
# Auctor

# Vengeful Intent

Written By: Steven Sterup Jr.

Copyright 2018 Steven Sterup Jr.

Legal Disclaimer - This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Thanks to my wife, Tammy, for her help with the cover.
Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

#

# Chapter 1

Trisha Kendric sat in a plain wooden chair with armrests. Her wrists were strapped down, and her mouth was gagged. Even her feet were bound to the chair with tight ropes. She could feel her heartbeat racing in her chest, and when the light in the room was turned on, she felt the urge to scream but knew it was useless.

Trish's blonde hair was a mess and matted with her blood. The clothes she wore, sweat pants and a plain white tee-shirt, were torn and also covered in her blood. Her bare feet, that were cut and bleeding from walking for what seemed like miles while blindfolded, spoke to the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her captors. Even her beautiful blue eyes were unaffected by the ordeal. The cut above her right eye was now swelling and pushing her eye shut, or perhaps it was the bruise underneath it, the one on her delicate cheek. The men who had abducted her wanted to know how much she had figured out, but Trish didn't even know why they had taken her. That was, until they started asking questions.

Trish knew nothing about the corrupt organization which held a tight grip on the city she lived in. She had no idea who was in charge of it, nor who was involved. The only thing she did know was that her husband was involved with someone they were very interested in. Her husband's lover was somehow important to them, but she didn't even know how or why. All the questions they had asked told her more about what was going on than anything she'd known before tonight. Despite her constant denial, they were unconvinced. They had beaten her, cut her, and dragged her through a wooded area for nothing. She knew nothing!

As she looked around the room, she realized she didn't even know where she was. Then revelation struck. She may not have known where she was, but she knew why she was here. The wallpaper on the walls was peeling off, and there was no furniture in sight besides the chair she was sitting on, the one in the middle of the empty room. This old house was going to go up in flames after they did whatever else they had planned. She could smell the accelerant they had dumped around the room. Yes, she knew exactly why she was here. They were going to kill her.

The two men in front of her wore ski masks and black, nondescript clothes to covere their identities. They even wore gloves, but Trish was certain she knew one of them. The heavier man with the dark brown mustache, which could be seen through the ski mask, was familiar to her. He was a police officer she had dealt with before. Well to be truthful, it was her husband who had dealt with him. Her husband, Richard Kendric, was an attorney, and the man in front of her had even come over for dinner a few times. Sargent Ron Halburt.

The heavyset man pulled off her gag but didn't say a word.

"Why are you doing this, Ron?" she asked, full of fright.

"Damn it!" he shouted.

"Why?!" she begged. "I don't know anything!"

"It doesn't matter now, Ron," said a voice from behind her. "She's heard too much. She has to go."

She cocked her head to make sure she wasn't hearing things and saw the man who was completely in the shadows, sitting in a chair. She couldn't make out anything, but she knew his voice.

"Now I understand," she said as she faced Ron once more with a determination which made Ron uneasy. "It's funny. Up until this moment I knew nothing."

Trish started crying, and tears ran down her face. Ron took pity on her. She looked so sad, not scared, just sad. She sucked back the tears and stared at Ron once more, but this time, there was anger.

"I should have listened to her. I should have told her," Trish said then turned her head to address the man hiding in the shadows. "I had it once. It was real. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. I should have never let my father...it doesn't matter." She faced Ron again. "Just do it!" she screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Ron looked toward the man in the corner, and the man nodded. Ron pulled out a gun from a bag and held it in his gloved hand. He put it against Trish's head then hesitated.

Trish started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked.

An evil smile spread on Trish's face.

"You were all dead the moment you decided to get rid of me. You should have just taken your chances. I wasn't even going to talk. How could I? I didn't know anything. I just wanted to visit my sister in Europe." She laughed again with more cruelty. "Jail time would have been a picnic compared to what's coming for you," she said. "But it's too late now." She leaned her head back and spoke to the man behind her. "You've sealed your own fate. Remember that when you're begging for it to end. And believe me, you will beg." She returned her gaze to Ron and the gun. She laughed cruelly. "I just wish I could be there to see you all suffer." She pressed her forehead against the gun barrel and screamed. "DO IT!"

Ron's hand shook as he squeezed the trigger. When the gun fired, he jumped. After a few moments, the man in the corner spoke.

"She was trying to get inside your head. Take it easy, Ron. It's over," the man in the corner said. "Get the new guy. He can get rid of the body." The man in the corner stood up then walked out the back door, never leaving the shadows.

Ron turned to his partner in the mask and nodded. The younger, thinner man opened the door, and a police officer stood outside, his eyes wide with fear. Ron motioned for the young blonde officer to come in, and he obeyed.

"Mansky...Mansky!" Ron shouted. The young officer couldn't take his eyes off the woman who had clearly been tortured then shot in the forehead. Ron grabbed the young officer by the shoulders. "Eric!"

"Yes, Sarg?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the dead woman.

Ron thrust the gun into Eric Mansky's hand then started barking orders.

"Unregistered gun. Clean off your prints and dump it. Find a spot and make it look like a mugging gone wrong. Don't forget to grab her cell, purse, and anything valuable. Dump them a few blocks away but keep the cash. A bonus," Ron said. "Oh, and don't forget to light this place up when you leave."

"But..." Mansky started.

"After this, your debt is clear. If you keep your mouth shut, the boss says you can even keep your fingers," Ron said with a cruel laugh.

Mansky shoved the gun into his coat pocket and headed toward the dead woman while Ron and his partner walked toward their car.

The partner stopped at the car and looked at Ron.

"What do you think she meant?" he asked frightfully.

"We scared her pretty good. She was just trying to feel in control at the end," Ron said, but he didn't believe his own words. He was just as terrified as his partner was. To solidify his brave façade, he added. "The boss knows what he's doing." But this was more for himself than his partner.

# Chapter 2

Kaya Nichols stepped out of the airport and waited in line for a cab to take her to her hotel room. She had several bags beside her on the sidewalk and one hand on her hip.

Her old, torn tee-shirt, and beat-up blue jeans made the gorgeous woman look more 'down to earth'. Or so she had been told by her step-sister Trisha, Trish to family and friends. Kaya's olive-colored skin and long, dark hair made her look exotic to most of the people in the medium-sized town of Condell Nebraska. Even her dark sunglasses, which hid her silver-grey eyes, helped with the illusion of the girl next door.

The smell in the air around the airport, although polluted with airplane exhaust, produced feelings of nostalgia. The smell of crops being harvested and the stench of moist, decaying leaves made her stomach quiver as she was reminded of her childhood. The mixture of disgust and happiness reminded her of how complicated her childhood had been.

When the cab pulled up, she tossed her heavy bags into the trunk then got in the back seat.

"Where too?" the young cab driver asked with far too much cheer for Kaya.

"Condell hotel," she replied blandly.

The cab smelled of fast food, sweat, and heavy cologne. One look at the young driver told her that it was probably because of him. He was young and not big on hygiene. His brown hair, which went just below his ears, was a mess. His clothes looked like he had worn them for a couple of days, but he had recently put on new deodorant and cologne. At least he didn't stink of body odor. It was something. She couldn't count the times she had ridden in a cab with someone who didn't believe in deodorant.

The driver took off, but the smile on his face told her that this ride was going to be nothing short of annoying. She scowled behind her sunglasses as she waited for what she knew was coming.

"So, what do you do?" he asked in an upbeat tone.

"Reporter," she replied abruptly.

"Ohhhh. Are you famous? Anything I might know?" he asked, and his smile was starting to make Kaya regret opening her mouth.

"No. I work for a web magazine...overseas. Not popular in the U.S." she said then tried to act like she was looking out the window.

"Here to visit family?" he asked with far too much enthusiasm.

"My sister lives...lived here," she said, and her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said sadly.

Kaya grumbled under her breath. "Then maybe you'll shut the hell up."

"What was that?" he asked, and his annoying smile returned.

"Nothing, just get me to my hotel," she said with mounting annoyance.

"That accent is sexy," he said and smiled even wider in the mirror. "Where you from?"

"Galley," she replied curtly.

"Galley Nebraska?" he asked with surprise.

"Yes, Galley Nebraska," she replied spitefully.

"Ten miles...?" he started, but she interrupted him.

"Yes, the Galley Nebraska that's ten miles north of here," she said loudly and angrily. "My mother married Sean Galley, and no, I'm not his. My mother's parents were from Persia. Anything else you want to know? My Sosh? Date of birth? Would you like to know if it's my time of the month? Cause the answer is no. If it was, I would have strangled you by now!"

For a while, the driver was quiet, and she was glad for the silence. Then guilt sunk in. It wasn't this idiots fault her sister was dead. The anonymous note she had received made that quite clear. The man she was looking for was named Eric Mansky.

All she knew was that Eric Mansky would lead her to more clues. Clues that would tell her who had killed her step-sister and made it look like a mugging.

"I'm sorry. I'm not dealing with this very well," she said, and her stomach turned when the boy started smiling again. Why did men...boys...always see common decency as flirtation? Hormones. It had to be hormones.

"You staying in town long?" he asked.

"Are you seriously hitting on me while I'm here for my sister's funeral?" she asked, and the boy's smile faded.

Truthfully, he was about the same age as she was, twenty-five, but she saw him as a boy because he acted like one. Everything didn't have to be about sex, did it? Maybe it did with boys.

While the driver was blissfully silent, she thought about her sister and regretted not visiting more often. It had been three years since she'd been home. Not home as in Galley, but home as in the United States. Kaya had been working overseas for the last five years. In fact, she had left on the day of Trish's wedding to that pompous, two-faced liar, Richard. To say Kaya didn't approve of the union was an understatement.

Although she wrote Trish often, the letters had been returned unopened. This she also blamed on Richard. He knew about her dislike...ok the word dislike was not quite accurate. Saying dislike was like dressing up a hog in a dress. She hated Richard. Not just the man but what he had done, as well as what he stood for. He had married Trish and turned her into...even the word made her skin crawl. He had turned Trish into a housewife.

Trish's big dreams of seeing the world vanished when her father, Kaya's stepfather, had insisted Trish marry Richard. 'It will be good for the family,' he said. But it wasn't good for Trish. Trish, being the ever obedient daughter, married Richard to appease her father. She threw away her happiness and dreams to make the imbecile happy. Trish never loved Richard, though she pretended quite well. Kaya even joked once about how she could have been in movies with her acting skills. But that comment ended with an argument and was part of the reason Kaya hadn't been home in three years.

"We're here," the cab driver said meekly.

Kaya handed him some bills and hopped out of the cab without a word. When he popped the trunk, she grabbed her heavy bags and headed inside. Although Kaya wasn't short like her mother, her five foot eight was nothing compared to Richard's six foot two, and she had to look up to see his annoying smile on his annoying face.

"Figures you'd be here," she said then pushed by him. As she continued toward the registration desk, Richard grabbed her arm.

"I can't let you stay in a hotel," he said with a smile that made her want to punch him in the face.

"So help me," she said then pushed the anger inward. She put on a sweet, but fake, smile. "If you touch me again I'll make sure you write left-handed for the rest of your life. How are you...Dick?" Her smile never broke, and she actually felt better than if she'd scowled at him. The fake smile was an insult on top of an insult, and he knew it.

"Glad to see you've still got your sense of humor," he said.

Was he as stupid as her stepdad? She wasn't joking. She hated him. She hated both of them. They both had ruined Trish's life and hers, together, with one day. They had taken everything that made Trish happy and forced her to forget about it. How did neither of them see this?

She looked up at the annoying man with his short black hair, his hazel eyes and his rugged face that looked like it needed a shave. Even his perfect grey suit with matching tie annoyed her. Then something occurred to Kaya.

Trish had spent five years with this man. She could spend a week with him. Perhaps she could finally figure out why Trish had agreed to marry this idiot. He didn't make Trish happy. There were letters, sent in secret, which Kaya couldn't respond to because of Richard. Not a lot, but enough to prove that Trish was unhappy. And to top it off, the phone call she'd received last month.

Richard had made Trish miserable. He had cheated on her. On Trish! Who in their right mind would even want to cheat on Trish?! Perhaps Richard wasn't just stupid. Perhaps he was blind as well? How could Richard even want to cheat on Trish? Couldn't he see how beautiful and perfect she was? Either way, he was hiding something. There had also been something strange about the phone conversation. It seemed rehearsed, and Trish sounded frightened and sad, very sad.

"Fine!" she said and dropped the bags so Richard could carry them. "But I get my own room, and you don't bug me. Got it...Dick?" she asked with a smirk.

Richard grabbed her bags and headed toward the door with a self-gratifying smirk on his face but didn't answer.

"Well?" she asked, still standing in the same spot.

He stopped and turned.

"You've got the big guest room, and I'll leave you alone, but please call me Richard," he sighed.

"Sure thing...Dick," she said with a sweet smile while she blinked her eyes at him.

"Sometimes you remind me of Trish, and others...you're like one of those...what show was that? The cute little things with the baby doll eyes, but when you get close enough, they bite off your arm," Richard said then headed out once more, still not remembering the name. "Some horror show."

Kaya quickly passed him and didn't even hold the door as she walked out, then stretched in the sunlight. When Richard had finished wrestling with three large bags and the door, he stood beside her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"That sounds about right," she said. "Where's the car...Dick?"

Richard walked over to a brand new, red, sports car. He hit a button on his dongle, and the trunk opened. Kaya looked at the car then at Richard and smiled deviously.

"Hmm. Compensating for something? Maybe you are more of a Richard," she said with a laugh then got in.

Kaya's smile faded when she was alone in the car. While Richard was still struggling to put the three large bags in his small trunk, she had time to think. Something she really didn't want to do. Somehow this idiot had convinced Trish to actually have sex with him. Not that he wasn't attractive. He probably was, though she couldn't see it. In an objective sort of way, he wasn't ugly. That was the kindest thing she'd ever thought about the man and just thinking it made her skin crawl.

While she waited, Kaya's thoughts drifted to the night before the wedding.

\-----------------------------------------

"You can't just leave. You just got home," Trish said with tears in her eyes. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I was staying at a friend's house. You made your choice. I made mine," Kaya said angrily. She slammed her bags onto the floor, rushed up to Trish, and grabbed her shoulders. "Last chance. Come with me. See the world. Just you and me. I'm leaving for Europe in ninety minutes. Please come." Her smile oozed hope.

Trish looked away from Kaya's gaze, and Kaya knew the answer before she spoke.

"I can't...Dad...," she said and pulled away. Trish paced for a few moments, trying to figure out the right words, but when Trish turned around, Kaya was at the door, bags in hand.

The look on Kaya's face caused the tears to fall faster from Trish's eyes. The look Kaya gave her wasn't anger. It was worse, much worse. It was pain and sadness...it was disappointment.

"I didn't think so," Kaya said then walked out and slammed the door.

\------------------------------------------

Kaya was startled when Richard opened his door and plopped down.

She forced a smile once more so she could continue to belittle and insult her brother-in-law.

"Lawyering pays well I'd guess?" she asked and made a show of leaning back in her seat.

"I do alright," he said, trying to ignore the implications.

"You must be doing very well," she said. "So, why the new car?"

"For work. I have to look the part," Richard replied.

"You sure it's not for something else? Maybe someone else?" Kaya asked, her fake smile was fading, and she could barely cover the contempt she felt.

"It's not like that. My clients..." he started, but Kaya interrupted him.

"Oh, just save it!" Kaya shouted.

Kaya crossed her arms and stared at him, not even trying to hide her contempt any longer.

"The car really is for work," Richard genuinely looked upset, but Kaya wasn't ready to let it go.

When Kaya didn't speak, he took his eyes off the road and noticed her condescension.

"What?" he asked.

"Waiting for your nose to grow," she said and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't think you understand," Richard urged her.

"Oh, I understand," Kaya said and stared out the window.

Richard's face expressed the guilt he felt. He searched for something to say, but he didn't know how to start. After a few awkward moments, Kaya was the first to speak.

"You're stupid. You know that?" She turned and looked at him again. "If you think I'm buying that load of crap then you're dumber than my stepdad. And that's saying something...Dick."

"There's more to it than you know. I really don't think you understand..." he started, but Kaya spoke louder, she didn't want to hear his excuses.

"You cheated on Trish...more than once. I understand! I just don't want to hear it!" she said then crossed her arms.

"But..." he started.

"Not a word Richard," she said then stared out the window. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him starting again. "So help me. If you say one more word. Make one more sound. I'll jump out of this car...after I break your nose."

For the rest of the ride, they remained silent. Kaya would stay with Richard. It would save her money and keep her name out of any public registries. These were very good reasons, but more importantly, she could finally find out why her beautiful sister had ever believed she could be happy with a snake like Richard.

# Chapter 3

Kaya walked into the largest of the guest bedrooms in the overly lavish house. For two people, without kids, this place was just ridiculous. Why did two people need three bathrooms, four bedrooms, and a pool? Even the 'workroom' slash 'man cave' was larger than the last apartment she'd lived in. Richard loved to show off just how rich he was. This explained the car, as well. Or maybe the car really was to show off for other people. Women, to be more specific.

Kaya tossed her three bags on the bed and watched them bounce. The queen-sized bed, with a disgustingly bright flower pattern, annoyed her almost as much as the cheery curtains downstairs. Trish had tried very hard to make everyone believe they were happy, that Trish was happy. To be fair, it had worked on everyone but Kaya. She wasn't fooled by the loving kisses and coy smiles Trish gave Richard when people were watching. Kaya was very good at finding out secrets, and Richard was not very good at hiding his.

Richard cheating on Trish wasn't a recent thing. The argument three years ago had started with the acting comment. Then, when Kaya told Trish that Richard was cheating on her, the fake shock and disbelief coming from Trish told Kaya everything she needed to know. Trish had already figured it out. She just didn't care.

Some part of this revelation filled Kaya with joy. Trish was married to Richard, but they were rarely intimate. As Kaya looked around the room, she wondered how many nights Trish had spent alone in this house. A thought occurred to Kaya, one that had evaded her three years ago. Maybe Trish was happy _because_ Richard was cheating on her. If he had sex with other women, he wouldn't be interested in her.

Kaya flopped onto the bed with a smile on her face, and one of the bags rolled then hit the floor with a thud. She glanced at the bag and saw the bundle of plastic knives fall out. It was rather hard to smuggle weapons onto an airplane nowadays, but the part of her toolkit which was plastic, had been easy. The rest she'd just have to purchase in the states. Her smile turned devious as she stared at her plastic knives. They were very useful when she was in need of 'protection'. Especially when metal detectors were in use. It was surprising how useful this set had become in recent years. Hardened plastic was just as deadly as steel but virtually undetectable.

She heard a knock on her door and quickly shot up to hide her 'supplies' then rushed to the door. When she opened it, she saw the face of her tormentor. Although he didn't even know he had caused her so much pain. How could he know? He was a self-centered boy.

"Are you hungry?" he asked with a smile that just made Kaya want to slap him. How could he be so kind and charming? Something about it made Kaya suspicious. How did a man who claimed to love Trish, not understand Trish at all?

"Sure," she answered. "Be down in a second." She shut the door then finished hiding her bag of supplies in the closet. To be safe, she pulled out one of the plastic knives and slid it, with its sheath, into her shoe. If Mr. Personality decided to get too personal, she'd make sure no one ever called him Dick again.

When she was ready, she put on some makeup and ran a brush through her hair. As she looked in the mirror, a devious smile crept on to her face. She pushed up the girls and headed down for dinner. If Richard was interested, she'd set the trap and happily show him the error of his ways.

At the bottom of the stairs, she smelled something that made her homesick. Not for the home which sickened her but for the two people who had made her life livable. Her mother, who passed away two years ago and Trish, who had recently joined Kaya's mother.

"What is that I smell, Dick?" she asked with a smirk when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Richard was rushing to the kitchen table, holding a pot with his gloved hands.

"Hot hot hot!" he exclaimed and nearly dropped the pot.

"What the hell is this?" she asked, and for the first time, her smile wasn't fake.

"Don't get mad," he said. "Trish told me your favorite food."

Kaya's smile widened. She watched as Richard rushed back to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of beer then set them on the table.

"Are you trying to soften me up for something?" she asked, and her smile faded.

"Ok, I'm a horrible cook. Trish did all the cooking," he looked down at the table, and Kaya could swear it was sadness. "This is a meal for the two people who cared about Trish the most." He looked up at Kaya, and she thought for a second that there were tears in his eyes. Then he quickly smiled to hide them. "We knew her better than anyone. She'd be happy it was just the two of us here tonight."

What the hell?! Richard didn't know Trish! Richard had no idea who the real Trish was! This was insulting and aggravating!

