Anna was caught. Her acting was not going to save her from her current situation. Given that Mark's body blocked her way, she could not run.
She laughed nervously when Mark showed her the photograph with her face on it.
"What is that for?" she asked, taking slow steps back into the restroom.
"You know what, Anna?" Mark said, pointing a finger at her and shaking his head.
"I was beginning to like you. I liked that you are funny and all that. It's a shame though."
Anna turned her head to the left and the right. There were neither escape routes on both sides nor any weapons available to her. The only way she saw herself getting out of this was to play along with Mark.
"You don't have to do this, you know. I don't even know what you want."
As she defended herself, the zipper to her blue turtleneck top was undone by her hand, revealing what was hidden underneath.
She showed some skin to Mark, luscious unblemished skin down to a brief show of cleavage with her voice supple to whatever Mark wished to do with her.
Anna stopped resisting and used the charm of her femininity, being the only weapon she had on her.
The door was locked, and Mark ensured that it was so that no one disturbed his work.
"You don't have to do this you know?"
She purred like a kitten with her hands slipping down in between her clutched thighs.
Her eyes widened, purporting innocence and submissiveness. Anna's cheeks were neshed as well and flushed as her blood raced from the sensual tension that she was building between her and Mark.
"Please, Mark. I will do whatever you want. Whatever you wish me to," she begged softly, her voice moaning her plea for freedom.
Mark lowered his guard and Anna leisurely walked into his personal space.
Her soft slender hands rested on his chest and led by her index finger, it wandered down to his belly and even further down. Mark tickled and tensed, nearly gasping as his breath ceased in a moment.
Anna held his emotions to ransom with her womanly gestures and Mark was already afire sensually.
He felt a warm intimate touch, that was very satisfying as Anna's hands roamed all over his body. With her other hand, she reached for his face and rubbed it softly, stroking his cheeks with the back of her hand.
She rubbed his lips with her fingers while biting her own lips and skellying her eyes at him.
Mark's nose twitched. He repulsed Anna's seductive efforts all of a sudden and pushed her away.
Anna reeled backwards, hitting the back of her head on the wall and falling to the floor.
The shock from Mark's sudden change in behaviour took her by surprise. "Oww!" she shrieked.
She rubbed the back of her head that made contact with the wall and looked at her finger. Fortunately, there was no blood and no serious injuries.
"What the hell!" Anna shouted and as she tried to stand, she was forced to pause and rethink her next set of actions.
Mark was standing before her, connecting a small silencer to his silvern gun.
"Tsk, tsk! And I thought you were different."
Mark laughed and rubbed his nose. All of Anna's sensual antics were mere farce and he knew that.
He was disappointed that Anna would go as far as trying to seduce him.
"You slut," he cursed.
"Don't do it, Mark," Anna begged.
She raised both arms to indicate surrender and dragged herself back to create a distance between them.
She sobbed and her voice broke as she spoke with so much tears in her eyes.
"What do you want? I don't even know what I did."
Mark looked at her hand, the one she used to rub his lips and spat to his side. Anna ooked at her hand as well but she was still confused.
"You know what. I did not expect you to know that yet. I was thinking maybe on our second or third date I would tell you, you know. Like the getting-to-know-each-other kind of talk."
Mark put his finger on the trigger of his gun.
"Your hands, my dear, stink of sausages... and I detest the smell of sausages."
....
....
"Wake up!"
Seth shook his brother, Adam, to wakefulness. Adam's eyes gaped at him in confusion. He had no idea what was going on with Seth, who was pacing to and fro the room searching for whatever.
"What are you looking for?"
Seth stopped and paid Adam some attention.
"We need to leave... now!"
Adam stretched, the satisfaction of a good stretch reaching his spirit, and yawned.
"Now? Why? What's going on?"
"So Anna, you know, Anna from Eve's—"
"Yeah, yeah. I know Anna."
"So she called me and said that Eve was in trouble and she thinks the same trouble is coming for the both of us."
Adam shot up, adjusting to a sitting posture.
"What the hell! Eve's in trouble?"
"Look, man. I don't know the details either but she said we need to get out of this house... like right now or we are done for."
Adam tapped a circular button on the lower side of his refined mobility scooter.
"Where exactly are we heading?" Adam asked.
Seth was more concerned about his disabled brother. Adam has not been able to use his legs like before since his accident.
The doctors said there was hope for reinvigorating his legs but they needed a good amount of money for his surgery.
They did not have that good amount. Eve, Adam and Seth were barely getting two good meals in a day but always tried to get by with whatever life handed them.
As such, Adam had to manage the hand-me-down mobility scooter that Eve had taken from her side hustle as a mechanic and modified to suit him better.
"We have to go upstairs," Seth replied.
Adam repulsed his reply with a raised brow.
"The old lady's floor? Hell no, Seth. You know what happened the last time we messed with her."
Adam raised his sleeves and showed Seth a scar that was just above his elbow.
"In case you have forgotten, here it is."
"Look. We don't have a choice. It's possible whoever it is that's looking for us... it's possible they are already here in the building. We can't go downstairs.
"The only way is up."
....
....
Thirty minutes later, at the current moment.
Stutterer scoffed at the old lady before turning away along with Scarred Mouth.
She slowly waddled herself back into her apartment and let the door close itself.
"Have they gone?" Adam whispered.
"Ya two owe me a few bucks, ya know... and I intend to collect."
She made her declaration and stamped her cane hard on the floor with spasms of pain travelling up to her lower back from the recoil.
"Ooowww!" she wailed in agony.
"Sure, old lady. We intend to pay too," Seth replied to her.
The brothers heaved deep sighs of relief and Seth sank into the elder's couch, picking up her remote control to continue what was playing on the television.
"You were right, Seth. They are really aft—"
The old lady's door opened, having not closed in the first place.
"Tch! I must commend you two for making this hard for us," Scarred Mouth commended before turning to Stutterer.
"Don't you think so?"
His voice sent cold sweats trickling down their spines.
"Y-ye-ye-yes."
"But, boys... this our little game of hide and seek is over now."
Ring, ring!
Scarred Mouth's phone rang in his pocket.
"Hello."
[[ Hello, it's Mark ]]
"And you don't think I know that?"
[[ You never can tell. Anyways, how are things on your end? ]]
"Moving forward. We're with them as I speak. How is your end?"
[[ Mission accomplished. I've done just as the boss wanted it to be done ]]
"That's good then."
Scarred Mouth without speaking any further, ended the call.
"What you do want!" Adam barked. "And where is Eve!"
Scarred Mouth sighed, he thought about the stress of having to explain everything afresh but still decided to do it anyway.
"She's gone. Poof! Just like she never existed. As for you two, well, it's game over. It's nothing personal, believe me.
"It's just our boss covering his tracks, so people like you don't come biting him in the ass later."
Scarred Mouth pulled out a gun, the exact one that Mark had.
What were these men after?