SO COLD (18+) currently editing

Chapter 67.5

BRIEF RECAP:

"There won't be another day, he'll be dead. Nothing will go wrong." I reassured with confidence and stepped into the lounge room, and came face to face with the barrel of a gun and a masked man with a large build. He knocked the tranquilizer gun out of my hands, warning Irvin that he had five seconds to drop his gun before he'd blow my brains out.

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SO COLD

I identified the shooter by his voice and his unmistakably large build. With the nozzle of a gleaming black semiautomatic pointed directly at my face and with a gloved finger tensed against the trigger, I exclaimed lowly. "Giant!"

"Shay?" he recognised my voice, confusion evident in his tone, his hand lowered slightly and then raised, pointing the gun at Irvin who stood behind me, suddenly flushed with anger. "Irvin! Usted estúpido idiotas!" He grabbed my forearm tightly, throwing me out of the sliding French doors and shoving Irvin out after. Closing the door softly, he turned the locking tabs and pulled up his lens frame of his paintball mask, glaring down at us, in a hot fit of rage. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Well," Irvin began, brushing the front of his jacket and turning to survey the pool with the unconscious woman on the lounge chair. "It's a lovely neighbourhood. We came to see the scenery–"

Giant struck him across the head with a heavy hand. "Cierra la boca, puta."

Without missing a beat, Irvin retaliated, words clumsy and tactless, spilling out of his mouth. "Tu madre es una puta fea,"

"What the fuck did you say?" Giant was inflamed.

"I can speak Spanish, too, bitch! I'm fifteen percent fluent on Duolingo," Irvin rubbed his sore ear, defiant against the giant who stood before him. "Now, if you don't mind we have a job to do," he readjusted his grip on his tranquiliser and made to side-step Giant.

"You're not going to interfere, you'll alert the neighbours and ruin the mission. Get moving, boy." Giant jabbed the gun in Irvin's shoulder roughly, ushering him away from the house. "You too, Shay. I'm certain Cole will be pleased to see you. You do realise this isn't your uncle's house, right?" His voice was bitter and harsh, referencing my lie to Cole. "Stumble once more and I'll break your fucking legs, Irvin."

"Maybe if you stopped shoving me, I could–"

I fired the tranquiliser dart into Giant's unmissable thigh. He seemed to freeze for a moment, a twinge of pain scurrying past his face, inhaling sharply, a curse word in his mother's tongue escaping before he toppled heavily on the ground. It was a loud thud. Quiet followed after. Irvin's jaw unhinged and then he blurted. "Jesus fucking Christ, Shay. When he wakes, he's going to kill you."

"I'd rather it be him than Cole. Come on," I instructed. From the desolate dining room, we came upon a long and narrow hallway. Irvin took the rooms downstairs while I crept up the grand staircase. The walls were adorned with old-as-time paintings and family portraits: they were a happy family, two grinning children, a fat ginger cat, a sucker-face wife and a beaming husband all framed in gold. I happened upon the first door and tested the handle as I surveyed the darkened hallways for any sound or slight movement. It was an empty guest room. Just as I left the room, a door further up the hallway opened. I shot backwards over the threshold, still and quiet, controlling my breathing and quickened heartbeat.

Static crackled in my ear. Irvin transmitted. "Area downstairs is clear. I'm–" he grunted in pain, the radio going flat.

"Irvin? Irvin!" I pressed a finger to the earpiece, concerned for his safety. There was no response. "Fuck!" I mouthed angrily.

"Who's there?" A childlike voice called, timid and quiet.

I cursed once more – silent.

"Hi darling," a soft male voice said.

My brows furrowed. Who the fuck was that?

"Why are you in my house?" the young girl asked. I leaned forward, seeing a small brunette in yellow pyjamas and pigtails staring up at a tall, black-clad figure half concealed in the shadows. She couldn't have been no older than five. Rubbing her eye, she said. "I don't want you in my house. I'm going to tell my dad."

He crouched to her height. "Your daddy's dead. Why don't I take you to him and you can try and wake him up? Come here," he reached for her.

"No," she leaned away, face crumpled in confusion and fear. "Why is he dead? Tinkerbell died and Mum flushed him down the toilet. Do I have to flush dad down the toilet, too?"

"Who the hell is Tinkerbell?" he amused her, drawing my attention to where his hand reached for his gun at the back of his waistline.

"My goldfish," she looked at him like he was stupid, gaze squinted slightly. "I don't like you. I'm going to call the police and you're going to be in big trouble."

"You're a midget and I'd stomp the life out of – Motherfucker," he exclaimed in amazement, looking down at the dart in his leg. He turned in my direction before falling flat on his face. The girl shrieked in fear. I squeezed the trigger and fired a second dart at her. She fell on top of him in an unconscious heap.

Without a guilty conscious, I took a sharp left and flew down the stairs, jumping over the last five steps and landing silently in a crouch. "Irvin?" I called lowly. The silence was eerie and suffocating. I moved forward cautiously and reached the ajar door of the study. There was a streak of moonlight across the wall near the switch. Just as I touched the door to push it open, arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into a chest roughly. There was a low growl in my ear. "What the fuck are you doing here, Shay?" It was Cole.

I was screwed.

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I'm sorry for being so shit at uploading this story, i promise to do better. I'ma try and upload again soon

my readers knowing im lying out of my ass