The Witness (bruisedelbows and gaggirl)

[bruisedelbows]

It was a fucking hot day to kill a man, but it had to be done. I took the subway to his office, with some fat slob of a businessman's sweaty back pressed up against my arm, a little too close to the gun for comfort, but I knew he wouldn't notice. In the financial district, at least, it didn't smell so bad, but it was humid enough for the buildings to look like distant blue mountains, speckled with lights.

He came out around eleven, looked pretty exhausted, but I knew his night wasn't over yet. I followed him to a bar full of other exhausted rich forty-year-olds and gorgeous, soon-to-be-richer young women. The best-looking were the waitresses; I was stopped cold by the perfect ass of one of them, maybe American or Australian, long and strong, just how I liked them. I'd have to come back here when I didn't have any business. In a better suit than the one I had on.

I introduced myself, listened to him complain and watched him grope clumsily at the women for a few hours, then suggested we split a cab home. Outside he stumbled in the vague direction of a taxi but I lead him to the back, a dark stinky alley with a few garbage cans marked with the name of the bar; I showed him my gun. He said the usual things, fell to his knees, and I shot him a couple times just like a clumsy mugger would, but quieter. Rummaged in his pockets, took his wallet, and turned around--

The waitress from before, the sexy one, with a big bag of garbage in her hand. She dropped it and ran back inside. For a brief second I almost panicked, but then it dawned on me. She'd seen enough, and so had I. This night was going to be more interesting than I'd thought. It was going to be fun...

[gaggirl]

I fucking hate this job. Every night its the same thing and I get paid shit for it. Im so glad that as of next week, I dont have to do this anymore. Im off back home to Australia to study. This was a working holiday I wont be missing, tthough I will miss the gridiron and the cheerleaders.

The night pans out as it uaually does. gold diggers with long red nails and loud voices, yankee men acting like boys with even louder voices and fat wallets. I see alot here. Ive even been asked to be a honey trap once or twice myelf, and that was alot of fun.

I wipe the sweat from my face, thank goodness I dont need too much makeup it would all be smeared. my long blonde hair I have slicked back into a long plait anna kournikova style.

"Theres a new man in today" I moption to fellow waitress Karla, a hot philipino chick Ive pashed once or twice but a very good friend.
"Oh a new penis with a wallet? Great!"
"He didnt look like he had much of a wallet" I joked, remembering his dress,
"well that means hes probably got more than anyone else in the room" quips Biba.
"Maybe! Except he wasnt flirting with the women." I add.
"Maybe he bats for the other team Annika!" With that we all burst out laughing. I remember the guy who he was chatting with. Interesting choice!

I grab the bagful of shit and start muttering "I cant wait til I dont see another garbage bag full of scraps and empty bottles" as I thrust open the door with my leg. The door slams shut behind me and Im there in the alley way behind the club.

Whats that in front of me around 50 metres from me but two black shadows. I just make out the man slumped to the ground, and the other man silhuetted against the lit building behind stands cooly watching him die. I smell gunpowder, and see the silencer on the end of the pistol in his gloved hand.

I dont mean to drop the bags but it just happens. My mouth drops open. Fuck! Hes seen me. He smiles and turns in my direction.

"I- I wont say anything" I stammer loudly enough for him to hear, but with a breathy voice, filled with intense panick. That was something I was not meant to see. I shake my head. " I didnt see anything" and turn to run back into the club.

I lean agaisnt the door when im inside, heart thud thud thud behind my breasts.

"Whats the matter Annika you loook like youve seen a ghost!" I swallow. I want to say something. But I wont.

"Nothing I just dont feel well. Um.. do you mind if I leave? I really gotta go. NOW. now."

I grab my bag and think that fleeing will be a good thing to do. I barge out into the first throng of people I see. I dont know really what that man looks like. Was it the man in the club or a different man? Does he know Im here?

