Infliction

24

"Geez okay, you don't have to scream my ear off!"

"Do I have to remind you what your mission is and what's at stake if you don't comply?"

My blood turns cold. "Don't you fucking dare-"

"Then keep your fucking head in the game. We've worked too hard to get you to where you are and you will not compromise us now. Do you understand me?" Loud and clear, bitch. There's a short pause before I hear her sigh.

"You are not thinking of quitting, are you?"

I stare at the knife on the table and feel my anger rise towards him all over again. "I want him to suffer the same way I did. I want him to beg for death and never get it! I want to see him destroyed the same way I am!"

I hadn't realised I had tears running down my face and onto my shirt. I swear he's gonna pay. Even if it's the last thing I ever do.

"Hmm, but tell me, why did we kill the other three?"

"To make him believe someone's onto him."

"It's almost nine, keep your phone with you at all times. You should be receiving new data within a couple minutes and then I need you to do a background check on someone, okay?"

"Daniel Lacrose?"

"How'd you-"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." The others, most probably. They wouldn't be pleased.

"Also-"

"Yeah yeah, I'll forward the picture from an email address named of yourenext to Kyle. Don't worry, I know this kind of stuff," she chuckles. Why do I love her so much and at the same time want to kill her?

"I'll see you soon."

"You take care now."

As I'm about to put the spoonful of vanilla ice cream into my mouth my phone's notification bell goes off. I open the email application and in bold, Passion Killing stands.

Oh, you didn't...

Yes, I did :) is her mini text at the bottom of the picture. The fourth guy is sprawled on the bed naked, a stab wound in this chest and blood oozing out. It's created a puddle of red beneath him. He also has a gun wound and his one eye is popped out of his socket while in the other stands a dart.

I read her text saying she's also already sent the picture to the fifth guy. The last guy on the list. Kyle.

I mentally high five her as I un-mute the movie and snuggle deeper into the couch, sighing in relief.

***
"It could be a coincidence bro," Carlos shifts on my study table. If it's a coincidence like he says, why did she have a bat and knife?

"Did you see the look she gave me?" He shakes his head no. "It was one of anticipation, like she knows something and she's waiting for you to say it to her face."

"Lemme get this straight, you think Tess is seeking revenge for a girl that you killed approximately five years ago?"

"Yes."

"What could be her motive?"

"Beats me."

"Old friend, sister, cousin?"

"No. I made sure of that."

"Have you heard of anything about her family since that day?"

"Nothing, her mother moved back to Cuba and hasn't been heard from since."

We're surrounded with silence as we try to figure this out. I could go back to that place tomorrow and look for any remaining evidence, but there's hardly any chance in hell I'll find anything.

The vibration of my phone pulls us out of our thoughts and he leans in to check too. I open the email and instantly feel nauseated. Carlos curses besides me and grabs my phone, inspecting the picture even further.

"What the fuck! Someone knows something! Someone is watching me and they're going to kill me!"

"No one is going to kill you! Jesus, just keep quiet for a few minutes and let me think!"

"Alec..." I murmur as I stare at the man in the pool of blood. Carlos raises his eyebrow in question, an aggravated look on his face. "Alec Eskimo. He was the fourth guy that night-"

"Why the fuck did you guys kill an innocent girl though?!" He yells, the veins in his neck pumped up. I've never seen him this riled up. "Damn it, I shouldn't have came."

"It's not you they're after."

"Oh, really? And what was your first clue, mate?" He asks sarcastically before plopping down on the couch beside me. "I'm sorry man. It's been a long day and we just need to catch a break."

"I'm next. I'm next. They're going to fucking murder me."

"We went through this already," he says, rolling his eyes. "Yes, you are next. What we need to know is who to be on the lookout for."

"I cannot die just yet! I haven't taken over the company yet and I was so close! I still need to get rid of Tess since she knows something but she's not saying it."

"Okay, I need you to calm down, okay? I think I can track this down and we'll have the location of the person responsible for all of this. Trust me, okay?"

"How?" I ask but he catches on on my actual question.

"Remember my computer freak cousin? I'll call him up," he explains briefly, already pressing the numbers onto his smartphone.

I try to remain calm. I'm highly guarded in this house; there's no way anyone can come in without being seen. Or perhaps I can pay them to leave me alone? A hefty amount wouldn't be an issue if that means I get to live. With that little confidence, I listen in on Carlos' conversation.

"I know it's too late and you are probably not even in the mood but please? It's urgent that we know the exact place. No, don't involve the police. Or the federal inves- No! No law to be included in this whatsoever. Can I trust you? I owe you, man. Okay, I love you too. Bye now."

Then he turns to me. "He's working on it."

"Now what do we do?"

"We just gotta wait and see who our mole is."