Deception

Chapter Five

It was around 4am when Gerard woke up, drenched in sweat. He'd dreamt he was being tortured. He told himself he was being stupid, that it was just a dream, that nobody would want or need anything from someone like him enough to torture him, besides the money.

As he went to the kitchen, he heard the front door click shut and whispered voices outside. Grabbing his gun from the kitchen cabinet he ran to the door without thinking, and ran outside. There was not a soul in sight. He crept forward cautiosly, barefoot, looking for the culprits. Looking down, he searched for footprints. He saw a set and followed them to his car before realising they were his. "Gerard, you're being paranoid. It's that bloody dream, you're imagining things," he thought as he walked towards the house.

Just as he got to the door, he got this uneasy feeling, the feeling he was being watched. He spun around, lifting the gun as he did so, his eyes darting left and right, expecting to see someone - or something. His heart hammered against his chest, and he shivered involuntarily due to goosebumps. Mentally chastising himself, he closed the door, went to the kitchen to put the gun away, and went back to a troubled sleep.

==================================================================================================================

"Gerard, wake up!! It's half eight you're gonna be late for work!!!"

Gerard jumped up in bed at Alisha shouting from downstairs, swearing at himself for oversleeping. He'd been tossing and turning all night, his brain in overdrive about what had happened last night. He'd decided against saying anything to Alisha - he saw no point in worrying her in what was probably a figment of his imagination.

He sent Sarah a quick text letting her know he'd be late, and rushed into the shower. As he rinsed his body of the soap, the uneasy feeling from the night before returned - the feeling he was being watched. This time, he knew it was his mind playing tricks on him. He'd know if anyone was in his bathroom. Safe in the knowledge that the feeling was his own paranoia, he relaxed; he hadn't even noticed how tense he was, but the relaxation felt great, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

He quickly grabbed the first clothes he could find - a navy blue suit, white shirt and navy tie - and after hurriedly drying himself, he dressed as fast as he possibly could. The smell of toast entered his nose, and he smiled as he ran down the stairs two at a time, pecking Alisha on the lips when he reached the bottom as she handed over two slices. "Thanks babe, you're a lifesaver," he mumbled through a slice stuffed in his mouth. "I'll be a bit late tonight. Gotta stay behind to catch up on the shitload of work I've got. Don't wait up, just leave some food out."

"That's fine, darling. If I'm tired, I'll sleep. Should be awake. You know how nocturnal I am," she smirked, winking as she placed her hand on his chest, planting a kiss on his lips. He deepened the kiss for a second, then pulled away and ran out, grabbing his keys and yelling "Gotta go, we'll continue later!" Alisha smiled to herself, finishing a piece of toast before heading upstairs for a bath.