James: I thought we had a deal! You protect my family I help you!

He bellowed at the woman.

Woman: Shut up! You think I don't know that.

James: What now? I can't live without my family.

Woman: I need to think...how? He's not that connected, is he?

James: Hey hey, who are you talking to and who are you talking about? It is him? He took my family, didn't he?

James's phone rang. Unknown number

James: Hello?

Caller: Your death has arrived boy.

James: Who's this?

Caller: The Venom!

James's heart quickened, he started sweating and bulging his eyes. He gulped loudly, he knew about the black market but only the names of the people in it. The Crucible Brothers, The Venom's identity was a mystery to amateurs in the black market only their raining in terror names echoed. Ruthless, Heartless, and Merciless. That's what everyone knew them as.

Woman: Loudspeaker

She whispered lowly. He shakily pressed the speaker button.

Snakes: Listen up, I have your family, you have something I want.

James: M-my family?

Snakes: Come back, James and your family lives.

James: I don't owe you anything!

Snakes: Ballsy aren't we? Well James I think you owe me some balls.

James: W-what?

Snakes: 12 Hours James, that's all I'm giving to tolerate that bitch you call a wife. Tic Toc!

Tu Tu Tu Tu

Woman: You not going!

James: Listen here, you failed at keeping your promise and keeping my family safe so I'll do it myself. I'm going back to Johannesburg.

Woman: James get back here, you shitface you are just walking into a trap.

She screeched at James as he hauled his ass out of the safe house and to his car. He started driving to his house for a quick self-time. Because he also knew he was going to die, whether he surfaced himself or not.

Arriving at his house, he went straight to his office and poured some whiskey. And drank it in one go. Grimacing at the burning sensation he shook his head and plopped on the chair and got lost in thought about Monalisa. He would never see her again, what he didn't know was why did The Venom want him dead, he has never crossed him or anything. Unless that poi worked with him and asked him to track him down. He slammed his fist on his deck in frustration.

James arrives at the location he was given, which was a deserted area. He looked around in horror of what will happen next. A black SUV with tinted windows pulled up. The window of the backseat rolled down and Muzi gestured with his head for James to get in. James seemed hesitant. Muzi pulled out a gun and waved it in his face. James visibly gulped and obliged.

After driving for 20 minutes, they arrived at the butcher's house in the middle of nowhere. Muzi got out, followed by James. Muzi led the way to the entrance and stopped at a certain door, it seemed like a basement, it reeked and screamed of death . James stood there with his heart beating fast out of his rib cage. They got it and were welcomed with all kinds of knives, saws, and axes.

Some graped on the walls some on the table. And in the middle was a chair, it looked bloody, dry bloody.

James: You expect me to sit here?

Muzi: ukuthi umi kuphi noma uhlala phansi, anginandaba, (where you stand or sit on the floor, I don't care) just stay here.

James: Wha- you can't leave me here! Hello!!!

Muzi was long gone.

***

Sanele: All yours bafo

Snakes: Eish yeah neh, I can't wait!

Siya: The poisonous one!

Snakes: Konje wena awukaze uye enkulisa (you never went to creche)

Siya: Fosek ndoda, ha fosek stru!

Sanele laughed at this two childishness.

They left the office of the butcher's house and did a bro shake as they separated. Snakes went to the basement immediately wanting to finish with this already since it's been over two months. He has priorities now, a fine woman waiting for him at home.

James looked at the tall man in front of him. He was big, and scary and he knew that he had little to nothing at escaping him. James looked at him trying to feign courage but failed. Snakes gave James a hard look before shutting the door and turning around to face James. A hardly painful fist connected with his jaw, catching him off guard. Snakes bit his tongue a little. He touched his lips and looked down at James with the most piercing look, making James gulp and back away from him. He looked like a hungry lion. He strode towards James slowly until he was trapped, giving him the advantage to lift him off the floor with his collar.

Snakes: You hurt what's mine!

James: She was never yours.

Snakes effortlessly threw a punch across his face and let him fall to the ground.

Snakes: That was not a question boy, you speak when I tell you to.

James: Pathetic! You are pathetic, you could've just let The Venom take care of this, I'm not scared of you.

James spat out blood and got to his feet and backed away clumsily from the angry man in front of him. Snakes sneered at James.

Snakes: Oh he is!

Snakes said as he pulled a gun and put it on his head.

James gulped as he realized that he was in the presence of one of the most dangerous Mafia leaders in Africa.

James: S-snakes... Venom?

Snakes: Sit!

Obliging, James sat down on the disgusting chair and Snakes walked around him. He stopped in front of him.

Snakes: You know, now you have two reasons to die.

Snakes said as he slid his hands in his suit pants pockets. His blazer was off, leaving him with rolled-up sleeves, revealing his sleeved tattoos.

Snakes: One, you hurt what's mine, I don't appreciate people who hurt my woman.

James: My family man-

Snakes: Two, you know who I am, that makes you a danger in my life, I don't like leaving loose strands behind.

James: Listen man plea-

Bam! The bullet pierced through his forehead, killing him in an instant. Snakes' jaw was ticking in anger. He knew that was just an easy way out for him. But he really wasn't in the mood to torture him. Now he let his family go. He wasn't that evil to kill innocent children. Although he really wanted to snap off their mother's tongue. That woman had irritated him to the core. She was like a dying chihuahua.