Story of Sebastian, Chapters 1-3

The Story of Sebastian, Chapter One

By: Jennifer Feuerstein

Prologue:

The day started out like any other. Up at dawn, breakfast of champions, and then a meeting to go over intel. All those things that go bump in the night and scare children into sleeping with a flashlight. They're real and I hunt them down. I don’t hunt them to save those children huddled under the sheets; I hunt because it’s my job. After all the thought of a human calling 911 to take out vampires, demons, and other supernaturals gone rogue is ludicrous.

I hunched over my bowl of human cereal crap and a mug of coffee. If I had known what was coming, I might have crawled back under the stained covers of my motel bed. I didn’t though and I listened with interest as Dubhan divulged his leads and plans. With the wealth of information he laid out it was clear his night had gone better than mine. My arm still ached like a bitch where the Dark One landed a lucky shot.

I rolled my arm to work out the kinks and he stopped in his assessment to stare at me, his darks eyes chilling me again. His eyes went way past the usual dark brown you’d see in the human world. They were black as night and terrifying when they latched on you. He was a hard man to like, but I respected him. I respected the hell out of him.

I sipped my coffee and tried to ignore the prickling on my neck from Dubhan’s stare. He’d been through some rough shit back home, but I never got much information from him; except, of course, learning not to press the issue. So, there we were - two unlucky bastards trying to do some good while both secretly hoped the effort put us out of our misery. Death is funny that way. Even when you go searching for it, you hope it never finds you. Guess it wasn’t my lucky day...

“You okay there, Sebastian?” Dubhan asked, nodding at the rolling arm.  

“Fine.” The asshole stared him down. “Yeah, yeah, so my informant didn’t feel like talking. It's nothing.”

“We can postpone this if you need time. The guy isn’t going anywhere any time soon.” 

Sebastian stood to end the discussion. “We get him tonight and you know it. Any more time and who knows what he could do.” 

Dubhan nodded and went back to the plan. He liked that about the guy, he didn’t press shit. Sebastian’s last partner hadn’t made it very long; he’d been too busy questioning every damn detail. He’d been asking a question when his head rolled off his shoulders – ironic. Dubhan was quick on his feet and in his head which made him an excellent partner. They had been working together for at least a decade now. Sure, Dubhan watched his back, but he also took care of his own. Yeah, Sebastian respected the shit out of the Warrior.  

“So, we’ll take the usual accessories and strike from here.” 

Sebastian sat back down and eased forward on the groaning chair. They were big guys, the chairs had seen better days, and he didn’t feel like landing on his ass. Not to mention, the floor probably hadn’t been mopped in ages. He studied the layout on the map Dubhan gestured over. The son of a bitch they hunted had holed up in some old castle ruin. How quaint and predictable.  

“This is really getting boring.” 

Dubhan glanced up at him. “I’m sorry, would you like me to spice this up?” Sebastian didn’t miss the bite of sarcasm in his voice.  

He leaned back. “Seriously, don't these fuckers ever try something different?” A black brow arched over an equally black eye in response and Sebastian groaned. “Different bad guy, same m-o.” He stood and stretched until his back popped. “A challenge would be nice for once.” 

“Meet up back here at 4?” 

He smiled - so like Dubhan to ignore the philosophical side of crime fighting. He was all business. “Yeah, that’s fine. Just point me in the right direction and we'll be back for dinner.” 

Sebastian watched him leave with all his notes tucked under his arm. Okay, so he wasn’t in the mood for planning. Who could blame him? They had tracked this bastard all over Europe for months now and he was tired of the chase. He preferred a quick kill before moving on to the next challenge. If he was honest, this guy was smarter than the last one. The criminal moved around on a not so regular basis and he had a lot of minions to go through. Sebastian realized he’d never asked Dubhan how he’d managed to track him down.  

He walked outside and stretched again, restlessness pulling at him. The air was cool and damp; typical moody Irish weather. He would probably be sweating by noon. The question was how to keep busy until 4pm. Why bad guys always ran around during the day was beyond him, but it taught an important lesson. Show up before dinner and not only would Mr. Bad Guy not be home but he wouldn’t come home. They always had some kind of alarm system letting them know they’d been found. Interesting how they all did the same things. They found different ways to spend their time, but they were always bloody predictable.  

