Match Time by Jamie Ott

8/12/2019 Match Time by Jamie Ott

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Sisterlings II

To Kill

Chapter 1

The kettle screamed from back inside the house.

Carefully, she got up from the white couch and

limped across the porch. Floor boards creaked,

lightly, as she passed through the living room tothe kitchen.

She twisted the black knob on the stove into

the off position. Turning ninety degrees with a

mild wince, as her ankle still pained her, she

reached for the clear jar of coffee on the counter. A

light suction pop was made when she pushed back

the wired lid. The scent of fresh coffee permeated

the air.

Sticking her cigarette in her mouth, shetried not to inhale wafting smoke as she sifted a

few scoops of coffee into the press. An ounce of

steam floated from the kettles spout as she poured

the water over the grounds and stuck the plunger

in halfway.

She went back to her spot on the couch, next

to the heat lamp and set the coffee on the table.


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Three weeks had passed since shed seen her

husband, Alec, and their daughter, Caramia. But

Anna didnt dare go to them for fear of leading

those who would destroy her straight to her

family.

There was no way that she could protect

them. Gone were her days of martial arts. She was

suffering from a slight concussion and shed nearlybroken her ankle.

She was almost recovered, though.

Occasionally, she got dizzy but she hadnt had a

headache in days. But she was in no shape to fight,

let alone protect the family shed come to cherish.

Over and over, in her mind, she replayed the

last words she said to her daughter. Dont you

want breakfast? And her refusal based on perfect

reasoning. Je suis en retard! Ill just have my caf,maman!

Silly as it was, the response made her smile.

The way she said it was so mature. However,

Caramia knew she didnt like her taking caf au lait

on an empty stomach, and quickly ate the croissant

Anna had stuck in her hand.


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That was the morning she got the strange

photo with the address on the back. Someone had

snuck into the house while she was on her morning

walk and left the picture on her desk. Dead on a

bed Sheila lay with a single bullet in her head.

Next to her bed, on the nightstand, the picture of a

boy whom she suspected was her friends son.

Anna didnt wait. She went to Paris to see

why someone would want her to go the old flat.

Not paying attention, she stepped out into traffic

and got hit. She was lucky to be alive, for the car

sent her flying 25 feet through the air.

She sighed and took a small sip of her coffee.

Many years ago, Anna gave up coffee which

was a strange thing to do in a place like France.

Some of the best cafes in the world were there. She

did sample some of their finer brews, now and

again, but for some reason, cutting out coffee was

symbolic: it was cutting out her old life, though

she knew she never really could.

Since it all began again, shed picked up not

only coffee but cigarettes. It was all she could do in

the constant stress and anxiety of waiting for those


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who would do her in, and the constant worry

about the safety of her family.

Thank goodness for Luc. If it werent forhim, she was sure worry would kill her. Every day

he checked in with her at 10:00 and 19:00. Hed

confirm that Luc and Caramia got to work and

school alright, and back home without problem.

Luc was a private detective her husband

hired some years ago. He tracked down the owners

of a few acres of land that their vineyards would

have crossed. The tax office said they were about

to occupy unauthorized property. They needed the

land, though, as they were to plant their first crop

that year, so he found the owners and persuaded

them to sell.

Alec and Luc went to school together when

they were boys. They were friends, then, but haddrifted apart. Luc was a Paris police officer for

nearly a decade while Alec became a teacher and

stayed in Bordeaux. Luc was very intelligent but

had a criminal side. Anna didnt know how

criminal, as shed never asked. She suspected thatAlec hadnt a clue, either.

One thing she could say about Luc was he

was incredibly loyal. When she needed his help, he


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promised her anything as long as it didnt involve

lying to Alec. She promised Luc shed never lie,

and simply hoped that Alec would forgive her

when, if ever, she went back home.

Anna had hoped that the whole thing was a

misunderstanding. No one wanted her dead; she

could go home and sleep in her warm bed. Then

she woke up in the hospital. Next to her, on thedesk, was a red leather jacket. It took a moment for

her to recognize it. She thought shed lost it on the

train to Bordeaux, upon her first arrival all those

years ago. It was Bethanys, the one shed taken

from her apartment after her supposed death.

How did it end up in her hospital room and

why?

Obviously, Bethany was sending her a

message.

Now, it hung on the hook behind the door.

She never learned what happened to

Bethany and her brother, David, or who won the

war to control the Crest Foundation. Anonymitywas their specialty. This made her anxiety worse

because she couldnt go on the offensive. She had

to wait for them to come to her; even though she


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knew it would only be a matter of time, waiting

was the hardest part.

In a secluded part of the Bordeaux mountainregion, her house was situated. It sat on the edge

of a forest that could only be reached by a single

ten mile gravel road. Behind the house was

nothing but trees, and in front, miles of land that

had enormous boulders sticking out of the ground.

She drained the last remnants of her cup and

refilled it. And as she leant over, noticed

something in the distance that walked across the

property on four legs; a brown blur that stopped

for a moment, and then progressed back into the

trees.

Was it a bear or a wolf?

The snow fell hard all through the night.

She loved the look of the prairie beyond the porch,

like a blanket of snow that had no end.

Despite the constant wind and regular

storms, even if she couldnt hear someone approach

the place was a tech bomb. Set one foot anywherewithin seven hundred feet, and her alarm went off.

Luc helped set the place up, and had even installed

automatic weapons in the trees which lined the


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gravel road that led to her house. All she had to do

was zoom in on a target, using her mouse pad, and

push the left tab.

Early evenings were her favorite time. Shed

walk down the gravel road, and veer off on an

unmarked trail. Through towering pines, yellow

gold streaked down, slashing at the forest floor.

The scent of pine mingled with frost and broken

leaves under foot relaxed her.

She supposed it would have been safer to

stay indoors all the timeless chance of beingseen, but she just couldnt. That country was a

vision, especially in the evenings.

And so like before, after shed finished her

coffee, she disappeared into the forest. Only this

time, Anna veered off and went out towards the

cliffs and walked along a rocky incline that

brought her to a small peak.

Her breath was taken away when she looked

down and saw a 1500 foot drop. Below, hundredsof acres spread out under sky, creating a horizon.

It would be the perfect time and place for

someone to get her, she mused. Just push her off


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the side and her body would burst into parts. All

would be frozen and covered by snow in less than

an hour. By the time spring came back around, her

remains would be mush, and her skeleton likely

never found.

A loud growl came from the trees. She

skimmed the landscape, looking for the source. At

first she couldnt find it, but then, blending in withthe tree trunks behind it was a grey spotted wolf.

Anna waited for what seemed like many

minutes, hoping that it would just leave. Instead,

the wolf put a paw forward and growled even more

persistently.

Slowly, she squatted to the ground and

picked up a large stick. Then she made a show of

breaking it in half, making a loud cracking noise.

