Episode 5

The evening sun was fast falling, its warm golden rays piercing every corner in a last feeble attempt at illumination. Twilight was beating a hasty retreat as darkness took over with its true might. Ordinarily, Mr. Kilonzo would be in his house by nightfall, lounging in his favorite LazyBoy recliner. Tonight, instead, he was trying to navigate the complex latticework of country roads that led to an old, recently burnt down mansion that he was in the process of acquiring. He was flustered. The directions his secretary had given him were off by one lane, so he had to retrace his steps, albeit with much difficulty.

Mr. Kilonzo breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the burnt out shell of the mansion at the bottom of a valley. He drove a bit faster, trying to beat the night. He therefore didi not notice the black car parked under a grove of trees. A figure dressed in black slipped out of the car, as if it had been waiting for his appearance and, blending in with the shadows, followed his trail up to the mansion.

The dark green S-Class gave of a slight luminosity from the dying light. Going down the weedy driveway, Mr. Kilonzo could practically see the condominiums he would build on the property-and smell the money they were going to mint for him. A feeling of satisfaction washed over him, right before the shadow. After it,all he knew was blackness.

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The first thing he saw, after stars, as he came to, was a pair of lilac-grey eyes coolly scrutinizing him." He's awake, sir," said the rosebud lips under them.
" And bound tight, I trust, Ms. Smith." A gravelly voice sounded through the murk of...where was he? And why was that voice vaguely familiar?
" Where am I?" His voice, raspy from thirst, aimed the question at the nothingness without.
" Questions already? I always took you for a courteous man, Mr. Kilonzo." Where did he know that voice from?...Memories slowly resurfaced, and then realization dawned.
" We meet again," he said in a resigned tone. " But why the ropes, Michael?"
" I was always the villian between us Simon, and hence never trusted you. Either way, no one can hear you scream." There was a sardonic smile behind these words as a tapping sound was heard, like that of a cane, and a figure emerged into the waning light of a solitary lamp. The man was dressed in a double-breasted black tuxedo. After his cane, his most surprising feature was his shock of gray hair, the garish scar that was where his left eye should have been and the one icy-blue eye that was now locked on Mr. Kilonzo. " So tell me, Simon. Why do you keep burning down my mansions?"
" This is a dog-eat-dog society. If I didn't, you would have all the money, and I would have nothing."
Michael turned his back to Mr. Kilonzo, looking out the same window that Kayla had jumped out of a few nights before. The night sky still had a greenish tint at the horizon from the long-gone sun. He turned again to look at his once so powerful adversary, lying on the char-covered floor, bound hand and foot with thick, strong ropes.
" What goes around comes around, old friend. Always remember that. While you're alive, anyway. Ms. Smith, please proceed," he said as he turned again.
With practised dexterity, the lady slit the ropes binding Mr. Kilonzo's feet, picked him up and led him to the window at gunpoint.
" Seeing as I can't lie to a dying man, I will try to say something appropriate, regardless of the fact that it is an untruth. It's been a pleasure knowing you, Simon," Michael said as he walked away.
Kayla urged Mr. Kilonzo to the edge of the window sill with her gun pressing into his back. In his mind, he could hear his heartbeat amplified until he heard nothing else but its panicked rhythm. His forehead was drenched in a nervous sweat;his mouth was moving, but no sound came out. Kayla said, "Time to meet your Maker." He managed to choke out an " Already?" before she pushed him. He fell screaming.


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Matthias was woken up on Sunday morning by a knock on his door. Groggily, he picked up his phone to look at the time. 11? Thank God it was Sunday. Still in his boxers, he answered the door.
" Kim! - oh, I mean Kayla." It was still hard to tell them apart.
" Don't bowl me over with enthusiasm, please." Kayla said as she sashayed into his room.
" What are you doing here?" He asked, shutting the door. He was still sleep-drugged and confused, but Kayla? In his room? Recipe for trouble.
" So polite." Her eyes glowed dark, almost purple. She smiled softly-then abruptly, she said," My boss wants to see you. Get a move on." Before he could get a word in edgewise, she continued, '' And unless you have a death wish, you'll come with me."