HIT-MAN KUMAR
Gandhi Street, Opposite to City Racecourse, Tuesday, 10:29 am
I shot Sharma, right on his neck.
Like the saying, “Like Father, Like Son”, both died of neck wound and both were shot by me. The thought of it was quite funny and it did bring a smile to my face.
Unfortunately, no one could see it through my helmet. As the speedometer of my bike touched 100 miles per hour. I swiftly passed through all the vehicles moving in front of me. It felt like traveling through time.
But two things bothered me now; one is my heavy bag with all armed equipment. And another is the client I have to meet and close the deal with. So that’s where I’m going, to meet my client, get the money, close the deal and fly to Russia.
By Friday, I’ll be in Russia with my brother and a lot of my friends are running good business there, where I might join.
Then I hit the brakes and slowed down to almost 60, took a right turn into the narrow alley leading to the Racecourse. Opposite to the back entrance of the course stadium, there was a narrow street. This is where my client asked me to come to close the deal.
I knew it would take time for them to come. But the sooner he closes the deal, the better. Various other thoughts were running through my mind now. My brother doesn’t know that I’m coming, it is going to be a surprise and also this client had promised a heavy sum.
About six months ago, a client called me up. She told me that she wanted a businessman named Vincent killed and I told her my usual pay of ten thousand euros. She did not like that and that kind of deal breakers frustrate me. I could have killed her for that, but luckily a day later, if I remember that right, another client called me.
He promised to pay me fifteen thousand euros. Well, knowing it as a better deal, I accepted. Funny thing is I was told to kill the business man’s son. And that lady client who called up sometime before worked for this businessman. Karma, I thought.
It was a few months ago, I traced that business man’s kid and gunned him down. To be frank, he was an easy kill. Once I killed him, I crashed at this same place and a guy comes up in a big car and hands me solid fifteen thousand euros. I was feeling wonderful really and the very evening I booked a ticket to move to Russia.
Some weeks later, this guy calls up and tells me to kill the father too. Another fifteen thousand euros, of course, I would do it. So I prepared all my toys and shot him down today. Now all my eyes await is a big car to stop near me and drop out my cash.
I kept looking at the street corner when my phone rang, but the number was different.
‘Vincent here. The police are tracing everything and search me now. Right now I’m calling from a phone booth near the eastern docks. Come here, let’s finish the deal. Quick, I have a flight to catch,’ the speaker from the other end spoke.
‘So do I,’
Once the line hung, I throttled and wheeled along the road to the eastern docks. The eastern dock was abandoned a few years ago. So it is a good place for a deal too. I took the shortcut towards the highways and drove down.
The eastern dock was empty, except for the sound of waves and excess moisture in the air. I walked up, all the way to the end, towards the man in the gray suit. He was younger than I thought. He held a suitcase and became alert upon seeing me.
‘Vincent?’
As he nodded, I lend my hand to get the suitcase.
He handed it over to me and with a glance at him, I opened the suitcase to realize that it was empty. It closed the suitcase hard and glared at him with anger and fear. His eyes were shocked and in a thin whisper told me.
‘Police have us surrounded. They tracked me and made you come here’
My heart almost stopped and I stood there stunned. I did not know how to react. I wanted to pull my gun out but feared I would be shot.
Vincent’s eyes widened, and he, with a small fake smile, softly spoke, ‘Please don’t pull your weapon. Walk with me.’
He began walking ahead of me and with no option, I walked behind him. Just before the dock gates, there were wooden crates stacked up randomly. He walked towards casually and, hurriedly, hid behind one of the crates. Then I ran behind him and hid behind the crates.
‘Do you have a gun?’ he asked and I nodded. ‘Give it to me.’
‘What? – why?’ I gasped.
‘It is not a big police team, just a few officers… I know where they are hiding,’ he looked at me keenly and waited to get the gun. I hesitated, ‘But –’
‘I have my car outside,’ he told and I could see he was becoming impatient and wanted to escape this place as much as I wanted. I pulled out the gun and gave it to him. He told me to duck and by slowly taking the edge he began shooting.
Once the shooting began, I hear retorts and Vincent ducked behind the crates and looked at me.
‘Did you use this gun to shoot Sharma?’ he asked with a little grimace spreading across his face. I nodded, ‘Yeah… why?’
‘Nothing… it’s just that I’m not Vincent,’ he told and I didn’t understand what he just said. Before my thoughts dawned, he turned the gun, pointed it at my head, and pulled the trigger.
And that’s all I remember.
TO BE CONTINUED…
THE WORDSMITH. 