Chapter 3
1411 Words
Black smoke filled the air.
M hastened out of the cab, his heart thumping and his stomach churning as he watched the massive flames burning merrily across the charred remains of Natalie's neat little house. The scene was crowded with people: firefighters, paramedics, reporters, and of course, people who'd simply seen the flames and came to investigate.
M scanned the crowd for his beautiful dark-haired Natalie. His panicked eyes jumped from one face to the next, desperately looking for his love.
Just as he'd begun to fear the worse, his body sagged in relief. There she was, covered in soot and coughing as rescue workers attended to her, but alive.
“Natalie!” He cried as he rushed towards her.
“M!” She gasped, staggering towards him. She flung her arms around him and began to sob weakly.
“Shh, shh,” he soothed as he stroked her hair. “It's all over. You're safe, you're okay.”
“I was so afraid,” she whispered. “Thank God you're here.”
It was a long while before they pulled apart. For the first time M noticed that there were several policemen standing nearby, watching Natalie.
“Hey, what happened? How did this fire start?”
She gulped. “Men. There were three of them, all wearing . . .” she doubled over, coughing, and M watched anxiously until the coughing fit finally tapered off. “Orange jumpsuits. I caught a glimpse of them. They started the fire, M. I barely got out in time.”
Anger filled his face. The three escaped prisoners. So that's why they'd escaped. The mysterious man had sent them after his Natalie!
“Go give the police your statement,” he said softly as he gently kissed her lips. “I'll be right back. I have to make a few phone calls.”
“Please hurry back, I only feel safe when you're with me,” she whispered as she turned away and walked towards the waiting police officers.
M strolled away from the scene and slipped his hand into his pocket. He pulled out his cellphone and was in the progress of calling the warden when the phone rang in his hand.
It was the warden.
M answered the phone. “Good timing. I have something to tell you—“
“I have something to tell you, too, M,” the warden said, and M was taken aback at the tired, sympathetic quality of the warden's voice. M knew immediately that something was wrong. “I'm so sorry—“
“What happened?” He interrupted, his heart racing.
“Your brother-in-law, Isaiah. He's dead.”
M's eyes flew open. “What?” He cried. “That's impossible, I was just there—“
“It's true,” the warden said quietly.
“How did it happen?” M demanded.
“That's what we're trying to figure out. The door was locked and there is no sign of forced entry. He was strangled.”
M closed his eyes. Oh, Lord. This, on top of just losing her house, would destroy Natalie.
He remembered the mysterious culprit. Was that man behind this tragedy as well? M had no doubt that he was
It was time to settle this once and for all.
“I'm on my way,” he said shortly as he hung up.
He glanced in Natalie's direction. His heart was heavy with the news of Isaiah's death, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Not now; there would be time later.
In the meantime, M was going to end this nightmare.
***
He flung the door closed behind him with a bang. Fury burned in his eyes. He gazed at the mysterious man, who still sat calmly in his chair.
“You're really stupid aren't you?” M growled. “Why are you targeting them?”
The stranger gave him a slow smile. “How's Natalie, M?”
“She's fine,” M said triumphantly. “I'd think and weigh my next words carefully if I were you.”
The stranger's smile faltered, but only for a moment. “Oh no, M. You are delusional. You can't protect her all the time, and I have more contacts than you could possibly imagine. I'll try again, and again, and again, until all the people you love are dead.”
“Why?” M asked through numb lips. “What do you want from me?”
The man's eyes glittered. “There's one thing you can give me. Just one thing, and this all goes away. You'd never have to worry about seeing me ever again.”
“What's that?” M said shortly.
“Retire,” the man whispered. “You never work another case again and I'll call off my men. You'll come out to the public and tell them that the case you solved ten years ago, the one that made you so renowned, was a sham. You set the whole thing up; faked it for fame.”
“I didn't,” M snarled.
“Oh, I know that,” the man said simply. “But they needn't know now do they?”
M's heart raced. This man couldn't be serious. “Why? Why is it so important that I retire?”
“Why?” The man repeated incredulously. “That doesn't matter now, does it? What matters is that I'll get what I want, whether that means killing your loved ones or not. It doesn't matter to me either way.”
M crossed his arms. He couldn't possibly be considering this man's proposal! He was the greatest detective of his age. He'd solved crimes that had puzzled experts, had helped countless people, and was he really going to give it all up? Throw away his career? His reputation? There was no way. He'd die first!
But then he thought of Natalie; thought of her beautiful, fragile face, and his heart stopped in his chest. The man was right; he couldn't protect her all the time. Just how on earth would he live with himself if something terrible happened to her, something terrible that had been in his power to prevent?
He swallowed. The thought of losing Natalie was more than he could bear. The man had him between a rock and a hard place, and M could tell by the stranger's knowing smile that the man knew it, too.
“How do I know you'll keep your word?” M asked finally.
The man stared at him before finally saying, “You don't. But, my dear M, do you really have any other choice?”
M closed his eyes. In his mind's eye he saw his beloved's house devoured by roaring flames and remembered how terrified he had been that she might be amongst the inferno. What would it be next? A car crash? A gas leak? Or would they simply shoot her?
How many more attempts on her life would it take?
M opened his eyes. The man smiled. “So what is it, M? What's your choice?”
He thought briefly of his career before pushing the thought away. It was Natalie that he thought of when he finally said, “I'll do it.”
An ominous smile wore the man's face. He was savoring every last taste of victory that he had gotten over the world's greatest detective.
“What do they say? Love is the downfall of every great man.”
“If Natalie is ever put in harm's way again, I'm coming after you.”
“You're still threatening me?”
“Deliver a message to your boss: this is a good deal. If you break it and Natalie is hurt, then there's nothing left for you to bargain with.”
M then turned away and exited the interrogation room. There was a cab waiting for him outside the building; he entered in a hurry and shut the door harshly.
The cab driver didn't fret and decided to not even ask. He could tell by M's face that something was off.
M was on his way to his house. The thought of defeat was lingering at the back of his mind. He couldn't believe what he had actually decided; or did he? Immediately, M pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the warden while driving.
“Hello, M, what is it?”
“Listen closely to what I'm about to say… ”
- Writer
