Outlaw
This ain’t the wild west
She began advancing toward her mark from a distance. The group of men passed her without a glance, as they all loudly argued about the Knicks game. She watched as her ‘mark’ arrived at the entrance to the old five-story walk-up, keys in hand, as usual, ready to unlock the door.
She moved toward the man as his key slid into the old lock. She came up behind him and, in a breathless voice, called out, “Oh, thank God! Please hold the door!”
The startled man turned, and his face blushed through his already cold, reddened cheeks. “Oh… oh! It’s you! Uh… hi. You’re new here…”
Jessie smiled a smile meant to make men swoon and gushed at the man.
“Hi!” She met his bright eyes and paused for a moment, letting her smile sink in.
“Oh! Uh, sorry, I forgot my darned key again! I swear, if my little head weren’t attached, it would be sitting up there on my kitchen table!
My gosh, where are my manners! I’m Veronica.
I’m up on four.” She extended her hand to shake his and pretended to shiver from the wind.
“Oh. I’m Victor… uh, nice to meet you.” Jessie watched the man’s hand tremble as he shook hers. “You look cold, Veronica. You been out here long?”
“It is cold and it’s nearly summertime! No, I saw you and hurried here. I dreaded having to ring the Warden again…”
“The w—warden?”
Jessie laughed. “I mean the manager. He kinda runs it here like he’s a warden… having to open the door for me and all.” Jessie giggled.
“Oh! Yeah. Don is a lot like a warden, now that I think about it!” Victor’s smile exceeded Jessie’s as he pushed the door open and let Jessie inside.
“Thank you so, so much, Victor. Don would have probably let me freeze out there, just for payback. Which apartment is yours?”
“I’m 502, fifth floor.”
“That’s one too many flights of steps!” Jessie giggled.
“I don’t mind.”
Jessie watched Victor as he unconsciously puffed out his chest, as if climbing five flights made him an athlete.
She hated what was going to happen to Victor, but she had no choice.
Jessie hoisted up her large bag so Victor could see it.
“Well, I best go get dinner started. Thank you so, so much, Victor. It was great meeting you.”
“Happy to help and meet you, Veronica.”
“Oh, me too! See you around, Victor!”
Jessie smiled gratefully at him for a long, silent moment, then began up the steps.
She felt his eyes on her until she cleared the corner.
Victor followed his routine to the letter.
She knew he was opening his mailbox. He would be nodding as he read through his mail, he would lock the little mailbox door, and slowly make his way up to 502.
Jessie was able to hide out of view in 404’s doorway in the dark shadows.
On her previous night’s reconnaissance of the interior of the apartment building, she broke the hall light to make sure the fixture would need replacement.
Victor didn’t even glance down the hall as he trudged upward.
Jessie moved away from the door and pulled out her phone in an attempt to look like she was texting someone, in case she was being watched.
She heard Victor open his door and close it. She waited two and a half minutes, then began her way up to 502. At his doorway, she set her bag down out of sight, put on a big smile in front of the peephole, and knocked.
From behind the door, Jessie saw movement in the peephole, then heard Victor’s voice. “Veronica? Is that you?”
“Hi! Yes, it’s me again!” She held up a plastic measuring cup. “I really hate to ask you, but since you are the only nice person I’ve met here… do you have some sugar? I forgot to buy some, please?”
Jessie heard the locks rapidly open. Victor swung the door open, grinning. “Oh, yes! Please, come in.”
Jessie acted nervous as she stepped in and hesitantly looked around, as if she were a little scared. “Oh, ok… for just a minute.”
“Here?” Victor gestured for the cup, and Jessie complied by nervously handing it to him.
Victor accepted the cup and backed up a bit at the sudden realization that the first woman in forever was in his apartment and was scared.
“Oh, please don’t be frightened. I’m harmless, I promise.
Besides…” he smiled politely, “…you are so much taller than me.”
Jessie shot him a nervous smile. “Yeah… I’m new to New York and all…”
“I can tell! Please, come in.”
Jessie nodded and pointed at the door. “Close it?”
“Veronica, if it makes you feel more comfortable, please leave it open.”
Jessie looked at the door, then back to Victor. “You look like a trustworthy guy…”
“Wouldn’t hurt a flea!” Victor beamed.
Jessie turned toward the door, shut it, then locked it.
