Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

The storm rages on a pretty grim and depressing day in Louisville, Kentucky. For the past five years, numerous of reports telling about the murders of families or people. The murderers were loyal people that shouldn't be suspected of crimes. Authorities recently discovered about the criminals were forced to do missions of killings by some group of operators. A young girl's innocence was shattered by this event. Her name was Avery Nore and she was released from custody of Kentucky's mental ward, Kentucky Ward Institution, just to be found shot near the chest a day later. The poor girl is slowly recovering in a coma. Authorities pondered about the victims who were just like Avery and will to put the gang of cruel operators to justice.

My eyes adjusted to the light only to find myself in a room of white. My vision was blurry and my body felt groggy. I looked to my right side to see the heart monitor making a calm constant beeping. I wonder how I end up in the hospital? All I can remember is darkness that I saw for only God knows how long. I looked throughout my hospital room. Seats, cabinets, and a counter with a sink holding some needles. I heard the covers slide opened to reveal a girl with fiery hair and silver eyes. She was in some scrubs and I felt deja vu while looking intently at her. I felt like I met this woman before, haven't I?

"It's so shocking to see one girl that been through so much trouble then falling into despair once again." She says softly with a smile. "How's your chest?"

"Chest?" My eyes darted down to my chest. I didn't see anything nor feel anything. "I am confused." I informed. 

The nurse walked over to me and pull down the collar part of my hospital gown. Bandages and a tube-like object was entering on my right side of my chest. I had wiring attached all over me. I also got a breathing tube inside and around my nose. "We had to perform an emergency operation because the bullet was still in you and you were slowly bleeding to death." She explains to me. 

That's when the two officers dragged in. "We glad to see you awake, Ms. Nore." One of them said. They both had a visitor pass attached to their left side of their chest. "Officer Yuri" and "Officer Fisher" they both read. 

"What's going on?" I demanded anxiously. 

"It seems you have a lack of memory, let me refresh it for you." Officer Yuri says. "A person discovered your body in a ditch. You were shot to the left side of the heart and slowly dying."

Then a faint memory emerged. I was not in the ditch by the time when I was shot. I can hear the roar of the bullet before fading black. My vision was all a haze that I can only make it out that I was some sort of building and there was a tall faint old male looking in front of me. "I was not outside when I was shot." I explained. "More like in a building." 

"Do you know someone that was in that building by the time you were shot, Ms. Nore?" Officer Fisher asks sternly. I can tell that there was seriousness in his voice. 

"Yes, a man." I nodded and sighed heavily. "He was looking at me before everything faded black." 

"She went to Hallson's house, Officer Fisher." Mother burst into the room making me jump unexpectedly and there was another male doctor arriving into the room as soon mother infiltrated. 

"I know you were worried about your daughter, but please return back to the waiting room, she's in a middle of an interview with the police." The doctor told my mother. 

"It's okay, Doctor Jameson." Officer Fisher told the doctor that commanded my mom. "She is having trouble regaining her memory anyway." 

Doctor Jameson nodded and walked out the room leaving my mother to speak for me. My mom looked towards me with a smile. She glances back towards the two officers. "My daughter was going to speak to Mr. Hallson for closure of killing his daughter, Laura. He could possibly be one of the suspects." My mother explains. 

"Avery, was that the male who bullet you?" Officer Yuri glances towards me.

"I think so." I assume. My memory is slowly recovering, but the haze still disturbs my vision. I remember a familiar voice of a girl with short blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was crying: "W...why, Ave?" She was lying on the floor with a bullet hole in her leg. Nausea and tears rose in me. It was my deceased friend, Laura. I could still feel her aching in my heart.

Oh, I miss Laura. I said in my head. 

"I'd bet you do, Avery." Officer Fisher glances towards me. What?! Did I say that outloud or Officer Fisher is telepathic?! "And by the way, we caught one of the operators of the gang this morning." 

"Wait, what?!" Adrenaline rushed through me. I was no longer groggy anymore. I now remembered the gang of cruel operators whom I stumbled upon on a grim Friday wanted me to play this stupid game. If I failed, my whole family would be- "Oh God!" My stomach immediately dropped and the heart monitor increased. Everyone in the room winced towards me. My only attention was to the officers. "They said if I failed, they would kill me and my family!" 

"You said that in an interview at the Kentucky Ward Institution." The Officer Yuri said. "We put cameras around the street for protection. The operator that was arrested was identified as Freddy Falls. He was classified as one of the kidnappers in the gang." 