Kaya took a deep breath and pushed back her anger. She wasn't here to argue with Trish's clueless husband. She was here to find out who had killed her. Richard was an annoyance and a reminder of what could never be, but she doubted he was a killer. He wasn't smart enough to hide his deeds as a mugging. After her internal struggle was over, she lifted the lid off the pot and saw something which brought tears to her eyes.

In the pot, although it looked a mess, was a clear sign Richard had tried. Even though this man had brought her more pain than anyone who ever lived, excluding Trish's father, he had apparently listened to Trish. Inside the pot was Kaya's favorite food. Macaroni and cheese with chopped up hot dogs.

Kaya practically fell into her chair.

"She used to tell me how much you loved this growing up. How she'd make it every time you had a bad day." Richard smiled kindly at Kaya. "She talked about you a lot."

"Well, now she's dead!" Kaya yelled, then grabbed the beer and headed up to her room.

"Kaya, wait!" he urged, but she didn't stop.

She was in no mood to hear about how 'happy' they were together. Something Trish said over and over each time Kaya would visit. She knew the truth. She could always see through Trish's attempts at lies. They weren't happy, Trish wasn't happy, and Kaya couldn't take hearing how 'happy' they were one more time. She might just snap and fillet Dick on the spot.

"Kaya, please! We need to talk!" Richard yelled from the bottom of the stairs, but all he got in response was a slammed door.

When she was safely in her room, away from the lies and the deceit that filled this house, she angrily twisted the top off the beer and guzzled half of it.

"Who the hell does he think he is?! He didn't know her! He doesn't know me! He doesn't know a damn thing!" She kicked the bag that was still on the floor, and it flew into the dresser. The lamp toppled off and landed with a crash. "Damn it!"

While Kaya was cleaning up the mess she'd made, she heard a plate being set on the wooden floor outside her room. Angrily she rushed to the door, pulled it open and stared down at a plate of macaroni and cheese with a note. She furiously grabbed the note and pulled it open.

I understand your pain and anger. I feel the same way. You have no idea how much Trish meant to me, but I do know how much she meant to you. When you're ready, we need to talk.

Richard, not Dick.

The signature line produced a smile from Kaya. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the plate.

"I guess I am a little hungry," she said. She looked down the hall, but Richard's door was shut. Perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy? Then she pushed the notion aside. Richard was the reason for Trish's unhappiness. He might have even been the reason for her death. Something fishy was going on here. Though she didn't think Richard was capable of killing Trish, he still wasn't beyond suspicion. After all, Richard had ruined Trish's life as well as her own. He was no saint.

# Chapter 4

The next day, at the funeral, Kaya stood in the back. She was at least five feet behind the other attendees and liked the feeling of solitude. No one knew how much she cared for Trish, not even Richard. Even though Richard claimed to know, he had no clue. How could he know?

Her black slacks and black coat showed respect, but there was no way Kaya was wearing a dress to this thing. Not for these fakes. Trish didn't have this many friends. Who were all these people? Then a sad smile formed. This was Trish. Maybe she would have gotten a kick out of Kaya wearing a dress. Trish had always told her how pretty she looked when she wore a dress. The sad look turned to tears while Kaya regretted not wearing a dress for Trish. If anyone deserved a dress, it was Trish.

Kaya wiped the tears from her eyes and looked away from the casket. In the distance, far away from the other attendees, was a man. He wore sunglasses and a clean black suit. His skin was nearly as dark as his suit coat, and his goatee was darker. His head was bald, or shaved to appear bald. She wasn't quite sure which. The man's tie was undone, as well as the top two buttons of his shirt. When he noticed Kaya looking his way, he nodded, smiled kindly, then disappeared into the trees.

Fear gripped Kaya then anger. If her employer had sent someone to bring her back, then he'd better have sent more than this one man. Although the man was large, probably six foot and over two hundred pounds of muscle, he had no idea who he was messing with. And if her employer had sent him, he didn't know who he was messing with either.

Kaya started to follow the man, but Richard grabbed her arm to stop her. Where had he come from? She was so preoccupied with the man in the trees she hadn't even noticed Richard. As she looked up into Richard's teary eyes, she realized, emotions were making her weak. A mistake like that could have gotten her killed. For once, in his miserable life, Richard had done something right. He had reminded her of why she was really here.

"What?!" Kaya asked with anger that Richard mistook as grief.

"I know you're probably going to punch me but..." he said as he grabbed her and hugged her.

For a moment, Kaya reveled in the comfort of his embrace. He had known Trish, maybe not as well as she had, but he had known her better than anyone else. She kept her arms stiff, but for a moment she thought about hugging him back...then she did exactly what he expected. She punched him in the gut.

When he doubled over, it wasn't anger on his face. He smiled at her and laughed.

"She knew you so well." He held his stomach with one hand then wiped the tears from his eyes with the other. When he stood up, he smiled down on her. "I feel like I know you too."

Kaya had heard enough. She mumbled something about there not being enough macaroni and cheese in the world to fix this one, then took off after the man she'd seen watching her. When she reached the tree line, she saw a black sedan pulling away. It was too far away for her to chase it. Richard had made her miss her chance. Whoever the man was, he'd be back. Hopefully the next time she'd be ready. She needed to push back these emotions, or she'd never get revenge for Trish.

Then she turned back to see Richard. He was thanking the people who came. Her hatred of Richard came flooding back. One kind gesture didn't erase all the pain Richard had caused. Five years of anguish didn't just vanish because he made her supper. She couldn't believe she had almost hugged one of the men responsible for her torment.

After she waited a few minutes for the crowd around the casket to disperse, she headed back to Richard's car. She had considered taking a cab but taking a cab to a funeral was tacky. Richard was going, and there was no reason to act suspicious in public. When people were watching, she needed to act like Trish. Something she had forgotten when she punched Richard. The people responsible for Trish's death would be watching. They might have even been part of the funeral party. The man in the trees was definitely not sent by them. He was another sort of problem altogether, though she wasn't sure what kind.

After a few moments, Richard opened his door and joined Kaya. The look on his face told her he wanted to talk, but she wouldn't. Not now, not ever and certainly not with him. She needed to keep her focus on her mission, or the people responsible for Trish's death would get away with it. She still wasn't sure how much Richard was involved so, even if he hadn't been the man who ruined her life, trusting him would still be also out of the question.

"Kaya..." he started.

"Save it," she replied.

"We really need to talk," he said.

"No. We really don't." She stared at him angrily. "We both knew a different Trish. They are both gone now. I'm here for the week then we'll never speak to each other again. We're not friends, we're certainly not family, and we don't like each other. Get this through your thick skull. You ruined my life, and you don't have the slightest idea how. Just leave me alone, Richard."

Richard sat, looking out at the cars leaving the funeral and took a deep breath. He was trying to find words that wouldn't make Kaya even angrier, but he couldn't find them. When he realized the futility of trying to talk to her, he put the car into gear then took off without saying a word.

# Chapter 5

The wake was hosted at a local bar which Kaya had never been to. She again rode with Richard but had shed her respectful slacks and coat. It was a wake, a time to drink and morn. She felt more comfortable in the beat-up blue jeans and ripped tee-shirt that Trish loved. She hadn't spoken to Richard, and he hadn't tried to explain even once in the three hours they waited to attend the wake. Even the car ride to the bar was silent. For a moment, Kaya felt guilty as Richard held the door for her, then she looked into the face of her tormentor again. All he had to do was put on that cheesy smile, and she was reminded of how he had charmed his way into Trish's life. The man was a lawyer but, even worse, he was a charming and likable lawyer. That was unless you knew the truth about him. He was a lying, cheating bastard who had made the most incredible woman in the world unhappy.

Kaya almost knocked Richard over as she made a beeline for the bar and ordered whiskey. This wasn't an occasion for an enjoyable beer, nor sweet wine. This was a time to get completely smashed. A time to overwhelm herself with whiskey and memories, then chase it down with...and there he was.

The moment she saw Eric Mansky her day got brighter. She couldn't bring Trish back, but she could find out what had really happened and who had done it. Then make them all pay!

Kaya plopped down in the seat beside Eric, downed the shot of whiskey then motioned for the bartender to bring her another. With a sideways smile, she flirted with Eric.

"You're cute," she said with a silly giggle.

Eric smiled at her suspiciously then when the bartender brought her another whiskey, and she downed it, he loosened up.

"Eric," he said and held out his hand.

"Kaya," she replied and shook his hand. Her head bobbed back and forth while she waved for another shot.

"Kaya Nichols?" he asked.

"Yep. Sister of the deceased," she said and brushed her hand across her face then opened her eyes widely. "They don't water em down in this place, do they?" She laughed and nearly fell into Eric's lap.

When Eric caught her, she stared into his eyes and smiled seductively.

"You know what they say about funerals, don't you?" she asked and tried to straighten herself back up. She grabbed the counter to keep from falling backward, then swayed her head forward to hear Eric's answer.

"No, what do they say?" he asked.

Richard sat down on the other side of Kaya, and anger filled her face. She pushed it away, then answered Eric.

"Funerals are a time of grief, sadness and the perfect opportunity to do stupid shit you'll regret," she leaned even farther forward and started to whisper. "Want to be the stupid shit I do?"

Eric stared at Richard as if he was asking permission.

"Quit being ridiculous Kaya. You're not going to have sex with him," Richard said with annoyance.

Kaya turned angrily and put her finger in his face. She swayed back and forth while she spoke.

"How the hell would you know?!" she asked then grabbed the counter in an attempt to stop the swaying.

"This is not the place for this particular conversation," Richard said, raising one eyebrow.

For a moment, Kaya saw something on Richard's face. A glimmer of compassion and understanding? Did Richard know? For a moment, she saw someone who understood, really understood, but then the anger came back. Richard didn't know, how could he? No one could ever understand her pain nor the reasons for it.

"Let's finish this conversation at home before you do something you'll really regret," Richard said and stood. He grabbed Kaya's arm, so she pulled it violently and nearly fell on Eric once more.

"Go home...Dick." She turned to Eric. "What was your name again?" she asked.

"Eric," he replied.

"Eric and I are going back to his place." She stood and put her hands on her hips. She swayed back and forth while she glared at Richard. "Leave me alone. I cared about two people in this life, and now they are both dead. My mom is dead. My sister is dead. Just leave me alone." She said this loudly, and everyone in the bar stared silently. No one said a word while they waited to hear Richard's response.

With embarrassment, Richard looked around the bar.

"Suit yourself," Richard said, then headed out the door.

Kaya laughed and threw her arms around Eric's neck.

"So, is your place close by?" she asked.

Eric smiled and led Kaya out of the bar. As Eric helped Kaya to his car, she noticed the bald man again. He looked the same, but his expression was different. He still had on the loose tie, but he looked more interested. Almost like he was waiting on the edge of his seat to see what Kaya did next. In the cemetery, he seemed respectful and sad. Here, he seemed strangely attentive.

Before she ducked into the open car door, she shot a smile at the bald man and, to her surprise, he smirked in reply. She had let him know she was aware of him and he didn't freak out. Whatever he had planned for her, it wouldn't happen tonight. Although it was probable he had been sent by her employer, he seemed too professional for Leo. But, to be fair, she worked for Leo, and she was very professional. Perhaps Leo had others like her, people she'd never met before.

When Eric got in the car, she leaned on him and started to undo his belt.

"Wait," he urged her. "Not here. I'm a cop."

Kaya sat up straight and saluted him.

"Whatever you say, officer," she replied with a laugh then slammed her head into the dash.

"No, no. Don't pass out," he said as he pushed her back in the seat and fastened her seatbelt.

Kaya opened her eyes lazily and smiled.

"Don't worry Officer Eric. You have my permission to do whatever you want." She grinned deviously. "Even if I pass out." She threw in a wink for good measure than leaned against the window. "Maybe I shouldn't have had so many."

As they drove down the busy street, Kaya's phone started ringing. She picked it up and saw the name. Anxiety set in, and she looked at Eric. He glanced her way curiously, so she thought quickly.

"It's Richard again," she said with a laugh. "If I don't answer he's going to call the police looking for me. Wait a minute. You're the police. I'll tell him."

She picked up the phone, looked away from Eric, and whispered. With the engine and the passing cars, it was doubtful he would get anything meaningful from her side of the conversation.

"What do you want, Leo?" she whispered angrily.

"You left without saying a word. You don't get to be angry," Leonardo Montel replied.

"I left a note," she replied quieter. She could tell Eric was trying to listen in.

"A note!!" Leo yelled. "I gave you five years, and you left me a note?!"

"You didn't give me shit! I'm the one who made you famous," she whispered.

She could practically hear Leo fuming. She was correct, and he wasn't ready to admit it. Leonardo Montel was a low-level thug when he met a disillusioned girl from Galley Nebraska. Leo was in charge of fixing problems for a local gang, but with Kaya's help, he was soon fixing problems for all the gangs.

Kaya turned out to be much more than just an asset to Leo. She was his business. Leo set up the fake web magazine, but it was Kaya who did all the real work. An angry, depressed girl had no problem killing gang members who couldn't meet the expectations of their bosses. What was more, she soon found that she was very good at it. Before long all the gangs in Europe were very afraid of Auctor, a nickname she was fond of until someone told her what it meant. It was Latin which loosely translated to 'The Reporter'. What a stupid nickname. But, then again, you don't get to choose your own nickname. Yes, she worked for a fake web magazine as a reporter but really? Couldn't they have been a little more imaginative?

"I'm sending two guys to bring you back. They'll arrive in the morning, and you had better return with them. We have a job, and you can't just take a vacation." Leo didn't sound angry any longer. He sounded scared.

"What did you do Leo?" she asked and noticed the suspicious look on Eric's face. Then it occurred to her. "You sent two men? Did you send a large, bald black man?"

"No, why?" Leo asked.

"Well, shit!" she exclaimed loudly, and Eric glanced at her full of confusion. "I'll be back in a week. If you value those two men, you better tell them to go back home," she warned.

"I don't have a week," Leo said, and it was clear that he wouldn't recall the men.

"Their deaths are on your head then. But it sounds like you have bigger problems," she said then hung up. She sat up and swayed with the movement of the car then smiled at Eric.

"Who's Leo?" he asked.

"My cousin," she lied. "He's at Richard's house. Leo...umm...he's not too bright. Gets himself into trouble then expects me to drop everything to bail him out. Are we almost there?"

"A couple more blocks," he said then was startled when Kaya's head fell in his lap. "You awake? Hello?"

Eric parked outside his apartment and tried to wake Kaya, but it was clear to him that she was unconscious. She had given him permission, so he carried her limp body up to the single flight of stairs and laid her on the bed. He eagerly pulled up her shirt then felt the needle enter his thigh. As the room was getting foggy, he saw the devious grin on her face.

"Not too bright either, are you Eric?" were the last words he heard before he blacked out.

When he woke, he was tied to his bed with sheets, and his mouth was gagged. Kaya pulled down the gag and waited.

"What's going on?" he asked frightfully.

"Don't you like sex games, Eric?" she asked with a laugh. "Bad joke. Sorry, couldn't help myself." Kaya paced and took in the room while Eric pondered his situation.

The apartment was a pit, to say the least. There were pizza boxes on the coffee table, empty soda cups on the floor. Even the couch had a pile of wrappers that looked like they came from a burger joint. Also, it looked like every single dish in the place was dirty and piled in Eric's sink. In what universe did he think that bringing a woman back to this pigsty would be acceptable?

"What do you want?" Eric asked after much thought.

"Now that's the right question," she replied and turned to face him. "What do I want? Hmm. What could the sister of the woman you killed want?"

"Wait! I didn't kill her. I just moved...her..." Eric realized he had screwed up.

"There it is!" Kaya said with a self-satisfied smile. "Who did you move the body for?"

"I can't tell you. They'll kill me," Eric begged.

"I'll kill you. In fact, I'm going to kill you. What I'm going to do to them? You don't want that." She sat beside him on the bed then pulled out her cellphone and checked the time.

"I can't," he argued.

"Well, I need to be off. Need to show my face at home." The word annoyed her, but what else would she call it. "But don't worry," she said with a huge grin. "I'll be back."

"You can't just leave me here," Eric said.

"Oh, you're right. I can't. I guess I better let you go." She pulled out one of her hardened plastic knives and reached for the sheets that were holding his arms then paused. She smiled deviously at him. "Did you really think that would work?"

Kaya put her left hand underneath Eric's ribs then smashed the handle of the blade down and heard a satisfying crack. When he screamed, she grabbed a pillow and held it over his face. As soon as the screaming died down, she lifted up the pillow and looked at Eric.

"That was incentive. Have the names when I get back, and I promise it will be painless." She looked at him with disdain. "You made my sister's death look like a mugging. I can't just let that go. You understand, don't you?"

"I don't need to die. I'm nobody. I don't know anything," Eric pleaded.

Again Eric felt the needle in his thigh and, just as quickly, he was out.

Kaya looked down on the man with disgust.

"I guess you really can't ponder my request when you're out, but we'll have plenty of time to talk when I get back," she said then grabbed her cell phone and called a cab.

Kaya made sure to act drunk with the cab driver and even gave him a large tip to ensure he remembered her clearly. When she arrived back at Richard's house, she continued the act and stumbled up the stairs. Then Richard came out of his room to check on her, and she lingered for a minute.

"Didn't sleep with him?" Richard asked with a knowing grin.

"No...not that it's any of your business," she replied and leaned on her doorway. She stumbled when she opened the door then curiosity set in. What did Richard know? She couldn't have stopped the question if she had wanted to. "What's the stupid grin for?"

"He just didn't look like your type," Richard said with another grin that made Kaya even more suspicious. "You don't happen to have time to talk, do you?" he asked more seriously.

"I'm really tired and really drunk. Maybe later," she said then tripped into her room. Once she was out of sight of Richard, she shut the door and got to work collecting the supplies she needed. It was a long walk back to Eric's place. She just hoped she'd given him enough to keep him out until then. As she stood by the open window, she looked around the room with sadness. She recalled the last time she had stayed in this room. The argument. She could remember every word.

\------------------------------------------

"You don't understand! I don't care that he's cheating on me! Just listen to me!" Trish yelled.

"I care!" Kaya yelled in return. "If you're not going to do anything, then I will!"

Kaya stomped toward the door, but Trish grabbed her wrist, and she stopped.

"Please don't. You don't understand." Trish looked like she might start crying, which nearly brought tears to Kaya's eyes as well.

Kaya turned and put her hands on Trish's shoulders. They were nearly the same height, so looking into her eyes wasn't a problem. Those blue eyes that used to make all Kaya's problems fade away stared back at her, practically a stranger now.

"Make me understand, Trish. Please. I want to understand," Kaya begged. "I want to understand how you could live with him. How you could sleep with him? How?"

Trish stared back with guilt on her face, then a smile formed.

"If I asked you to stay here...permanently. Would you?" her smile warmed Kaya's heart and made her feel like she hadn't felt in years. Not since that day. The day Trish married him! Then realization set in. She would have to stay in this house and watch the two of them pretend to be happy, day in and day out. It would be never-ending. Her pain would never stop. She couldn't bear that.

"I can't. I have people that count on me in Europe," Kaya lied. She didn't want to hurt Trish. But she also couldn't tell her the truth. She couldn't tell Trish how much it hurt and she couldn't stay here. Not with him.

"I understand," Trish said with a sadness Kaya had never seen in her. Then something changed in Trish. The sadness was replaced with fury. "I want you out of my house and out of my life!"

"Wait, Trish, why?!" Kaya begged.

"You come into our home and accuse my husband of cheating on me then expect us to stay friends?" Trish asked with anger.

"Wait. What's happening? You know he's cheating on you. What's going on?" Kaya struggled. "We're much more than friends, and you know it."

"My husband is a good man! If you can't accept the fact that I love him, then I never want to see you again!" she screamed.

"No. Wait. Trish, please. Don't do this!" Kaya begged.

Trish opened the door and held it.

"Get your things, and never come back." Trish was calmer now, and tears were forming once more.

"Please Trish. What's happening? Why are you doing this?" Kaya asked while she grabbed her bag.

Trish ushered her to the front door then paused before closing it.

"I'm sorry, but I think this is what's best for the both of us. Maybe you can finally be happy," Trish said then started to close the door.

"Trish, please," Kaya said quietly. "What do you want me to do? Just say the word, and I'll do it. Anything."

Trish stopped closing the door, looked into Kaya's eyes, and smiled. Kaya could see the hesitation then determination returned.

"I just want you to be happy. Truly happy. And it's clear you can't find that around me," Trish said then leaned forward. She kissed Kaya gently on the lips and smiled with a sadness Kaya felt deep inside her. "Goodbye."

The rest of the night was a blur. She recalled getting into the cab which came to pick her up but then it was a rollercoaster of alcohol and bad decisions. Her memories picked up two days later at a hotel in France. Some sleazy hotel in a small town where Leo had a job waiting for her.

