Summary: Kathryn takes down her first victim and sets up another.
Authors Notes: A few things, (1) Instead of this story being solely from Kathryn's POV as originally planned I have decided to make it a multi-character POV story. I usual don't like doing this because it seems sloppy but it couldn't be avoided. (2) This will be a DARK fic, not an angsty story per say but dark. Kathryn is EVIL (woo hoo!). (3) Time After Time will be finished this weekend.
Chapter 2: Ordinary Life
* Kathryn *
"Hmm...I love morning sex" I purred while rolling onto my back, my eyes closed in pure bliss.
A warm hand ran over my abdomen as a crisp English accent whispered in my ear "you feel more relaxed luv?"
My eyes opened to find Thomas leaning over me, his handsome face mere inches from my own."Most definitely" I whispered to him.
Thomas. Oh I adored him so much, possibly more than any other man I've been with in the past four years. He was gorgeous, intelligent, clever and above all else loyal. He had worked diligently by my side for three years, never questioned a request weather it concerned work or in the bed room. We slept together whenever the need suited me and we were close but it was most definitely not a romantic relationship. He might have some sort of feelings of love towards me but that wasn't what our relationship was about and it never would be.
Still as he pulled the sheet off of me and began making his way down my body with his mouth I couldn't help but admire the way he moved. Thomas had a nice lean body, not too muscular, and a chiseled face that showed off his intense eyes. With his sun kissed blond hair he often reminded me off Sebastian. With a slight pang I reminded myself, he isn't and never will be.
At soon as I thought about Sebastian and my past I sudden was no longer in the mood. Sitting up I pushed him away and stared out the large window of my bedroom that had a picture-esc view. Zurich was really lovely but I missed New York, I craved it.
"Something wrong?" He asked caressing my bare back. Thomas didn't sound necessarily concerned just curious.
"Nothing" I sighed "I'm just thinking. We have a lot of work to get done and not a lot of time to do it in."
"It will get done."
As I began to think about the past four years and what it took to get me where I was today, I felt a wave of bitterness course through me. "It better" I told him icily. "I have worked too hard, gone through too much..."
The sentence hung in the air between us. Thomas was very well aware of my past, nearly all of it and he also understood my desperate need for revenge and power. However I also knew he didn't have me completely figured out yet and I was glad for that.
Draping a hand through my long hair he murmured "you are a fascinating women Kathryn."
Turning back to him I noticed him studying me with his usual cool expression. For whatever reason I softened towards him as I leaned back into him. "You have no idea"
Cupping my chin his mouth met mine in a tentative but rather unemotional kiss. I never took much stock in kissing, never saw the emotional appeal that most seemed to. Still I liked the way his body felt as it crushed against mine and the rather intimate way he held me.
Our moment was interrupted when someone stepped into the bedroom and cleared his throat. I looked up to see another associate of mine, Drake standing a few feet away with a slightly sly smile. Tall, well built, and African American, Drake was everything Thomas wasn't physically. However like Thomas he was also intelligent, very loyal, and some times took me to bed when the need suited me. He had worked for me a few months longer than Thomas and proved to be a good friend along with an allie. However I also had no need for romance with him either.
"Sorry to interrupt Kathryn"
Scowling Thomas told him "you might want to try knocking next time."
"I'll do that" Drake replied with a smirk. They both eyed one another like two cats getting ready to pounce. Believe it or not they usual got along just fine. However jealousy could be a powerful thing, especially with men. Sometimes I found it amusing but other times, like that morning it got on my nerves.
Touching Thomas's arm I glanced at him sharply which told him to knock it off. Getting the hint he looked back at Drake and asked "what is it?"
"Just got some info I thought you would be interested in."
I rose from the bed not bothering to hide my nakedness. What was the point? I had long ago given up on modesty. Draping a long black kimono over myself I headed out of the bedroom with my boys following behind. Entering the spacious living room I spotted the maid cowering in the corner. "Out" I ordered before taking a seat on the plush chaise. "What do you have for me?"
"Well for starters I had that money we discussed transferred to the account this morning. It's completely legit and better yet untraceable."
"The first piece against Ms. Hardgrove is now in play" Thomas explained as he handed me an early morning martini.