"There were three members that kidnapped me at my house. Their hideout is at warehouse that looked omission." I informed. 

Officer Fisher nodded and replied: "He also had some stalking tool on his phone giving him the ability to know what people are up to."

The memories took over once again, but this time, the blurriness has revoked. I was sitting on the ground weeping in tears and one of the men kneeled down towards me and removed the holster from my waist. "You know you cannot onslaught upon us." He said in a sinister tone of voice. He had grey eyes, high cheekbones, and he was pale. 

I snapped back into reality when I heard Officer Yuri calling my name. "What?" I said. "Did Freddy Falls had a pale face, grey eyes, and high cheekbones?" I assumed. 

"Correct." Officer Yuri nodded. "We will discuss this next week when you are feeling better."

"She is coming home in a couple of days." The red flamed her doctor informed. The officers nodded and left the room. 

The doctor glared towards me. "You don't remember, do you?" She asks with a heavy sigh. I shook my head. 

"The health freak." She gives me a hint and gives me a wink.

I scanned my old memories to see if I remember this girl from half a decade. I lowered my head. Then raise it back up again with a smile. "Hello Rachel." I said. 

A smile appeared upon Rachel's face. The happy atmosphere began to return. We chat for a while until my mom said: "I got to go to work." She walked out with no goodbye, neither a smile. Rachel and I glare back at each other intently. 

"When are you coming back to school?" She asks. "You were in eleventh grade before you got arrested for murdering Laura Hallson, our friend." 

I hate to admit the past. The past about killing Laura and reverse. "I did not actually killed her on purpose." I'd admit. "The gang of operators did." 

"The same people that shot you days back?" Rachel raises the brow. 

"No." I shook my head. "It was some other male that I never saw in the gang." 

"Who?" She raised her voice in serious matter. Rachel's soft voice had abstained. Her voice goes low when she is serious. I only answered it by silence and a blank stare. 

"Dang it!" I growled punching the male guy in the face. His weak mental state thrown him towards the ground. I let a groan in stress. "The girl was found and alive!" 

"S..she's in a coma." The man stuttered awfully. "Don't give her much suffering that she already pushed through." 

"She failed her mission by leaving an innocent note just to save her arse from jail." I growled. 

"Jeez! No matter how many times you put people into prison for your damn dirty work?" The man snapped. "The cops are coming soon to get rid of your bullsh-!" Finally, Ricky Miller, headmaster of the group, made a blow to the head knocking the angry man out of daylight. 

"Tie him up!" Ricky demands. "He failed his mission and the victim was still alive after she was shot!" We all tied his body against the titanium pole and I shoved a damp cloth in his mouth. 

"The cops would be coming for him soon!" I informed the group. "We need to head back to our own base." 

"Let him rot here." Ricky said coldly. "He won't be found ever again. He won't remember that Freddy catfished him even imputed him while he was with us all along." He let out a devilish chuckle.

A week had elapsed and I was finally able to return home. Home sweet home! I turned on my phone that I had not seen for years. I locked myself in the bedroom to get some peace and quiet. The doorbells rang and mother greeted the officers that I had met back at the hospital and one FBI member which really raise the tension in the atmosphere a bit.

"Hello, Mrs. Nore." One of the FBI members shook her hand. "I am Agent Wilson from the FBI."

"Welcome." Mother greeted with a smile and glances towards me. "This is my daughter, Avery." 

"Pleasure to meet you." Agent Wilson greeted while he shook my hand. 

"Nice firm grip you got there." I complimented with a slight smile. 

"A firm grip for catching criminals." Agent Wilson jokes. I can sense he had a bit of sarcasm in his voice. 

We all sat down in the living room. They had asked me questions like where was the warehouse located and what did it looked like from the inside and outside. I couldn't tell them what street it was located on, but I can tell the appearance of the warehouse. It was like a large rectangular prism shape with a hemisphere roof. It was built out of lumber and steel.The paint seemed to be eroding away. The warehouse that stores freight, but it marked omission. The only thing left were the titanium looking poles supporting the beams of the warehouse. The FBI typed on his laptop for a brief moment. 

"I assume you were kidnapped and sent to the unused warehouse on Flyaway Drive. It used to store freight and metal, but now it's used less often due to another freight and metal warehouse was built near the industrial zones." Agent Wilson applied. "We will check around that area soon. Ms. Nore, you must stay in your home." I just simply nodded to his commands. 

