20. Killbe Killed
KILL OR BE KILLED
My fingertips went to my side where the gauze turned bright red.
Blood ran down them, dripping in slow arcs as I crossed the soft carpet.
I didn’t bother to staunch the bleeding or to let my mind dwell on the pain as it slowly crept outwards away from my ribs.
My focus was on the man inching away from me with my knife sticking out of his calf.
“Now, is that anyway to treat your boss? I’m going to need new stitches.” I sighed, slowly walking toward the man.
“You’re a crazy bitch, I didn’t do anything. Call Clif, he’ll tell you. Jasper will vouch for me I swear.” He tried to reason as he scooted further away.
“Now, enough of those lies. Tell me the truth.” I stepped on his calf and he screamed. I ripped the knife out of the wound, and blood bubbled out of the hole.
“Fuck!”he yelled trying to yank his leg away from me.
“I need a name.” I pressed my heel into the wound forcefully.
“Bitch.” he cursed. I twisted, causing him to yell in agony.
“Where is she?” I asked calmly; the knife gleamed in my hand.
“I don’t fucking know! None of us know.” He screamed.
“Wrong answer.” The knife sank into his thigh, missing the vital artery, and I twisted it.
There was a mangled scream as he tried to grab hold of my hand, but the gun was between his eyes in an instant.
“Tell me something useful and I might kill you alone. Lie to me again and I’ll kill your girl and that kid of yours. ”
Rage filled his eyes as he yelled out. He’d have killed me earlier if not for my speed. I was sporting wounds, but my knife skills were faster than his gun. He looked anywhere but at my eyes, and I twisted the point of the knife again.
“Look at me and see if I am lying. What will Natasha think? And little Sandy too? Do you want them to die for your pathetic existence?” I pulled the knife out slowly, as his eyes welled with fear.
“Fuck. Okay. Please don’t hurt them. I’ll tell you.” He begged.
I grabbed the belt from off my pants and strapped it around his leg. He groaned when I torqued it down, but I would be damned if he died before I got my information.
“Tell me everything.”
“I wasn’t sent by Midas, and I don’t know where the little girl is either!
Cole was in charge of operations until Midas returned.
I don’t know who sent me. I don’t know his name I swear I’d never met the man before.
He set up the meet and when I asked who hired me there was no response.
Some bloke wearing an expensive suit passed me the cash.
Gave me the money and told me to get rid of you. I didn’t ask questions.”
“Where was the meeting?” I ground out.
“The country club, the syndicate runs tables there.” He panted, blood ran down the side of his face as he stuttered.
“What else?” I pulled the knife out fully, and he yelled out.
“Nothing I swear.” He replied anxiously.
“Not good enough, guess little Sandy will die knowing what a worthless piece of shit her father is.” I spun the knife against my fingertip. “I’ll make sure Natasha knows exactly the man she married as she watches me carve into her little girl.”
“You fucking bitch! I’ll kill you.” he growled.
“What a shame you won’t be around long enough to see the fear coat their faces. Will Sandy’s last words be Daddy save me?”
“I swear I don’t know anything else! The man was old smelled like a cigar and had these golden cufflinks in the shape of a cat or bird or something. I swear I don’t know anything. Please don’t kill my family. Kill me but please don’t hurt Sandy and Tasha. Please. Please.” He whimpered.
The knife sank into his heart a moment later. His pleas died on his lips as he gurgled blood. Shock filled his expression as I shoved him to the side. Blood coated me as I stood and surveyed the hotel room.
Blood splattered against the bedroom; broken glass littered the floor.
I contemplated calling the syndicate to clean up Alex’s dead body.
It seemed like years ago that he threw himself against the pew in that church, cracking some joke about holes in prison when there were holes blown through everything around us.
I sighed, walking towards the mini-fridge that had somehow remained untouched.
I gripped the handle, opening the door to be met with a fully stocked minibar. They couldn’t even stock fucking water in here. Turning towards the desk with the help phone, I saw the clean notepad there.
I scribbled the words and shoved my fingerprint in the corner, then turned towards the couch to find my duffel bag. I stepped over Alex’s dead body and into the bathroom.
The gun sat on the bathroom counter as I stripped out of the bloodied close. Steam filled the room as I stepped into the shower. Water ran down my body in tints of red. The white gauze that held my bandaged side was fully red, and I hissed when the water touched it.
“Fucking prick.” I muttered as I cleaned the rest of my body.
Grabbing a fresh set of gauze from my bag, I unwrapped the sensitive area, gritting my teeth as water droplets slid down my body into the wound.
I definitely popped a few stitches. Smacking the gauze against my skin, I taped it up.
