The Darkness Within (14 page)

‘So how are the wedding plans going?’ Freya asked Tasmin.

‘Well… I’m not so sure I want to do it anymore.’

‘No…why?’

Tasmin looked over at Loretta who had been fed this information weeks ago. In her opinion, Tasmin had to do what was right for her.

‘I don’t think I’m in love with him. He’s a great guy, but there’s something missing.’

‘What’s that?’ asked Freya.

‘Passion. There’s no passion. It’s dull and boring.’

‘Have you ever thought of spicing things up. It’s your responsibility too. You give what you don’t have in order to get it returned,’ said Freya.

‘Since when did you get so wise.’

‘Since I met him.’ she winked over at Ferguson he did the same back.

‘Adorable,’ said Loretta.

‘I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t go through with it. I just don’t love him.’

‘That’s a shame. Have you at least told him, or is he just thinking he’s going to marry you. That’s just awful if he is.’

‘I plan to tell him tomorrow evening when I get back to London. I think we moved too quickly.’

‘I see. I feel bad for him. Poor man will have his balls meshed through a grinder.’

‘Don’t be so dramatic,’ she said.

‘Well that’s exactly how it will feel. I’m just stating the obvious.’

There was silence at the table for a while. Freya looked around the busy restaurant and wondered what other people were. Were there any other killers like she was amongst them, and their friends or family didn’t know about it.  Did they hide and guard their secret so much like she did? For a moment she looked over at him, he winked and smiled.

‘So what do you do?’ asked Loretta.

‘Ah, the famous question,’ said Freya sarcastically.

‘Not sure what the problem is?’

‘Why can’t you just get to know the person for who they are not what they do.’

‘Oh please, this is the way of the world. It’s what we do.’

Freya sighed.

‘It’s okay honey. I don’t mind. So to answer your question, Loretta, I’m in the oil business.’

‘Right, sexy and rich. A great package.’

‘Loretta.’

‘It’s fine darling.’

The evening continued to proceed as it should. The polite impolite words continued throughout the night, mostly directed at Freya, but Freya had been so used to it, she’d become immune.

‘How can you let them talk to you like that?’ he asked at the end of the night as they travelled back to her place.

‘I’m used to it.  I don’t blame them; I’d be angry at me too if I were in their shoes.’

‘That doesn’t make it right.’

‘I know, but I’m okay with it, so don’t stress about it honey. I’m fine.’

‘Okay, if you say so. I just don’t want you thinking it’s okay for people to treat you badly, even if you don’t do things they like.’

‘I get that. You’re amazing at that and I love you for it.’

****

Trevor began to untie the rope on the lifeless woman. He was done with her and now he’d take her back close to where he found her. He took his time to admire her a moment. He touched her supple breasts and teased the nipples. He’d just come so it wasn’t going to arouse him again, but to him, there was no harm in touching. Once he was satisfied and his desires had been fulfilled, he began to dress her. He picked up the white panties and for a second brought them to his nose. He took in the scent. He wanted to remember her by it, and stuffed them in a draw with all his other panty trophy’s.  He lifted her limp body and put on the bra. It was tough dressing a lifeless body, but he’d done it so many times that each time it was a little easier.

He struggled with the skinny jeans, but eventually he managed get them on. All that was left was the shirt. He lay her back into the bed and buttoned up the salmon coloured shirt.

‘Goodnight my sweetheart. You were one of my favourites.’ He ran his filthy nailed hand down the side of her cheek.

‘There, all nice and pretty. Ready to go.’ He lifted her onto his shoulder and began the journey downstairs and to the car.

It was pitch black in the neighbourhood except for the one street light that was at the end of the cul-de-sac he lived in. He was quiet not to wake his neighbours. None of them spoke to him, and he didn’t speak to any of them either. It was best that way at times. That way he wouldn’t have to weave a web of lies about things. He would’ve liked to think that he was careful and that no one ever saw the things he did. So far things seemed just fine.

He lowered her into the boot of the car, slammed it shut and made it to the driver’s seat. For a moment he sat and just took it all in. His desire had been met, he was now on a new high. A high he would soon come down from and he would be soon searching for his next victim.

The drive back to the village that was an hour away began. He knew that within a few days he’d find another woman to seduce. He seemed charming enough and most women he knew loved free drinks. He’d mastered the game at a very early age, and had now become an expert on it.

Trevor finally reached his destination. He dragged the woman out of the car and lay her on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully at some point, she’d wake up or someone would find her. That was no longer his problem.

‘Sees you later.’ He chuckled as he got into the car and left the woman abandoned in the middle of god knows where.

****

‘When are you going to leave her?’ The fiery red head asked Blake while they lay in the expensive hotel room naked with glasses of champagne and strawberries.

‘Soon. I told you not to worry.’ The blond, beautiful blue eyed man gazed into her eyes. He was the only one who knew that she wasn’t the only one he was screwing and yet he made promises he knew he’d never keep. There was no way in hell he would leave his wife. If he left her, she would take him for everything he owed. But for now the charm and the false promises seemed to be doing the trick.

‘Do you love me?’ she asked.

‘Of course I love you.’ He kissed her ruby lips. ‘I love you so much that I never want to lose you.’

‘So you really mean that?’

‘I do.’ Again he kissed her. ‘But now I have to get going. I’ve got to get home to my wife.’

‘I hate that you do!’

‘I know pumpkin, but I still love you.’ He kissed her one last time and then slid out of bed.

