Chapter 2
Beige walls, carpet, dresser, curtains, two beds . . . with lions on them . . . beige as well . . . And a bathroom.
I was sitting on one of the beds, just looking around the room. I was still wet & I didn't take my boots off when Bayman said I could. I couldn't stay long. I had to go even though I won't know where I'm going.
My arms were crossed, keeping myself to myself. I was a little uncomfortable. I'm in a room alone with some man I don't even know. But it wasn't like I was afraid . . . even though he was bigger than I was. I've faced bigger threats.
I looked at the clock. It was 10:52 p.m. Just then, Bayman walked out from the bathroom. Wife beater & some gray sweats. Seems he's gotten comfortable even while I was here. He pointed out that there was no television, suspecting that I was bored or something.
He fell down on the other bed & looked at me, expecting me to say something.
Those eyes . . .
"It's okay," I finally got out after realizing I was staring at him a little too long.
I turned my back on him. I didn't want him to see that I was studying his abnormal eyes. Black hair blue eyes. Sort of like me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After what seemed like forever, I finally gave into my weariness. I stretched myself over the entire bed, my arms out & legs wide. I missed the feeling of a nice, soft bed from spending most of the night out in the cold rain. I was too tired to think about how uncomfortable the situation was. Me, being in a room with a man that was hiding something I wanted or needed to know about him. I couldn't stop wondering what kind of person Bayman was. There was just something . . . could I say not right about him . . .?
I gave one more look at him just so I could take in his features some more before I decide to leave. I was there too long.
His eyes were closed.
Is he asleep? How could he just fall asleep while I'm here . . .? He uses that build of his for something, I know . . .
That was enough of that. Why was I studying this man? I had more important things to do. It wasn't like he was a threat . . .
I took one more last look at the clock before I decided to leave.
I'll see him tomorrow, I suppose . . . 11:17 p.m., I'm wasting time here.
I got up, walked over to the door, & opened it. The rain had finally stopped. That was good, because I wasn't in the mood to get wet.
I stepped out & quietly shut the door so I wouldn't wake Bayman. Didn't want him to wake up & find me leaving . . .
I turned around & overlooked the parking lot below me, my hands on the rail. I was on the second floor. There was nothing except cars, barely visible if it wasn't for the lights above me. I felt the wind blow my hair & skin. It was a nice breeze. I ran my fingers through my hair. It was dry but coarse. I rubbed my face. My skin had finally dried.
It was then that my luck had changed. There was a woman. Short, blonde, couldn't tell if she had freckles, & she was in a red dress. She must have came from some sort of special occasion. It had to be her.
Diana Moores . . . I finally found you!
And if it wasn't her . . . too bad. That woman is in for a surprise.
I watched her walk quickly into her room just below me with her hand over her mouth.
What's bothering her . . .? Well, she won't have to worry about it anymore when I'm through with her.
I quickly, but quietly made my way down the stairs behind me. I had to make sure nobody was witnessing what I was about to do. I slid to the side of the building & took off my trench coat. I was wearing a black spandex suit under my trench coat. Sometimes my job could get a little complicated.
I took a pair of black leather gloves & a mask out of one of the pockets of the coat. Then I remembered that I'd need to sneak into her room so I grabbed my lock-pick as well. I wouldn't need anything else. This woman was as vulnerable as all my other victims.
After I threw the coat into the bushes, I glanced around the corner to the parking lot. No one. That's when I slid on my mask & gloves & started to make my way towards her room. But I couldn't go out to the open towards the parking lot looking the way I did. I had to find another way in.
From the back . . . They must have windows.
I stepped from out of the corner just a little to count how many windows there were till her room. Six . . . I ran towards the back of the building. There was no light. Just perfect . . . I counted six bathroom windows until I came to the seventh one. This was it.
Get ready. There's no telling what you'll run into. She knows Donovan is after her so she'll probably have some sort of weapon like a gun.
But nothing I couldn't handle.
I clutched the lock-pick in my hands. My adrenaline was rushing. My heart was beating fast & I could feel my blood boiling inside of me. God, how I've grown to love that feeling . . .
I pressed my ear up to the window to hear if Diana was in the bathroom. I couldn't hear anything so I picked at the lock on the window.
Wait, it's already open.
That was a waste of time.
I slipped the lock-pick into a strap on my suit & placed my fingers on the window. I slid it open & it made a little squeak.
Quiet . . .
I looked inside the bathroom. Nothing, it was dark. Safe to go in. I jumped onto the windowsill with one leg in the bathroom. Then I put my other leg in & dropped onto the floor, my boots clicked from the impact. But not enough noise to disturb anyone.
Leave the window open . . .
Listening to the little voice in my head, I left the window alone & made my way over to the bathroom door.
This is it!
I wrapped my hand over the knob of the door . . .
What's that? Sobbing?! Is this woman crying?!
