Page 55 of Wicked Little Nightmare

As I worked, my mind drifted to Lakey. God, I loved that crazy bitch. When she got like this, all stubborn and irate, it ground on my gears. She almost always, without fail, left me to clean the messes she made. Unironically, this mess was mine, but the sentiment remained. Still, the way her eyes lit up when she was elbow-deep in someone's guts... it was fucking beautiful. Or theway she looked at me when I had my fun. It almost made up for the fact that I had issues when it came to cleaning. She’d be fine living in relative mess, but I wasn’t. Sure, I had an advantage because of my obsessive need for things to be clean, but still, she could at least offer to help chunk him with me.

An hour later, I'd reduced Skeeter to a pile of manageable pieces. I bagged them up, making a mental note to dispose of them in a couple hours, just before the garbage truck grabbed the big apartment bins.Now for the real fun — bleach time.

"Sorry, buddy," I muttered, dousing the tub in industrial-strength cleaner. "Gotta erase your final resting place. No hard feelings, right?"

As I scrubbed, I thought of what his role in all this was. It was clear he was some kind of information/data holder, but to what degree was anyone’s guess. His laptop would have some useful info. But first, I needed his fingerprint.

Fishing out his dismembered hand, I carefully pressed his thumb onto a piece of tape, later I’d do a silicon mold if needed, but turning off the password would work once I’m in. "There we go. Your final contribution to society, pal." I chuckled, “At least this might replace the memory of you jacking off on granny. Probably not, but it is a nice thought, isn’t it, friend?”

Just as I finished my deep clean, I heard the front door open. Lakey's voice rang out, "Honey, I'm home! Did you take care of our little problem?"

I grinned, surveying the spotless bathroom before heading to the kitchen. "Baby, you have no idea. I’ll push him down the garbage chute just before dawn.” Rummaging around in the freezer, I grabbed a pie and set it in the fridge. Dunno what kind it was, but food was food. You eat it and shit it out.

I settled into the worn leather chair, Skeeter's laptop balanced on my thighs. The soft glow of the screen illuminated my face asmy fingers danced across the keys. My tape fingerprint sat on the table beside me, just in case.

"Alright, you piece of shit," I muttered, "let's see what secrets you're hiding."

I navigated through mundane files - porn, shitty music, the usual crap. But then, something caught my eye. A folder labeled "Chimichunga_X" sat nestled in the corner of the desktop, practically begging to be opened. I mean, with a name like that it’s gotta be something good.

Well, well, well. What do we have here?

I double-clicked, only to be greeted by a password prompt. My lips curled into a snarl.

"Fuck me. Of course it's encrypted."

I leaned back, running a hand through my hair. The challenge only made me more determined. I cracked my knuckles, a wicked grin spreading across my face.

"Game on, asshole."

I dove into the dark web, searching for decryption tools. My eyes burned from the screen's glare, but I couldn't stop. The thrill of the hunt coursed through my veins.

Hours ticked by. I barely noticed Lakey coming in and out, doing her thing before tossing a sandwich my way with a concerned look. I grunted in acknowledgment, too focused to eat.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the folder unlocked. My heart raced as I clicked through file after file, each one revealing more about Chimera.

"Holy shit," I whispered, my eyes widening. "Lakey, baby! Get in here. You're gonna want to see this."

She sauntered in, her eyes bright with curiosity. "What's got you all worked up?"

I gestured to the screen, my pulse quickening. "Well, our favorite beady bastard? Turns out he was sitting on a goldmine. He was way more important to Chimera than he let on."

She leaned over my shoulder, her breath warm on my neck. I clicked open a file labeled "Operatives" and a map popped up, dotted with red pins.

"Well, fuck me sideways," Lakey whispered, her eyes scanning the screen. "Are those...?"

"Chimera agents," I finished, a grin spreading across my face. "And look here, baby. There's one just a few blocks away."

Lakey's eyes lit up with that dangerous gleam I loved so much. "Oh, Cam. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

I leaned back, drinking in her excitement. "You bet your sweet ass I am. We're gonna pay our neighbor a little visit."

My mind raced with possibilities. This was our chance to get ahead, to finally have the upper hand against Chimera. But we'd need to play this smart.

"Listen, babe," I said, grabbing her hand. "This is gonna be tricky. We can't go in guns blazing. We need finesse, charm..."

Lakey's lips curved into a wicked smile. "And a dash of psychopathy?"

I chuckled, shoving the laptop off me and pulling her onto my lap. "Exactly. You up for a little roleplay, darlin'?"

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