Authors: Veronica Melan
“Yes, that was her! She plotted everything, her and my neighbour Bob!” Jenny’s high-pitched voice scratched my mind like a steel rod. My head was pulsating with painful spasms.
I was sitting on a chair with my hands tied behind my back in Roger’s office; unable to raise my head I felt that it was still oozing with blood.
Bitch ... spun a single thought through my mind. What a bitch you are!
Two men with sullen faces were standing by my chair - probably the same guys who killed Robert; several times I saw them going in and out this office but never paid much attention to it. Apart from Roger and these men there were other people in the room - the owner of “Polo Grand” and other owners whose bracelets’ codes were used to steal points from. In the corner of the room I saw Hulk, sitting with his arms folded on his chest - his face was inscrutable and his stare made me wince.
“She’s got the transmitter attached underneath her bracelet! Check it for yourself! She told me how they were going to steal the codes and use them to get more points from you.”
I gave Jenny a long and heavy stare - the skin on her face was unnaturally pale, almost white, with randomly scattered bright red spots on her cheeks. She was now more like a snowman, whose face was hastily smeared with beetroot. Not being able to endure my gaze, she turned away and like a filthy little puppy began whining again while trying to grab Roger’s hand. He shoved her hands away with an obvious resentment and dropped to the guys:
“Find the transmitter.”
As the sensor was discovered, the oppressive silence hung in the office and only Robert's purple face was blazing like fire in the dim light of the office.
I tried not to look at anyone. Frightened, I drove my mind in a state of apathetic shock.
So this is how it all happened ... Who would’ve known we had a traitor among us. Nasty bitch, now you're trying to save your own skin, pretending to be innocent, while Robert’s glassy blue eyes looking at the table surface without seeing anything and nobody will ever help him...
“How did you find out, Roger?”
That was a deep voice of Hulk.
“The Central Alert System raised an alarm when that dimwit took the first point, using the received codes. He didn’t get more than ten points from each owner; however what he didn’t realise was that if you perform an operation with a bracelet remotely, the system turns on an alarm. I got a call from the security department and now because of him and her, this filth” Roger pointed my direction, “my club could be shut down.”
“Are you serious?” asked the man with a moustache who I’ve seen in the gaming room many times before.
Roger nervously rubbed his clean-shaven cheek.
“I hope everything will turn out ok. I know the man who first told me about this very well. He won’t spread this issue any further; I’ve paid dearly for it. The information about the incident has already been removed from the central database and the hacker’s been taken care of. We got rid of all the electronic bits, of course, as well. There are now only these two left…
Robert once again pointed in my direction, throwing a digger at Jenny at the same time.
“I still don’t know what she has to do with the whole thing…”
“I have nothing to do with it, you know me, Roger!
Jenny started sniffling, smearing her snot on the chin.
“Shut up!” Robert cut her whining. “I’m not wasting my time on this.”
“Do you think it might happen again?” one of the men asked cautiously.
“No, I can guarantee that and that’s why I gathered you all here - people I trust the most and so we can clear everything up. There is no need to worry about coming to the club; we are back in business as usual.
“That would be good” I heard a few people were jabbering on, “as you know, the authorities won’t let us off the hook if something comes out.”
“Everything is in order, gentlemen. I just have to decide what to do with these two. There is a possibility I could make a deal with the judge in regards to one murder… But if I had to get rid of the other two, it would cost me too much. And even then, it’s not definite.”
“But you can’t let them live!” said a little nervous looking spiny man, shifting his gaze from me to Jenny.
Roger frowned, deep in thought. Everyone stood still in anticipation, wanting to hear that certain measures will be put into force to ensure their safety.
At this moment I felt like I separated from myself and what was going on around me. This is just absurd, this Tally is just a load of nonsense. I am just an average normal person, a boutique owner, I’ve never really upset anybody, and I didn’t really have any enemies. And now I am God knows where, surrounded by some tough guys who are pretending to be all timid and at the same time working out how to get rid of me. And then there is Jenny - damn her! I recalled that day when she turned up at my flat to ask for some jam…
Roger’s voice broke the flow of my thoughts.
“Gentlemen, I cannot pass these hussies to the authorities, even though they’d most probably be sentenced to death. First of all, it is not in my interest that information leaks outside the club. I have too many valued customers to take this kind of a risk. But you have nothing to worry about. I will take care of everything; they will be dead by the time the morning comes.”
That was it. He’d made his decision.
For a brief moment I stopped breathing - I knew I wasn’t going to go away from here with a basket of flowers, yet I hoped to stay alive.
“Ro-o-oger ....” Jenny began whining with rattling and hiccupping breaking up her words, “don’t do it to me, I haven’t done anything …”
“Shut your face you, bitch!”
Roger looked at the two guys that were standing by my chair and ordered:
“Get them out of here! I can’t look at them anymore!”
As the hands of murderers stretched to my shoulder, I heard Hulk’s voice.
“Roger, let me deal with the girls, I’ll take care of them.”
The faces of all men who were already prepared to leave the room turned to him.
“Why do you need’em?” asked Roger in surprise. The hand holding my shoulder froze as well.
“Well, first of all, I want to find out who else was involved in this.” Hulk's fingers slowly twisted and stroked an unlit cigar, “and second, I could do with some more workers, my ranch’s big, you know.”
