Page 3 of Slaughtered Firefly
Present day
“Hello? Are you okay?”Jasper stood with an aloof look on his face.
“Yeah, all good. Midas sends his appreciation for the supplies,” I shook off the memory as the lie slid so easily off my lips.
“Really? I can’t believe the boss remembered me,” Jasper’s enthusiastic voice raked across my brain like nails as he continued to chatter on about how much this meant to him and how he would be the best lieutenant he could be. Something I would never understand—how this bumbling fool was so enamored of the life we led.
Blood slipped through my fingers from the deer’s severed body, dropping onto the marble flooring with loud splats. The echo as the blood continued to leak resonated in my brain.Stop, stop, stop, this isn’t right.With the whooshing in my ears, my blank stare at the window, the last ray of sunlight winked away, its golden embers to taunt me another day. I couldn’t do this. It sickens me to crave Midas after all these years. How did he have such a gilded cage around my mind? I started laughing, throwing my head back as I let the manic take over. Jasper, who rambled on like this was just another day in the shop, looked at my madness.
“What? Did I say something funny?” he questioned as he cleaned up the countertops precisely as planned. Every spot was perfect, except for the sickened entrails that spelled out ‘Midas.’ My gift to him, one of many that I have given as the years have passed. A bribe for freedom.
“Not in the slightest,” I continued laughing as he took the bloody body from my grip and headed out the door.
Before he left, he called back, “just remember everyone was to clear out at ten, so if you aren’t there we were told to leave you,” he turned, pushing through the door, blood followed as his rough hands removed the carcass.
I gritted my teeth as he just walked away through my perfect placement blood splatter. I turned back to the entrails andrepositioned them for the third time that night. It still spelled out ‘Midas’ but cleaner now.
This gift was messy. It lacked the time factor; the organization having delayed my start, and a deer was my last choice for this year. I hated deer.
I glanced around the kitchen, still far from perfect. Irritated as I walked around, debating the next placement of blood. The jar gripped in my clean hand shook with unspoken anger as I threw it towards the wall I had just thrown my burner phone at. The impact was calming; the fracturing of glass set the idea off in my mind.
You know once you get an idea it’s hard to let go; this was the idea that would change everything.
I rushed out the kitchen door, down the hall to the bedroom, pushed the door open and found them there.
The group of three looked up as I entered, pausing their conversation and holding the mutilated human heart in their hands.
I know my appearance was wild; it always got like this. Lack of sleep and time were to blame. This was my third day of no sleep, my hair matted with blood, my face smeared with it and a knife still gripped in my bloodied hand. I could feel the blood sliding off my hand, down the hilt, beading together on the sharp tip before it dropped with silence on the carpet.
“Once you’re done with that,” I pointed to the breaking heart with an antler shoved through the center, “clear out, take everyone and evacuate, give me your phone too, tell Jasper I’ve got a special job for him and find me after he bags up,” my voice was stern leaving no room for doubts.
One grunt reached into his back pocket with a plastic-gloved hand covered in blood and pulled out a smallBlackBerry, tossed it to me and went back to work.
“Clif, go grab Jasper for her and let’s get out of here early, I have a nice piece of ass waiting anyways,” the grunt spoke, and Clif turned to walk past me. I wasn’t in charge here; Jasper commanded this team, but I had a special duty to ensure the memorable event proceeded and it must be better than the last. I smashed keys on theBlackBerryas I erased content from it, glancing down at the time again and annoyed for the blood covering my view, I wiped it off against the sofa as I passed into the living room; just nine fifteen plenty of time. Don’t panic.
I didn’t like time crunches; I preferred moving at my own pace. This complete change of plans, correction orders, was going to be a hard sell, but as I continued to type away on the screen. The plan came along nicer than I expected. I paused, looking around the living room. Something was missing, and I couldn’t think what it needed as I paced back and forth.
The crew were already done, but they missed a bit of artist flare. Men. Can’t live with them and can’t live with them. Isn’t that the saying? Laughing to myself, I shoved my fingertips into the eyeball of the mounted buck. The squish as its head tried to pull them deeper made me laugh even more. Is that where the term ‘skullfuck’ came from? I’d have to look that up later. Coated in sinus, brain, and blood, I withdrew my fingers and began painting against the opposite side. Not my best work, but the flare made it worth it.
The deer painting was almost complete when Jasper cleared his throat. Annoyance flickered through me, but I stopped and turned around to see him looking at me in awe.
“You wanted to see me?” His throat a nervous bob as he swallowed.
“Phone,” I held my palm out, a demand which he followed. Struggling to release it from the pocket, he managed after a few moments and passed me the phone.
“Thanks, take this one. Yours will work better for my needs. Follow the instructions on the screen and get that to Riven no later than three in the morning,” I held out theBlackBerry. Blood was drying on it, and Jasper hesitated to take it but nodded.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, shifting, uneasy. Jasper never disobeyed orders, which made him perfect for this job.
“I’m going to put on a show. You’ll see. Take the men and leave now. Go ahead and call it in once you’re out,” I smirked.
His whistle sharp, everyone in the house stopped their actions. I heard a shuffling of feet as the team began their exits and drove off.
2
THE TIP
Present day—he’s thirty-eight