\------------------------------------------

With one final look at the scene of one of the worst days in Kaya's life, she sighed then slipped out the window.

# Chapter 6

At six in the morning, Richard was startled to hear a loud knock on the front door. He had just woken up and was getting his morning coffee ready. When he opened the door, he realized he wasn't wearing a shirt nor shoes. He had on his pajama bottoms which consisted of silk pants. He recognized the man at the door and felt a little underdressed.

Ron Halburt was an older man, Richard took him for late forties. He was balding, but at least his hair hadn't started to grey yet. He was a heavyset man, shorter than Richard, but not by much.

"Ron? Am I expecting you?" Richard asked then ushered Ron Halburt and Detective Greg Burns into his home.

"Sorry for the early call, Richard. It's about your house guest," Ron said. Ron was in uniform, and Greg was in a brown suit with no tie.

Detective Greg Burns was also a heavyset man but not quite as large as Ron. But unlike Ron, Greg's hair was turning grey. He appeared about five to ten years older than Ron, and he was aging badly. From Richard's dealings with the two men, he knew they were drinking buddies and good friends. Seeing them together in an official capacity wasn't surprising. The only surprising thing was that they were at his door at six AM.

"We have reason to believe she spent the night with Officer Eric Mansky," Detective Burns said.

Both men gazed at the woman walking down the stairs, and their mouths nearly fell open. Kaya walked down the stairs holding her head, dressed in a white, nearly translucent, shirt that went to her waist and pink lacy panties.

"You have any aspirin, Richard?" she asked then noticed the men at the door. "Early meeting?" she asked, then gave Richard a strange look and continued down the stairs.

"Would you mind putting some clothes on, ma'am," Ron asked while he looked at the floor.

"Actually, I need aspirin," she said. "I have a huge hangover." At the bottom of the stairs, she turned and headed to the kitchen.

Richard watched as both men couldn't take their eyes off the sight of the half-naked woman. He put his hand over his mouth to cover the smile that was starting, then headed to the kitchen. He yelled back to the men.

"Have a seat, guys. I'll get her some aspirin then convince her to put on some pants," he said and nearly laughed.

In the kitchen, Kaya had a bottle of beer in her hand and was searching for some aspirin. She watched Richard reach into one of the cabinet's. Then he handed her the bottle. Confusion set in when he looked her in the eyes and smiled kindly. She had noticed the two officers and their inability to take their eyes off her, but Richard didn't even give her a second glance. She was certain her provocative outfit would produce at least a little embarrassment from the man, but there was nothing.

"We should probably get dressed. It's not a good idea to leave the police waiting in the living room for too long. Who knows what they'll find," he said with a smirk then headed out of the kitchen and up to his room.

What was happening? Why was Richard being so nice? Come to think of it, she hated Richard, but he had never returned the feelings. Despite all her snide remarks and defamation of his name, he had never been anything but kind to her. He barely even acknowledged her comments nor her down right insults. Something was defiantly suspicious about him.

After swallowing a few aspirin and washing them down with half a beer, she headed upstairs to get dressed, fully aware of the stares directed at her backside. But, then again, it had been her intention in the first place. Although, these men were not her intended target. Most men were so easy. Richard, on the other hand, was an enigma.

In a few moments, she returned to find Richard sitting in the living room on his fake leather chair beside Detective Greg Burns and Officer Ron Halburt, who sat on the pure white couch. These two men, here, at six AM. A coincidence? She didn't think so.

"Now that I'm decent," she said and sat on the opposite fake leather chair across the coffee table from Richard. "What brings you out here?"

Richard's living room was set up to intentionally look like a meeting room. At least Kaya figured it was. The long white couch in front of the coffee table and the two fake leather chairs on each end of the table. The couch faced a rather large HD TV. Kaya imagined Richard entertaining other lawyers and police officials, probably watching football games or some other ridiculous sport.

"We understand that you left..." Burns reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad. "Carry's bar with..." He looked up again to catch her reaction. "Eric Mansky at about eleven last night."

"Yep," she replied.

"Yep?" Detective Burns asked condescendingly.

"That's what happened," she replied.

"Where did you go?" Officer Halburt added.

"Oh...you guys want to know what happened when he tried to rape me. Is that it?" Kaya asked.

All three men sat silently and stared at Kaya.

"Ok. Rape is a strong word. He tried to take advantage of a drunk girl. I woke up, kicked him in the nuts, and called a cab. I'm sure you have witnesses who saw him carrying me, unconscious...," she stressed the word and leaned forward. "Into his apartment."

"Umm..." Detective Burns said and pretended to go through his notes.

"I was back here around midnight. Right, Richard?" she asked with a grin.

"Actually, guys," he started then furrowed his brow and turned to Kaya. "Is that why you were so upset?"

Kaya was the one dumbfounded now. Was he trying to help her? She hadn't been upset at all. Well, not that she'd shown him. She'd acted drunk, not upset.

"Yes," she said. She really wanted to see how far Richard would go.

"Anyway..." he started and turned to Detective Burns. "I'm pretty sure she was here at midnight and at like one or two. I woke up when I heard a noise and guess what?" He let his question hang while he stared at Kaya.

Kaya kept her anxiety hidden while she waited. Surely one of the officers would ask it. She wasn't about to. Finally, Burns did.

"What?" Burns asked with a disapproving look.

"Kaya snores," Richard said with a laugh.

"I do not," she argued and secretly thanked her tormentor and bitter enemy...the man who had just lied for her, Richard. To tell the truth, she hadn't even gotten home until four. She also hadn't managed to get any sleep before the police had come to the door. Why was Richard lying for her?

"You look like you've showered," Officer Halburt stated. He wasn't ready to let this go yet.

Kaya leaned forward with a disgusted look on her face.

"You ever have a man drag you into his apartment, try to undress you and try to...no I don't think you have. The very first thing you want to do when you get home is take a shower to wash off the smell of him," she said angrily then leaned back and smiled. "Well, that was after I got done praying to the porcelain god. It was a bad night on many levels."

"Why didn't you report it?" Officer Halburt asked. He was really digging, and it made Kaya happy. He'd be easy. He was jittery, suspicious, and too damn confident. Greg Burns, however, appeared to have been living this double life a lot longer. He would be trickier.

"I was working up the courage to talk to my friend...the lawyer," she said, pointing to Richard. "You can't just go accusing a cop with this kind of thing. Why? What did Eric do now? Did he find my replacement? Cause if this is a class action kind of thing I'm in." She leaned back and crossed her arms.

"No. He's dead," Officer Halburt said and watched Kaya's reaction closely.

She raised both eyebrows and opened her eyes widely.

"Dead? Seriously?" she asked, feigning surprise perfectly.

"Yes, a mugging gone wrong. Similar to your sister," Officer Halburt said skeptically.

"You guys have a serious problem with muggings around here. I'm kind of glad I don't live here anymore. In Paris..." she started, but Officer Halburt had heard enough. He stood up and headed for the door.

"Something wrong, Ron?" Richard asked.

Kaya could swear she heard the man growl before he spoke.

"You and your...house guest need to watch yourselves. A cop is dead, and you only have the two of you to corroborate your alibi. Wouldn't take much to pick it apart." He motioned to Detective Burns, who joined him at the door.

A side of Richard Kaya had never seen emerged, and for a moment she was proud to be his friend...frenemy...whatever they were. Richard stared down at the shorter men, and a look of pure hatred enveloped him.

"I believe that would be harassment. I have security cameras," he pointed at the camera above the door. "Would you like me to produce footage of me and Kaya entering the building and not leaving?! I'm quite certain Judge Hendricks would be available at this hour. He loves home movies. Shall we head over to his house? I'm meeting him for golf later, but I'm sure I could convince him to pop into work for a minute."

Detective Burns looked worried, but Ron's look of disgust didn't waiver.

"We'll let you know if we need your camera footage. Don't delete it," he said then left, and Detective Burns followed him.

When Richard shut the door, his anger faded, and he smiled kindly at Kaya again. Why had she never seen this side of him? She always assumed he didn't have what it took to be unkind. He had never shown her this side of himself, but she was dead wrong. Why didn't he ever direct this kind of anger toward her? Was he that clueless? Didn't he see her obvious hatred of him?

He walked by her and patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. The cameras by your window point toward the driveway," he said and continued upstairs. "Didn't want you to accuse me of spying on you."

Kaya turned her head and watched the man, whom she obviously knew less about than she thought, climb the stairs. Was he insinuating that he knew what she was up to last night? He had lied for her. Why? That spying comment. Was that a hint to let her know? It was either the best hint or the ramblings of a man who was clueless. She had no idea which it was. She couldn't risk spilling everything to him. It would have to be him. He would have to be the one to start that conversation.

She pulled her feet up into the chair with her and pondered the situation. Was that what he wanted to talk about? Did he, somehow, know why she had come home? How could he have known? She didn't even know. Not until she got the mysterious note and sped to the airport to buy the plane ticket. Kaya made a mental note to have that sit down with Richard but today was not the day. She had far too much to do. And he had...golf.

Ron Halburt and Greg Burns were next on her list, and they were aware of her involvement in Eric's death. She had known that once she started, she would have very little time and very little control over what happened. It was like putting a car in neutral on a hill. Things were in motion, and there was no way to stop it. They would be coming for her.

For a moment she regretted using Richard's house as her trap but, truthfully, she hadn't given much thought to his safety. Not until recently. She thought Richard might have had something to do with Trish's death. But now, after this morning, it seemed quite clear that he had nothing to do with it and the man was far more intelligent than she had anticipated. He might even be helping her, or at the very least, routing for her.

# Chapter 7

Kaya looked up at the digital clock above the stove. It was eight twenty-seven. The sun was down, and the yard lights had just turned off. Outside the window, she could see the empty space shrouded in shadows. Richard's yard was large, well kept, but large. There were a million places the would-be-assassins could hide out there, and she was certain they were out there.

Richard would be gone until midnight, so she had plenty of time to deal with the people coming for her. While she cautiously glanced out at the yard one more time, she poured her hot chocolate into a cup. She made a show of yawning at the window then pulled her robe shut and pretended to shiver before drinking it down. Casually she put the cup in the sink and headed to her room. At the bottom of the steps, she shut off the lights then continued upward.

Once in her room, she put on another show and took off the robe, turned off the light then, when the room was completely dark, changed clothes.

She had gotten ready in the dark many times, countless times, but none of them had felt so perfect, so satisfying. Some of the men responsible for killing Trish would be coming tonight, and they had no idea what was in store for them. She doubted that the large men from this morning would come themselves, but the people they sent would be just as guilty. The men who came tonight would help her capture Ron Halburt and Greg Burns. Kaya was in this for the long haul. One at a time, she would pick off the men responsible. She was patient and determined. She doubted they were.

While she waited, Kaya couldn't help but think back on her life again and remember Trish when they were younger. This particular memory was when they were fifteen.

\------------------------------------------

Trish waited at the top of the large staircase in her father's house as Kaya sulked her way up. They shared a room, and when Kaya finally reached the top, Trish put her arm over her shoulders and guided her the rest of the way.

"Let me take a look at it," Trish urged her. Kaya sat down on her bed while Trish kneeled before her.

"No. It's my fault. I can patch myself up," Kaya insisted.

"We both know that isn't true. Bobby was picking on me, so you decided to let him know whose sister he was messing with," she said with a huge grin.

"Dad didn't see it that way," Kaya replied.

"Grounding for a month won't be so bad," Trish comforted. "I'll be here."

"You have better things to do," Kaya said, still not looking up.

Trish lifted Kaya's face and kissed her on the cheek.

"Why would I want to be anywhere else? Hmm?" she asked.

Kaya just stared into those beautiful blue eyes and was lost. What could she possibly have done to deserve a sister...a friend...a...someone like Trish?

"Let me see your chin," she said and pushed Kaya's face up. The gash under her chin was deep, and it was still bleeding. "You don't have to stick up for me all the time."

"If I don't who will? Besides, Bobby wouldn't dare pick on you now," Kaya said and smiled. "Ow," she complained as the smile pulled the gash back open.

"I doubt any boy will pick on me again. Not after what you did to Bobby," Trish laughed. "I'll probably never get a date either."

"I'm sorry," Kaya replied sadly.

"Don't be. Boys are...never mind," she said and returned to her job of making sure the gash was clean. "This is going to burn," Trish warned then put the cotton ball, full of antiseptic, against the wound.

Kaya didn't say a word. She was too busy admiring her nurse sister.

"You smile and say ow but I put pure rubbing alcohol on the cut and you don't even wince? Was that ow for my benefit?" Trish asked.

"Maybe a little," Kaya replied.

"I swear, Kaya. You have to be the toughest person I've ever met," Trish looked sad for a moment. "You're going to make someone a good wife someday."

"Really?" Kaya asked with a smirk. The movement pulled the wound back open, and Trish put her hands on her hips.

"Some really tough guy. One who eats nails for breakfast or something, cause damn. He'd have to be a real man to keep up with you," Trish said, but something in the look confused Kaya.

"Yeah, a real...man," Kaya said, and Trish just stood there staring at her.

\------------------------------------------

A loud thump in the hall pulled Kaya from her fond memory. Damn, these people were bad at this. Even if she had been sleeping, they wouldn't have been able to sneak up on her. Who had they hired to kill her? A bunch of uncoordinated drunks?

Kaya watched the shadows cross her door then waited. She could hear whispering out in the hall. It sounded like counting. They were not just uncoordinated. They were downright horrible at this.

Kaya waited, and when the door was kicked in, she pushed herself against the closet door. The two men walked right by her and proceeded to shoot three shots, from silenced pistols, into her poor pillows. When they pulled back the covers to inspect the pillows they had just assassinated, she hit them both in the kidneys with stun guns. She smiled as the overweight, middle-aged men, nearly peed themselves then fell to the floor. She wasn't sure how she was going to get them to the truck she had parked in the blind spot of the cameras. She had expected healthy, thin, men. Not a three hundred pound, overweight cop and his buddy who was almost the same size.

She removed the masks from the men's faces and was pleasantly surprised. It seemed that Detective Greg Burns had decided he and Officer Ron Halburt should handle this one themselves. Now she didn't have to find a way to catch them separately. A gift, to be sure, but how the hell was she going to get them into the truck?

She glanced at the digital clock, the only light in the room, and cursed at how slow and sloppy these two had been. It was nearly midnight. She had twenty minutes to get these two huge men into the truck before Richard came home. This was not going to be easy. Then a smile spread across her face. She didn't need to get them there in twenty minutes. Richard could be 'persuaded' into a heavy sleep.

With her new plan in mind, she stuck both men and filled them with sedatives. She gave each a second dose just to make sure they didn't wake. What difference did it make? She was going to kill them anyway. If they died from an overdose first, it would be more of an inconvenience than a problem. She could find out who else was involved without them, if she needed to. Their unwilling cooperation was a perk, not a necessity.

Kaya quickly changed into her pajamas, the ones with no bottoms and snickered while she made her way downstairs to the couch. She turned on the TV and waited for the unsuspecting Richard to finally get home. He may have put on a good show of not ogling her this morning but now, alone and at night, would he have the same iron will? She didn't think so.

Soon Richard wearily came walking in the door. He noticed Kaya and gave her a kind smile then pulled his suit jacket off. Then he stared curiously at the two glasses and the wine bottle on the coffee table.

"Waiting up for me?" he asked.

"I just figured, since you helped me out this morning I'd offer a glass of wine and a truce," she said. She poured each of them a glass then waited patiently as Richard sat in the fake leather chair which must have been his favorite.

He looked at her, and she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes.

"You remind me so much of Trish sometimes," he said and wiped his eyes.

He was crying. Was she going insane? He didn't love Trish. He cheated on her again and again. How could he love her?

"Trish used to wait up for you and offer you wine...dressed like this?" she asked as she stood up.

Richard looked her in the eyes, and a sadness was there. For a moment, Kaya thought she might cry as well.

"No, not dressed like that. Trish was more conservative," he said and drank down the wine. "Which reminds me. We really need to talk. There are...some...things... you...oh hell. You drugged me, didn't you?" he asked as he waved his hand in front of his face.

"How did you know I drugged you? Why would you even suspect that?" she asked with confusion. Not only did she not get the ogling she had anticipated. This idiot, who was clearly more intelligent than she'd give him credit for, immediately suspected her of drugging him. She would have been offended if she hadn't been so impressed.

"You...Trish...oh man," he said, and his head flopped onto his chest then he slid from the chair and smashed his forehead into the coffee table.

"Ohhh! That's gonna hurt in the morning. Sorry, Richard," she said and proceeded to drag the tall and rather muscular man up the stairs. This was more like it. She had anticipated dragging men like Richard, the overweight imbeciles in the other room, not so much.

After laying Richard out in his bed, she covered him and silently apologized for the welt which was forming on his head. She really didn't want to hurt Richard. Not after this morning. A week ago? Maybe even a day ago, she would have laughed at his pain, but now? He was quickly becoming her only ally. An irony that was not lost on her. The man who had ruined her life was the only one she could trust. It was almost poetic.

After making sure Richard was breathing, she sighed and set about the task of moving two men that each weighed twice what she did, possibly more than twice.

# Chapter 8

In the morning, Richard woke with a splitting headache, and this time he was the one walking down the stairs holding his head, while Kaya was answering the door. Kaya let the officers in and led them to the couch, just like Richard had done the previous morning. The two young officers were kind and courteous but very nosey. The blond one with the greenish eyes was trying his best not to stare at Kaya while the shorter one with curly brown hair was all business and scoured the place with his eyes. In a few moments, Richard joined them.

At least this morning Kaya had shorts on. Her attempts to catch Richard's eye had failed miserably, so she'd given up. He clearly wasn't interested. It made her frustrated yet happy. Maybe she'd been wrong about Richard's infidelity? Nah. She was never wrong about things like this. There had to be another reason. Perhaps Richard was a decent guy in other respects. Hitting on his wife's sister, even staring at her inappropriately, would be disgusting to some men. Maybe his depravity didn't go that deep. Maybe he was just the kind of man who couldn't be faithful to one woman.

"So, did either of you see Officer Halburt or Detective Burns yesterday?" the curly-haired one, Officer Hall asked. His hair was dark, and his face clean-shaven. He looked younger than the other one by maybe a couple years.

Richard held his head and squinted. The light was coming right through the glass in the front door, and Kaya was sitting in his chair, the one with its back to the door.

"Yesterday morning, right before I left to meet Judge Hendricks for golf," he said then shut his eyes and leaned his head down.

"Are you ok, sir?" Officer Mills, the blonde one, asked.

"I'm fine. Had some wine after a long day at work, then slipped and smacked my head." He looked at Kaya. "Thanks for helping me to bed."

Kaya's shock left her speechless. Where was the anger she had seen yesterday? She deserved it for what she'd done. Why was Richard always so nice to her?

"So, you two?" Officer Mills asked as he pointed to both of them in turn.

"No, eww," Kaya said abruptly. "He's my brother-in-law. He was married to my sister until a couple weeks ago."

"Sorry, ma'am. I meant no offense," he apologized quickly.

"Well, I, for one, am very offended," Richard said with a strange anger. "Would you sleep with your sister? Because she is, legally, my sister. How dare you come into my home and accuse me of sleeping with my sister-in-law." Richard stood and stared down, menacingly at the young officer.

"I'm...I didn't mean," Officer Mills stuttered.

Officer Hall looked at his partner crossly then returned his gaze to Kaya.

"You sure that's the last time you saw them?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, trying to approximate the same outrage as Richard. And, damn, he was angry. Why was he so angry? Richard refused to return to his seat and just glared at Mills with an anger Kaya didn't understand.

"Thank you for your time," Officer Hall said then stood and nudged his partner.

"Again I'm very sorry for offending you. It's early, one cop is dead, and two are missing. It's just a very bad week," he said.

"Well, in the future, find out a little more about people before you start assuming things," Richard said. "I would hate to have to tell Charlie Sots about this."

"Again. Really sorry," Officer Mills said then headed to the door followed by his partner.

When they were gone, Kaya stared at her frenemy and was once more impressed with his ability to lie.

"That's twice you've lied for me," she said and put her hands on her hips. "And to cops no less. You know Chief Sots?"

"He golfs with me and Judge Kendrick sometimes. And besides, this is family business," he said with a laugh while pointing at the huge knot on his head. "And none of theirs." Richard headed up the stairs. When Kaya spoke, he stopped halfway.

"I think I'm ready for that talk now," she said.

"You would pick the most inopportune time." He turned and smiled at her, kindly. "I have court in thirty minutes. I need a shower and some makeup to cover this enormous horn coming out of my head. When I get home?"

Kaya found herself smiling up the stairs at the man she hated almost as much as her step-father. And for a brief moment, she saw him as a brother-in-law, instead of the man who had ruined her life.

"Not a brief conversation?" she asked.

