37

“W here are you going, sunshine? You can run but you cannot hide…”

The terrified boy raced ahead of her, but they both knew it was in vain. The ending awaiting him was inevitable.

They stood on opposite sides, bound by a grim fate. For every murder, there needed to be a killer, but also a victim. Sometimes an innocent victim, but then again, everything had a price. This time wouldn’t be any different.

She quickened her pace. The little boy wasn’t particularly bright because, instead of heading down the corridor of the other wing, he stopped in front of the lift, his index finger pressing the button like crazy.

When he realised that it would not get there on time, he tried to dash around her, but…

“Too late, sunshine.” She pushed him to the ground and dragged him across the hall.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” He fought to free himself, to no avail. She wrapped her forearm around his neck, locking his back to her chest, and squeezed.

Now that pompous ass Mikhail Korovin wouldn’t have a choice. He’d be coerced to get rid of his pet. His pathological need to be the hero would force him to comply.

She tossed the boy’s body to the side and turned him over until he faced her. She removed one of her gloves, revealing a feminine hand. The neatly filed nails darkened and elongated. Without wasting any more time, she tore the boy’s shirt open.

His chest would be her canvas. A beautiful piece of art. A last warning. Job well done. Exquisite, but without unnecessary marks. She must be careful not to leave marks.

She pressed her nail to his skin and he gave out a strangled scream.

“You’re still alive, sunshine? Well, I wanted to save you the pain, but I guess it won’t happen that way…”

“Please…” the boy whispered.

Her fingers moved to his neck.

She held him up with her gloved hand. “Don’t beg, little bastard,” she hissed and squeezed him once more. This time, she would finish the job, and then carve out ‘Release her’ in his chest. Korovin would certainly get the message.

Footsteps crept down the hall. Damn it! There wasn’t supposed to be anybody here.

She whipped her head. Someone was coming. The ding of the lift announced their arrival. If there was someone inside, she’d say that she found the boy like that. He hadn’t seen her face.

Putting on her other glove, she removed the hood of her cloak.

The lift doors opened. Empty. She hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the boy’s body, tossed it in the lift, and headed in the opposite direction of the approaching voices.

Amelia jerked awake, panting. Terror filled her as she replayed what she had seen. She leapt up and rushed to Mikhail’s room, but he wasn’t there. Today marked the second day she hadn’t seen him.

Then she tried the lift, but her efforts were in vain. She had no chip.

Defeated, she ran down the corridor. The door there was locked as well. She slammed her fists against it until she couldn’t feel them anymore. She screamed as loud as she could, threatening to deafen the walls, yet there was nobody to hear her.

What could she do?!

The boy from her dream was Dave.