Selina's POV
"Miss Selina Korr, please unload the packages," he said again, his voice rising with frustration. Glancing at him once more without speaking, I walked to my car and opened the passenger's door. I began unloading the packages while he stood at the other side, reading me. He was the only officer at the checkpoint.
I had already put on my gloves before unloading the packages. Roup's body still lay there, cold and stiff. I called the officer over to 'clear his doubt,' and as he came closer, I stepped aside to give him enough space to do his job. Just when he wanted to reach for his gun, I twisted his neck from behind and he dropped dead at the spot. I took a moment to stare at his corpse. My heart was cold as ice and my remorse was far from my eyes.
I looked around briefly, No CCTV cameras... I disarmed his corpse in a rush, touched his pulse to be sure he was dead before adding him with Roup's and loading the packages back into the car. The road was dark and empty, no cars, no people.
I soon arrived at the woods where I dug and buried the bodies. No one would ever find out.
I drove back home in peace.
****
My small apartment was situated in a swampy area where no one could ever believe a house could sit. I placed pictures in front of me. All of them had bold strike-outs across their faces, some were men, others women, and I had even forgotten about some. I removed Roup's photo from my drawer, took out a red marker from my locker, and struck out Roup's picture. I gathered all the pictures and stuck them one after the other on the pinboard hung on the wall. Below the struck-out photos, I had a few others that hadn't been marked.
I walked over to my desk, sat in the chair, and scrolled through the internet. A glass of wine stood beside the black-screened computer. I took a sip and continued scrolling when the news that glared at me made me squint. I read the heading, "Stripper's Club in Havoc Right Now."
I scrolled down and read the news. "Clubbers running for their lives after the club went into a frantic uproar tonight. The sudden alarm blaring through the building sent everyone into panic. No one seemed to understand what triggered it."
I frowned, scrolling further. "Moments later, graphic images surfaced online, photos of a dead man lying lifeless in the hallway. Police confirmed that the victim's name is Roup-De-Conti, a reputable businessman and founder of Brimstone Empire." I paused and laughed. 'The media has been blinded for years,' I thought as I continued to read. "…but no one has stepped forward as a witness. No one even claimed to have seen the killing. The pictures were posted by an anonymous account, then quickly taken down, but not before they spread across the net."
A chill ran down my spine, anonymous? My blood froze, and suddenly, the chair began to burn my ass. A surge of uneasiness and anger threatened to tear through me.
I tightened my grip around the wineglass, squinting at the black screen of my computer as if it could give me answers to what was going through my mind.
Just then my phone rang, ripping me out of my thoughts. I looked at the screen; it was Helen Korr, the daughter from my tragic past.
My mind drove back to the year my parents died. I got into a relationship after their death, thinking it would ease the pain of losing my parents and make me feel better but it didn't and didn't end well either. Helen was the result of that tragic affair. When I realized I was pregnant, I told Raymond, but he denied the pregnancy and warned me never to appear before his eyes again. He had claimed to love me and confessed that if I got pregnant during the course of our relationship, he would be the happiest, but I hadn't told him I was already five weeks pregnant. Two weeks later, when I finally told him, he flared up like flames and denied ever being responsible. That was another scar after my parents' death. And Helen… she's been my biggest charge, and I would flush out the world for her if need be.
I raised the phone to my face, my chest rising with the longing to express my anger. "I've told you to stay hidden until these assholes have all been wiped out!" I barked. "This call could be traced and you know what that means for you!"
"Just stay calm, remember not to make calls, okay," I warned, a flicker of affection flashing across my eyes. "I love you, darling," I confessed and waited for her response, but she remained silent; then the phone beeped in my ear. I withdrew it and placed it on the table.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't help but let them fall. I leaned back in my chair when I remembered the pack of cigarettes in my pocket. I took one out, grabbed a lighter from the tabletop, lit the tip, and took a drag, watching it glow red.
I let the smoke escape from the corner of my mouth and I watched it disappear into the air. I adjusted my buttocks to make myself comfortable and also clear my head when I caught a glimpse of a shadow running past. I sat up quickly; my face tightened. I dropped the cigarette into the ashtray and picked up a knife.
I stepped forward, listening carefully to the quiet steps of the intruder.
The shadow flashed past again, and I saw it: a female assassin, sent after me.
My pulse pounded.