Chapter five
David
I stumbled up the staircase with Alex guiding me. He had me by the arm and led me up the stairs, knowing the police would expect me to head downstairs, to the lobby. It was odd.he was helping me, after turning me in to the police. I already knew there had to be a catch, but I had to give him partial credit for intelligence.
"Enough!" Alex's grasp stopped my tracks, pulling me down. "Now you listen." He ordered. "You must, by now, be wondering why I'm doing this. Well, there's something I have selected you to do.after careful consideration. I'll be willing to give you twenty grand, tax free too.if you do this job to my liking."
"I'm honored and all...but." Confused, all I could do was reply. "What's the job?"
"Kill my wife."
Okay. The man was crazy."You want me to kill Nicole?"
Without hesitation, the answer came. "Yes."
"Why?"
"I know all about your little affair together. It will end, one way or another.Why not go obsolete with her death?" His eyes flashed with accusation and malice.
Oh God.mine was definitely not the best situation to be in. "What makes you think you know what's going on between your wife and me?" "I have ways of knowing-ways of finding things out. Now, I got a question I've asked you. It's traditional for you to provide your answer now, be it 'yes' or 'no'.What's it gonna be?"
He was officially psycho. "There's no damn way I'm gonna kill someone, especially not a woman. And especially not for twenty grand. You'll have to raise your offer a little before I even consider it." "A little?" He seemed to consider. "And exactly how much is 'a little'?" "Oh, I'd say about ten grand." Anticipating his reaction, I kicked him away from me.to be exact, I kicked him down the stairs about two stories.
Making a quick get-away, I rushed up to the nearest door, pulled it open, and darted through, not risking the possibility that a camera might catch my face. I was then on the fourth floor. Perfect, the radios of policemen could be heard in the distance, each officer reporting his or her location. They weren't far.
"He got away! He went that way, that way!" Apparently Alex had had an encounter with one of the officers. Good for Alex. Bad for me.
Rounding the nearest corner, I found myself in an operating room, presently occupied with four doctors in surgery transplanting a heart. Dumbly I waved.What else could I do? "Hi." The doctors stared. "Good work. Keep it up." The heart monitor's tones slowed. "Umm.I think you're losing him.Bye." I left, backing slowly.
Once out, I could hear the dull sound of the monitor as the patient's heart stopped, but only momentarily. "I went into the wrong room." I spoke to myself, stifling a laugh. "Okay.okay, now where?"
Soon, I found myself at a window looking down-all the way down. A while earlier I'd had half a motion to jump. "No." I told myself. There was no way I was gonna jump from such a height. Second floor, maybe. Third floor, with a little time to gather my thoughts. Fourth floor, I think not. Fifth floor, impossible-more radios blasted-but doable. I sighed heavily.
Backing up to the wall opposite the window, after opening the window fully, I felt something prod my back. "Freeze!" 'Shoot. Actually, no, really, don't. I take that back now!'
"Look, I really don't have time for this." I began, turning to face a young officer. "Perhaps we can continue this some other time? Why don't you set it up with my secretary? Maybe Friday would work.Is that day good for you? Say, about noonish?"
"Put your hands on your head!" All right.That was a 'no'. Too bad! I hadn't gone so far just to be caught and locked up for life.and a life sentence was the best I could hope for after my past made up of theft.
I stomped on one of the man's feet and then jabbed him in the stomach with a tightly-made fist. To be sure he'd have a headache for a while, I lifted his head and butted mine to it. Ouch, bad idea.
Time to go. I gathered his rifle and handgun before taking a running start to my leap out the window. Falling through the air, I found it difficult to believe I'd live. But I obviously did.
Luckily, or I think it was luckily, I landed on the roof of a car. It softened the land a bit.Not really, but one can exaggerate, can't they? I mean, really, really exaggerate.like, a lot.
"What the hell?" Great, the car was occupied, full with cops. I'd landed on a police car. Just what I did not need was what I had. Shots were fired through the roof, one of them catching my left shoulder.