Thank fuck the nausea wasn’t a bitch today.
My phone buzzed on the counter, leaving a bloody trail in its wake.
I peered over to the screen; ‘Cole’ lit up.
I sighed, tossing the old gauze into the trash can and answered.
“Where are you?” He questioned.
“A hotel.”
“Which one?” He growled.
“Alex is dead.” I replied, biting back a hiss as I pulled a shirt over my head.
“Are you hurt?” Concern laced his voice.
“Tell Clif the next time one of his cousins goes rogue I will kill him myself.”
“I’m coming to get you.”
“Don’t bother, I’ll be at the doctors in twenty.”
I ended the call before he could argue and fiddled with the slippery device to phone Lucas.
“I’m heading to your place, I’ve popped a few stitches and my side is burning like hell. I’m not going to stop looking for her and it’s not going to be the last time you stitch me up. Whatever the price I’ll pay.“
“Well seems you’ve got it all sorted out. I’ll be there in thirty.”
“Good.”
I dialed 911 after my hands shaking.
“911 what’s your emergency?”
“I’d like to report a crime.” I said evenly.
“What’s the nature of the crime?”
“I killed him… he attacked me and I killed him.”
“Ma’am?”
I didn’t reply.
I stood awkwardly against the brick wall as the busy foot traffic continued around me.
Doctors and nurses filtered through on the way to and from lunch.
I already hated the location of his office being so close to the hospital and college, but I hated it even more.
This stupid doctor better hurry the fuck up.
I looked down the busy intersection and instantly regretted it.
My eyes locked on Karter’s. His eyes dropped down to my stomach then back to my face. A hand clapped him on the shoulder, and Lucas grinned at him like the Cheshire cat.
They started talking, but I was too far away to hear over the daily commute, and Karter glanced back towards me before passing Lucas the keys and heading off in a different direction.
Lucas strolled towards me, a set of keys dangling from his grip.
“He’ll be back I’m sure.” Lucas spoke casually, unlocking the door.
“What did you say to him?” Curiosity bubbled in my throat.
“I told him the cat missed him.” Lucas shrugged.
“What cat?”
“The one I stole, or was it a gift? I can never be certain, anyways he will be back soon so let’s make this quick shall we? I’ve got places to be and people to see.” He opened the door and gestured for me to enter first. I did, but eyed him sideways.
“What’s your hurry?”
“I have an appointment and I will not be late, my services are not available on a dime. You’d be wise to remember that next time.” Lucas pulled over a medical tray with various tools already lined up.
“I know that.” I replied, climbing onto the table.
“You may not like his actions but he’s a qualified doctor and it seems like only fair given your position.” Lucas paused, lifting my shirt up to see the bandages. “There’s only so much I can do seeing as your —”
I grabbed Lucas's arm hard, forcing him to pause.
“What’s wrong with her?” Cole asked from the doorway.
“Besides the obvious bangs and bruises?” Lucas replied smoothly. I let go of his arm, and he pulled the tape away from my side.
“Nothing a few stitches can’t fix.” I rolled my eyes.
“How did you know about Alex?” he asked, stepping into the area. It was smaller than the room Lucas had me in for the ultrasound, and there were green instruments scattered about, like some custom paint job gone wrong.
“I didn’t know, well not at first.” I shrugged and then immediately hissed. “Son of a bitch.”
“Stop talking and sit still.” Lucas reprimanded.
“Fuck you.” I hissed as the needle drove into my skin. He was enjoying my pain; the slight curve of his lip told me exactly that. The needle punctured my skin, and I grabbed the side of the exam bed with white knuckles.
“You’re blonde. I’ll pass. Stop moving and it’ll be faster.”
“Why is she healing so slow? Shouldn’t that be almost gone?” Cole interjected.
Lucas looked at me, then looked at Cole. Pulled off his gloves and pushed the tray to the side. “I’ll leave you to it while I grab some new gauze.”
“Pussy,” I mumbled as Lucas closed the door. “I am not healing as quickly because I’m pregnant. You know that whole baby steals the nutrients and whatnot?”
“What?” Cole’s mouth dropped open as if he were struggling to grasp the words.
Silence stretched as he looked at me as if he’d seen a ghost. I could witness the five stages of grief on his face like a movie, finally settling on a single nod and grabbing the chair that Lucas vacated.
“I’ve known for a bit…” I trailed off when he looked at me with wide eyes.
“You could have been killed.” He said barely above a whisper.
“Knock knock,” Lucas peeked his head in, and behind him was Karter carrying a black cat carrier with a fuzzy orange cat screaming.
“There was actually a cat,” I chuckled and clutched my stomach.
“I never joke about pussy.” Lucas replied.