's uncle dropped to his knees, desperately seeking a second opportunity.

"Tell me your plan," Reaper commanded, halting the burly men in their tracks.

Jackson's Uncle recounted, "My brother's business partner, who was also full in for investing with him, but backed out once he figured they weren't investors but con artists and had warned my brother of their scheme; but was set on investing and didn't heed to the caution."

"So, What good does this information do?" Reaper inquired.

"My brother's business partner; he's got a daughter, one he left everything for before he passed. I'll have Jackson marry her for it," Jackson's Uncle responded with a sly frown.

"And why on earth would your nephew ever agree to such a half-baked scheme? Getting married to her, just for your benefit?"

With a smile, he responded, "That's because I made the boy believe his parents were killed for their wealth by his business partner."

"And trust me, he'd go to any lengths to satisfy me after I portrayed myself as his rescuer by taking him in following his parents' demise," stretching his neck wickedly.

With a nod of agreement, Reaper quipped, "I'll let you go; your plan shows promise. Anyone would seek vengeance for those words."

"Thank you! Reaper, I promise to pay off soon," his uncle expressed with gratitude and relief, acknowledging a second chance.

Dusting his suit as he prepared to depart, Reaper's voice cut through the silence. "Consider this your lucky day. But mark my words, the next time I return without my money paid, your fate will be sealed."

The imposing figures loomed behind him, intensifying the tension as he made his exit.

Still remained in the dimly lit room, Jackson's Uncle stood, anger swirling in his eyes.

With hurried movements, he reached for his phone in his pocket, fingers trembling as he dialed Jackson's number, the weight of Reaper's warning heavy on his mind.

"Did you get to ask her to be your girl?" He inquired eagerly as soon as Jackson answered the phone.

Jackson, still reeling from the encounter with Hanna at the shopping mall, was lost in a whirlwind of contemplation, the weight of their recent interaction hanging heavy in his mind.

Jackson faltered, "Uncle, don't you think we should handle this with caution, I..." His words trailed off as his Uncle's sharp, furious tone sliced through his sentence, silencing him instantly.

"Why the sudden display of weakness, boy?" His Uncle's voiced thundered, laced with anger and disappointment.

"Or are you trying to make me believe you've fallen for her all of a sudden, so quickly?" His Uncle's words cut through the tension, questioning Jackson's intentions.

Jackson retorted defiantly, "Enough with the suspicions, Uncle, I'm not falling for her and will never fall for her, trust me."

"Then, why the sudden change of heart and sympathy towards a family whose father caused the death of yours parents and stripped you of everything you had boy? Why the the sudden soft spot now? And why do you keep on making me remind you of this?" His Uncle's voice thundered in annoyance, pressing through Jackson's heart with pointed questions.

"There's no soft spot for my Parents' murderers, and never will there be, not now or in the future. But I still think we should handle this with caution," he said firmly.

His Uncle, breathing heavily with annoyance through the phone, grabbing a cigarette from his drawer.

"If you don't quickly do as we've planned, then the girl and her family die, just as I suggested. I have no plan to spare for the killers of my brother," his uncle declared with a chilling resolve.

"No Uncle, I said no more killings..." Jackson rushed in, his voice filled with urgency and determination.

However, his uncle, not waiting for him, swiftly hung up the phone, ending the conversation.

After the phone ended. Jackson mulled over everything, debating whether to go through with the plan and wrap it all up, not giving much thought about the encounter he had with Hanna.

If not for his Uncle's persistence and drive to reclaim the wealth, be wouldn't have considered such a course by marrying her, especially given that his Parents' killer was already deceased.

Still in thoughts, he also didn't want innocent people unaware of their father's crime, to suffer unjustly. Overshadowed in his thoughts, he weighed his options very carefully.

Jackson's Uncle wasted no time and promptly made another call right after ending the conversation with Jackson.

His Uncle's whispered instructions revealed a sinister plan, "We kidnap the boy tomorrow after school," his voice laced with secrecy and urgency.