Page 41 of Wraith

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The attendance growsat the table as I sit and wait for my guests to take their seats. I have invited everyone I could possibly think of to the compound for ashow. That is what they think it is anyway. A sampling of a new stock of women I received. They are all eager, ready for a taste as they laugh and drink their wine like pretentious assholes at a dinner party. “Nice turn out, my boy. You have come such a long way. I’m eager to see what you have come up with for tonight,” Roman says proudly from the head of the table. I’m to his right, where I still belong since I’m not completely incharge.

“You will not be disappointed, boss. I have been working endlessly on this night.” His eager smile grows as he pounds his hand on the table five times to get everyone’s attention, not bothering tostand.

“Let us start, shall we?” Roman starts talking but I stop him, standing to my feet and placing my hand on his thickarm.

“If I may, boss?” The look of fury flashes across his face but he doesn’t let it consume him, keeping it locked down tight while in front of all thesepeople.

“If you wish.” The gruff annoyance in his voice is there but still he gives me the spotlight and I start my speech checking my watch before I open mymouth.

“I was a boy when I was brought here twenty years ago, and since then I have learned two things,” I pause looking around the table at the eager drooling faces, ready for me to end my speech and get the entertainment for the night out here, “One, is that in this business, you can’t trust anyone.” At those words glances are shot at one another, some chuckling, thinking I’m making a joke. “Two, is that you are all vile creatures, not worth the ground you walk on. Undeserving of the air you breathe. And you—” I swing my body toward Roman who’s red faced and clutching at his chest, my words pissing him off no doubt. “You are the biggest piece of human garbage ever to walk thisearth.”

“Why youlittle—”

“Oh no, old man, I’m talking now and you are going to listen.” Whispers fly across the room as some of the men try to get up to leave, only they can’t, as they are locked in. Shouting ensues as they start to realize what is happening. They are all unarmed, as per the first rule in stepping on to Roman’s compound. But I’m not, nor are my new friends on the other side of the doors holding everyone inside. “Today, you all are getting what has been coming to you since the first time you took someone’s choice away.” Behind my back I pull out my knife making Roman’s eyes grow wide as he sees himself for the last time in the reflection. Quickly, before the tub of lard can even move, I plunge the blade deep into his chest, piercing his heart in one go. That is when the fireworks start. Bullets fly as the doors burst open and my men come stomping inside filling all the rapists with led. The smell of gunpowder and copper has never smelled so damn good. Cries fall on deaf ears as they all drop to the floor along with the spentcartridges.

“Predatel!” Roman cries out, gasping forbreath.

“A traitor? Yeah, I guess I am,” I sneer in his face. “But today I am damn proud of being one.” I twist the knife a little making him cry out and draw in a shallow breath. “Die, you piece of shit.” With a yank, I pull out the blade and watch with sick satisfaction as his blood gushes from thewound.

“Boss, they are all dead,” Georgie says breaking into my satisfying kill. I was so preoccupied with Roman I didn’t even notice what all was going on around me. Standing, I wipe my knife of Roman’s blood on the front of his soiled suit and sheath it once again behind my back. I take stock of my surroundings. All the death that lies on the floor. Pools and pools of blood soaking into the already deep redcarpet.

“Good,” is all I can say as I stare at the dead bodies, some of them stilltwitching.

“What would you like us to do next?” Georgie’s voice is somewhere in the recesses of my mind, just a distant echo through my muddled state. “Boss,” he tries again, getting my attention thistime.

“Yeah.” I shake my head from the fog and look up to my men. Ten of them pledged to do my bidding. “Your accounts have been filled and your identities changed. You are free togo.”

“And what about the girls? In the basement?” Georgieasks.

“I will take care of them. Leave.” With a flick of my wrist they all obey and disburse, never to be seen or heard from again. As for me? I leave the room and head for thebasement.

According to the morning repot there are seven girls down here, ages ranging from thirteen to nineteen. Stopping at my office I grab the stack of envelopes and walk further until I’m at the stairs, remembering the first time I took this walk. I flick the locks on all the doors and open them one by one then stand back and wait. “You are all free to go now,” I call out, still waiting for the first person to emerge. “This isn’t a trick. Comeout.”

The first one to show themselves in a tiny little read head, frail and sluggish with each step. She takes a moment to look into the cells she passes assuring the others who follow her out that this isn’t a trick. When they reach me I hold out the envelopes. “Fifty thousand each, it isn’t near enough to cover your grief, but it is all I can spare.” I hand the stack over to the red head and she starts passing them out. “Up the stairs is the outside, FBI will be here soon, stay put and they will find you home.” I nod my head and start to step away when the red headspeaks.

“Thankyou.”

“No. No thanking me. It is because of me you are here. Do not forget that.” With that I’m gone, leaving the women to themselves as I jump into the nearest truck and make a call to Kinkaid. I’m so fucking ready for this life-long nightmare to be overwith.

---