[bruisedelbows]

I pulled him behind a few garbage cans; given the quality of sanitation in the city, he might not be found for days. Put everything away and took quick stock of myself; no sense in being too hasty. I took a quick look in the mirror, mussed up my hair a little. Just right. I walked out of the alley, around the front of the bar, and stepped back inside. It had all been less than 10 minutes.

The smoke was pretty thick, but I knew after a quick look that she wasn't there. The rest of the girls in there were working pretty hard, but she was the real thing. You don't miss a girl like that. I put on my best charming-drunk manner and beckoned over a tall Filipina who'd probably made a few grand in horny-drunk money that night.

"Hey, beautiful, where's that girl who was here before? The blonde one, name'll come to me in a minute..." I grinned a helpless grin.

"Annika? She's not the one you want. A bit out of your league, you know?"

"No, no, I just forgot to give her the tip, is all...if I give it to you, you'll see she gets it, right?" I pulled out a ridiculous fat money clip and peeled off a few large bills. "Tell her that's for being such a good gir-person." I swerved a bit. "Um, listen, I'm going to have to go to the boy's room I think. You'll give her that, right? Thanks, beautiful." I stumbled through the crowd in the direction of the men's room, then slipped quickly through the "employees only" door.

I ducked quickly into the office--nobody in there, so I took a quick look at the files. There she was, Annika. I grabbed the file and folded it into my pocket as I walked out towards the employee room. I could hear muffled conversation. "..gotta go now" is all I caught, but I recognized the voice. It was the one who told me she didn't see anything.

Then it was out onto the sweaty streets again. I caught a glimpse of long blonde hair down the street, and a girl trying to stop herself from running as fast as she could go. Wouldn't be hard to follow her at all.

[gaggirl]

I come to some lights where the little red man is on display andtheres traffic thsi time of night. I hit it rapidly as if it would help speed up the process. A stab of guilt hits me as I wonder what might be going on behind me. Would he go on some rampage and would I expect to find my commerades slain the next morning? He would know I wasnt there if thats the case. I will ring her when I get home. I pace back and forth on the spot nervously.

"come on, come on!!" I mutter.

People start pushing against me ready to barge their ways across the intersection when the little man turns green. It occurs to me its safest to be out here in the open with all these people. I turn back towards the bar. maybe I should call them or maybe i should call the police? I look back into the sea of night faces. None do I recognise. Then I see something. A figure oh so subtly ducking in and out behind people. Oh god. Is that him?! I pale and turn frantically just as the green man appears. Im already darting diagonally across the road and ready to hail a cab but it keeps on going. I almost run into a busy 24 hour mall.

Ducking into a newsagent I hide in the back behind a magazine for over 15 minutes. The boy behind the counter keeps looking at me. Probably annoyed but htinks bettterof saying anything. I wait and wait. Nothing.

fuck. Maybe I just imagined it. I laugh to myself, making the boy look at me funnnier still. Make my way out of the shop. Still, In the morning I will quit.

[bruisedelbows]

I made sure there were no exits to the newsagent that I couldn't see and settled myself where I could watch. No reason to hurry. I took her tax file out of my pocket and took a look...her address in the city...home address in Australia...and what was this? Her celphone number. Perfect.

Soon enough she came out again. Damn. I wanted her. I let her go on ahead for a bit and pulled out my phone.

"Hello?" she sounded shaken.

"Hello, Annika."

"Who is this?"

"Well, that's the question, isn't it, Annika? Maybe I'm that drunk to your right. Maybe I'm that college kid up ahead. Maybe I'm right behind you." I smiled as she looked back nervously. "I'm sure you're thinking of going to the police. Bad idea. I really don't want to shoot you. You're too hot a piece of ass for that. Right now I'm enjoying the view. Humid tonight, isn't it? Sweaty. And the air conditioning is cold in here. Looks great on you." And it certainly did.

[gaggirl]

My heart jumps when my fone rings.

I hoped it was Cirro. Instead I'm greeted by a mans voice, one I dont recognise.

