It was now very early in the morning. 4:08am to be exact.
I and Richie with three guys more were hurrying down the street a few blocks from Rosa's apartment. It was even more chilly now.
This neighborhood wasn't really what you would guess someone who probably had a lot of money lived in. It was a bit dirty too. And the apartment complex look like it soon would be in ruins.
It was quiet, even our boots sounded more than they usually did. I could even swear I heard Richie's heartbeat. Well, that wouldn't be so weird since he didn't really was a field type of guy. He always got nervous and scared. But he always did brilliant. Sometimes more brilliant than me. He was a really good agent, Richie. I looked up to him.
"Okay, we're here. Apartment fourteen. The light doesn't seem to be on. Hopefully she is sleeping and not waiting to ambush us." I laughed quietly but the little squad remain quiet so did I.
"Raven, Birkin and Johansen, take right. I and Klimer will take left." Truman said and prepared his gun. We did the same and on his count down to three, I opened the front door to the apartment complex and we took the stairs up quietly but fast.
We finally got in front of apartment fourteen. I exhaled and knocked on the door hard waiting for an answer but nothing happened. I knocked again a bit harder.
"This is the NYPD, open the door!" Truman tried. We waited a bit but no answer.
Truman exhaled loudly and pulled the door handle which opened to our very surprise.
"Welcome in I suppose." Truman laughed.
"Be careful." Richie exclaimed when I lowered my gun. I understood that my weapon was still in use for me. Never lower a weapon unless you know the danger is over.
We entered, checking the apartment for Rosa. But we didn't find her. Of course not. She wasn't here. She probably knew that we knew. Everything felt hopeless again. What if Olivar tipped us of? What if this wasn't even true? What if something even worse was going on now and we weren't there to help those people who where to become victims? I mentally slapped myself. Come on, Sherry. Keep going on and on like this and you will turn out in the looney bin with those you try to catch.
"Clear!" Truman yelled on the other end of the apartment.
"Did she know we were coming?" Richie asked us.
I didn't dare to answer. How the hell would we know that? The only thing we could do now is to interrogate the neighbors and also go out with a search for her in the media if can't get to her in the past 24 hours.
Rosas neighbors told us she hadn't been home for weeks. One neighbor, an old lady could swear she had seen her the other night but only for a few seconds when she went into the apartment to get a bag of some sort and then she got into a car and since then she hasn't seen her. She also told us that ever since the first time she lay eyes on Rosa she knew that something wasn't right with that girl.
Maybe Olivar didn't lie after all.
I kicked an overfull dumpster in the alleyway I was walking in. It had been one to many drinks this night. But I was worth it after all the dirty work I've been doing these couple of days. Dirty work wasn't even bad enough for what I had to deal with. Those pathetic faces full of tears, they all looked like toddlers to me. They knew what they had gotten into and they knew what he did to people who tried to destroy his amazing work.
Renko was a man filled with wisdom and power. All these things he worked on, whatever it really was. I didn't know for sure. I knew it had something to do with what he did back in Raccoon City.
My phone started ringing loudly making me hush it a bit for waking up all the people in the neighborhood.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"Rosa, where are you?" Mike breathed heavily into the phone. He sounded scared shitless.
"I'm in Florida. Why, what is it?"
He was quiet for a while, making me annoyed.
"Mike, don't call me if you don't want anything. And stop breathing like the fat motherfucker you are. Get some exercise." I hissed.
"The cops are searching your apartment here in Queens. They are turning the place upside down and they are asking all of us about you, what we know about you. I think they are onto you."
I stopped in my tracks. My heart started pounding in my ribcage hard, it almost felt like it would jump right out of my chest.
"When did they talk to you?" I asked with a trembling voice.
"Approximatly an hour ago."
"An hour?! Are you as fat in the head as you are everywhere? Fuck, Mike! You should've called when they left your apartment! What did you told them? I want to know everything! Tell me!" I almost screamed. I was now crouched against a stone wall my head almost between my legs.
"I told them nothing of course, Rosa. I would nev.."
