by David Barton
I pulled the phone from his soft grip. Hitting the five key three times then the green button. At that point there was a beep from the phone and then there was a weird noise from the man in the chair. I quickly looked in time to see his neck jolt to the side.
His head swung down. I moved closer, placing the phone on the arm of the chair. Lifting the guy’s head up I stared into his eyes. They seemed so dead now. I checked his pulse only to find nothing. He was definitely no longer living.
I saw the phone in the corner of my eye. The number he told me to dial. It must have been linked to something inside his brain. I grabbed the phone, putting it into my pocket and forgetting about it for now.
Before leaving the apartment I wiped anything I had touched and then grabbed Marlon. He was still valuable to me but I didn’t want to wait around here any longer. The dead man could have sent out a message somehow or he could have a partner downstairs. Either way, I wasn’t about to wait around to be found and shot at.
It took me a while to get back to my place. Carrying a body wasn’t tough on my strength, it was just awkward. Even carrying him down the steps to my place annoyed me. However, I did get him back in one piece and he hadn’t woken up yet.
I put him in a wooden chair and tied him to it with some rope. Placing a piece in his mouth so he didn’t scream when he awoke. Then I went to my computer. It hadn’t finished its search for the names yet so I placed the phone from the gunman next to it and turned back to Marlon.
There was no sign that he was waking up so I took matters into my own hands. I slid another chair over to him. I slipped my fingers through his hair and pulled out a large chunk. The scream he made was muffled by the rope but it was still loud. Luckily I had made my apartment sound proof when I added the explosives into the décor.
His eyes met mine. He was probably wondering what happened to the other guy. I wasn’t about to tell him. If he thought he was still being hunted then he would be obligated to help me.
I slipped the rope from his mouth slowly, his saliva dripping from his mouth. He breathed in and out heavily. His eyes staring at me, saying silent words about how much he hated me. “Before we get too far into me hurting you, do you want to skip straight to the end where you tell me what I want to know?”
“I’ll give you all the information. There’s a phone in my jeans pocket.”
“A phone?” That sounded awfully familiar. I got it out and looked at it. It was the same model as the last phone I held in my hands. “Let me guess, you want me to dial five, five, five?”
His face showed shock, “How did you know that?”
I walked over to my desk where my computer was still crunching names. My hand grabbed the phone that belonged to the dead guy. “It’s dangerously close to this one.” I held them next to each other, giving Marlon his chance to compare them.
“He already told you.”
“He did. So I don’t think I’ll be setting off whatever it is that will kill you. Instead, you will have a very slow and painful death, unless you tell me what I want to know.” I placed the phones down on a nearby table.
He looked around, maybe trying to figure an escape plan. Then he blew out a long breath. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
“Excellent choice.” Just at the right time my computer beeped at me. I looked over my shoulder at it. It had finished the search and had some files for me. “You can give me all the information about these people.” I grabbed his chair in my hands and lifted it up. Carrying him over to the corner, I place him down in front of the computer.
“We’ll be going through these files that I have on the computer and you will tell me anything you know about them.”
“Okay, whatever you want. Just please don’t kill me.”
“I won’t if you do what I say.” I pressed enter, opening up the first file.
We spent the next few hours going through every little bit in the files. I worked up a pile of notes and information. By the end of it, it was clear it wouldn’t be easy to name the players higher in the organisation.
“Right, I’ve done everything you told me. I gave you any information I could. Please let me go.”
I looked down at him. “You did.”
“Are you going to let me go?” He looked up at me. His eyes were starting to gather tears.
I shook my head slowly. “The police are looking for you. They didn’t like you beating on a defenceless man in an alleyway. In fact, that is one question I haven’t asked you yet.”
“What?”
“Who was that man?”
“The guy?” I nodded. “He was just a money man. He’s like a mule. Holds no important information. A nobody.”
I lowered myself to his level, eye to eye. “And that makes it okay to beat the hell out of him?”
He looked back at the computer screen. His bottom lip quivered. He was trying to hold back crying. I walked around him, standing there motionless, letting his mind wonder about what I was about to do. Listening to him, my super hearing picking up the almost silent sobs.
“I’m going to untie you now, don’t try anything. Okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. Snivelling.
“Good.” I grabbed the rope and ripped it from the chair. Grabbing a handful of the man’s jacket I pulled him up out the chair, up the stairs and out onto the roof.
We stood there near the edge. “What are you going to do with me?”
“Me? I’m going to do nothing. You on the other hand have found life too hard lately and want an easy way out.”
“What?” He looked at me with a look of worry. Then he tried to run. Barely moving an inch before my hand shot out to grab him with my super-speed. I pulled him back into me roughly. He shouted at me, “Get off me. You’re insane.”
“Coming from the man who’s about to commit suicide?”
“I’m not going to do anything.”
