THE PAST
Laura checked the time. It was 11:55pm. She couldn't sleep and she knew they would soon come to call her so she didn't even bother trying. They had found another victim and this was one of those nights she wished she hadn't been born. At exactly 12am she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door and saw Leo, one of Don's boys standing outside.
"Get ready. Time to work". He told her and walked away. She stood still for a while biting her lips before she followed him.
When she got to the room Leo entered, Don and Diane were already waiting for him.
"You're gonna have to start coming out on your own Laura. Soon no one is going to call you" Don told her.
"Oh wouldn't that be great. I'll get to sleep well and not join in this nasty act". She commented dryly. Don laughed out.
"I feed you. You don't get to sleep when you should be working" he barked. Laura turned to face Diane.
"You think so too?" She asked Diane.
"Don't ask me. Don's in charge and ull do as he says. You'll do as we say" Diane answered. Laura rolled her eyes.
Douchebags.
Some of Don's boys disappeared and when they returned they dumped two bodies on the floor. Everywhere was silent for a while.
"Did you put the right amount of drugs in their food?" Don asked breaking the silence.
"I've been doing this for a long time Don" Laura replied curtly. In a flash, Don crossed over to her side and gave her a blinding slap.
"You'll talk to me with respect you little shit" Don commanded. Laura held her cheek and looked at Diane. Diane turned her face pretending to be ignorant of what had happened.
"Let's get this over with" Don ordered. "Strip them" he told Laura. She searched the pockets of the limp bodies and brought out all the cash from their pockets. She handed them to Don. She took off their clothes and also handed it to Don.
"You know what to do" Don said to one of his boys as he handed him the clothes. The boy left with the clothes immediately. As soon as the boy left, some of Don's boys gathered round the bodies and began wrapping them with white linen.
"Wait!" Don told the boys. He turned to face Laura. "Slash their wrists" he ordered.
"What!" Laura stared at him in disbelief. She never had to use knives or the sort on them. Their death was supposed to be plain. Drug them, wrap them and dump them in the lake downtown. Why was Don asking her to do this?
"Slash their goddamn wrists"
"Don...she doesn't have to do this". Diane told him.
"Stay out of this Diane"
"You're literally asking me to kill them" Laura retorted.
"C'mon baby... whether you slash their wrists or not you're still partaking in their deaths"
"Yeah but this is extreme"
"This'll teach you not to disrespect me and also teach you not to try to sell us out next time".
"Don you've already punished her for both offence. Don't make her do this" Diane pleaded.
"Again stay out of this Diane"
"I promise I won't try to do that again. Please..." Laura pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"Come on. Do what I ask you" Don told her quietly. One of the boys gave Laura a knife and she swallowed. It looked very sharp.
"Diane..." She called pleading with her eyes. Diane looked away and for a moment Laura hated her mum. She went straight to one of the body and slashed the wrist of his right hand. Blood spurted out and she almost vomited. She was about to move to the next body when Don stopped her.
"Both wrists".
She went back to the first body and slashed the other wrist. She did the same for the next body.
"I'm proud of you baby girl. Now clean up the blood so they can get back to wrapping" he ordered grinning.
Laura got a bucket of water and towel and did as she was ordered. When she was done with the cleaning the boys continued with their wrapping. When they were done with the wrapping Don barked out the same order he barks almost every night.
"Smoky, Rafael, Donny...go dump the bodies. Tony, Dave get rid of their cars. The rest clean up so they'll be no sign that this guy's were here".
"Yes boss" the all chorused and went off. As soon as Diane and Don left the room Laura fell to the floor and sobbed. The image of the slashed wrists of those men couldn't leave her head. She stayed that way for a long time until Dave came to get her.
"I'm sorry Laura" he whispered in her ear as he bent to lift her up. She didn't know what came over her but she fought him. She struggled to get away from him.
"Don't tell me sorry. You're like him. You're all like him" she yelled crying. He shook his head and held her tight. When she stopped kicking at him he lifted her up and took her to her room. She felt his lips on her forehead and heard him say 'goodnight' before she drifted off to sleep and the image of those men hunted her in her dream.....