Roger, oddly enough, seemed to be relieved to hear his request.
“You probably just want to have fun with this one!” the man with moustache, who also stood close to me, gave Hulk a sultry smile, flicking a lock of my hair to a side. I jerked my head to get rid of this vile man’s touch. “Look! She is a stroppy mare!”
“Take them, if you want to.” said Roger pretending to be indifferent but his eyes shone with joy. He definitely didn’t want to get his hands dirty with two more murders - maybe because he had a conscience or maybe he just didn’t want to pay too much for covering up his sordid affairs. I guessed that my first assumption could never be true.
It felt like the threat of death had retreated for a while but instead of having a sense of respite, I gazed glumly at Hulk - what kind of life is awaiting us on his ranch? Will it be any better than death? I dropped my head which was still throbbing with pain and sighed - whatever happens - happens, I had no energy to be afraid, worry or desire anything. Tomorrow morning I’ll still be alive and that’s what matters.
However, the change of plan did not entirely satisfy the nervous man, who was longing for our death more than anyone else.
“What if they try to escape? What will happen then?”
“I’ll find and kill them.” replied Hulk.
I shuddered when my eyes met his absolutely soulless - as they appeared to me, grey eyes.
I don’t remember how long the journey lasted and the direction we travelled in. All I remember was the dark silhouettes of buildings behind the window which were soon replaced by a rural landscape and I also remember Jenny’s heavy breathing. She didn’t talk to me, feeling an utter contempt and disgust towards her - I wasn’t in a hurry to break the silence either.
After some time, the car drove through an open gate and stopped. We were chucked out of the car somewhere in the backyard of a huge mansion, towering its white walls against the black sky and then we were separated. One of Hulk’s servants led Jenny up the dark alleyway hiding around the corner, while I was taken in another direction. Hulk gave some instructions to the guide before disappearing into the night and I followed him through the corridor in one of the side wings of the house and then stopped in front of a door. The man unlocked it, pushed me inside and locked it again on his way out. Once I was left alone I looked around, trying to examine the surroundings as far as the dusk light pouring from the windows allowed me. The room appeared to be very small, with only a bed, old nightstand and table. On the opposite side of the room I noticed another door that, in all probability, led into the backyard. I took a few steps towards it - wooden floorboards creaked underneath my feet and pulled the handle. The door was locked.
I sighed and for a few seconds I stood by the window, looking at the modest moonlit lawn and the dark tree contours. I then went up to the bed, took off my shoes and climbed on to its hard mattress, covered with a dark bedcover. Hoping for at least a bed sheet to be found underneath it, I touched a flat pillow and looked around again – there wasn’t a lamp anywhere or a switch on the wall, I looked up to the ceiling and discovered that there wasn’t even a light bulb. I decided, in this case I wasn’t even going to waste my time trying to find a switch – there is no light in here, as there is no bathroom either.
As it often happens in such situations, I immediately started wanting a pee; I tried to distract myself, hoping to hold the need until morning. My head was empty and my thoughts were snippy and apathetic; this endless day full of unimaginable events popped up in my mind and faded again, replaced with quietness but a while later I would subconsciously resume the vicious speculations. I was trying my hardest to fight them off but they kept coming back at me like a shoal of piranhas. Too many questions remained unanswered: where am I? What am I going to do here? Where is Jenny now? Is Hulk going to talk to me at all? Will I ever be able to gain any points at this ranch? Feeling tired, I pushed the bedcover aside and without taking my clothes off laid on the bed. This is my new cell - no mountain view and no simple but cosy kitchen I got used to. And for the first time in many years, I started praying for my future to change for the better. I didn’t know if God could hear me but as falling asleep but I was still praying and praying.
Hulk came into his office located on the second floor, put the papers he brought from Tally into a drawer, then went up to the dresser on top of which there was a pack of cigars and took one of them. Then he opened the French doors, walked onto the terrace, took out his favourite chair and lit up a cigar. When the cigar was lit, he exhaled the flavoured smoke into the cool night air.
A few minutes later another man came out to the terrace and without asking for permission, sat down on the chair, standing on the other side of a small coffee table. He had a long jagged scar crossing his face from temple to chin – quite possibly, a long time ago this scar was very deep but over the years it turned into a line looking like a dried up snake - white, curved and shrivelled.
“How you doing, Greg?” asked Hulk without turning his head.
The senior warden clumsily stretched his broad weary shoulders and leaned back on the chair, pleased with the opportunity to relax after a long day.
“I’m OK. Not much happened today, just some minor issues at the stone-pit, the corn area was fine. Nothing unusual.”
Hulk nodded. He knew that if something extraordinary happens Greg would have found a way to inform him. Inhaling the scent of the wet grass and blooming fields he slowly twirled the cigar in his fingers. His companion was somewhat concerned, Hulk felt it in his breath and barely perceptible rustle of clothing but he said nothing - if there is something important he’ll find out about it sooner or later.
“You brought two more girls.” it was rather a statement than a question. “Why? We have enough workers.”
Hulk waited with the answer.
“It’s none of your business. Tomorrow morning I’ll go to Tally and you’ll be in control of everything. I have not had the introductory talk with them yet because it’s too late now. So keep them busy with something tomorrow and I’ll be back at evening.”