I grinned for the first time since I woke up that morning. "Good, anything else?"
Sitting down across from me Drake continued on "I've cleared up your schedule for the next several month so we should have no pressing concerns before we leave. Oh and this arrived for you" he handed me a crisp, heavy, vanilla piece of paper that read:
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Court Reynolds and Cecile Caldwell.
The ceremony will begin at 12:00 sharp at St. Timothy's on May 7, 2003
Four years ago getting sent an invite to such an occasion would have sent me into a rage. Now however I chuckled "how lovely." Looking up at Drake I cocked an eyebrow and asked "however did you score such an invite?"
"Well Kathryn Merteuil most likely wouldn't be welcomed" Thomas explained. "But of course they wouldn't turn down an opportunity to invite Ms. Torvelle."
"How true!" I laughed as I glanced back at the invitation almost whimsically. "It would really be a lovely wedding, too bad they won't get a chance to find out." Crinkling the paper in my hand I tossed it carelessly away and asked "when are we leaving?"
Drake stood up offering me his hand "the plane is ready whenever you are."
Getting to my feet I linked my arm with him and told them "well it looks like we're going to New York."
* Annette *
I missed Maine all ready. Twenty minutes in the city among the traffic and blaring noise and I was homesick. Don't get me wrong there were things about New York that I loved. If not I would have started my business up north like originally planned. However even though it always took some getting use to I had to admit I missed the city.
"Here" I yelled at the cab driver who was most definitely not from America. "This is fine, thank you." With a jolt the cab came to an immediate stop and I got out handing him the money. Standing on the crooked pavement I looked up at the tall building before me. It wasn't much to look at, but by the time I was done with it, it would be everything I dreamed.
Rushing inside I looked down at my watch knowing I was already late. "Owen!" I called out when I stepped in to the musty office that was a complete mess. "Owen are you here?"
I had only ever been to the building on one other occasion so I had to stumble around to find my way. After about five minutes of walking around, exploring my new surrounding I began to think I had been stood up until I felt a hand of my shoulder and a voice in my ear "like it?"
"Oh!" I jumped suddenly "you scared me Owen! I was starting to think you weren't here."
Running a hand through his sandy colored hair he smiled "sorry about that, I was upstairs on the phone. Did you just get here?"
"Yeah mid town traffic was a night mare" I sighed exasperated. "I'm so glad we got a place in Chelsea."
"Yes we definitely lucked out. I guess it's finally happening, huh?"
Nodding I practically squealed with delight as I spun around looking at my new home away from home. This place and what I hoped to accomplish with it had been a dream of mine ever since I dropped medicine sophomore year of college. You see that was when I met Owen, when we were both attending Northeaster together. We were both pre-med but we felt that becoming doctors just wasn't as fulfilling as it should be. Owen and I bonded over our need to make a difference in the world and a year later we came up with the idea for something that we believed would change a lot of people's lives.
GATT, which was short for Guiding All Towards a Better Tomorrow was a program we started that helped people of all walks of life get a new start on life. Instead of going on welfare we helped people get jobs, looked after children of parents who had to work, and counseled teens. We had been doing it out of a YMCA for the past two years until we finally gathered enough money to buy our own place in the city.
"God can you believe it after all this time" I said unable to hide the amazement from my voice. Turning to him suddenly I asked "ok you have to tell me where you got the extra cash. Did your parents finally cave and give it to you?"
He laughed "no way. After I dropped pre-med they promised to never give me another cent for as long as I lived. The money, you're not going to believe this, came from a grant from a major corporation."
"Who?"
Owen waited a beat before saying "the Liuetrem Corporation! Can you believe it? After all that applying to every company and business know to man one of the biggest in the world volunteered. Volunteered! I mean I never even thought to apply to them because they're so new and in demand right now but last week one of the assistants or whatever to the CEO calls me up and tells me they've been hearing amazing things about GATT and want to get involved. We don't even have to meet with them or anything, they just wired the money!"
I stood there too speechless to speak. Finally I gripped my friend by the arm and yelled "that's incredible! My god Owen, it's like a dream come true!"
"You're telling me" he laughed completely elated "after all that hard work, it's finally paying off!"