Sebastian gave up on the depressing scenery and headed back to his room. He intended to kill time reviewing his notes, summaries he kept on every criminal they hunted and killed. He went over the previous information on this guy before adding this morning’s findings. This was a major nasty in his book. Guy liked to think of himself as a dark sorcerer. Yeah, right. He was a masochistic asshole with a penchant for run-away young women. And the women he tended to go after were from Sebastian’s neck of the woods, the powerful sort. Somehow he sucked them dry and every dead girl made him stronger, hence the need to kill him quickly and soon.  

He tossed the notebook back into his bag and snorted. Sick fucker, just the kind he liked to see dead. Sebastian wandered into the shabby excuse for a shower and soaked under the hot water. It eased the stinging in his arm, but it didn’t slow down his brain. Their Mr. Magic had to move only when he’d kidnapped the wrong girl. He occasionally grabbed a human female whose trail was harder to get rid of, putting him in sight of the human authorities. Sebastian still wasn’t sure if he was supernatural or not. The inconsistencies of his mistakes spoke to him being human or really stupid. He could spot a supernatural from across the room. Of course, they’d all cringe if they heard him call them that.  Thus far, the criminal they hunted had eluded him so Sebastian couldn’t trust his instincts.

Toweling off, he studied his face in the mirror. Sebastian was supernatural and it was all he knew. Every other being was extremely proud of what they were - Dark One, Fairy, Leprechaun, Tuatha. It wasn't good to insult them by grouping them into one set, but it was what he did. He didn’t know his roots, so he didn’t count the subtle differences among races. What mattered to him was good or evil, even if some walked the line - like him. The fine line of good was better than falling off the cliff into hell. Sebastian had killed every kind of supernatural at some point for stepping out of line. He had fallen into the business of being an Enforcer.

He walked out to the dilapidated room and stood naked, closing his eyes to remember. He’d been young when sold into servitude. Just a scrawny houseboy until the day he’d grown sick of punishments and dodging the advances of the lecherous man of the house. Sebastian hadn’t much of a choice when he’d been cornered in the barn. He’d grabbed a pitchfork and stabbed the rotten bastard through the middle. Imagine his shock when the fucker didn’t die on the spot. Hadn’t been human, but neither had Sebastian. Thankfully, someone had come to his rescue because he’d been fresh out of ideas after the pitchfork failed. He’d been raised under the tutelage of that rescuer, brought up as an Enforcer.

Sebastian shook his head and flexed his arms. He dropped to the floor and started the workout routine he followed every day. He’d never known the man’s real name or make, but he’d died an old man, twenty five years ago at least. The guy had probably been centuries old, who knew for sure. Sebastian had gone through different partners since then, always trusting the Gods to set him up. Enforcing was something best done in pairs and his tutor said they were doing the work of the Gods. Sebastian wasn’t as religious or faithful as his boss had been, probably owing to feeling abandoned for the first sixteen long years of his life.

He paused in his sit-ups to stare at the ceiling. Why the hell was he thinking of all this depressing shit today? The past was over, he was what he was, and he liked the job. A growl rippled through the room as he put himself back into his workout with renewed vigor. He was supposed to be amping up for tonight, not dwelling on facts he couldn’t change. Maybe he’d take himself into town and look for some distractions to while away the time. Sebastian wasn’t sure what Dubhan did while they waited, but he guessed the methodical fucker was cleaning weapons and going over all the details with a fine-toothed comb. Sure, enforcers worked in pairs but only when they attacked. It was safer to stay apart in their off time. They were big guys and two together drew a lot of attention.

Chapter Two

Sebastian sipped the beer as he sat at the bar. Gods love Ireland, the crowds up and drinking with the clock having barely struck noon. Tourists mingled with locals and occasional rowdy jokes permeated the room. He’d picked the smaller pub hoping it wouldn’t be so full, but he’d hate to be in the tourist trap pub across the street.

His head turned as a rowdy group cheered on some sports team on the TV. Soccer or rugby, he didn’t really care. He snickered into his beer as some fan got wrapped into an embroiled debate over who was the best fan. Humans remained so clueless - meaningless was all their crap was. If they understood exactly what surrounded them, those boys would go home, shit themselves, and never walk outside again.

“You’re a different sort…” the bartender started a conversation with him, hoping to improve her tips.