"Nothing? Of course you said something. Tell me every word. Do I have to repeat myself?"
"I told them that we were just neighbors, that I didn't know you personally. They also asked if I knew if you had a boyfriend or something, they wanted to know every possible thing. Oh, I barely remember, Rosa. I was so nervous. The girl cop mentioned me being nervous too. Like she knew something. I've been standing by the window since they left, trying to se if they'll find anything. I would do anything for you, you know that."
"Are you stupid! You can't stand by the window like a suspect! Oh my god. You are so fucking slow. I wish I never would have trusted you with this you dumbfuck. I will tell Renko everything. Everything! Do you hear me? He will come for you if you fuck it up more. Do you feel me?"
"Rosa, I'm so sorry. I did everything I could for you. You know I'll do everything for you. You are my everything and you will always be. When we meet again I will make everything right, sweetheart. Ok? I'm sorry." he pleaded like a little child. Just like those pathetic people did right before I pulled the trigger, ending their miserble lifes. He had been in love with me ever since we were in high school, following me like a little bitch. He thought I one day would see past his obesity and uglyness. But no, I had Renko. Mike couldn't even barely stand up to him, not even a little. It was so disgusting so it became sad to see Mike still trying.
"Stop it, do you honestly still think I will ever be yours? I have someone who is worthy me. He has money too, something you never are going to be willing to be make. You are just laying on your fat ass watching TV." I spat.
"Renko doesn't deserve you, Rosa."
I angrily ditched him and put my phone back in my bag and walked into the house Renko was renting for me. A blue beach house with three rooms and two big bathrooms. He really spoiled me. I laughed as I closed the door behind me. Who the hell did Mike think he was? He almost got me arrested. Renko will not be pleased with him, now he would have so much work to do to get me out of it.
I walked into the kitchen, not caring about turning the lights on since I was use to work in darkness so my eyes kind of liked it better. I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and poured a glass of milk.
"Fuck!" I hissed angrily as I accidentally poured the milk on the counter instead of in the glass. I took a cloth and dried away all the milk. Irritated I flicked on the light and continued pouring milk. I took a sip and went for the bedroom.
I dropped my glass on the floor, glass shattering all around me.
He sat in my black armchair, legs crossed, staring at me with a mocking smile.
"What the hell are you doing in my house?!" I exclaimed as I tried to figure out the answer myself before he answered.
But he didn't right away. He just kept staring. His grey eyes so intensenly staring into mine it gave me the chills. His blonde hair so perfect, like it always was. Combed to the side a bit, he looked rich. Well of course. He was. Really rich.
If I didn't knew who he was, I would probably be head over heels with him. He was truly handsome. Such a waste for someone that hot actually in my opinion.
"Get out, now! Or I'll call Renko immediately!" I threathened him.
He shook his head with a mockingly laugh.
"Who do you think send me, ms Terrence?" he asked in a deep low voice. I stared at him uncomprehendingly. What did he mean? Why would my own man send him to me? He could've send anyone. But not him. He knew how I felt for him. He made me pee my panties just by looking at me. The first time and the only time before tonight I met him, I almost got an heartattack. His way, everything with him just screamed darkness. Like he didn't have a heart at all. Creepy wasn't even covering the reality of it.
"I..I..Don't.." I stuttered taking a step back.
"The authorities is onto you. How do you explain that?" he asked.
"I want to talk to Renko, now." I demanded.
He stood up, his 6.3ft made him look even more frightening. My small frame didn't have a chance.
"You messed up. Big time." he said and took two steps toward me. I instinctively took a couple of steps back hitting the wall. I tried to look for an escape route. I needed to get out.
He stopped in his tracks. He just stood there, right in front of me, smiling wickedly.
"I want to talk to him, now!" I screamed loudly. In a blink of an eye one of his gloved hands were over my mouth and the other was holding me up against the wall hard, a feet of the ground.
I cried desperatly, I was so scared that I shook like a leaf on a windy day. I didn't even dare to look at the monster so I kept my ass closed but I kept sobbing.
