The Social Media Murder Corp

by Stephen Signorelli

  As she lay in that puddle, beaten, battered, and bloody, she asked God one more time to deliver her from her nightmare.

  Footsteps, approaching footsteps.

  She coughed up blood, her ribs broken, her right eye swollen shut, her hair torn, her dress shredded. She would not die here, she would live to kill the man who did this to her no matter what sin she had to commit. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire, every pain synapse was firing on all cylinders. Yet she heard the footsteps coming, and she dragged herself out of the alley, through the puddle, and with the last ounce of strength in her body, she threw herself forward, her arm reaching out toward the sound of footsteps. She blacked out as she hit the ground, her arm reaching out, grasping, pleading. Hoping.

  “Its ok,” the voice said in Spanish, “you are safe”

  She opened her eye, her vision blurred and cloudy. Her senses coming back online, she felt herself on a bed. She felt her right eye bandaged over, her ribs taped, IV’s dripped into her arms. She saw her own body, now cleaned, and in a green smock, lying on a hospital bed in a white room.

  She frantically turned her head to the sound of the voice she heard. Sitting in a chair next to the bed was a man dressed all in black, wearing dark red glasses, his grey hair cut short, his goatee trimmed. He sat with his legs crossed, looking at her.

  “You do not need to worry, no more harm will come to you.”

  She nodded her head and tried to speak.

  “Do not try to speak, save your strength. You are very severely injured, your recovery will take some time. Are you aware you are with child?”

  She nodded her head in acknowledgement.

  The man stood up. She finally saw his size. He was tall, about 6 foot 3, and muscular. She could not tell how old he was, but she guessed in his 50’s.

  The man leaned in and kissed her forehead.

  “Rest now, there is a controller on the bed that will summon the nurse if you need her. It will also control the television. I shall return later to check on your progress.”

  She watched as he walked out of the room without as much as a sound. She leaned her head back onto the pillow, her mind racing. But for now, she felt safe for the first time in a long time, and she drifted off to sleep.

  She awoke to the sound of birds and the scent of lilacs. The sunlight streamed into her room and onto her body. She moved a little bit, stretching her arms carefully as her ribs were taped. Needing to use the toilet, she pressed the button on the controller. A small Asian woman came into the room and smiled at her. She spoke perfect Spanish.

  “Good morning, you need the toilet? I will help.”

  The nurse gently lifted her patient out of the bed and helped her to the toilet. Her business done, she helped her back to bed and laid her down.

  “You look better today, the sleep did you good. I have some fresh fruit and eggs for you. It is ok?”

  The woman nodded.

  “Ok, I will bring it.”

  As the nurse left the room the woman tried clearing her throat. She coughed up some mucus, but thankfully no blood. The nurse came back into the room with a plate of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, juice, and a glass of water. A single lilac in a small glass vase completed the ensemble.

  “Breakfast is served,” the nurse said happily.

  “My name,” the woman coughed, “My name is Genesis.”

  “A lovely name, and I am glad to see you can speak now. You may call me Yuki.”

  “Yuki, thank you”

  “You are most welcome Mistress.”

  “Where am I?”

  “Safe. You are safe.”

  “Yes, but where?”

  “Honduras, just outside the capital where you were found.”

  “The man who saved me, who is he? To whom do I owe my life?’

  “In good time mistress, that is his place to reveal. I am here to make sure you recover, and to guard you with my life.”

  It was then Genesis noticed Yuki had a sidearm, a massive pistol holstered to her waist.

  “You have a gun?”

  “Yes mistress, it is necessary.”

  “Why?”

  “In good time mistress, now please eat. You need to recover your strength for the trip.”

  With a small bow, Yuki left the room. Genesis began to eat. Her mind was racing though, she still had no idea what was going on. But she was safe, she was being cared for, and for now that is all that mattered.

  The days past as Yuki tended to Genesis. Her eye was unbandaged, her cuts healed, her ribs mended. Her strength coming back, Genesis began to walk on a small treadmill Yuki had placed in the room for her. Slowly she regained her motor co-ordination, her balance. Her vision cleared up, and she regained all the weight she had lost. Finally, after 3 weeks, her savior re-appeared to her.

  Genesis was walking on the treadmill when the man who saved her came into the room. He observed her for a few minutes, her being unaware he was in the room. As she stepped off the treadmill and turned she saw something flying towards her. Instinctively she reached out and caught it. It was an apple that the man had thrown at her.

  “Impressive. A natural reflexive action that most people have to train for,” he stated smiling.

  “I have good reflexes,” Genesis answered.

  The man smiled at her and sat down at the small table next to her bed. He was still dressed in the same clothing color scheme, all black with dark red glasses.

  “We have not been formally introduced, my name is Stepan.”

  “Genesis.”

  “I know, Yuki has been keeping me abreast of your progress.”

  Genesis sat back on her bed.

  “Thank you, for saving me. I don’t know any other way to express it, I don’t have the words to articulate how I feel. I owe you my life.”

  Stepan smiled at her.