"No, very emotional," he said, then turned and continued up the stairs. When he was at the top, he stopped and without turning around, added. "I'll be home at about ten or eleven."

This was actually good news for Kaya. Although she was curious about what could possibly be so important to Richard, she also had two cops tied up in an abandoned house, five miles from town. If she didn't hurry with her interrogation they might die, or worse, escape. It would be hard to punish the men involved in Trish's death from behind bars. Hell, kidnapping a cop might get her shot. She probably wouldn't even make it to prison.

After collecting some supplies, taking a shower and making sure Richard was gone, Kaya headed to town. The supplies she had brought on the plane wouldn't suffice for what she had planned. She needed these men to talk, and she needed them to suffer. These two were directly responsible for Trish's death. Finding out who they worked for was important, but the more pressing need was inflicting pain on them. They needed to feel physical pain, and somehow, this might lessen the emotional pain she suffered.

Thankfully, Richard had been too preoccupied to notice the truck in his driveway or perhaps he didn't care. Either way, he didn't bring it up, and Kaya wasn't about to explain how she'd 'appropriated' it from one of her step-father's warehouses.

Sean Galley, whose great grandfather had founded the town of Galley, was a rich man with many offices for his shipping business. A powerful man, whom many were afraid of. It was part of the reason Trish agreed to marry Richard. At least that was the story Kaya told herself. It made her feel better believing Trish had married out of fear. Either way, he wouldn't miss one truck. And if anyone did realize she was the one who took it, what could they do? She had been adopted at the age of six. She was, legally, Sean Galley's daughter.

Within a few minutes, she was at a hardware store, downtown, browsing through tools and supplies. She was quite fond of the nail guns. Not only were they painful and persuasive. The sound they made was terrifying. She brought up a large nail gun, a box of nails, and behind her, she dragged an air compressor.

"Does this compressor have enough horsepower to drive a nail through concrete with this gun?" she asked the teenager behind the counter. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the muscular bald man across the street, watching her.

Great! Just what she needed, on today of all days. Then she noticed two other men. Dirty, fidgety men. These were Leo's men. And if that was the case. Who was the bald man?

She watched curiously as the bald man pulled off his sunglasses and made it a point to stare at her then looked right at the two suspicious-looking men. She mouthed the words 'I see them'. Then the bald man returned his glasses to his face, put his hands in his pockets, and walked off with a curious smile.

What was that about? Was the bald man warning her? She had already seen Leo's men, but still...why was he warning her? Something about the bald man made her nervous but not in the same way Leo's men did. The bald man was smart and patient. Leo's men...would be dead by sundown.

Without even listening to the man, who came up to help his son with her question, she absentmindedly spoke.

"Just give me a setup that can put nails through wood and concrete. Don't care how much it costs." She was too preoccupied with the two men who were looking over her truck. They noticed her looking at them then headed down the street to their car.

After the man and his son had packed all her purchases up, except for the air compressor, they offered to help her to her car, but she refused.

"I got it guys. It has wheels for a reason," she said, then headed out to her truck with a bag in one arm and the compressor trailing behind her.

Kaya watched the two suspicious men sitting in their car while she packed up her supplies, then had a wonderful idea. Why not kill two birds with one stone? These two could join her for her interrogation. Well, they could join Officer Halburt and Detective Burns.

With her plan in mind, she pulled out of her parking spot then floored it in an attempt to act like she was running. It was surprising how easily professional killers forgot to keep their guard up when they were under the impression their prey was running scared. It was how she had outsmarted one of the best contract killers in Europe. The man's head had grown too big for his bosses. Killing for money was one thing, but stealing from your bosses and flaunting it? That was something entirely different. Different, and stupid. Something the man's bosses couldn't tolerate.

Giome...Gerome...she couldn't remember the man's name at the moment but the look on his face when he 'caught' her, was priceless. He had chased her across three countries until he finally caught a break. A kid at a news stand had seen her enter a hotel. Something she had, of course, paid the boy to say. Giermo, that was his name! The look on Giermo's face when he opened the door and saw his bosses and Kaya waiting for him, along with ten armed men. The look of betrayal and revelation rolled into one. That was a look that was hard to duplicate and harder still to forget.

Kaya pulled onto a dirt road and slowed down to be sure the two men were still there. Perhaps she'd been going a little too fast. They were European. Driving in the states must have been confusing to them. By the looks of her would-be-abductors, she doubted they spoke much English. It was even harder to believe that they would know how to read it on the street signs.

When Kaya pulled into the farmhouse, she stood outside the truck and waited. Kaya had no gun, and they probably had a few. It was hard to get a gun on an airplane, and it would only complicate her brief stay in Nebraska. Guns were loud, messy, and just plain hard to carry around. What if a cop stopped her for a simple traffic infraction? How would she explain the gun? Power tools, those were easy to explain. She crossed her arms as she waited for the two men to get out of their car.

The driver was a tall man and thin. He was probably a good two inches taller than Richard. He had tattoos on his arms and a short-sleeved shirt on, to accentuate them. His long dark hair could best be described as greasy. He had either bathed in some type of hair oil or he was just a naturally greasy man.

The second, the passenger, was larger, not in height, but in girth. He looked like he enjoyed seconds...maybe thirds. His skin was darker, not as dark as the bald man, but darker than grease ball's skin. They both looked Italian, maybe Greek? She wasn't really sure. She never quite got the hang of telling nationality by looks, but accents, that was something else. Either way, they both looked like thugs Leo would hire.

"Can I help you, boys?" she asked and made a show of taking off her button-up shirt. Underneath she had on a white tank top. The men could easily see her black bra underneath, but then again, that was the point.

"Leo has a message," the tall greasy one said nervously, with a thick accent. His eyes couldn't help but find their way to her chest.

"How is Leo?" she asked. She put her hands on her hips and leaned against the truck. When they got closer, she removed her sunglasses and smiled, her fake smile, the one she thought of as an insult and the men seemed to relax. It was nice to see her 'assets' were still attracting the attention they were intended to attract. Neither man could look her in the eye. They were too busy staring at her chest. Somehow Richard seemed immune, a subject she would have to investigate later tonight.

"You need to come with us. Leo says you need to be in Germany by tomorrow," the larger, rounder man said. He also had a thick accent, but it was different than grease ball's accent.

Kaya had been wrong about both men. The round one was clearly French, and the tall greasy one was Spanish.

"Well, that presents a problem," she said and pushed herself away from the truck. She crossed her arms again and turned her head toward the house. "I'm not done with Leo's first job. The reason I'm here. The men in that house need proof that I'm finished." She leaned in closer and whispered. "They're cops. Bad cops." Then she straightened up. "Money's still green right?"

"What?" the round one asked, clearly confused.

"You don't have any guns on you, do you?" she asked and feigned anxiety.

"Umm..." the tall one started.

"I need to show them proof, or we won't make it to the airport. These guys are a bit twitchy. And they won't take kindly to me leaving. Toss your guns in the car," she whispered. "Let's not agitate these guys." Thankfully, these two were about the average IQ of Leo's thugs. Somewhere in the high teens.

They both tossed their guns in the car.

"After we clear this up, you two can get me on that plane to Germany. Didn't Leo explain why I was here?" she asked and started toward the house.

"No," the round one replied.

"That figures. Leo thinks a two-day job should take one day." She spun and faced them, then rolled her eyes while she walked backwards. "You guys probably know exactly what I mean. Right?" She flashed them a smile and noticed the round one smiling back. She spun again and grabbed the door handle then held the door for them. "Be courteous, and we'll be on our way to Germany in no time."

As soon as the two men walked into the empty, run-down building, they saw the two captives hanging by their wrists from the ceiling, bound and gagged. They turned to confront Kaya, but all they found was a closed door.

In the amount of time it took the two clueless men to figure out that Kaya had tricked them, she had made it to their car. She grabbed grease ball's gun. It was larger. Then she pointed it at the doorway.

The tall greasy one was the first through the door and caught a bullet between the eyes. Although Kaya rarely used guns, she was a very good shot. Today had been reserved for Officer Halburt and Detective Burns. She wasn't about to waste time on two sleazeballs. Sure, she could have fought them hand to hand, but that would take time. Time she didn't want to waste.

When the round one realized what was happening, he hid behind the door frame. Kaya fired off a shot at the door frame. She didn't want to accidentally kill one of her captives. She just wanted to get the round man's attention.

"Dude, we don't have to do this, you know? You could just leave. Greasy down there, the one with the bullet in his brain. He wouldn't have considered it, but I take you for the smarter man here." She slowly walked toward the door, not lowering the pistol, and smiled as the round one came out with his hands up. "Guess I was wrong," she said as she shot him right between the eyes as well.

When she walked into the building, taking care to step over the round one, she smiled at her captives who looked terrified.

"That was annoying." She grinned and smacked them playfully on the cheeks. "So, who wants to spill first? I just need a name," she said. When neither of them made a sound, she grinned evilly. This was what she had hoped for. "Let me get the nail gun. Maybe that will change your minds. I've been dying to try that thing."

# Chapter 9

At about five, Kaya was on her way back to Richard's house to wait for him, but she wasn't a patient person. Richard may have been busy at work, but surely he could spare an hour to talk to her. On the way back to his house, she drove by his office, so she decided to stop by. Above the glass doors, at the entranceway was a sign that read Kendric & Kendric, and she wondered what it would be like to have a father who was proud of her.

Her real father had taken off shortly after she was born and the man she called father hated her. He blamed her for so many things over the years and on many occasions had even called her The Devil come to life. His hatred for her was only outdone by her hatred of him. Given her line of work, it was surprising that Sean Galley still drew breath, but that was because of Trish. An insurance policy he no longer had. Someday Sean Galley would get his, but for the moment, the people responsible for Trish's death were Kaya's top priority.

When Kaya walked through the large glass doors, she removed her sunglasses and was greeted by a smiling, far too cheery, secretary. The heavy blonde woman, who looked to be in her thirties, seemed nice enough, just too damn chipper.

"Hi there," the secretary started. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Richard Kendric," Kaya said, not as cheerfully as the secretary, but more enthusiastically than she would have liked.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked. She was still smiling too widely and too cheerfully.

"I'm his sister-in-law," Kaya replied.

"Oh," the secretary replied, and horror spread across her face, then pity. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Trish...Trish was..." The woman trailed off and lowered her head.

"Can I see Richard?" Kaya asked more adamantly.

"It's Thursday," the woman replied as if that explained anything.

"And?" Kaya asked, clearly annoyed.

"His private meetings are today," the woman said with a wink.

Kaya nearly flattened the overly cheery woman but decided Richard...no Dick was the person who needed to be flattened. Before she lost control and before she stormed out, she reigned in her anger.

"Where might I find Richard? Where are his private meetings held?" Kaya asked, desperately trying not to strangle the woman who was Dick's accomplice in infidelity.

"Umm...I'm...I don't know," she lied, and not very convincingly.

"I'm leaving for Europe soon, and I need to give him something before I go. This is very important," she looked down at the desk and saw the woman's name. "Charlotte, please tell me where I can find my brother so I can make my flight."

"Umm..." Charlotte stumbled, clearly she was struggling with herself. "I suppose...you are his sister-in-law. Umm...3426 Fallon Road." She looked around like she had just told Kaya national secrets then pretended to work on her computer.

"Thank you, Charlotte. I was never here," Kaya said, put on her sunglasses and headed out.

Who the hell did Dick think he was?! Did he realize what kind of mistake he was making?! When she was done with Trish's killers, Dick would be the next name on her list. He would find out the price for cheating on Trish, and it would not be pretty. Kaya slammed the truck into gear and peeled out from the parking spot, nearly sideswiping a car. At the stoplights, she revved her engine, impatiently waiting for the light to change. Getting a traffic ticket wouldn't help her situation, but stopping at every red light was making her angrier by the minute.

After ten minutes and fourteen red lights, she finally arrived at an expensive-looking ranch house. Well, technically, she was down the street from it. She didn't want Dick to see her truck. Though he hadn't mentioned it this morning, he might have noticed it. The beat-up old truck would draw attention in this part of town. Whoever Dick was sleeping with was quite rich. Even Dick's lavish house paled in comparison to the ranch-style home with a pool and tennis court out back. Then there was the lawn, which must have covered the whole block. And she thought Dick's lawn was huge.

Kaya pulled out an old pair of binoculars and spent the next two hours waiting for someone to come outside. If she was going to teach Dick a lesson, she needed to be certain he was guilty. Not that she wouldn't have loved to hurt Dick anyway, but a sense of loyalty to Trish created a desire to be sure.

When Dick opened the door, yelled, 'See you Sunday, honey', then proceeded to his red sports car with a sickening grin, Kaya knew it was true. He had cheated on Trish and, two weeks after her death, he didn't even have the decency to call it off. What a sick bastard Dick was. When she found the time, Dick would pay for what he'd done.

The trip back to Dick's house was much quicker than the trip to his lover's. She fumed all the way there, not bothering to even check what color the lights were. Her fury and anger were getting the better of her now.

Back at Dick's house, Kaya waited on the white couch. She had a glass of wine in one hand and a plate of barbequed ribs she had found in the fridge, in the other. She was stretched out across the couch and waited patiently as she stared at the clock. When ten-fifteen rolled around, Dick came in the door. Kaya watched his stupid smile spread and returned it with her fake one.

"Have a nice day, Dick?" she asked.

His smile faded.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just wondering about your day...Dick," she said, and her smile turned devious.

"Somethings wrong. You've got that look," he said and laid his suit coat over his favorite chair. "Is everything ok?

"Do anything interesting today...Dick? Oh sorry. Let me rephrase that. Did you do _anyone_ interesting today?" Kaya started to stand up and let the wine glass fall. The dark maroon liquid covered one of the white couch cushions then she let the ribs slide off the plate, on another cushion. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said unconvincingly. "I'm such a klutz."

"I can explain. Just let me get something to clean that up," Dick said as he rushed to the kitchen to grab a towel.

Kaya intercepted him and hit him in the throat. He fell to the ground coughing and gasping for air.

"No need to explain. You are exactly the man I always knew you were." She stepped down hard on his hand, and he yelled. "When I'm done dealing with my sister's death. We're going to have a long conversation. One you will never forget."

"Kaya, please," he begged as she climbed the stairs. "This isn't what you think."

Once she was back to her room, she slammed the door and flopped on the bed. When she heard him coming up the stairs, she quickly locked the door then turned on the radio. She could still hear him begging from outside the door, so she turned it up until his pathetic excuses stopped bothering her.

# Chapter 10

At six in the morning, loud knocking woke Kaya yet again. This was starting to become a trend, and an annoying one at that. She rushed downstairs to answer the door in a pair of Richard's sweats and a tee-shirt, the only things she could manage to find. The sweats were a little large but rolling up the pant legs and using a hairpin to hold the waist made them wearable. When she opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see two officers, the ones from yesterday, looking impatient and holding up a warrant. The most concerning thing was that Richard's car was gone.

"Out of the way," Officer Mills said and pushed his way through the door.

"Richard's not home right now," Kaya argued.

"We don't need permission," Officer Hall answered then pushed his way in as well.

This was bad. This was very bad. She mentally inventoried everything in her bags and her room. There was nothing incriminating that she could remember. This move was a little more invasive than she had anticipated. She had made someone very powerful, very nervous. Could it be the man whose name she'd gotten yesterday?

Richard would soon need to find another golf partner. Chief Charlie Sots would soon disappear like his colleagues, but did a police chief have enough pull to get a warrant on such short notice? Maybe, but he would have needed help.

"You should call Mr. Kendric," Officer Mills said as he was inspecting the mess on the couch. Apparently Richard hadn't even stuck around long enough to clean it up. A grin formed on Kaya's face. Richard had gotten her message. His absence was due to his fear.

"I really don't think he'll answer for me. We had a bit of a fight," Kaya said, still grinning.

"Well, you need to step outside," Officer Hall ordered then proceeded to usher her to the door.

Kaya obeyed and waited outside. The morning wasn't very chilly, fall was coming, but it wasn't here yet. At least she hadn't been wearing shorts. After about twenty minutes, Officers Hall and Mills returned holding a bloody rag. It looked like some kind of shirt with blood on it, a lot of blood.

"Where the hell did you get that?!" Kaya asked.

"Kaya Nichols, you're under arrest," Officer Hall said as he handcuffed her then started reading Kaya her rights as he pushed her into the back seat.

On the way to the station, Kaya realized what was happening.

"You guys put that rag in the house, didn't you?" she asked. She wasn't frightened, a fact that seemed to worry the two officers.

Neither of them said a word.

"You're in on it? Oh, guys. This was a huge mistake," she leaned back and grinned. "I didn't even bother suspecting you until now. Oh, this is good."

The officers looked at each other, nervously.

"So, where we going? Are you really arresting me? Or are we on our way to a secluded spot for you to shoot me in the head? Better hope you don't miss," she taunted.

Still, neither officer spoke, and their apprehension grew. Kaya quietly picked at the lock with the hairpin she'd had attached to Richard's sweats. Just as she heard the satisfying click, the car stopped in front of the police station.

"You're actually bringing me in? Don't you think it will be a little suspicious if I just disappear?" Kaya asked with a smirk.

Officer Mills had finally heard enough. He turned around angrily and scowled at her. While she was waiting for him to speak, she reattached the hairpin to her sweats. Fighting armed cops and having your pants fall down would be...counterproductive. Then again, they might just end up staring at her naked bottom half. As Kaya was pondering pants or no pants, Officer Mills finally mustered enough courage to speak.

"Sots wants to look you in the eyes when you realize your life is over," he said spitefully. "Your sister held up pretty well. Let's see how long you last."

Kaya's grin spread wider, and Mills lost his confidence.

"I'll make sure yours is especially painful. How do you feel about nail guns?" she asked, and her expression became more devious.

This was her chance. The cuffs were off, but she was still barefoot. Running down the middle of the street in broad daylight was not her idea of the perfect getaway, but what choice did she have? If they managed to get her inside the police station, she was already dead.

When the door opened, she lunged out of the car and smashed into the large man standing outside. As she looked up and saw the smiling face of Richard, she quickly snapped the cuffs back on.

"Don't say a word without me present and don't antagonize them," he said loudly but kindly. Then his smile faded, and he leaned in to whisper. "We still need to talk."

Without taking a breath, he turned to the officers and spoke in a more commanding voice.

"I want to see that warrant, Officer Mills," he said. "My client has nothing to hide. I want Chief Sots in the room for the interrogation, and I will be present as well."

Kaya looked up at Richard curiously then whispered.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked with confusion.

"Trust me," he said. "You want this."

Within minutes Kaya was ushered into a room with four chairs and a large table. Two officers stood beside her until Richard, Chief Sots and another man she didn't recognize, entered.

Richard gave her a warm smile then leaned in.

"I've got this," he said quietly.

"Who's the old guy?" Kaya whispered back.

Richard leaned in closer, his lips almost against her ear as he whispered.

"Judge Carl Hendricks. I get the idea that he has a vested interest in this case." Richard backed away and winked.

Was Richard aware of why she was really here? Something very strange was going on. She had been suspicious of Richard from the beginning, but maybe her suspicions were about the wrong thing. Maybe Richard wasn't working with the people responsible. Maybe he was trying to help her punish them. This didn't excuse his cheating, but it might lessen his sentence.

It also looked like Richard would need two new golf partners. Was he really aware of the fact that these two men would soon be dead? He sure didn't seem to be aware of it. If an ordinary man like Richard knew what she did to the two officers in that abandoned house...he'd never help her. Richard definitely knew something but the question was, how much did he know?

Chief Sots was the first to speak. He spoke to Richard, refusing to even look at Kaya.

"You need to back off this, Richard. We have her dead to rights," he warned.

"You do?" Richard asked. The look on his face could be best described as amusement. But even that word didn't properly describe the joy she saw in him. It was like a child trying to hide the fact that he'd already opened his presents and couldn't wait to play with them. "It seems to me you have circumstantial evidence, at best. Where did the officers find that rag? Do they have pictures?" He paused and looked at Judge Kendrick then back to Chief Sots. "Do they even have a camera?"

Chief Sots looked nervous, but the judge seemed confident.

"Richard. You're making a mistake. You need to back off. I'm very certain that rag has Eric Mansky's blood on it." He smiled, condescendingly at Richard.

"Of course it does," Richard said with a laugh. "That's why I want to know where they found it."

Kaya looked at Richard, full of confusion. What was he doing? If it was Eric Mansky's blood, how would he get her out of this?

"What do you mean, of course it does?" Judge Kendrick asked.

Richard looked at Chief Sots, who looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"It will also have my blood and Charlie's blood," Richard said with a self-satisfied grin. "But Chief Sots already knows this. Don't you, Charlie?"

"What is he talking about Charles?" Judge Kendrick asked as he turned a scowl toward the chief.

