Cold cut through the darkness of the small studio apartment like the sprit of a fallen person, whispering as if howled through the night. The soft Christmas lights shined brightly through a balcony door, carolers could even be heard over soft humming of dying or passing engines of cars. All was right, or so it seemed. Aaron Jaeger didn’t feel right, not at all. In fact, he felt like a impending doom was waiting for him, awaiting him like death, or how someone dreaded a day perhaps, but this was different, this was primal even, instinctual.
The warm bottle of Jack stood on the sill of the window. The apartment’s heater hadn’t been working and Aaron wasn’t a very good person adapting to the warmth, he liked the cold better. Besides, the Jack actually warmed him, searing his chest with hotness each sip he took. The wind howled through his dark blond/brown hair, his blue-brown specked eyes glowered over the city lights, as he reached for the slim cell phone, the number dialed memorized but he would forget it tomorrow. The phone rang for only a second until a soft, deep musical tone answered.
‘Is it done?’ No hello or anything, but Aaron didn’t ponder on such trivial things. He paused as he thought what to say.
‘Yes, wire the cash to my account.’
‘Consider it done.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me it was a woman?’
‘Hm?’
‘A woman, the target, not Aaron, but Erin Noir.’
‘Aha, you found out as I knew you would.’
‘It says I don’t do woman, you knew that, I ask extra.’
‘1,000 extra is what you’re getting but I ask you this,’ Aaron listened closer,’ Just because she’s a woman didn’t stop you from finishing it, now did it?’
The line went dead, the soft ringing tone piercing the cold, silent air. What a jerk, Aaron thought bitterly as he closed his phone and pocketed it, taking another gaze out into the night. Slowly, he reached for the bottle, taking a swig, warming him up automatically, like a blanket.
Suddenly, softly but surely, he began to hear a THUMP THUMP THUMP the sound following him and was trying to get louder, the dull thuds loud in the stillness of night. Sighing, he ruffled his hair, stood up, stuffing the Beretta M9 into the back of his waist band as he did, just in case (he wasn’t paranoid, but better safe then sorry).
‘I hear ya, I hear ya,’ he said in an annoyed voice as he walked to his front room, the place dimly lit. He swung open the closet door, and smiled down upon the person at his feet, bound and gagged.
‘Hey there.’ He spoke casually. Man, if eyes could kill he would be dead over, those bright green eyes piercing him with a strange mix. Aaron had always had a talent for reading eyes and that told him she was terrified, curious, and hated him at the moment. She flinched quickly, but he was too quick as he pulled her up by her arm. She wore blue jeans, her shirt a tight black turtle neck underneath a jacket, on its shoulder the sniper insignia of the US Army. Her hair was long and black, her eyes piercing him.
He pulled half dragged her out of the closet he had locked her in and threw her on the couch as she tried to get up, she stopped as she met cold steel at her head.
‘Did anyone say move? No, so lay back down,’ Aaron said in a deadly voice, his tone going deeper then his normal. He wasn’t taking chances. He searched her before he brought her, finding a bowie knife, ammunition, a small gun, and the Beretta he now carried (she was already carrying a sniper rifle). She gave him a dirty look before he took the gun away from her head and went back to retrieve the bottle of Jack. Erin was still laying there when he got back. Aaron pulled her up before he sat on the futon across from her. He stood back up, as if chiding himself, as he pulled the gag off of her, her hands still in handcuffs.
All was silent as he poured the rest of Jack on the healing cut on his hand. It was deep, the bandaging haphazard as he cleaned it again. When he realized Aaron Noir was actually Erin Noir he came up behind her and surprised her, causing her to pull a knife on him. He sat back down on the futon, still rather sober despite his drinking, as he bandaged the wound (the German blood, ha!). She looked up at him, her gaze watching, slightly curious, but he could sense how terrified she was. As a sniper, she never had faced the enemy head on.
‘Asato Fujisawa thinks you’re dead. Apparently, he was fearful that you would attack him at the meeting of the gang members,’ He sighed as he tightened the bandages,
‘Amazing that Yakuza is that dirty to hire an assassin to go after an assassin, don’t you think?’ Erin suddenly spoke up.
