KILLSHOT // [H.S]

003. BEG

003. BEG

Rory was being followed.

That became evident the moment she left the apartment. What pissed her off wasn't that they were following her, but choosing today of all days to stalk her properly. 

Maybe one of her insults had stuck with Cheese and made him realize that he was doing a shit job of intimidating her. God, was this going to be her life now? Coddling man-children disguised as wannabe criminals on how to do their job properly?

But her future endeavours into teaching the basics of how to intimidate and stalk their victims properly would have to wait.

Because now she had someone on her tail.

She had caught him following her the moment she left her apartment. Spotted his car tailing her bus. Saw his reflection in the distance through a storefront window as she walked. Noticed him parked on the far end of the street as she walked up to the house.

If Rory was the idiot they assumed her to be, he would have gone unnoticed. But she was far from the fool they took her for. Stepping foot inside the house, she was quick to close the curtains near the front windows, excusing her sudden act by saying she felt a slight migraine coming on. And after countless times of saying she was okay, Rory was finally able to move the conversation along to something else.

"I can't take this," the older woman beside her said, shaking her head.

"Yes, you can."

"It's too much, Rory. You've been helping us out far too often."

Placing a hand on top of the women's, Rory gave her a comforting smile. "I got a bonus at work. It's not a big deal. Besides, I know you could use it."

There was a beat of silence. But Rory knew it wouldn't last long before she gave in.

"You are an Angel, Miss Rory. I've said that since the day you arrived on my doorstep and I'll keep saying it even when I'm six feet under." Despite her age and the few strands of grey hair on her head caused by stress, Helen didn't look a day over forty. "I still don't know how you can work behind those damn computers all day long but, boy, am I ever grateful that you work there."

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Rory didn't give her a verbal response. 

A cover for her specific ways of collecting cash was that she worked in IT. The ins and outs of her job were never discussed, resulting in the details of what she did aside from working behind a computer all day not being necessary. It wouldn't be hard for Rory to convince anyone that she worked in the industry, but a simple story was always the best approach. And once you brought up technology to Helen, she would go off on a rant about the days when life was simpler and easier without it - so it was a perfect cover.

Rory wasn't embarrassed that she worked at Sal's and did what she needed outside of her job for money. But Helen was the one that always kept her in school and ensured she graduated at the top of her class. It would have been easy to give up; Helen never let that happen. Helen wanted Rory to have the type of life she pretended to have - a steady job with a decent monthly income and the ability to support herself. Rory had those things. Just not in the field of work Helen would approve of. Or, more specifically, Helen wouldn't approve of the ways she went about getting her so-called bonuses outside of work hours.

Instead of putting the woman into an early grave, Rory did what she knew best - she lied.

"Next time you come around, I want you to stay for a meal. Alright?" A buzzer went off in the distance. "I got to change the laundry over. It seems like the clothes are just never clean around here these days. Are you alright to see yourself off?"