Three victims By Sheila Burgess CHAPTER 1 The insistent ringing of the telephone broke the quiet of the apartment. The form under the silk sheets shifted slightly. The woman wished the phone would somehow magically disappear, but knew it wouldn't. Why did he always call so early she wondered, as she knew it would be him. She reached for the phone quickly, trying to avoid letting the cool morning air invade her cocoon of warmth. "What do you want" she demanded. His commanding voice came back to her ear; "I have another job for you." "I told you the last time was it" she replied. There was a long pause, and he said, "You know you want to do this, why do you continue to try and fool yourself into believing you will ever stop?? This is a job you won't want to turn down. There are four of them.and they all need to learn the importance of being a gentleman. You're the best I have, and I know you like to teach men the importance of good manners." The woman's interest was pricked, even though she wanted nothing better than to sink back into the relaxing peace of her morning slumber. The man continued on, "This job will give you all the money you will need to walk away once and for all.that is what you want isn't it??" Ahh.. to be free of him forever, she thought. A very appealing notion. This man had been a thorn in her side from the beginning. He was the only one that had ever been able to see past the cold exterior she had perfected. Somehow, he knew all the right things to say to get a rise out of her. The idea of never having to answer another phone and hear his voice on the other end made her eager to get on with this job. "This is REALLY the last time" she informed him, "No more promises... if I do this for you, I want a million for each, and I don't ever want to hear your voice again." The woman could hear him softly chuckling on the other end. "My dear..you're starting to make me think you don't like me! Better be careful, you might hurt my feelings!" The woman thought, "I'd like to hurt more than your feelings buddy", but kept that piece of information to herself. Through clenched teeth the woman replied, "I'm not your 'dear', and you have no feelings to hurt. Just give me the information, and tell me when I can expect the money." The man heard the edge in her voice, and not wanting to test his luck, he decided to give her what she asked for. "All the information will be in the package I have sent..you can expect to receive it sometime this afternoon. I will send the money the same way, as soon as I have confirmation that the job is done. You will receive one million for each, and if the job is done in 36 hours, I will give you a million more as a bonus. I don't care how you teach them..just make sure it's permanent. Please be discrete..and don't make any mistakes." The woman felt the sting of the insult, and her fury rose a notch higher. "I don't make mistakes, and you know it! If I were you, I'd be very careful with what I said. I promise you wouldn't like me to teach you any lessons in manners!" With that said, the woman replaced the receiver, cutting off the dry chuckle on the other end. As she lay there replaying the conversation, the woman began to imagine how good it would feel to wrap her arm around his throat.watching him struggle for the next breath.watching his face redden, and his eyes bulge... seeing the panic and fear in his eyes.. and finally seeing the spark of life extinguished. The sense of satisfaction this fantasy gave her was almost overpowering. A huge sigh escaped the woman's lips, if only it was possible. She knew it was not, as the man had too many ways of making sure she could never get away with removing him. Her only way out was to disappear so thoroughly, that he would never be able to find her again. This time she would have enough money to do that. The woman swung her long legs out of the warmth of her bed, and stood to stretch the morning drowsiness out of her muscles. The cool air brushed her silken skin, raising goose bumps, and hardening her nipples. She relished the feeling, as it made her feel alive and awake. One more job she thought, and then she would have the rest of her life to sleep in. Later that day, as the woman was performing her daily ritual of exercise and stretching, the doorbell rang. Opening the door, the woman greeted the messenger, and couldn't help but notice the lustful look in his eyes as she took the package he offered. The messenger gave her his best impression of suave and debonair, but succeeded only in looking cheap and greasy. "Hey sweetheart" he said, " Can I come in and play?" The woman favored him with her best glare, and replied, "Little boy, you wouldn't want to play with me.you would most definitely get hurt!" With that the woman shut the door in his disbelieving face. She walked quickly to her desk and began to pour over the information the man had provided. The package contained three portfolio's .one for each 'less-than-gentle man' Each portfolio contained a brief biography, several snapshots, financial information, and the reason they were in need of her attention. The first portfolio, a real estate agent, had the good fortune to acquire some very valuable land.unfortunately, the man also wanted the same land, and had been unable to convince the real estate agent to sell it. The man found this unacceptable, and now wanted him removed. Once he was out of the way, the bank would assume ownership, and the man felt he would have an easier time convincing the bank to sell it to him. The second portfolio was a lawyer. He had brokered the real estate deal, accepting a lower bid, and in return, becoming business partners with the real estate