A Kill Gone Wrong
1. Jonathan Gilbert, age 52, occupation: Banker
2. Julian Styles, age 45, occupation: businessman
3. John Danton, age 64, occupation: Lawyer...
773. Benjamin Fowler, age 50, occupation: Software Engineer
774. Cassian Gavino, age 45, occupation: drug dealer.
All 774 targets were dead. However, Zarek was a meticulous record. He had learned to keep records from his boss, a fifty-four years old fellow of Russian descent, the man who had taken the ten year old Zarek under his wings.
Zarek had been taught that records were important. You never know the progeny that may likely come for you.
He took a deep breath and closed the book. Mia was right about one thing: Zarek did not just kill for a living; he enjoyed killing, and he had almost killed his sister, the only family member he has left. But for the quick arrival of his personal doctor, Mia would be fine. But Zarek had learned to never put her in such a difficult position.
Not ever.
"I'm serious, Zi, I want a job," a low voice came forth, and Zarek rushed to her side when he realized Mia was now awake.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you. You must hate me right now, but you and I know you don't need a job," Zarek explained.
Mia tried to raise herself, but each movement sent waves of pain down her spine. Her neck was still hurting, and she wouldn't let Zarek help her.
"I mean it, Zi, I've made up my mind. I might as well be the 775th victim if you must stop me."
Zarek cursed himself. Would she ever stop saying that?
Zarek couldn't bear the thought of killing his baby sister. His late mother's spirit may as well come hunting for him. Although Zarek had read about ghosts, he never truly believed the stories. To him, the stories were conjured to scare little children, and they achieved their aims. Although he believed in God, Zarek wasn't much of a religious person. He prayed but could God ever forgive a man who had taken 774 lives?
Zarek did not think it possible, so he gave up on the idea of praying. Of what good were prayers if he couldn't turn away from his actions?
Mia recovered within the next few days and was able to secure a junior position at a private hospital owned by the Blue Diamond Corporation, one of the biggest in Durhan. She had always wanted to be a nurse, and her fourth year in college had afforded her the opportunity to be trained by some of the best nurses in Durhan. She had made preparations to join the recruitment of nurses soon after graduation, but Zarek had continuously told her she needed no job, and she believed him because she thought the pay was peanuts. But over the last few weeks at her job, coming home late, hanging around friends, Mia had realized it wasn't just about the pay. She couldn't understand the fulfillment she felt, and she was good at what she did.
Just like Zarek, who continued staring at the screen before him. He was going through some files that had just been sent to his laptop, and his other hand pressed the cellphone to his ear.
"What am I looking at?" Zarek asked.
"That's the target," came the voice at the end of the line.
Zarek stared at the photograph. White male, dark hair, and with eyes that seemed to stare intently at the camera.
"Remember, he will be arriving tomorrow, and you know what to do," the voice added.
Zarek's eyes moved to the address.
Estate Name: Copper Crest
Address: 3456 Montclair Drive
Twin Peaks, Colorado 81323
Owner: Billionaire investor and philanthropist, Harrison Grant.
"Oh, before I forget, he has a daughter. You are required to take her out."
"But why? She is innocent and barely 24," Zarek said, his eyes going through the profile of the light-skinned lady with an oval-shaped face. He could not understand why they would want her dead. But he soon understood he was not in a position to question the intent of a mission.
At this point, Zarek heard the man chuckle. "Mr. Slade, no one is innocent in this cruel world, and you seem to break your own rules."
"What rule?" Zarek asked.
"No questions, remember. Rule number five," the voice replied promptly.
Realizing how dumb he had been, Zarek reprimanded himself silently. He shouldn't be reminded of his own rules. His attention drifted to a notification message on his cellphone.
"Like I said, you will get fifty million dollars as a down payment, and the rest after a successful job."
Zarek stared at the digits that were now in his account. Fifty million dollars. At only twenty-seven, he was almost worth a billion dollars.
His eyes soon moved back to the laptop screen.
"Mr. Slade, good luck to you, and I advise you to take silver bullets with you for this mission."
Silver bullets? Zarek pondered. Why would he need silver bullets for a white male that would likely be a walk in the park?
"Why silver bullets?" Zarek asked.
"No questions, remember."
Beep.
Zarek glanced at the screen for a few seconds before shutting it down. Then he returned to the question of silver bullets. For this, Zarek had to check his arsenal. Sure, he still had a few left. But had he ever used a silver bullet? Zarek couldn't remember.