The wolf flinched and ran off.

~~~

Over a light dinner of pasta, she resumed

her search of websites.


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When she was recruited, it was called

Sisterlings: a website that, under the pretense of

finding friends for social misfits, recruited

unbalanced women into killing jobs.

For many hours, she looked until she came

across one possible site. Pollen Days was the name.

On the front was a picture of men and women

mingling. Displayed in bold letters across the topwas: This is not a site for dating, but a place for

friends.

As she did with the other similar sites shed

found over the last few weeks, she signed up with a

throwaway email address. Throwaways were great

because you didnt need to sign up. Simply, the

server was set to receive any and all mail, and it

deleted any and all mail every five or six hours. All

she had to do was go to the site and put in the

name the email would be addressed to.

Anna did just that but instead of an

acceptance notification, there was an error notice.

Dear patron,

Unfortunately, this is a membership by

invitation only.

We appreciate your interest.


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Pollen Times

Thats weird, she thought to herself.

She went back to the site and clicked on the

contact us link and filled out a customer service

inquiry. She wanted to know how to get an

invitation.

Needing to stretch her numb legs, she got

up slowly from her desk and walked about the

room.

She jumped at the sound of a loud howling.

At the porch glass window, she peered out

into the darkness.

Irritated that she couldnt see anything, she

sat at her desk, once more, and minimized herinternet browser.

Anna clicked into the security page. She

sifted through a dozen images yet saw nothing.

When the sensors picked up body heat, it showed a

red aura on the screen.

There were no auras there, either.


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Next moment, a mail notification sound was

played.

She clicked it and found a personal responsefrom customer service.

We were unable to locate your IP address. We

cannot enroll people without identification. To fix this,

please see your internet provider.

Her jaw slackened.

She supposed it wasnt wholly insane to be

rejected because of such a thing, especially with

serial killers out in the world, but it hadnt

happened to her yet.

Anna pulled up her Skype and clicked in

Lucs number. Cell phones were too risky, shed

decided.

Anna. How are you?

Im well. Im trying to create an account on

a website, but I keep getting rejected because myIP address is undetectable because of software that

I installed. You wouldnt happen to know a way to


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create a fake IP? One that shows me as in another

city, say Paris?

You know, its funny that youre hiding forthe sake of your life, yet here you are, fretting over

not being able to get into some website.

Ignoring him, she said, Its important. Can

you do it?

Please, he said. A piece of cake.

Hows my girl?

Shes at a sleepover with her little friend,

Megan.

Alec?

Hes alright.

Nothing suspicious happening?Not that I could see.

Anna sighed.

Whats wrong?

I dont like that youre not there all the

time. Do you think you could hire body guards?


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Listen, Anna, dont worry. Alec can take

care of himself. Trust me on that.

You dont understand.

What dont I understand? Weve had

Mafioso punks come through here before. We kill

them; thats what we do. They know betterthan to

mess with us.

Okay, she said, trying to sound like she

believed him. Well, email me that file, please?

You got it, dear. Goodnight.

That night she went to bed thinking about

little Caramia. Her friend, Megan, was a brat. Her

parents spoiled her and she had that terribleattitude that such children like her tended to have.

Anna didnt want her daughter hanging out with

her, but they always seemed to be together. She

didnt know if she was being silly, as Megan was

just a girl, but she didnt want Caramia to be likeher.

For a few minutes, it seemed that she was in

a nice sleep, until her house alarm sounded.


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Anna leapt out of bed and grabbed the gun

she kept on the nightstand. She slipped on her

ankle brace and shoes, and dashed into the

bathroom.

On the wall, shed hung a tablet for fast

viewing. She pressed the power button and

immediately viewed all sides of the house.

Next to the burn pile, the grey spotted wolf

had opened a trash bin and was tearing a bag

apart.

Anna sighed and set the gun down on the

counter. She could either kill the wolf, or just cleanup the mess in the morning.

It was probably just hungry,she reasoned with

herself, and there was leftover steak and chicken in one

of the bags. But what if its not the same wolf from

earlier, meaning that there was a pack in the area?

Tomorrow, she said and went back to bed.

The next morning she sat on the porch andsipped her coffee while reading news on the

internet. Overnight, the snow had let up. Now the

sky was a clear and icy blue.


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Anna was distracted by a distant humming

noise that was carried through the air.

She set down her coffee and pulled up thesecurity screen. Something was moving through

the trees, but it was distorted from the angle of the

camera.

Anna zoomed in on the moving target.

A black jaguar made its way up the gravel

road. Her heart sped and sweat erupted along her

hairline. Had they finally found her? But then, she

remembered that Luc drove an old black Jaguar.

She zoomed in on the drivers side window

and his gradient face came into view.

At the front door, she watched as he

approached. Gravel kicked up into the air when he

parked in front of her door.

As soon as he stepped out, she asked, What

are you doing here? Whos watching my family?

Theyre safe, dont worry. I got someone

watching them at all times.

When she didnt respond, he asked, How

are you? and pulled her into an embrace.


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She stepped back and motioned that he

follow her inside.

Un caf? he asked.

As you wish.

Sucre et le lait, sil vous plait.

She stirred in some milk and two lumps of

brown sugar.

Why did you come?

I wanted to check on you. Alec and Caramia

are very worried. No matter what the

circumstance, how does a mother just leave, like

you did? he asked and then sipped his coffee.

I already told you: my ex is a crazy mafioso.

Hes coming for me, and I dont want to put my

family in danger.

He pursed his lips and said, Hmpf.

Did you work on what I asked?

He stuck his hand behind the lapel of hisjacket and pulled out a thumb drive.

She reached out to take it.


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First, he said as he snapped the drive back,

tell me whats going on.

If you dont feel comfortable helping me,then fine, but if you can just trust me, I might get

to go home sooner.

Once more, he held the thumb drive out for

her to take.

She stuck it in her laptop.

The software automatically started to

install. A small black screen came up and white

words sped upward.

So did you add something to this program

to track me with?

She turned in her seat to look at him.

His eyebrows rose, slightly.

Anna wanted to be annoyed, but she couldnt

help but think that if she lost her war, perhaps Luc

would continue the battle on her behalf.

Once more, she pulled up Pollen Times andtried to sign up.


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Thats what you needed me for? he said

sounding disgusted.

She ignored him and continued to fill in theregistration form.

Come on, what is this about?

I already told you, Luc, so stop asking.

Fine, he said, slurping down the last of his

coffee. I guess Ill be going, then.

She didnt even look up as he walked out.

Anna wasnt stupid. Luc wasnt going anywhere.

He was a detective, after all; hed probably hide outin the trees and watch her, waiting for something

to happen.

Anna supposed it would be nice if she could

let someone in on her secret. Perhaps Luc could be

a big help to her.

She pulled up the security page and saw the

black jaguar driving, fast, off the property.

Perhaps she was wrong. It looked like he

was, indeed, leaving.

Pollen Times didnt appear to be what she

was looking for. Shed thought for sure that it


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could be a Sisterlings type of thing all over again,

but when she went into the chat rooms, it was

nothing like it was before. One lady went on about

politics while a man continued to send her pictures

of lips and beers. Others in the room told dumb

jokes or made silly comments about nothing

important. Sisterlings types, even the most

pathetic, just werent like that; they were simple

yet severe in their communications.

As usual, she went for her evening walk

along the cliffs. The temperatures had risen a bit,

and the snow had softened. When she looked down

the peak, as she did the night before, a rush of icywind blew up into her face, throwing back her hair.

Anna closed her eyes and inhaled the cold

air as deeply as she could. Cold particles of air

penetrated her pores, bled down the neck of her

jacket and chilled her to a new level of awake. It

was almost like the fresh air whisked away the

putrid cigarette smoke, shed bathed herself in,

from her pores; and canceled out the drag brought

on by that days caffeine.

From behind, she heard the patter of small

footsteps. She turned around, fast.


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From about a hundred feet away it stared

but came no further.

Slowly, Anna put her hand on her gun andwalked backward, away from the animal. It kept its

eyes on her without moving.

~~~

At midnight she woke to the sound of the

clock, in the hallway, right outside her door,

chiming.

Shed installed a heat sensor alarm. Anytimeshe went by, it would chime; it was annoying but it

was a last chance alarm system, in case all her

other measures failed.

Just like before, she rolled off her bed and

picked up the gun from the night stand. In the

bathroom, she looked at the camera viewings

inside the house.

Right outside her door, a figure with a gun

pointed upwards quietly opened her bedroom doorand stepped in.

In that bathroom, Anna had installed a push

door and camouflaged it to the wall. And as it was


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called, she pushed into the door and released. The

spring inside flung the door open. She slipped into

the hallway and pushed the opposite side of the

wall, closing it.

She stood there, with gun at the ready, as

the person likely inspected the bathroom,

wondering where she went. Just as the person,

unsuspecting, stepped into the hallway, she shot atthe persons torso.

Although silenced, the gun still made a

deafening noise that echoed through the hallway.

The person stood, still, a moment and thenfell to the floor.

Anna kicked his or her gun across the

landing.

Something was wrong, she thought.

When up that close, you always got some of

sort of blood splatter from a gunshot; however,

there was nothing on her face, hands or chest.

She knelt down and ran her hand over herattackers torso. He wore a bullet proof vest.

Quickly, she slipped it off and tried it on.


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Its a little loose but should come in handy.