So overwhelmed with this news I threw my arms around Owen and held him tight laughing. At first it was just a friendly, affectionate hug. Then I moved in to kiss his cheek but my mouth landed more on his mouth. Our almost kiss, if you can call it that, lasted only a brief second before we both quickly broke away. "I'm sorry" I muttered totally embarrassed. "I didn't mean."
"Yeah I know" he said looking towards the floor.
The thing was I had been friends with Owen for a long time but it had never gone beyond friendship. I cared for him deeply and on a certain level loved him but it was just as a friend. Then when we started GATT and started spending even more time together our relationship seemed to change somehow. It deepened and I began to see my old friend in a different light. However it could never happen because Owen was involved with someone and I was very, very, married.
There was a long awkward pause between us before I finally realized I had to be somewhere. Glancing down at my watch I said "damn! I'm late."
"Late? You just got here."
Giving him an apologetic smile I explained "I know, I'm sorry but this old friend from high school is getting married tomorrow. Tonight is the rehearsal dinner and I promised to stop in and see her before hand. I'm going to be in the city for the weekend so I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
Smiling he nodded "great I'll call you tomorrow."
I turned to leave when he called out to me "wait a second that mysterious husband of yours wouldn't happen to be in town would he?"
Sighing I turned around and replied "no, Richard is working and couldn't make it. Besides the bride and groom our my friends not his."
"Well do you think I'll get to meet the man of mystery soon? I'm starting to think you're just making him up."
Laughing I swatted him playfully. "Yes of course he's real! It's just he's busy and you never come up to Maine!"
"I can't help it" he shrugged "all that fresh air drives me nuts."
"Well I promise I'm going to either get him down here or get you up there soon. You're right it's ridiculous you've never met before but that will change soon."
"Ok" he nodded in a way that said he didn't really believe me. "Get out of here, don't you have a dinner to get to?"
I gave him one last smile before heading out the door thinking about my husband and Owen. For awhile I hadn't wanted them to meet but now it was most definitely time. Now that everything was going along so smoothly, what could possibly go wrong?
* * * * * *
"Welcome back Ms. Hardgrove" Alice the Caldwells downstairs maid greeted me as soon as I stepped into the house.
Smiling I tried my best to hide how uncomfortable I was. I wasn't a girl who grew up around money but a small farm in Kansas. After moving to New York I attended Manchester Prep which was a school filled with wealthy kids. Even though I had been exposed to this lifestyle for years now it still made me a little hesitant. Visiting the Caldwell house especially made me feel this way because all around me were things that screamed money.
"Hello Alice, is Cecile around?"
She pointed me towards her bedroom before disappearing to the sitting room. Approaching the door I knocked softly then entered "Cecile?"
Sitting on her large four poster bed with her back towards me she turned around at the sound of her name. Her dark eyes were filled with tears as she gave me a weak smile "hey Annette."
Immediately I sat beside her and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "Oh honey what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm fine" she hiccupped in between her words. "It's just...I'm not sure I can go through with the wedding!"
She barely got the last word out before she began to sob loudly onto my shoulder. Smiling sympathetically I caressed her dark hair as she cried. This was a scene I was all too familiar with. Cecile Caldwell was a few years younger than me and more than a little flighty. She was a sweet girl don't get me wrong, but just the slightest thing brought her to tears.
Pulling her face from it's spot on my shoulder I forced her to look at me. "Cecile, what's wrong this time? Is it Court, did he do something?"
"No!" She exclaimed wiping her eyes "Court is wonderful, it's me! I don't think I love him, not as much as I love Ronald!"
I wasn't too terribly shocked this was about Ronald. Ever since high school Cecile had been having an on again off again fling with him even though she was going steady with Court. Apparently she was in love with him but her mother forbid the relationship because Ronald didn't have enough money or the right skin color.
"Oh Cecile" I sighed "I thought you broke things off with him?"
She nodded profusely "I did! I promised myself I would forget all about him but then when I was trying on my dress again I found this picture of us together and I couldn't help it, I called him. We talked and he admitted he still loves me and I love him but how can I love him if I'm marrying someone else?" She babbled as tears continued to fall down her face.