Sebastian slapped a wad on the counter, cutting her off. “How about just pouring the beer and skipping the conversation?” He said it politely, still surprised when she didn’t take offense.

He noticed her saunter over to another customer and start up the same friendly chat. The smile and laughter didn’t quite reach her eyes and Sebastian concentrated. His skills weren’t as effortless as Dubhan’s but he’d never had much need for magic. Just a strong back and a good sword, gun, or any other weapon of choice. He focused on the laughing redhead, noticing the hint of brown roots.

Her thoughts brusquely broke through to him in tangles. She was thinking about getting off work and painting. She hated this job and the people she had to entertain. If the guy stared down her chest one more time, she’d dump ex-lax in his drink. She needed to dye her hair again and hated the red, but it added to her tips from the tourists… Sebastian frowned and released his hold, poor girl stuck behind a bar instead of living her dream.

He stared at himself in the mirror behind the counter, silently saluted his reflection, and drank the last of his beer. Pretty much true for all of them, wasn’t it?

“Wanting another one?”

“Just a water, keep the change.”

Sebastian’s mood plummeted again. He searched around the room looking for a distraction. His number would be up soon if he kept focusing on the bad details of life. His eyes caught a crooked smile and his brain froze. Well, hello freaking pixie. He surveyed the pub casually to see if she was visible to everyone or if only he saw her. As one man tripped to buy her a drink, Sebastian had his answer and turned to watch openly - pixies were always good for a laugh. Fucking pranksters of the supernatural world, they never killed but they left many wishing they did. They all possessed a horribly sick sense of humor.

Silver eyes slid over him and Sebastian nodded in return. He caught the surprised look on her face before she masked it. She hadn’t expected another supernatural to be witnessing her debacle and he wondered if it would change her game plan. As she started to move toward him, he shook his head. “Oh no, pixie, leave me out of this one.” He caught her quiet hiss as the word ‘Enforcer’ bounced around her head. Well, at least it earned him a free pass to enjoy the day’s entertainment.

His presence didn’t stall her for long; pixies never gained much control over their need for trouble. Sebastian watched as a quiet whisper from her had a tourist shouting expletives about the home rugby team’s match on TV. As the locals stalked over to the confused tourist, another whisper had a mug flying across the bar. Sebastian reached out to stop the bartender from leaving her post.

He handed her another wad of money. “Just take a break out the back for about twenty minutes. I’ll watch the bar.”

His bribe worked and she was out the door in record time, ignoring the calls for more beer or liquor. Sebastian jumped into her place and filled the orders as mayhem broke out around him. The pixie was quick on her feet, easily darting out of the way of the harm she caused. The speed of her movements around the room gave away her age. Her compulsions were followed lightening quick in the mostly full pub. Sebastian heard the sirens in the distance as the patrons fell into piles of bloody exhaustion.

He looked up as the pixie sighed in ecstasy on the bar. She perched lightly next to him enjoying the last dying moments of her pandemonium. There was the pull of the pixie. The chaos created an almost sexual high for them and he could feel the heat she threw off in her excitement. Her eyes were closed and her lips parted.

“Tis but a wee bit of sport,” she panted at him.

“Shoo before you have to deal with the human authorities.” Sebastian grinned. “And thanks for the control.” He meant it. She could have done a lot more damage and probably would have if he hadn’t been there.

“Shame,” she winked. “Look me up if ye be needing to unwind.”

She disappeared with a giggle and a wave as Sebastian shook his head. The patrons were all shuddering off what disturbed them and he swiftly made an exit out the back. He found the fake redhead taking a drag on a cigarette leaned against the alley wall.

“They’re done in there, bar’s in one piece, and cops are on their way.”

“Thanks.” She blew out a smoke ring. “Fucking pixie is in at least once a week.”

Sebastian’s eyes went wide with surprise as she tossed the cigarette and stalked back inside. He’d missed her half-supernatural side when he scanned her. Sebastian barely caught the swish of a tail before she tucked it back under the vest she wore. He rolled his eyes and stalked down the alley. Fucking Ireland, his kind were everywhere in this place. Sebastian paused to look into the bright sky as he wondered what drew so many to the island.

Loud ringing interrupted his thoughts and he pulled out the cell phone contraption. “Yeah.”

“Time’s been moved up. Fucker came back early and he’s got a guest, meet me in twenty.” Dubhan’s voice echoed through the tiny silver thing.

