The Last Green Light

All I could see was red. The glowing red traffic light in front of me was the only light for miles. It was the last light to freedom. But it's crimson gaze haunted me. It matched the seething red covering my own eyes, the blinding truth my mind was trying to justify. But I couldn’t think about it, I wouldn’t think about it. I just stared into the light willing it to change. Green. Change. Red.

I slammed my hands against the steering wheel, shaking and screaming with all my might. Just change already! The glowing red reflected off my red dyed hands. I closed my eyes, but the red remained. It oozed out covering the floor, the seats; I was drowning in the sea of red, choking on my own words. “Greg!” I shouted into the darkness, but it was already too late. The blood already stained my skin. Greg’s lifeless body hit the cold tile floor, his eyes void of any life. He was gone. And there was nothing I could do.

It was my fault to begin with. My plan. It was a fool proof plan, or so I thought. I’d been scouting the penthouse for weeks, knew their routine all the way down to her unplanned stops at Mable’s Ice Cream Parlor or the “business” visits to his assistant’s apartment in the middle of the night. On the surface their life was full and exciting; the perfect view of the city, the upscale galas and charity events to toss their wealth around and prove just how much they love their people, their city. It was after all their city. They bought it when he announced his run for office. But when the guests faded away the true beast was revealed.

The first time I watched it happen it was like watching a scene from a movie. He waited until the last guest had left before his fist collided with her right eye. She didn’t even flinch. Just walked over to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack. It lay ready and waiting. He screamed for the next hour about the tapenade trays and the wrong kind of champagne. He called her every degrading, hurtful name; and with each one bruised her with another blow. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. I watched as he tired himself and finally retreated to his study, drank enough to forget, and then lay down next to her on their satin sheets pulling her close as he drifted to sleep. He didn’t notice her dress from that evening hanging in the bathroom as she had spent the last hour scrubbing the drops of blood from it. He couldn’t feel the way she winced at his touch as he forced her closer under the sheets. He was so pathetically unaware as she awoke an hour earlier to cover the bruises and all his lies.

I watched for weeks as they lived this routine, my eyes burning from the horror. When I had finally had enough I let Greg in on the plan. From what I had gathered it would be a simple job, in and out in less than an hour and at least 25 million apiece. It was our saving grace after the year we had had. I should have warned Greg then. I should have told him about the change in plan. I could have saved him. But once he gave the green light there was no turning back.

Green light.

I was still stuck waiting for this green light. I expected at any moment for the flashing red lights to appear behind, but no one was coming. No one cared that Greg’s lifeless body laid at the top floor of the highest building in the city. No one cared that he was murdered in a fit of rage. It had all happened so quickly. All I needed was 20 minutes. 20 minutes alone in the study to access everything. The study. The dark abyss where he hid from his crimes. I had initially planned to place cameras hidden from sight to record his misdoings but even that didn’t seem like enough. I was moving before I even realized it, following their town car down the street to the next great event that awaited them. Greg would have understood. If he knew the horror she was living he would have done all he could to save her. When he called frantic wondering where I was I told him I was on my way; I just didn’t mention I wasn’t alone. I had promised her I could give her freedom. All she needed to give me was access. She thought she had escaped quietly. We didn’t know he was following right behind. I should have warned Greg, maybe then he wouldn’t have had to die.

A gentle hand placed itself over mine, bringing me back into the car waiting on that same red light. Her hands were blood stained too. Her emerald eyes stared into mine as if she had been reading my every thought. There was nothing to be said. Words would never suffice what had just happened tonight but as the light changed to green it reflected off her bruised and bloodied face. Then I saw it. It was faint, but the magnitude seemed to change everything. As we drove into the darkness together, I glanced once more to find it still there. Hope. The last green light reflected perfectly in her eyes as I saw the hope of the new life that lay before her. Maybe Greg hadn’t died in vain. His life was taken, but another was saved.