"Okay, now Cecile you know I'm not the biggest fan of Courts and I really do think you can do much better but if you're going to marry him you're going to have to give up Ronald. It would be unfair to both of you if you continued to see him even though you were married. Marriage vows are a very sacred thing Cecile."
"I know" she sighed as she slumped at the edge of the bed. "It seems impossible to stay with one person for the rest of your life. How do you and Richard do it Annette?"
I was about to say with trust and complete honesty until I remember that brief kiss I shared with Owen only a little while ago. All though I loved my husband there was no way I could tell him about what happened between us. Noticing that Cecile was impatiently waiting for an answer I responded with a shrug "I love him a lot and I trust him with my life."
"Well I do trust Court but he doesn't trust me. He won't even let me be friends with Ronald." Getting to her feet suddenly Cecile stamped her foot against the ground and pouted "oh this is all Kathryn's fault!"
My eyebrows shot up in surprise at the familiar name I hadn't heard in some time. "What do you mean Cecile?"
"Well" she exclaimed "if it wasn't for all her lies Court wouldn't even have found out about Ronald. That nasty bitch ruined so many lives."
Nodding I replied "I agree, but Court still would have found out about Ronald eventually."
"I guess" she sighed as she sat back down beside me. "You ever wonder what happened to Kathryn?"
Snickering I told her "I try not to think about her but yeah sometimes." It was true that in the past four years my mind did occasionally wander back to the beautiful brunette who trashed my life and so many others. Touching my neck I recalled how she held that poker to my neck and nearly killed me. It wasn't something you forget easily. Still I knew I had long since moved on with my life and hopefully, wherever she was Kathryn had too."
"I wouldn't worry about her Cecile. After what happened to her she's probably passed out on some street corner."
"Yeah or working one!"
* Kathryn *
Stepping out onto the tarmac the New York air hit me like a fresh breeze. The sun was shinning brightly as me and my entourage left the plane and headed to the black limo awaiting us. I slid on my black sunglasses as my long dark hair wiped in the wind.
Riding in the back seat with Drake, Thomas, and Tony one of my bodyguards I felt giddy. Maybe I should have felt nervous or apprehensive about what I was going to do but all I felt was pure, uninhibited joy. "Did you get it?" I asked Thomas.
Sliding his hand into his dark suit he produced a smile translucent vile and put it in the palm of my hand. "That should do the trick quite nicely."
"Good" I replied putting it in my purse.
We rode in silence before the limo parked across the street from the Upper East Side apartment complex. Before I got out Drake stopped me "are you sure you don't want one of us to go with you, just to be safe?"
I smiled as I brought a finger to my lips and touched his cheek. "I'll be fine. Just stay in the car and I'll be out when it's done."
Getting out I headed right into the building with no problem and found his apartment right away. Thomas had the foresight to have a key made of the apartment so getting in was a sinch. As expected when I arrived no one was there so I took the opportunity to make myself at home in my ex's place.
Court's apartment was big and was stylishly decorated. I assumed that was his mothers doing rather than his nit wit fiancee. Touching his things and walking room to room I searched for something but I wasn't sure what. I had dated Court for over a year before he dumped me for that naive little girl. At the time I thought he was just after fresh meet, I didn't think he really cared about her. However here we were four years later and not only were they still together but he was marrying her.
When I came back to the living room I spotted a picture of Court and Cecile that looked like it was taken at the beach. They were smiling like two idiots from a JcPenny catalog. Shaking my head in disgust I took a seat and gazed at the picture with utter disdain.
It was soon after I arrived that the front door opened and Court came in whistling. He walked into the room and his mouth literally fell when he spotted me sitting there. I couldn't help but smile at how dopy he looked. It amazed me I thought I could have loved this idiot at one time. "Kathryn" he gasped.
"Hello Court" I purred drawing out his name. "Miss me?"
"I-I...this is a...I mean" he stuttered as he continued to stare at me dumb foundedly. Finally he seemed to get his bearings "Kathryn what are you doing here?"
"Well" I explained pleasantly "I heard about your wedding tomorrow and I came to give you my congratulations." Putting the picture back where I found it I remarked "she really is such a lovely girl."
"Yeah she is" he muttered. "So where have you been all this time?"
I shrugged "Europe mostly."