agent. He had formed this partnership to further develop the land, and in return, make more money than even he could imagine. The fourth portfolio was the unfortunate private eye, who was employed by the man. Apparently, the man felt he should have been aware of the deal BEFORE its' consummation, and that was the job of the private eye. Having failed his duties, and having caused the man to lose a great deal of money, the man felt the private eye should have to pay.in this case dearly! After pouring over all the information, and committing to memory all the pertinent details, the woman walked to the fireplace with the portfolios. She placed them in the fireplace, lit them, and stood to watch the fire catch each page. As she stared at the flames, she thought about the private eye. She knew him..almost liked him.more than you could say about most men the woman knew. Could she make the private eye pay the price the man wanted, she wondered. She finally noticed the flames dying, and stirred the ashes to make sure all the paper had burned. With that, she decided to wait and see when the time came.she would know then, whether or not she could take care of the private eye. CHAPTER 2 The woman walked towards the building, her long stride purposeful, head up and shoulders wide. Every man that passed her seemed to falter in his step, and gaze somewhat longingly after her as she passed, each taking in the long, nylon-encased legs, the small, firm hips, and even smaller waist. Her long auburn curls were unbound, and flowed behind her as she walked. You could almost hear the collective tightening of testicles, of every man within eyeshot of her. She was the kind of woman every man wanted, dreamed of, fantasized about, but knew could never have. The woman was aware of the effect she had on men, but was totally without interest. This made her all the more attractive. She was focused on one thing.the money.and she was determined to have it. She knew the real estate agent was in his office, she had called to make sure. He had answered the phone himself, so she was certain his secretary had taken her usual break for lunch. The woman had exactly 28 minutes to 'neutralize' the real estate agent, before the secretary returned. She took the elevator the 31st floor, and casually walked to his office. After a light knock, she opened the door. This caused the doorbell to ring a soft 'ding dong'. The woman quickly moved to stand beside the real estate agents office door, which was closed. She could hear movement inside the office, and prepared herself. As the doorknob started to turn, she moved quickly to stand in front of the door. The door opened inwards, and the real estate agent came into view. His face mirrored his surprise at her presence in front of him, but she didn't give him long to wear that expression. The woman drove her fist into his solar plexus, knocking the air out of him. He fell to his knees, shock and panic in his eyes. Falling forward onto his hands, the man tried to catch his breath. The woman quickly stepped over him, one leg on either side of his head. She closed her legs around his neck, and started to squeeze. She could hear the man gasping for breath, as he tried to squirm out of the steel grip of her powerful legs. The man was getting weaker, blackness closing in on him. "Why", he managed to croak, and the woman replied, "Little boys should learn to share their toys.when the man told you he would get that land one way or another, he meant it. He tried one way, and it didn't work; now this is the other. I can assure you, this way will work." With that said the woman quickly jerked her left knee to the right, snapping the man's neck. She released her hold on him, and he quickly fell to the ground, face down. The woman reached down to check for a pulse, and finding none, quickly moved back through the reception area and out the office door. She came to a stop outside the bank of elevators, and pressed the 'down' button. The elevator sounded, and the doors opened to release the passengers inside. Two men and a woman passed by her, deeply involved in their conversation, and headed towards the real estate office. The woman quickly stepped into the elevator, and pushed the button for the main floor. In the quiet of the elevator, the woman allowed herself a small smile."One down, two to go," she thought. CHAPTER 3 The woman realized that the lawyer wasn't going to be as easy to take care of as the real estate agent was. The lawyer's offices were very large, so the chances of finding him alone there were very slim. She knew from his portfolio that the lawyer was a creature of habit.and it was his habit to stop for a drink at a particular bar, on the way home from his offices. The woman decided she would find the lawyer in his bar, and see if she could persuade him to leave with her.once she had him alone, she would show him the error of his ways. The bar was the typical lawyers-after-work kind of place. Lots of power meetings, judicial gossip, and high priced advice. This is where they gathered to celebrate their victories, and lick their wounds. The woman stepped into the bar, and immediately drew the attention of most of the men.and some of the women. She scanned the crowd for the lawyer she was looking for. He was seated at the bar, facing her, with drink in hand. She favored him with her sexiest smile. She spotted an empty booth, and casually made her way over to it. As she slid into the booth, she made sure to give him the best view of her legs, while continuing to smile in a most suggestive way. A waitress appeared at the woman's table, and slid a drink in front of the woman. "Compliments of the gentleman