Chapter 10

An hour goes by and I grow impatient. Where is Ryder?

I look out of the window and see a black 2017 Chevy impala pull up. I only know this because Mom's assistant has one.

The driver door opens and Ryder gets out. He has on his black suit and sunglasses. In his right hand, he's carrying a big, metal, silver suitcase. My mouth waters.

Why did this killer have to look so irresistible?

I panic when he starts making his way towards the front door. Should I run back upstairs? Should I just stand here?

Right when I decide to run upstairs, Freddie and one of the maids walk up to the front door. I have seen that her around. She's an older woman and walks somewhat hunched. She always had a pep in her step and smiles whenever she saw me. You can tell she really likes working here.

Both Freddie and the maid, Consuela are looking very serious, and they don't seem to notice I am standing off to the side. Consuela opens the door for Ryder. He walks in.

Consuela then takes his suitcase and walks off with it. Ryder then takes his jacket off and hands it to Freddie, along with his black gloves and sunglasses. It is then that I notice blood on his face and all over his white button-up suit. Is he hurt?!

I am horrified and can't look away!

Consuela returns to the foyer and grabs everything from Freddie, walking off again. Freddie pulls out a wet wipe and hands it to Ryder.

Once he's done wiping his face, Ryder turns and looks at me. "Be ready to go in an hour and dress warmly. It's cold outside," he says unemotionally as walks right by, and starts walking up the stairs.

"Target?" Freddie asks replicating his boss's demeanor, following him upstairs.

"Terminated. I need the next..."

I can't hear the rest of the exchange between Ryder and Freddie. I don't even know where to go. What had I just witnessed? That's blood all over him and I'm positive it isn't his.

Turning around, I see Consuela. My gut tells me to follow her. However, something else tells me not to.

I'll follow her!

Consuela walks into the kitchen. She then opens another door leading, I'm assuming, to the basement. Looking around, I see no one else so I tiptoe as fast as I can and catch the door before it shuts.

Thank goodness! It's another hand scanner door. If it had shut behind her, I wouldn't have been able to follow her. Looking around the kitchen again, I make sure Freddie nor Ryder see where I am heading.

As I walk down the stairs, I notice the walls on both sides. It looks old and the yellowish paint is peeling off. Strange that the entire home is in pristine condition and the basement isn't given any thought.

I then start to doubt my decision. Maybe this is a bad idea. I don't know what I'm walking into. If I'm caught, then I definitely won't be able to go outside either.

Once I make it all the way down, I peek around the corner. The Maid turns, opening the door to a big furnace. She places the metal suitcases on the floor and throws Ryder's clothing into the furnace. The fire roars angrily as it burns through every item. Consuela takes a protective step back. Soon after she closes the furnace, picks up the suitcase, and walks away.

Consuela then continues down a barely lit hallway, passing a bunch of doors on both sides. She proceeds to make a left into the last room, where the door has been left open.

My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute. I know I'm crossing the line being down here. It's pretty evident, considering the door to the basement has the hand scanner and no doorknob. However, Ryder never physically said I'm not allowed down here.

I hear a man's voice as I get closer to the door. I creep slowly towards it and turn around making sure no one is behind me.

"Sam, you're insane!" I whisper to myself! "This is a bad idea. A super, duper bad idea!"

I then put my back against the wall and shut my eyes. Why am I being so nosy? Why?!

The door is open enough for me to peek inside so I slowly peek between the wall and the door.

Consuela puts the suitcase on the table and the guy, whom I've never seen before, puts white gloves and a black apron on. I scan the room quickly. The only things in the room are two metal desk.

"Which one is it?" The man asks as he begins opening the metal case.

"Pinky, Jose. Keep the ring attached to it. Payee wants both as proof of death. Something about the ring always being attached to the guy," Consuela says looking at a small piece of paper.

What?! What is proof of death? And what did she mean by pinky?

I open the door a tiny bit more to see what is in the metal case. The guy reaches in and pulls something out. I can't tell what it is! If he only moves an inch to the right, maybe I can see...