He hushed me quietly, his lips so close to my ear.
"I thought you would put up a fight ms Terrence. But I guess I was wrong." he loosened a bit on the hand over my mouth. But all I did was cry.
I've heard terrifying stories about what he had done. He was merciless. Ruthless. He didn't act with feelings. People even talked about if he had any feelings at all. I didn't know if it was true but Renko once told me that one hit man he had heard of, the Merciless One, had only been in the work for eight years despite that he had killed around sixhundred people. Women, men, children. Everything that they paid him to kill, he killed. The bodies of all those people had never been found. He got rid of them on some way no one knew. It was also said he killed his victims with such hatred that the last minutes of a victims life is the worst she/he has ever experienced. He is like a animal.
I wasn't ready to die.
"Please.." I pleaded, sobbing inchoherently. I couldn't believe I was the one pleading now. But it wasn't only that I was scared. I felt betrayed too. I loved Renko and I was willing to do anything for him and he knew that. But even so, he send him to my house. To kill me. There was no other thing he was here to do. He wasn't the one you send to someones house to scare them. He was the one you send when things was so bad that there wasn't any other way to solve it. I tought I meant so much more. I really didn't thought I was expendable.
He shook his head and turned his back at me instantly letting me fall to the ground.
I hit the wooden floor hard, hurting my ankle. It stung a bit but there was more serious things at stake than whining over it. His back was still turned at me. I could hear him laugh quietly.
Maybe I had my chance. I had a spear gun, just in case, in the drawer in my bedroom upstairs. If I hurried, I might've the chance to at least wound him and if I could do that, maybe I will be able to take cover, to flee.
I took my chance and sprinted towards the stairs, I didn't dare to look behind me to see how close behind he was, it might slow me down.
I ran up the stairs, almost choking on my breath but when I saw my bedroom door a feeling full of hope filled me. I could do this, I had to.
I slammed the door behind me and locked it hastily then I hurried over to my guns resting place, pulling out one of the drawers. Panic filled me now instead. It was nowhere to be found. I started sobbing again, scared and angry. He must've known.
It knocked on the door hard, making me jump.
"I suggest you open the door, ms Terrence. This isn't the way you should treat your guests, now is it?" he mocked.
I screamed angrily and hurried over to my window and tried to get it open.
"I'll give you one last chance before I get angry. Open the door. Now." his voice more like a growl now.
"Fuck off!" I screamed back still trying to pry the window open.
A loud bang was heard outside. He was going to kick the door in.
In all my panic, I smashed my fist into the window making it break. I had only seconds now.
Another bang was heard and I saw in the corner of my eye that one more kick and he was going to get in. The door was going to jump out of it's hinges.
I stuck out my head out of the hole in the window and screamed so loud my lungs allowed. Maybe someone was going to hear me and come to my rescue or call the police.
A third bang followed by a fourth even louder told me that the door now was on my bedroom floor and I had to crawl out of the window and so I did. I tried get out but he grabbed my ponytail from behind pulling me back into his arms.
I was screaming hysterically and he quieted me by shushing and holding me hard, my face against his rockhard chest. He smelled like an expensive cologne and.. was it blood? The smell was a bit iron-like.
He petted my head, making me very confused. What was he playing at?
I tried to get out of his iron grip but to no avail. I was very strong for being so short and thin but he was so much stronger. Much stronger than an average man.
"Let me go!" I tried.
"Do you honestly believe I will do that?" he asked, his lips even closer to my ear than it was before. He breathed slowly, making his breath caress my skin. I got goosebumps even if it was a fucked up situation. He made me confused, why didn't he just kill me? I had been pretty loud and the authorities could be here any minute. But still he didn't seem to care
I started crying so badly I barely couldn't breath, the tears fogging my sight.
He grabbed his hands around my neck, pressing so hard that I now couldn't breath. He was choking me.
I tried to kick his knees but for nothing, it was impossible.
My sight were starting to become only a blur, and my lungs ached badly.
I saw him smile evilly and then everything started to darkened.