Anna checked his pulse; then she pulled off

his hat. He was no one she knew.

Id better get you downstairs before you

wake.

She stuck the fore of her arms under his

shoulders and lifted him just off the floor. His feetslammed onto each step as she dragged him down.

By the time she reached the basement, she was out

of breath.

Too tired to hold him again, Anna opened

the door and pushed him down the stairs. She

watched as he rolled feet over head and fell to the

cement floor with a loud smack.

Downstairs, she slipped a chain around his

chest and clipped it onto its own link. Behind achair that was bolted to the floor in the center of

the room was a metal shaft that she cranked. The

chain pulled the man backwards into the seat

where she strapped down his wrists and ankles.


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From his pocket, Anna pulled out a cell

phone, a wallet and a set of keys. He had only a few

euros but no identification.

She tossed the items onto the table.

The man showed no signs of waking just

yet, so Anna went out and looked for his car.

She adjusted the straps on her vest beforestepping outside. Using a small led flashlight, she

shined light all around, low to the ground.

Down to the road, she walked but saw

nothing and no sign of anyone. There werent

many ways to come to her house by car, though, so

where could it have been?

She walked out to the cliffs behind her

house. Nothing there and once more, as she turned

she found the wolf behind her. Its tongue hung outof its mouth calmly; clearly, it wasnt in the

fighting mood.

Walking backwards, she slowly made her

way back to the house. Another snow storm was

moving in and she was freezing. Shed just have to

look again tomorrow.


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Tortured Times

Chapter 2

Anna woke to birds that chirped right outside her

window. She lay in bed and listened a while,

feeling happy.

Today was the day her battle would begin.

And it would start with the man in the basement.She wondered if she really had the stomach to do

what she had planned.

Anna wanted to lie there a bit longer and

imagine how to start, but the man had incredible

vocal range. His vibrato hummed through the

walls.

In the kitchen, he was even louder. She tried

not to laugh as she made her coffee.

Helloooooo! Untie me, now!I know who you

are. More will be coming. If you let me go now, Ill tell

them youre dead.

Anna laughed so hard that she almost spilled

hot water on the counter.

Out on the porch, she watched the icy grey

sky and wondered where his car could possibly be.


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She needed to find it. It was likely unmarked and

untraceable, and fitted with fake identifications: it

would be perfect travel for her when the time

came.

After a couple cups of coffee, she decided it

was time to get started. Shed spent too many

weeks idle. No longer, would she delay.

Next to the door of the basement was a vinyl

overall, just like the fishermen wore. Carefully, she

slipped it on, followed by vinyl boots. She tied her

hair back and put on a headband that held a large

pair of plastic glasses.

As she went down the stairs, the man finally

fell silent.

She stood facing him.

His eyes fell to the meat carving knife sheheld in her hand. Butchers used it in their shops all

the time. She hoped it would do the job well.

Look, let me go and Ill leave, and thats

that.

He sounded a little too confident for Annas

taste.

I have a few questions.


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I cant answer any questions. Surely, you

must know that and understand why.

Okay, well, I guess well get started then.

She took a step toward him.

If you think you have what it takes to

torture me into confessions, youd better think

again.

Really? Anna grinned. Have you ever

heard of a method called slow slicing? Its not just

a cutting ritual, like the Sisterlings did, but this is

actual carving of flesh away from the bone, and of

course, this most certainly involves removing body

parts. See my outfit? she asked while tugging at

her overalls. This is so I dont get your blood all

over me.

What are you, psychotic?

The question took her aback. Her eyebrows

furrowed up into her head.

Arent you?

But he didnt answer.


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Anna knelt before him, looked up into his

face as she pulled the large plastic visor down.

So heres how this will go: Well begin withyour leg, because if you should get out of your

restraints, I dont need you chasing me. Slowly,

well work up towards your torso, perhaps remove

some fingers. If by then, youre still silent, I will

bring out the chain saw and sever your legs,okay?

What is it you want to know? he asked

casually, as if he didnt believe shed do thosethings.

Wheres Bethany Winthorpe? I want to see

her, now.

Who?

Rather than indulge his feigned ignorance,

she continued.

Slow slicing doesnt really have any rules of

where to start or how to cut. For the most part,this torture is left up to the executioners

imagination.


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His eyes flickered and widened at the word,

execution.

Thats right; this method is not meant tokeep you alive. All the blood loss, well, youll see.

She held his pant leg taught by the hem and

pushed the knife through, ripping a large frayed

piece of jean away, exposing his shin.

To just off the side of his shin bone, the knife

pierced in easy. Similar to cutting wet cloth, so did

the feel of the knife slicing downward through his

flesh. When it grazed his bone, it was lightly

gradient, yet smooth, sort of like when rubbing apearl on a tooth.

The sight of the blood made her queasy, but

she continued to cut right over the ridge of his

shin, and reversed direction, cutting upward and

over. Her glove slipped on the bloody flesh as she

pulled it, neatly, away from the bone.

He screamed louder than shed ever heard a

person scream before. She didnt know it was

humanly possible to reach such decibels. Annawould be sure to put in ear plugs for next time,

and maybe play some music.


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When she stood up and dangled the ten inch

long strip of flesh, his eyes bulged.

Im gonna kill you!

If you could catch me, Im sure you would,

but you cant run, now. In fact, you might need a

cane and medication for the rest of your life.

Youve just lost a vital piece of muscle and flesh.

Anna didnt know if what she said was true,

but the man was affected by her words all the

same.

Im just gonna keep going until you tell me

what I want to know, she said, trying to sound

like she hardly cared.

She threw the skin over her shoulder; it

landed with a splat somewhere behind her. Then

she began cutting away his other pant leg.

I dont know Bethany Winthorpe.

Anna stood up and looked at him a moment.

It seemed he might have been telling the truth.

She stabbed the knife into his chest; it made

a loud thud when it hit his bone.


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Tell me where you got your orders from,

then?

I dont know.

Alright, she sighed. I guess I might as

well move on. Maybe I should remove a breast? In

my research, people always removed at least one.

No, please, no, no

She ripped open his shirt, exposing his chest.

Just when she stuck the knife under the small rise

of his right breast, he passed out.

Hey, she said, slapping him.

He didnt respond, so she stabbed him in the

thigh, burying the entire knife up to the handle.

He still didnt move.

Then she realized the mistake shed made.

Damn it! she cursed at herself.

What if shed cut into a main vessel or

something and he died before she got any answers?Not only did she almost kill him, but hed already

passed out and it had only been ten minutes.

I guess I suck at this torture stuff.


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She yanked the knife from his thigh and

threw it in the sink.

Might as well have some lunch.

Upstairs, she made herself a sandwich and

checked her email. She had gotten an invitation to

join an exclusive website: Blackened Light.

Sounds mysterious.

She clicked into the invitation.

Immediately, there was a familiar feel to it:

the personality evaluations, the looks on the faces

of the women. Could it be another Sisterlings?

Anna got warm with excitement.

Just then, the sound of humming was carriedto her ears from a distance.

She pulled up her security screen.

Her blood went cold.

What the hell?

What looked like the special edition fiat, she

and Alec had bought, made its way along the road.


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She zoomed in and saw Luc with Alec and

Caramia.

An array of expletives flew off her tongue.

What was she gonna do?

She jumped out of her chair, ran across the

room and locked the basement door. What would

she say if he started screaming again?

Then she went into the bathroom and

looked at her face. There was one little speck of

blood on her chin. She rubbed a bar of soap under

water and washed and rinsed her face.

At the front door, she waited, furiously, for

them to arrive.

When they stepped out of the car, Anna ran

up to Caramia and gave her a hug.

I missed you, maman.

I missed you, too. Then, looking at Alec

and Luc, she said, You, two, over here! Caramia,

stay here a moment.


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Anna motioned that Luc and Alec follow her

a few feet away so her daughter couldnt hear them

talk. Caramia busied herself by picking up rocks

and throwing them.

What the hell are you doing here?

I had no choice but to tell, said Luc.

Its been a long drive, can we please goinside? asked Alec.

No! Stay out here!

