previous chapter: Abetment [7]: 1.7: 2083, May 8th, Saturday. 21:40
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Ellie tucks Heather and her green woolly rhino in, cosily under the blankets. After turning off the lights, she slowly closes the door. Sophia is waiting for her in the hallway.
“I hope you know what you are doing Ellie.”
Ellie rolls her eyes. “What did you expect me to do? Leave the girl in the custody of her abusive dad?”
Sophia shrugs. “You just made yourself a target, you know that? Kidnapping a child? And how are you gonna do this practically? She has to go to school. And her face is probably already signalled.”
“Please,” Ellie says. “Her dad probably did not notice yet she is gone.”
“He will soon.”
“No, he won’t. He knows I have proof he killed his wife. He won’t come after me.”
“You don’t know that Ellie.”
Ellie sighs. “Trust the plan.”
“What plan?” Sophia asks her. “You don’t have a plan. You saw the sister of your ex-boyfriend on the nine-o’clock news. Which is,” Sophia checks her watch, “About an hour ago. And you came up with a quick and easy plan to recruit two new mercs. And now we are harbouring a fugitive and a kidnapped girl. Don’t you think this escalated too quickly?”
Ellie sighs. “I still think Vicky and Lucas have the right skill set to work for us as mercs, and since we save Vicky from being convicted of murder, I think they will jump at the opportunity.”
Sophia shakes her head. “Why Lucas and Vicky?”
“Cause I know them. I trust them.”
“When they were teenagers, maybe. But that was a long time ago. Maybe they changed.”
Ellie crosses her arms. “Still way better than hiring strangers. So unless you can figure out a way to perform the big job with only two people, or can find other people we can thrust more, they will have to do.”
Sophia sits down at the bottom of the staircase. “So, if I understand correctly, you are going to release your evidence that Mr Rodriguez is guilty of murder, and safe Vicky’s freedom this way.”
“Exactly.”
“But if Mr Rodriguez is arrested, what is stopping him from doing the same to you? Proving you kidnapped his daughter?”
Ellie stares at Sophia. She didn’t think that far. Sophia is right. The only way Mr Rodriguez will keep his mouth shut is the threat of releasing the evidence. If they release it anyway, they will have no leverage.
Ellie curses. “Dammit. You are right. I overplayed my hand.”
Sophia throws her an apologetic look. “I am sorry Ellie. You will have to choose. Either Vicky goes back to prison, or Heather goes back to her dad.”
Ellie crosses her arms and stamps on the ground. “Neither option is acceptable. There must be a solution that saves both of them.”
Mr Rodriguez walks out of the police station. Those damn incompetent cops. How could they just give their prime subject to the feds? He curses. This was just his luck. The one escort he hires as a fall guy, is a wanted serial killer. With some bad luck, they will launch a full-scale investigation. And soon they will notice he planned the whole thing.
Mr Rodriguez makes a mental checklist of what he needs to do. Well, burning the crime scene would certainly help. But he needed to make it look like an accident. If an arsonist burns it down while the prime suspect is in federal custody, that is way too suspicious.
Then he had to get rid of the witnesses. There was only one witness tho. His daughter. Silencing her was no option. No matter how much she frustrates him, he still loves her.
Fuck.
Those feds certainly will interrogate his daughter. So he has to make sure she will never spill the beans. Luckily he had just the tool to do it. A couple of whips from his belt, and she would be silent like a mime.
When he turns around the corner, he sees the vague outline of a person, waiting right behind the corner. They are wearing a mask, and holding a gun.
The figure raises their gun and points it a Mr Rodriguez. He backs away. “Please, I don’t have any cash.”
The figure speaks, surprisingly, with a high woman’s voice. “I am not after your money.”
“They what are you after?”
“I am sorry, this is the only way to save them both.”
Mr Rodriguez is confused. “What? To save who? You don’t make any sense -”
He hears a small popping sound and suddenly feels a stab in his chest.
He looks down and sees a small hole in his jacket. He feels liquid running down his chest, and before he can react, he feels himself falling to the floor.
The figure stands over him and puts something in his jacket pocket.
“Sorry dude, I am putting some evidence that you killed your wife into your jacket. I need the police to find it. But then again. You are the one that used a smart gun. These suckers store the fingerprint of everyone who pulls the trigger. You should have known that.”
Mr Rodriguez tries to speak up, but then he notices he can’t speak, or move. His vision slowly goes black, and the last thing he hears, are footsteps walking away from his dying body.
next chapter: Abetment [9]: 2.1: 2083, September 29th, Wednesday. 9:05
all chapters: Abetment