THE SILENT KILLER

CHAPTER 1

In the modern urban busy streets of Sacramento California. J Street, where crowded cafe's, restaurants, shops and towering buildings are rampant in its street.

Adrian Cole was a harmless quiet young man as described by people who knew him a bit.

He was not invincible but was unnoticed, he blended with the background that even his regular customers at the cafe where he worked struggle to remember his face.

He moved quietly, carefully, politely with a smile not wide but slightly obvious.

Adrian liked it that way.

Silence to him was control.

He normally opened the cafe at 6:00am on the clock every week days before he's boss Mrs Darlington would arrive later, he didn't work alone; they were three main staff while the rest three worked in the kitchen at the back.

He would wipe down the tables in the same order and arrange the chairs in the same way day-to-day.

People usually had conversations around Adrian like he wasn't there, they would lament, complain about their personal life, gossip and even share secrets within themselves believing his silence meant disinterest although he listened. He always listened.

There was his boss Mrs Darlington who always complained to her friends about her son who refused to visit anymore , the loud business men who bragged about their illegal work practices and there was James.

James was a tall, young, good looking man in his early twenties with well built muscles you can tell he was the keep fit kind of guy.

He was quite the charming type of every girl's dream you could say. He worked for an organization where they owned several hotels managing each branch for his boss.

James always came to the cafe daily when he was not very busy working he came to chill and have a cup of coffee so everyone taught.

He was a regular customer at the cafe and even knew its owner Mrs Danlighton.

James was known as a nice rich guy who had a very charming and funny sense of humor. Almost every girl that came across him always gazed and admired his personality.

Until,

One faithful evening, while Adrian was not attending to anyone sitting beside the cafe's counter sipping on a cup of tea James walked up to him,

"How long have you been this quiet?" He said with an eyebrow up looking inquisitively.

Adrian paused holding his cup of tea in the air and replied " What makes you think I have been counting".

James looked at Adrian with disdain of course he found the reply rude he replied saying "Well It must be nice not having anything to say all the time.” loser he walked towards the cafe door exiting.

There was always something about James that Adrian never liked. He couldn't just put it together. Then a day came where James was having his usual order chilling inside the cafe on a table close to the window.

The café was quieter than usual that afternoon. The wind was heavier than usual. You could hear the sound of the papers being carried from the floor on the street, the workers murmuring in the kitchen background.

Adrian as usual moved quietly, cleaning tables that were already spotless.

James sat with his phone in hand sipping on his order, his eyes looking around the cafe like he was waiting for something or someone.

Adrian noticed as usual. A few minutes passed before James stood up fastly and stepped outside, his phone was already in his ear. He didn’t finish his order.

Adrian’s eyes followed him unknowingly to James.

Something felt weird to him as it has always been when it came to James.

His instinct could tell that something wasn't right but not telling him enough to know what it was.

Adrian picked up a tray and walked toward the back, but instead of entering fully into the kitchen, he stood near the table close to the side door, the one that was just close to the front of the cafe where you could hear voices when the street wasn’t too busy.

James was on a call then he said not loudly but enough for Adrian to hear.

“Now, listen carefully,” he said.

“The girl from last time caused too much attention. We can’t let that happen again.”

Adrian stood still while he listened.

“We move them younger. Easier to control, easier to move.”

Adrian was not surprised but was sure he wanted to know more.

“She doesn’t have anyone. No one’s going to look for her,” James continued. “I’ll handle the pickup myself.”

There was a pause.

Then,

“Yes. Friday night. Same spot.”

Adrian was beginning to understand.

“and make sure the buyer is ready this time, no money no goods” James said, “dont delay me.” as he ended the call.

He headed back inside the cafe to his table to finish his order when he noticed James there eyes met but not for long and not suspicious enough for him to know if he was over-heard by him.

Adrian carried on by picking up glass cups and cleaning the tables.

James on the other hand finished his order and left the cafe heading for his car parked across on the other side of the street opposite the cafe. He reached for his keys in his pocket, opened the car and drove off.

Adrian had never heard something as serious as this before; it wasn't a family issue, gossip or even illegal work practices that made extra cash.

It was something more serious and useful James was actually a killer or so he actually physically hurted people.

Adrian was still trying to put the pieces together from the information he just heard: girls, buyers, pickup, it now made sense to him.

For so long he has been quiet but this time around he actually found something to speak up for.

After Adrian’s daily shift he headed back home where he lived in a one bed room apartment in a three story building. The building was owned by a very well known business tycoon who dealt on properties.

He had different hotels and buildings like this around the city, managed by his managers put in charge of whom James was one of them.

When he got home he headed straight for the bathroom where he took his bath with his thoughts still fixed on the event he witnessed today.

After bathing, he made his way for the kitchen with his towel tied around his waist and his bare muscular chest exposed down he reached for the top shelf where he brought down a pack of noodle, litted the gas cooker placed a pan with water in it and emptied the pack of noodle inside the pan covering it to boil.

He sat in his living room with his already cooked noodles. He ate, did his dishes and got ready for bed.

As he laid facing the ceiling on his bed, his thoughts fixed on James then a thought came to him who he was working for as he already had an idea of the kind of illegal deeds James carried out although wasn't sure but he didn't know why he did it and if he was alone, the head or with a group.

He said to himself he would find out when next James would come to the cafe he closed his eyes as he fell asleep.

James on the other hand, around 11pm in the night was on his way home after work when his phone rang and he picked up “James James my man” a deep, intriguing voice spoke, from the phone you could feel how powerful and fierce the voice was “Yes sir” James replied

“You did a good job, I have seen the money and the goods have been delivered successfully, keep up the good work and you will be getting a promotion” the voice spoke “ Yes sir thank you sir” James said as the call hung up.

James got home and parked his car, heading towards his front door with his keys in his hands.

Right then, something was in the alley.

Between two houses opposite James' house, a person was standing there in a black coat, tall in figure, just watching him. He didn’t move or anything.

James didn’t notice and went inside his house and closed the door. After that, the person turned around slowly and started walking away.

And then he was gone.

But the alley didn't still feel empty.