What? Why? he asked, sounding startled

by her behavior. Arent you happy to see us? Youbarely said hello to your daughter.

Im sorry. Why dont we go out to eat,

okay?

There isnt a restaurant for at least fortymiles, said Luc.

Were not going anywhere, Alec said

firmly.

He walked over and picked up Caramia, andthey disappeared through the doorway into the

house.


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Some moments later, Caramia sat at the

kitchen table, eating a sandwich. Luc and Alec sat

next to her, sipping cups of coffee. Anna stood by

the counter, watching them all while heavy sweat

juiced from her pores and ran down her face and

back.

So youve been hiding here all this time?

asked Alec.

Dont you realize how stupid you are? You

not only put yourself in danger, but you put our

daughter at risk.

AAAAHHHhhhhhhh!!!!! Im bleeding to death,lady! Help me, please!

Alec and Luc jumped.

Who was that? asked Caramia, turning in

her seat.

Both Alecs and Lucs eyes snapped in her

direction.

I need a tourniquette!

Anna only looked back, unsure of what to

say.


36/98

Luc and Alec got out of their seats and went

to find out where the screams came from. Their

shoes slammed down the hall. Her skin tingled

when she heard the sound of the basement door

open, and their footsteps descend the stairs.

Caramia, lets go eat out on the porch.

Anna picked up her plate and cup of milk.

Caramia followed her to the porch couch. She

turned on the tower for warmth and sat down next

to her and waited for Alec and Luc to return.

A moment later, Luc stuck his head out of

the sliding glass door and said, Anna, a word.

Without getting up, she asked, Wheres

Alec?

Hes downstairs, wrapping up the mans

wounds.

No!

She stood up.

Dont worry, hes still tied down.

Just then, Luc pulled his head back into the

house, only for Alec to storm through the glass

door. He walked up and gathered Caramia onto his


37/98

hip. Without a word, he turned and went back

inside the house.

Wait! shouted Anna, as she followed him.I can explain.

I dont want to hear it! Come on, Luc. Lets

get out of here. I dont want my daughter in this

place.

Wait in the car, Alec. Ill be there in a

moment.

He stomped through the front door.

Luc looked at her and said, Explain.

I told you that my ex is afterme.

If that were true, you would have involved

the police. You wouldnt be slicing and dicing

some poor guy in the basement.

Her brained raced with a hundred possible

lies she could tell them.

Luc turned and walked off.

Where are you going?

If Im not gonna get answers from you,

then Ill just ask your friend whos downstairs.


38/98

Alright, alright!

~~~

It was eight o clock. Caramia lay asleep on

the couch. The man, downstairs, had been silent

for hours.

On the porch, they sipped whiskey and

smoked. The full moon shone brightly above them.

Snow lightly fell to the ground.

She told them everything from the

beginning. How shed signed up to the site,

Sisterlings, back in New York; when she became

friends with Sheila; about going on the run. And

finally, the photograph and jacket that

mysteriously appeared on her desk at home and in

her hospital room after her accident.

Let me see the jacket.

I already checked it for devices.

But Luc inspected it anyway.


39/98

Thats quite a story, said Alec, not

sounding happy. What do we do?

Are you asking me? Luc tapped his ashinto the tray. Mafia is one thing to fight, but a

high tech, secret killing corporation? Who knows

whos protecting them!

For a moment they said nothing. Then Luc

asked, So what were youtrying to get from the

guy downstairs?

Information on the woman who got me

involved in this in the first place. I think she can

stop these people coming after me.

We should call the police, said Alec.

Are you mad? said Luc, a new cigarette

dangling from the corner of his mouth. Do you

not understand that, if shes telling the truth, thepolice are the last people you want to inform?

Besides, even if they believed us, Anna is guilty of

kidnapping and torture. She will go to jail for sure.

Once they see what she did to the guy downstairs,

it wont matter what his line of work is.

Well, now you know, and now you can go.

Ill just say goodbye to Caramia. The sooner you


40/98

leave here the better, said Anna, stamping out her

cigarette.

Agreed, said Alec who stood and stretched.

Some moments later, Anna stood beside the

car, waving goodbye to her daughter. Alec didnt

kiss her or say goodbye; he simply climbed into thefront seat and waited.

I guess hes pretty mad at me.

Alec stuck his head out of the window and

asked, Luc, are you coming or what?

No, Im staying. Anna needs my help.

I can do this on my own.

Anna, youve been found. You need to movequickly. Well find the car your would-be-killer

came in, and Ill take you to another place you can

hide out for a bit.


41/98

Mystery Places

Chapter 3

In a large crevice on the other side of the road that

led back to the city roadway, the car was hidden.

Strange because Anna was certain it wasnt there

before. Luc was fortunate enough to stumble onto

it.

They drove all through the night. Luc

suggested that she try and rest in the back seat,

but Anna just couldnt, not with the way the wind

howled outside. Plus, he was a crazy driver, and

she felt better being awake in case anythinghappened. She might need to jump from the car

before they went over a cliff.

I still think we should have taken that guy

with us, she said.

Luc left him on the ground at a hospital in

the next town over.

Chances are he didnt know anything. He

probably got his orders from an anonymous source

and thats all.

So we could have gotten ahold of his

source.


42/98

Even if we did, theyd probably be

expecting you, and would only make another

attempt to draw you out and kill you.

Why do you say that?

He would have been expected to call in and

confirm your death hours ago. Naturally, theyll

assume that something went wrong and be

working on another plan of attack. What we need

to do is take them by surprise, and not give them

the chance to get the better of you.

I disagree. He could have still had time to

check in. And if that didnt work, we could havetried blackmail.

Just trust me, Anna. You are playing with

only half a deck. How can you negotiate or counter

these people when you dont know whats going?

Well, you had better be right because the

Crest people are hard to find. He might have been

our one chance to connect with them.

A few miles outside of Paris, they turned

onto an empty road with an old office building at

the end. There was nothing around for miles,

except the backdrop of Paris lights.


43/98

What is this place? And are you sure its

safe to be this close to the city?

This is my old office. I stay here wheneverIm in town. Its got everything we need; no one

will know youre here as long as you dont go out,

as there are no city cameras here, just mine. The

next neighbor is five miles that way, he said,

pointing east.

Unlike the outside, which was cold and

lonesome, inside was cozy and inviting, despite

being small. In the middle of the room was a largedesk with a computer. To her left and right, two

leather couches lined the walls. And behind the

desk, a twin bed stood.

Anna set her suitcase on the floor.

Sorry, its just a flat, but you may rest on

the bed, if you like. There is a bathroom and

shower in the back, and a kitchen.

~~~


44/98

Several hours later, Anna woke to the sound

of Lucs typing.

Good morning, he said. Theres fruit andcoffee in the back.

Groggily, she got up.

The kitchen was small and plain. Grey sky

bled through a large window to her left, bathing itin a dreary light. A refrigerator hummed, and on

the counter next to it was a bowl of fruit.

Biting into an apple, she looked through the

window and saw miles of dirt with no grass.

During the day, the place looked even lonelier.

Paris was grey and serious without sparkling

lights.

Back in the office, she asked, Find anything

interesting?

Actually, I did, he said and sipped his

coffee. There have been reports of murders in

Paris, Prague, and other cities; ritual types of

murders that looked like some sort of initiation.

This, in itself, is not terribly unusual, as there are

always gang initiations or those who like to

practice occult. The remarkable thing about these

murders was the scenes, which were so clean that


45/98

they could have only been committed by

professionals. The bodies were cleaned of any

evidence, and not a single clue, like DNA or fabric,

was left behind. I wonder if some of these could be

your friends from the Crest Foundation. He

paused for a moment, and then continued, Also, I

couldnt find anything on your friend, Sheila.

Well, she didnt go by Sheila. We changedour names, remember? She was Gabrielle, and I,

Piper.

But you kept Anna as your middle name?

he asked as he typed.

I just couldnt get used to my new name.

Silly, I know, and dangerous, but when I got

married, I figured it would be okay.

When a picture of Sheila appeared on the

screen, she said, Thats her.

He clicked into the profile.