The call ended without any confirmation from Sebastian. He should be excited he didn’t have to find a new diversion. Instead he found himself wondering why Dubhan didn’t have a more interesting life. He shoved the phone back into his pocket and jogged his way to their seedy motel. A quick knock on Dubhan’s door and he was let into the war room.

“You really need a hobby, mate,” Sebastian ground out at the sight of weapons and accessories at the ready.

“Someone has to do the work around here.”

“Right, cheeky asshole.” It took awhile, but Sebastian understood the dark sense of humor his partner used.

Dubhan tossed a bag at him. “Let’s try not to get killed.”

Sebastian smiled back. It was the closest they ever gotten to being friendly, and they both understood the words went deeper. “Don’t plan on it today.”

“Famous fucking bloody last words,” Sebastian ground out, rattling the bars on the window.

Dubhan wrapped another slice of fabric around his arm. “It’s almost tomorrow and we’re not dead yet.”

“Ha-ha. What the fuck happened?”

“He knew we were coming, something or someone tipped him off. Should have known something was up when he came home early. Not his pattern.”

“You’ve sat up here every damn day, haven’t you?” Sebastian got no answer. “Unbelievable.”

The black eyes went colder. “I’m doing my job, so yeah I’m watching the asshole.”

Sebastian held his hands up to calm him down. One didn’t just walk away if you questioned Dubhan’s duty. “Why is doing a job so important to you?”

Dubhan groaned as he tied off the fabric. “Duty is all I have left.”

“Flat out sucks…” the words died off as he realized he spoke aloud.

“No kidding,” the guy surprised him with a smile. “Can you still do your disappearing trick?”

“The one from Greece?” Dubhan’s head shook and Sebastian shrugged. “Haven’t tried it since then. Shimmering isn’t working so I guess it’s worth a shot.”

“The girl he had. Short blonde, spiky hair about four foot eight.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Pink sweater and black miniskirt?”

“Yes.”

He punched the wall, knocking a crumbling stone loose. “Damn bloody pixies!” Dubhan waited for an explanation and he got one. “Fucking pixie started one hell of a brawl in a pub earlier. Told her to leave me out of it. She must have been in cahoots with our bad guy. You saw her reporting our presence to him.”

Dubhan’s head smacked into the wall behind him. “And we walked into the trap. She must be loving it.”

“Knowing the guy’s track record, probably not, but I’m not going to assume she needs rescue either.” Sebastian paced. “I have to get us out of here. Find out how he’s got this cell barricaded and then get you out. We can take him from there.”

“I’ll just wait here.” Dubhan smirked and went quiet to let him concentrate.

This was different than their usual mode of travel. Shimmering you still felt like your whole self, just traveling through space and time. What happened in Greece had been like blowing all parts of his being to hell and then pulling them back. He’d done it on pure survival instinct and he wasn’t looking forward to trying again. Sebastian shook out his arms and neck to relax.

His eyes opened on a groan. Gods, that fucking hurt and took a serious amount of energy. He looked into the night sky and tried to calculate how long he’d been out of it. Few hours at most so he still had time to get Dubhan free. First, Sebastian had to find out how the cell was warded so he could break the spell. He sat up carefully and waited for the spinning to pass before taking in his surroundings.

He wound up close by, thankfully in the cover of the trees, but he could see the ruins from here. Sebastian concentrated and carefully located their captor. Sure enough, he was busy entertaining the pixie who’d turned them in. Sick thing loved every gory minute and Sebastian fought the urge to retch. He turned his attention to finding the cell he’d just vanished from. If he got lucky, he’d be able to see the magic pattern and untangle it. If he was unlucky, he’d have to take out the magician and the pixie to take the spell down.

Sebastian wandered carefully around the grounds. He spotted the familiar grate in the dirt and whistled.

“Bout damn time,” came the reply. “Can you get me out of here?”

“Not the easy way apparently.”

“Hey, if something happens to me, just get yourself out of here and find Sorcha.”

“What?” Sebastian stopped, frozen in shock and not sure he heard right.

“Sorcha, tell her… shit… tell her I messed up, okay? Tell her I’m a rotten fucking person and she deserves a whole lot better.”

“Shut up, man, you’re getting out of here.” Dubhan’s tone scared the shit out of Sebastian.