"It might be the rag we used to clean up a little mess," he trailed off, and Richard finished his thought.

"Charlie and Eric came over to help me install my new cameras, two weekends ago. After Trish's mugging, I got a little nervous. Anyway. Eric accidentally drilled through his left hand. It wasn't serious, but he bled like a stuck pig. While trying to help him calm down, Charlie and I cut up our fingers trying to pull the drill bit out." Richard leaned back and winked once more at Kaya.

Judge Kendrick gave Chief Sots a scowl then stood up and stormed out.

"Is my client free to go?" Richard asked.

"Yes," Chief Sots said, clearly frustrated and lost in thought. He walked out, and soon an officer came in and uncuffed Kaya.

"Is that it?" Kaya asked.

"If you think that's it, then you aren't the person I think you are," Richard said cryptically.

Kaya was astounded at Richard's cryptic yet clever acknowledgment that he did, indeed, know who she was and, more importantly, what she was capable of.

"You know?" she asked, full of shock.

"Maybe the police department isn't the best place to discuss this?" he asked as he nodded toward the camera in the corner.

"No, it really isn't," Kaya agreed.

Kaya followed Richard to the elevator in silence. Several of the officers glared at her, but it was hard to tell who was involved and who was blindly following Chief Sots. She was going to get every single one of the men responsible for Trish's death, but she had no interest in punishing clueless fools.

In the elevator, Richard was the first to speak.

"I'll be staying at a friend's house to give you some privacy and avoid any more...incidents. When you are finished with your sister's affairs, I expect you to come speak with me," he said. It was almost a command, but the smile at the end let Kaya know it was a request.

Kaya decided to follow Richard's lead and say something cryptic and nonspecific.

"Your help here is appreciated, but it doesn't excuse what you've done," she said. Her anger was tempered, but Richard could still sense it.

"You have no idea what I'm guilty of, and it's not what you think," Richard replied.

"And I suppose you can't tell me here?" Kaya asked and stared at the camera in the elevator.

"Definitely not here," Richard replied and stared at the camera as well.

"So, did you know about this situation before Trish's death?" Kaya asked. They had two floors to go. She needed to squeeze as much out of him as she could. She might not get another chance. If the Police Chief had his way, she definitely wouldn't.

"No. I...assessed the situation and came up with a solution a few days after she was mugged," Richard said and gave Kaya a smile. It was a strange smile, one that urged her to ask more questions.

Kaya realized what this meant, but she didn't know how to ask it in code. Then it came to her.

"Does your firm send letters to Europe often?" Kaya asked. The huge smile on Richard's face told her that she had asked the right question.

"Actually, my firm sends letters to various European offices." Richard made sure Kaya was looking right into his eyes then continued. "In fact, we sent a letter to a web magazine just last week. It was an informative letter to explain our position and elicit a response." He looked up, then added. "Perhaps our position wasn't as clear as I had hoped."

Kaya stared at Richard with disbelief. Richard had been the one who sent her the anonymous letter. The one that pointed her at Eric Mansky. He had given her a place to start and enough information to let her know Trish's mugging wasn't a mugging. Once again, Richard was back to frenemy status. She still disliked him, and this time, dislike was accurate. Richard was also fighting to bring Trish's killers to justice. He just had his own way of doing things.

When the doors opened, Richard felt the need to add one more thing. He put his hand gently on Kaya's shoulder. He didn't want to get punched in the throat again.

"If you need any more legal advice, just give me a call," Richard said with a kindness Kaya had recently grown used to.

Why didn't he hate her? In fact, he seemed to like her. Why? She had hated Richard for so long, it was impossible for her to imagine not hating him, but it had happened. After everything that had happened this week, she struggled to dislike him. While she walked away from Richard, she felt betrayed. Betrayed by her own emotions. She wanted to hate Richard. She enjoyed hating Richard. Richard had destroyed everything good in her life and ruined any chance for her happiness. Why couldn't she hate him anymore?

# Chapter 11

Back at Richard's house, while Kaya sat in Richard's chair and waited for the men who would be coming tonight, she nursed a bottle of beer and thought back to the time she first experienced happiness. The night she could never share with anyone. No one who still lived. Tears of sadness fell from her eyes while she smiled.

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Kaya stormed into her bedroom at eighteen, furious. She slammed the door then pushed all the books off her dresser and leaned against it. Kaya started to cry, full of anger and frustration. She sobbed with her elbows on the dresser and her head in her hands.

Trish sat on her bed reading, not saying a word. Kaya had no idea Trish was watching her. When Kaya turned around, she was startled, but the look of shock on Kaya's face barely phased Trish.

"Bad day?" Trish asked with a grin, looking up from her book.

Kaya's face expressed her fear. She didn't want Trish to see her like this. Trish was perfect in every way. She wouldn't understand. Kaya wiped the tears from her face then flopped down on her bed. She let herself fall back then stared at the ceiling. With a strange grin, Trish got up and walked over to her bed.

"What's wrong?" Trish asked then sat on Kaya's bed. "It can't be that bad." Trish gently wiped the new tears from Kaya's face, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Kaya couldn't hold back the smile, but the smile made her cry even harder. She tried to cover her eyes, but Trish pulled her hands away.

"You can talk to me, Kaya. We're sisters. We're best friends. You can tell me anything." The look on Trish's face gave Kaya hope, but realization smashed it.

"Dad's right," Kaya said. She pulled her hands from Trish's grasp and wiped her face again. "I am The Devil."

"What could you have possibly done to make you think that?" Trish asked.

"I got suspended," Kaya said.

"What? They can't suspend you. We graduate in two weeks. Why would they suspend you? Come on now. I'm the one with bad grades. You're a straight-A student. What reason could they possibly have to suspend you?" Trish asked. She grabbed Kaya's right hand and pulled it to her chest. "You are the sweetest, kindest person I've ever met. It can't be that bad. We'll go talk to them. You'll see. We can fix this."

Kaya pulled her hand from Trish's grasp again.

"You're the only one who sees me that way. You wouldn't understand," Kaya argued and rolled over to face the wall.

"What did you do? Beat up some boy again? Did you send someone else to the hospital?" Trish asked with a laugh. She laid down beside Kaya and put her arm around Kaya's waist. Kaya could feel Trish's breath on the back of her neck. It was comforting and heartbreaking at the same time. The feelings made Kaya hate herself.

"Please don't do that," Kaya said.

"Do what?" Trish asked and hugged Kaya more tightly.

"That," Kaya said.

"Turn over so I can see you, please," Trish said.

"That's a bad idea," Kaya replied.

"Then tell me why you got suspended." Trish didn't let go. She put her chin on Kaya's shoulder, right next to her ear and whispered. "Please."

"I got suspended for lewd conduct and indecency," Kaya said then sighed. "I'm The Devil. Dad's right."

Trish scooted in closer and pushed her chin farther forward. Her lips were right beside Kaya's cheek now.

"What did you do?" Trish asked, and Kaya started getting nervous. She couldn't tell Trish. Trish wouldn't understand. But she never could say no to Trish. "Please?" Trish asked quietly.

"I...I kissed Suzie Kinny," Kaya said full of embarrassment. "See? I'm The Devil."

Kaya could feel the grin on Trish's face then Trish kissed Kaya on the cheek again.

"You're not The Devil," Trish said.

Kaya turned over to face Trish. Her look of shock made Trish giggle.

"You're just different," Trish explained. "Was it a good kiss?"

"No," Kaya said and looked away from Trish's gaze. "Suzie got all weird. It was just a little kiss, and she acted like I had the plague or something. I really thought she wanted to kiss me. She was so close to my face."

"You're not The Devil, and you don't have the plague. You just picked the wrong girl," Trish said with a laugh.

Trish kissed Kaya deeply for a few seconds until Kaya pushed herself away.

"We can't do this. We're sisters," Kaya said. She couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. She had dreamt of this moment, hoped for this moment. Ever since she first realized she was in love with her sister. But she couldn't drag her sister down with her. She was The Devil. These feelings were wrong.

"We're not sisters," Trish said. She pushed her lips closer to Kaya, held them there for a second then kissed Kaya gently. "We're not even related, but we are perfect for each other." Trish put her hand on Kaya's cheek and leaned in again. She kissed Kaya deeply once more, and this time Kaya didn't resist. Tears fell from Kaya's eyes, but they were tears of joy. She had finally found someone who understood, and it was the girl she'd been in love with since she was twelve.

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Kaya started crying harder, and her smile vanished. The best day of her life was now a reminder of what she could never have. And it was all Richard's FAULT!

Kaya threw the beer bottle angrily across the room, and it shattered a picture frame. This caused Kaya to cover her face and sob. The picture was of Trish. In her anger, she had destroyed a picture of the person she cared for most. The beautiful, perfect woman whom a group of men had tortured and killed.

Kaya's anger was rising. She heard the soft footsteps of whomever they had sent. The men they had sent were better than the two cops who had come the night before but were they as determined as she was? Were they as angry? Had someone taken the love of their life from them? No! And that was the reason Kaya would win.

Kaya saw the man's shoe as he tried to grab her from behind. From under her leg, she pulled out one of her daggers and plunged it into his throat as he threw his arms around her shoulders. The next man came from the kitchen.

Kaya put her foot under the edge of the coffee table then pushed the table at him. The man was unprepared to defend himself from house furnishings and tripped. When he tried to get back up, Kaya removed the blade from the first man and thrust it into this man's chest. The second man tried to pull out his pistol, but he was weakened. Kaya removed it from his grip, hit the floor, rolled then shot the two men coming from upstairs, right in the knees. They tumbled down the stairs, and as they were writhing in pain, she walked over to them, kicked their guns away and smirked.

"Let me guess," she said then pulled off their masks. "Mills and Hall. I've been waiting for you."

Hall reached for his second gun, so Kaya shot him in the head.

"I wasn't all that interested in him. Now you..." she said and pulled Mills up by his hair. She put her face up to his and grinned evilly. "What exactly did you do to my sister? I want every detail...because you are going to experience it."

She dropped his head then kicked him in the side for good measure.

"Oh, and the nail gun. That thing is just way too much fun," she said with a giggle as she walked back to her chair to get the syringe of sedatives she'd prepared. She plunged it into his thigh then crouched down to wait.

While she waited for him to pass out, she wondered how she was going to clean up Richard's house. The couch was already ruined from her stunt the other night, but Richard's favorite chair had blood on it now. She wondered how someone cleaned a fake leather chair then laughed. When did Richard's feelings for his chair become something she was interested in? She really needed to decide if she hated Richard or liked him. This back and forth wasn't helping her emotional state at all.

# Chapter 12

At six the next morning, Kaya waited patiently for what she knew was coming. The living room was spotless. Even the white couch was back to its original impeccable, blinding white. Who knew they actually sold fabric cleaner that could take out blood, wine and barbeque sauce?

Kaya was ready this morning. She had woken an hour ago. Showered, dressed and prepared. She wore blue jeans, sensible shoes and a tight tee-shirt, one of the ones Trish loved. She also had a few other accessories stashed about her person. In her shoes were two knives and in her waistline was a set of lock picks. She had even stashed two of the smaller knives in her bra, just in case they found the ones in her shoes. She had one in front, beneath the underwire and one in back, near the clasp. She was very prepared.

When she heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up, she knelt down and put her hands on her head. As the door was smashed in, she smiled.

"It wasn't locked," she said.

"Kaya Nichols, you are under arrest," Chief Sots said as he searched the house with his eyes then pulled her hands behind her back. After she was cuffed, he walked in front of her. "Where's Richard?"

"He's staying at a friend's house. He has nothing to do with this. So you can knock off the fake arrest bullshit. I know I'm not going to jail," she said.

"You have no idea the hornets' nest you've kicked," he said while he pulled her to her feet. She just laughed.

"I think you and your boss, Judge Hendricks, are the ones who underestimate the hornets' nest." She grunted as Chief Sots shoved her against the car, opened it then pushed her inside.

When he was inside the car, safely behind the security mesh, he stared at her.

"I don't think you completely understand what's happening and who you've pissed off." He looked agitated and a little nervous.

"So, it's not Judge Hendricks?" she asked with surprise. If it had been Judge Hendricks, he would have used the name. Instead, he still protected the real boss.

"No, you fool. Hendricks is just another employee," he replied, then turned around.

"Now, this is informative. And I didn't even have to hurt you, yet," she said. She saw the fear in his eyes as he watched her in the mirror. "Don't suppose you'd grab my nail gun and compressor from my truck?" She watched his fear turn to absolute terror. "Never mind. There will be plenty of time. I'll just come back for them."

Chief Sots pulled out of the driveway but couldn't stop himself from checking on her every few seconds. After a few miles, his courage returned.

"You shouldn't have killed all those cops," Sots said, still sounding terrified.

"They shouldn't have killed my sister," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Mills was a good cop and Hall had a wife. How could you do that?" Sots asked.

"I didn't do anything to Hall...ok, I shot him. But it was quick," she said cheerfully. "Now, with Mills, I took my time. He was involved with torturing my sister. Were you there?" she asked and leaned forward to watch his expression.

He didn't answer, and his fear grew.

"You were there! Damn. How lucky am I? You guys are just throwing yourselves at me. Here I thought this would be like Europe. Everyone hiding and running but no, not you guys. You come knocking on my door every morning. Offering yourselves up. This is almost too easy." Kaya sat back and started working on the handcuffs. It took maybe thirty seconds for her to open the handcuffs. She put the lock picks back where they belonged, set the cuffs carefully on the seat and waited.

When Chief Sots turned down a very familiar dirt road, Kaya smirked.

"We brought your sister here. This will be the last place you ever see. We don't even need to dress up your corpse. We'll just bury you out back." He tried to sound menacing and look confident, but he wasn't, and Kaya could tell.

As much as she wanted to banter with him and see him wet himself, she needed to hold it in for now. Kaya tried her best to look afraid and, to her surprise, it looked like Sots was buying it.

When they pulled up to the old abandoned farmhouse, the one where she had tortured Burns and Halburt, she had to look down to hide her smile. Outside, around the farm were three other cops and she was a little disappointed to see that Judge Hendricks wasn't present. Then as Sots came around the car, opened her door and reached inside, she struggled to contain her excitement.

"Please don't," she said in a pathetic voice and backed away, but even this almost had her laughing.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Sots asked with a cruel look.

When Sots was halfway into the back seat, Kaya grabbed one of her knives from her shoe, reached forward, stabbed Sots in the shoulder, removed his gun from its holster and shot him in the gut. Sots was so surprised that all he could do was look down at the blood which was pooling on the seat. Kaya grabbed his face and pulled it close to hers.

"Now I'm going to use you for a human shield while I kill your friends. Try not to get shot too much. I really want to introduce you to my nail gun. We have a lot to talk about."

Kaya pushed Sots out of the car and watched as the befuddled men all scrambled to unholster their guns. The young one she shot in the head before he even unbuttoned the safety strap. The old one who sort of reminded her of her step-father, she shot him in the chest twice. Then she took her time with the last one. He appeared to be in his thirties, he had a mustache and beard, but despite his rough exterior, he looked terrified.

While Sots leaned against her, covering all of her body except for her head, he struggled to remain conscious. The bearded man in his thirties froze. He hadn't reached his gun yet.

"You seem a little smarter than your friends. Are you?" she asked. The man still didn't move, and he didn't speak. "I want to know everyone involved with my sister's torture. You think you can help me with that?" She had her gun...well Sots' gun, aimed at the man's head. "Ok, this is stupid." She shot the man in both knees, and he fell to the ground. "You ready to answer me yet?"

"Who is your sister?" he asked, clearly in agony.

"Good answer. You get a pass," she said then shot him in the head.

"Now Charlie," she said as she pushed his face up to look into his eyes. She propped his head up with the gun she was holding and sighed. He was barely conscious. "Don't die yet you idiot." She pushed him off of her, and when he fell to the ground, she realized how much blood was on her jeans, her shirt, and the car seat. It was everywhere. "You would be a bleeder, wouldn't you? You're ruining all my fun." Then she shot him in the head. "I guess that just leaves Judge Hendricks. I hope he is more informative."

She surveyed the abandoned farm and realized she couldn't go for the judge just yet. She had a mess to clean up. Then she looked at her clothes. And now she also needed a new set of clothes. Why did these uncoordinated, unprofessional, stupid people have to be so messy?

# Chapter 13

After Kaya had cleaned up the mess at the farmhouse, taken yet another shower and changed clothes, she headed toward the secluded house where Judge Carl Hendricks lived with his wife. His children had all grown and moved away, an action she could sympathize with. All she could think about as a kid was getting as far away from Sean Galley as she could.

Sean hadn't been physically abusive to her. He didn't have to. The mental torture he put her through nearly every day was bad enough, and unlike physical torture, it never ended.

If Carl was smart, she wouldn't have to harm the wife. That was, if she had no knowledge of what had happened to Trish. If she knew, then all bets were off.

As Kaya drove by the long driveway, which led to a very expensive looking house, she noticed the extra vehicles. Apparently Carl had more brains than the rest of the people she'd met. This was unexpected. She was starting to get the impression that this was the most ineffective corrupt organization she'd ever come across. Perhaps she'd just been introduced to the soldiers of the organization. Now things were starting to get interesting.

After passing the driveway, she continued on for nearly a mile. She parked the truck at a distance where she could see them with her binoculars but, unless they were really looking, they wouldn't see her. Kaya settled in for the long wait. She counted five men, all with guns. Why hadn't she kept the guns from Sots and his lackeys? She smiled as she leaned back and got comfortable. She hadn't brought the guns because that would take all the fun out of it. Besides, if they did kill her, maybe this pain would finally go away.

Kaya couldn't help but think about Trish as she waited the three hours until sunset. She wasn't suicidal. All the men involved needed to be punished. Death was just starting to sound peaceful, and the more she thought about Trish, the more she wanted to forget the pain.

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Kaya stood at the door to Richard's house with flowers and a box of German chocolates in her hand. It had been six months since Trish had married the bastard and it was the first time Kaya had come to visit. The chocolates she had picked up on a job in Munich and the flowers she had bought at the airport. She adjusted the card in the flowers while she waited. She couldn't remember ever being this nervous in her life.

When the door opened, the look on Trish's face nearly brought Kaya to tears. Trish threw her arms around Kaya and the chocolates when flying. The flowers were crushed by the intensity of Trish's hug, but Kaya couldn't have cared less. She released the flowers and hugged Trish back.

Then Kaya's fear rose when Trish backed away and slapped her on the shoulder.

"Where the hell have you been?! I've called your cell. I hired people to find you. I thought you were dead!" Trish scolded. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"I'm really sorry," Kaya said and hung her head. "I got a job. I move around a lot. It's very hard to get ahold of me."

"Well, tell your boss that Trisha Kendric wants to know where you are at all times," she said with a grin.

Kaya's stomach fell, and her heart felt like it was in a vice grip.

"You took his last name?" she asked with sadness.

"We're married," she answered.

"I know," Kaya replied. Tears started in her eyes, and she couldn't take it any longer. "I shouldn't have come. You guys...you must have...I shouldn't have come."

Kaya turned and headed back out to her rental car.

"Kaya wait!" Trish begged. "I need to talk to you. I've missed you so much. Please, just wait!"

"I have a job in England and I...I need to be on a plane in thirty minutes," she lied. Kaya turned and made herself smile. "Maybe next time. You should write me. There's a card with the flowers. Just send it there. Leo will make sure I get it." She paused, and the sadness she felt was evident to Trish. "I hope you and Richard are very happy together." Then she turned and headed to her car more quickly.

As Kaya reached her rental car, the tears couldn't be held back any longer. She hid her face while she got into the car. Then she forced her smile once more, waved and took off. Kaya ended up in an airport bar while she waited six hours for a flight back to Europe. She barely remembered those six hours. Mostly, they involved a lot of expensive drinks, and she vaguely remembered dancing, but wasn't sure who her partner had been.

When she made it back to Europe, she poured all her anger and heartbreak into her job, and soon she had more work than time. It was harder to miss Trish and what could have been, when she was busy. All she had to do was never let herself rest, and she wouldn't have to think about it. So, that was exactly what she did.

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Kaya wiped the tears from her eyes. The sun was going down, and it was time to get to work. Work wasn't entirely accurate. Work was filled with detachment and indifference. This was personal! This was enjoyable! This was vengeance!

Kaya stepped out of the truck and grabbed the knife from her shoe and started into the field. She hadn't brought as many knives, assuming incorrectly, that the judge would be easy. But, hopefully, one knife would be enough.

It was almost fall, and the corn was tall enough that Richard could have hidden in it. No one would even know she was there until it was too late. Within ten minutes, she was at the edge of the judge's property. At the edge of the enormous cornfield, Kaya knelt down and waited for her chance to strike.