Agent Wilson, Officer Yuri, and Officer Fisher bid to us farewell before leaving then drove off to their next destination. Agent Wilson gave mother his phone number just in case something happens and urgent to call. 

"I am going to take a nap." I yawned while stretching my arms, drowsily. I got off from the couch and head towards my bedroom. The moment I got to the bed, my phone vibrated. Four more messages from...wait a minute. My drowsiness abated and hences into fear. How is my long dead friend texting me?

"Avery, get out of the house now!"

"Our family and relatives are getting targeted by friends and people."

"It has something to do with our family history."

"Now, it's only a matter of time!"

They were all sent like a minute ago. I blurted out: "What the heck?!" I rushed to mom and urged: "Get Agent Wilson on the phone! Someone is impersonating as Laura." 

"What?" Mom raised the brow unaware of what's going on.

I showed her the messages that 'Laura' sent. "How can a deceased girl can be texting?" I questioned. 

Mother quickly dialed Agent Wilson's number. Then she asked me for her phone number. Of course, I've told her. I am starting to freak out the moment. "He is tracking the number." She informed. 

The origin from this number was tracked to vague warehouse. I stealthily moved to the side door which was beside the automated garage door. I did not hesitate to break the door down to scan inside. The first thing I had caught my eye was Mr. Hallson tied up against the pole with duct tub to stifle his cries. His eyes beamed up with me with a look akin to a frightened child. His hands were grasping a smartphone with a pink case. "Mr. Hallson," I jogged to his aid, on alert to beware of any booby traps. It took long painful seconds to unrestrained him. "Let me see that phone." I demanded as I extended my palm. 

"I wasn't the one texting Avery." He informed. I was skeptic and retort: "I saw the phone in your hands." 

"I wasn't the one texting Avery." He repeated. "Someone else was." 

"Stop lying!" I lectured. "The victim also survived your gunshot."

"Gunshot?" He cocked a brow in confusion. "I don't have a gun."

"Why did you shot Avery around 3:00 pm?" I questioned. "Investigation revealed the wound and bullet was a week ago around that time and thus your neighbors heard a gunshot around 3:00 pm and they saw you home."

"I was at work." He made direct eye contact and his pupils didn't dart to the corner of his eyes indicating a liar. Furthermore, he didn't act so defensive when I questioned him like normal adults including children do. "I came home then saw blood droplets on the wooden floor, I thought nothing of it then cleaned it up." That's when the brick wall hit me. If Mr. Hallson didn't shoot Avery, then who did? A wave of suspicion and caution also washed over me as well because sometimes suspects lied their way out of trouble. "Why were you holding the phone, you are the only one who can send those messages?" I questioned. 

"The phone was hijacked and locked, I'd had to witness one of the operator's text to scare Avery." 

"Do you know what they look like?" I asked.

"Most of them were middle aged man with brown hair. They also looked had an athletic build. They'd kidnapped me hours after arriving home, they'd masked themselves to hide their identity. They'd knocked me out when I stood up to their authority. The one thing that stood out to me the most was I heard a familiar voice of a female when they were talking to their walkie-talkie." He informs. I finally halted my guard and started believing him. I also knew Mr. Hallson was a honest and pragmatic man and he wouldn't lie in trouble like this. 

Mr. Hallson gave me the phone, so the detectives can investigate it. "Any questions?" I asked. 

"Yes," he nodded. "Can I go home?" I smiled when he said that, however, he needs to be aware. 

Do you know who the headmaster of the operators were? Was it really the man to force Avery to kill her best friend, Laura?

It has been three days elapsed ever since I returned from the hospital, well it just turned three days because my clocked glowed 12:00 in eerie red indicating it was midnight. The reason why I woke up was unclear, I did not have to go the bathroom nor it was storming outside. The emotion of something was very wrong inside the house. I just crept around my dark house to walk off the feeling, but the feeling was not evanescent. I sat in the darkness of the living room, telling myself I was paranoid of what happened half a decade ago. I wish that I could forget, but no. It happened to me, not someone else, and now it is on my case. 

