DECEPTION: A Stolen Legacy

John's phone rang again, and again, and again until he grew exasperated and finally picked it. "Hello, this is not really a god time. Can we talk later?" The coarse laughter originating from his phone send a chill down his spine. He could recognize that voice even if he just woke up from sleep. It was Sarah's devilish brother, Taylor Lance. 

Taylor Lance was a psycho, a maniac if you will. He had always possessed disturbing negative tendencies since he was a child, which was not a surprise considering the dark genes he had inherited from his witch-like mother and his crazy father. He had caught himself more than once wondering how Sarah was also adopted like him, she was the only one in that family who was not evil. 

Taylor Lance was pure evil, he was evil personified. In fifth grade, he once stabbed a boy with his own pencil for stepping on his foot. He was well-built and quite muscular too. Peter Lance had had to make a substantial donation to the school and the boy's family so they would not press charges. 

On another occasion, he had beaten up a boy simply because he had refused to greet him properly – or so he claimed. This time his father, Andrew McPherson refused to accept a donation and swore to put Taylor in the hospital, just as Taylor had done to his son. He rebuffed the pleas of the teachers, promising to deal with Taylor, and to ensure he broke his ribs. His wife told him to let it go, but Andrew McPherson refused. He claimed it was not revenge, but compensation. He stated that letting it go would be a stain on the family name. He was simply repaying an eye for an eye, and a broken rib for a broken rib. 

He accosted Taylor one Saturday morning as he went for a stroll, and after five minutes of thrash talking between the two of them, he attacked Taylor Lance. To cut the long story short, Mr McPherson spent the night in the hospital just beside his son, with twice as many broken ribs as Taylor had inflicted on his son. He was the one person his mother feared. 

One time she had cooked a meal that he had greatly enjoyed, and he had asked for seconds after he was done with the first plate, but his mother refused. Taylor locked his mother in her room, emptied the pot and boldly wrote 'Never do that again' on the wall with ketchup. 

Taylor Lance was a capsule of violence. Wise people steered clear of him, and wiser people let him have his way. He was also very smart and was more dangerous when he used his head than when he relied on his muscles. 

Taylor could set cables in such a way that his target would experience an electric shock. When the heat became too high at school and he was at a risk of being expelled, he would revert to his covert methods. One time, the principal had decided to give him a few strokes but had gotten carried away and had beaten him to a pulp. He was fed up and frustrated by Taylor, but his many attempts to get him expelled had been rebuffed by the 'top dogs' thanks to the numerous and substantial donations of Mr Lance. Taylor's loud screams had attracted laughter from the entire school, and he swore to have his revenge. He sneaked into the principal's office and tampered with his chair, only intending for the principal to have a nasty fall. 

His plan worked too well, instead of falling downwards, the principal fell backwards and hit his neck on the bookshelf behind him. He had to be carried away in a stretcher. One glance at Taylor's smirking face told him all he needed to know. 

"John West, how are you? You seem well." John rolled his eyes as Taylor continued. "Let us get straight to the point, shall we? You know me well, I am not as patient as my father. I liked you, and I still do. I have always been attracted by your gentle nature and your innovative mind. That is why I decided to let my parents deal with this matter while I maintained my 'external observer' posture. However, it is obvious that you are a bit green in the ears. I overheard the entire conversation between you and my father, and I must admit that you have some courage, courage which sadly might get you killed."

John swallowed and unconsciously began to shiver. He knew all too well what Taylor was capable of. He looked back at the Lance mansion and quickly began to walk away from there. He decided not to ooze any sign of fear. "Are you threatening me Taylor?"

Taylor let out a loud cackle, like a hyena ready to pounce on it's victim. "John, you know me well. I don't threaten, I only act."

John could feel his heart beating faster. Apparently his internal organs were shaking on fear too. "You know what Taylor, I have rights. I am recording this conversion, and you can expect a visit from the police very soon."

This time, Taylor's laughter sounded more cynical. "Oh John! You were always so naïve and innocent, a trait you and my sister share. Let me reveal a mystery to you John. I am the police! I have the police on the palm of my hands. Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult for you to get a job despite your impressive qualifications?"

John was visibly perturbed. "How do you know about that?"

Taylor's baritone voice brought devastating news to John's ears. "We are not foolish John. We knew you would easily get a good job with the quality of credentials you have, so we made use of our long tentacles and greased some palms all over the city. Dear John, we are the reason you have been unable to get a job for so long. It turns out, my mother is one of the most powerful women in this country."

He paused for effect and then continued. "We watch you John, we know when you breathe, when you eat, and even when you sleep. We know where you are going even before you do. We govern your life John, just as we have always done. Fun fact, it will stay that way until you yield to our demands!" Click.

John felt betrayed. He could not believe that the family who brought him up would go through such ungodly lengths just to destroy him. He was shocked and dumbfounded. He looked up after a while to see a shadow loom over him. 

He thought the stranger wanted to console him and he opened his mouth to tell him off, but one look at this muscular giant wearing black ninja-like garments and a black mask subtly told him he was in trouble. He turned around to run, but he felt a painful thump on his head, and then everything went pitch black.