at the bar, " she said. The woman thanked her, and lifting her glass, smiled and nodded to the lawyer. That was all the encouragement the lawyer needed.he had already started to make his way over to her table, before she even put her drink down. The lawyer's portfolio had stated that he liked to think of himself as a real ladies man, so the woman decided this was what she would use to get him alone. The lawyer finally reached the table she was sitting at, introduced himself, and asked to join her. The woman replied," Please do." The lawyer said, " I haven't seen you in here before.I would have noticed you." The woman replied, " You haven't seen me in here, because this is the first time I've been here. I was at a meeting close by, and decided to get a drink before I headed home for the evening." " Well," replied the lawyer, " I'm glad you decided to stop by while I was here. I have a very good feeling about you and I.I think we could be very good together." The woman cringed on the inside, thinking to herself that he couldn't be more wrong! They spent some time talking about his work, his house, and his car.and generally just how great he was. The woman could barely contain her total dislike of the lawyer. His ego is so big, she thought, it's amazing that both him and his ego could fit into such a small booth! The woman decided that she couldn't take much more of his bragging, so she slid off one of her stiletto pumps, and began to slide her foot up the inside of the lawyers trouser leg. The lawyer smiled a knowing smile, and asked her if she would like to go someplace quieter, where they could get to know each other better. The woman agreed, so they gathered up their things and made a hasty exit. Once outside, the woman told the lawyer she had not brought her car, and asked if he would be so kind to drive her home. She told him she would like to fix some dinner for him, and then they could drink some wine by the fireplace afterwards. The lawyer thought this was the easiest pick up he'd ever had, but attributed it to his 'enormous charm'. As they walked across the street to his car, the woman pulled out a scarf from her purse to cover her hair. It had started to rain slightly. Once on the road, the woman gave him instructions on how to get to her apartment. In reality, she was taking him in the opposite direction from where she lived. She knew a very secluded ally that would serve her purpose. Once there, the woman directed him to park behind the building, in the ally, stating that they would go in the back way. She told him his car would be safer in the back. As the woman was getting out of the car, she dropped her keys and kicked them under the car. "Oh my," she said to the lawyer, " Silly me, I've dropped my keys and now they're under your car!" "No problem," replied the lawyer, "I'll get them for you." The lawyer came around to her side, and crouched down to see if he could reach them. His fingers were about 2 inches away from them, so he got onto his knees so he could extend his reach. The woman quickly removed her scarf, and stepped over the man so she was straddling him. She slipped the scarf in front of the lawyer's head, and pulled it tight against his throat. Immediately, the lawyer tried to pull the scarf away, and when he discovered he couldn't, tried to stand up. The woman was slightly faster though, and placed her knee in the middle of his back, pushing him down and increasing the tension on the scarf. She could hear him trying to breathe.a rasping gasp. The lawyer could hardly believe what was happening! He knew if he didn't find a way out of this, he was dead. He tried to roll to his side to release the increasing pressure on his windpipe, but the woman clamped her legs around his ribs and jerked his head in the opposite direction. Now he could feel his ribs beginning to bend under the incredible force her steel thighs were generating. His vision was beginning to blur, and the pain in his chest was building. The woman was impressed with the amount of fight this man had in him. It was all she could do to stop him from getting loose. She applied a bit more pressure with her legs to his ribcage. The loud cracking sound that resulted was a satisfying sound to the woman. The man groaned in pain, as four of his ribs were snapped in two. The lack of oxygen was beginning to take it's toll on the lawyer.everything was beginning to get very dark. He struggled to remain conscious, but finally gave in to the pain. The woman felt the lawyer slump forward, and knew he was either out cold, or dead. She released her hold on his midsection, and the lawyer hit the ground face down. She leaned down and rolled him onto his back. Reaching down, she felt for a pulse. She felt a faint and rapid beat, and realized that he was still alive. She stood over him, legs straddling his sides, and observed with some distaste, that he had been unable to control his bladder. She looked up to his face, which had turned an alarming reddish purple color. A thin stream of saliva ran from the corner of his mouth. She slowly removed on of her shoes and placed her foot over the lawyers nose and mouth. She transferred the majority of her weight to the foot over his mouth. She heard a crunching noise, as the lawyers nose was crushed under her weight. As the last bit of oxygen disappeared from the lawyer's lungs, he gave one last unconscious attempt to free himself by clamping his hands around her ankle. It took all his remaining strength to do this, but it was too late.his time had run out. The lawyer's hands fell away from the woman's ankle, and she carefully removed her foot to examine his condition. Leaning forward, the woman again