MENACE

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Anderson

Tap. Tap. Tap.

His long fingers rhythmically made a beat along the sound of orchestra playing in the background.

"A-AAAAAH !!! " An agonizing scream reverberated before a gunshot silenced it.

"Hmm~ ♪" A soft bass voice gently hummed, filling in the dreadful atmosphere. He strode down to the bright coloured hallway, casting a shadow over the man's tall stature.

" KILL HIM !!! "

His amber eyes fixed its gaze towards a group of five bodyguards who readied their firearms at his direction.

Anderson only gave a sigh before pulling out his pistol from the inner coat he was neatly wearing for the event. He made an elegant turn to face the group as if waiting patiently for them to start firing at him.

The group got both conscious and irked by his odd confidence. Knowing he was the sole criminal who disrupted the night banquet and slaughtered their master's family members in a glance. Now, they are the ones left protecting the Head of the family, Quincy Moore and his beloved daughter from this mass killer.

However, even if the opponent is completely outnumbered. They couldn't simply ignore the beastly presence of the man standing alone with his bloodied hands.

"F-FIRE !!!"

Even with that instinct to escape and surrender to the devil before them, the strong sense of will to protect their master over took.

" That's meaningless." Anderson muttered and in a swift motion, bullets are exchanged but his came before they could even blink. He immediately closed the distance in between them that even their bullets couldn't catch up.

"I-impossible!—"

Bang. Five bullets are immediately fired which dug on their heads within seconds.

Thud. A pool of blood immediately flooded the bodies which messily gathered on the red carpet.

The fresh smell of death undulating appeared too familiar Anderson. To the point of seeing vivid images of those haunting him, holding their bloody fingers around his neck while spouting curses for his killings. Andersen merely pulled a sinister smile in return, as if mocking their pitiful death unto the end.

"You should be more honored. Dying by my hands is quite a blessing, isn't?"

He lifted the round glasses over his eyes and tilted his head to puff out a lengthy smoke. He made an amused chuckle as he watched the white cloud dissipated, and because he heard a whimpering sound came from the far corner.

After wiping almost the entire number of people in the large mansion, Anderson felt the least exhausted, and he sighed again.

Only two left.

" Damn, I'm hungry." He mumbled before hearing foul whisperings from the grand door which seemed too conspicuous.

"...." A sobbing cry of a woman can be heard.

"Shhh! That devil might hear you—"

' Yes, quite loud and clearly though.. ' Anderson thought and lighten up another stick of smoke before making his way to the sound.

"How stupid.." Hiding was totally pointless to him. Because of one among his excessive skills, he can easily identify or locate even the slightest move and the faintest breathing. Therefore he definitely had the upper hand, by effectively managing a quick way to end his targets.

This time, he was tasked to infiltrate a family banquet. Quincy Mooresville, a big shot in entertainment industry had been a long suspect of many illegal deeds behind the stage. In which includes; human trafficking, illegal drugs, and embezzlement. Because he'd been a mayor of a small town, and his daughter being a diva of his famous opera house well-known across many countries.

"W-Who are you ?!!"

He eyed the two people who got alerted over the tall shadow that barged into heavy door which now lied incompetently.

"Really, why do the richest have the poorest security?"

Anderson stood on the doorway and looked at each of their faces.

The middle aged man cradling his poor daughter in his arms trembled like a leaf caught in a storm as they recognised the face of the intruder who killed the rest of their family. The hailed beautiful daughter sounded true to the praises as she kept wailing behind her father's big body.

"I-I - I beg you...! Leave us! o-or else... "

"F-Father! .."

As Quincy recalled the brutal death of his wife and brother, fuelled by burning contempt, it immediately replaced the fear of death. He pulled out his gun that he was hiding between them and pointed at Anderson who looked uninterested by their drama.

"I'll kill you!"

Anderson searched something over his clothes and the woman overacted easily, remembering how he basically pulled a gun and shot them one by one an hour ago.

"Ah, how sad."

With a regretful voice, Anderson stared at an empty box of cigarettes and tossed it aside.

Intense mockery. Quincy trembled over the person's behaviour.