I saw a silhouette near the window. It was dark as the night, only blacker. It stood there, staring at me. I could only make out it was a form of a man. I was frozen stiff with curiosity, yet dread. The thing started creeping towards the window and I saw it pulled out a shadow of a bat. "Mom! Dad!" I urged to scream out before the man set the house alarm off by breaking the window. The glass turned into smithereens. He kept on swinging with the bat to clear the glass from the window. I ushered to the kitchen and pulled out a knife. I heard my father called out my name then screamed. I was at the summit of my temper which was about to erupt. The screams were located in the living room and I sprint towards the man. The strength that I hold made me pierce the knife right into the man's back. Then retrieved the knife only to finish him off by piercing into the back of his neck. He plopped onto the floor. Mother was in a fetal position, covering her bloody and bruised forehead. I was in tears while my dad was on the ground, lying still. I checked his pulse, but none. Mother and I started to mourn. The cops finally arrived the minute after the break-in.

***

The police carried two body bags and mother was whisked away to the hospital. I was escorted to the police station again. Anger and sadness weeped over me like a blanket. I sat in a lonely office until an officer with petite structure and blonde hair came in. "Hello, Ms. Nore." The female officer greeted. "I am Officer Charlie, you can just call me Charlie." 

I stroke my forehead then sighed. "I am sorry that I killed that man." I distressfully apologized. 

"There's no need to." She said. "It's better than seeing both of your parents dead and maybe yourself." 

"I am sick and tired of this b-s." I uttered. "The ghosts keep gaining on my arse and it's haunting me." 

"I know, I know." She commented stiffly. "You could either capitulate and escape it or you can fight it. You can either stand up to the people who gave you lemons and squeeze it into their eyes." 

"With a little acid in the mix." I added in. "They gave me hell and I am going to drag them down with me. They already crossed my boundaries and lost my friends and family." My hands started to twitch and my face turned scarlet. My cheeks began to blush with fury. 

"You are taking a risk." Said O. Charlie, "You can either face punishment for intervening CIS's work, or die, or worse." Her words create a wall of hesitance including perseverance. She is right about the results of taking those risks. 

"Alright," I nodded and stood up. I am still very hesitant about what to do. 

"We paid a Hilton's Motel for your to spend the night." She informed and I nodded again. "Remember Avery, watch your back because you don't know who's going to attack." 

"Okay..." I replied awkwardly and left the office. I walked to the exit, but when something on a laptop caught my eye. It was an advanced looking laptop in a nearby office. Out of my curiousity, I head over to it and upon the screen was a tracking system. Red dot flashed on a certain area not so far from my house. I withdrawal my phone from the pocket and snapped a pic. When I turned around, an officer was about to enter until he saw me. My heart jumped to my throat. C'mon, Avery, think of something, think!

"What are doing in here, ma'am?" He asked in a serious tone. 

"Sorry", I apologized, "I was interested on that picture on the wall." I pointed above the framed painting that was three feet left from the laptop with a smile. The picture was a little girl standing by a river gazing at the floating lilies.

"That just one of the paintings I bought from Walmart." He smiles. "I can give it to you."

"No thanks," I shook my head, "I can buy it at Walmart." Then I started to walk out. Officer bid farewell to me. As soon as I walked out, I flushed with humiliation. Yep, I am a criminal now, just fibbed to the cop. I started to walk away and when I was soon far enough, I'd pulled out my phone then look at the picture that I just took. The red dot was glowing central part of Paris Road near Louisville, the town I live. 

If that's where the problems originated, that's where I'm headed. 

Two hours been walking and I'd never capitulate yet. I was closing in upon the spot on the map. It was a mobile home with all the lights off. It's only seven in the morning and people were probably be asleep or off to work. The house looked liked it haven't been mowed in ages. The grass was towering three feet akin to cattails. I peeked into the windows, all dark. The room was a small office, only the screen was illuminating a bit of light into the room. Most of the rooms where you normally see in the house. Why did the police tracked something to this place? I looked around for any clues and came to saw doors upon the ground, where you can enter the cellar from the outside. I carefully tried to open the doors and skittered down the stairwell. The basement was empty. It was only accompanied by rust, dirt, and dust. It was more frigid than the outside. 

"It's probably just someone got hacked," I murmured and spun back around to head back up the stairs. Maybe I shouldn't snoop around into someone else's beeswax. 

"'Ey there, killer." A familiar voice of a girl was heard above the steps. It was an average size and height woman. She was dress in all black, cutting off my ability to see. "Nice to see you again." 

"Who are you?" I asked baffled.

"You should know me again soon, Avery." She replies and she picked a large rock on her right then flung it at me with speed. I stiffed up by the time I saw her appear upon the steps. The rock blown against my head and everything went dark and silent. 

***

One hell of a migraine throbbed inside of my head. It's like someone has struck me with a bat over and over again. My visuals were foggy and I see three silhouettes towering over me. My body sat up like a sloth. 