There were two guards outside now. They walked circles around the place, but that would grow tiring soon enough. The larger of the two looked like a bodybuilder while the smaller looked like he belonged in a boxing ring.

There were lights illuminating the lawn, as well as the house, but the corners created great hiding places.

When the larger one came around the corner of the house, he looked worn out. He leaned against the back door, put his gun in its holster, and pulled out what looked like a snack of some kind. He would be the easy one. He looked strong, his arms were as big around as her legs, but having that much mass wore him out more quickly. Now was her chance.

Kaya silently closed the gap between her and the large man. Within seconds she was standing in front of him, and he looked astonished. He was so shocked that he didn't even think to grab his gun. He just stood there, mouth agape, waiting to see what she did.

"You wouldn't just pack up and go home, would you?" she asked with a crooked grin.

His astonishment wore off, and he reached for his gun, so Kaya stabbed him in the arm. He yelled, so she covered his mouth, then slit his throat.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," she said as she lowered the large man to the ground. He wasn't dead yet, but it was coming soon.

She heard the footsteps of the other man coming around the corner and hid in the shadows.

When he arrived, he looked down at his comrade then turned and stared out at the yard. Kaya walked up behind him and stabbed him in the spine. He flailed around and tried to remove the knife. With the man flailing around, the knife blade snapped off before she could pull it out, one of the downsides of plastic knives was that they were brittle. Then he remembered his gun. He turned and tried to shoot Kaya, but she was quick enough to position her body close to him. The gun fired against her left side then she relieved him of his gun, spun and shot him in the chest three times. While the man lie on the ground taking his last breaths, she inspected the damage to herself.

She winced as she gingerly touched the burn mark left by the gun. The bullet had missed her, but the muzzle blast had burned through her shirt and turned her skin black. It wasn't serious, but it would leave quite a mark.

Kaya dropped the gun and cautiously opened the back door. The inside was dark. When she was completely inside, the door closed behind her. Then the hallway went pitch black. The walls were smooth and cold, the hallway silent. While she made her way down the hallway, searching for a switch, she heard breathing. Someone was waiting for her at the end of the hall. Hopefully, he was just as blind as she was.

Suddenly she was blinded as the lights went on. She immediately hit the floor, and two shots rang out. She saw the man three feet from her, spun on the floor and knocked his legs out from under him. When he hit the floor, another shot rang out. Kaya lunged forward, climbed on top of the man and pulled back her fist. Amusement spread across her face as she looked down.

"If I'd have known you guys were just going to kill yourselves, I could have stayed home," she said with a laugh.

The man had accidentally shot himself. Somehow the idiot had managed to shoot himself in the head when he hit the floor. Having more men didn't make them smarter men.

Kaya looked to the end of the hall and saw yet another door. She grumbled then lifted herself up and made her way to the door. Once she reached it, she flattened herself against the wall and used her right hand to turn the handle. As soon as the door was free, she pulled her hand back quickly and waited for gunfire.

The door slowly opened, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, she peeked around the corner. Two men sat in the next room, each sitting with their arms crossed, facing her. Then she saw the door on the other side of them. What the hell was this? Some kind of video game? If so, level three waited before her, and it looked to be the most difficult so far.

She noticed that neither man had a gun. She smiled a cheesy smile while she stepped all the way into the doorway, and both men stood. The one on the left looked Asian. She didn't even want to venture a guess as to which nationality because she'd be willing to bet she would get it wrong. The other man was blonde and approximately the same size as the other. She would have guessed German, but she also doubted this assessment. It was far more likely that both were American. They were both fairly muscular, and their stance told her they were more the hand-to-hand type, like she was.

"Silly question," she said and cringed.

When neither man answered, she continued.

"What are the chances that you'll just let me go through that door?" she asked and pointed to the door on the other side of them. "You guys didn't hurt my sister, did you?" She looked them over, but they barely blinked.

"Ok, fine. Let's just get this over with," she reached down for the knife from her shoe and remembered it snapping earlier. The one on the left pulled out a metal blade about a foot long, and the one on the right produced a pair of nunchaku. "Oh, good. You guys brought weapons for me. How kind."

Kaya realized that this wasn't going to be easy. Fighting two people didn't quite go how it did in the movies. These men weren't going to take turns. They were both going to jump her at once.

The one on the right started spinning his nunchaku and ran at her. The one on the left took his cue from the other and attacked as well. She noticed the order and came up with an idea. She ran at a small end table to her left and grabbed the lamp. She held it up, and the blonde one smashed it. Then she started swinging what was left of the lamp around just like he did with the nunchaku, and he looked at her with amusement.

"You're in over your head, little girl," he said.

Just as she suspected, the man with the blade stopped while the other man, probably his superior, was insulting her. The blonde one then lunged at her, trying to grab the lamp cord as the other man thrust his blade forward. She was stuck in a corner, but it was better than having them on opposite sides of her. At least this way she could see the blows coming.

The blade slid across the outside of her arm as it missed, and when he drew it back, blood trickled down her arm. Then she put her hands on the blonde one's shoulders. She used his body to help her step up onto the wall. She then put her other foot on the opposite wall. She held the lamp cord tightly as she ran along the wall until she was behind him. The blonde one didn't even know what was happening. For a moment she wished she could see the look of surprise on his face when she wrapped the cord around the man's neck several times, spun the man to face his partner, backed herself into the corner, then pulled the cord. She would have bet good money that the look on his face was priceless.

The blonde man struggled for breath and dropped his weapon while his partner tried to sidestep and get a shot in. Kaya bounced back and forth, hiding behind the man she was strangling with a lamp cord. This went on for a while until the blonde man couldn't hold his body up any longer. Kaya pushed him forward, causing the man with the blade to lose his focus. She relieved him of the blade and, for good measure, put the blade through the unconscious man's chest as she sped to the middle of the room. Now that it was one on one, the corner would become a hindrance, especially when trying to swing a blade.

"Last chance," she warned. "You could just walk out that door. Nobody would know." She paced around the man who followed her moves. He no longer had a weapon, and his apprehension was apparent. She wasn't sure why she was giving him a chance. Perhaps it was the look of guilt on his face. Something about it told her that, out of all the men here tonight, this one didn't want to hurt anyone.

"I work for these guys. They'll kill me. They'll kill my family." He looked worried as he spoke.

As she moved by the man she had just killed, she motioned toward him.

"You don't want to end up like blonde guy down there do you?" she asked.

Kaya lowered her sword.

"How about I just knock you out or something?" she asked and stopped pacing.

The man stood and faced her. The tremendous guilt still filled his face. Why was he feeling so guilty?

"The Tombs organization will kill me and my family," he said. He now looked afraid, but not of her and she understood. The man felt like he had no choice. "Just kill me."

Kaya smiled back at him.

"Well, very soon, there will be no tombs organization. By the way, isn't that a little morbid?" she asked.

"Not tomb like a grave. Allan Tombs, the mayor of Condell," he explained.

"Oh shit. That figures," she sighed. "I guess I know where I'm going next."

The man fell to his knees. So, Kaya walked up to him and looked down.

"Did you have anything to do with my sister's death or her torture?" Kaya asked. She gripped the blade tightly by its handle and readied herself.

"No. I'm just protection for the judge. I had no idea. Trish was a nice woman," he said. "I wish I'd never taken this stupid job."

Kaya crouched down to look into his eyes.

"Why didn't you do anything about it?" Kaya asked, her anger was rising, and the man's fear with it.

"I didn't know, and even if I had. They'll kill my wife and daughters. I'm stuck," he said.

Kaya punched him in the face, and the man looked at her with confusion.

"I just knocked you out." She grinned at him, then stood and headed to the door.

At the door, she hesitated. This would be a big one. Judge Hendricks wasn't the boss, but he was up the list quite a ways. Whatever this organization was up to, whatever reason they had to hurt Trish, this man would have the answers. At the very least, he would know who had given the order for Trish to be tortured. It was likely Mayor Tombs, but she wanted to be certain. Every man involved needed to be punished.

Kaya grabbed the handle, took a deep breath then stepped inside.

# Chapter 14

When Kaya stepped inside the next room, she found a large office. The walls were filled with bookshelves, and a large, expensive, antique wooden desk stood in the back. Behind the desk was an expensive-looking swivel chair facing away from the door. The other chairs in the room all sat along the walls as if the center of the floor had been cleared. This made Kaya nervous. She envisioned a trap falling from the ceiling or the floorboards falling away and dropping her into a pit.

She scoured the ceiling and the floor but saw signs of neither scenario. All she saw on the floor was an expensive, intricate throw rug over a stained, wooden floor. The ceiling was just as ordinary, containing only a single chandelier that also looked expensive. This was a meeting room of sorts. The lavish décor was to impress people. She had the right man.

"Perhaps I should have hired you," a voice said from the chair.

"You can't afford me," Kaya said spitefully.

Judge Carl Hendricks laughed spitefully then slowly turned the chair.

Kaya's eyes widened the second she noticed the gun in the judge's hands, but she didn't move quickly enough. The first shot tore through her left shoulder. As she dove forward, tucked and somersaulted, the second shot hit her calf muscle. Three more shots went off but hit nothing, then Kaya righted herself, slid across the desk and put the blade through the judge's shoulder. He immediately released the gun, and it fell to the floor.

When the judge grabbed for the sword in his right shoulder, Kaya picked up a letter opener from the judge's desk. Then she grabbed his left wrist, pushed it against the arm of the chair, and stabbed through his left hand. His right shoulder was stuck to the chair with a long blade and his left hand with a letter opener. The judge screamed in agony while Kaya spun to sit on the edge of his desk right in front of him.

"Let me go. I'll pay you. You want the drugs? I can tell you where they are. What do you want?" he pleaded, full of fear.

Kaya tapped her finger against her chin playfully.

"What do I want? Hmm. What do I want?" Then an evil look came over her. She leaned forward, only inches from the judge's face. "I want my SISTER BACK!" she screamed. Then she leaned back, kicked the judge in the face, and his chair rolled backward until the bookshelf stopped it.

She lept from the desk and cringed at the pain in her leg. Then she looked at her shoulder. The bullet had gone clean through. It didn't hit a bone, but doing anything with her left arm would be difficult for a while.

"It wasn't personal. She just knew too much. Call your father. You'll see. It was unavoidable." The judge was grasping at straws. He searched for anything that would stop Kaya.

Kaya's expression changed, as did the judge's. There was a hatred in her eyes that he had never seen in anyone. Not even the hardened killers he hired had ever looked at him like this. Indifference to human suffering, even the disregard for human life would have been a comfort compared to the pure hatred in Kaya's eyes.

"Where...is...my...father?" she growled. Kaya struggled to contain the anger she felt.

The judge was afraid to say anything now. Kaya grabbed the letter opener that was through his hand and twisted it. The judge screamed in agony, and when the screaming stopped, Kaya asked again.

"Where is my FATHER!?" she shouted.

The judge shut his eyes and turned his head.

"He's in Mexico, securing the next shipment," he replied meekly.

Kaya stood up, ran her right hand through her hair, which was now a mess, and took a deep breath. While she struggled with her anger, the judge stayed perfectly still and cowered. She backed up and sat on the desk, then looked at the judge. As he opened his eyes, he saw the indifference to human suffering he thought would be a comfort, and it wasn't.

The evil smile on Kaya's face terrified him.

"You people are demons. You know that, right?" she asked, still trying to gain control of her temper. Her father had been part of the plan to torture and kill Trish. Perhaps he hadn't known it was her they were talking about? Still, the mention of her father was enough to weaken the fragile grip she had on her anger.

"We're not demons. It was just business," the judge argued.

"No, you're right, you're not demons," Kaya said and pushed herself away from the desk. She grabbed the handle of the long blade and smiled evilly.

"Demons know not to fuck with The Devil!" she shouted and pulled the blade out.

She twirled the blade in her hand then thrust the blade through the judge's groin. He screamed until he couldn't scream any longer. When the screaming wore down to a whimper, she removed the blade then turned to a staircase she hadn't noticed before. She pointed the blade at the steps, then turned to the judge.

"Your wife up there?" she asked.

"Don't hurt her," he begged. His voice was weak. He was in shock and would soon bleed to death.

"I'm not going to hurt her," she said with an evil grin. "I mean to take everything from you. Like you did to me."

"You said you weren't going to hurt her," the judge said, his voice barely a whisper.

"There are worse things I can do. I'm going to tell her what you've done, and she is going to tell your children. Everyone you love will hate you. You'll be dead, and no one will even care. That's worse than killing them." Kaya limped to the staircase and started up.

Halfway up, she turned and watched the judge take his last breath, then continued up the stairs.

After a short and very emotional conversation with the judge's wife, the wife couldn't quit crying and begging. Kaya headed back toward her truck. She limped her way through the cornfield and chastised herself for parking so far away. Her leg and her arm were now throbbing, but at least they helped her forget about the muzzle burn on her side.

When she finally reached the truck, she tossed her new blade inside then got in and sighed. It felt so wonderful to sit. Then she realized she needed help. It felt good because she had lost too much blood. Her body was shutting down. She needed to get back to Richard's house before she blacked out. After turning the truck on, she decided to call Richard. He was on her side. Maybe he could finish this if she didn't make it. Strangely, the thought of dying was a comfort.

She wasn't sure she could take the pain any longer. Not the pain in her limbs or even the pain from the muzzle burn. The pain of losing Trish was more than she could bear. The thought of silencing that pain sounded enticing. If only the judge had been the last, but he wasn't. She needed to call Richard. Now was not the time to give up. There was still at least one man left. Mayor Tombs. And he needed to pay.

She was surprised at how difficult it was to use a cell phone with one hand, but after some struggling, she was able to call Richard.

"Hello," Richard said from the other side.

"Richard?" Kaya asked, just to make sure.

"Kaya?" Richard asked in disbelief.

"I messed up. I let them shoot me. I might not be able to finish this," she said.

"You get home right now. I'll be there in five minutes," he said, then waited.

Kaya laughed.

"Home? That's not my home," she said.

"I mean it," Richard scolded. "You get home. You can't die on me. You can hate me all you want, but you're all I have left of her."

"Aww, Richard. You do care," she said with a chuckle.

"You just get home, or I'll never forgive you," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice, which almost covered his worry.

"Sure thing, boss," she said, then hung up.

As Kaya drove off, a smile filled her face. Frenemy or not, he was all she had now. Maybe Richard wasn't so bad. While driving back home, she even thought about giving him a reprieve. Maybe a verbal lashing was all Richard deserved. He had cheated on Trish, an unforgivable sin, but he had never physically harmed her. In light of what these men had done to Trish, perhaps his infidelity wasn't that bad. Stupid, but not something to punish him for.

# Chapter 15

When Kaya woke, she didn't recognize her surroundings. The curtains, the bedspread, even the decorations on the dresser weren't Trish's taste. Where the hell was she? She tried to sit up, but the pain in her arm and her leg screamed at her to stay still. Kaya drew a deep breath then pushed through the pain and sat up.

She vaguely remembered meeting Richard at his house then nothing. Had she passed out?

As she took in the room, she laughed. At least she hadn't woken up in a jail cell. She took another deep breath then stood, hopped around, then fell back on the bed. Her leg wasn't cooperating. Another deep breath, another attempt, and she reached the door.

When she turned the doorknob, someone pushed the door in. It was Richard.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked and ushered her back to the bed.

"I'm not done yet," Kaya argued, but in her weakened state, she was no match for the man. "What the hell, Richard?" she complained as he eased her onto the bed.

"You're not in any shape to do anything right now. Rest for a day...then...if you're still hell-bent on throwing yourself at them, be my guest," he said as he tucked her under the blankets.

"Throwing myself at them? They're the ones who keep showing up at my door...your door," she said and gave him a silly grin.

Richard wasn't amused.

"I don't know what I was thinking. Then again, I thought it was one guy. How the hell was I to know how many people were involved?" he rambled as he brought Kaya a glass of water. "Drink this," he ordered and barely waited for Kaya to grab the glass. "I'll be back in a minute. You need food and juice." He walked out of the room, and Kaya smiled.

A verbal lashing would do just fine. And he was no longer a frenemy. He was a friend. At least until he did something stupid again. She leaned forward to drink the water and watched the room spin. She was just glad she was on the bed, or she would have fallen flat on her back. Maybe she wasn't in any shape to fight yet. Hell, Richard had overpowered her, and he was a lawyer.

When Richard came back to the room, Kaya decided to have a little fun.

"What did you make? Is it macaroni and cheese?" she asked, looking like a child.

Richard rolled his eyes.

"Oh, geez. How the hell are you the one who took out half of this...whatever this is...group...cartel? By the way, what is it we're dealing with?" he asked and put the cereal bowl on the stand beside her.

Kaya eagerly grabbed the bowl and started eating. Suddenly she was starving.

"Ok," she said, then took a bite. "I'm not really..." She took another bite. "Sure, exactly." She took yet another bite.

"How about you eat first, then we'll talk," he said with a laugh.

"Sorry," she cringed, then took another bite and grinned with her mouth full.

"You've been out for like sixteen hours. I'd be starving too," he said then waited.

When Kaya was finished, she drank down the orange juice in one gulp then stared at Richard.

"So far, what I can figure out is that they are a bunch of idiots who decided to get in the drug game. They have no clue what the hell they are doing." Anger spread across her face and worry spread on Richards. "My father uses his trucking company to haul drugs for them."

"Your father? Trish's father is in on it?" Richard asked.

"I should have known. If something despicable is going on and he is anywhere near it, he has to be involved," Kaya said and looked down. Her head was getting fuzzy. Richard sounded like he was down a hall talking to her from far away.

"What are you going to do about your father?" Richard asked.

"He'll get his. Believe me. I've been waiting for...this...damn it, Richard." She looked up, and his apologetic cringe told it all.

"I'm sorry. I can't have you going and getting yourself killed. You need to rest. When you're better, I'm sure I won't be able to stop you but for now..." He watched her sink into the bed.

"You...dick," she said, and her head fell onto the pillow.

"Maybe when you wake up we can have that talk," he said as he watched her eyes close.

# Chapter 16

The next time Kaya woke, the sun was setting. She had no idea how long she had been sleeping and still hadn't figured out where she was. This wasn't Richard's house and knowing that to be the case, where had Richard taken her? It had to be Richard's lover's house. She really didn't want to meet the woman Richard was sleeping with but, what choice did she have?

She eased her way up and ignored the pain that was still in her arm and leg. The rest of her body felt invigorated and ready, so she stood and limped to the door. She paused to make sure Richard wasn't on the other side, but this time, all she found was an empty hall at the top of a staircase.

As she came down the stairs, she could hear two men talking. It sounded like they were arguing. One of them was Richard.

"You don't understand, Howard," Richard said. He sounded annoyed, almost angry. "This is Trish's sister we're talking about. Ok. That doesn't quite cover it."

"Then tell me," Howard said.

"If you had one person you couldn't live without. That is who is upstairs right now. Kaya was that for Trish. Kaya mattered more to her than anything, and now she needs our help," Richard explained.

"I don't know if I can do that. And besides. If she meant that much. Why was Trish married to you? Why was Kaya in Europe?" Howard asked.

Kaya made her way down the stairs farther. What was Richard talking about? How had he...? Kaya saw Richard holding hands with a man she didn't know. They looked very intimate. Revelation struck. Kaya's face went white. Reality shattered for her. She couldn't move, she couldn't think. The world as she knew it fell apart. She had never felt this much pain in all her life. The loss of Trish nearly destroyed her...this revelation would finish the job.

"It's complicated..." Richard saw Kaya on the stairs and stopped talking. "Kaya. Wait."

Kaya ran back up the stairs and slammed the door. Her heart raced, and she tried to push the conversation from her mind. She didn't want to think about it. She sat on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest. The pain in her leg and shoulder didn't even register. The utter destruction of what she thought was real filled her with anguish. Physical pain was nothing compared to this.

"Kaya?" Richard asked as he slowly opened the door.

"Go away, Richard," she said. Her mouth was behind her knees, and her voice was muffled. She lifted her chin onto her knees. "I said, go away." Her voice wasn't angry. It was quiet. This, coupled with her blank expression, frightened Richard.

"Kaya, you have to understand," he started.

"I don't want to understand," she said, and tears fell from her emotionless face.

"I'm really sorry," Richard said. He sat on the bed.

"Just tell me it's not true," Kaya begged. She looked at Richard, and his heart broke.

"I'm so sorry," was all that Richard could say.

"So, all this time...it was me?" Kaya asked and the sadness she felt started to make its way onto her face.

"I'm really sorry," Richard said again.

"The letters?" Kaya asked.

"What letters?" Richard asked in return.

"Of course," Kaya said, and her tears fell faster. Richard had never seen the letters. He'd never returned them. Her father had. He had used his influence to divert mail meant for his real daughter from the daughter he called The Devil.

