The dirt road seemed endless. The moving truck crawled along, jolting over every pothole, while an old fire department pickup followed close behind. Ahead, a strange-looking car made its way through that forgotten region, where vegetation grew wild on both sides and the ground was beginning to turn into mud.
After a long journey, the house finally came into view.
It was old, large, and clearly in need of repairs, but it still seemed sturdy. The walls showed their age, some of the windows needed replacing, and the garden had practically disappeared beneath the overgrowth. Even so, there was something about the house that made it feel as though a new family could begin there.
The strange car stopped first.
A man got out and stood there for a few seconds, looking at the house.
— Beautiful house. — He looked back at the road and then at the property again. — But it’s going to be a lot of work.
The pickup stopped moments later. The door opened violently, and Tiger stepped out.
His head was shaved, his body was very muscular, and his arms were covered in tattoos. His face carried a permanently hard expression, as if he were always just seconds away from starting a fight.
He looked at the house and shook his head.
— What the hell is this place?
The man from the car pointed toward the house.
— Your house.
Tiger looked at it again.
— This?
— A few renovations here and there, and it’ll be good as new.
Tiger let out a short, humorless laugh.
— Fuck you!
— Take it easy, Joh... Tiger.
Tiger immediately turned his head.
— Now you remember who I am?
Inside the car, a blonde woman watched the two of them. She was almost forty, had a few tattoos on her arms, and wore the tired expression of someone who had seen this argument coming long before it started. She gestured for Tiger to stop.
In the seat beside her was Don. The boy wore a hearing aid and sat with his arms crossed, looking at the house through the window.
Tiger pointed toward the truck.
— Come on. Get out and start unloading this shit.
The woman opened the door. Don got out right after her.
— Don, — Tiger called. — You’re going to help me unload the truck.
The boy kept walking.
Tiger frowned.
— Don.
Nothing.
— I’m talking to you, goddammit!
Don kept walking as if he hadn't heard him.
Tiger lost his patience. In a few steps, he caught up with the boy and grabbed him by the collar.
— You little punk...
Don wasn't strong enough to resist. His body simply gave way in Tiger's hands.
For a moment, however, Tiger seemed to look at him differently.
It wasn't anger.
It was something older.
A memory that surfaced without permission.
Years earlier, in a dark alley, Johnny Five was kneeling.
There was blood everywhere.
A woman lay on the ground, struggling to breathe. Johnny was holding a baby in his arms. The child was covered in blood as well.
The woman looked up at him.
— Brother...
Johnny remained motionless.
She struggled to breathe before continuing.
— You've taken so many lives...
Her eyes moved toward the baby.
— Can you save this one?
The memory vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Tiger released Don.
The boy straightened his clothes and walked into the house without looking at him.
The woman approached and gently stroked Don's head for a moment. Then she looked at Tiger with clear disapproval.
— You're crazy, Tiger.
He remained silent.
— You want to get yourself arrested?
She pointed toward Don.
— Especially now that you have the boy.
Tiger looked away.
The man who had arrived in the strange car watched everything from a distance. Without saying anything, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a radio.
Tiger noticed.
The man pressed the button.
— Aligator... do you copy?
Tiger froze.
His expression changed immediately. His jaw tightened, and a vein began to bulge in his neck.
For a few seconds, nobody said anything.
Then the man looked at Tiger.
— Nothing.
He gave a small smile.
— Just wanted to see if the radio was working.
He waited another second.
— Everything's fine. Over and out.
He put the radio away.
Tiger kept staring at him.
The man put on his sunglasses.
— Well, I’d better get going.
He walked toward the car, but before getting in, he turned back to Tiger.
— Stay out of trouble, Tiger.
He paused.
— You've already got enough problems.
He looked toward the house.
— And now you've got the boy, too.
Tiger said nothing.
The man got into the car, started the engine, and slowly disappeared down the dirt road.
Tiger remained standing there, watching the car disappear into the distance.
Then he looked at the house.
Don was standing in the doorway, carrying a box.
For a few seconds, the two stared at each other.
Tiger took a deep breath.
— Come on, kid.
Don didn't answer.
Tiger picked up another box from the truck.
— We've got a house to get ready.
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