He nodded as he started to give me a appreciative once over. "Well I got to say Europe DEFINITELY agreed with you Kathryn. You look fantastic."
It took all my self control not to roll my eyes at him. Four years and the boy hadn't changed a bit, he was still all about pussy. However I hid my true feelings for him under a mask of calm and a seductive smile "thank you Court. You don't look too bad yourself."
He shrugged "well you know I work out and such." Court slid up to me with his trademark smirk firmly in place "so tell me how did you get in here?"
"The door man let me in" I smiled coyly. "Would you like me to leave?"
His eyes stared down by dress at my tits before he shook his head "no, not a chance. We haven't even gotten to catch up yet."
Still smiling I leaned in like I was going to kiss him but instead pushed him back onto the chair I had been occupying a few seconds earlier. His handsome but dull brown eyes flashed in excitement as I straddled his lap and my black skirt slid up my thighs. "So you never answer my question, did you miss me?"
"Oh yeah" he laughed as I ran a hand down his chest. "Man, you smell awesome!"
I laughed as I brought my mouth to his ear and told him "well to be fair Court I'm sure a dumpster would smell good to you after all that rolling around you do with those twenty dollar hookers."
Immediately Court's head jerked up and his body went stiff as he demanded "what?"
Pulling away I smiled knowingly "come on Court, I and I'm sure most of Manhattan knows all about your extra curricular activities. Screwing around behind your poor fiancees back. She doesn't have a clue does she?" Putting my finger to my lips I pretended to think as I mused "I wonder what would happen if someone helped her get a clue?"
"That's it" he said pushing me off of his lap. "You're out of here. I knew you coming back would lead to no good!"
I laughed as I got to my feet and fixed my skirt. "You never could handle the truth. Just relax Court I'm not going to tell her a thing, I was just playing with you."
Turning away from him I walked over to the bar and poured a scotch just the way he liked it. Only this time however I added my own special ingredient in along with it and made sure it was well hidden. As I made his drink Court stayed seated and spat in a huffy voice "you know some people aren't going to be pleased to see you after all the shit you pulled."
I chuckled darkly "oh I imagine most of them won't be but I'm not really worried about that." Taking his drink I handed it to him "here drink this, you need to loosen up."
Court glanced at it apprehensively before quickly downing it. As he finished it off he asked me "what does that mean? Why aren't you worried?" I didn't answer him only smiled with fake sweetness. Rolling his eyes he got to his feet and stood over me "fine keep your little secrets. It doesn't matter anyway because I am marrying Cecile tomorrow but before that I would like to have a little fun."
Before I could ask him what he meant by that he grabbed me and kissed me hard on the mouth. All I could taste was the alcohol and it was starting to make me queasy not to mention bring up a lot of bad memories. Pushing him away I told him "I think I should be leaving now."
I took one step in the other direction before Court roughly grabbed my arm and literally pulled me into the bedroom all the while I screamed at him to let me go. However he ignored my protests and threw me down onto the bed. Given he out weighed me by a hundred pounds I was completely trapped underneath him. "Get off me NOW!" I yelled.
"Shut up!" He yelled as he attempted to get my panties off. "You want this and you know it bitch!"
Somehow as we struggled I managed to a hand free and grabbed for a vase sitting on the bed side table. I brought it down hard enough on his head that he immediately rolled off the bed clutching his head. "God dammit!"
Getting to my feet I felt a little shaky but still strong. This was hardly the first time Court had done something like this, though in the past he usually succeeded. Watching him wither on the floor in pain I kneeled down besides him and hissed "tsk, tsk, you should know better than to fuck with me by now Court."
He attempted to lunge at me but I was on my feet before he could. "You fucking bitch! You're nothing more than a conniving whore and everyone knows it!"
Shaking my head I told him "you know in a few hours from now you're going to be seriously regretting you said that to me Court."
"Meaning what?"
I only smiled at him as I turned and left him to pull himself off the floor.
* * * * * *
"In other news, Court Reynolds youngest son of business tycoon Garret Reynolds is in critical condition tonight after his car went into a tree on a country road in Bridgeport. Apparently Reynolds was on his way to a rehearsal dinner for his wedding to social light Cecile Caldwell that was planned for tomorrow."