‘Why didn’t you kill me? It was your job—‘Aaron interrupted her as he aimed at her with the Beretta, his speed nearly blurring. Erin flinched back at the surprise.
‘What makes you wish for death?’ Aaron said in that deadly voice, and miraculously, he smiled jokingly as he laughed softly,’ Kidding, kidding, I don’t kill woman and that’s my way.’ He put the gun down,’ besides the pay sucked.’ Erin smiled nervously. It was strange, the way he was acting and he knew it was.
‘Anyway, I’m not a person to go against principals and that’s just me, however,’ He looked to her softly,’ the idiot told me your name was Aaron just like mine, that’s not trustworthy, yes?’
They remained silent about things; the stillness broke only by the calm breathing of both of us, and Erin’s much calmer.
‘I have a question;’ Aaron looked up to her eyes, ‘what’s going to happen?’ Aaron gave her a strange look, contemplative even as well as collected at a cocktail party.
‘I was going to kill you.’
The single sentence was final, the deadly calm to its mere stumble from his lips shocked Erin, and how could he say it so calmly as if anyone would think that. The mere statement frightened her, sending slivers of fear down her spine, to her head, he mind in ruins from her inevitable death. She refused, no wouldn’t ever, let him see she feared her death after giving death.
‘Then make it quick, I’m in no mood to play games,’ she said softly. Aaron stood up, puling the hammer back on the Beretta knowing he shouldn’t, but he was a man of his word, no matter if woman or no, he told Fujisawa he would kill Aaron Noir, no matter if the name was spelt wrong and more over the question Fujisawa asked pondered his mind, could he kill a woman after saying he never did? Even if it were for cash?
He aimed, the gun brushing her silken tresses of black. He saw the flicker of fear in her eyes.
‘It was my honor on the line wasn’t it?’ He spoke to himself, although it seemed he was talking to her,’ It was all for glory, money, and the honor of pride. How lowly have I lived my life in the way I have, how lowly I must live to survive in this godforsaken world.’ Erin looked to him, the terrified look replaced by her summarization of his little speech to himself. She would understand, but he feared if he did kill her….those eyes, those piercing green ice eyes would haunt him, not because she was a woman, but because he killed a person, an assassin like himself, who understood him, he could see it in the way she looked at him.
‘Jaeger, is German for Hunter, yes? It means, hunter by nature. It means, it’s you job to kill, right?’ Her voice cracked when she asked it. Aaron nodded softly. He pushed the gun harder against her skull but that look he got he had to pull away again.
‘You know, I never once used to regret killing people, but now, I regret it all. Everything. I used to think,’ Aaron looked away from her,’ If I got better to numbing myself, I wouldn’t feel anything, you know? I’m sure you know, in fact I have no doubt.’ Erin nodded to him.
‘I felt remorse but I ignored it, laugh it off as they would say to sadness, but its pitiful sight to see…Someone battling their self to get better to numbing, ignoring their emotion. I never want to be like that. I….,’ She looked to Aaron,’ We should remember the people’s lives we have ended for our selfish desires.’ Aaron looked to her, a strange smile on his face.
‘You know you’re right.’ He went up and grabbed something from the counter of his kitchen and returned. Silently, he undid the handcuffs, slipping them away from her slim wrist.
‘You can go, I…I regret this.’ Erin smiled softly, sadly, as she rubbed her raw wrist.
‘Aaron, you don’t need to regret this, just regret the killings.’
‘……I regret my life.’
That night the gun went off. When the police came barely half an hour later they were amazed. They were expecting a dead body but instead what they got was a note and a massive amount of blood, the scattered confusion on the wall told them it was a gun but no body at all, just the blood on the carpet but no signs of a struggle at all.
The Note Read:
I regret my life. The blood will never be gone from my hands and I acknowledge that fact. However…Ending my life will admit defeat, an escape from my tortured life. I can’t judge.
I can’t offer an escape.
I do not know you anymore.
I never knew myself anyway.
The letter was posted on the news the next day as a suicide note although no body was found, a mystery to where it went. Silently, somewhere out in the night the next day, Aaron Jaeger lamented for the lost. Erin Noir was the lost, her blood scattered the wall in his old apartment as Aaron lowered her into the make shift grave, her blood staining his hands forevermore.
Cuteykitty1 Community Member 
|
|