Kaya pushed her eyes into her knees and screamed. When she was done, she lifted her head and looked at Richard.

"That man downstairs?" Kaya asked, knowing the answer.

"I didn't cheat on Trish. Our marriage wasn't real. It was just to appease our fathers. Neither of them could handle having a gay child," he replied and looked at his hands. "She tried to tell you."

"Oh, believe me, I know!" Kaya said, her anger taking over now, but this time the anger was directed at herself. "I'm so stupid!"

"You're not stupid," Richard comforted. "You're stubborn...almost as stubborn as she was."

"You're not helping," Kaya said.

"She asked you to stay," Richard said. "Why didn't you?"

"Because I'm stupid!" Kaya replied.

"She figured you had a life in Europe. She didn't want to ruin that for you," Richard said, hoping to help.

"We were both so busy martyring ourselves for the other that we couldn't tell the truth. Damn it!" Kaya stood and paced around the room. "What did I do?!"

"They killed her because she bought a plane ticket," Richard said, and Kaya stopped her pacing. She stared right at him, and her mouth fell open. "She chose you in the end. Since you wouldn't stay here, she was going to you."

"Damn it, Richard!" she screamed, then punched the wall. "You're making it worse!"

Richard stood and walked up to Kaya. He looked down at her.

"Quit blaming yourself. You two were about to get your happy ending. Blame them!" Richard said angrily, pointing out the window.

Kaya looked up. The cruel look on her face told him that he had been successful. She grinned evilly and stared up at Richard.

"I do blame them," she said calmly.

"Trish was my best friend. I couldn't love her as a wife but..." He laughed then sighed. "She was like the sister I never had."

Kaya threw her arms around Richard's waist and hugged him.

"And she was the wife I always wanted," she said and buried her face into his shirt.

Richard hugged her back, and as he leaned his chin on the top of her head, tears rolled down his cheeks, and he asked. "Aren't we a pair?"

"Yeah, the husband who wasn't and the girlfriend who wouldn't," Kaya replied.

Richard squeezed Kaya tightly then grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back so he could see her face.

"Want to go grab some food?" he asked.

"You going to drug me again?" she asked in response.

"No," he said with a laugh. "There's a cafe down the street. Figured, if you are going to take on the rest of these guys, we'd better get you some real food. I'm a horrible cook, remember?"

"There's no cafe down the street," she replied. "Unless I'm not where I think I am."

"Ok. It's like ten blocks away, but it is down the street," he said.

"Sure. I'm still starving." Kaya looked down at her clothes. "When did you change my clothes?"

She had on a tee-shirt and blue jeans but not the ones she was wearing before.

"Sorry. I had to. Your clothes were covered with blood. Don't worry, I didn't peek." Richard smiled at her, and she returned his smile.

He wasn't such a bad guy, now that she knew the truth about his marriage to Trish. She had blamed him for so long, and it had been her fault, not his. She could have been with Trish this whole time, but her own stubbornness had kept her away. She could feel the tears starting again, so she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. The men responsible for Trish's death needed to be punished. Loathing herself wouldn't help right now. She would have plenty of time for that afterward.

"Would it have really mattered if you peeked?" Kaya asked with a laugh.

"No, not really," he replied and headed toward the door.

"Richard," she said, and he stopped at the door.

"Yes?" he asked.

"You sure you're in the right line of work?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked in response.

"Maybe you should have been a nurse or a doctor," she replied. "My bullet wounds barely hurt. You did a great job."

"Nah. Most of that was you. Trish always said you were the toughest person she ever met. I'm inclined to agree. Besides, lawyers make way more money," he said then headed out the door.

# Chapter 17

At the café, ten blocks down the street from Howard's place, Kaya sat in a booth across from Richard. They had been silent for the trip, each lost in their regrets and memories. After they ordered, Richard stared at Kaya in a way that forced her to speak.

"What is it?" she asked with a sigh.

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this," Richard said sadly.

"You're damn lucky you did. I would have been coming anyway. I might have started with you if you hadn't given me that note." Kaya looked at him with an expression that sent a chill down Richard's spine.

"So, you're saying I did the right thing?" he asked, a little scared of Kaya. He had been the object of her hatred for a long time, but he had never seen this look. For a second he pitied the men in Kaya's way, then remembered Trish, and was glad for Kaya. She could do what he couldn't. These men were never going to be punished by the law because they were the law. Besides, a prison sentence was not enough. They had killed the kindest person Richard had ever met. Kaya was exactly what they deserved.

"How did you find out anyway? I doubt they just came out and told you," Kaya said, her evil look faded, and she was once again looking at Richard with kindness.

"It was the weirdest coincidence. When Charlie and Eric were over to set up my cameras. Eric drilled through his hand. After we got the drill bit out, I ran inside to get some antiseptic and gauze. Well, we had set up two cameras already, and when I was walking by the surveillance room to get to the bathroom, I heard it." Richard looked at the table, sadly.

"What did you hear?" Kaya asked, unable to wait another second.

"Eric was feeling guilty, and Charlie was trying to hush him. Neither of them knew the cameras were working. Charlie threatened Eric, and that's when I knew. You have to believe me. I thought it was just Charlie." Richard stared at her.

"Then why send me at Eric?" Kaya asked and saw the guilt on Richard's face.

"I knew what you did for a living. What you really did." Richard fidgeted in his seat. "Trish told me. And...umm...I wanted Eric to pay too."

To Richard's surprise, Kaya smiled.

"I see why Trish agreed to marry you," Kaya said, and her smile grew. "You're a little devious. Like me."

They sat there for a while, and Richard's guilt faded. It was true. He wished he could be like Kaya, just a little. He admired her, and if he was truthful, he knew what Kaya would do when she got here. He wanted her to punish them. Then Richard looked at Kaya with worry.

"Are you done being a martyr?" he asked.

Kaya looked at her hands, guiltily.

"I don't want to bury another friend," Richard said.

"We're friends now?" she asked.

"You're right. We're more like family," he said.

She looked up, and her guilt was still there.

"I may not make it through this. These people have resources. Who knows what's coming next?" she explained.

"I'm just saying, don't go sacrificing yourself for no reason. Honor her memory by living. Do it for her. Try to be happy," Richard said.

"I'm not sure I can do that," Kaya replied.

"All am asking is that you try," Richard said. "I mean, come on. You're Kaya Nichols. If anyone can do this and survive, it's you. Trish would want you to live."

Kaya didn't answer, but Richard could see the tears starting.

"Shit. Sorry. I'm doing it again." He wiped the tears that were starting in his eyes as well. "I'll be right back. Don't want the waiter to see me crying. He might get the wrong idea." Richard stood and winked.

"But you and Howard?" she asked.

"We're not all that serious. It's good for a few weeks. Then we don't see each other for a few months. Been like that since we were in high school. We're kind of each other's safety net, and we both know it. We're just too different to have anything serious. But that's why we're still friends." Richard headed off toward the bathroom, and Kaya's thoughts drifted to a happier time in a café very similar to this one.

\------------------------------------------

Kaya skipped through the cafe and jumped into the seat across from Trish. Kaya's face was the perfect picture of happiness. Even her eyes told everyone around her that Kaya was in love.

"I have the best idea!" Kaya exclaimed.

Trish looked up from her book and smiled.

"What's that, sweetie?" Trish asked.

"Let's pack up and head to Europe for a while. We'll be free to do whatever we want." Kaya beamed hope and happiness. She could barely sit still while she waited.

"I did say I wanted to travel the world, but I have to do something for Dad first," she replied.

"What does he want now?" Kaya asked, and her mood dropped sharply.

"He just wants to introduce me to his friends. Henry Kendric and his son Richard. Some business dinner and he wants me to go with him. Learn the family business and everything, I guess. I'll meet his friends, learn a little about the shipping business. It won't take long. A couple weeks, maybe a month and we'll take that trip." Trish set her book down, leaned across the table, and kissed Kaya on the lips. "Don't worry. Nothing will ever change how I feel about you. We'll just take the trip later. I think Dad might loosen up if I take an interest in his business."

"Are you going to tell him?" Kaya asked, full of fear.

"Soon," she replied. "Are you going to tell your mom?" she asked, hoping to use this as leverage.

"I already did," Kaya replied proudly.

"Really?" Trish asked, full of shock and fear. "What did she say?"

"You know mom. She was surprised at first and said it was a little strange. She also said not to tell your dad until I was sure I was ready for the backlash. Then she quoted something her mother once told her. Denying your heart is like telling the sun not to rise. You can't control either, so you'd better just sit back and enjoy the show."

Trish smiled and looked teary-eyed.

"Your mom is pretty smart," Trish said and stared at her book to hide her emotions.

"Yeah, she has her moments," Kaya replied with a laugh then stood and grabbed Trish's hand. She pulled her to her feet, then drug her toward the door.

"What are you doing?" Trish asked but couldn't stop her smile.

"It's a beautiful day outside. Let's head to the park. You can read in the sun. I'll do...umm...I have no idea. Maybe I'll just watch you and thank fate for making you my step-sister." Kaya opened the door, and Trish threw her arms around her neck. She gave Kaya a passionate kiss then started pulling Kaya toward the park.

"Sounds fun," Trish said joyfully as she led the way.

\------------------------------------------

The bald man sat down across from Kaya and pulled her from her daydream. She immediately grabbed her fork, but before she could do anything, the bald man put his hands in the air. His suit was similar to the other day. Untied tie, unbuttoned top two buttons and a suit coat only slightly darker than his skin.

"Wait! I don't want to fight you," he urged. "Not that I'd stand much of a chance. I just have a gun. You have a fork." He laughed.

"Then why are you here?" she asked skeptically.

"I'm just here to introduce myself. It's a pleasure, Auctor. Figured it was about time." He watched Kaya's hand on the fork cautiously then stuck out his hand. "I'm John."

"John who? Do you work for them?" she asked, still gripping the fork. John pulled his hand back. "And I hate that nickname."

"What's wrong with Auctor?" he asked, ignoring her questions.

"The Reporter? Really? Isn't it a little on-the-nose?" she asked.

John laughed, and Kaya gripped the fork more tightly.

"Sorry. Auctor might be a lose translation for reporter, but it literally means author. Auctor Vindictae. The author of vengeance, author of revenge, take your pick. That's your nickname. It's a bit of a mouthful, so they just call you Auctor," John said and smiled.

"Ok. Maybe that's not so bad." Being the creator of vengeance, the designer of revenge, was actually quite accurate. Even more so now. Perhaps Auctor wasn't such a bad nickname after all. "Now answer my questions."

"I don't work for them. I'm just here to talk. Mind releasing the fork? I'm pretty sure my wife would like me to come home with all my appendages still attached." He looked at his lap. "There's one, in particular, we're both really fond of."

"Oh. You know about Judge Hendricks," she said and loosened the grip on her fork.

"As a man, it was kind of hard to miss that. Sheesh. Not that he didn't have it coming. But wow!" John replied.

"So, what do you want?" she asked, still suspicious but more relaxed. "You sure they didn't hire you?"

"I have no interest in these halfwit, wanna-be drug lords. I'm just here because you're here." He sat back and seemed to relax a little.

"Why me?" she asked.

"You have a gift," he replied.

"A gift? A gift for screwing everything up maybe," she replied while she rolled her eyes.

"A gift might be the wrong word. You have a skill that's hard to find," he explained.

"What skill is that?" she asked, now more interested.

"Back in school, you fought a school bully. Bobby Sutton?" John asked.

"Oh, great. I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass someday," she replied.

"Humor me for a minute. I know most of it, but not all. Explain please," John said.

"Ok...umm...he decided it was a good idea to push my sister's face into a bowl of soup in the school cafeteria. She was so embarrassed that I had to do something," Kaya explained.

"Yes, but the way you handled it. What were you, fourteen, fifteen? Most teenagers wouldn't have done what you did. Most would have just beaten him up in front of everyone. You waited three days then, when you had it all planned out, you found him after school. You broke his arm, his clavicle, and three fingers. And what happened to you?" John looked at her with a knowing grin.

"He hit me with a board under my chin, and I had a nasty gash." Kaya lifted up her chin, and the scar was still there.

"You could have killed him, couldn't you?" John asked. "That board didn't even slow you down." John grinned and could see that his assumption was correct.

"Maybe," Kaya evaded.

"Not maybe. You saw it. There were probably about ten opportunities to end his life, and you didn't take them. Why?" John asked.

Kaya thought for a second.

"Because I'd never be able to see my sister again," she replied guiltily.

"But that's not the only reason. You wanted everyone to know what happens to people that pick on her. Am I right?" John asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"That's the skill I'm after. The ability to see beyond your emotions. To make choices based on outcomes." John leaned forward. "You were more than just sisters. Weren't you?" John asked.

Kaya didn't feel like hiding this secret any longer. She even hoped her father would find out.

"Yes. We were much more," Kaya said proudly.

"Ah ha. I knew it!" John exclaimed. "A person with your skills and forethought doesn't just attack a drug-smuggling ring single-handedly for a sister. I mean I'd kill the guy who pulled the trigger, but just him. I wouldn't go waging a war. I knew there had to be more to it."

With that, John got up and started towards the door.

"Aren't you going to tell me to stop?" Kaya asked.

John turned and laughed.

"Like it would matter. Besides...I understand. If it had been my wife, I would have wiped this town off the map. Then again, I'm a baseball bat. You're a scalpel. That's why I want to hire you. But that's a conversation for when this is over." John nodded then headed out the door.

Richard sat across from Kaya and gave her a concerned look.

"Friend or foe?" he asked, nodding toward the door.

"Friend. I think," she replied.

"Good, you need more of those," Richard said, then stared at the waiter while he brought out their food.

After their quiet meal, Richard stood outside the café with Kaya. He looked down at her with sadness and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't die," he said.

She looked up at him with the same sadness.

"Thank you, Richard, and I'm sorry," she replied.

"Why are you, sorry?" Richard asked. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. She made me promise."

Half of Kaya's mouth started a smile then sadness set in again.

"I'm sorry I hated you," Kaya said then looked down.

Richard put his hand under her chin and pulled her gaze upward, then kissed her on the forehead.

"It's only natural that you hated me...sis," he said with a laugh.

Kaya punched him in the ribs, and he grunted then laughed.

"Don't call me that...Dick," she said and laughed as well.

"You quit calling me Dick, and I'll quit calling you sis. Deal?" he asked while holding his ribs.

"I can live with that," she said then turned to start walking to Richard's house.

"I can give you a ride, you know," he stated.

"I need to work the kinks out of this leg. Bullet must have hit a muscle," she said then stopped and turned. "Stay at Howard's until this is done. You were right about one thing."

"What was that?" he asked.

"You're all I have left of her too," she said then started heading toward Richard's house again.

# Chapter 18

Kaya was surprised at the lack of security as she walked up to Mayor Allen Tombs' private residence. There was a modest sedan in the driveway, and even the house itself looked like that of a humble public official. Needless to say, Mayor Tombs was far better at hiding his fortune than the people he employed. It made sense. He was the one in charge of this organization. She wanted to call it a disorganized cartel but that would be giving them too much credit. The men Mayor Tombs employed were stupid, greedy, and downright bad at this.

With no security presence, she decided why not just ring the doorbell?

Kaya walked up to the door, rung the bell, and waited. She expected gunfire, or at the very least, armed guards, but what she got was a man who looked like an aide.

"Can I help you?" the man asked. His accent was Italian, and he looked a little familiar. His black hair was cut neatly. Not quite as short as a crew cut but close. His beard and mustache were also neatly trimmed. He had brown eyes and wore a white button-up shirt with tan slacks.

"I'm here to see the mayor," she said confidently.

"And your name?" the man asked. His voice and accent both sounded very familiar, but she couldn't place him. Perhaps she had met him in town?

"Tell him Kaya Nichols is here. He probably knows I'm coming," she said with a snicker.

"Step inside. I will get the mayor," the man said. As she watched him walk to a large wooden door, open it, then disappear inside, she could have sworn she knew the man. Even his walk was familiar.

In a few moments, the man stuck his head out the door then motioned for Kaya.

"Please come in. The Mayor would like to speak with you," the man said, then vanished behind the door again.

This was very strange. She again expected gunfire, maybe running but not civility. Something was going on...and the Italian man...she could swear she knew him.

When Kaya walked through the door, she readied herself. When the Mayor turned in his chair, she prepared herself to jump out of the way, but he didn't even look upset.

Mayor Allen Tombs was a rather young looking man for someone in their fifties. His peppered black hair looked fairly masculine. If Kaya had been interested in that kind of thing, she might have even thought him attractive. His rough face and stubble added to the masculine look and he was in pretty decent shape for a man his age. Even in his grey suit, she could tell he was fairly active.

When the mayor saw Kaya, he smiled then stood and took off his suit coat. While he sat back down, he started to speak.

"We're both intelligent individuals here. There's no need for violence," he said in a comforting tone.

"Did you offer that option to my sister?" Kaya asked, her disgust was evident in her speech.

"That was...that was unfortunate," Mayor Tombs said. He looked at his hands, clasped them together, and placed them on the desk.

"Unfortunate?!" Kaya asked with outrage. "You think torturing my sister then killing her was unfortunate?!"

The mayor stood and walked to the front of his desk, calmly.

"Now, we both know she was more than a sister." The mayor leaned back and sat on the edge of his desk, then crossed his arms. "That's why we're talking instead of me hiring someone to kill you. I..."

"Hmm," Kaya interrupted. She put her finger to her chin and spoke angrily. "You see. I thought it was because I've killed everyone else. Perhaps I'm mistaken."

"Mistaken about what?" Mayor Tombs asked. His calm tone was starting to sound angry.

"Here, I thought you were smarter than all your employees. I thought this meeting was actually going to be productive, but you had to go and call it 'unfortunate'," Kaya replied angrily.

"You have no intention of having a productive meeting, do you?" the mayor asked, his contempt showing.

"Let's just quit with all the bullshit," she said and started walking toward the mayor. She kept her eye on the aide who was standing silently. "I'm here to kill you. You're here because you think you are luckier than your employees."

"You're just going to kill me? You don't want information? I have a lot of information," the mayor said, still not sounding scared in the least. This made Kaya wary. Why wasn't he scared? Did he have a hidden gun? Did he think he could fight her?

"You're right. I lied. I'm going to torture you. Yes, I want information but mostly...I want to hear you scream," she said, her face grimacing as she grabbed him by the shirt collar.

Kaya heard the distinctive sound of a gun being removed from its holster behind her. Now she understood the reason for the mayor's confidence.

"Please release the mayor, bella," the aide said.

Kaya released the mayor then turned to face the man. The look of shock and recognition on her face told him that she had finally recognized him.

"I thought for sure you had forgotten me," the aide said with a grin.

"Giermo? The beard...the hair? You look different. How are you alive?" Kaya asked.

"The boss gave me a second chance. You see, I spent all the money. A dead man can't repay four million Euro, now can he?" Giermo asked. He motioned with the gun. "Step away from the mayor, please."

Kaya obeyed and released the man then took a few steps away.

"Shoot her. I'm not paying you to look at her," the mayor urged him.

"There is the problem," Giermo said, staring at the mayor. "You haven't paid me yet."

"The money will be in your account in minutes," he said, his anxiety growing.

Giermo pulled the clip from his pistol then removed the bullet from the chamber. He put the gun, bullet, and clip on the bookshelf behind him then took a step toward Kaya.

"Shall we?" Giermo asked with a smile. He held up his fists, and Kaya smiled in return.

"This is a bad idea, Giermo," she replied.

"I'm full of bad ideas," he replied.

"This is ludicrous. Just kill her!" the mayor shouted.

Giermo turned to the mayor and gave him an angry look.

"Sta 'zitto!" he shouted.

Kaya turned and smiled at the mayor deviously.

"My Italian is horrible, but I'm pretty sure that means shut the hell up," Kaya said then raised her fists.

Giermo eased his way toward Kaya and threw a punch with his left hand. She easily deflected it. Then he did it again, but this time tried to hit her in the ribs with his right. She deflected the left then dodged the right.

"Rusty, Giermo?" she asked while pacing around him.

He did the same move, left then right, then caught her in the jaw with his left.

"No, just testing," he teased.

Kaya rubbed her chin.

"While you two work this out, I'm going upstairs," the mayor said and headed to the door.

"Sit down!" they yelled in unison, and the mayor turned around. He walked back to his chair, then sat down, full of fear.

Giermo tried the move again. He hit with his left. Kaya deflected then countered with her left. She hit him under the chin, and Giermo stumbled backward.

"I was testing too," she said with a snicker.

Giermo steadied himself then led with his right. He didn't bother with the jab this time and swung right at her jaw. Kaya ducked, hit him in the stomach then stepped her foot around his and pushed. Giermo fell backward and landed flat on his back, so Kaya took a step away.

