Licensed Murder

[ 9 ] ----.

“Are you alright?” he said after a moment.

“I’m fine, just exhausted”

Mafia-boy dug his hand into his pocket, taking out his phone. “Oh yeah, someone called ‘Thames’ visited you, but you were still unconscious.”

Thames? He ought to know what happened. “Where is he?”

Mafia-boy shrugged, “He left straight after seeing you, well your stomach”

“My stomach?” There was nothing special about my gut-region apart from my- my tattoo. I jumped into my hospital slippers and pushed past mafia-boy towards the door. But a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Where are you going?” His eyes bore into mine. They could tell something was wrong.

Crap, I don’t have time for this. “Fresh air”, with that I ripped my hand away from his and ran towards the door, pulling it open with force. “Sorry” I muttered as I ran past the nurses into the lift.

As I got out on the ground floor reception area, I saw the flash of a camera coming from my right. Not good. I raced towards the source of the light and saw a man with bright blue shoes turn around quickly. Pfft, newbies.

I walked slowly until I was a meter away from the suspicious blue shoes man before I outstretched my hand towards a pressure point on his back. Out of nowhere his hand flew up behind him and grabbed my wrist painfully. He twisted around to face me as his eyes searched around the lobby, until finally resting upon a small vacant room to the right. Dragging me by my hand, he pulled me into the room. This is gonna get interesting…

I stepped into the room last and turned to lock the door. He carefully put the camera down and grabbed an IV drip stand before assuming a defensive stance. I bent my knees, waiting.

He walked slowly towards me from behind the bed that separated us apart. I eyed the camera, then the man coming towards me. I need that, and if I have to kill you to get it, so be it.

He brought down the stand with a thundering force; it connected with my forearm, turning it numb. I aimed a kick at his side, cursing the stupid hospital gown that restricted my movement. He deflected my kick and lunged at me, fist at the ready. As I turned away to dodge the punch, I tripped on my stupid gown. That’s it, off with it.

I yanked the loosely buttoned front open and pulled the stupid thing off my body. He averted his eyes away. At least he has some decency. I took this open opportunity and grabbed the stand, swinging it around so as to push him back. He tumbled over backwards and I seized the opportunity to claim the camera. I jumped onto the bed and off again to the other side. It was there. I picked it up just as an almighty blow hit my back.

I grunted in pain as I felt the stiches pop open. Blood and sweat trailed down my open back as I hastily clutched the camera to my chest. I received another blow to my back, sending me head first to the ground. I lay there motionless, deceiving my prey as I had learnt when in the army.

Waves of intense pain filtered through my body with every heartbeat. The man moved cautiously to where I lay. Closer, closer. Closer, just a little bit more.

I jumped to my feet as my fist collided with his jaw with a nasty ‘crack’. He grasped the side of his face, staggering backwards into bedside table that forced his legs to give way. As I walked towards the door quickly, every step was filled with agony.

But my mission was complete. I peered out the window in the door and saw no-one, so I hurridly flicked the lock and walked out. And into something hard again.

Two muscular arms wrapped around me sending chills down my spine. I smelt the soft cologne that belonged to mafia-boy, inhaling it deeply, the sweet scent filling my lungs. “This way” he said, gently pulling me towards a store-room filled with linen and hospital gowns. I waited at the door as he found me a gown before grabbing his hand a pulling him towards the emergency exit staircase.

Once inside, I grabbed the railing to steady myself. I was losing too much blood. A blurred picture of mafia boy enterd my vision as a strong hand held my back.

“Ah” I gasped.

“Sorry… “ he said before moving his hand to wrap around my waist. “Better?”

I nodded.

“We have to go back in there. You're too hurt.”

My eyes widened and I turned painfully to face him. I gasped for air. “No.”

I looked down to where my hands grasped the blood covered camera. My fingers fumbled with the camera, popping open the battery and memory card slot.

There was nothing there. No battery. No memory card. Nothing.