For What It's Worth

CHAPTER THREE; HAUNTED and HUNTED

The air was chilly, the waves tossed and crashed against the side of the lone cliff at intervals, breaking the reflection of the moon on its crystal surface. At a safe distance from the jagged ends of the cliff, a black sedan roared to a stop. Very briskly, two hefty men alighted, opened the trunk and heaved a body wrapped in a large cellophane bag out of it into the sea. After briefly inspecting to confirm the body had sunk, they jumped into the vehicle and revved off.

Later that night, Marcelo stood outside on the balcony resting his arms on the gold plated rail staring into the nothingness of the night. He had shot by his father's order, captives on few occasions; it was always the same feeling of dying minute callousness and the desire to catch a glimpse of the satisfying smile that spread across his father's face, which drove his finger to pull the trigger. But this one felt different, he could not help the acknowledgement of the bitter smile that tugged the corners of Brad's lips when their eyes met or the dull ache in his chest when he moved behind him and reluctantly pulled the trigger twice.

Although he trained him and Russell, with him Brad did more than train, he cautioned, encouraged always throwing in unsolicited advice. Maybe that explained why he felt different when he was picked as his killer, it just was not proper that a student would take the life of his teacher, he would use that to banish the biting remorse he felt.

"You seem troubled" Russell's deep voice distracted his thoughts,"brother" he added with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Inhaling deeply a wan smile spread across Marcelo's face "you mistake my silent appraisal of the wonderful weather for worry"

"Is that so?" the question was left unanswered.

"Get some rest tonight, by weekend we are catching the flight to San Francisco" convinced that he had Marcelo's undivided attention despite the bland expression he proceeded, "it's a small operation and as instructed should be swift and clean"

"What do you know about him?" Marcelo asked straightening to his full length while pushing his fists into his pockets.

"Nothing, I don't even know his name, not that it is important. What we should care about as of now is how to not get the cops here and there involved till we return"

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Marcelo threw a glance in his direction "and father picked me again for this?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Russell was quick to inquire, his shoulders suddenly squared as he turned to face Marcelo.

"Absolutely not" With a shrug he glinted in the direction of the lobby that snaked down from the doorway, "you should get some rest too, Goodnight brother". Russell watched the retreating figure vanish beside the bend in the lobby. Switching off the bedside lamp, Marcelo pulled the duvet over himself and let the smile on Brad's face linger in his memory till he drifted to sleep.

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The streets were scanty; the orange sun peeked behind the clouds bashfully. Some "closed" signs had already been flipped over for the commencement of the day's business. Now and then Ava would wave in recognition at a passerby as she jogged on the side walk in her pair of white soled sneakers, red matching sport outfits and an empty water bottle in hand. Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she took the bend that led to her home, slowing to a saunter she pulled it out and took a look at the screen. It was Jocelyn.

"You won't believe it Ava, about what I told you last week there might only be Christmas this year in San Francisco" Jocelyn started, her voice bubbling a mix of excitement and disappointment at the other end.

Ava chuckled switching the speaker to her headphones before responding, “That’s absurd, there'll be Christmas everywhere"

"Nah, I know what I'm saying, I couldn't even find the least thing as Christmas lights two days ago down the lane. My dad said we are expecting a larger family reunion this year because Aunt Kylie is flying in from Spain with her family and might spend the Christmas here. To be frank, I don't like the idea of that after she made quite a fuss over that chocolate cake incident and got me grounded during Catherine's house party"

Ava chuckled again as she recollected the memory, she and Jocelyn had accidentally exchanged the bottle of chocolate colorant that Jocelyn's mum preserved for cakes with the bottle of brown hair dye they purchased that afternoon. The shock on Aunt's Kylie's pudgy face as she bit on the piece of cake, the desperate attempts of Jocelyn's mum to appease the visitors and the grand punishment of forbidding them from seeing each other again till the next school year were still vague in her memory.

"She should have understood that we were just kids back then but you know Jocelyn, someone could have died"

"Yeah" she concurred and added thickening the impression of sarcasm in her tone, "a glutton of course, no one would die from just one bite with a weird taste, seen my text yet?"

"Today?" Slotting in her key card, she pushed her door open and herself in," not yet,I just returned from the gym but you can just tell me what it is about" And that was the beginning of a conversation that kept Ava tossing and giggling on her bed for half an hour. Noah had stepped in during the call to inform her of her father's demand for her presence, to which she obliged after washing up and changing into a fluffy creamy turtle necked sweater and a pair of heel length brown pants. She met him seated by his medium sized mahogany reading desk facing the east window with only a reading lamp at the centre and his glasses next to it. He was rubbing his eyes gently wearing a frustrated countenance when she stopped beside him. She could hear the faint sounds of water splash in the bathroom; her mother must have stepped in not long before she entered because she could see her night wears were still in a tiny heap close to her pillow.