Ramifications: Day 17

Word Count: 102,301

Summary of Events:

Lachlan managed to figure out the address of the gangster he was looking for from the papers he stole. Dom and Elijah got talking about Lachlan, with Elijah suggesting that Dom should inform the police about him without knowing what he was up to specifically. Lachlan and another gang grunt searched the apartment belonging to the gangster in hopes of finding the package the gangster had stolen . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"Lachlan continued searching the apartment ruthlessly, but to no avail. Both the main and master bathrooms' drains in the sinks and the showers ran freely, it wasn't hidden in the toilet tanks or just under the rim of the bowls.

In fact, they effectively ransacked the entire apartment and found absolutely no sign of it.

"Bastard has it on him," Lachlan swore.

"So what do we do now?" Ricky asked.

"Take what food you want," Lachlan replied. "If you want to save your things before I light it all up you may want to do that, and take the esky* down if you would. But if I find anything missing I'll knife you."

Ricky said nothing. Lachlan looked over his shoulder and saw Ricky rummaging around in the esky.

On silent feet Lachlan crossed the floor to be behind Ricky. He managed to draw out his knife and hold it between his palms before plunging it down into Ricky's back, which elicited a shout.

"Told you I'd knife you," Lachlan said. "Even with buggered hands."

Ricky returned the sweets he'd taken and Lachlan drew the knife out before using its bloodied blade to close the esky. He pushed the esky out into the hallway with his foot.

"Take what food you want and make yourself scarce," Lachlan warned.

Ricky nodded silently, getting to his feet and leaning against the wall as he made his way to the fridge, which he took several things out of Lachlan hadn't wanted, doing the same with the freezer — including taking the ice creams Lachlan hadn't been interested in.

Once Ricky had taken all he wanted and left silently Lachlan went back into the apartment and lit one of the stove burners. He then took a ravaged pillow from the living room and held it over the burner until it lit. He finally tossed the flaming pillow into the living room and turned off the burner.

He watched silently for a few moments as the flames spread rather rapidly before hurrying out the door, taking up the esky carefully, taking the stairs down to the basement, and exiting out of the man-door beside the overhead door into the underground park.

Silently he made his way along the footpath. He'd not gotten too far when he heard an explosion and shattering glass. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the flames licking up the side wall of the building and smoke billowing out of the window. The vinyl siding melted helplessly as the flames licked it.

Lachlan turned his gaze ahead and kept walking away. As much as fire fascinated him and he loved to watch it, he was sure that a man with bandaged hands and an esky would be far too peculiar a sight to go unnoticed."

*Esky is colloquial Australian for a cooler or an ice box.