"You were so dumb enough to come back to us, Ms. Nore!" A familiar male voice spat. I felt a kick to my left side of my ribs. I grunt loudly in torture. "You thought you could hold your innocence, but no more." I heard a shuffling noise than a loud click, knowing one of them was aiming the gun towards me. I blinked ten times rapidly and the foggy haze let up a little bit. The same girl that knocked me out before was aiming the gun. 

I got up and did not hesitate to punch her in the gut, making her bend over the elbow her to the face. All of them men pulled their pistols and aimed it towards me while I ripped off the girl's mask. My anger abated in disbelief, how could it be? The friend I had for years was bad. She was humouring jester and inappropriate, but never suspected her to be evil. "Kira?" Tears went down upon my eyes. Then the flames roared again, remembering all those things they'd done to me. "Damn it, Miller, how could you?" I snagged her pistol and aimed it at her. 

"A friend union, huh?" She grinned with her fake ecstaticity. 

"Why are in this crew?" I growled and I was about to pull the trigger, however, the men with the guns will shoot if I shoot. 

"She is my daughter and my assistant. She wanted to gain your trust just to carry out an order. You are a little pawn!" A male removed his mask. He had a square-like face with hazel eyes and looked tan. He also had brown hair and had a mustache. That must be Kira's dad, the headmaster. 

"I really loved Laura, however, she was interest in law while her dad was once part of a Secret Service with a low profile. He retired thanks to you." Kira said full of jolly. 

"How many people you incited to kill?" I demanded angrily. "How many lives you shattered?" 

"We'd done it ever since I was born. My dad created it while I am his assistant. My mom died of a heart attack when I was two months old. Now, I am daddy's favorite little girl." She smirked. She sounds like Harley Quinn, but barely even looks like her.

I stared menacingly at her father, "You are the worst dad in the world!" I seethed.

"Well, she wanted to be like me," he retorted, "let her be like me. Since, no one could know about it, say goodbye, Avery." 

I was hushed in silence, lost of hope that I will be saved. I didn't want to say my goodbye nor cry out my pleads for life. I saw dark feet appearing around the window of the basement. I put my hands up, ready to 'capitulate.'

At the right time, the basement windows smashed. CIS was bordering us. Then I saw some man wearing a Secret Service uniform. "Put down all your weapons!" One of them demanded condescendingly. Neither of us put down our weapons. We were watching each other like hawks. If one gun goes off, another will intervene. The atmosphere in the cellar tensed up. "One more time, drop your weapons and stand down!" 

"You guys have a lot of balls." I implied. "Kidnapping multiple victims and inciting them to kill them, You also devastated numerous of families. I do not care if I get arrested again or even die. All I want to show my respect to my people I trust that I lost five years prior."

"Shut up!" Mr. Miller spat. To break the tense from the crowd, I decided to make a move. I shoved my fist that was holding the gun to knock Kira out. I was too mad to even kill her. The operators were too distracted 

"Hey, Kira's dad," I grinned. "Thanks for telling me how to shoot a pistol!" He turned around and I pulled the trigger at him between the eyes. The guns boomed to life and I was somehow prosperous that the bullets missed me. I saw a CIS get shot then I jogged to the Secret Service to find out it was Mr. Hallson! 

"I've got your back!" I stood in front of him like I was his bodyguard. Another CIS member goes down and we avenged them by killing all the bad. Then I dropped the pistol and put my hands on my head. I saw them cuffed Kira. A CIS member also cuffed me then yanked me off the ground. Then Mr. Hallson raised his hand and the CIS member lightened his grip on me. 

"Let her go," Mr. Hallson commands. "She helped us, she'd managed to find them." 

"I snapped a pic from a tracking area upon a monitor." I explained.

"We thought no one used this house because the last owner died and no one wanted it. You were able to lead us to them."

"Why are you letting me go although I intervened into your work?" I asked in curiousity. 

"We were both imputed from the operators, but they're gone now. If my daughter was alive, she will be proud of you." When Mr. Hallson said that, jubilation emerged inside of me, making me smile. 

A year later, homicides and kidnappings no longer had occurred. Avery Nore went to college to become a police officer while Mr. Hallson also became an officer to assist her. Avery's mom quit her job of being a waitress and now applying to become a paramedic. Kira Miller was sentenced for life in prison. Louisville and all of Kentucky has been at peace after two decades of when the assaults had began. This case has drawn to its annul.