UN-Breakable

by S. K. Lessner

  After throwing my hair up in a ponytail, I continued lightly sketching the design on the wall. Hopefully, I’d have it completely finished by the time Nick returned home.

  It took an extreme amount of effort not to shoot each of these bumbling assholes. They were fucking idiots and frankly, I was growing tired of being the one to train them. The only good purpose they served was clean up on a night like tonight. We’d found our man, hiding inside a lively go-go bar downtown. After a quick pursuit, we ended up with two dead bodies, but neither were him. Somewhere between the bar and the alley exit, he’d gotten away. It wasn’t going to be anything Boss wanted to hear. But on the bright side, I now had a general vicinity of where to look. Unfortunately, that meant I wasn’t going home anytime soon. If necessary, I’d be out here for the next twenty-four hours. Time mattered when you were tracking someone. Especially after a confirmed sighting. After weeks of trying to fish him out of his hiding spots, I refused to give up this lead. My hope was that after this job and one more were finished, Boss would clear out our agreement and I’d be free to take Gwen away from here.

  Sitting on the overturned garbage can, I waited for the newbies to clean up the scene. You’d think with the gun shots and noise they were making someone would’ve called the cops by now. But sadly, in this part of town, these were just common every day sounds. It was no different than hearing a car blow its horn or an ambulance’s siren whizzing by. Shaking my head at the filth and decay, I pulled my phone out to text Gwen and check the security cameras at the cabin.

  Dn’t knw wen I’ll b hom. Mite b wrkng all day. Sry.

  Closing the text, I opened the app for the cameras and found what I expected. Whoever had been there had left a package on the steps outside the front door. Although there had been no activity for the past few days, I knew it was only a matter of time until they returned. As much as I wished I could make the drive and see what was inside, I was more anxious to see who this fucker was. With a few clicks, I had gone back in time, reversing the recording to three hours before and began watching it in fast forward. It didn’t take long. Pressing play to bring the speed to normal, the image wasn’t the best on a phone, but I was still able to see most of what the four divided screens portrayed as they each came to life.

  First, the camera near the driveway picked up someone walking down the road. I suppose it was smart not to drive a car, especially since it was a dead end. The second camera was positioned high in a tree and showed an image from up above as the mystery person cut through the yard, threw something that looked like an empty beer bottle across the lawn, and continued toward the cabin. Whoever it was seemed to be taking their time, enjoying the cat and mouse game they were providing. As he slowly made his way closer, the security light from the storage shed turned on, illuminating him from behind. It didn’t seem to faze him at all. He continued on his way, his purpose driving him forward.

  I tried to make out more details, but our perp seemed to be prepared, dressed all in black, including a hoodie. Finally, when he reached the front steps, the fourth camera was pointed directly at him. He kept his face down, his body guarded as he leaned forward and pulled a small box about the size of his hand out of his sweatshirt pocket. After placing it on the top step, the person stood up straight, looked around, and suddenly cocked his head as if he realized there was a camera there. With agonizingly slow motions, he looked directly at the camera, raised his hand, and gave a salute. Just before turning away, he turned the salute into a middle finger and walked away with it high in the air.

  “Motherfucker!” I wanted to throw the phone, smash it to pieces out of anger. The person’s face had been covered with some type of bandana or ski mask. With everything in black, his clothing, shoes, and mask, the only thing that I could make out were his eyes. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to zoom in sufficiently using my phone.

  Frustrated and furious that I had to deal with this other asshole on the loose, I shoved my phone into my pants pocket and hurried back to my car. The little newbies could deal with the bodies on their own. I was going to find the missing fuckwad and then drive out to the cabin to see what type of gift this asshole had left me.

  I’d been driving around for hours, pounding on doors, talking to every prostitute and John I found on the streets. Hell, I probably paid the drug dealers more for leads than they normally made in an entire night with drugs and sex. Yet, nothing seemed to materialize. Wherever he had gone, he was lying low for the time being.

  Looking at my watch, I realized it was almost noon. I’d been out here working the streets for nearly fifteen hours. Sometimes I didn’t know who was worse. The prostitutes or me. Disgusted with the outcome, I decided to head out to the cabin and retrieve the box. It would be almost an hour drive there and another hour back. Depending on what I found, that meant I wouldn’t be home until well after two in the afternoon. I’d have to shower, grab a couple hours of sleep, and head back out earlier than normal in hopes that I could catch up with this ass.

  Damn it! Pulling my phone from my pocket, I swiped my finger across the screen and found my first and only smile of the day. Gwen had sent me a couple texts, one of them containing a photo of what she’d accomplished before going to sleep. Opening the attachment, it showed her pencil drawing on the wall and the beginning of her painting each of the flowers with the beautiful red and pink paints we’d picked out yesterday. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was going to be, but I knew it would be amazing.

