Rob gave me instructions over the phone to secure my apartment until he could get here. I propped up a chair against my doorknob, shut my windows and armed myself with a kitchen knife while I anxiously waited for him. It took Rob about half an hour to get to me, it may have been the longest 30 mins that I’d ever spent in my life. I think I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding when Rob entered my apartment. At this point he was the only hope in my life of ever making it out of this situation without serious bodily harm.

Rob quickly surveyed my apartment and arrived at a very accurate and succinct conclusion.

“They know your name, what you look like, your address- new and old based on how they’ve thrown around your cheque book. They also have someone who can break into your apartment without breaking down your door. We gotta get you the hell out of here before this thing escalates further” Rob said.

I couldn’t have agreed more.

Rob took out his phone and started talking to someone rapidly. It seemed like he was calling a few of his friends. I had plopped myself down on a chair feeling a distinct lack of energy after the whole ordeal. After a while, I was dimly aware as Rob pulled up a chair next to me.

“Alright, here’s the deal. I talked to a couple of buddies of mine. They’ll come around here soon with their truck. Pack up some essential stuff that you need and we’ll go meet Luke. He’s probably the only guy who can find a solution to this. Having said that, I’m not entirely sure he’ll jump in to help you. He’s a peculiar guy. He might help you, he might not. Either way, you need to stay away from this place for a few days”.

I nodded in reply.

“Is there anything I can do to persuade this guy Luke to help me, Rob? I could pay him. I don’t have a lot of money. How much do you think It’ll take to convince him to help me?”.

“No, that’s definitely the wrong track to take with him. Luke’s not that much concerned with money. The thing that’s most important with someone like him is respect. Showing him the proper respect is more important than anything else. You’ll be literally asking him to save your life. Keep that in mind and never treat him like a hired help that you’re buying with your money. In fact, don’t bring up money unless he specifically asks about it. ” Rob said with a serious expression.

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I assured Rob that I won’t show his friend any disrespect and thanked him for his advice. I set about packing things I’d need for a few days. In the end, I managed to fill 3 bags when Rob’s friends showed up an hour later.

Rob introduced them both to me. Sam and Jay were both around the same height as Rob and seemed to possess similar builds. Sam seemed cheerful and jolly like Rob was while Jay was silent for the most part. I had the feeling that Rob may have called in a couple of favours to bring Jay here. He looked like he didn’t really want to be here.

With their help, we moved my stuff into the bed of the large pickup truck they had parked on the street. We soon set off towards our destination. Rob and Sam were making small talk over the stereo. I was too wound up to pay attention to them talking about mundane things. But then again, I was the only one in this truck whose life was hanging in balance, entirely dependent on a stranger showing me kindness. My heart was beating rapidly in my ribcage as I racked my brain to come up with a persuasive argument that would convince him to help me.

The ride seemed all too short before the truck pulled into a garage named Hunter’s Auto. The auto repair shop was mostly dark except for the light coming from an elevated room which I assumed was the office area. The curtains were pulled down, so I couldn’t make out anything inside.

I followed Rob as the four of us made our way up the stairs to the office. Rob knocked on the door “Luke, you there?”.

“Come in” came the reply in a loud bass voice.

I stepped into the room after Rob and saw Luke get up from the couch to greet us. He was absolutely massive, even a couple inches taller than Rob, who was a little over 6 feet. While Rob looked strong and lithe, this guy was absolutely ripped. I could see his t-shirt straining against his chest while barely holding up against his bulging biceps.

He had a ruggedly handsome face and my first impression of Luke was that he cut an intimidating figure. More than just his figure, there was something in his gaze as his eyes met mine. Some primal sense was telling me that this was a man I should never challenge. I felt like a midget standing at least 6 inches shorter than the second shortest guy in the room.

Rob broke the silence by saying “ Hey Luke, this is Pete, Pete, this is my friend Luke”.

“Hi Pete” Luke said with a short nod that conveyed his complete confidence and control of the situation. I told him hi back in a tone that conveyed that I possessed anything but confidence.

“Rob’s filled me in your situation Pete. Tell me, Why should I help you? And for your sake please don’t say money” Luke said.

I gulped nervously as my useless brain presented me with a complete blank as I tried to come up with a halfway decent argument why my life was worth his time.

He watched me with a predatory smile as he patiently waited for my answer.