The mission was becoming weird by the second, and the uneasiness in him only grew. Zarek found himself regretting why he accepted a mission he had previously turned down. But the client wouldn't stop buzzing his cellphone, and the pay was huge.
Zarek remembered the address details. Copper Crest, the most exquisite estate in Colorado. Sure, the target was definitely a billionaire, and Zarek would take the two-hour drive for the mission. Mia must never notice his absence; else, she would never forgive him this time. He had sworn with their late mother.
Right in the middle of the night, Zarek hit the road, speeding at almost 150 km/hr. If all went well, he would be back to have breakfast with Mia, Zarek told himself as the cold breeze filtered through the wound-down windows.
An hour later, the Copper Crest estate came into view, and Zarek confirmed that it was the most exquisite estate he had ever seen. There were a few buildings that made a circle, a swimming pool, ten armed guards roaming the vast yard, and then there was a building that stood tall in the middle.
Staring through his binoculars, Zarek could tell that his target would be in the middle building, the architectural masterpiece designed with marble. Sure, the target was no different from other billionaires who lived ostentatiously.
The night came with a cold, and Zarek couldn't understand the uneasiness in him. There was this dreadful feeling, and Zarek's arms trembled when he reached for the sniper. But he consoled himself that it was due to the vow he was breaking. He had sworn with his late mother.
However, there was no going back. It was now or never, Zarek told himself as he settled on the perfect vantage spot close by. A five-story building that was under construction. From there, he could observe and remain unobserved.
Lying on his stomach, he zoomed in with his sniper. In the main building, there was a maid going about some activities; another woman dressed in a gown whose identity he couldn't make.
"Not Emma," Zarek mumbled, with arms clutching the sniper.
After a few seconds of scanning, Zarek finally found the target. A six-foot frame figure dressed in shorts. White male, dark hair, and a slightly built physique. Sure, he looked exactly like the man Zarek had seen in the photograph.
Zarek held his breath as his eyes moved to pull the trigger. From three, he counted downwards, but a maid suddenly pulled the curtains over the glass windows, and Zarek cursed at the obstruction. But that wasn't a problem. In his seventeen years of handling a gun, Zarek had learned to hit his target blindfolded. He had bested his team members who only relied on their sight. Zarek had learned to rely more on his instincts, so he aimed for a few seconds and fired.
Sure, a loud scream that belonged to the maid echoed, and Zarek confirmed that his target was down.
The 775th target was down, leaving the 776th, and Zarek was soon to take care of that.
As expected, the whole estate erupted into chaos. Guards were running around, trying to ascertain the situation, and the maids scurried in all directions for safety.
Zarek maintained his position. He was still searching with his sniper. He had killed the father, but Emma was still nowhere to be found, and the guards running around made it difficult to focus. He searched further, zooming in closer, but was forced to abandon his position when a bullet grazed the concrete beside his head.
Zarek was almost hit by the bullet.
"Over here," a distant voice called out, and Zarek perched behind a wall as bullets rained into the building. The bullets continued, and Zarek knew he had to take the hard route.
Kill them all.
For this, he abandoned the sniper, grabbed a few pistols, and for the next few minutes, Zarek confronted his enemies.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out. The guards dropped Zarek's bullets.
"Where is Emma? Tell me, and I might let you live," Zarek threatened the dying guard. After losing much blood, the man gave up.
Zarek moved to the main building. He kicked the entrance door open, and the woman he had earlier seen registered. She was the maid, and her legs trembled at Zarek's gun.
"Where is Emma? Tell me, or I swear you're going to die," Zarek threatened as he aimed at the woman, his two arms firm on the pistol.
"I don't know. Please don't kill me."
Zarek moved closer, his gun now touching the woman's forehead. The woman became scared, and Zarek saw a white, transparent liquid flowing towards his feet.
"Now, tell me, where is she?"
"Right here?" another voice echoed from behind.
Zarek turned and saw a man a few inches away. The man had a pair of white shorts and a naked upper body; he was the same man Zarek thought he had killed.
Could this be real?
Zarek pondered. What baffled him was that he could not find a single blood stain or wound on the man's body, and Zarek could tell that the man was not even in pain.
The man stood there, and he had a veiny face with dim, red eyes. Rage was an understatement but how was he still alive?
Sure, Zarek had hit his target. He had never missed. Not ever. The loud scream of the maid also confirmed it. Zarek thought that if the man was not dead, what the hell was going on?
Zarek was soon to find out in the most terrible way he had never imagined.