“I don’t think I am.”

“Knock it off, Dubhan, or I’ll kill you right fucking now. I’m getting you the hell out of there.”

Sebastian took off at a run. His partner must have lost a lot of blood to be waxing poetic about his old flame. Dubhan had only mentioned her one other time and it’d been on a drunken holiday in Greece. It was how they’d been caught unawares by their would-be attackers. It had also been the last time they’d celebrated on a holiday. Some lessons you learned the hard way.

He found his long, curved sword hidden in the supplies left outside the ruins. Apparently their captor hadn’t looked for any hidden stock, the dimwit. Sebastian waved its familiar weight for a moment before running back toward the ruins. Sure, he was winging it, but he didn’t exactly have time to stop and think of a plan. Oh wait, kill the sick fucker holding his friend prisoner and rescue said friend, counted as a plan right?

Chapter Three

Sebastian slowed as he approached the ruins. He took a few minutes to calm himself. He needed to forget the danger his partner faced and focus on the job at hand. Truthfully he didn’t know how to attack on his own, just never happened. Even the dimwitted, short-lasting partners had helped by at least distracting his opponents. This was all on him.

Sebastian focused his energy and concentrated on finding his opponent. The collapsed portions of the ruins gave plenty of space for hiding holes or more traps. He’d underestimated their enemy once; he wouldn’t make the mistake again. Sebastian crept through the collapsed stones, staying away from the obvious points of entry. His mind detached and his body ran on decades of training. He followed instinct as he crawled closer to his opponent.

He moved slow trying to travel over the rough terrain without sending debris sliding. In time, Sebastian traced the source of power he’d mapped out earlier, an area of the ruins mostly left intact. Columns stood in disarray and various states of decay in what was once a hall. A guard paced in front of old wooden doors and Sebastian grinned. One person to keep out intruders, this wizard clearly suffered from a big ego.

Sebastian darted among the columns using them for cover as he approached. The guard fell quickly and quietly, his throat sliced from the shadows behind him. Hopefully, the wizard cared little about his minions and wouldn’t notice one missing. The sword spun in Sebastian’s hand out of habit, his version of a nervous tick. He waited in the shadows expecting someone to investigate the downed guard. Moments passed and no one appeared. Well no one cared, proving him right.

“Sorry about your luck,” he nodded to the poor body and advanced.

Sebastian stilled and hid behind a worn column as the sound of vicious laughter trailed out into the night. So, his would-be captor still enjoyed the pixie. Good, a distracted man equaled a dead man. He chose his moment and burst into the room. He stopped short at the emptiness surrounding him. Evil laughter encircled him as he spun.

“What the hell?” he muttered.

“Quite the morsel, delivered as promised.”

He spun toward the sound but again observed no one. As Sebastian tried to move forward, something held him still. He swung the sword, more an annoyed twitch than a threat.  He tried to retreat from the room, then to the right and left. Trapped in some sort of invisible cage, he could only move a few steps in any direction. He growled at the thought of being imprisoned once again.

“Nice.” The comment came from nowhere, causing Sebastian to shift on his feet again.

“Are you sure you don’t need a few pieces of pixie? I’ll give you a fair price…”

“Leave us!”

Sebastian groaned. Not being in full control of his supernatural powers was going to bite him in the ass tonight. He’d miscalculated his enemies instead of misjudging them. The pixie was gone from the equation and he hadn’t realized the shift in people. So, their Mr. Bad didn’t work alone and the new partner was proving to be a barrel of fun.

“Well, well, well… you took quite the finding.”

Sebastian shifted and growled as a shadow appeared and solidified before him. The man didn’t appear dangerous, but he knew better. This new captor held more threat than the old one. Again, the sword sliced through the air.

“You won’t need that.” The sword flew from his hands and clattered across ancient cracked tiles. “My name is Paul by the way, you should get used to it.”

“Really? Paul? … I’m terrified.” Sebastian felt naked without his sword, but he refused to let on. “Guess you’ll be letting my partner go.”

“Not up to me. I’m sure our mutual friend will be interested in him eventually.” Paul shrugged. “Not my concern. I’m just here for you.”

“Oh gee, and what can I do to help?” The question dripped with sarcasm.

“You can die.” The cold reply stunned him.

