The Plan

Chapter 5

December 1996 (2:10am)

The boy stirred from his deep slumber. He opened his eyes and two green ones hovered over him.

“Shh…” the girl his age whispered urgently before he had time to open his mouth and cry out.

“Who are you? What are you doing in my room?”

“A very bad man is going to kill your mom and dad,” she whispered, her eyes looked like she’s fighting back tears.

“What are you talking about?”

“This man—he ordered me to get you. But I can’t let him kill you. So, go!” she hissed, pushing him out of his bed.

“What?” he’s still dreaming, he thought.

“Go out and run as fast as you can. Go to your neighbors and ask for help. Go! Tell them I need help,” she pulled him to the direction of the window.

“But my mom and dad—”

“He’s already got them. Go! And please, save me!”

His young mind couldn’t comprehend everything. All he knew was that he’s in danger and so was the girl.

“Come with me,” his voice scared.

She shook her head, “No, he’ll find out if I come with you. Then he’ll go after us and we will both be dead. I’ll tell him I can’t find you. Go! Hurry!”

He nodded, climbing on his window, “I’ll get help. I’ll save you,” he said with a promise before he jumped.

March 24, 2011 (9:00am)

Sean Lightman opened his eyes.

Her again.

 Ever since that night, she had always invaded his dreams. Even after all these years, she always came, asking for help. She had been a frequent visitor in his sleep and most of the time, he found himself soothed and safe.

She had saved him.

He stood up, put on a robe and went to his study.

“Sir, a person from People Magazine called—”

“What did you tell them?” he interjected his young secretary, sitting on his chair.

“I told them you don’t indulge in social and public matters like the press,” the young man answered.

“Very good,” he retorted, flipping open the morning paper, “Next time, tell them to fuck off.”

“Yes, sir,” Lawrence said, “By the way, Mr. Finn’s party this evening is still up.”

“Fine,” he said with a small nod. His secretary took that as a yes-I’ll-come nod and then left without another word.

“Sean, my boy, you should show yourself to the people. It is part of our job,” came an old familiar voice from the doorway.

Sean looked up and smiled weakly at the man, “Like you?”

Jacob’s gentle wrinkled face nodded, “Yes,” he sighed. He walked into the room and sat across him, his desk between them, “I don’t have much choice, do I? We have a billion dollar company to run and someone has got to talk to them,” he looked at him meaningfully. “I’m not getting any younger, boy. And our consumers deserve the right to at least see the face of the man who gives them what they want.”

“That’s the point. I get them what they want. They should be happy.”

Jacob chuckled. “You know people, Sean. They always want to know the man behind everything.”

Sean ignored him. True, he’s the president of the company, but he's not its spokesperson. People would just have to get used to the idea that he would never show his face in any television or any paper.

“There’s nothing good in that paper,” Jacob said, pointing at the paper in his hands.

“I like to be updated,” he muttered.

“All crimes…everyday…” the old man said, shaking his head.

Sean frowned as he read, “Have you heard of this ‘green-eyed killer’?”

“Ah…yes,” his partner said, “I don’t know, they said it’s a woman, but the police won’t confirm it. I’m telling you, they’re pissed the news got out.”

Sean just continued to look at the paper: Two Murders by the Green-eyed Killer.

Funny, he just had a dream of one green-eyed girl.

(10:00am)

“How the hell did this go out?” Paul Carter asked them, throwing the paper.

It was Lawson who flinched.

“Boss, we honestly don’t have any idea how the press got to it. We didn’t say a word,” Tanaka answered, elbowing her partner to speak up.

“Ah…yes, we didn’t know,” he said lamely.

Chief Carter’s nostrils were still flaring as he glared at them, “I want this case close as soon as possible. The mayor called me this morning. Do you know what that fucking means? It means that my ass is on the line!”

This time, it was the two of them who did flinch. “We’re doing our best, sir,” Tanaka said almost in a whisper. “We have leads.”

“What leads?”

“Some of Halloway’s files are missing. We’re guessing whoever took it killed him.”

“You mean the green-eyed killer?”

Tanaka nodded. “Yes, sir, we believe so. Halloway had the same lipstick marks on his cheeks.”

“DNA?”

“No good. No matches.”

Carter’s grayish eyebrows furrowed deeper, “What files are missing from Halloway?”

“It’s his 1996 files, sir. We’re trying to dig into it now.”

He just nodded. “Good. I want an update every day, understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

They turned to leave when he called them back, “Do you believe the two men are connected?” he asked.

“No, sir—” Tanaka started.

“Yes, we do,” Lawson interjected. They glared at eachother.

“You better decide which is which!” he shouted at them, his big face turning redder by the second. “Go and catch me a murderer!”

They rushed out of the office in a flash.

(10:00pm)

She dressed for the party.

With a green emerald dress that ran down to her knee, she put on her black high heel shoes. Her plunging neckline bragged the large emerald pendant. She studied herself in the full-length mirror.

She walked back to the wall, putting on her red lipstick.

You’re next, she said to the picture. She placed an ‘x’ across his face with her lipstick and sighed with a mixture of anxiety and contentment.

No, no space for anxiety. She couldn’t have that.