Reprisal

(9)

On the photo is Xavier's pulverised skull. Is Alex the same person who killed Xavier? Well if that's the case I'm not surprised. This seems too easy. I take the photos and look at some more. There are photos like Xavier's. Except most of them are women. My first thought is. What if those people did what I'm doing? Does he know?

I turn around close the secret room and bump into Alex. I knew instantly that I was in deep trouble.

"You shouldn't be here!" Alex bellows and grabs me by the collarbone.

"I know what you did to Xavier. I found the photos." I growl. He pins me to the ground and throws me onto the shelf.

"Tell anyone about this and I'll do much worse to you!" Alex's voice turns more stern than ever.

"It's not me you have to worry about." I hiss and trip as I try to get back up onto my feet.

"Your sister. She will be in another photo unless you keep your mouth shut!" Alex yells.

"Fine. I will. But you better keep this between you and me. I know what is in the photos. You know I sneaked in here illegally. We could end up doing time. We both shut up and let us be on our way." I stare at him fiercely and walk out of the room.

Unlucky for him I slipped one of the photos in my pocket without him noticing.

I walk into the yard and a guard points his weapon towards my face.

"On the ground!" The guard's yell echoed around the woods.

"Relax. Alex knows I am here." I walk to the Honda and unlock it. I slam my horn to alert Chris. He comes running to the car carefully and hops into the passenger seat.

"Did you get them?" Christopher casually asks.

"One. He found me."

"You what!?"

"He didn't realise I was there." I lie.

"Okay. Show me."

I show him the photo of my dead boyfriend.

"Jesus. We can show this to the police." Christopher mentions.

"No." I refuse sharply.

"Sorry? He killed your man!" Christopher shouts and punches the radio.

"He could kill Katie. He could kill you if I tell anyone." I sigh.

"Just drive, please. Katie needs to see this. Call her so we can meet. I knew Alexander was an arse."

Christopher slips into a sleep many minutes later. I grab the climbing tools out of the boot. We both walk into the house and call Katie.

"What's the matter now." Katie sighs.

"We need to talk. Come over to mine."

"We've already talked about this."

"Tough. Come over." I end the call. I amble into the kitchen and make a coffee.

"Do you want a brew, Chris?" I ask him.

"No." He sits in the living room.

"Ya sure. It will wake you up." I boil the kettle.

"Yeah sounds alright. Do you know where the TV Controller is?" He asks me as I walk into the living room.

"On the shelf." I point.

I don't have a clue what he just put on the television but it looks like an old 1970's film. A loud knock thuds the house. It might be Katie. I check the spyhole and let her in.

"What's going on?" Katie closes the door and her heels making contact with the wooden floor is the only noise made in the house.

"Alex." I passed her the photo of Xavier from when we were in the cabin.

"God." Katie sobs and covers her mouth.

"Yeah. He said if I told anyone you would die. Along with Chris if he does find out about what we did yesterday. But Alex doesn't know Chris yet." I claim.

"So you did invade his house?" Katie crosses her arms.

"Yeah. The kit is next to the sofa. We had everything we needed. Also, there were more photos. Several. Women who are executed like Xavier." I remember the details.

Thinking about it makes my stomach turn. I could feel and taste the vomit as it rose through my oesophagus.

"That's messed up shit." Chris intervenes.

"God knows what else he has hidden up elsewhere. You said you didn't believe me." I smirk at Katie.

"Let's just move on. We are sisters after all. Mother always said that we should be next to each other through this sorta shit." Katie tightens her pink slim cardigan and jeans.

"I'm getting out of this balaclava. I'll see you both in a minute." I clear my throat and rush upstairs.

I open my bedroom door and grab a T-shirt from the closet and some tracksuit bottoms. I hurry back downstairs and the scent of almonds is eradicated by the smell of wine in the house. The news channel breaks the silence. We rush into the living room and sit on the sofa. The news reporter stands at a forensics site.

"Several people have gone missing over the past few weeks and have now been discovered by the
authorities. The bodies were dismembered and the police are tracking the killer. Cedarwood may have a serial killer on the loose." The news reporter finishes her speech and we switch the television off.

"Alex. He has been kidnapping and killing people." I sigh.

"Well no shit," Katie swears.

"What if it has a pattern? The killings. We are involved in this now. We can't tell anyone. People are dying because of us. It's up to us to tell the cops. If we don't we are just the same as Alex." I stand up.

"No. What can we do?" Chris looks at me puzzled.

"We have no choice but to tell the cops."

"And risk our lives. What if-" I interrupt Katie.

"I've had enough what-ifs. He's my goddamn boss! I know his wife for Christ's Sake!" I scream.

"You what?!" Katie says.

"I met his wife. She's called Lydia. They both are quite separated and at the moment, they are in a relationship issue." I sit back down on the sofa.

"So what happens when we tell the police?" Chris demands.

"We show them the evidence. They will investigate the mansion." I articulate.

"All right then. When?" Katie smiles.

"Now."