  Closing the photo, I opened the messages to find she had sent a quick “okay” and a “goodnight, be safe” text before going to sleep. I felt awful for not checking my phone sooner. I knew she’d been up all night, most likely waiting for me to come home before going to sleep. But I’d been so dead set on finding the missing man and finishing this job that I’d pushed all other thoughts aside. Quickly typing a text that she’d see when she woke up, I told her that I’d be home in a few hours and not to worry about making any food.

  With that done, I closed the phone and put the car in gear. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I got to the cabin, but this wasn’t good. Whoever it was, was fully aware of the cameras. Had they watched me install them from a distance? Did they know me well enough to expect that from me in response? Maybe it was just a random stranger who had seen us out and about, following us back to the cabin without my notice. Nah, I doubted that. Especially after the items they’d left behind last time. It had to be someone I knew, someone who had a grudge against me and wanted Gwen as way of payback. The only question was, who?

  Driving down the highway, I was reminded of our musical duet when one of her favorite songs came on the radio. It was good timing, too. My eyes had begun to droop, and I was fighting against falling asleep with every mile. Turning the volume up, I did something I never would admit to anyone else. I sang along with the boy band, smiling and laughing at how true the words were. “What Makes You Beautiful” could’ve been written specifically for Gwen. She had no clue how devastatingly gorgeous she was. When the chorus came, I sang as if she were sitting beside me, wishing she understood how amazing I thought she was. Just as it finished, I was pulling off the highway and onto the gravel road that would lead to the cabin. With a deep, cleansing breath, I pushed away any thoughts of Gwen and focused on what lay before me.

  Slowly approaching the house, I walked the same path that the person had taken last night. His footprints were still visible in the long green grass, and I matched each one identically. With each step I took, I scanned the trees, the bushes, anything I could see, wondering if he too had placed cameras out there or if he may be watching now. Unable to find anything, I continued on until I stood at the base of the steps, staring at the small white box that sat crooked on the top step. I didn’t expect a bomb or anything that might explode. No, whoever was doing this was far more into the game it provided and not quickly ending their competitor’s life. I was hesitant, yet eager. Whatever lay hidden inside the box would bring me one step cl
oser to ending this. At the same time, I intuitively knew that this would be far worse than the last few times I’d been given any clues.

  With my heart racing and my stomach in knots, I reached forward and picked the box up. It was roughly six inches by six inches, taped only on one side, and far lighter than I’d expected. With a flick of my thumbnail, I broke the small adhesive closure and ripped the top open.

  “Fuck!” I breathed, unable to believe what I held in my hand. It was worse than I’d imagined.

  Reaching inside the box, my hands shook with an intensity I’d never known before. I pulled out three pictures and dropped the box to the ground as I turned to hurry back to the car. Flipping through each of them, I thought I felt my heart literally stop and refuse to beat.

  The bastard had left me pictures of Gwen. She was wearing a long T-shirt and nothing else. Her arms were raised and her concentration completely focused on painting the wall in her new bedroom. The final picture was of her looking directly at the camera, completely unaware that someone was watching her every move.

  Jerking the car door open, I started the ignition and put it in gear, flinging rocks and dust up behind me as I raced down the road. I had no idea how this person knew where we were or how they were able to find a way around the blinds to take a picture. But when I found out, they would see a completely different side of me that nobody had ever seen. Gone was the quick deliverer of justice. I would make them pay for involving Gwen in this sickening game they’d created.

  Just the thought of her put me on the edge of hysteria. What if he’d gone inside already? He knew far more than I expected. He possibly knew where I was at this moment and knew he could get in and out before I returned. The sheer terror that raced through my blood was something I’d never felt before in my life. Something I had no idea how to deal with. Frantically wrestling with my seatbelt and then my unyielding pants pocket, I yanked my phone out and immediately tried to call her. Repeatedly it went directly to voicemail. Each time, my panic and fear grew, overtaking any common sense I once had. Pressing the gas pedal to the floor, I reached speeds of nearly a hundred, forcing cars out of my way and completely disregarding every traffic law there was. I couldn’t believe that I was failing her once again. Maybe I truly was the bastard my father always said I was. The no good bastard who couldn’t do anything right and deserved nothing good in this life. I certainly didn’t deserve someone as sweet and pure as she was. I couldn’t even do right by her for a few months.

  Something had woken me from a deep sleep. Looking at the clock, I saw that it was nearly three in the afternoon. Assuming it was Nick coming home as he’d said, I laid back down. A few minutes later, a scratching sound grabbed my attention and pulled me from my sleep again. I’d only been in bed for a few hours. I’d been anxiously waiting for Nick to come home so I could show him my progress, but when he’d sent his text saying he’d be late, I’d decided to go to sleep and show him when I woke up instead. My body hadn’t fully accepted the change in schedule, fatigue often overtaking me by the time the sun rose each morning. Knowing I’d waited an extra six hours or so to go to bed, I was amazed that anything could break through my slumber and stop my sleep. Whatever the sound was, it was growing louder and more frequent.

