If Only She Knew

25. "What I've Done"

"-Derek Brown was allegedly targeted by a mafia organization two nights before he died. He was forced into shooting London head detective Archie Carolan who was investigating the Missing Immigrants cases up in the Scotland mountains-"

"Wait what?" Ariana was frowning at herself in the rearview mirror. "Archie Carolan?!"

"-he couldn't live with his crime so he committed suicide. The body of Archie Carolan found under Derek's bed in his cabin confirms this. Head Detective Archie Carolan dies at 28. The Scotland Cairngorm Mountains are being combed right now by the police and forensics for suspicious activity."

Ariana was so captivated and amazed by the news that she missed watching the road as she drove and, in the quiet night where only boots could creak through the snow and snow flakes flew down gingerly, a white tow track came at her from the dark.

Ariana gasped as she swerved to the left abruptly and tried to brake, but the wheels were almost imprisoned by the snow.

It was the white truck, she was certain, the same one. Damn she had been so careless she wanted to smash her radio bare-handed. Within a few seconds her car was smashed front wise in a barn, her front window smashed.

Her white range rover was severely damaged but in her melting consciousness she knew, she was lucky to be alive. Her head hurt terribly and she was sure her right wrist was broken as she tried to touch her head with it. She knew she had to stay awake and conscious, as the cold protruded through the car's broken defenses.

She had to stay awake, she opened the right door with her left hand ungainly and tried to get out but then a strong arm grabbed her rapidly and started dragging her.

She looked dizzily at a man with a hat with flaps and tried to remember as much about him as possible. If she lived. He was taller than her by 20 cm at least, had a lean build and a visible hump. His voice...She'd heard it before somewhere.

As he turned around he wore a mask up to his eyes, which were brown and warm. She'd seen them before. He grabbed Ariana by the throat slightly lifting her off the ground as he said: "I know what you did. I know everything," he muttered, his eyes furious and furrowing.

Ariana opened her lips gingerly and tried to breathe although his hand was putting a lot of pressure against her throat. "Wha-"

"No, don't say anything bitch," the man emphasized the last word with so much hatred that Ariana wondered what did she do to deserve it. "Stop meddling or I will drive you up to such circumstances you won't survive next time."

He threw Ariana in a heap of snow and before she knew it, she was being continuously kicked until she became unconscious.

*

The next day was Christmas day. It stroke UK heavily, announcing the murder of ten people up in a soccer club in the Cairngorm Mountains.

"Allegedly, the soccer club building hadn't been used in two years and it was used by the shady lowkey organization that goes by the name of VELLA." the lady on the news was announcing as Bernard Johnson was sitting in his armchair, wide eyed, eating Christmas pudding made by his lover.

VELLA? His VELLA? He was astounded.

"The ten men murdered were allegedly interrogating persons who were declared missing in Norway and Sweden. The unknown killer had left all these victims alive, herding them together in a room and leaving them tied up. A tip was placed at the same time of night three days ago anonymously, on the local police station, which makes us wonder and question the killer's intentions and morals."

Intentions and morals my ass, Bernard was thinking as he turned off the huge plasma with a snap.

"Everything's alright?" his lover, Leslie Hopkins, a woman in her early 30's, twenty years younger than him entered the room, bringing some wine.