Cold Corpse

Chapter 1- Spies

1989, September 15th

The store was compact between two taller buildings. It looked squeezed in between, as if the neighbors were closing in. The sign was recent, some letters had become indecipherable within the peeling paint. However, the window was clean and therefore the artifacts on show were clearly ancient from years ago. The walls of the shop is painted in acrylic with florals and there were hanging burnish pots containing soil of plants, and their white petals were striking against the backdrop of stone cold walls, simply beautiful. The flower's danced gladly in the breeze, a countless of vibrant color spread. What stand out the most is the sweet lavender and fragrance, stalking the people passing by with its blooming scent.

He strike together the palms of his hand repeatedly making a resonant sound inside the shop. The workers' attention was caught by their manager's smack. All of them terminated what they were performing and focus to the man standing in front of fragile door. Mr. Fred Jenkins is a former doctor but retired after an accident he executed to one of his patient. He consistently remember the child who he had operate for receiving a stray gun that nearly afflict the child's heart. The child is on the verge of dying because of how much blood he lost while travelling to the hospital. His natural golden skin has sunken in tone to something so lifeless, he was pale as a snow and it scares the doctor just to look at him. His eyes close and he sucks himself into a deeper place to cope.

His insides were in chaos. A big mess. The child's breathe is slowly fading and the doctor is still stressfully reaching for the bullet. His sweat slither down his neck from his head, the heat in the operation room placed more pressure on his back. Fred felt the tension rise up hearing heart rate monitor beep changed the pace in a rapid noise.
He eventually end up obtaining the steel bullet inside the boy. Fred emit a deep relief, a leisure pace when pulling the bullet. He didn't notice the cardiac plexus was hook up to his forceps, he only notice it when it made a sudden sharp snap. The kid inhaled a trembling breath, sweat accumulating on his skin. He let tears flow down his cheek as he muttered the name of his mother. "Mom, I'm... sorry." his voice cracked.

Then that was it.

The doctor scrutinize the young boy on his table. The room is quite apart from the prolonged beeping sound that ring repeatedly in his skull. The sound bounced in his head endlessly. He couldn't accept that he killed a young boy, he felt like he killed thousands of human being. A dream. He never failed. His feelings mingle like wires in the back of any people's computer. He cried like a child, noisily, with running snot and choking sobs and he was not ashamed, hands are tightly gripped onto his chest. The feeling stung him like a bee. He cried until there was nothing left inside but a raw emptiness that nibbles at his insides like a hungry rat. His irises were threaded scarlet and his eyeballs hung heavy in their sockets, the tears dribbled down the cold floor. He never felt so much guilt before.

The memory always flashes before his eyes out of the bloom but he shrugged it off in the back of his mind. "This is our second week and we're having a successful job so keep it up. Always smile and never frown. You'll get nowhere when you're down." his voice is filled with exuberant like in the several past days of working in his own shop. The manager dismissed his workers as they resume their job.
First customer who come was a rugged man, under his eyes is full of exhaustion. He seems like he hasn't sleep for a couple of days.
"G'day to you, good sir." A small girl greeted the man behind the counter that also sent a big warm smile, she has a thick Australian accent. Her name is display in a small silver plate on her left chest uniform. "What can I get you?" she added. The male gaze up at the menu with many option he could pick, his eyes led back to the young lady. Without hesitation he said "Black coffee." His voice was worn out.

"Alright, Sir. Dine in?" The male replied with a small nod "It'll be ready in any moment." She gesture her hand to an empty seat. "You can sit down for now." Annie indicate to the bartender an order. "One black coffee please." She said, sorting the order and typing the amount he will pay. Adonis poured down bitterness coffee on a white cup and place it in a small plater. He add a small milky foam heart as his signature.
He extend his arm for one of the waiter to reach the order. "Order up, love." Adonis doesn't have that typical accent of a British person though his foreign accent was a pleasure to listen to.

"Sir that will be 50 cents." the strong, distinct accents of the locals drifted through his ears. The man stood up to paid for his coffee. Adonis waved his hand to grab Annie's attention. "I'm going to the bathroom." He claimed, the cashier nodded her head without looking at him. He swiftly went to the backroom and shut the door behind him.

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The sun cast its bright fire rays down upon the clouds of bloat smoke, turning them bright red warmly the current workers has ended their shift.
Adonis watched in the distance waiting for Annie to fix her stuff.
He stood warmly lit by the sun trying to praise the last of its amber faded as the moon started to rise from its slumber. As she finish they both went to a silver car, Annie waved to her friend, Penelope a goodbye. "Don't let yerself be eaten alive, mate!" Annie joked, both of the ladies laugh.

The two drove off, Annie wiped her mascara and jerked off the fake eye lashes. "Man, I hate wearing make-up. My face isn't a darn coloring book and this accent is killing me." Andee whined, unclasping the golden silky hair attached on her head. "How long are we going to stay under cover quote on quote Adonis?" She giggled quietly as the man beside her chuckle to himself. "By the way, what took you so long in the bathroom?" She asked, glancing over him.
"Until we catch the killer." He replied to the young lady "You know... Stomach ache." He cleared his throat "Anyway..."
She reached in her silky smooth purse covered with purple fur. She carefully take out a piece of shard that they retrieved from the hotel they've been last few months. "Are you sure that coffee shop is the right place? Cryptic bistro? These two initial can be anything." She stared down at the broken shard and a well cursive letters carved on it
CB
A sudden unpleasant memory welcome their mind.