Deadly Lover

4. Tricks

Atticus

I didn't hesitate. I stayed four metres behind her, my gun gleaming in the streams of sunlight through the leaves and pointed at the back of her head. I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. I chose not to. I knew these woods, I knew where the bodies were buried, and I was curious where she was unknowingly leading me.

A sadistic satisfaction rushed through my veins when the lake appeared through the breaks of the trees. I crouched behind a tree when she sat by the water, pulling out her stolen goods.

Her disguise hadn't tricked me. The hood didn't hide enough of her face from me, and I followed her with ease. I had been there when she snatched the bread from the market stand, and the rest of her hoard. I rolled my eyes when she pocketed a branch of grapes.

Instead of using her skills on jewels or gold, she was stealing food. It was pathetic, stupid, and it was safe.

She didn't notice that I was just out of her reach that entire time, that I could have taken a quick step forward and dug the barrel of my gun into her back to lead her down an alley. But I had instead been nice enough to let her wander the market peacefully, though I found it strange when she trailed off the path and instead headed to the woods.

My gun never took its aim away from her body. Not when she was enjoying her food, and not when she stared out at the woods.

The only reason I was following her instead of one of my underlings was because I had missed her in the warehouse. I had been the one to open the door and I had been the first to pull the trigger. The first bullet didn't hit her, nor the second, nor the third. I should have shot her between the eyes when I saw her, but instead I got caught in her gaze. Her cold eyes ignited a trail of shivers down my spine, and I had to straighten my back to extinguish the feeling. Those few seconds cost me the kill.

That same feeling rushed through my body when she looked over her shoulder at the woods. Those cold eyes had landed right on mine, but she was too dazed to notice.

So I tucked my gun back into my holster strapped to my waist and followed her back to her house.

I didn't hesitate. I chose not to shoot her then.

I decided that I wanted to see her face clearly.

~~~~*~~~~

Myra

It took me a week before I finally left my house. Most of those days, I never left my room. I would either stand by my window and stare out at the trees rooted near my house or listen for noises from the safety of my bed. Though it was clear that the officers were annoyed, they did their best to accompany my behaviour. They would investigate outside whenever I swore that I heard a noise, they would take turns making me food when I refused to leave my bed, and they would explain to Chief Finnis why I wasn't able to attend the meetings about Atticus Havélock.

Finnis accepted my absence for the first two meetings. On the third, he decided to hold the meeting at my house, in my bedroom. The room was filled to the brim with officers and detectives and the chief, and I could still remember how hot my body felt when all of those officers saw me sitting on my bed with my morning hair.

I made an exception to leave my house after that.

It was twilight when the officers and I got back from a meeting, and I rushed to light the rooms. The flickering candlelight made me relax, the warm light filling each room to the brim. I made sure each window was locked and closed before I let myself fall onto my bed with a sigh. As procedure, two officers followed me into my room. One took a seat by the closed door and the other stood by the window, staring out at the evening sky.

I reached into my pocket, taking out the worn handkerchief. My thumb trailed over the lilac stitches that lined the fabric, savouring the few parts of softness left of the handkerchief. The memories emerged and I welcomed them. I welcomed the woman with brunette hair into my mind. I welcomed the screams, the insults, the tears that would stream down my cheeks. I welcomed it all with one repetitive thought; thank God I was gone.

"Jenson." The voice pulled me from my reverie. The officer sitting by the door moved next to the one by the window. He was there all but four seconds before they both rushed to my bedroom door.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked, my back straightening when officer Jenson looked over his shoulder at me. His face was stripped of all emotion, but his eyes...

"Stay here." That was all he said before he slammed the door behind him, and I heard the rushed footsteps leave my house.

I whipped back the blanket that laid over my legs and rushed to the window. It was dark, and I had to squint to see the silhouette behind one of the trees.

They were looking through my window.

My heart thumped against my ribs as I watched the shadow run across the tree line, the two officers who were in my room just moments ago running after the silhouette.

A thump echoed between the walls down the hallway and rattled my bedroom door. My heart began to race faster. My legs were pinned to the floor. My hands and feet slowly became numb. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and whispered, "One...two...three...four..."

It took me twenty-two seconds before I left my room.

I should have been faster. The remaining four officers were left unconscious on the floor. It took me two seconds to realise what was happening. Atticus Havélock was too good at what he did for someone to notice that he was in the building.

He wanted me to know that he was here, and we both knew that he wouldn't let me leave alive.