A Desperate Plea

My life is very different from other peoples. I do not generally need to ask others what their profession is, it is part of my skill set to be able to figure out everything about them without them knowing. And by them, I am of course referring to my targets, mostly middle aged men who think that they have all the power in the world. Their ego takes up so much of their mind that they cannot possibly think that the women in front of him is going to kill them. And that is my endgame at the end of this lame dinner. 

This job was just like every other one before. Everything was the same. The same high-end restaurant known for its discretion, the burner phones that both of us were carrying for different reasons obviously, the confident man who can't believe he is pulling this off, and me who is getting irritated at this tight dress cutting off my circulation and squeezing against my knife strapped to my thigh. It is there for insurance and it is always best to use insurance. The man across from me tonight was Randy Collins, a prominent CEO of a booming pharmaceutical who values money over people's lives. We both know that his new manufactured drug is going to kill more people than help solve inconveniences in people's lives. Plus, he is cheating on his wife and blowing their money on prostitutes and heroin instead of being a decent human being. It is a triple whammy tonight and I cannot wait to end that.

Randy was no different from the other men that I have taken down. He started off by buying the most expensive items off the menu, including the wine. Most of my clients are people you would never suspect of coming into this line of business. I would have never known Randy if it wasn't for a housewife named Cheryl whose daughter died after taking the drug that was going to help her liver problems. So I am thinking of those affected as I deliver on my end of the deal. 

"This has been wonderful Randy, but I know that we are both looking for a little bit more excitement than this." I interrupted his ramblings about what expensive vacation he could take me on instead of his wife. It did not take Randy more than three seconds to think about my offer. He waved over the waiter and paid for the wasted dinner, leaving only a five dollar tip. What a scumbag. I smiled sweetly as we maneuvered our way through the tables out to the front entrance. A limo pulled up to the front of the restaurant where we were standing. Perfect timing. The driver got out and open the door for Randy first, then winked at me as I slid in. Unknown to Randy, but this was not his normal driver, it was mine. I handed a piece of paper to my driver through the screen once we were on our way. 

"Have a little getaway in mind?" Randy looked at me already imagining what type of night he will be having. The driver took us to the rougher part of town, the perfect spot to the end the night. We pulled into a dark alley full of trash and grime. Turning off the headlights, we were completely dark. He looked at me with longing in his eyes, but I ended that quick when I whipped out my knife from my dress. 

"This is for Alyssa, that poor girl you killed with your drug of choice." His eyes bulged open as I hit him hard in the head, knocking him unconscious. “Idiot." I carefully removed his shoe and sock to administer my final blow. This was typically the method I used with these losers. By administering my concoction in between his toes, The injection site will not be found and plus it will look like a drug overdose and that fits because it’s believable. It took only a few seconds, and it was done. No more Randy. I put his sock and shoe back on. Nothing was out of place. 

“We're good!” My driver got out and opened my door. Thank goodness for his help because Randy was no small guy. We lifted him up and carefully set him down into a pile of garbage. I took off his jacket and rolled his sleeve up, revealing his arm. I set everything up to look like he had just taken heroin and overdosed. My job was done. I tapped my driver, he returned back to the front and waited for me. I opened the trunk and I got out a more comfortable outfit. Nothing like getting out a dress to put on a leather jacket and skinny jeans. I redressed in the back of the limo and left my dress and my burner phone in the back seat and activated a new one to take with me. I got out again for the last time and knocked on the driver's door. It was his turn now. He nodded at me and drove away. That limo would never be found again.

I was now left in the alley. I stretched after being in that tight dress all night. I looked at Randy laying there in the garbage, another one bites the dust. I turned to leave the alley when I noticed something I have never had to deal with on a job. 

There was a little girl about 13 years old staring at me.

I stared back, trying to seem as harmless as I could. She wasn't looking at me with fear in her eyes, but determination. She brought her hand out of her pocket, holding up something in the pale moonlight. 

"Can you help me?" 

I stared back at her, not sure what to do. I would never hurt a kid. "Do you need to me to take you home?" 

"No, I need to you to kill my stepdad.”

I looked at her surprised. What did she just say to me? There was no way she was watching this entire time. I would have noticed her. "Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you." She smiled at me as I walked closer to her. In her hand was twenty-seven dollars made up of a twenty, a five, and a couple of ones.

"I finally found you, I have been looking for you everywhere." 

"How? I am never in one place twice." 

"I saw you once when I was visiting my Aunt Barb in Chicago. You were with some man having dinner with him. I saw you leave with him in a limo like that one that just left. The next day, I saw that he was dead from a drug overdose. I knew in my gut that you had killed him. When he died, there was much news about how corrupt he was. I saw you leave that restaurant and knew I had to find you, I just can't take it anymore." The little girl's lip started to quiver as she thrust the money at me. 

As I looked at her, I noticed the bruises that we covering her face and arms. One of her arms was in a cast. 

"Please, it's all I have." She tried shoving the bills into my hands. 

I relaxed, "Keep your money.”

"What, no!" Her voice started to crack.

”Relax, I'll do it. Just keep your money. Let's go somewhere more private." She looked like she would start crying again out of relief. "I know a diner close by that's open late." We started the journey to the diner which was a few blocks down. 

"What's your name?" She squeaked at me. 

“Harper”

"Thats actually your real name? Not a fake one?" 

"Yeah, that's my real name, what's yours?" and it really was my real name.

"Ruby" She smiled at me.

"Well Ruby, aren't your parents going to be wondering where you are at?”