"Who is this? " I ask, stopping on the spot. He goes on to taunt me. My hair stands on the back of my neck as it dawns on me who it is. How the HELL did he get my number?? I look around at all the bodies around me, to my left to my right. By the side of the building is a guy on the phone! But then theres another walking by him, and another and another. Do I really want to find out where he is? 'In here' was he in the mall that whole time?

"Look! I'm not going to say anything. Just leave me alone!!" I snap it shut crossly, hoping you get the point and leave me be. Inside though my heart is beating faster than I can remember. I really hope it works. Ordinarily, annoying men go away when you stand up to them, but this one kills for a living and I'm scared.

Scanning the crowd I make my way further down the street until I come to a group of girls and stand amongst them at the bus stop. They are all excited and bubbly ready to finish the rest of their party. I envy their youth and carefree evening. Little do they realise what kinds of evils lurk in this city. The worse part is the night is winding down and soon Ill be stranded. I pull out my fone again to make a call.

[bruisedelbows]

The bus pulled up and the crowd of party girls, suits, and tired janitors lined up in a messy disorganized bunch, trying to get on. I stepped up behind her where she was pushing numbers into her celphone with one hand. With the party girls yakking and screaming in front of us, I pressed myself up against her lean body and jabbed my gun into her back.

"Don't turn around," I hissed. "And don't press 'send'." I ran my other hand down her side and rested it on her hip, holding her back against me. Her top was slightly damp with sweat.

"Get on that bus and look at your feet. You raise your head, and I'll kill you right here. Sit down and don't look at anything but the floor or you die. You're mine tonight, Annika. Get going." I pushed her forward towards the bus door.

[gaggirl]

some men crowd int behind us, but I try to squeeze myself in between the girls. Why is everyone giving me weird looks lately? The girls probably thinkg Im crackong into them. I am halted momentarily from scrolling through my contacts for the number when a cold hard thing is pressed in my back. Everything stops.

The peope jostle around me for position in the queue all anxious to get home or get to the next venue. But I dont hear them. All I hear is the man speaking in low dark tones into my ear. I feel faint for a second, and fall back agaisnt him easily when he pulls me with his hand on my hip back into him.

I ognore for the moment the things he says to me.

"what do you want with me? I told you I didnt see anything, and I wont say anything. Just let me get on this bus and I will forget you and everyhting thats happend. I swear!" I say, my voice quiet so noone else can hear, but my nerves show: my voice breathy and high pitched. Im on the verge of tears. I never counted on having to beg for my life. I am rammed hard from the side by a rude drunken man, I start to fall and inadvertently turn around

[bruisedelbows]

She lay there on the sidewalk looking up at me for what seemed like an hour. Her face was defiant, but I could see the fear in her eyes. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. The rest of the passengers had gotten on the bus, so I waved to the bus driver to leave us, without taking my eyes from hers.

As it drove away I held her struggling body close to mine. I twisted her wrist as I spoke quietly into her ear. "You don't seem to understand, Annika. I haven't gotten where I am by letting witnesses live. I'm going to kill you," I put my hand to her throat and her eyes flashed. "But when I'll do it...that's the question. Can you make it worth my while to keep you alive?" I drew my fingers down her throat, over her collarbone, and down between her breasts.

[gaggirl]

Likea rabbit caught in headlights I cannot look away form the man. My mind willls me to scream, to grab the ankle of the many people walking by me but in like so many horrific dreams I seem to be able to do only nothing. I am trembling like crazy!

He twists my wrist and hauls me up to my feet to hold me against him. I start struggling, shaking my head at him with tears in my eyes. When he speaks he tells me how he is going to kill me. I knew it. He inteneds to kill me! WIth urgency my hands are already trying to release the potential threat to my breath when he puts his hand around my neck. I feel for the first time the gloves of the cold handsome killer.

"H-how do you know my name? and get my number? " I stammer breathily. God I cant breath! He doesntt say anything but just stares coldly into my eyes. They travel to my lips and down. Predatory. His gloves finger tip traces a line down my neck to my breast bone.