According to this, she was a witness of

some sort. She was under police protection. Your

friend wasnt the only one killed that night, but so

were her bodyguards.

A witness? To what?


46/98

I dont know, it doesnt say. My access to

these files is limited.

That bitch!

Luc turned in his seat. My god, Anna.

What is it?

No wonder they found me; its because they

found her! She was always sloppy.

Dont jump to conclusions. There could be

a million reasons why she ended up in police

custody.

So what, now?

Im going to visit my friend in Paris; he

works in the records department and hell have

better access.

Great, lets go.

She grabbed the red jacket off the couch.

Actually, I was thinking Id go alone.

Why?There are security cameras on every street

corner. Even with a hat and sunglasses, you could

be seen and recognized. Just let me go. Ill only be


47/98

gone a few hours. Anytime I need information, this

friend has helped me out. Ill find out why Sheila

was in custody; only then might we learn why

Crest is trying to kill you after all this time.

Because it just seems to me that if a company like

that wants you dead, then you would be dead

already. There would be no happily ever after or

ten year bliss, which you sort of got away with.

Something else is going on here, and we need to be

clear on that.

She thought about it a moment, and then

reluctantly agreed. Youve got a point. Alright,

Ill stay here and wait. Just be really careful. Dontlet anyone follow you back.

~~~

Night had long since fallen before Luc

returned. Anna sat in the kitchen, sipping scotch

and watching the stars and the flickering lights of

the city through the window.

Her heart raced when she finally heard is car

approach.


48/98

She leapt out of her chair and ran to the

front door.

With a few grocery bags in his hand, hestepped out of the car.

Anna held the door open for him as he

walked through.

Well? she asked.

He put the bags on the desk and pulled out a

bottle of vodka and two glasses.

Want a drink?

At first she hesitated, but then said, Sure.

Well, I talked to my friend, and he

researched the matter as much as he could. All he

found was that Sheila was about to be transferred

back to the United States and into FBI custody.She was also being considered for the witness

protection program.

Anna almost dropped her glass.

And?

Unfortunately, we were unable to find out

anything more; however, I can say that, usually,


49/98

when people are in these situations, its because

theyre about to give witness against persons of

great and powerful influence: persons who could

easily put a hit out on the witness life.

Anna sat back, sipped her drink and thought

a moment.

Well, I guess it only makes sense to assume

that she was going to witness against Crest or

someone involved in the organization.

Exactly, my point.

And thats why she ended up dead, and

thats why their coming for me, now. I just cant

guess why shed do that, because she was perfectly

safe in hiding.

You say she might have left a son behind,

so perhaps thats the reason. What parent wouldntrisk his or her life to be with child again?

Right.

She probably tried to make a deal, not

thinking about the risk she was taking. I mean, anorganization like Crest will have many hands in

many pockets.

They sat in silence a moment, thinking.


50/98

Maybe this could be your chance, he said.

For what?

For a new life: to give up hiding and help

the FBI.

Are you crazy? Look where that got

Sheila.

Youll just be more careful. Think about it:

you can help bring Crest down and then disappear

with Alec and Caramia. Youll no longer need to

pretend to be someone else all of the time.

Pretending that I was from the VirginIslands was easy, I guess, because my old life

wasnt all that great. Charlotte Amalie is a small

place and very memorable. The only difficult part

was lying to Alec and Caramia. I wanted to be

honest with him many times, about who I reallywasand I hated feeding Caramia false stories of

where her lineage comes from, but I knew that I

needed them to believe the lie so that others would

believe it, too.

So what are you going to do? Just hide out

forever?


51/98

No, Im going to take your advice and help

the FBI, but there is no way Im going into their

custody.


52/98

Sweet Home

Chapter 4

Although he tried to talk her out of leaving, she

insisted. If Crest had been found out, and the FBI

was involved, then Anna had to get back to New

York, where it all began. Crest was an American

organization and would be tried as such.

Besides, the situation could get messy. She

might just end up dead, anyway. The farther away

from Alec and Caramia she got, the less chance of

them getting caught up in her war. But if it all

worked out, she could finally live without fear. Andits not like she was a fugitive from the law; just

from Bethanys company.

So with reluctance, Luc drove her to the

airport. He hugged her and said, If you need

anything, please call.

Alright. Thanks for everything. Oh, will

give something to Caramia from me?

What?

Anna looked around.

She ran into the gift shop just behind her

and bought a small stuffed bear with a heart.


53/98

A few seconds later, she shoved the bear into

Lucs hand.

Are you sure you dont want me to comewith you?

No, Id rather do this on my own.

A few hours later, the plane took off,

smoothly, into the air. She sighed with relief

because, although she wasnt afraid to fly,

ascending always made her nervous.

Anna leant back in her seat and uncapped abottle of water. She took a long sip and started

working on a Sudoku puzzle.

The flight attendant put a plate of food in

front her. Anna said thank you, and as she turned

her head forward again, she noticed a man, several

rows ahead, looking over his seat at her.

He had dark eyes and light hair and wore a

grey suit. Just as her eyes met his, he turned back

around in his seat.

Anna wasnt fooled, though. She knew it

couldnt be a coincidence. His eyes met hers and

communicated, plainly, that he recognized her; the


54/98

way they quick yet subtly dropped to her mouth

and back up to her eyes. Perhaps he was

comparing her to a photo hed seen.

Judging by his suit, he was definitely

American. Not that it was terribly cheap looking,

but it wasnt exactly stylish, like the men of Paris

or Bordeaux wore.

Her hand shook, lightly, as she picked up her

plastic fork.

Calm down, she told herself.

But her jaw had tightened so that it was

hard to chew her food.

Every so often, shed glance up at the back

of the mans head. He never looked back, or at

least, she never caught him doing so.

Finally, it was dark. People turned off and

dimmed lights. The flight attendants were done

delivering snacks.

Anna was tired but couldnt sleep, for even

though she hadnt caught him looking at her again,she just knew he had to be there for her.

Feeling stuffy, she reached up to turn the air

on.


55/98

The man got up to use the restroom. Anna

tried her best to only look out of the corners of her

eyes to see if he looked at her.

As he passed, just like she guessed, his eyes

averted to hers and lingered. At that moment, she

knew she was right.

Anna tried to think of clever ways to get

away when the plane landed, but nothing came to

mind. Getting through customs was always a

cramped ordeal.

The next six hours were restless, but she

kept her eyes closed and her head rested on a littlecomplimentary pillow.

When they landed, she ignored angry glares

from passengers and ran to the front of the plane.

And as she waited for the flight attendants to

release them, she glanced over her shoulder.

The man looked back. He stepped into the

aisle and moved forward with his bag.

Anna got through customs quickly and

without a search, but so did the man. Now, amidst

crowds from all over the airport, they shuffled,

together, towards baggage claim.


56/98

She stayed ahead of the man by some fifty

feet. When she looked back again, he seemed

mellow and disinterested as he swayed left and

right to avoid passersby. And for a brief moment,

Anna thought maybe she was just paranoid. Maybe

the guy simply found her attractive and was

admiring her. Perhaps her anxiety was making her

overthink things.

Just when she felt the weight of worry lift,

someone placed their hand on her shoulder and

said, Im gonna need you to come with me.

She turned and saw, there and in a black and

white uniform, was airport security.

He grabbed her other arm just as she made a

step forward in an attempt to break away. Instead,

she bounced back and stumbled into him.

I think youve made a mistake, she

exclaimed.

I dont think so.

What is it you think Ive done?

Well talk about that in a moment.


57/98

He dragged her in the opposite direction of

the crowd and into a dim corridor with an office at

the end.

Excuse me, someone shouted from behind

them.

The guard stopped and turned. Who are

you? he asked.

The man in the grey suit walked up. He put

down his suitcase and said, Shes coming with

me.

Sweat broke out on the back of her neck.

He pulled identification from his pocket and

showed it to him. It wasnt any kind of

identification that she recognized, but the security

officer did.

Well have to settle the matter with my

boss. Will you come with us, then?

He nodded his head and picked up his

suitcase again.

Panic enveloped her. Were they really going

to give her to the man?


58/98

She reached into her purse and pulled out

her key chain. On it hung a little canister of pepper

spray. It made a loud hissing sound as she pressed

the red button and pointed it in the security

guards and then the man in the suits face.

She slipped out of the security guards grip

and ran back down the corridor, toward the lower

level of the airport.

Hey! the man in the suit shouted. Stop!

It was her lucky day, for her single piece of

luggage had just ridden up the conveyor belt.

She ran up, grabbed her bag and zipped

through the sliding glass door.

A dirty old bus was parked a few feet to her

right. She leapt on just as it closed its door.

$1, said the driver.

Thankfully, she had some old American

money from all those years ago, when she first

went on the run. Currency counters refused to

exchange small change.

Anna pulled four quarters from her wallet

and stuck it in the machine. She just hoped that her

memory of the bus system was still good. Not that


59/98

it mattered, as there was always a way to get

around and back in a place like New York.

Anna turned in her seat and saw the securityguard and the man in the suit watching the bus as

it drove away.

~~~

As luck would have it, the bus only took her

over to Queens. She got off at the first stop and

crossed the street to catch the bus going back into

the city.

Half an hour later, she checked into her Soho

hotel. Exhausted, she fell on the bed and slept forhours, only to wake when a bright yellow light

glared through the space in the curtains and her

eyelids. She turned over onto her other side and

tried to go back to sleep, but the light had

brightened the entire room.

She opened her eyes, rolled onto her back

and sighed.


60/98

Through the crack in the drapes, she saw

something she hadnt seen in a decade: a New York

City sunset. Nostalgia crept up on her as she

recognized the way the light looked so golden

against the grey of the buildings, like paint on a

dirty canvas.

After a quick shower and change, she went

to see if her favorite sushi restaurant was still

around. Through the old neighborhood, she went

from memory; it was almost as though shed never

left.

Down at the end of the block, the same little

tables and chairs sat outside of the restaurant; the

only difference being the double doors had been

painted from black to red.

Inside all the old art that once hung on the

walls had been replaced with black and white

photos. Behind a new and shiny sushi bar was the

familiar face of someone whom she rarely spoke to,

when she lived there before, yet she knew his name

was Yoshi because shed heard others call him that.

Yoshis hair was much greyer, now, and he

had a few lines around his eyes.


61/98

Hey, he said as she took a seat. Where

have you been?

Wow, you remember me? Ive been away toParis.

Whats there?

I got married.

Congratulations! Here, he said and set a

small plate of Bluefin sashimi in front of her.

Welcome back.

Thank you so much! she said with a wide

smile.

After a lengthy indulgence, she took a walk

around the neighborhood and then up to the West

Side. Then she went past her old apartmentbuilding and remembered the night Sheila got

shot. She had come to warn her about the

Sisterlings group, and that they were coming to

kill her. As they walked through the door of her

apartment, they were attacked. Sheila was onlygrazed but there was still so much blood

everywhere.


62/98

She hated that apartment for so long, but

when things got scary and she left the city, only

for Blake to drag her right back some days later,

boy she was grateful to see that place again.

Thinking about Blake turned her stomach.

She thought he was an honest cop, helping her to

find out what happened to Bethany, but it turned

out that he was working for Sisterlings all along.He was simply keeping an eye on her.

Then there was Angie, whom she thought

was a friend, too. She was the most evil of them all,

even Sheila who loved violence. Anna thought they

were tight, but Angie turned on them, both. She

was the coldest when it came to killing.

There were some days when she thought

shed never forgive Bethany. She was part owner of

the Crest Foundation, and never once warned herabout what she was getting into. Had she known,

she would have gotten far away.

Where was Bethany?

Gently she pulled the sides of the red leatherjacket and looked at it. It was well preserved over

the decade; almost as if it just lay in a drawer all

those years. No signs of wear or scent of age.


63/98

She shivered and realized that it was almost

midnight. And as she turned to go back to the

hotel, she saw a strange shadow jump across the

wall. Quickly, she spun around while grabbing for

her keychain with the new can of pepper spray.

Seeing nothng, she ran back to Soho.

~~~

The next morning, Anna went for breakfast

at her old caf. Make the Most of Your Time

seemed to be modeled after a Garden, The Secret

Garden Anna thought but never asked. She found

the dcor soothed her with its small water gardens

and plants.

Inside, there were all new faces but it still

felt like home. She took a seat and ordered herfavorite salmon and eggs benedict on baguette.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her: What if

by going to the FBI, shed have a hand in sending

Bethany to jail for many years and most likely the

rest of her life?


64/98

What should I do? She asked of herself. Anna

came all that way to get her life back, but didnt

quite know where to start.

Wasnt there any other way to go about

this?

After her breakfast, she turned right at the

stop light and walked to the Penmac building,

where the Sisterlings headquarters was located last

time. People walked in and out in a shuffle. They

mostly wore suits and carried pieces of papers,

briefcases or folders in their hands.

Despite being a bit nervous, she went insideanyway.

The dcor had changed from sterile and

grey to office beige. She looked at the company

directory: Match Employment Services. It

appeared the Penmac building was a corporate

office and acting staffing agency.

She scanned the entire lobby; everyone

looked normal. Then her eyes settled on the lady

behind the lobby desk. She looked up at Anna,inquisitivelyprobably because she wasnt dressed

like everyone else.


65/98

Self-consciously, she looked down at her red

sweater, blue jeans and brown leather boots.

Thinking there was nothing there, sheturned to leave. But then, instinct told her to turn

back, because nothing was ever as it seemed with

Sisterlings. Match Employment could be just

another cover.

Her boots echoed off the walls as she walked

up to the desk. The ladies eyes widened at her

approach and her lips tightened.

Is there a Bethany Winthorpe working

here? Im an old friend, and its important that Ispeak to her.

No, Im sorry, she said in a lilting voice.

But Anna didnt buy it. The way her eyes

quickly shifted; the way her mouth barely movedwhen she spoke. The woman knew something.

Anna leant in a bit closer and whispered,

Where is she?

A security guard came up behind her.

Time to go, maam.


66/98

It was just a question, Anna said and

turned to leave.

Outside she stared at the building awhile. It

was very interesting how they would give their

location away, to her, so easilyor hire someonewho was as terrible at lying as the woman behind

the lobby desk. Youd think theyd have enough

sense to prepare for her to come asking questions,

as shed proven all those years ago that she could

be resourceful.

Ill be back, she said to herself.

Unsure of what else to do with her day, she

decided to take a long walk. Down to the old park

she went, where she used to frequent when she

lived there before. All of the benches had been

replaced, and new flower arrangements had been

added to the garden. Still, the smell of honey

suckle moistened the air.

People strolled or walked their dogs and

jogged. Anna made for her favorite bench which


67/98

was right under the bells of the honey suckle vine

trees.

Anna watched people for hours before goingfor a light lunch. Then she returned to her hotel

and rested.

When eleven o clock came, she changed

into black pants and a shirt. At the bottom of her

suitcase were the soft soled shoes and the neoprene

gloves she had received all those years ago. They

were perfect for breaking and entering without

leaving any tracks, not that she planned to do

these things. She just didnt want to leave any

physical traces behind in case she did need to sneak

or break into an office; however, Penmac usually

had a security or a cleaning crew. All she would

need is to hit the cash machine on her way out, so

she could offer bribes.

And so she caught a cab across town.

If she remembered correctly, there was a

backdoor that was usually unlocked. She stepped

out of the cab and watched it drive off. It didnt

matter if the cab driver became her witness, as she

wouldnt be breaking and entering, technically. All

she needed was to hide her face from the camera so

that no one recognized her immediately, and attack


68/98

her - although they probably already knew she was

there.

From her pocket, she pulled a black hat andput it on.

The door handle made a loud click as she

pressed it downward.

All was dark and quiet.

Stray rays of moonlight shined across the

office, illuminating messy desks. Across the hall

was the elevator, which took her up to the seventh

floor. When she got out, she walked the hall, and

made a few turns until she faced what was once a

grey wall, only now, it was white. Behind that

wall, all those years ago, she found David

Winthorpes hidden office.

Anna remembered that there was a loud

vibration that came through the wall. However,

there was no vibration and no sound this time. She

rested her palm on the wall to see if she could feel

anything.

The wall started to move upward.


69/98

A familiar face came into view. She had very

pale green eyes and an old fair and stone like face

that reminded her of a Greek statue.

Anna.

Stunned, she replied, Your name escapes

me.

My names Jillian. Im the one that helpedyou when you had your little trouble with your old

employers.

Suddenly, she remembered meeting her at

the coffee shop. She threw her coffee on Nicaa

moderator for the Sisterlings website - in the

hopes to gain her trust. Anna didnt like Nica and

had quit the site, but Jillian wanted her back.

Wheres Bethany?

Her eyebrows rose in a questioning manner.

I dont know.

It was hard to tell if she lied because her face

was so steely.

Why are you guys coming after me again?

I dont know what you mean, she said

casually.


70/98

Just stop!

Jillian looked her up and down, and then

said, I really dont know what youre talkingabout. Im just a chairwoman and I work in

contracts. There is nothing more or less to me.

Fine. Tell your people that Im here to

make a deal: You stop coming after me and I wont

go to the FBI.

Jillian didnt even blink like a normal person.

Was she capable of feeling any emotion, Anna

wondered?

I dont care aboutdeals, except those

concerning real contracts. My work isnt in

protecting the foundation. Why dont you try your

threats out on our legal department?

This is not a threat.

Im not sure what you hoped to get by

coming here, tonight, but youre wastingyour

time. Just be on your way, Anna.

Please, Jillian, I have a family now. Iveproven over ten long years that Im not a threat to

your organization, so why are you bent on

destroying me?


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Leave.

Is it because of Sheila?

Who?

She used to work for you! She was my

friend: tall, blonde, brutal.

Look, I told you. Im sorry, but I havent a

clue.

One thing she remembered from before was

that Jillian was stone on the inside, so there was no

point in arguing or pleading, for she could hardly

be moved.

Anna turned and walked off down the hall.

She was so upset that she didnt even stopfor a cab. Instead, she made the three mile walk all

the way back to her hotel.

In the hotel bar, she ordered Grey Goose on

the rocks with a lime. For a moment, she stared at

the clear yet misty liquid and the way the warmlights reflected off the glass; the two olives, like

little anchors in an ocean, perfectly oval and

rested. Then she picked up the cold, perspired


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glass and took a small sip. She rolled the liquid

over her tongue and swallowed.

She sighed and set the glass down.

Just what was she gonna do? Jillian was no

help. Why couldnt she have found someone else in

that office?

The only other option, then, was to go tothe FBI. But she just didnt want to work with

them. Who knows what would come of it? Shed

have to not only agree to speak of things shed

rather forget, but shed have to tell on those who

could have her shot while admitting to crimes that,even if she could negotiate immunity of

prosecution for, would still come to light. People

would know of the horrible things shed done, and

she didnt want that.

However, if she could just reach Bethany,

she would surely take care of her. All her problems

would be over in a minute, and then she could go

home to Alec and Caramia.

Having drunk the alcohol too fast, the effectswent to her head. Still, she ordered another and

the bartender didnt care.


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At midnight, just barely able to stand, she

pulled herself away from the bar and stumbled into

the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close,

a tall man in a suit slipped through them.

Something about the speed at which he

moved made her really dizzy. She held onto the

rail on the wall for support, but it was too late.

Anna fell to the floor and spewed.

When shed done, she looked up and barely

saw the mans face.

He pulled her up off the floor by her

shoulders.

What room? he asked.

She slipped the key card into his hand.

That was all she remembered.