felt for that faint pulse, but found nothing. Satisfied that she had accomplished her mission, she replaced her shoe and retrieved her keys. She turned to survey the scene one more time, and thought of a joke she had heard a long time ago: What's the best kind of lawyer? A dead one! She thought it was very fitting for the moment. She quickly checked up and down the ally for any movement, and finding none, began to briskly walk towards the street. Reaching the street, she glanced back one more time and thought, " Two down, one to go." CHAPTER 4 The woman paced the confines of her apartment like a caged tiger, long powerful strides, a restless, constant, movement. This job had become much more difficult. She had one more to take care of, but this was the one she wasn't sure she could do. Without this one though, the job would not be done, and the money wouldn't be paid. She needed that money, needed to get out from under the man's thumb. It was either her or the private eye.and in this world of dog-eat-dog, she decided to discard any sentimentality, and get on with the job. Too bad, she thought to herself.she had always had a soft spot for the private eye. He was one of very few people that could make her laugh. He had always treated her with respect, and kindness. It would be hard to eliminate him, but she had no other option. With that decision made, the woman began to put together her plan. She dialed the number to the private eye's apartment, and listened as the phone rang on the other side. On the fourth ring, a deep, gravelly voice answered with an abrupt "Hello". She answered back with her own hellos. He sounded delighted to hear from her.this made her wince. They exchanged a few pleasantries, and then he asked her what he could do for her. She explained that it had been a long time since they had seen each other, and she wanted to get together that evening to catch up. He told her he had just gotten in from shopping and had the makings of a fabulous meal.she had counted on this, as he was a very good cook.and he asked her if she would like to join him for dinner. They finished their conversation by arranging a time to meet, and said their good-byes. The woman pulled her car into the underground parking of the PI's apartment building. She took one last look in the review mirror, running a comb through her hair and applying a coat of lipstick to her lips. She gave herself a small smile and a wink, and proceeded to the PI's apartment. She rang the bell, and heard approaching footsteps.the door opened and there he was, just as she remembered. After inviting her in and taking her coat, she surveyed the room. It was unusually clean for a single man's apartment, tastefully decorated and furnished with expensive leather and rich wood pieces. He offered her a drink, and asked if she was hungry. She hadn't thought about her stomach all day, and realized she was very hungry. The smells drifting from the kitchen were tantalizing. She asked for a glass of wine, and commented on the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen, adding that she was indeed quite hungry. He told her he just had a few more things to take care of in the kitchen, and dinner would be ready. She offered to give him a hand, which he gratefully accepted. Taking her wine, the woman followed the PI into the kitchen. The kitchen, like the rest of the apartment, was very clean, yet at the same time, obviously well used. She asked him what she could do to help, and he steered her over to the large island in the center of the kitchen, where there was a well used wooden cutting board. Handing her a bowl of large mushrooms, he asked her to slice them. She chose a knife from the knife rack, and began to chop away at the mushrooms. The PI watched her for a short time, and then asked her if she would mind if he showed her a better way of slicing them. "Certainly" she replied. He stood behind her, his arms around her, and placed his hand over her hand that was holding the knife. With his other hand, he held one of the mushrooms. "Watch how thin I slice this one" he said, and began to cut it into almost transparent slices. Once he was done with that, he moved his hand, and asked her to try it. She began to repeat exactly what he had just done. She could feel his warm breath on the side of her neck, and smelled the musky scent of his cologne. She suddenly became aware of his hands, which he had placed gently around her waist. He pulled her slightly into him, and began to kiss the side of her neck. "You are so beautiful" he whispered into her ear, "I can't help myself." He turned her to face him, and placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her mouth up towards his. His kiss was light as a feather, just gently brushing her lips. She reached up with both hands and pulled him into her further. She felt the spark of desire begin to build, and realized that she wanted this man badly. His arms around her, his lips on her, she wanted to feel every inch of him.she wanted to own him. He ran his hands down her sides, and around her waist, and gently lifted her off the floor. With one hand, he swept the contents of the cutting board onto the floor. He placed her on the counter, and began to unbutton her blouse, kissing each newly exposed area. He ran his hands down her silky pantyhose, and then began to slide them down. After removing her pantyhose, he knelt before her, and began to kiss and nibble his way his way up her legs. The woman loved feeling his strong hands and warm breath, but in the back of her mind she knew what she had to do. The PI had reached the insides of her knees.that's just where she wanted him. She quickly closed her