“If she doesn’t hurry up, I’ll
light it up myself.” I try to find Gina as she darts around the Kids for Keeps
shelter sloshing gasoline in every direction. “Damn it, some precision would be
nice. She’s going to have to do that side again.” Unbelievable. This never
should have taken this long to start.
Sitting in my blue Honda Civic across from Site 21 on the Carson property, rolling my finger over the barrel of the lighter, clicking it
reflexively, I watch as the little minion reads my mind and corrects her errors
in aim.
“I don’t know what’s worse, watching her try
to hurry, or how fucking sloppy she is,” I snarl, not that she can hear me, not
that it would stop me from saying it to her face. She goes around the building
again to destroy the evidence. Then I wait for her to get back in the car. I know I need to be patient. This is almost like
an art form. It has to be done right. I flick the ash off my cigarette
before I bring it to my mouth and take a long,
satisfying drag. The smoke intermingles with the lyrics floating through the
car. Shakin’ Hands by Nickelback.
Perfect fucking song for the upcoming events tonight.
Leaning back in in my
seat, I watch as the shadows move outside the vehicle. The sun slides from the
sky and drowns light into darkness. A chill from the outside ebbs into the car
through the cracked window and raises the hair on my uncovered arms. The blur
of a fast-moving shadow toward the back of the building causes my heart to skip
even though I know who it is. I stare at the flames as they dance in the
evening. With the wind increasing tonight, the smoke from the fire starts to
funnel above the building quickly, the combustion eminent as embers start to
spark taking flight on the breeze.
It may be cold outside, but lighting this bitch
up will be a warming sight. A simple sacrifice. Two sacrifices actually, the building and the girl.
I have the perfect
view. I can’t help but celebrate in how good it feels to watch the sparks. The
building starts to hum with energy as flames start to lick the sides of the
paneling.
That will make for an interesting burn pattern.
“Come on Red, if you
don’t hustle you are going to be left here.” Slow as she is, it’s nice that I
found someone who was so willing to please me; whether it’s mindless sex or
blowing up a building. I watch as my
assistant sprints from one side of the building to the other doubling back to
be thorough. “Good girl. Pick up the pace.”
If my window
were open a bit more and the wind shifted,
I would be able to smell the fumes – revenge and gasoline.
I look behind
me to make sure that there is still no traffic by foot or car passing through
the lot’s entrance. There would be no way out or to hide if that happened, and
that would definitely fuck with our plan. Debating on who would take interest
at this time of evening, we could hypothetically knock them out until we
finish, but then it would get messy with a witness.
Just my luck the whore would
just show up at random on this site, wouldn’t
she? Funny how she thinks it’s hers. This whole concept, this idea – it’s my
site. How she ever thought she would get to take privilege in my ideas, my
money and turn them into her own personal profit is infuriating. Andrea being a
part of this whole cyclone of fucked up, is about to come to an end. Her days
where she rides free off my accomplishments are numbered. I don’t care who she
is. This isn’t something she gets to claim. It’s mine. If I have to watch her
and MY projects go up in smoke and flames — I will.
“Fucking, thieving,
women.” Muttering under my breath, I roll down the window and wave the red
haired accomplice over to the car to get in. We can’t be here any longer, done
or not. She gets in the car, her body and clothes smell of gasoline, wood
damage and singed flesh from electrical burns. Huffing she tries to regain
control of her breath. Turning toward me, she waits for my response and next
instructions expectantly.
She’s such an obedient girl, nothing like Andrea — she
was like a wild untamable bitch. That slut couldn’t take a command to save her
life. Complete disobedience. This one is like a dog ready to whelp.
She is a vapid girl
compared to Andrea, but at least she is compliant. Of course that’s how Andrea
would suck you in – she’d blind you to her ways and play with your feelings.
Everything to her — a seduction game, even if it wasn’t hers to seduce. Now I get to repay the favor.
Finally deciding to
address the expectant woman in my car, I nod and blow smoke onto her lap. She may be too submissive. Waiting on for me
to give her the go ahead — like the lapdog she is. Who wouldn’t lose
interest in something so willing?
“You went all the way
around the property correct? There is no chance that any of 21’s corners won’t
catch on to the burn?” stating more than asking the question, I adjust my ball
cap reflexively.
She nods her head in
affirmation — her eyes are glossy with excitement. I pull out one of my smokes,
light it, and give it to her. She takes it graciously as if it’s a gift of
diamonds.
“Good girl, Cupcake.
I’m proud of you.” I nod once in approval. “What about the car? Did you put the
rest of the rags and containers under it?”
“Actually, I did one
better. I doused the whole car and used some paint I found around back to help
the flames stick. I even put those extra gel canisters under her car. It’s
totally gonna blow up big time.”
“I don’t appreciate any
deviations from our plan; G, it’s essential that you don’t change anything,” I
grumble as I scrub my face. We don’t need to add anything to this. Simple. Get
the job done. Get in. Get out. With the smoke really increasing the haze from
the ash, the ease to breathe is getting harder even from inside the car. We
need to go. Starting the car and reversing, we start to pull away from the ball
of fire. The sound of sirens will be filling the air shortly.
“It’s almost pretty,”
she says as she watches our work light the sky. The luminosity coming off the
building as it progresses in its fiery
death, appears as if it’s a lighthouse against a black sea. Even the shadows remind me of a sleeping
dragon inhaling its breath. As if a beast
is dreaming, about to be shaken awake from the deepest of sleeps.
I can’t help but smile with anticipation.
Proud that we took from them, thrilled that the Kids for Keeps building ignited
so quickly. “Ashes, ashes, they will all fall down.” I hum.
Author Bio:
K.A. Harbron is the coffee addicted mastermind behind the suspenseful, slow burn Risky Series. Writing contemporary novels with a twist, you will never start a book and not want to finish it.
If you asked K.A. what her greatest joys are in life, she would tell you first and foremost would be her kiddo, with a close second in creating worlds through her writing. When it’s time to wind down, K.A. Harbron spends her time running, reading, playing at playgrounds, and enjoying shows like Grey’s Anatomy.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17485426.K_A_Harbron
Synopsis:
