Phoenix Contract: Part Four (Fallen Angel Watchers) (9 page)

“I'm so sorry.” Aiden gritted her teeth as she took aim with the .45. Standing, she fired the three remaining bullets into Katsue’s skull.

Aiden pulled the trigger five times, and the gun clicked empty twice before she lowered the muzzle. The silence, the complete isolation of the study following the act of harrowing violence, was horrible. She had killed and was forever changed because of it.

She stood alone in a place that had once meant safety and refuge with only the bodies of her dead father and ex-friend to keep her company. Without succumbing to hysterics, she felt like she’d slipped into an inconsolable state.

Aiden glanced around the dimly lit study and arrived at a course of action without making a conscious decision. She crossed the room to the desk where Matthew kept his personal belongings and opened the unlocked top drawer. Removing his leather bound journal and address book, she tucked both beneath her arm.

She engaged in a brief internal debate over what to do with the .45, then pocketed the weapon. She couldn’t leave it at the scene with her fingerprints on it, and she wasn’t confident in her ability to clean the weapon well enough to remove all traces of them.

Two deaths due to gunshot wounds would certainly bring about a murder investigation. Aiden not only lacked an alibi, but she was guaranteed to fail a ballistics test. She took the stairs to the main floor and left the university campus at a brisk walk. With every step, she fought the impulse to break into a run. Not until she sat safely behind the wheel of her car did she pull out her cell phone and dial Magnus. An impersonal automated message picked up, instructing her to leave a message.

“It’s over,” she said. “And you were right. It was merciful.” She flipped the phone closed and tossed it into the passenger seat. Gunning the engine, she drove her sports car out of the parking lot and onto the street.

Phoenix Contract is available in all parts via Kindle Unlimited.

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Melissa Thomas breathes life into her dreams, bringing imaginary characters and fantasy worlds into our reality. She loves her characters so much they become her alter-egos, enacting the exciting adventures she envisions for them. She is a resident of San Francisco, California and adores the picturesque city by the bay. Her hobbies include surfing and scuba diving.

Phoenix Contract is her debut novel.

You can learn more about Melissa at
http://thephoenixascending.blogspot.com/