Chapter 2
That night I slept well, apart from an unexpected dream in which I lived out my nights events, but I was the one in the chair being killed. You see the flip side to my job is that I also get hunted. Well I think I do, I probably don't. I mean, who suspects a teenage girl to be a mass murderer? No one. Actually that's the basis of the group I work for. The boss employs girls and boys between the ages of 13 and 18, as we are quick and people sound mad if they accuse us. There are about 10 of us in the organisation; we're a very private firm. Yet that didn't stop my paranoia.
I showered and then read my emails while my hair dried. As per usual, on Thursday morning, my next assignment was emailed to me. I had a few chain mails from my friends at school, but I also had one from my team leader. I locked my door, and then opened the email.
'Well done Darcey on Mr Whittier. Nice clean kill, no reason to doubt the cover up, no worrying publicity.
Next target; Tyler Pritchard. Son of Martin Pritchard and Mary Johnson. 16. Attends St. Augusta Secondary school. Lives 12 Mapleton Close with mother and father.
As usual keep up the good work.'
Pritchard. Ah! I was tracking down and killing all the members of a computer hacking scandal that arose a year ago. My job was to slowly kill all the members, then the leaders. There were 3 leaders. Jillian May, Tony Stevenson and Martin Pritchard. Mr Whittier was in cohorts with Jillian May; that's why he had to be killed. But...St Augusta?! That was the school I attended. Well, that should made my small research project on him a lot easier.
I closed the email, got changed into my school clothes and headed out the door to meet my new victim.
School was ...school. Tedious, superfluous, mind-numbingly useless. I arrived as customary, late. Not that I cared though. I didn't really care much about school; I mean who needed it? I didn't need to learn, I had a different mind-set, one that was independent. I knew everything I needed to know already, so school to me was and always had been a chore. I blanked out through registration and our lessons until the class before lunch. The only lesson I was with Tyler was History, which was next. I arrived and took my place at the back of the room with my friends Katherine and Ciara, completely ignoring the seating plan that no one ever stuck to anyway. I watched as Tyler and his friends sauntered in a few minutes early and took their seats in the row in front of us. Hmm, time to observe. The thing I was best at. So for the lesson I pretended to work as I watched him. He seemed normal (although all I could see was the back of his head) though he was maybe a bit too enthusiastic about work. For the whole lesson he was working hard taking notes.
'Ok class, that's the lesson for today. I'm setting you work' The teacher said to which the whole class groaned. 'A 5 page essay on WW2 please. Causes, effects, deaths, events and so on.' I quickly scribbled something on the back of my hand then packed up my things, waited for Katherine and Ciara to pack away, all the time keeping a close eye on the way Tyler acted. He just walked out chatting away with his friends like any other 16 year old boy. I don't know why I expected anything different.
Lunch came and now it was time to get some more details on him. I followed Katherine to a table in the cafeteria and got out my lunch.
'Hey, um.. do you know anything about that Tyler guy?' I asked, trying to sound like I was just asking a normal question.
'Nah, not really. He's a bit of a computer whizz, that's all I know.' Katherine answered, opening her packet of crisps.
'Yeah same. I sit next to him in IT, he's really good at programming and stuff but other than that nope, nothing. He's pretty good looking though' Ciara answered then winked at me.
'Ah, nice' I replied, trying to bring this awkward conversation to an abrupt end. I wasn't really good at communicating with ...civilisation. But then I needed to ask another question.
'Do you know where he hangs out?' I asked, wanting to go and watch him again, to get used to his behaviour and see if I could pick up on anything about his personality from his friends.
'He goes to the library a lot' Katherine replied but then changed the topic of conversation to some party coming up this weekend. The library. Oh, perfect. I could slip out of here and go and stalk him. After a few more minutes of general chitchat I announced I was leaving to go to the library to start on that WW2 essay thing. Luckily, they did not volunteer to follow me. So I wandered off to the library.
I pushed open the door, left my bag in the bag rack and ventured into the library. I hadn't been in here much, maybe to get out the odd book a few years back. I did know they had a computer area and I placed my bets that he would be there. Just as I'd guessed; he was slumped over a computer, his eyes locked on a computer screen, his fingers tapping away at the keyboard. I slid into the empty seat next to him and typed in my username and password. I subtly looked over at his screen. He was doing the essay too. But the way his fingers graced the keyboard, like a professional musician playing his favourite piece on his instrument the way he had done so many times before, absolutely amazed me. He typed away with speed and accuracy and didn't even look down once. I tried not to gawp.
'Hi, you're Tyler right? How many pages was this essay again?' I asked from beside him as I opened up a word document.
I turned to him as he turned around. His piercing blue-grey eyes shone straight into mine and I suddenly felt rather insecure. I fiddled with a loose strand of my blonde hair, waiting for his reply. His black hair was cut quite short and I could see the gel in it slicking it down. His eyes astonished me, the colour absolutely gorgeous. His mouth was set up into a shy smile as I stared at him. He stared back for a few seconds. It felt like forever before he answered '5' then turned around. I sighed and turned around to my computer screen.
I'd just met the most beautiful person I'd ever seen in my life and now I had to kill him. Great.
