Page 1 of Her Reckoning
1
Chapter 1
Kat
“The brightest flowers are the most deadly.”
Flashing through my last check of spelling and grammar on the opening brief, which is due by midnight tonight, I find my rhythm. To the outside world, the pressure of last-minute filings is daunting enough to induce anxiety, but to me, it’s the calm before the storm. The last lap of a race for justice for those who have suffered at the hands of another. This is my part, ensuring that the documents and filings are high enough quality that they don’t get out and end up on my list. I put on my headphones and dive in to finalize a document, doing my part to put the evil of the world behind bars or in the ground.
In my off time I handle the monsters that walk our earth differently, but if I start thinking about that, I won’t file this brief and I will go hunting instead. I press my nail into the pad of my thumb to bring me back to the reality of where I aminstead of getting lost in the blood. Ensuring I have applied the proper digital signature, I print the document to PDF to submit to the court. While uploading the file, I look out the window to see darkness blanketing the window and skyline of the city. The darkness around every corner is a perfect metaphor for the depravity hiding in the shadows.
Releasing a breath as the submission notification comes through, I lock my computer and stand from my desk. On instinct, I gather my jacket and bag, set the alarm, and exit the door as it beeps through the thirty-second countdown. Locking the door behind me, I feel the cold evening breeze fighting the increasing fire of my rage that is simmering just beneath the surface. My original plan wasn’t to hunt tonight because of the amount of time needed for the filing, but I have more time than expected before I need to be back in the office. The extra time is just enough to spill the blood of the scum of the city. Muscle memory keeps me moving forward without thinking and I unlock my car to drive home, deciding on who should stop breathing tonight.
Opening my front door, Potato, my faithful cat, greets me with enthusiasm and purring as he weaves between my legs. He can tell that I am wound tight and unfortunately, he won’t be happy that I am leaving again tonight. I set down my bag and open a can of tuna to keep him happy while I am out. Behind my graduation cap shadowbox I have my secure digital hit list of dossiers along with my burner phone and a small backpack. I change into my black gear to keep from staining the clothes between disposals and braid my hair tightly to avoid leaving evidence behind. The final piece of my ensemble is a dark black motorcycle jacket that I put on before grabbing my helmet and finding my way down to my black street bike.
Exiting my garage, I push the throttle hard, feeling the adrenaline begin to spike as I initiate the hunt. My target tonightgot caught with inappropriate pictures of children. I will flay the skin from his bones layer by layer for the things that he has gotten away with. I know, being the lead paralegal, that they no longer need him as a witness for the other cases and all of the information that he has turned over has been substantiated. This is where I come into play. To get justice for his innocent victims. Some of them did not live after the crimes he committed against them, and they deserve to be avenged as much as those who are plagued with the memories of what they did.
The feeling of the wind slows down as I roll up to the back of the address that he used to register with parole. As my bike comes to a stop, I pull the tablet out of my backpack and proceed to review my notes. I took the time when setting up to make sure that everything on my tablet is secure and it only connects to the internet through a custom VPN routed through my phone. I am able to see that he is in the house from his ankle monitor location. Removing my helmet and stashing it on my bike, I pull on my face mask. Once I am ready to enter the property, I send a code to his ankle monitor to replicate the location of his couch and prevent any potential interruptions while I’m getting bloody. It’s time for me to play and simultaneously correct the wrongs of our justice system.
Entering through the back door of the shack, I can hear him talking to his TV incoherently. With one swift move, I shove the pillow in his mouth and push my knife into his vocal cords. The houses here are too close together, and screams mean the cops get called. Even though I flirt with the officers for information during the day, I don’t think they want to see the darkness that surrounds me. With my other hand, I secure his wrists to his belt and use a makeshift collar made of his tie to maintain control. The warmth of his blood seeps through my fingers as he struggles against me. This idiot wants to die with the way he is moving.
The sheen of fear-induced sweat covers what I can see of his face. His eyes plead with me for mercy but he gave none to his victims, so he won’t find any with me now. Unsheathing my knife I bring it to his wrist, angling the blade to shear off layers of his skin all the way to his elbow. The ragged breathing that he is giving me now is what I needed after today. He is struggling with balancing his adrenaline and trying to survive. While I am not one to talk about breakfast or to piss in anyone’s Cheerios, there is no chance that he can survive me.