“I’m afraid you have no choice. Now, I can’t just tip you off the edge. That would bring too much suspicion on this building and its occupants.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“This.” I rammed my hand into his throat, just enough to make him gasp for air. Stopping him from screaming. Then I grabbed him like a basketball and flung him through the air. I watched as he sailed three buildings away before falling down out of view.
I listened, my hearing reaching far enough to hear the thud has he connected with the concrete road. The screeching of car brakes and the screams of the few pedestrians walking around at this time of night.
01/07/2014 AM
My eyes slowly opened as the sunlight shone brightly against my eye lids. I looked around my room. Then suddenly, the memories of the day before came flooding back. I shot up straight and looked around for any enemies. Anyone that would threaten my life again.
I let out a long breath when I was happy there was no one in my bedroom. I leant back on my elbows and wondered about my trip home. How did I get back? The last thing I remembered was falling over in the alleyway after being punched in the face.
Maybe my memories were a little fuzzy thanks to my head hitting the concrete. I lifted my hand up and touched my nose. As I did pain shot through my whole face. I looked down and saw the small dots of dried blood on my fingers. Well, I hadn’t imagined that part.
I slipped out of bed and walked myself to the bathroom. Standing on the shards of my alarm clock yet again. I cursed both the piece of broken electronics and myself. Making a mental note of clearing it up later. Right now I wasn’t in the mood.
Using the taps and a towel I cleared off all the blood from my face and was left with a nicely bruised and swollen nose. I got out of the clothes from the day before and put some clean ones on.
As I walked out of the bedroom I noticed my bag with my camera sitting on top. I remembered taking photos of them. I could at least take them down to the police station and see if they would look at them.
As I grabbed the camera I noticed the little slot where the
memory card usually sits. It was gone. Had I taken it out the day before? I delved into the bag looking for it but didn’t have any luck.
I dismissed it, slung the bag over my shoulder and headed off to the paper where I didn’t work anymore. I might have still managed to clear out my desk in my forgotten moments. If not, Harvey could be upset.
There wasn’t much traffic on the streets since most people would already be at work. I walked in through the building and luckily, Earl was at the desk today. The giant brick wall must be off acting scary. I got a friendly smile and nod before I got to the lift to make my way up to the office.
The receptionist gave me the usual look of disdain but this time it didn’t bother me. I didn’t have to be nice to her anymore for Harvey’s sake. I didn’t work here and so, I didn’t have to follow Harvey’s rules when it came to being nice.
I walked up to the desk instead of walking through the doors and looked down at her. She carried on chatting on her headset whilst still giving me that look of disdain. When she hung up she crossed her arms on the desk and blew out a long sigh. “Look, I don’t find you attractive so don’t even think about asking me out on a date. I also….”
I quickly cut in, figuring it would dent her ego that little bit more, “Well actually, I wasn’t planning on asking you out. In fact, even if you asked me out, the answer would be no. Do you know why?” Her shocked look was the perfect answer to my rhetorical question. “You’re not in the least bit attractive. Your personality is about as interesting as playing scrabble against a fish. You’re mean, annoying and the worse thing about you is that you don’t see these flaws. You think you’re perfect and any guy will drop everything they’re doing to be with you. You’re wrong.”
Before she could make any comment or sarcastic remark, I left her there. As I turned I saw my friend standing in the doorway. His ginger hair and beard outlining the cheesy grin he was pulling.
As I came to him he gave me a massive hug, “Despite the fact I would give my left nut to be with her, that was fantastic.”
“Cheers, Timmy.” Timmy had been a friend for my whole time at this paper. We both started out in the mail room. He managed to get up here to write articles. He was the lucky one with the talent to write. I was one who could use a camera. We used to make a good team on articles but I guess that was over now. Which reminded me. “Look, I have to tell you something.”
“Don’t worry. Harvey already told me.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, I could tell something was up and you weren’t here to ask so I just asked him. He’s got the worse poker face I’ve ever seen. The includes the times I’ve played against you.”
“I’m not that bad.” We made our way from the reception area and into the office, laughing as we chatted. “How is the gambling addiction going?”
“Excellent. I’ve only lost a couple hundred in the last week.”
“That’s still a weeks wages and yet, that’s better than last month.”
He laughed, “That wouldn’t be worry in your voice would it?”
“Me? Worry about you?”
“You know my father will help me out if I need to.”
“He already helps by paying your rent and his driver drops you off food and drink every week like a chauffeur driven meals on wheels. How else could he help you?”
“By giving me back my inheritance.”
“I think he would prefer it in his bank account rather than in the accounts of half the betting shops in the city.”
“I was getting better at picking the winners.”
“No you weren’t. Last time you dragged down to one you just closed yours eyes and picked one.”
“I was letting the universe help me.”
“Did it work?”
He pulled an exaggerated sad face. “No.”
“Precisely.” We came to the back of the room where my old desk sat. Everyone had gathered and were looking up at the three big screens above Harvey’s wall of glass. He had put them up there a few years back when the budget allowed it. They showed news channels whenever the office was open. All three of them were different channels but were all showing the same story.
