The Eight Amulets, Vol. 1

Chapter XI - Interrogation

𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑇𝑤𝑜

It was true. Ms Crainers house was the last on the block, weak and valuable, like a sitting duck. They parked there car next to her house, guns at the ready. They knew this would be a quick questioning session, they would kill her, and this would all be over.

Approaching the driveway, there had seemed to be a few bloodstains, wherever that had came from. They crept onto the porch and knocked on the door quietly, as to not cause any sign of danger and give her a false sense of happy visitors. But she didn't answer.

"Maybe she's not home. Maybe she prepared for this." Socrates suggested. Knocking once again, she had refused to answer another time, and Allen shook his head.

"I don't believe it. He said it like she was just here. It doesn't make any sense." Allen argued. He peaked through the window on the side of the door, and an idea stormed up in his head.

"Stay back everyone." He reared back, preparing to smash through the window. Suddenly Zeus and his bulky arms grabbed and stopped him.

"We're trying to make this look like a suicide, not a robbery." Zeus complained, pushing Allen off as so he was pushed against the wall.

"We don't have much times anyways. The cops should be arriving any time by now." Socrates defended Allen, stepping forward.

"Do you want to be put in that musty prison? We have to find another way." Zeus barked back, towering over the small Socrates. Socrates was only 31, younger than both Allen and Zeus by ten years, yet he still looked and acted like a child. He had spent so much of his childhood in the Department of Magic that he still craved a normal life of a kid, trying to fill in his lost dreams with what he had now. But once you were in the department, it was impossible to get out.

"We're gonna be put in prison anyways by the police. Just admit it. It's the best option." Allen said, scared of Zeus' power but also more scared of the department.

"Fine." Zeus sighed, as Allen stepped back and ran forward, elbowing the window to make it shatter and collapse onto the carpet in a million pieces. He got a rush of nostalgia from fifteen years earlier when he killed Krause. The simpler days of course.

"Zeus, you get the living room, I'll get the left hallway, Socrates gets.. to search the kitchen and dining room." Allen spoke, turning the corner towards a hallway with three rooms.

Intensely, he walked towards the rooms. He opened the door to the first room, making a noisy creak. It was dark, and the light switch refused to work. It seemed to be a storage room. He took a peak at a few boxes. Inside one was a dusty picture, which he took and wiped.

It showed Ms. Crainer he estimated, an old lady with grey hair and a smile he recognized. Suddenly something clicked in his brain."Ms. Krause.." He whispered to himself. He stuffed the picture in his pocket, and continued into the hallway and onto the second room, which seemed to be a room with a baby bed.

It looks like she was planning to have a baby, or did. The bed was broken, clearly not used in many years, and there were boxes of new and fresh diapers from 40 years ago. It was like a piece of history locked into a room.

He backed out and looked at the last door, his pistol aimed up at the door. He slowly kicked the door open. It seemed to be her room. Light poked through a small curtain. It shone her bed, a nightstand, and a wardrobe. He made sure his pistol was cocked, then checked his surroundings. Under the bed, beside the bed, the nightstand, and he looked at the wardrobe.

He aimed his gun at the wardrobe, preparing to shoot any second. He closed his eyes, then he heard something move. He shot, the bullet echoing all over the place. After a second of reconsideration, he looked at the hole and opened the wardrobe. It was nothing but a rat, which scattered past him.

As he sighed with relief, he heard a scream from the kitchen. It sounded like Socrates, so he cocked his gun and entered the kitchen.

Ms. Crainer, or Ms. Krause, had a rusty Remington in her grip. It was the exact same one that Mr. Krause had, now with added burns and rust. He had no idea how it was retrieved but it was now in her hands aimed at Socrates.

"Don't move you filthy maggot." She threatened, standing up the gun still in her hands. Zeus watched in horror as Socrates closed his eyes and waited for the gunshot."Ms. Krause, no need to aim that gun at him. We can work this out I'm sure." Allen suggested, stepping forward. She aimed the gun at him now."Mr. McCarthy, isn't it a delight to see you. You murdered my husband didn't you? Have any regrets now?" There was a gasp from Zeus, who realized it was Ms. Krause, a relative of something they murdered a long time ago. A wave of guilt flooded over him, but he had to stick to there mission.

"I don't have any regrets ma'am. Just a stronger bloodlust." He cackled at his response, leaning against the crusty fridge while a gun was aimed at him. His calmness was frightening.

"You're a monster, McCarthy. A monster from the depths of hell." She shifted her footing, spitting on the floor. Her hand slightly pressed down on the trigger, but not enough to shoot the bullet. She was ready to murder him.

"I think you're mistaken miss. I'm just doing my job. I'm making a living however I can." Allen disagreed, smirking at the lady. She took a huge breath.

"Well so am I. And if I get can get back at you for killing my husband, so be it." She snapped back, distraught. Socrates slipped away to Zeus, and Allen walked forward towards her.

"Don't be frightened. I'm not going to hurt you." He stated, calmly walking towards her. She backed up against the wall, as far away as she could from her murderous enemy.

"Get away! Don't touch me!" She said once again, not afraid to fire the old rusty gun. Ms. Crainer looked in disgust at her visitor.

"I want this to be easy. Now let me-" As he was speaking, he saw her click the trigger. The gun made a loud bang, but nothing came out of it. The Remington was jammed, and now she was toast. As a last resort she grabbed a bottle of pills and leapt into a corner.

"Stay away or you won't get anything from me." The gun was now sprawled across the floor, and she grasped the pills for dear life. Or dear death.

"Let's not do this." He said, bending down comfortingly. She made a move and kicked him on the waist. Zeus was already two steps ahead of her and pulled out a gun. He didn't want to kill her, and shot her leg.

Blood followed, flowing out from her wound. The pills fell onto the floor, and she grasped her leg painfully.

"Boss. I think I have something." Socrates mumbled, as Ms. Krause screamed out in pain.