  Deciding that sleep wasn’t possible as long as the noise continued, I stood from the bed and grabbed a pair of jeans that I’d thrown on my dresser. When I heard the sound of a loud cry, I finished buttoning and zipping them as I rushed out of my bedroom and down the hall, quickly glancing in each direction until I found where the cry had come from. Coming to a stop in the living room doorway, a small white dog was frantically pawing and scratching the sliding glass door. His incessant whining increasing when he saw me staring through the glass.

  Releasing the breath I’d been holding out of fear, I smiled at the tiny creature. He looked dirty and unkempt, his eyes sad and lonely. When he started licking the glass, I worried that he might be hungry. My heart broke for him, knowing all too well how an empty stomach could feel. Without thinking, I hurried to let him in. With a quick release of the security system, I unlocked the one single door like Nick had shown me how then removed the long pole that was kept in place to prevent it from sliding open. The entire time, the dog continued to whine, wag his tail, and lick the glass. He must’ve been starving for both attention and food.

  Pulling the door to the side, it slid open without hesitation, and I was immediately overwhelmed by the retched smell that wafted up from the now jumping puppy. I felt so sorry for him and decided a bath, some food, and a few good hugs were just what he needed.

  “Shh, it’s okay little guy,” I said gently as I tried to calm him enough to pick him up. The last thing I wanted to do was let him run through the house and rub that odor on all of Nick’s furniture. “Come here.” I bent to pick him up, realizing my mistake too late.

  With my head protruding out of the house, I caught the flash of someone raising their hand a moment before something hard connected with the back of my head. Blackness overtook my vision as my body careened forward. The last thing I felt or heard was the lapping tongue of a dirty dog kissing my face and an evil, taunting laugh beside me.

  Someone was pounding a jackhammer into my head. My body seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. And I knew I was going to vomit any minute. Opening my eyes, I searched my surroundings, unable to comprehend why I was no longer in my bed. The pain seemed to ricochet throughout my body, exploding behind my eyes, and radiating to the back of my head.

  Focusing on the small bucket in the far corner, the memory of the little dog and someone outside slowly came back to me. I’d been stupid. So so stupid. Wanting to help the dog without a care for my safety. Even though I was fully aware someone had been watching me. Grabbing my stomach, I tried to lurch across the room to the bucket, but found I was held back by chains and cuffs attached to my ankles. Glancing down, I realized my clothes had been ripped apart and barely covered my body, but thankfully my underwear appeared to be intact. A sudden chill from the ice cold hardness that extended along the length of my body made me realize that I was sitting on a concrete floor.

  Unable to move around, I laid back down, catching sight of two small windows near the ceiling on the opposite side of the room. I must’ve been taken into a basement, but where? And more importantly, why? Closing my eyes, I tried taking long, deep breaths to calm my stomach and ease the pain. It did little good, but I knew I couldn’t panic. Not if I wanted to make it out of here alive.

  With my shirt providing a tiny barrier between the frigid floor and my skin, I refused to think about the discomfort and focused on my breathing. Ten minutes of practicing my relaxation and meditation breathing skills, and I felt slightly better. I’d just decided to try sitting up again, and was taking better inventory of my surroundings when I heard the unmistakable sound of whistling. Only one person whistled like that. One very evil, very cruel, sick person. James.

  Yanking the front door open, I paid no attention to the security system until the alarm started blaring all around me. Racing back to the panel beside the door, I pounded the code in and turned to find a fluffy ball of fur and dirt wagging its tail at me. Taking a few tentative steps toward him, he grew more and more excited, and much more rancid. Whatever he’d rolled in had been dead and rotting for some time.

  “Gwen?” I called out, slightly relieved to see that she’d brought a dog inside to keep her company.

  On the heels of that thought came the realization that she’d have had to open the door and possibly go outside to get it. She would’ve been unprotected and alone if she had.

  “Gwen!” I yelled, bolting toward the hall only to come to a dead stop when I saw the sliding glass door wide open in the living room. I practically leaped across the room, quickly noticing she’d released the alarm on this door and opened it herself. The protective bar lay beside the glass door where she’d left it. Looking closer, I noticed the few drops of blood that had already begun to dry just outs
ide the door on the patio. Bending down closer, I took in the spray of the blood, the angle from which it seemed to fall, and knew without a doubt she’d been hit over the head. The fucking dog had probably been used to lure her out into the open.

  Cursing repeatedly, I stepped outside and looked around in every direction. Everything was in the right place, everything seemed absolutely normal. I knew she wasn’t here. He’d made sure he’d timed it precisely so I’d miss the entire thing. But I couldn’t help myself as I rushed inside and checked every room, every closet, and cabinet, just in case. I was like a madman in search of his misplaced life. I’d failed her one too many times, but I would be damned if I failed her again. Somehow, I would find her and put an end to this, taking her far away from here.