"Anybody in?" James gave a gentle knock on the door that was ajar. It was a deserted house. There were only 2 other wrecked houses in that street. Having stood in the cold for more than few minutes, James opened the door and stepped inside.
It was a big hall with a sofa on one end and a stair case on the other end.
As he looked around, he was startled by the sound of a gun shot. Someone rolled down the stairs and fell on the floor. James ran to him and tried to lift him.
"What are you doing here, James?" Nick and Josh walked down the stairs. Nick was holding a fuming pistol in hand.
"Who are you and how do you know me?" James looked up the stairs.
"Oh...we are the ones who kidnapped your son. You wouldn't recongize as we were wearing face masks when you came last time to pick your son up. What brings you here today?"
"You just shot Milan Clark?"
"Got a concern? You should be in fact happy that I just killed the man who planned your wife's murder" Nick chuckled.
"I should have come a bit early. I could have saved a life" James murmured looking at Milan's body.
"So, I guess, you have brought the money Milan owes us. Come upstairs to the office. I don't like to make business transactions on the stair"
Confused, James followed Nick up the stairs.
"Josh, lock the front door. I will collect the money from this gentleman and tell him a bit about our services. I don't want anyone else in" Nick ushered James upstairs. Nick not only wanted to collect the money, but he wanted to convince his prospective client that he is the best choice for any future dirty work that James may want to do.
The car made a skid on the icy road infront of Milan Clark's house but Mike managed to park his car next to James' car. Charmaine came out. Startled by the sound of a gunshot and subsequent shattering sound of their headlight, she got in the car again and closed the door. Josh came rushing towards the driver's side with both his hands holding the pistol and aiming at the car door, ready to shoot if some one got down. The car made a quick reverse and was backing away. Josh thought the car was leaving and relaxed his hand. But then the car gained a forward momentum and advanced towards him at a great speed. Before Josh could react, the car hit him with such a force that he fell on the ground and his head hit a stone.
Charmaine came outside the car, knelt before Josh and took a closer look "Is he dead?"
"No, just fainted, before he wakes up let's see if James is in trouble"
"My God, look at his forehead, he is bleeding"
"No time to worry about him, come let’s get in"
Before Charmaine got up, she tore a piece of cloth hanging fashionably from her right sleeve and winded it around Josh's head.
"Your dress comes handy" Mike remarked “I always wondered the use of that hanging cloth” Mike picked up the gun from Josh’s hand and gave it to Charmaine.
“I don’t want this” Charmaine said “I don’t wanna kill any one”
“Have it, just in case” Mike put it in her hands.
Mike took out another gun from his coat that they had grabbed from Milan Clark last night. They stealthily entered the hall.
"Oh...my God..it is Milan" Charmaine pointed the body that lay down the stairs.
As they went near the stairs, they heard feeble voices up the stairs.
Mike handed the gun to Charmaine as he pulled body away from the stairs while Charmaine wondered what she would do with both the guns.
Charmaine climbed up and the voices became more audible.
"So, do I hear from you that you will never contract me?"
"I am saying that I will do only things that I feel right" James said.
"It sounds the same to me. Anyways thanks for the $50,000. As I don't see any use for you, I don't want to leave a witness outside. I'm sorry. Nice knowing you" Nick fired two shots one on the forehead and the other on the chest. James fell dead on the floor. Nick pulled the deadman outside the room in 2nd floor.
Mike and Charmaine just reached the entrance of the room to find Nick dragging out James' dead body.
"You killed James" Charmaine stood shocked looking down at the dead body.
"Yes I did" Nick turned and walked towards Charmaine.
Charmaine raised both her hands and pointed both the pistols towards Nick.
"Oh..you can shoot?" Nick continued walking towards her.
"One more step and you will die" Charmaine released the safety lock in both the pistols with her thumbs..
"Alright, I thought I will teach you how to hold a gun and shoot. Probably I will show from here." Nick raised his gun and shot at her right hand without even looking at her.
Charmaine dropped both her guns and screamed in a high and loud pitch. Nick kicked both the guns on the floor before Mike could reach them. He then pushed Mike on the floor away from the guns and walked over to Charmaine. He put his left arm around her neck and with his other hand held the pistol on her temple.
"Please let her go" Mike pleaded.
Josh climbed up the stairs limping.
"Is this how you guard the front door" Nick asked Josh "One simple task and you can’t do that right. I don't know how I'm going to survive in this business with some one like you"
"Kill me and let her go" Mike pleaded again.
Nick laughed out loud "Oh..you thought I am just going to shoot one of you. I am shooting you both anyways. If you want a choice, you may want to choose which of you stupids wanna die first?"
"Kill me first" Mike and Charmaine chorused.
"I can take it from here Nick" Josh came for Nick's assistance, stooped and picked the two guns that lay on the floor.
"Alright, I am already done with 2 killings for the day" Nick pushed Charmaine also on the floor near Mike.
“Go ahead” Nick put his gun back in his pocket and left the task for Josh.
As he walked down the stairs, there were two gun shots...
One on the neck and one on the back, Nick fell on the stairs and rolled down to the ground floor.
"You shouldn't have killed Bob, Nick" Josh said putting his pistols back in the coat.
Josh walked over to Charmaine, kneeled down near her, tore a piece of cloth hanging her other sleeve, lifted her right hand and winded the cloth up her bleeding palm. Charmaine looked up and smiled at him.
"Take care, guys" Josh left them there and walked down the stairs.
Couple of months later...
Folly Beach County Park. A beautiful Saturday evening.
Mike and Charmaine sat side by side on their usual place on a rocky surface facing the eastern shore. Charmaine put her arm around Mike's shoulders.
Mike and Charmaine got married last month and they adopted Robert.
Robert found his new friends in this town and was playing football with them in the park.
Mike and Charmaine as usual admired the beauty of the tides for hours. Silence filled in as they both drowned in deep thoughts. And you guys know that they will traverse the sea of space and time and will unravel the mysteries of the distant stars!!!
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1 comment:
Good for people to know.
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