With my 'inherited' rifle, I shot back, eventually injuring the two officers beneath me.
Rolling off the car, I made the first move that came to mind. I dragged the two injured officers from their vehicle before conveniently finding the keys still in ignition and driving away.
* * *
Calico
I sat in the darkness of my room, stroking the ebony fur of my cat, also called Calico. "Cali.We're gonna have company." I then silenced and listened to the hypnotic purring of my pet. A smile crossed my face, a smile most people would stop dead in their tracks to see, and my dark eyes glistened in the dim light.
* * * David
Anya wandered down the street, on her way home from her usual night walk. Headlights fell upon her as a car streamed down the vacant street. It was a police car. At first, she thought the driver had to be drunk, they were driving so crazily, but then it stopped in front of her, and the driver's window opened enough for her to see me, bleeding and nearly asleep, but I had recognized her in my uncommon state.
Quickly she got in, pushing me into the passenger's seat so that she could drive us home. Shifting the gear, Anya got a good look at me, noticing the origin of the blood that soaked my shirt. "Jesus, David." She breathed, staring at the bullet wound. "What happened?"
I, becoming delirious, had no idea what to say. "Well it all started thirty seven years ago. I was born in Neenah Wisconsin, eleven pounds, seven and a half ounces. My mother named me David. It'd always been her favorite name."
"David? Shut up, okay?" She sounded concerned. "We have to get you back to my place."
"I'm fine." Dignity took over to replace my moment of insanity.
"Yeah, David, like hell you are!"
I turned to the passenger window and watched until my lids dropped shut and I was unable to lift them. I couldn't fall asleep-the pain in my shoulder was too excruciating-but I sat there and listened quietly while Anya turned on the radio and listened carefully to one of her favorite songs, sometimes adding a word or two of song in-something she wouldn't ordinarily have done. I believe she did it only out of nervousness. Her father had been murdered (shot) and died from blood loss. She probably just didn't want history to repeat itself with me.
David
I stumbled up the staircase with Alex guiding me. He had me by the arm and led me up the stairs, knowing the police would expect me to head downstairs, to the lobby. It was odd.he was helping me, after turning me in to the police. I already knew there had to be a catch, but I had to give him partial credit for intelligence.
"Enough!" Alex's grasp stopped my tracks, pulling me down. "Now you listen." He ordered. "You must, by now, be wondering why I'm doing this. Well, there's something I have selected you to do.after careful consideration. I'll be willing to give you twenty grand, tax free too.if you do this job to my liking."
"I'm honored and all...but." Confused, all I could do was reply. "What's the job?"
"Kill my wife."
Okay. The man was crazy."You want me to kill Nicole?"
Without hesitation, the answer came. "Yes."
"Why?"
"I know all about your little affair together. It will end, one way or another.Why not go obsolete with her death?" His eyes flashed with accusation and malice.
Oh God.mine was definitely not the best situation to be in. "What makes you think you know what's going on between your wife and me?" "I have ways of knowing-ways of finding things out. Now, I got a question I've asked you. It's traditional for you to provide your answer now, be it 'yes' or 'no'.What's it gonna be?"
He was officially psycho. "There's no damn way I'm gonna kill someone, especially not a woman. And especially not for twenty grand. You'll have to raise your offer a little before I even consider it." "A little?" He seemed to consider. "And exactly how much is 'a little'?" "Oh, I'd say about ten grand." Anticipating his reaction, I kicked him away from me.to be exact, I kicked him down the stairs about two stories.
Making a quick get-away, I rushed up to the nearest door, pulled it open, and darted through, not risking the possibility that a camera might catch my face. I was then on the fourth floor. Perfect, the radios of policemen could be heard in the distance, each officer reporting his or her location. They weren't far.
"He got away! He went that way, that way!" Apparently Alex had had an encounter with one of the officers. Good for Alex. Bad for me.