'Not only he murdered everyone , he also blew my reputation to dust !'

Anderson smirked, basking over their burning rage. He was too tired of chasing over prey. Of course if they're mad, they'll lose immediately right?

However, Anderson was basically unarmed since he used up all the bullets of his pistol earlier. Yet, he just watched as Quincy fired his gun.

Sfx: Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crack!

Anderson only approached casually and broke the main target's arm in a swift motion.

"You don't even know how to use it properly." Anderson scorned as the aim was too bad, as far as he knew; this man does not know a thing at all but enjoy a lavish life. His gun was basically just for decoration, thinking that by pulling the trigger he could kill a person, but unfortunately, he was not that kind of person. He observed as Quincy Mooresville cowered in pain, and he held the gun from Quincy's hand.

In addition to his irrational act, it might also due to his daughter clinging to his back. With a face full of horror, the woman shrieked.

"KYAAA FA—!"

Bang!

"Yes, that's how you use it. Good job!"

With his twisted arm, the old man was made to fire at his own daughter

"A-AAAAAH MY MORIA !!!"

"Isn't she more beautiful in silence ?"

Anderson chuckled over the sight and made his way to the table to take away the documents as part of his task.

"H-how dare you !"

"Did you know now how those parents must've felt when you sold off their children for your own benefit?"

The man named Quincy clearly looked at lost while shakily pointing the decorative gun with his left hand towards Andersen who freely rummaged on his desk.

"You imbecile! A commoner like you would not know what's business!"

A low rumbling laugh resonated, and the man widened his eyes to see the assassin smirking like a d**n incarnation.

"If we're talking about business, that is what I'm doing right now."

"N-nonsense!"

Anderson did not forget to grab a high quality cigarette on the table and lighten it up with his silver lighter.

"A word from Old Man."

Andersen tossed a small letter towards Quincy crippling on the floor with his gun. He did not wait for his reaction, but moments later, a gunshot can be heard from the desolate room.

Andersen left the bodies burn down along the mansion before the authorities could arrive. He didn't know what contained in that small letter, but he already knew that it would pull the last line of hope from that man. Knowing the reason why, Anderson did not further dwell on it more as long as he finished the given task.

***

"Kill Mooresville and his family."

That is what it simply state on the code he read from the Old Man three days ago. Anderson made an incomprehensible look and stared over the pictures scattered on the floor as if burning holes to them.

"Tch." He looked away in annoyance. He swore to give up on killing after he'll finish what he wanted to do. Of course, everything had a reason.

"Even if he'll threaten me or my whole bloodline, I don't give a f*ck. " Nonetheless ,Anderson thought that following 'his orders' is the easiest path to his goal.

After he quickly embedded the looks of those he needed to eliminate, his eyes suddenly got caught on a lone picture hanging on his desk.

Dark brown hair, messily curled down on her shoulders. Her long lashes casting a shadow over those pair of dark eyes. In which appeared to hold the universe itself, swallowing those it will meet. Yet in contrast to her dark coloured eyes, her soft white cheeks looked like freshly bloomed roses in winter, and her lips..

The man couldn't help but feel like his throat being constricted by desire.

Those perfect lips, he easily remembered that eeire smile she gave those past 8 months. They were truly sweet and tantalizing. The smile she offered as she completely surrendered her life over someone like him remained a tattoo inside his head. It strangely subdued the disturbing images of those souls that kept clinging around him.

"Ah, sh*t... " Not again.

Anderson had seen faces of many that squirmed, begged, and the one that he often get— contempt. As if cursing their death to be carried by him, to leave a long lasting impression even just for a feeble moment. But he only thought that they were all pathetic. Anderson couldn't find a single emotion like pity over their distinguished existence, that he striped off himself being human.

"A devil only sound too endearing." He lit up cigarette with relaxed look while still staring at her image.

That smile too, it wasn't that rare nor special as he had already caught many who faked or accepted their deaths, yet they still hold the same look on their eyes.

"Die."

He was looking for it. But he didn't saw it until the very last moment he left her inside that train.

"Rita... I can't wait to see you give it to me."

~~~