"No, I snuck out of the house to go on a walk and that's when I saw you." I look at her bewildered. 

"Its incredibly dangerous for you to be alone out here.”

"Don't worry," She smiled at me "I have this!" She pridefully showed me a canister of mace from her pocket. 

I like her, "Maybe get a knife too." We arrived at the diner where only a couple other patrons were eating. We chose a corner booth and waited for the server. I'm sure we looked like an odd pair. I'll just pretend to be an older sister if anyone questions it.

After ordering a coffee for me and a milkshake for Ruby, I got down to it. “Alright, what's going on?" 

Ruby took a deep breath, "Ever since my stepdad married my mom it has been hell. He beats me, my little brother, my mom, and even my dog. He hurts all of us all the time." She sighed. " I-I just want him gone.”

I looked at her and it was like I was looking at a 13 year old me. Afraid and never feeling safe.

"Ok" 

"Ok? That's it!" She smiled big and jumped up and hugged me from across the booth. 

"Okay, okay," I hugged her back awkwardly. "Tell me address and I'll take care of it.”

"Tonight?" She looked at me with her eyes big.

"No, probably tomorrow, when nobody is around to see it." She looked almost disappointed. "Trust me kid, it’s nothing you want to see." 

"I guess you're right, its 234 Jackson Ave." I paid for our drinks and we walked out of the diner.

"I'll take you home." I pulled out my phone and ordered her cab. "Don't do anything out of the normal, don't tell anyone and be careful." She nodded hard. "I won't see you again and do not come looking for me either.”

She looked sad again, "But what if I want to see you again.”

"I mean it Ruby, its to keep you safe." 

She nodded as the cab pulled up. She turned and hugged me tight again. "Thank you" she whispered. She disengaged herself from me with a tear rolling down her cheek. 

"It'll be over soon, keep your chin up." Ruby crawled into the cab.

I handed the cab driver a $100, "Leave her down the street from 234 Jackson" He nodded his head and drove off with Ruby waving goodbye as they headed down the road.

I called for another cab, but with a different destination in mind. There was a local bar that was down the road from one of my safe houses. My driver was already waiting for me in the bar. I sat down next to him and ordered a beer for myself. 

"Everything go good?" He just nodded

"I take it we have another job." He questioned. 

I sighed, "Yeah, I'm thinking we give him a taste of his own medicine and then make him disappear." 

"What's the crime?”

"Abuser" I told him the story of Ruby finding me in the alleyway.

"How about cement blocks and the ocean?" 

"That sounds perfect."

The next day, I sat across from 234 Jackson and watched the family get ready for their day. This was the part I was waiting for. The step dad was getting ready for work. Ruby had told me where he works and what road he takes. This was too easy.

”Let’s do the simplest ruse in the books, broken-down car." My driver nodded and we took off to wait for the step dad. We parked the car in the middle of the road. Popped open the hood and created the effect of steam. I had my driver wait on the side of the car that wasn't visible to the road. This will be cake. And right on time.

Step dad pulled off to the side of the road, right as he saw me.

"Looks like you need some help" He smiled at me and I did my perfected helpless girl impression.

“Yes, please," I whined "I don't know anything about cars and this old thing decides to not work with me. Can you take a look?" I smiled up at him. Way too easy. 

"Sure doll" Famous last words. As he bent over, I put a rag of chloroform over his mouth. It only took a few seconds and then he was out cold. My driver grabbed him and put him in the back of my car as I slammed the hood closed. My driver took stepdad's car as I took off in mine towards the marina. I just had to wait until my driver had dumped the car at one of our favorite mechanics who helped out. He arrived back at my car with a trunk on a dolly that would easily hold step dad. We lugged him into the trunk and rolled him up a ramp that led to one of my favorite boats, more like a yacht. We tied him up below the awning so I could wait for him to wake up as my driver took us further and further out to sea. 

It didn't take long. He started to groan, " Where am I?" He demanded. "Who are you”

I smiled at him, "I am a friend of your daughter, or should I say step daughter." He looked at me suspiciously. "And as friends he tell each other secrets and you know what she said about you?" I leaned forward for effect. Oh yeah he was very very guilty. "She says that you have been beating on her and her brother and her mother and hell even the dog." I whipped out some brass knuckles. "Do you know what that does to a little girl and a little boy and a mother?" 

I struck him in the side of the face. "This is what is does" I hit him again with blood flowing from his head. "I'm surprised you haven't denied it”

"I'm sorry" He croaked. "I-I'll stop.”

I swung my fist at him again, but stopped before I hit him causing him to flinch. "No, you won't, goodbye." 

"What do you mean, goodbye?" He started to thrash in his bindings. My driver sneaked up behind him with more chloroform and knocked him out quickly.

"Now is the hard part." We pushed the cement blocks close together and tied him to it. I gave him one last look and shoved him off the side of the boat with the blocks quickly sinking.

"Let's go" 

Ruby

My mother was frantic at first when Craig did not come home. There was an investigation at first, but it was soon went cold. I think the cops definitely thought we had something to do with it when they saw the bruises and the evidence of multiple ER visits. Eventually the case went cold because they never found his body. My mom was happier and healthier and so was my brother and even the dog. I never said anything and I didn't try to find Harper. I thought that she had forgotten about me until I got a package in the mail almost 3 years after I saw her. It was waiting for me on my desk when I got home. It was a small box wrapped in brown paper. I opened it up and there was a very sharp dagger with a sheath and simple note. I opened up the note and this is all is said:

"Better than Mace" - H