My head shakes slowly as I comprehend what he has in mind for me. I go to say "no! "but the word stops in my throat. My heart races. He expects me to bargain for my life?

"But I told you I - I didnt see anything. so you dont have to do this..." my voice trails off as I pull away form you with my body, pressing my hands against your chest. Only now I notice the bus has left already.

[bruisedelbows]

I laughed out loud. "It's not a matter of having to," I said. "It's a matter of wanting to." I pulled her struggling body close to me again. Both arms strained against my chest, trying to push me away. I took her by the hair, pulling her face close to mine.

"I'm going to fuck you, everywhere, and every way," I said quietly, tauntingly. "And when I'm done, I'll decide if you're worth keeping, or if I should kill you. And that," I hissed, "entirely depends on what kind of a time you show me." I drew my hand slowly down her spine, feeling the muscles of her back between several layers of fabric, and coming to rest on that perfect ass.

"Now come on, we're going to my hotel," I said, and turned away from her to hail a cab. My grip on her arm relaxed slightly as I held up my other hand to wave.

[gaggirl]

"Ugh!" Doenst anyone notice what this guy is doing to me? Don't they see my terrified eyes trying to catch their attention? We must be invisible! The thought that noone will notice or stop this man from taking me somewhere specifically to rape me and probably kill me fills me with a cold bitter terror. I cant swallow it down.

I look into your eyes.

"No!! You dont understand I'm not lying and.." I realise that whatever I say isnt going to work he is resolute and calmly hailing a cab. He relaxes his grip on me slightly.

Waiting until another wave of people comes close I use that moment to pull wrench my arm from him desperately. His hand goes for his gun hidden from public view and I make a crazy run for it without bothering to scream since noone will take heed anyway.

So I madly run, dashing in and out of the throngs. I come to a busy street and look behind I see him coming after me with a hand on his hidden weapon. He looks extremely angry!!

Looking back to the street I wait for a car to cone close and dart across in front of it and across the street before it can hit me. Several cars follow it effectively blocking his way to me.

I run down the darkly lit street as fast as my legs will carry me. I have no keys or anything now. I dropped it all long ago. Nothing to weigh me down.

I dont know how I will find my way home.

and I dont know this street that I am on.

[bruisedelbows]

I cursed under my breath as I pushed my way through the crowd. She was running up ahead, weaving through traffic. I shoved aside some fat tourist and stepped out into the street, but a wave of cars, blasting their horns, cut me off.

God damn it. I was furious with myself and with her. I'd teach her to run away from me. I managed to squeeze through a pair of cars and dodged a bus as I ran in the direction she'd gone. There. I caught a glimpse of her blonde hair, running down an alley. I made a move in that direction when suddenly a teenager on a bike slammed into me. I fell back against a parked car and he toppled to the ground.

"Watch where you're fucking going," I snarled, taking a kick at him where he lay as I chased after her. It wasn't until I got into the alley that I realized I'd dropped my gun. She was far ahead at the end of the alley, no time to turn around. Well, I still had my knife. She turned right and I followed her, gaining.

And then I grinned, a predatory, wolfish grin. She'd run into a dead end. There was no way out now.

[gaggirl]

Oh Fuck.. its a dead end! Your kidding me! My heart hammers in my chest. I look behind me, nothing yet. I bend over and catch my breath. I need to do more cardio. What good is strength when you dont have fitness to match?

Blow it I gotta get out of here. I stand up straight and go to sneak my way up towards the front of the alley but something stops me.

There he is standing there. At first he is not smiling but then his lips curl up into a snarl and he takes slow steps forward. I see how the metal flashes with the bouncing light of nearby windows. I contemplate screaming but he shakes his head slowly. I shut my lips tight. My eyes tear up.

"I-Im ssorry" I mutter feebly. I know am screwed. God what can I do. he comes closer to me and I fall to my knees looking up at him pleading and shaking my head.