~~~

The next morning, the phone rang.

Oh god, she moaned.


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She lifted the phone but hadnt the strength

to pull it to her ear, so she let it drop to the floor,

along with her arm.

Anna? asked a female voice.

Once more, she opened her eyes. Shakily, she

reached for the phone again and laid it on her ear.

Who is this?

Its me, Jillian. So I looked into your

problem, and well, I have a proposition for you:

take care of this job Im about to hand off to you,

and Ill make your problems go away. Its already

been agreed upon by me and some others.

Why would you make me an offer like that?

Im not one of your employees. I was never trained

for your kind of work.

I know that you can help us with this one.

Goodbye, she said and hung up.

Right as Anna heard the phone disconnect

sound there was a knock on the door.

She pulled herself out of bed.


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Cautiously, she peaked through the hole and

saw a man in a suit.

Who are you? she called through the door.

Jillian sent me. I came around last night,

but you were out of it. We need to talk.

Anna thought for a moment, asking herself,

Am I really going to do this?

Listen, its really important; it cant wait.

Downstairs in the restaurant: Ill be there

in thirty minutes.

Actually, weshould talk privately. Can I

come in?

Forget it, she said and went into the

bathroom and started the shower. There was no

way she was letting a strange, dangerous man intoher room.

Thirty minutes later, Anna found the man

sitting at a table, sipping a cup of coffee.

He looked up and said, Anna! and waived.

She walked over and sat across from him.


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You dont remember me, do you? Im the

one who drove you to the apartment, that night,

remember? Im a friend of Bethanys.

Although she didnt recognize his face, she

did remember having coffee in a strange apartment

across the city.

The waitress came and got their orders. As

she used to do, Anna had a mimosa to help her

hangover.

My names George. We havent much time,

so Im just gonna drop you right in it. The thing is

you cant trust anyone, right now, and things are

crazy.

Im only interested in one thing, and thats

finding Bethany.

I dont know where she is, but Im gonna

help you find her. Now that youve revealed

yourself, perhaps youll recognize any clues as to

where she is.

What do you mean?

Shes gone into hiding.


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Why? Crest is her company. Besides, I

thought you, two, were friends? Why dont you

know where shes at?

Some time ago, Bethany accepted a contract

and handed it off to her best agent. She failed to

make her mark, and not only that, but got herself

caught.

So Jillian wants me to kill her target?

No, the targets already dead.

Then, what?

We didnt have time to get to the agentbefore she started to talk. You see, the woman had

a guilty conscience and told the authorities

everything, and now, the FBI is onto us. He

paused to sip his coffee.

So, what? Dont tell me Crest isnt equipped

to deal with such a problem.

The investigation is still ongoing, but were

working on it.

I dont get it. Why are you telling me this?

What has this to do with why you people are

trying to kill me?


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At the start of the investigation, many

feared for their lives and went into hiding. You see,

in the event of exposure, people are typically to be

terminated. Weve found the others and theyve

been taken care of. Now, we just need you to help

us draw Bethany out.

So you want me to help you find my closest

friend so you can kill her?

Shes a loose end, and unlike you, she cant

be ignored.


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Scurry

Chapter 5

Even now, the information still rung in her ears:

They wanted her to help them kill Bethany, and in

exchange, theyd make all her problems go away.

It was either her and her family, or the woman

who saved her life, all those years ago.

But the biggest question was whether she

should trust George and Crest at all. They could

easily go back on their word. As it was, they still

hadnt told her who it was that tried to kill her;

they still claimed it wasnt them.

So how are you gonna make my problems

go away if you dont know whos trying to kill

me?

Jillian knows. Crest knows everything.

Do you know?

I dont, sorry. Im not that high up in the

organization, but I will tell you this, she always

keeps her word. Whether it is us or someone else,shell get to the bottom of it.

Where are we going? she asked.


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The last place Bethany lived. You can look

around. Maybe youll find something.

Theres one thing I dont understand.

What?

How can you expect me to kill someone I

was close to? And how could you help me? I

remember she said you were a good friend.

Were not so good of friends so much as

longtime friends. But you know, thats just how it

goes in this kind of work. We all accept it, and we

expect that itll be our friends who get us in the

end. She understands, trust me. Shell forgive you.

Oh my gosh, she said when they pulled

into the parking garage of Bethanys old building

the one that she, herself, helped clean when

Bethany faked her death.

What?

Bethany moved back here?

It was her favorite place. Its cozy, right in

the middle of everything and a great view.