On one of the screens a newsreader, with his fluffy looking moustache, spoke in a deep voice. “The body was found this morning by one of the maids. Mr Thomas Henrikson, the brother of the billionaire and business tycoon, Miles Henrikson.”
I found myself next to my crush. “Hey, Felicity.”
“Hey.” Her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on with your nose?”
“Nothing, it’s not important. What’s this all about?” I pointed up to the television screens.
“It’s been running all morning. Apparently, there’s no reason for his death. Something like suffocation but not due to lack of air.”
“That’s strange.”
She looked at me, “It’s strange, not super strange before you start jumping to conclusions.”
I turned to look into her eyes. “I wasn’t thinking anything like that.”
“Oh come on. I’ve seen that look on your face plenty of times before. You’re already thinking of a super reason why this has happened.”
“I’m not.”
“What is it?” He eyes narrowed again. “Come on, you know you want to tell me.”
I stared at her, annoyed that she was right. “I don’t know yet but there must be a reason behind this.”
My friend piped in, “I’m guessing erotic asphyxiation.”
Felicity gave him an evil look before the reporter came back on the television. “I’ve just been informed that there has been a break through at the morgue. It appears that the cause of death has been confirmed as a heart attack. Apparently, this mishap was caught by the assistant mortician at the Great Hearts Hospital. Elizabeth Burke was working late one night and found the mistake.”
It showed a picture of the assistant mortician. It was a very poor passport photo. Only showing her long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail. Our boss appeared out of his office. “Alright everyone, you can see and hear the television from your desks. Get back to work.”
I quickly move my way to the front, skipping in between the doorway and the closing door. “Hey Harvey.”
“Oh hey. What happened yesterday. I thought you were coming back to empty your desk once everyone had left?”
“Yeah, I had an interesting day.”
He gave me a concerned look, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
He eyed up my nose before saying, “What can I do for you?”
“The new report, have you got anyone on it yet?”
“Thomas is heading out there soon to cover the story. He needs to get an interview with this Elizabeth Burke.”
“Send me as well. As a photographer I mean.”
“Why are you so interested?”
“Money. What else?”
“Well, it’s a strange story. Sure you don’t think there’s something super about it?”
I shook my head, Harvey knew me too well. “Just the money.”
I could tell from his expression that he didn’t believe my words but he still gave me the job. “Just make sure to get some good photos before you start asking any of your weird questions.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll let Thomas know you’re tagging along.”
“Cheers again.” I walked out of his office, a skip in my step. I walked up to Timmy who was typing away on his computer. “What are you working on?”
He looked away from his screen but carried on typing. “Just finishing off an article. What did you and Harvey talk about? Did he give you your job back?”
I quickly shushed him, looking around to make sure no one heard. “No. He gave me a freelance job.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. I best be off.”
“Who are you going with?”
“Thomas.”
“Oh, I’d make sure to keep your superhero stories
to yourself with him around.”
“Why?” Timmy looked worried, possibly about what he was going to say. “What is it?”
“There are a few of the reporters here that take the piss out of your superhero theory. Saying you want it to be true so your life is less miserable. So you could be the hero and report on them.”
“Oh. Maybe this job isn’t a good idea.”
“Maybe but it’s a paying job at the end of the day.”
“True. I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”
“Good idea. You coming back here afterwards?”
“Yeah, I have to clear out my desk.”
“Okay, I’ll probably still be here so I’ll see you later. Maybe we could grab a drink.”
I tapped him on the shoulder, “Sounds like a nice idea.” I walk over to Thomas’ desk. He wasn’t there. Neither was the notepad he always took on his assignments. The fact his coat and backpack was gone led me to believe he had already left for the hospital. Either he wanted to get there as soon as possible or he knew I was put on the same article.
I went to speed towards the door but I ran into a body. Knocking it to the floor. “I’m so sorry.” I looked down and saw my crush smiling up at me. I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet. “I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. No broken bones, I’m sure I’ll be okay.”
“Good.”
“Where are you off to?”
“Got an assignment. The report that was just on the news.”
“Really?” Her face lit up like a kid’s the night before Christmas. “I’ve been assigned that one as well.”
“I thought Thomas was on it?” Secretly, in my mind, I was jumping for joy. I had never been put on an article with her before. This was a dream come true.
“He was but he just fell ill. Something wrong with his stomach. So Harvey just gave it to me a second ago.”
“Great.”
“It is. We best get going. Try and convince this girl to give us a story to write about.”
“Okay, are we driving?”
“Sure. Unless you wanted to sit on a stinky tram.”
“Your car is fine by me.”
She twiddled her car keys around a dainty finger, “Let’s get going then. You buy me a sub sandwich for petrol money?” She gave me a wink before twizzling and heading for the door. I followed. Keeping my eyes on her back and not her arse.
