Page 2 of Guarded By the Phantom

I pulled his heavy body out of the room. He was a meaty fellow, taller than me by a head, but I didn’t mind the effort. I hummed under my breath as I dragged him over the linoleum of the corridor, the dimmed lamps lighting the way toward the service staircase. The steady shuffle of his feet gave a nice background to my song, and soon, I mouthed the words with a grin.

I so fucking hoped he was a fun one.

“She was a bombshell, I was a wreck,” I sang under my breath, pushing the door into the staircase open with my hip. My armor clicked against the cool polymer.

I went down three floors, holding his upper body while I let his legs fall down the concrete steps, his shoes thudding with an echo. I wasn’t careful at all. It would be fun to watch him limp while he ran away from me.

“But I kissed her, and I squeezed her, and I loved her all night long,” I finished the song, laughing under my breath as we finally came out into the crispy October night.

It was quiet, the alley we emerged into deserted at this time of night. I stopped just where I knew the cameras didn’t reach and dropped Jordan, letting him crumple in a pathetic heap. I lit a cigarette, prodding his unconscious body with my armored foot, but not too hard yet. I wanted to enjoy it for a few minutes.

The smoke curled over my head in lazy whorls. A tenacious moth beat against the lamp over the door, the clink of every hit mixing with the infrequent hum of traffic coming from the main road just outside the alley.

I shaped the smoke with my tongue, releasing a nicely formed heart, and sighed in bliss. This was why I loved this job. And the best was still ahead of me.

After three minutes of insistent prodding, Jordan finally stirred, groaning in pain.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” I said with a low laugh. “Look up at your prince.”

When he flipped heavily to his back, squinting up, I saw the exact moment when he took me in. His eyes widened in raw terror, his jaw falling open, and he stared, completely frozen from fear. He hadn’t seen me in the dark hospital room, so it was a shock.

My face was a naked skull, normally creamy white like finely aged bone, yet now, it was painted a matte black to complete my camouflage. I knew what he saw. Smooth planes of black bone, gaping eye sockets, a full set of grinning teeth set in a beautifully carved jaw.

I was pretty for an abomination, my cheekbones high, my outer teeth even, brow ridges prominent in a way that lent me an air of authority. But he wouldn’t appreciate my beauty, of course. He was too busy screaming from terror.

My jaw clicked as I opened my mouth, letting my tongue out to reinforce the effect. It was long, suited for catching prey like lizard tongues, meaty and triangular at the tip. It was also blood-red, giving the impression I’d just eaten some succulent raw meat. Jordan’s scream grew high-pitched as I licked some of the paint off my face, the tip of my tongue easily reaching my eye socket.

The acidic stench of urine filled the cool night air. I rolled my tongue back and laughed.

“Why aren’t you running, princess? Or would you like to get a kiss?”

The look of horror on his face grew even more grotesque, his eyes bulging, and I chuckled, giving him a moment. He scrambled clumsily to his feet and lurched into an uneven run.

“That’s pathetic,” I called out after him, taking one last drag from my cigarette before I flicked it away. “But I’ll take it.”

He ran so slowly, I could have had him within seconds, but that wasn’t the point. I jogged after him, making sure my steps echoed menacingly off the walls. Jordan sped up, letting out a gurgling scream.

“Help! Somebody! Please!”

I sped up to match his pace, my blood buzzing with the thrill of the chase.

“See? That’s how it’s done. You’re awake, running, able to scream. I gave you a fair chance. That’s what you should have done with your little bird, Jordan.”

My voice was low and measured. I wasn’t even winded from the pathetic pace while he wheezed, his body lurching as he tried to get away from the inevitable.

We burst onto the main street, almost empty at this hour. The few cars that passed went well over the speed limit. I closed in on Jordan, not giving him a chance to get a stupid idea like trying to stop a car and get help. I was right on his heels, following the stench of terror and urine.

“You didn’t even let her run from you,” I said softly, knowing he’d hear me. I was almost on top of him. “That’s cowardly, Jordan. You know what I like to do with cowards?”

He whined like a hurt animal, making me laugh viciously. Bloodlust pounded in my ears, my body primed by the chase. It was akin to arousal, pooling in my loins and pounding with pleasant anticipation.

I’d see him bleeding. Soon.

“I like to carve them into fancy shapes,” I said, patting the knife at the belt sitting snugly around my hips. “I’ve had a lot of practice, you know. Some might say I’m an artist.”

“Why are you doing this?” he wheezed out with a whimper when I ran a finger down his spine.

He flinched away from my touch. The black tip of my finger glistened with his sweat.

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