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Anna never would have thought to revisit

the place: it just seemed reckless to live there

again, especially given her desire to lose her real

identity.

Inside was almost as she remembered it:

funky unknown art on the wall, a few plants in the

corners, hardly any furnishings and the scent of

Michael Kors in the air. And the only outrageousflourish to Bethanys personality, be it dress or

dcor, was in the middle of the room in the form of

a bright cobalt blue couch.

How long ago did she go into hiding?

Its been six months.

George walked around the room looking at

all the art on the wall and picking things up.

Anna walked into Bethanys bedroom andjust like old habit, went to her closet to see what

kind of clothes she could steal.

Bethanys taste in clothes hadnt changed

much: lots of black, lots of leather, lots of

cashmere. However, her clothes were larger than

usual. It looked like she might have put on some

weight.


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Hey, Anna! George called from the living

room.

Coming, she said, but before closing thecloset door, she nabbed the fur lined leather jacket.

In New York, she might be criticized; in Paris, it

would be fabulous.

And then she remembered a conversation

shed had with Bethany. If she lived in Paris, shed

wear fur all the time. But yet, she had never

owned any fur clothes before.

Could Bethany have been in Paris, at some

point?

She slipped on the jacket and remembered

how annoyed Bethany used to get with her for

going through her closet. Sometimes, shed take

things without asking. Anna knew the look shed

have on her face, right now, if she knew she was

stealing such a beautiful jacket.

Oh well, she said and smirked toherself.

She can take it from me, herself.

Back in the living room, George stood in the

doorway of Bethanys office.


83/98

Over here. He motioned with his hand that

she come. Why dont you look through her desk

drawers?

Okay.

She sat at the oak desk and opened the

drawer to her right and found a mass of files. Anna

pulled up the first and found a contract between

Crest and someone named Petrovsky. She turned a

few of the pages and found Bethanys signature on

the last page.

She put the file back and opened the left

drawer. There was nothing but financial reports.

Well, I dont see anything indicative.

Didnt Bethany have vacation homes? he

asked.

Yes, but everyone knew where they were;

they werent exactly secret. What ever happened

to David Winthorpe?

Dead. He was taken care of back when they

were fighting for control of the company.

Have you talked to any of her friends?

No, she kept to herself, mostly.


84/98

Hmmm, she said. Thats not the Bethany

that I knew. She was always having parties and

guests.

When she took over the company, that all

changed. She didnt have time for breakfast, let

alone friends.

After theyd looked over every square inch

of the apartment, George drove her to the Penmac

building. They went into a special viewing room

and looked at street surveillance for a few hours.

At eight o clock, she said, Im tired; lets

go eat.

Twenty minutes later, they sat at a small

pizzeria down the street.

It has been too long since New York pizza!

Anna exclaimed as she took a huge bite of her slice.

So what have you been doing all of this

time in Paris?

Aside from raising my girl and being a

good wife? Not much, she said which was a lie; it

was just better not to talk about her family and

their business dealings.


85/98

And you never spoke to Sheila in all that

time?

Nope.

He wiped his mouth with his napkin and

said, What I dont understand is why you didnt

just go to the FBI, when you came here?

I dont want Bethany to spend the rest ofher life in jail, plus Im not surethat its her thats

after me.

What makes you so sure? he asked and

sipped his soda.

I think she tried to warn me.

Oh yeah? How?

Id rather not say.

He looked at her intensely and said, I need

to know what you know; its the only way were

gonna find her.

Ive told you everything necessary to do

just that. No one else will come before me and myfamily. I want to find her just as much as you do.


86/98

After theyd eaten, Anna said, Im tired. Id

like to be alone for a bit and go back to the hotel.Do you mind if we part ways for the evening?

I need you to come and look at Bethanys

other office before you do. The more we get done,

the sooner you can go back to Bordeaux.

She sighed and said, Alright.

As she did before, they went around to the

back and up in the elevator until they got off on

the eleventh floor. The hall before them was

completely black. Immediately, Anna felt on guard

because shed never been up that high.

Why is it so dark and quiet?

There were no pictures on the walls, no

plants or other office decorations. And the only

door was at the end of the hall.

George typed a code into the keypad and the

door opened with a loud pfft sound. After you, he

said.

She stepped in and looked around.


87/98

The room was dimly lit by two rows of floor

LEDs. After a moment, her eyes focused. There

was a mass of mesh wire boxes on the left and

right sides of the room that went down for quite a

few yards. They extended from the floor all the

way up to the ceiling.

Are these cages? she asked.

George grabbed her around the shoulders

and shoved her into the wire box to her left.

What are you doing?

He closed the door and an automatic lock

bolted into place.

My orders are to see that Bethany perishes;

if I dont, its my neck. I know you arent telling

me everything, so youll remain here until you

decide to cooperate. Keep in mind that if it meansyoure here a year, then so be it. No one comes in

here, except for a few of us who know what this

room is for. No one will hear you scream.

George, I dont know anything.

Lies! he spat. You think youre the only

adept at reading people? This is not a game! Both


88/98

of us will die; its her or us. Dont you

understand?

George! Im not lying. Please, let me out!George! she screamed.

But he walked out, leaving her in the

dimness.

She looked around the room once more.

Each cage had a single bed bolted to the wall

and a toilet with a sink attached. Their doors all

had little green lights flashing, and the only noise

was the dull hum of whatever electronics kept the

doors locked.

Wondering if she could really be there a

year, she lay on the bed, feeling hopeless and

scared.

Sometime later, she woke to the sound of the

door making its unlocking sound.

Well? said George.

What time isit? Are we on a different day?


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Ignoring her questions, he asked, Are you

going to tell me where Bethany is?

I dont know, I swear. I thought she mighthave been in Paris, but Im not sure.

His eyes lingered on hers a moment; then he

turned and left without a word.

~~~

It seemed that shed slept for many hours

before he came back. The door made its loud pfft

noise, and in walked George again. He had a largepaper bag which he stuffed through the hole in the

cage door.

Youd better eat something.

Anna unrolled the bag and found a bottle ofwater and a sandwich.

You know, we could force it out of you, if

we wanted.

Go ahead, I dare you.


90/98

He looked at her a moment as if trying to

figure out if she were serious or not; then he said,

Good night, andwalked out.

Feeling restless, she ate her sandwich and

walked back and forth, swinging her arms around.

But it didnt help much because the cage was the

size of a small closet.

As she did this, she felt a light scraping

under her left arm. Must be a thick stitch, she

thought to herself.

The more she swung her arms, the more it

scratched her.

Ow!

Angry at her situation, she violently pulled

off the jacket and reached up the sleeve and felt

something hard. She tried to rip it out, but then

she stopped and remembered something. Years

ago, she found a USB drive in Bethanys red jacket;

it was one of the clues that helped Anna learn of

her involvement with the Crest Foundation.

She looked around the room for cameras but

didnt see any. Still, she was likely being watched.


91/98

Casually, she turned her jacket inside out

and lay back on the bed. Acting as though she were

making herself a cozy fur lined pillow, she fluffed

the jacket and positioned it so that she lay on it

while facing the wall, so she could feel the object.

Annas face grew warm as she realized that

it was, indeed, hard rectangular plastic.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her: What if

Bethany had intentionally left the drive and the jacket,

knowing that Id pick it up?

Nah, it just couldnt be.

A clicking noise rent through the air,

scaring Anna. She flinched into a sitting position

on her bed.

The door to her cage had opened.

What the hell?

She stepped out of the cage.

Great, she said to herself, but theres no

way out of this room!Then, as if someone read her mind, a red

light blinked across the room and in front of her

face. She looked right and noticed how the light


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seemed to come through the wall at the other end

of the room.

The light continued to blink.

Anna walked toward the red light and as she

got closer, noticed that the wall looked shiny and

off-grey.

Its glass.

She put her hand up to the window and felt

the cool surface. To her right, a light gleam caught

her eye. It was a silver handle to a door that was

mostly obscured in the dim light of the room.

I couldnt be so lucky.

And yet, she gently groped the handle and

pushed down, and

Match Time by Jamie Ott

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Transcript of Match Time by Jamie Ott