Something echoed in the room and Sebastian sensed the burn through his chest. He stared in shock at the gun in the man’s hand as his own ran up to cover his bleeding wound. A human gun, brilliant, what a bloody perfect way to go. Not saving Dubhan first his only regret, except for that small detail he was ready for death.

He collapsed hard on the cold stones. Sebastian noticed the world grow darker. He finally earned the release he’d been searching for and it just didn’t seem right at all.

Sebastian groaned and tried to roll over. He wasn’t sure what held him on his back, but he knew the nightmare had sucked. Big time. He opened his eyes and blinked to adjust to the daylight. Sebastian figured he was probably tangled in the sheets again. He tried once again to roll and failed, although the reverberation of metal grinding caught his attention and chilled him.

His eyes adjusted, Sebastian took in the room around him. He was surrounded by cement walls and lots of chains. Instinct overrode the panic at realizing last night was definitely not a nightmare. Despite the light filtering through the room, the corners remained in shadows. Only his eyes tracked around the room, his body stayed still in case someone watched.

There wasn’t much to see. He guessed by the height of the window he was in a basement but couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t see anything out of it that gave any more clues. He could be in a bloody penthouse for all he knew. The chains were solid and thick, pinning him to a thin mattress on the floor. At least his captor had thought to make him comfortable.

Having surveyed the room, Sebastian next took inventory of his body. The room wouldn’t be much help so his body had to be okay. He wiggled his toes, fingers, and everything else as unnoticeably as possible. Since no one had come out of the shadows yet, he slowly lifted his head and stared at his chest.

“What the fuck?” he muttered the question.

There was still a large bloodstain spread across his chest, right over his heart. If his hands weren’t bound, Sebastian understood he could put a finger through the hole on his shirt and feel skin. He’d been shot… Paul had shot him in the chest. And, Sebastian realized he’d died. He’d felt the world grow dark and empty. He’d felt everything slide into nothing. Yet, he gawked at the proof he should be dead while his heart beat a rapid, taunting rhythm below it.

It also meant Dubhan was still locked away in a masochist’s dungeon. He shouted incoherently, growling and raging against his chains.

The shadow in the corner of the room shifted and formed into a tall, slender man. Paul strode forward with a gigantic, cocky grin planted on his pale face.

“Welcome to undead servitude,” Paul bowed. “And, I own you now. Sorry about your luck.” He threw Sebastian’s earlier words back at him.

Sebastian gritted his teeth and fought harder against the chains. He was going to tear the bastard limb from limb with his bare hands. As he fought, he became aware of a sharp ache in each shoulder blade. He stilled and wondered what had happened to him as Paul’s words sank in. Undead?

Paul jostled the items in his hands. “You’re not going anywhere. I have these, I own you now.”

“You confuse me with someone who knows what’s going on,” he gritted back, trying to decipher what the jerk was holding.

Paul looked stunned. “You have no idea?” Sebastian shook his head. “Really?” Now Paul appeared disappointed. “No matter. You’ll still be my own little angel of death and destruction.”

“I don’t know what drugs you’re on, pal, but you need counseling…”

Paul knelt down and stared him in the eye. Unfortunately, it brought him close enough for Sebastian to make out the individual black feathers arranged on the wings in Paul’s hands. Shit, there was a strong possibility Paul was telling the truth.

“Oh the fun we’re going to have, you and I,” Paul laughed wickedly.

Somehow, Sebastian was sure he was going to disagree.

Paul rocked back on his heels and laughed frostily. “The fact that you don’t know what you are makes this so much easier.” His voice grew serious as he leaned closer. “Here’s the deal; you do as I say, when I say it, and how I say it. I make the commands, you obey. You can do nothing else.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sebastian taunted, wondering why he bothered.

“A demonstration perhaps?” The asshole paused as he thought, then smiled. “Bite your tongue.”

Sebastian’s teeth locked down on his tongue hard enough for him to jump and taste the metallic tang of his own blood. As soon as his teeth let up, he sucked on the injury. He didn’t dare speak, sure now the mysterious Paul wasn’t lying. Sebastian had somehow come back as an angel under the control of a crazy man. Whatever the fucker had in mind, Sebastian would have to follow the commands. His eyes closed and his body shook at the anger and injustice of it all. He’d started life in servitude and now he would end in it. Sometimes life just kicked you when you were down.