Rounding the nearest corner, I found myself in an operating room, presently occupied with four doctors in surgery transplanting a heart. Dumbly I waved.What else could I do? "Hi." The doctors stared. "Good work. Keep it up." The heart monitor's tones slowed. "Umm.I think you're losing him.Bye." I left, backing slowly.
Once out, I could hear the dull sound of the monitor as the patient's heart stopped, but only momentarily. "I went into the wrong room." I spoke to myself, stifling a laugh. "Okay.okay, now where?"
Soon, I found myself at a window looking down-all the way down. A while earlier I'd had half a motion to jump. "No." I told myself. There was no way I was gonna jump from such a height. Second floor, maybe. Third floor, with a little time to gather my thoughts. Fourth floor, I think not. Fifth floor, impossible-more radios blasted-but doable. I sighed heavily.
Backing up to the wall opposite the window, after opening the window fully, I felt something prod my back. "Freeze!" 'Shoot. Actually, no, really, don't. I take that back now!'
"Look, I really don't have time for this." I began, turning to face a young officer. "Perhaps we can continue this some other time? Why don't you set it up with my secretary? Maybe Friday would work.Is that day good for you? Say, about noonish?"
"Put your hands on your head!" All right.That was a 'no'. Too bad! I hadn't gone so far just to be caught and locked up for life.and a life sentence was the best I could hope for after my past made up of theft.
I stomped on one of the man's feet and then jabbed him in the stomach with a tightly-made fist. To be sure he'd have a headache for a while, I lifted his head and butted mine to it. Ouch, bad idea.
Time to go. I gathered his rifle and handgun before taking a running start to my leap out the window. Falling through the air, I found it difficult to believe I'd live. But I obviously did.
Luckily, or I think it was luckily, I landed on the roof of a car. It softened the land a bit.Not really, but one can exaggerate, can't they? I mean, really, really exaggerate.like, a lot.
"What the hell?" Great, the car was occupied, full with cops. I'd landed on a police car. Just what I did not need was what I had. Shots were fired through the roof, one of them catching my left shoulder.
With my 'inherited' rifle, I shot back, eventually injuring the two officers beneath me.
Rolling off the car, I made the first move that came to mind. I dragged the two injured officers from their vehicle before conveniently finding the keys still in ignition and driving away.
* * *
Calico
I sat in the darkness of my room, stroking the ebony fur of my cat, also called Calico. "Cali.We're gonna have company." I then silenced and listened to the hypnotic purring of my pet. A smile crossed my face, a smile most people would stop dead in their tracks to see, and my dark eyes glistened in the dim light.
* * * David
Anya wandered down the street, on her way home from her usual night walk. Headlights fell upon her as a car streamed down the vacant street. It was a police car. At first, she thought the driver had to be drunk, they were driving so crazily, but then it stopped in front of her, and the driver's window opened enough for her to see me, bleeding and nearly asleep, but I had recognized her in my uncommon state.
Quickly she got in, pushing me into the passenger's seat so that she could drive us home. Shifting the gear, Anya got a good look at me, noticing the origin of the blood that soaked my shirt. "Jesus, David." She breathed, staring at the bullet wound. "What happened?"
I, becoming delirious, had no idea what to say. "Well it all started thirty seven years ago. I was born in Neenah Wisconsin, eleven pounds, seven and a half ounces. My mother named me David. It'd always been her favorite name."
"David? Shut up, okay?" She sounded concerned. "We have to get you back to my place."
"I'm fine." Dignity took over to replace my moment of insanity.
"Yeah, David, like hell you are!"
I turned to the passenger window and watched until my lids dropped shut and I was unable to lift them. I couldn't fall asleep-the pain in my shoulder was too excruciating-but I sat there and listened quietly while Anya turned on the radio and listened carefully to one of her favorite songs, sometimes adding a word or two of song in-something she wouldn't ordinarily have done. I believe she did it only out of nervousness. Her father had been murdered (shot) and died from blood loss. She probably just didn't want history to repeat itself with me.