“Every ounce of fear you feel is your reckoning for what you did to the kids you violated. My name is Karma, and it’s time for you to meet the next step in your journey to justice,” I utter with disgust. I move my blade from limb to limb peeling his skin off, causing him to fight more and more until I take his air supply. The gentle way my knife moves to remove his shirt is just the beginning. I make shallow slices between his ribs, careful not to go deep enough to collapse a lung, but enough to ensure every breath is painful.
It has been almost twenty minutes since I entered the house, and I am running out of time for the grand finale. I use my knife to slice a jagged cut into his penis. He fights his restraints at first but finally passes out. I thrust my knife into his dick causing it to stick to the chair, and I smile. The glee shows on my face as I pull out the syringe of pure adrenaline from my bag and plunge it into his thigh. His eyes fly open, and the nightmare-inducing, blood-covered villain I am is on full display. The bloody killer inside me was right beneath the surface and thrived on the fear that flowed from the monster in front of me. There is a primal dominance battle between monsters, and mine always comes out on top. No one suspects a woman to be the creature of nightmares, so I always hunt my prey in the dark and use my short stature to throw off my victims.
In my final action, I slice open his stomach to let his intestines come out before tying them into a holiday bow. The squish of his bowels as I tie the knot is familiar after the first few times, so I expect the elasticity and counter it with firm movements. During my killer craft time, his heart gave out and his body sagged, but that doesn’t stop me. My work needs to be perfect. Wiping my gloved hands on my pants, I made sure to leave the way I came, with as little potential evidence left behind as possible.
“Naughty Kitty, had all the fun without me,” a voice reaches out to me from the shadows around the back porch and I stop moving mid-stride.
“Who are you?” I ask in a flat tone, hiding the fear that lurks beneath the surface. The longer I am at the scene the more potential I have to get caught, and conversations covered in blood are never ideal. After a moment, the most dangerous man that I have ever laid eyes on steps out of the shadows. There’s a smirk on his face as he looks me up and down, assessing me and the blood that covers my gloves. It’s him. I recognize his jawline and coal-colored eyes. He’s Enzo, the mafia enforcer for the Angelini Family.
“You know who I am, kitten. You also know that I won’t be arrested, and even if I am, the charges will never stick.” He smirks like he knows he’s invincible. The prickle of unease washes over me. He has the upper hand, and I don’t like it since I am still covered in drying blood from my latest kill.
“Just because your boss has the majority of the judges on his payroll doesn’t mean you cannot be inconveniently questioned about this murder. After all, isn’t your boss friends with the people he gave up?” I ask, indicating at the door and my very dead target inside. The bastard smiles at me like I don’t know his handiwork or the information about the man inside.
“Did you at least leave me with a monster to kill?” He inquires with a hint of a challenge in his eyes. That is when I smile, blood splatters and all, every bit the predator I am known to be.
“Go see for yourself, Killer. Next time you should get here faster if you want in on the action,” I retort while patting his shoulder in condolences for his loss.
“Here, beautiful. To clean up.” He hands me a black cloth and I feel the blush creep up my cheeks. I didn’t even have time to implement my standard cleaning procedure before he handed it to me. Nodding to him, I force myself back to my bike and clean up the best I can before grabbing my helmet. The moment that it is secured on my head, I hop on the bike and take off into the night.
2
Chapter 2
Kat
“The blood of vengeance is sweeter than that taken in cold blood.”
The screen stares back at me as I continue to compile the documents in this case. My mind is stuck on him. How did he find me? More importantly, why did he let me leave? Enzo has more connections in this city than I do, and he could very easily dispose of me using them. The rush of staring into his dangerous eyes is working its way out of my system. He should not affect me this way, as both a killer and a criminal. I might be a killer, but I do so with a purpose and put my darkness to work for the city instead of for the highest bidder.
Listening to the police scanner in the office is a standard operating procedure and it’s been only minor incidents and traffic violations. There was no word yet on the man I murdered last night. The dread sinking into my bones grows heavier asthe afternoon ticks away. What thefuckdid Enzo do? The police should have found him hours ago and been investigating my latest kill. I know that the news has been speculating about a man in his early twenties who is avenging children in the city and the people have little interest in him getting caught. I have practiced and trained myself to angle the blade to make me appear taller and seat my victims to help obscure the evidence.
“Kat, how is the appendix going?” Arthur pulls me out of my thoughts. Shaking myself back into reality, I look over and see him leaning toward me expectedly. The leering way that he looks at me would unsettle me more if I didn’t personally know a hundred ways to remove him from existence.
“It’s going fine, do I need to shift my focus to something else that is a higher priority?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation professional and short.