Consuela moves in my line of sight, facing Jose. She places both hands on her side waiting for Jose to do something. I open the door a little more when I hear the sound of a some sort of drill being turned on.

Cracking the door open some more I get the shock of my life! I almost throw up in my mouth.

Jose pulls out a severed hand!

Consuela turns and walks to the other table, handing him a knife and a small sledgehammer. I don't stand there to figure out what they are going to do next. Now I know exactly what was meant by pinky!

I run down the hall feeling nauseous! The hall beings to spin as I throw my hand over my mouth, trying to cover the sobs that are threatening to echo down the hallway. Ryder is an animal! How can he do this to another human being? No wonder he's covered in blood.

It's not enough to kill someone! To sever a body part?!

"God!" I yell into my hand. Why did I come down here?!

I am so stupid! Is this what I have to look forward too?! Ryder will kill me and send a piece of me to the person who hired him? Proof that I am dead?

Making my way up the stairs, I try pushing the door open and nothing happens. Carefully, I pass my hand around the door, hoping and praying it will open on its own.

It doesn't.

What if Ryder is on the other side of this door?

"I am on my way up now, Fred. Give me a minute to bring up a new suitcase," Consuela says in the distance.

Panicking, I look around! I see a green strip to the right of the door and hit is as hard as I can, not knowing if it will open the door!

"Please, open!"

I turn and look down the stairwell as I hear Jose's voice. Tears pool in my eyes as I hit the green button again, causing the door to open slightly. With a huge sigh of relief, I peek out and see no one is in the kitchen. I tiptoe to the library, thankful that no one saw me. I sit on the couch, catching my breath and try to calm myself down.

Didn't Freddie say he only concentrated on one job at a time? Why is he still killing and more importantly, who is the innocent-

"I knew I'd find you here!" Ryder's voice causes me to jump from my seat. I am so deep in thought I hadn't realized he had been standing in front of me. Showing no visible emotion.

He sits on the chair in front of me. I look down and see that he took a shower.

Ryder's hair looks damp and he has on dark jeans and a blue button-up shirt. He's also wearing a holster with a gun it in.

"I have to thank you for last night! I don't think I've slept that good in years. I should have warned you yesterday before trading rooms. It can get noisy and annoying next to me." He smiles, slightly, at me as he looks around.

What the hell is he talking about?! Ryder has just finished murdering someone and had their DNA all over him! Someone's downstairs cutting up proof and he wants to thank me?! What an absolutely horrible, demented human being!

A surprised looked spreads through his face as he notices the library is clean. "Did you clean this-"

"Wow! You want to thank me? After you just murdered someone?!"

Ryder looks taken aback. His brows furrow as a menacing grin spreads throughout his face. He then crosses his legs and places his arms firmly on the arms of his chair, clearly ready for a battle.

"Why are you so shocked? You know I do this for a living. Was the blood too real for you? Want me to dial it down next time?"

He gets up and walks toward me, putting his hands in his pockets. "Do you have a particular way for me to kill next time? So I don't get blood on me?" He continues to grin.

"Yes! Don't kill anyone!" I snap back, standing and moving away from him.

"God damnit, Sam! Stop pretending to know me or change me!" He hisses in my face. The smile is now gone and he looks thoroughly angry. Clearly, he doesn't like taking orders from anyone.

"I'm not! I'm just trying to understand all of this! Who hired you to kill me?! When are you going to do it?!" Tears pool in my eyes.

Why am I about to cry? For him? For me? I shouldn't shed a single tear for him. He's a murderer! A monster! Someone I should be trying to run away from, not confront. "Do you, at least, feel anything when you kill?"

I hold my breath, waiting for the gut wrenching true. An answer I already know.

"No, I don't."

Ryder doesn't even try to think before he gives his answer. It shocks me to my core. He removes his hands from his pockets and gets closer to my face. So much so, that our lips are inches apart.

"Never have, never will," he says through gritted teeth.

I can't believe this! He doesn't have a heart! I look down at Ryder's holster and without thinking grab the gun. I point it at him, taking a couple of steps back.

This nightmare ends now!