IT WAS OVER. Angeliki took her time stuffing everything she could into her suitcase, clumsily folding clothes over each other. She couldn't find a word to describe how she felt: tired? Angry? Betrayed? Dead? She couldn't tell. They were coming, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. Had she not been so foolish, she might've found a way out of this. She always did. This time, there was no way out. Even he couldn't help.
The news spread like wildfire, it was only last night that it happened. She was passing by one of the rooms, nothing out of the ordinary, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. She'd stood there and listened, only for a few seconds, even that was a lot. She had walked away that night, already knowing too much. Names and places that could end everything for them. That's why they had no choice, and she was next on the list.
There was a part of her that wanted her to run, hide, do something. But, she wasn't a coward. Running implied that she had done something wrong, and she hadn't. Even if she did start running, didn't she know better? They would find her either way, she'd be wasting everybody's precious time. Time, she thought bitterly, everybody thought they had enough. She naïvely did, until last night. She glanced at her watch and knew they were getting closer.
She worked at Aenon, Greek for eternal, a Greek-New York bar fusion. Unlike many of those nearby, it ran on private invites and profited from its lavish guests' overindulgence in services and drinks. On slow days, they would be open to the public, resulting in a hectic shift. Her family disapproved of her decision, leaving them and their beautiful city of Athens, to pursue a common job one could easily get there. For Angeliki, it wasn't a choice, and they would never know.
She bit her lip, glancing at the red sequined dress she'd bought for Miséla. Her beautiful sister, it'd been so long since she last saw her. He promised her that they would go together, and she'd been looking forward to the summer. That was one thing that hurt her. Like she'd just been thrown in cold water, Angeliki realized she couldn't die. What would they do to Miséla? No, she thought, no one could protect her.
She paced around the room, her heart now hammering against her ribs. She tried calling him, but as she'd expected he didn't answer. She went to her safe, pressed on the numbers 1-9-9-6, and heard the safe buzz with satisfaction. She took out the envelope, and the rope she'd kept for a moment like this. Angeliki sat down with a pen in her hand and told her mother everything. She began setting the props too, starting in the kitchen opening a bag of chips, and filling a glass with wine.
The living room didn't need a lot of work; they would gladly finish that off for her. She placed the envelope strategically, calculating exactly where this would all end. She closed her luggage full with her belongings placing it next to the door. Angeliki took one final look around the now-empty apartment, and knew exactly what was missing; the rope. She threw it clumsily on the floor near her bed, as though dropped in a rush.
She sat down on the bed, satisfied with her work. She gripped her phone and typed "I'm sorry it had to happen this way. I love you, none of this was your fault. Just remember why we started and why we did what we did. X Angeliki." Her finger wavered over the "send" button, but she'd have to wait, it was not time yet. She smiled, knowing that if nothing unexpected happens she'd done the best she could. They would soon understand that.
To distract herself from the tremor in her hands, and her shaky breaths she thought about him. She'd met him waitressing at Aenon, and at first, she hadn't realized how useful he was to her. Till she'd heard the amount of power he had. That delighted her. She hadn't expected to fall in love with him too, but she didn't mind, she loved surprises. Every time she did something wrong he saved her, not that she couldn't herself. One word from him was enough to silence everybody. This time her charm didn't work, and it was over.
It was after midnight, and although Angeliki was growing bored with the mind games they were trying to play with her. She knew none of it worked. She wasn't afraid, not when she did it, not when she saw all the color leave his handsome face, and not even when she'd known how they'd do it. The only thing that worried her was Miséla's safety, she hoped all that she'd done was enough. Otherwise, her sacrifice was for nothing. Did Theodõros do the same? She thought, then laughed, knowing that she wouldn't have come here if her brother had one percent of her mind. She hoped she won't become like him. Forgotten.
The banging on her door brought her back to reality, it was urgent, and Angeliki found herself frozen to her seat. She pinched the bridge of her nose and released a shaky breath she hadn't known she was holding. Foot by foot she dragged her heavy body towards the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, and let herself acknowledge that they were here. By the time she heard their laughter and watched their shadows dance beneath the door, she knew it was time. She sent the message.
She was crouched awkwardly on the toilet seat, but that didn't matter. She grabbed the silver cross around her neck and held it tightly. God, please protect Miséla, she whispered, protect her because I couldn't. As she watched the first blow from the kitchen knife on the door, she surrendered herself. Her will to live dead, just as she would be soon enough.
YOU ARE READING
Undercover Babe
Mystery / ThrillerWHERE'S THE HARM IN A LITTLE BIT OF FUN? Angeliki Callas is dead, and nobody knows what happened that night. A suicide letter, a suspicious witness, and a ticking clock meant that one mistake could kill someone else. The killer has a signature twis...