"Police have ruled that the accident was most likely the result of drugs and alcohol that were in the young man's system. Rumors have circulated that Reynolds has had a ongoing substance abuse problem but was trying to get clean. As of tonight no one from the Reynolds family has commented about the tragedy but we will keep you informed as the story progresses." Turning to her left the perky anchor sent it over to her co-anchor "back to you Bob."
Rolling my eyes I flipped the television off as I stood alone in the hospital waiting room. Of course I was glad to be alone because I needed to stay inconspicuous. If someone spotted me they might get the idea that I had something to do with poor Court's accident.
Well it wasn't like I didn't warn him. I told him not to fuck with me but of course the stupid bastard did anyway and now he was paying for it. The very idea brought a grin to my face.
Standing in the doorway I looked down the hospital corridor towards Court's room. Cecile and her idiot mother were standing out side the door talking with the doctor. Whiny bitch that she was, Cecile was sobbing as her mother held her and told her to keep it down. The Reynolds to no one's surprise were no where to be found. Most likely they didn't want to be associated with their son's latest blunder.
Finishing up the awful coffee from my styrofoam cup I bided my time as I waited for my opportunity. Finally the Caldwells and the doctor left, heading to the elevator. Throwing my cup carelessly over my shoulder I walked discreetly to his hospital room and then snuck inside.
Court lay of his back, his face covered in bruises and his body hooked up to all sorts of machines. I stood for a moment admiring my handiwork before approaching the bed. Reaching out I touched his face gently causing his eyes to flutter open. It took him a moment to focus on me before he realized who it was standing over him. His eyes went wide in alarm as he whispered "you..."
"Hello Court, how are you feeling?" He said nothing just shook his head and tried to speak but nothing came out. "Not too good I take it. Well I did warn you that in only a few hours you would be regretting treating me the way you did."
"You...how?" He choked out.
Smiling I leaned in and whispered "it was quite simple actually. I just slipped a little something in your drink, then had one of my associates tinker with your car a little, then viola! You did the rest."
A tear fell down Courts face as his lips trembled. "W-why...did...did you?"
Touching his hair I explained "I know you might think it has to do with Cecile but not really. I got over you leaving me for someone so unworthy. No this was for the Harvest dance. Do you remember that night? You and me on the beach." Thinking back to that night I felt ill all over again. Glaring at him coldly I continued "I begged you to stop but you wouldn't listed. Then you let Andy and Phil get on me. God you didn't care that I was crying or screaming...then you left me all alone on that beach and never mentioned it again."
There was a slight flicker of recognition of Court's face as I told him this. Struggling for breath he muttered "I didn't...mean..."
"That's why I did this to you and why I will do this to you." His eyes looked at me questioningly as I turned my attention to the heart monitor beside me. I knew exactly what buttons to push and I lightly dragged my finger over them. "Court what do you think will happen if I slow down the machine?"
"Kathryn, don't...please"
I noticed him go for the call button but I kept it from his reach. Smiling sympathetically I said "tell me something first. Court did you tell anyone you saw me earlier?"
"No" he replied shaking his head as best he could. "No...I swear."
I nodded "I believe you." I pulled my finger away from the machine and watched as his eyes relaxed before I pushed the precise button hard. Immediately Court started to convulse and tried to call out but his voice barely managed a whimper. I watched in perverse delight as he withered in pain the same as I had that night of the beach.
"Please Kathryn" he begged struggling for air as he clutched his chest. "Please..."
I pulled my hand away for only a moment as I whispered to him "not good enough. I'll send Cecile your best."
Then pressing the button one more time I watched as he groaned in pain a final time before the life slowly drained from his body. When he was still and I knew he was dead I set the machine back to normal then kissed him good-bye.
Turning back around I quietly left the room the same way I came without a single soul seeing me. I made my way down the back corridor sliding my sunglasses on as I reached the door and went out into the night. Standing at the back exit of the hospital I pulled my back leather gloves off and tossed them into my purse while pulling out a cigarette.
My limo soon came around the corner and Drake stepped out his expression cool as ever. "Everything go as planned?"
I grinned taken a drag off my cig "like clockwork."
"Glad to hear it"
Looking up into the night sky I laughed "god it's good to be home."
- to be continued (Please Review)