As Giermo started to get up, he got on one knee. He looked up at Kaya then bowed his head.

"I concede," he said with a smile she could hear.

"You concede?" she asked.

"I hope that is the right word. I give up?" he asked, still unsure he was using the right words.

"That's the right word," Kaya replied, full of confusion.

Giermo raised his gaze to look at her.

"This will be twice you have let me live. I will not forget this," he said with a grin that made Kaya smile.

"You never intended to kill her?!" the mayor shouted and stood up. He stormed to the front of his desk then decided it was a bad idea to get so close to Kaya. Instead, he pointed at Giermo. "I'll have someone else kill you!"

Giermo turned to the mayor and gave him a look of pity.

"I don't think she'll take your call," Giermo said then looked at Kaya again. "Looks like I owe you another life debt."

Kaya held out her hand, and he took it. She helped him up and hugged him. While they hugged, she whispered to him.

"If you ever need anything, just let me know," Kaya said then let him go.

"But it is I who owe you," Giermo said with a smirk as he retrieved his gun, put in the clip then holstered it. Then he turned to Kaya and looked at her with compassion. "She must have been something."

"She was amazing," Kaya said, her sadness filling her once more.

"Addio, bella," Giermo said then walked out the door.

"Was that some code?" the mayor asked, full of fright.

"That was Italian, you idiot," Kaya said with disdain then walked up and punched him in the face.

The mayor stumbled backward against his desk and reached for a heavy paperweight. Kaya slammed her fist down on his wrist, and he yelled in pain, releasing the paperweight.

"Sit down and quit saying stupid shit or I'll punch you again," she said and followed the mayor as he made his way to his chair.

When he was seated, he stared up at her while she sat on his desk and smiled at him in a way that told him this wouldn't be pleasant. Then Kaya's eyes grew wide and another kind of smile formed on her face. The mayor followed her gaze to a beautifully positioned sword with an intricately carved hilt.

"Wait. That's worth more than you make in a year," he begged.

"You'd be surprised at what I make in a year," she said, still fixated on an object on the far wall.

"It's a fake," he said, trying to cover.

"No. It's not," she said and spun the chair as she reached up behind him and pulled down the curved sword.

"Please don't touch that," he begged then realized what the sword was for. "No. You can't."

Kaya made her way back around the chair and pulled the sword out. She swished it through the air a few times and grinned like a child with a brand new toy.

"I'll pay you. I have a lot of money saved up," the mayor pleaded.

"I don't need money," Kaya said, still fixated on the beautiful work of art that must have been hundreds of years old.

"I..." the mayor started then Kaya swished the sword through the air and stopped it right at his throat.

"No. I want this to last. Let's start with your fingers," Kaya said and grabbed the mayor's right hand while keeping the sword at his throat. She slammed his hand on the desk, then pulled the sword back. "Now, don't move. I only want to take one at a time." She grinned evilly and pulled the sword over her head.

"Wait! I'll tell you the boss's name!" he screamed with his eyes shut.

Kaya lowered the sword and released the mayor's wrist.

"You're not the boss?" she asked.

"No, and I had nothing to do with your sister's death. I told them she wasn't a threat. No one would listen to me." The mayor pulled his hand back and caressed his wrist.

"Huh. I didn't see that coming," Kaya said as she put the sword over her shoulder and looked at the mayor curiously. She leaned against the desk and waited.

"Promise you won't hurt me, and I'll tell you everything," he begged.

"Fine. I won't hurt you," Kaya agreed with a sigh.

"You promise?" he asked.

Kaya smirked and pulled the sword across her chest.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," she said with a laugh.

"Fine," he said. "Your father..." he started.

Kaya's hateful expression was nothing short of terrifying as she pulled the sword up, flipped it over, and slammed it through the desk. The blade was buried all the way to the hilt in the mayor's desk, and he was afraid to say another word.

"My father did this?" Kaya asked.

"Your father..." Mayor Tombs paused to make sure she wasn't going to interrupt him again then continued. "He is the boss. He convinced my son that she was a threat."

Kaya's anger rose even further. She pulled out the sword then let the tip fall on the ground. She drug the sword along the ground while she scowled down at the mayor and circled him.

"What else?" she asked angrily.

"Well, he told my son that she needed to be dealt with." The mayor watched Kaya anxiously as she circled him. "He didn't exactly say to kill her, but he didn't discourage it."

"My father is the boss? Why didn't I see it?" Kaya asked rhetorically through gritted teeth. "He despised us being together so much that he would rather kill his daughter."

She continued to circle him, and his discomfort grew until he couldn't take it anymore.

"What else do you want to know?" he asked.

Kaya circled him a few times, not saying a word then quickly pulled the sword up and stopped it at his neck.

"What is his name?" she asked.

"What? Who? Whose name?" the mayor stammered.

"Your son," she said slowly and angrily.

"You promised not to hurt me. I'll give you his name, but then I'm done, right? That's all I know. I promise," he begged.

"Yes. After that, you're done," she said.

He stared at Kaya for a moment. The look when she said 'done' was strange.

"You promised you wouldn't hurt me," he said, trying to make sure before he spoke.

"I won't hurt you," she said calmly.

"My son is Howard Tombs," the mayor said.

Kaya pulled back the sword from the mayor's neck, grabbed it with both hands, and swung as hard as she could. The sword went through his neck and through the back of the chair.

"Decapitation doesn't hurt," she said with a scowl. Then she looked down and saw the expression on his face. "Ok. Maybe it does hurt. My bad."

With a quiet laugh, Kaya wiped the blood from the blade on the mayor's clothes then put the sword in its hilt and walked out.

# Chapter 19

When Kaya arrived back at Howard's place, she saw Richard's car in the driveway. On the way up to the door, she paid attention to the mailbox. It said Howard Tombs on it. If she had been paying closer attention earlier, maybe Richard wouldn't be in danger now.

While she pulled up in the driveway, she smiled and let out a small laugh. How strange it was to be so worried about Richard. A week ago, she would have been happy to let him suffer at the hands of a maniac. But now? Now, he was family.

All those years spent hating the man, and he just took it. He never once fought back or even tried to discourage her. He really did love Trish. Just not in the way Kaya thought he did. She felt a little guilty for all the horrible things she pictured herself doing to Richard. All the times she hoped for him to get in a gruesome car accident or electrocute himself in the shower. There were countless scenarios she thought up to end Richard's life. But now she had knots in her stomach thinking he might be hurt.

Kaya eased her way out of the truck and shut the door quietly. All the lights in the house were off. This was a bad sign. Either they were in the bedroom, which wasn't likely, or Howard knew. Kaya eased the front door to the house open and jumped as a bullet shattered the door frame beside her head. She quickly pulled her body to the side of the door and waited. When Howard didn't speak, she did.

"You're a bad shot, Howard. How did you find out?" she asked. She needed a sense of where he was in the house.

"My dad called as soon as you showed up at his place," Howard replied.

Kaya quickly peeked inside the house and saw a man who looked quite a bit like his father. The nose and eyes were the same, even the hair color, except that Howard's hadn't started turning grey yet. The main difference was that Howard looked softer and dumber than his father.

"So, how do you see this playing out?" Kaya asked. Now that she knew where he was, she needed time to come up with a plan. One that wouldn't get Richard killed.

If she died, who would miss her? If Richard died,...she would actually miss his annoying face. She had gotten used to his stupid laugh and even his bad sense of humor. Ok, that last one wasn't true. Richard had a decent sense of humor. As she thought these things, she smiled. She would miss Richard. She had never had a brother, but if she had, he'd probably be a lot like Richard. At least she hoped so.

"I have Richard, so just give yourself up, and I'll let him go," Howard replied.

Kaya peeked her head inside quickly again and caught sight of Richard tied to a chair beside Howard. His mouth was gagged, but he looked unharmed. Another smile formed on Kaya's face again.

Damn it. Richard really was charming. Within a week, she had gone from enemy to friend to brother. No wonder Trish married him. He was a decent man.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen, Howard," she replied from behind the safety of the door frame.

"I'll kill him," Howard said, but something in his voice said the opposite.

"Go ahead. He ruined my life. Remember?" she lied.

"You two worked it out. You like him now," Howard replied, clearly shaken.

"No, I don't. I still hate him. He may not have slept with Trish, but he took her from me. I can never forgive that. Killing him will just save me from having to do it myself," Kaya said. She forced her smile away and peeked around the corner. She saw Howard point the gun at Richard's head, so she lingered. "Do it. It will give me time to cross the room and break your scrawny neck."

She saw Howard ponder her suggestion then he turned the gun on her. She quickly pulled her head back as another shot hit the door frame in a different spot.

"I hope you have good insurance because you're killing your house," Kaya said with a laugh.

"Try that again," Howard threatened.

"Why? So you can miss a third time?" she giggled.

Kaya heard footsteps. It was working.

"Getting closer, so you don't miss?" she asked. She heard the footsteps stop. He was about five feet from the door. Much too close...for him. An evil grin filled her face.

"I said, try that again," he said.

"Ok. I give up. I'm coming out," she said as she grabbed the door frame. She needed momentum for this.

"No funny..." he started.

Kaya pulled the door frame and went, feet first, at his legs. When Howard realized what was happening, he pointed the gun down. She planted both feet on his shins, and Howard fell forward on top of her. The gun went off and hit Kaya in the ribs, but it didn't slow her down. In seconds, she had the gun and smashed it into Howard's face. While he cradled his bloody face, she rushed to Richard. She untied him, and he removed his gag.

"Are you ok?" Richard asked, clearly worried.

"I'm fine. Is this going to be a problem for you?" she asked while pointing the gun at Howard. She held her left hand over the gunshot in her ribs and blood seeped out from her fingers.

"You need a hospital," Richard urged her as he bent over to look at the wound.

"Answer my question," she demanded.

Richard straightened up and walked over to Howard. He looked down at Howard with disdain.

"He killed Trish?" Richard asked, looking back at Kaya.

"He ordered her torture and death," Kaya replied. "Hell. He probably watched the whole thing with a smile on his face."

"Richard, please. You don't understand," Howard said, still holding his hand over his bleeding face. "I did it for us."

Richard looked down on him, and his look became cruel.

"There is no us," Richard said then looked at Kaya. His look became crueler than she had ever seen from Richard. He looked like he wanted to be the one to torture Howard. "Make him suffer," Richard said then walked toward the door.

"Please, Richard," Howard begged while he grabbed for Richard's feet, but Richard stepped over his hands then slammed the door on his way out.

"Get comfy, Howard. We're going to be at this a while." She walked over to Howard and stepped on his hand. After the screaming stopped, she bent down. "Actually, Richard is right. I think I do need a hospital, so let's do the fast forward version."

Kaya aimed the gun at Howard's legs. She emptied half the clip in one leg, then the rest in the other. Satisfied that Howard couldn't run she tossed the gun then headed toward the kitchen, holding her bullet wound.

"Let's see what you have here," she said as she perused the knives and other items on Howard's counter.

Outside Richard sat on the steps listening to Howard scream. John walked up to him, and Richard recognized him from the café.

"Sounds like it's almost over," John said, then sat beside Richard.

"Good. She needs some peace. If anyone deserves it, she does," Richard said.

"John, by the way," he said and held out his hand. Richard turned and shook it.

"Richard," he replied.

"Ah, the husband," John said with a smile.

"Not exactly," Richard started to explain, but John interrupted him.

"I know the whole story," John replied.

"Friend of hers?" Richard asked, then he turned as he heard Howard screaming again.

John also looked back, then laughed.

"Hopefully her new employer," John replied.

"You better treat her right," Richard warned.

"You going to sue me?" John asked with a laugh.

Richard pointed over his shoulder.

"She has a mean streak, and she doesn't forgive," Richard said then smiled deviously at John. "Well, not usually. I think I'm the exception."

"Ah," John said, and Richard could see the glimmer of fear in John's eyes. He faked a laugh then continued. "I'll do my best to stay on her good side."

Kaya opened the door, and both men looked up at her. Her face was covered with streaks of blood and her hair a bloody mess. Her clothes were also covered with blood, and some of it was her own.

"I think I'll take that ride to the hospital now," she said and started to sway.

Richard shot up and grabbed her around the shoulders to steady her. She swayed again and smiled, so Richard swept her up into his arms.

"You know. You're ok, Richard," she said. Her eyes were drooping, and her speech was starting to slur. Kaya kissed him on the cheek. "And if you ever tell anyone I said that. I'll stab you in the face." Then Kaya passed out.

John looked a little terrified, but Richard just laughed.

"Did I mention she has a quirky sense of humor?" Richard asked, then headed quickly to his car.

# Chapter 20

Two days later, Kaya woke in a hospital bed. She had an IV in her arm, and she was handcuffed to the railing on both sides.

"Hello?!" she shouted. "Anyone there?!"

An officer threw the door open, his eyes were wide with fear, and his hand was on his gun. Right after him, John walked in calmly, followed by Richard.

"Sheriff Jones from Galley is taking over for Chief Sots until a replacement is found," John said. "He is under the impression that you killed all these people."

Richard pushed his way in beside Kaya and looked at Sheriff Jones.

"My client would like me to speak on her behalf," Richard said then gave Kaya a look.

"Yes. My brother-in-law will explain," Kaya said with a warm smile. She had no idea what was going on but knew Richard was on her side. She actually trusted Richard more than she had ever trusted anyone besides Trish.

"My sister-in-law," Richard motioned to Kaya. "Was caught in the middle of some kind of drug war between father and son." Richard sat up straight and spoke confidently. "Howard Tombs was trying to take over Alan Tombs' drug business. They each hired a small army consisting of police officers from this town and some others. I'm not really sure who was on which side."

"And your sister-in-law was with Howard?" Sheriff Jones asked.

"Actually I was staying with Howard, and Kaya was there to talk to me about her sister...my wife. She'd never met Howard before last night," Richard explained.

Kaya just listened and smiled at Sheriff Jones, adding a nod once in a while to confirm Richard's story. She was glad Richard was on her side. She'd never met anyone who could spin a tale like he could, but then again, he was a lawyer.

"So, did you know about Howard's involvement?" Sheriff Jones asked.

"Not until the gunman showed up." Richard leaned forward and parted his hair to show the stitches, then straightened up. "He hit me in the head. I was groggy but remember him shooting Kaya then," Richard paused and shivered. "The things he did to Howard. It was horrible."

"Can you describe this man?" the sheriff asked.

"Yes I can," Richard said confidently and stood up. "I'll never forget that face."

"I'll have one of my deputy's remove those cuffs," the sheriff said to Kaya and looked at her with guilt. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, ma'am."

"I was unconscious for most of it. No worries," Kaya replied.

Richard gave Kaya a wink as he walked out with the sheriff.

When they were both gone, John sat beside Kaya and dropped a file folder on her lap.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Your first job," he replied.

"I haven't even agreed to work for you yet," she complained.

"True," John said then grinned. "Here's my sales pitch." He picked up the file and opened it. Each side had a different picture. On one side was her father, Sean Galley, and the other was Leonardo Montel. "Your father is gone. Vanished without a trace but you have my word that you will be the first one to hear about it when we know anything."

"And Leo?" Kaya asked.

"Leo is a different kind of problem," John started. "The man is intent on finding you, and that needs to stop."

"You want me to kill him?" Kaya asked.

"It's up to you how to handle it. I give you the jobs. You decide how to fix them. I don't want an assassin. I have ten of those. I want you to do what you do best. Blackmail him. Threaten him. Kill him. It's up to you. Just make him stop looking for you in a way that doesn't leave a mess to clean up." John waited for her response.

"So, no second-guessing?" she asked.

"As long as you reach your objective, no one will say a word," John explained.

"Who exactly am I working for? CIA, FBI, NSA?" Kaya asked skeptically.

"Yes," John replied with a grin.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"We're a private contractor. We work for the government but not for any one office," John said.

"What if I don't like the job?" Kaya asked. Her curiosity was piqued. This job was sounding better than Leo and a hell of a lot better than sulking in solitude.

"You choose the jobs. If you don't want to mess with Leo. I'll get someone else," John said as he closed the file.

"Hey, now! I didn't say I wasn't interested. I mean, who else knows where Leo hides his money?" Kaya asked with a grin.

"You'll take the job?" John asked, hopefully.

"As long as I'm the only one who knows about where my father is when you find him. No one else. Just me," Kaya said. "Deal?"

"Deal," John replied and shook Kaya's hand, which was still cuffed to the railing.

After a few moments, John was curious.

"So, how are you going to deal with Leo?" he asked then got a strange look on his face and stood up. "You know what. Never mind. Don't tell me. As long as it's taken care of...I don't care."

"I like this job already," Kaya replied.

# Chapter 21

Two years later, somewhere in the mountains of Oregon. In a house far away from any towns or people, Sean Galley sat in a chair watching TV. His brown beard was laced with white, as was his short brown hair. At fifty-seven years old, he was in decent shape. Despite running drugs, he never touched them. Around the house were expensive items he had indulged in. The brand new TV, the brand new kitchen appliances, even the furniture was new and spotless.

Sean leaned back with a grin while he watched his football game. Beside him was a hall that led to a bedroom and bathroom. On the other side of the hallway, an open kitchen sat in the dark.

"Hey, honey? Can you bring me another beer?" he yelled toward the bedroom.

A figure dressed in black leather walked out of the hall. In her left hand was a sword in a sheath. When she walked around the chair and faced Sean, a disgusted look filled his face.

Kaya put her finger to her lips.

"Shh...Connie is sleeping," she said with an evil grin.

"You!" he said and looked back at his TV. "If you hurt her!"

Kaya crouched down in front of the chair, blocking his view and looked up at her father.

"You never called me honey before," she said with a smile.

"I thought you were Connie," he replied with the same disgust and tried to look around her.

"What was it you used to call me?" she asked.

"Just go back to your European whore house, or wherever it was you disappeared to. Why the hell did you even come back? No one wants you here," he replied, now staring into her eyes.

In a flash, Kaya removed the sword from the sheath and plunged it through the seat of his chair, inches from his crotch.

"Answer the question," she said angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, trying to hide his fear, which was rising.

"You had a clever nickname for me when I was a kid. What was it?" Kaya asked again. The cruelty and anger on her face, terrified Sean.

"The Devil," Sean said with a shaky voice.

"That was it," Kaya said with an evil smile.

"If you're going to kill me, just get it over with. I'm missing the third quarter," he said, trying to act brave.

Kaya leaned on the hilt of the sword and put her face close to her father's. She smiled, pulled up the sword, and laughed when Sean jumped.

"I'm not going to kill you. You deserve so much worse," she replied and laid the sword over her shoulder. She headed to the front door and grabbed the door handle then turned to Sean.

Sean didn't say a word and didn't move.

"You owe me two lifetimes. The one I should have had and the one I could have had. You destroyed my childhood and killed the woman I loved. Death is far too kind for someone like you." Kaya opened the door and two men in uniforms, with pistols at their sides, rushed in and grabbed Sean. He struggled, but the men were in far better shape than he was.

While they were hauling him out, Kaya put her sword in its sheath then stuck it out to stop her father. He turned and looked at her fearfully then she leaned in closely once more.

"You should know. The Devil always gets her due, and it's time to pay up," she said.

When Sean was secured in the back of the SUV, Kaya hopped on her motorcycle. She stopped at the window, and the driver lowered it to hear her orders. She could hear her father begging from the back seat, offering money and drugs to be let go.

"You boys have a nice Christmas. Just drop him off and forget you were ever here," Kaya said with a smile, and the driver nodded.

"What about you?" the driver asked. He was a man in his late thirties. He wasn't as large as the younger passenger, but he looked rougher.

Kaya rolled her eyes and smiled up at him.

"Richard had this stupid idea. Christmas dinner. I promised I would be there. He wants me to meet his new boyfriend," she said with a sigh, but the man could see the happiness on her face.

"You have fun. You deserve it," he said, then rolled up the window while Kaya drove off.

After Kaya was out of sight, the passenger started to look nervous.

"Shouldn't we take him to the FBI or something?" the passenger asked.

The driver gave the passenger a condescending look.

"You work for Kaya, not the FBI," the driver said then took off. "Besides, the FBI will just put you in jail. You don't want to double-cross Kaya."

After a few moments, he looked at his passenger and could tell that it wasn't the end of the questions, so he decided to make things perfectly clear. "That's her father back there," he said and nodded to the backseat. "What do you think she'll do to you if you disobey her?"

The passenger didn't say another word. He sat up straight and stared out the window for the rest of the trip.

Sean Galley was never heard from again. Some people say Kaya still has him locked in a cage, hidden away somewhere. She tortures him every day, making sure never to go too far. So long as Kaya's pain continues, so does Sean's. But that's just what people say. Then again, people stupid enough to say that never get to say anything else.

The End

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