As stated in the summary, this is the revised edition of One More Word.
This edition has extra content not included before. Also, a scene has been revised (I thought the way I wrote it in the previous draft was… off.)
Like its predecessor, this is nowhere near perfect, and I thought the transition of point-of-view was awkward (the italics at the start and end of the whole story are meant to be some sort of detached prologue and epilogue, but I haven't done a good job), but I guess this will be my final attempt at fixing up the story.
I hope you enjoy this. Reviews are always welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own Cause of Death and its affiliated characters.
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The weather was great for hanging out in the park near the university.
This fine Saturday morning, it was just the two of them. Blaise Corso was jogging, as she did almost every day. Just slightly behind her, to her left, was her best friend Malachi Fallon on his bicycle. The trees surrounded them on either side. It was like this every week, and it would never change.
Now, Blaise was getting tired, but she still continued jogging. Mal took off the towel he had around his neck and offered it to her. She waved it off. Mal then checked his pedometer.
They had already covered four kilometres' worth of distance.
"Hey, Corso, how far can you run?" Mal wondered.
Blaise grinned. "I'll always run in front of you! I'll be ahead of you, forever!"
"Then I'll always protect you." He meant what he said.
"Promise!" She laughed.
xxxxx
"Don't bother about me! Run, Blaise, run!" Malachi Fallon yelled to his fellow detective Blaise Corso. The leggy blonde rushed past in a blur, exerting all her effort to catch the infamous drug trafficker, Theodoran Blue.
The pair had already worked out the details before they began the manhunt for Blue. If one of them was to injure himself or herself in one way or another, the other was to continue the chase and go back for the injured party later. Judging how they were running amok at full speed in the forest, Blaise guessed that Mal had sprained his ankle.
Careless! Well, I'll go look for him later.
The memory of the pair running in the park that morning rushed into her head. She slowed down, feeling injured.
Mal said he'd protect me. But he failed to do so now. I'm alone in this. Really, Mal Fallon?
She angrily swiped a tear from her eye. Why do I care so much?
Blaise shut off her emotions as she increased her running speed. She could tell Blue was already getting tired. She estimated she would catch up to him in two minutes, about a few hundred metres away.
And she was right.
Blue stopped to catch his breath. Blaise quickly snatched up a switchblade from her ankle strap and opened it. She was about to toss it at him when he started off again.
Don't think I won't kill you!
The moment she was right behind his back, Blaise Corso slashed the switchblade down Theodoran Blue's back.
"Aaaah!" The two of them tumbled down onto the hard ground and tussled. Blaise ended up on top, straddling Blue.
"Mal may be a Boy Scout, but I'm much more uncivilized!" She brought her switchblade down on his guts and he howled in pain. She might have neutered him. She proceeded to stab him everywhere she could. Blood spattered all over her, but she did not care a damn.
Blue threw a punch across his attacker's face. She did not flinch one bit.
"Don't touch me! Disgusting!" Repulsed, she stabbed him in the chest one last time and he thudded to the ground with finality.
Then she stood up and her emotions cleared. Horrified, she looked down at the bloodied body of Theodoran Blue. How do I account for this? What will Captain Yeong say? This is my first assignment, and I've already screwed up!
As she turned, she met the face of a man in his twenties pointing a gun at her. He was grinning a sadistic grin.
The first emotion she felt was dismay for her carelessness. This is really, really bad. Of course Blue would have lackeys! Why didn't I check earlier?
She shut off the fear that was getting to her and turned to run back towards where she had left Mal. She covered about fifty metres before she felt the sting of three bullets piercing her back, one after the other.
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Mal, hidden behind a bush, was massaging his wound when the cry of three gunshots rang through the forest. Then all was silent.
Damn, Blaise!
He jerked up with much difficulty and started limping towards where his partner might have gone.
Blue must have gotten her! Blaise, wait for me!
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