  “Chance sometimes puts people in positions to make great things happen. Chance put me on the road, walking past the scene of your crime.”

  “You helped me, most people would just have kept walking, especially in this city, especially for someone like me.”

  “I am not most people. I am Stepan.”

  “I have, so many questions,” Genesis said.

  “In good time. But first, I want to ask you a question. Is that ok?”

  “Anything.”

  “Do you know why I stopped to help you?”

  “No,” Genesis admitted, “I have been trying to think of a reason, but I assume it was just human kindness.”

  “No,” Stepan said, “there was no kindness involved that night. I saw you in that alley, I was going to walk right past you and leave you to die and decompose right there. The feral dogs of that city would have picked the flesh off your bones by morning. But, at the last moment, you made me change my mind.”

  “How?” Genesis asked, “Please, I am grateful for this, but what did I do to make you stop because I honestly cannot think of anything.”

  “Because with your last ounce of strength, with your life spilling out into the street, despite the broken bones and internal bleeding, despite all that, you chose not to just accept your inevitable death. Instead of saving your energy for a few more hours of life, you expended it all in one last desperate gamble to LIVE. You threw yourself out of that alley in front of me, reaching out with your hand for salvation. You chose to go down fighting, with a roar of defiance, instead of a whimper in that alley. For that, and that reason alone, I saved you.”

  Genesis began to cry, all her emotions finally came crashing down on her, and she laid it all out in front of her.

  “I knew I was pregnant, I could not just give up without trying to give my child a chance at life. I reached out for my unborn child, not for me,” she cried.

  Stepan stood up and walked to Genesis. Leaning in, he kissed her forehead.

  “Such a spirit deserves to live. And you shall live, and I shall take you under my protection, and the life of your child as well.”

  Stepan smi
led and began to walk out of the room.

  “You are recovered enough to leave this room. You have free run of the house and yards. I ask you do not leave the grounds of this house without Yuki, this is not a very good area of the city. In any event, soon we shall all be leaving, for much greener pastures.”

  “I still have many questions,” Genesis stated.

  “Tonight, over dinner, I will explain everything,” Stepan said. He nodded and left the room, the door remaining open.

  Genesis frowned, she had so many questions. She walked over to the small dresser by her bed. She found inside a simple pair of grey sweatpants, underwear, and a black tee shirt. Putting them on, she also found socks, and a pair of converse sneakers. Fully dressed she took a deep breath and walked out of the room, and into her new life.

  The house was large, but sparsely decorated. She got the impression this wasn’t Stepan’s primary residence. As she walked down a hall, she heard the sound of chopping. Following it, she found herself in a large kitchen, with Yuki chopping some vegetables.

  “Mistress, how are you feeling?” she asked smiling.

  “I am fine, and you don’t have to call me mistress, that is rather formal,” Genesis replied.

  “Oh but it is part of my job Mistress, to refer to you in this manner.”

  “What exactly is your job, if I can ask?”

  “I am the Master’s aide, in all aspects. I act as cook, nurse, maid, bodyguard, confidante, and so forth.”

  “I assumed you were his, well, wife, or at least lover.”

  “Oh no Mistress, I have a husband.”

  “Oh I see, I apologize for the assumption.”

  “It is fine Mistress, my husband is no longer among the living. He has returned to his ancestors. I shall see him again someday, and until then I remain faithful to our marriage vow.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  Genesis sat on a small chair at the table.

  “Can I help you cut these?” she asked.

  Yuki smiled.

  “If you wish, you may chop the cucumbers.”

  Genesis smiled and took a knife in her hand and started to chop the cucumbers.

  “In my village, I used to help my mother chop vegetables all the time. We had a small garden, barely enough to feed us, and a few chickens,” she said.

  “I grew up with many servants, the daughter of a very wealthy Ninkyō Dantai Oyabun,” Yuki stated.

  “What is that?” Genesis asked.

  “Oh, I am sorry, it is known by Westerners as Yakuza, it is the Japanese mafia, an organized crime group. My family has been Yakuza many generations.”

  “I, I see,” Genesis stammered, “I am sorry for prying.”

  “It is fine Mistress, I make no secret of my childhood nor do I feel any shame over it.”

  “So is Stepan Yakuza?”

  “No Mistress, he is not Japanese. Only Japanese can be true Yakuza.”

  “So what is he then? What does he do?”

  “That is for him to reveal to you Mistress.”

  Genesis nodded, not really understanding. She finished chopping the cucumbers and put them in a bowl. She and Yuki made idle small talk as they finished cleaning and chopping the vegetables. After finishing up, the two women walked outside into the front yard.

  The hot Central American sun beat down upon the, there was not a cloud in the sky, and the scent of lilacs filled the air.

  “That smell,” Genesis stated.

  “Lilacs, the Master’s favorite.”

  “You mentioned we would be leaving soon?” Genesis asked.

  “Yes, it is almost time for us to leave this country. To be honest, I am glad. I prefer our own home, it is much nicer than this place.”

  “And where is home? And what will happen to me?”

  “That is for the Master to decide. But I think he will do what is best for you and your unborn child, so I would not worry yourself over it.”