Turning to Victor, she pointed a silenced .
22 automatic handgun at his face and dropped all pretenses.
“I know, Victor. I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone.
I’m so sorry.” Jessie watched Victor’s mouth open and close rapidly in shock as all the blood drained from his face.
“I really hate to do this to you, honest. But I need your apartment.”
“A—are you going to k—kill me?” Victor gasped.
“Yes.” Jessie watched Victor’s knees begin to buckle as he fainted cold onto the old red Persian carpet.
With cat-like speed, Jessie had Victor’s hands bound and dragged him into the bathroom.
She stripped all his clothing off, heaved him up, and bound him expertly with ropes onto the toilet in an upright, seated position.
She checked her knots and was satisfied that he couldn’t move.
Reaching for a cup on the vanity, she filled it with cold water and splashed it down the back of his neck.
“W—what?” Victor stammered, then looked at his hands, legs, and feet that were bound to the toilet. Then he realized he was naked. “Oh, God…” he murmured, and was too frightened to look up. “W—why?”
“I need your apartment for a few days. I am so sorry to have to do this to you, but you had the bad luck of renting this apartment. You seem like a nice man… do I have to warn you not to scream? There are worse things I can do than just kill you…”
Victor began sobbing, tried hard to hold it in, and nodded.
“Do I have your word you won’t scream?” She watched Victor nod. “Thank you, Victor.”
“W—when are you going to—to…” Victor choked on his words.
“When I am done. Unless you do something to upset me. Look at me, Victor.” Victor slowly lifted his head; his eyes were dripping tears and his nose was running as he fought the sobs in his throat.
“I really don’t want to kill you… honest, you seem like a very nice man.
But you have seen my face. I can’t have any witnesses.
I know it’s hard… I’ve been in your place before.
” Jessie paused and acted as if she were suddenly remembering a bad past, which wasn’t too far from the truth.
“Y—you have?” Victor sniffed.
“Yes, Victor. I was hung by my hands for hours on end. I was tortured for so long I don’t even know for how many days…” She paused and waited for the inevitable.
“H—how d—did you not die?”
“I was rescued. It cost the man who rescued me… everything. I mean, everything. His wife, his home, his job, his country even. It would have been better for us all if they had just killed me. Understand?”
“Not really…”
“That’s disappointing… but to be expected.” Jessie sighed.
Victor watched in silent fascination as the tall, beautiful redhead took off her long jacket.
Then his belly filled with dread. He watched as the gorgeous woman began taking pieces of a weapon out of secret pockets in the jacket.
His eyes grew wider as the woman pieced together a big rifle in front of him. “What is that?” he managed.
“Oh, this?” Jessie smiled. “It’s called a Dragunov. A light-duty Russian sniper rifle. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“I—I guess… it looks like an AK machine gun from the movies.”
Jessie played up her smile at the bound man.
“It does. But it’s not. Internally, it is a different weapon than the Kalashnikov you see in the movies.
” Jessie loaded the curved magazine, chambered a round, then spun on a long silencer.
“Same type of bullet, though. The round I am using is hotter. Do you like guns?” she asked in a nonsensical, happy tone.
Victor's lips quivered and he shook his head. “I—is that what you are going to use to kill me?”
“This?” Jessie patted the rifle. “No. It would make too much mess. I think your family would like an open casket, yes?” She watched the man’s lip tremble as more tears rolled down his face.
“I would like to keep you alive for a while… but if you want?” Jessie had the silenced .
22 handgun out and tapped her leg with it. “I can end it now for you…”
“NO! No… please, don’t.”
“Ok. I will bring some food in for you later. Use the toilet as you need it…” In a flash, Jessie was up, had the lights out, and the bathroom door closed before Victor could utter a word.
Outside the closed door, she sighed and purposely whispered loudly so Victor could hear her, “I have to kill him… I have to kill him…” Several moments later, she collected herself and went about turning off all the lights except the bedroom.
Going out into the darkened family room, she pointed the Dragunov at the window, then peered through the scope.
Across the narrow street, a stunningly beautiful, dark-haired woman was sitting on an expensive white leather sofa.
Her expression was forlorn, and she seemed uninterested as she watched TV.
Jessie adjusted the scope and watched the familiar, beautiful woman for the longest time.