legs, flexing them hard, squeezing his neck between her knees. He began to try and yell, so the woman grabbed her pantyhose and quickly stuffed them in his mouth. "I'm sorry I have to do this" the woman told him, "The man sent me here.he is very unhappy about losing out on that real estate deal. He blames you for it, and now you have to pay. I'm so very sorry!" The woman could see the pain and confusion in the eyes of the PI. This was the first time the woman had ever hated her job. Usually, she felt nothing for the men she eliminated, but this one was different. She could see the PI struggling to remain conscious.his eyes were bulging, and his face was turning a strange purplish color. She reached down and placed her hand along his cheek. "Goodbye my friend, I would have liked to have known you better" she said. With that, the PI slumped forward, and the woman gently released him from her grip. She gathered her things and quickly made her way out of his apartment. CHAPTER 5 The woman dialed the number, and when the male voice answered, she said, "It's done." The man was delighted, chortling like the little troll that he was. The woman was disgusted, with him and with herself for letting him control her life. "I want my money" she said, " I want all 4 million, and I want it now." The man agreed to meet with her to deliver her payment, in one hour, in the park across the street from her apartment. The woman just wanted to get her money and leave this place, to go far away where he could never find her again. She was so close now, and for the first time in a very long time, she looked forward to the future. At the appointed hour, the woman made her way across the street to the park. There he was, standing next to one of the trees that lined the entrance to the wilderness trail. As she approached him, she couldn't help the shudder of revulsion that shook her. He was an ugly little man, with sweaty palms, beady eyes, and an annoying habit of constantly licking his lips. He held in his had a briefcase, which the woman knew would contain her money. The man's beady stare raked over her body, and she could see him trying to mentally undress her. "Just as beautiful as I remember" he said. " I don't really care what you think," she replied, "Just give me my money, and never call me again!" She stood facing him with her hand out, waiting for him to pass her the briefcase. "Just one last favor before I give you your money," the man said. He leaned forward and grabbed her around her waist pulling her towards him. Before she could react, he was kissing her with his disgusting slimy lips. The woman was horrified and repulsed. Without thinking, she quickly brought her knee up, and caught him right between his legs. He doubled over gasping for breath, and the woman threw all of her weight into the punch she aimed at his nose. In a split second, the woman heard the satisfying crunch of breaking bone, and felt the warm wetness of blood gushing from his nose. The man fell backwards, and landed with a thud. She stood there for a moment, and then realized that he wasn't moving.at all. She quickly knelt, and discovered her powerful punch had jammed the cartilage in his nose, into his brain. He was dead! Why couldn't she have controlled her temper! Now, she would have to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.wondering when her foolish mistake would catch up with her. He was a very powerful man, and she was sure his death would not go unpunished. She grabbed the briefcase and ran back to her apartment. She would leave right away.fly to some remote island in the South Pacific, and buy a new identity. Hopefully, she could remain unfound and safe.for a while at least. Finally, a new life, and a chance to be someone different. EPILOGUE The woman lay on the beach, cradled in a canvas chair, long limbs stretch out, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. The months that she had been here had given her skin a beautiful copper glow, and her hair was streaked with gold. She was more beautiful than ever. There had been no sign of anybody looking for her, so she had begun to relax a little. Maybe they would never find her.maybe they didn't even know it was her that killed him. As she lay in the sun, eyes closed, turning these thoughts over in her mind, a man appeared at the edge of the sand. He stood looking at her for a moment, his face was unreadable. He walked over to stand behind her head, and bent forward placing his mouth against her ear. "You are still so beautiful, and I still want you," he said. The woman's eyes flew open, and there he was.her one mistake. The PI smiled at her, and leaned forward to kiss her lips. The woman leaned into his kiss, throwing her arms around his neck. Finally, she gently pushed herself away from him. "I thought you were dead.how did you find me?" she asked. "You didn't really want to kill me sweetheart, or you would have checked to make sure you had done the job right. As for finding you.well, I'm better at my job than the man knew. That's not surprising though, he wasn't the brightest star in the sky!" he replied. "You realize that they are looking for you.you can't stay here anymore, they will soon figure out you are here." "Yes," said the woman," I guess I knew that would eventually happen." The PI looked at her for a long time, and then said, "Come with me. I will make sure they never find you. We can keep moving until they give up." The woman smiled and reached up to caress his face. "I'm so glad you are here," she said, "Now I have the chance to know you better." With that, they gathered up her belongings, and walked down the beach to find what the future held for them.