[bruisedelbows]

I walked slowly up to where she was kneeling. Her eyes were locked on mine, pleading with me, beyond hope now. They were beautiful eyes. I stood over her, looking down at her trembling lips. She was scared enough now. I could leave her here and she'd never say a word to anyone.

But anger and lust was running through me now. I killed people without feeling much of anything. This was different.

"Nowhere to run, Annika," I said, and backhanded her in the face, knocking her sideways. I slipped my knife into the front of her shirt, and started to slowly tear it down the center.

[gaggirl]

Terror captivates me. I cant let go of his eyes as he stands over looking down at me, a huge bulge obvious and straining in frot of my face. I dont know what he says because the blood pulses loudly in my ears but he says my name. I still shake my head but

SMACK

My world flashes and I find myself almsot side ways with a stinging jaw. I thought I heard it crack! My hand gignerly touches it. Thank god I can still move it but...

His knife comes towards the centre of my chest...

"noooo!" I wail. He grabs hold of my shirt and slowly tears it down the front of my shirt revealing my heaving generous bust encased in black lace.

I try to scramble backwards from him, watching disgustedly when his eyes hungrily take in the view of my breasts. It breaks our eyelock. I manage to helplessly look beyond him to the alley where people are still walking by. They do not look up here not one of them.

"No! Please...!!"

[bruisedelbows]

Her gold hair curled down over black lace, perfect breasts underneath. When I tore my gaze away, I noticed her eyes looking past me, out of the alley. I laughed.

"No one's going to help you," I said, taking her by the hair and forcing her to look up at me. "No one cares about you here. I learned that long ago. You don't have to be quiet. You can kill someone right out in the open--all they'll do is watch."

I pulled her head back and raised my knife to her throat.

"I could kill you right now. Want to scream? Go ahead and scream. No one cares."

Taking the knife away from her throat, I shoved her down to the filthy ground.

[gaggirl]

Suddenly he grabs my hair and forces me to look up into his eyes. They are evil dark and hypnotic. His cold voice warns me that noone cares, and even mocks me and dares me to scream.

The knife pressed into my throat makes me suddenly cry out and tremble, willing the knife from my flesh with my eyes squeezed shit tight.

"No! no! Please" I sob. I know full well that he can kill anyone and noone will care. I saw him kill a man not an hour ago. and hes obviously got a lust for blood, and is happy to play cat and mouse with me. I dont want to play!

in an instant he takes away the knife and forces me hard to gthe ground. I hurry to close my legs and scamper backwards my head shaking

"no! Pleaease dont. .. " But I have a feeling it falls on deaf ears. I cover up my breasts with the torn fabric.

[bruisedelbows]

She backed up as far as the wall and I came up in front of her, where she was trying to cover herself up. I grabbed her wrists and twisted her arms away, then took a hold of her bra. Her elbows pounded ineffectually against me as I tore it open, spilling her breasts out, pure and pale.

I pulled out my knife again and held it close to her left breast. "Maybe I'll just cut you," I said. How far could I push her? How much terror would it take before she gave up? Her eyes were looking down at the gleaming blade, hovering there less than an inch from her skin. She wasn't breathing at all.

[gaggirl]

He came up in front of me and tore my bra open! It irks me how it seemed as easy as tearing paper, as ineffectual as my grasping desperate hands are they are no match for his determination experience lust and strength.

I ram my elbows hard back into his abs when hes behind me, like in my gym class. but its no good. That leather is good and solid a shield for his body.
"Let me go!" I cried. But then...

he produces the knife and edges it over my breast, nicking it a little, and lets it hover inches away. I cant take my eyes off it! He threatens to cut me, making me weak in the knees. No! How did I get here! This isnt fair.

Mascara stained tears roll down my cheeks as I shudder against his body shrinking away from the sharp blade. I stop breathing for a moment as he bring it in close.

"no no! please dont!" I beg desperately. And knowing this has no effect on you? I cant help myself.... my survival becomes more important than anything else.

"PLEASe SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!" I scream at the top of my lungs