Someone To Run To

6

"I want that woman dead!"

Jack Keebler paced back and forth in front of his desk. He was used to getting his way and this wasn't working out for him. The person he had hired to take care of his little "problem" had failed. How hard was it to shoot a small woman? He glared at the phone. His employee had better thank their lucky stars they weren't standing here in front of him.

"I'm sorry," the voice said on the other end. There was a voice modifier on the phone so anyone who might be listening in couldn't tell who it was. "I didn't expect the old man to be there in the way."

"What old man?"

"His name is Alan Collins. He's sort of the town pariah here in Hidden Passes. A lot of people are afraid of him. I've heard rumors he's some sort of psycho or something."

"Why didn't you shoot him? Then he wouldn't be in the way! If he is a psycho, you might be doing the town a favor." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I told Gina if she left me, she would die. I am a man of my word and I expect her dead on my doorstep by next week. If it doesn't happen-"

"It will," the voice promised.

"And I don't care who gets in the way, gun them down too if you have to!" he growled. "Gina deliberately disobeyed me and now she has to pay for it. Nobody leaves me. NOBODY!"

"I understand, sir."

"If you fail again, Deadeye, you are going to be at the mercy of my wrath. Not Gina Turner."

Deadeye was the nickname he had given his assassin in case someone were to overhear their conversation. It's what he called all of them. Jack had been doing this for a long time. He had many girlfriends leave him and many of them died because they did. The police were too stupid to realize it, but he had been killing for many, many years. It was all about power. As soon as someone took it away, they died. It was just the way things worked.

He heard a loud gulp on the other end. "Yes, sir, but I thought you didn't want me to call attention to myself."

"I don't care about being discrete any longer," Jack told the caller. "Just kill her and I don't care how. I'm tired of spending time and energy on this matter."

"It's only been a few days."

Jack's eyes went wide. How dare this person patronize him! "And it's a few days too long. If you want your money, you'll kill her as soon as possible! And I want proof. Pictures or her body. Your choice."

"No problem, sir."

Jack leaned down to the phone so he could whisper, and when he finally spoke, his voice was raspy and menacing. "You better not fail or you'll be reading your own obituary in the newspaper." He pressed the button hard on the phone's console to hang up and rubbed his hands down his face. It was so hard to find good help these days.

Jack glanced toward a picture on the wall. It was one of him and Gina the day they first met. She had a smile that could light up an entire room, but it wasn't what first attracted him to her. It was the fact she seemed so vulnerable. He always knew the signs to look for. The women he picked were usually sweet and innocent, no family, and they were gorgeous. He could always tell who they were by how nervous they seemed at one of his functions. So out of place. Gina was easy to spot. He figured she would be easy to manipulate and control, but he had underestimated her. She had run like the others, and just like the others had, she was going to die for her mistake.

***

Gina woke up the next morning, the sun shining brightly through the window of her room. She stretched and yawned the moment she opened her eyes, having just gotten the best night of sleep she'd had in a long time. The roses on the wall were still there to greet her. For a moment she forgot where she was, but it all came flooding back when she heard a small knock on her bedroom door. She sat up in the bed and immediately threw off the covers. She was heading toward the door to open it, but it swung open before she could get to it.