I opened the door just a little so I could see inside the room. It was dark, but I saw her. On her knees, on the floor, in her dress, back towards me. She was crying. But I wasn't there to take anything like that into concern. I had to get it over with before it was tomorrow. And that was my cue to do what I was getting paid for before she even moves. I opened the door all the way & walked slowly up to her. That was when she sensed me near & stopped crying, instantly. I watched as she turned her head towards me. The look on her face was the expression I was too familiar with. I knew she was afraid. She asked me who I was, but I didn't reply. But she recognized me as one of Donovan's.
So she knew I was coming to get her . . .
She turned back around to her previous position, "I can't take it anymore. I'm tired of hiding from him even though I know he's gonna find me sometime . . . Kill me if you wish. It's not like there are people out there who'll miss me anyway . . ."
She just sat there, waiting for me to attack & end it all. I turned to her alarm clock & it read 11:28 p.m. It was time to get the job done. I raised my hand at the back of her head, but I had to decide how I was going to go about this. I had time, I suppose.
Should I wring her neck or should I just take her out with one hit . . .? Wring her neck . . . I wouldn't mind a good struggle. That's if she does struggle . . .
I wrapped my hand around her neck & felt her flinched at my touch. I saw that she wasn't ready to die.
But before I could carry this out, I was knocked onto the bed. I quickly turned around onto my back so I could see who had shoved me. It was a tall figure dressed in black with a mask, similar to mine. A man . . . A burly man like Bayman . . .
Could it be . . .? No, I don't think . . . Well, whoever he is, he's not going to stop me.
I jumped off of the bed & got into my position. I was going to fight this man till I was face-first in the carpet if that was what it would take. I threw my hands out in front of me, straight as always to do more damage. After a few seconds, I realized he was waiting for me to strike. So I did. Right hand in-between his eyes. But he caught it! It was then that I could feel him squeezing my wrist, tight! I had to get him off so I attempted to get another hit in with my other hand. But he caught that one, as well!
Damn you . . .
I struggled against his strength, but he overpowered me. I was getting close to the floor.
My legs!
I delivered a swift kick to his ankle & it did the trick! He lost grip of me. I wrapped my leg around one of his arms & brought him down with the Dokuja-Rakuko. It was quicker than what I had expected, but it was good enough to get him on the floor. But I knew he needed more than that to keep him down. I remembered my lock-pick in my strap.
Stab him!
The little voice in my head was getting sinister.
I grabbed the pick & jumped on top of the man before he could sit up completely. I tried to stab him again, but he grabbed my wrists just like before. I could see Diana from the corner of my eyes. She was still there & watched us in shock.
The man had both of my wrists, but an idea occurred to me. His hands were holding the back of my wrists. So I swung my wrists out, got free, & brought the pick down with both hands into his chest. I heard him gasp in pain. I had him!
But the pick wasn't all the way in. I pushed it in hoping it would do more pain, but I suddenly went flying as his knuckles connected with my cheek. I fell face-first onto the carpet. It took me a few seconds to get back on my knees. I felt my cheek with my hand. The pain he gave me ached, but I knew I could shrug it off later. But I could taste the blood in my mouth.
I turned around towards him & I saw him raise a gun at me.
. . .
But I couldn't give up so easily. I remembered telling myself one time when I was in trouble that I was going to die fighting no matter what it took. And that was what I was going to do then. He didn't pull the trigger yet. I jumped at him & grabbed his arm that was holding the gun. I reached out & struck him with my other hand in his face. I heard the gun drop, which was my cue to keep going. I delivered numerous strikes at his chest until his back hit the wall. I poised myself for one final strike, the Soja-Tensho. But then a gunshot went off. I dropped my leg & arms & swung around to see Diana spread out on the floor. The light through the curtains allowed me to see the color of the giant spots on then wall: red. The gun fell from Diana's hand. She had shot herself . . . Suicide . . .
She took her own life . . . Should've known . . .
Then I felt one of my arms being grabbed & I was thrown into the wall. My head ached from the impact. My eyes were closed tight as I tried to withstand it & fell back onto the carpet. I heard the door open then slam shut. The man was gone, I knew.
My head was spinning as I struggled to sit up. I opened my eyes to look at the hole in the wall from my head.
That bastard . . .
I reached up, touched it, & brought my hand back. My fingertips were wet. I knew that impact punctured my skin, but at least I made him bleed as well.
I got onto my feet & started to leave. My job was done. Diana Moores was dead before twelve. I would've chased after that man, but I was too tired. After being stuck out in the cold & rain & doing this, I wanted to go home. I had to feed Jasper anyway.
I made my way past the bloodstained girl & out of the window. I would have to hurry, because it was likely that someone was going to call the police after hearing that gunshot, but not too hasty. I took off my gloves & mask & then put my trench coat back on. I started towards the road in front of the hotel.
. . . Bayman . . .
I looked back at the hotel.
For all I know it could've been him in that black. That was probably why he didn't want to tell me what he does.
I ran back to his hotel room to see if he was there. If he wasn't there, then it could have been him, but if he was there & just like how I had left him, then it wasn't him. But no one answered after I banged on the door so many times & the lights were out. But I didn't have time to bust in, because people were coming out of their rooms & there were sirens in the distance.
That was quick! It must be nearby . . .