Short Stories Volume 2

The Unknown Hitman pt. 2

Everyone makes fun of those who are exhibit signs of paranoia until you get to experience it yourself. Believe it or not description wise, books, movies and shows actually hit the nail right on the head. Every little thing made me jumpy. I didn't know if the car parked at the end of my street belonged to my neighbors or if I was legit being followed.

I stopped running because I thought that they would attack me during one of the few trails that I followed. Then I didn't want to stay home because what if they tried killing me in my home when I want to shower or take a bath.

I was having so much anxiety and panic attacks over switching my routine to not wanting to because I thought that I was playing into their hands.

Did this stop me from continuing to look into seeing if I could find the identity of this hitman?

No.

Something in me compelled me to at least know their name even if I never knew what they looked like. I guess my mother never should have indulged me with bingeing documentaries of serial killers and such. Though I will never take it back since that was one of our past times together.

Three years after I got the first ding on my computer that put this killer on my radar I have gone through so many emotions looking through the files of the people that they have killed. Some were technically innocent. Only having their life cut short due to simple greed and the other person having the right amount of money to pay.

When I thought about the money that they charge and the number of hits that they've done, I started doing the math to see how much money they would accumulated over the years. Surely they would've appeared on someone's list. I mean the one percent is a close knit circle. This person could buy out Jobs, Gates and Musk many times over and still be a millionaire.

Yet, there was nothing to be found just like the rest of the evidence.

Back to my paranoia. I tried many times to reason with myself why I shouldn't be scared or fear that I would be taken out. I mean I have no criminal ties or even a bad report card. There's no link to me with big investments or corporations. Sure I have had my fair share of death threats from people that found out it was me who flagged them and the reason they got arrested.

But the reason they were flagged in the first place was because of failure to pay or fraud. They don't have the money to begin with so no one from my job would be able to afford to have me killed.

I don't have many exes. Those few that I dated were mutual breaks and they were clean. We were in high school going to different colleges. I didn't want to marry just yet or have kids. It was resolved kindly with an understanding that there were no hard feelings since both sides agree that it wouldn't have worked out anyways.

Even they didn't have enough money to put a hit on me either. My richest ex can barely afford their condo which is about three months overdue on rent.

The only conclusion that I could come up with is that this person has figured it out that I am looking into them. So like any criminal, any smart criminal, the last thing they want to do is get caught. In order to avoid that they need to remove the person that stands between them and freedom. Sadly, that person is me.

Even though my connected dots is just pure theory. It's not like it will ever go to court or even be seen by a mall security. But I know that someone in their line of business can't afford to take that chance.

I tried to relax myself as much as I could. If this person can get away with this many bodies after all these years then there is no amount of protection that can save me.

After several tears and melt downs, I changed my mentality. If I was going to die because I knew too much then I'm not going to spend another minute in this city. No I wasn't running. I just started doing things on my bucket list. I won't lie and say that part of me was curious to see how many activities I could get through before I died. Like a deadly little game.

Seven more years passed and now I was currently visiting Thailand. I've always wanted to swim in their clear waters and try their food. Sadly, this was the last thing on my list.

That night, I truly felt like I was placing myself in the coffin when I crawled into bed. I couldn't tell which I cried more. Tears of joy that I got to do everything that I ever wanted or that when I packed up everything tomorrow for my flight, I would end up dying at home.

At around 9 am, which around the time I normally woke up I saw someone sitting in a chair across my bed. Anyone would've jumped, screamed or pissed themselves.

I just took a deep breath and looked at them. I knew this was coming for ten years now. My number was finally up. Thing is I wasn't sure how I would die since I started traveling my habits have changed based on where I was.

Nothing would surprise me more than when they pulled out a board and started writing on it.

"Do you have any questions for me besides the two obvious?"

Well shit.

I rubbed my eyes and put some hair behind my ear, "um well, if it's not too personal or an unspoken law to not ask, how many people have you killed officially. One of the highest counts officially is 492."

"Officially, it is 923. I changed the way I would receive money though it would still equal to the same amount. It just wouldn't alert you."

When they erased the board and resumed looking at, and the fact I'm still breathing I assumed that our chatter is to continue.

"I'm sorry if this is insulting or naive, but do you remember them all? Everyone you've ever killed?"

I don't know why I apologized. Guess manners should be shown no matter the circumstance.

"Yes. I can name every single one. I'll save you asking it. Yes, I do regret a few. Not all of them deserved it. Those I made sure were painless. The ones who had it coming I made sure to let them experience everything."

Damn. I can't even remember the names of all the movies I have ever seen. I don't want to imagine the kind of burden that leaves on a person.

When they sat forward, like they were about to get up, I felt like that was my indicator that I reached my last question. I wanted to laugh. It wasn't a three wish scenario. In the beginning they said besides the obvious two which is the ones I had been dying to know since I first started this. What is your name? What do you look like?

Now I have a completely different one based on the answer they had given me earlier.

"If you knew that I had been onto you for that long, how come you took this long to come for me?"

Watching them scribble away made my palms sweat and heart race more than anything before.

"Out of the 923 that I set out to kill, I'ove never seen anyone accept their fate the way you did. Plus at any given time you could have gone to the police, whether they would believe you or not. Which is why I give you these last two without even asking. That which no one knows."

I certainly wasn't expecting long beautiful hair to come falling down when they pulled the mask. Or the most alluring feminine voice that mixed the lines between heaven and hell.

"My name is.."