‘Can’t you at least stay the night.’

‘You know I can’t. What am I supposed to tell my wife?’

‘That you met someone else. God dam it!’ She was suddenly enraged.

‘Calm down. This is only temporary,’ he said zipping up his trousers. ‘Well be together soon. I promise.’

She wanted so much to believe him, but soon wasn’t a deadline.

‘I tell you what.’ She sat up and covered herself with the satin white sheets.

‘What?’

‘You have one month. One month to tell her or else I’m leaving you.’

‘Fine. I don’t even need that long.’ He was lying and he knew it, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. She’d threatened it once before so he knew for a fact that she wouldn’t follow through. ‘I love you. I better go.’ He leaned forward to give her a kiss.

‘Love you too,’ she said with a heavy heart.’

He stepped out of the hotel and headed for the elevator. His mind was on business rather on than on the woman he’d been with. He just wanted to make more money. That was all that mattered to him. The lift pinged and he got out on the underground parking and started making his way for the car. It was dead silent. After all it was long after midnight. His excuse to his wife would be he had a late night with the guys. As he headed for his car, a car suddenly screeched towards him. Before he was able to defend himself he was hit on the back of the head and dragged into the black BMW. The doors shut, the car screeched off to a place unknown to him.

****

Trevor was home an hour later. As he fiddled to put the key in the door, there was a hard thud on the back of his head. He fell to the ground and the three men carried him to the waiting van and then to a destination where he would soon meet his fate.

The men were sat bedside each other, but because their faces were covered they had no idea who was next to the other. But that was all soon dealt with when the cloth bags were removed from their heads. The first thing each man did was look at each other.

‘Trevor?’

‘Blake. What the fuck is this?’

‘I don’t know. You’ve been captured too.’ He pulled on the restraints around his wrists and ankles. There was no getting free.

‘Hey, why are we here?’ Trevor asked one of the men who had brought them to the old warehouse.

‘You tell me. You must have done something very bad. The boss only gets rid of the scum’

‘Hey, we haven’t done anything.’

‘Whatever you say.’ The men stared for the exit.

‘You can’t leave us here!’ Blake shouted.

There was no response, only the sound of the front exit of the warehouse slid open and then shut again.

‘This is crap! This suck!’ Blake began to whine.

‘Shut the fuck up. We need to find a way to escape not cry.’

‘Easy for you to say.’

‘No it’s not, I just have a different head than you. I always have.’

‘So how do you figure we get out of these restraints? Any ideas.’

Trevor knew that what was going to happen will happen. He’d done it to his victims. Now he was the victim, he just didn’t know who was responsible.

The hours ticked by and still nothing happened. Their backs ached sitting in the same position for hours. Blake was desperate for the toilet and could no longer hold himself.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ Trevor heard the sound as the wee hit the ground. ‘You’re such a loser!’

‘Says the man who works at a supermarket. Don’t understand why you’d waste your time doing a degree to land there.’

‘Shut up!’

‘No you shut up. You still haven’t thought us out of here.’

‘There is no out! We’re going to have to take what’s coming for us.’

Blake didn’t want to know about that. He wanted to leave and get home to his wife.

‘We’re probably going to die. Our bodies hidden somewhere never to be found. It’s what I would do.’

‘What do you mean it’s what you would do? Have you killed someone?’

‘Nope. Have you?’ Trevor studied his friend he didn’t keep in touch with much. Mr fancy pants, as Trevor called him in his head, seemed too special for him.

‘Do I look like a killer to you?’

There was silence between them. Each one of them tried to figure out why they were there, but it just didn’t come up. Freya had been buried too far back in the past.

****

‘I can’t believe I’m going out to kill,’ she said excitedly.

‘Yes. It is exciting, isn’t it?’

‘Very. I have just one question. What happens when they’re all dead? There will be no one left to kill.’

‘Darling. There will always be someone to kill. You just have to stick with me and you’ll be fine.’ He smiled.

‘Yes I will be.’ She slid on a pair of black jeans she knew she wouldn’t need anymore and a black polar neck. Ferguson was dressed in black too.

‘So how do you want to do this? Who do you want to kill? I will kill the one you don’t want to kill.’ It sounded like they were discussing a grocery list. It just seemed too relaxed.

‘I want to kill them both, but I understand that you need to kill too.’

‘I do. I’ve been getting a little antsy.’

She laughed. ‘I hadn’t noticed.’

‘I hide it well.’

‘Yes you do. Could you give me some coke? I need it to face those monsters.

‘Of course my love.’ He pulled some from the bag that was on the side of the bed.

‘All yours.’ He handed the packet over.

‘Thank you. Give me a few minutes and then we can be off.’ She headed for the bathroom.

‘I’ll be waiting.’

Freya did what she did most days before shooting up or having a shower. She looked into the mirror. More and more she felt as though the light within her was returning. All she used to see was fear and hatred and person who abused drugs. Now she was a woman in love and a murderer. It wouldn’t sound great to anyone else, but to Freya this was the best thing that had happened to her.

She smiled at herself as if approving of her behaviour. Then she got down to snorting up the cocaine. It began to take effect and now more than ever she knew she was ready to get rid of the bastards who had ruined her life.

‘Ready,’ she said walking back into the room.

‘You look sexy I could rip those clothes off you.’

‘I would let you, but I want to do this.’ She smiled.

‘I know you do.’ He walked up towards her and took her into his arms. He gave her a tight squeeze. ‘I’m never letting go.’