Annie and I have spent some productive time together while her husband slept the day away. I’d convinced her to tell me everything she knew about Whisper and her guards next door while I held a gun to her head.
By the afternoon, the stench was getting too much, so I got her to strip out of her filthy nightwear. She'd cleaned herself up and redressed herself in suitable attire to greet her neighbors. Her face is marked by her insubordination, but not swollen. She popped some makeup on, and I'd got her to remake the bed and wash her bedding. It made the house seem like everything was running as usual.
It’s nearly six o’clock.
“Annie, I need to ask a little favor of you now. I’m gonna take the gag away. Do you understand what that means?” The old lady looks at me with terrified eyes, and so she should be, but she takes too long to respond. I feel as though she’s become a little complacent and needs a good reminder of the situation she’s been thrust into.
I look at Teddy who’s finally risen from his coma. I’ve wheeled him over to the side of the bed so we can all be close to each other. I take my hunting knife and bend down and slice across Teddy’s right shin without hesitation. He makes muted noises of rage.
“What? It’s not like you can feel the pain.” I get in his face. “You’re a paraplegic,” I sneer. “Now quieten down, Teddy, or else…” I tap the bloodied knife on his arm.
Annie doesn’t utter a peep, too afraid of me next move.
“Good girl. Glad to see we’re on the same page.”
But Teddy's a little pissy. "Now, now, don't give me that look." Teddy wishes he could put a bullet through me skull. Too bad, I'm in charge of the bullets and the gun. "I've bandaged the bullet hole in your arm. It was clean through so you won't be bleeding out just yet and that cut is superficial. You didn't even feel me knife cut your flesh. I went easy on you this time. You’ll be fine as long as wifey behaves herself.”
Teddy starts to thrash against his bindings, which secure each arm to his chair’s armrests. He’s snorting like a bull against the gag, his rage needing a release.
I raise my knife in warning. "You do know I can aim for your femoral artery, and it may not hurt, but you will be bleedin' out in a matter of a few minutes and then bye-bye Teddy."
He stops thrashing, his eyes dull. He's resigned himself to letting this play out on my terms, or they're both dead. He knows they are at least sixty percent dead already, but he's holding out hope for his wife surviving, and she holds out hope he will.
Love…it’s what’s gonna make me plan work.
I turn my attention back to the old lady lying on the bed. "Annie, now I need you to compose yourself and get ready to put on a Golden Globe worthy performance for best-supporting actress in a mini-series, and I'll bring the drama. Nod if you think you can do that, or else…" I don't need to use words to show her what will happen. I raise me gun and put the silencer against Teddy's knee-cap."
Annie’s frantically shaking her head at me, her eyes big and frightened. I take the gun and place it back in me lap.
"Just remember, I'm the guv'nah, and I hold all the cards." She nods slowly. I take her gag off, and she's silent. "I'm glad you know how to follow direction. Right, then… I want you to call your friend next door and ask for Whisper to come over so you can give her the birthday present you have for her. I want you to get her to bring her man over with her. He arrived a few hours ago while you were taking a nap. Now if you can’t get them to come over, then your husband will suffer for it. Do you understand clearly what your mission is?”
“Yes,” she says in a croaky voice.
“I see you’re a little parched. We can’t have that.” I pick up the bottle of water off the bedside table I’ve been drinking from and hold it to her lips. “Drink!” She looks like she would rather not share my spit.
I lift the knife and slice across Teddy's other shin and bless him; he doesn't move a muscle. She wraps her lips around the bottle, and I pour the water slowly, so she doesn't cough and splutter.
“Now talk to me, Annie, I want to hear a practice run and make it a happy voice. You only get one practice and if it doesn’t please me...” I wave the gun in the air. “The next bullet to leave this gun”—I rest the silencer against Teddy’s ear—“will be in Teddy’s brain and that one he won’t survive.”
I clear me throat.
“Ring- ring, ring-ring,” I sing, motioning for Annie to start.
“Hello Whisper, this is Annie. I would love it if you could come over for a few minutes to accept a birthday gift I have for you, I won’t hold you up,” she says in her most chipper voice.
“Well, done!” I congratulate her. My phone beeps. I check my message.
“Right, Annie, we have to make this snappy. One last thing, do you have a son? I couldn’t see any photos of family downstairs.”
“Yes, we do.”
“Name!” I click my fingers at her impatiently, like that wasn’t gonna be me next question.
“Teddy Jr.”
“How original.” I roll my eyes. “Of course it is.”
I pick up their cell phone I’d confiscated from them and locate Whisper’s name in contacts. “One chance to impress me,” I remind her.
I hit the guy’s number up and put the phone on speaker.
It should all be over soon, and I can slip away.
The phone connects.
I mouth ‘action.’