  Genesis watched as a small butterfly flew around her head. She smiled, she could relate to it.

  That night, Stepan and Genesis sat down to a dinner of salad and lobster. Yuki served them then retired to eat alone in the kitchen, informing a protesting Genesis that this time was meant for her and Stepan to talk.

  “So, you have recovered quite nicely. Your physical injuries are healed, and I am sure you have many questions to ask of me,” Stepan stated, “I will answer any question you ask, no matter what. I caution though, some of the answers you may not like.”

  Genesis nodded her head, she had a LOT of questions.

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Stepan Taravitch. I am from the Czech Republic, which is a country in Central Europe. Have you heard of it?”

  “Not until just now,” Genesis admitted.

  “It is a very beautiful country.”

  “What do you do, for a living?” she asked.

  “I belong to an organization which has no official name.”

  Genesis blinked.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “There are words for what I do. Some people would call me a terrorist, some people would call me a freedom fighter, still others a Mafioso. It depends on your ideological persuasion.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “I am not joking. There is a world behind the world that you know, one that you have never seen but has always been there. I live and work in this world and the things I must do sometimes would earn me many labels in many languages.”

  Genesis narrowed her eyes.

  “Do you kill people?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what reason is that? Money?”

  “I do it because I can.”

  “Excuse me, because you can?”

  “Yes.”

  “Not for political reasons, not for religious reasons, not for money, you do it because YOU CAN?”

  “Yes. I do not expect you to understand, you have had no exposure or experience with the world outside of that brothel. Your world ends at the borders of Honduras at best. This is not a slight on you, this is a mere statement of fact. I exist in a world you cannot possibly imagine.”

  Genesis sat in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity. She weighed all her options in her head, her mind going in a thousand different directions. This is not what she expected, and she had the feeling there was a lot more going on than she really wanted to know. She felt like she had been rescued by a cobra, and was now unsure if she would get bit.

  “I think,” Genesis replied, “that it is best if I don’t find anything else out. I would rather be blissfully ignorant of what goes on.”

  Stepan smiled.

  “As you wish.”

  Genesis ate her meal in silence for a while, her head processing all of this new and rather startling information. Finally, she spoke.

  “Yuki said something about you leaving?”

  “Yes, my business in this country is almost done, and we will be returning home.”

  “Where is home?”

  “I have a large estate in rural Cambodia. This is where we will return to.”

  “And what about me?”

  Stepan took another drink.

  “That will be your choice.”

  “How do you make money?”

  “I have business interests. They mostly run themselves. I concern myself with other pursuits, contemplations, activities.”

  Yuki entered the room with a small tray.

  “Coffee?” she asked.

  “Please,” Genesis answered.

  “Yes me too Yuki, thank you,” Stepan replied.

  Yuki poured their coffee and exited.

  “Genesis, whatever you decision about coming with us, you need to know you cannot go back to the life you had before.”

  “I know, I cannot. Especially with child,” she answered.

  “I mean you literally cannot go back, as in there is nothing left there.”

  “What do you mean literally?”

  Stepan stood up.<
br />
  “Come with me, I have a gift for you,” he motioned as he walked towards the back yard of the house.

  The two of them entered the back garden, the moon shining bright overhead. Genesis saw something in the middle of the yard.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “Go see,” Stepan replied.

  Genesis walked forward slowly to the figure in the darkness. Finally she could make out what it was. Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened.

  Kneeling before her, tied up with rope, was Giancarlo, the man who ran the brothel where Genesis was held and the one who beat her and left her for dead in that alleyway.

  “Gen-Genesis?” he stuttered, “thank Jesus and the Virgin Mary, untie me.”

  “Giancarlo, what, what happened?”

  “Genesis this man he, he killed everyone in the brothel. Everyone! Juan Pablo, Daniel, Oscar, Mario, all of them. He butchered them like they were animals! He fucking cut Lenin’s head off with a knife, like he was some pig! And your sisters, he killed all your sisters! Shot them all once in the head, like he was a fucking executioner!”

  Genesis took a step back and turned to Stepan.

  “Is it true?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Stepan answered.

  “Genesis he killed ALL the women! All your sisters!!!!!” Giancarlo shouted.

  “Genesis those women were suffering, most of them wracked by venereal disease, some of them drug addicts, they were miserable. I gave them a moment to pray and I put them out of their misery, they felt nothing.”

  “You pig! You fucking murdered 30 people in that building! You even shot our dog!” Giancarlo spat.

  Stepan stepped next to Genesis and held out a machete.

  “His life is yours,” he stated.

  “What the hell? Genesis, don’t do it!! You were the only one of those bitches that had a heart! I know you prayed every night, I know you have faith in God! You were always my favorite!! Don’t do it, think of your immortal soul!!!!!” Giancarlo pleaded.

  Genesis took the machete in her hand and looked at it. She closed her eyes for a second then smiled. Inside of her, she heard a small pair of voices, almost a whisper. Opening her eyes, she walked towards Giancarlo with the machete held to her side. She looked at Giancarlo in the eyes.