"Damn!" Alec almost screamed at the top of his voice. To confirm his suspicions, he brushed his hand over his sleepy face and glanced at the wall clock once more. It was 10:30 am and he had a meeting by ten. Besides being present at the meeting, he was the one handling the case of the serial killer in town and his presence was very crucial to the meeting.

He turned sideways briskly to wake Sam up but she was not beside him on the bed! He paused for a little moment, conscious of the way his heart raced at her absence but then the intense hatred and vengeful feelings he had towards her resurfaced again. Loathsome spittle gathered around his vengeful tongue giving him the honor of a belch.

He knew it was rather too late to take a shower, although he noticed the cracks on his feet and the dirt on his rather long nails but it was too late for a pedicure. His covered shoe whispered "here I am" to him from a corner and he obeyed silently and walked over to the covered shoe, rather than his sandals since he preferred sandals. At least it would save him the grace of ugly faces that sought to penetrate into his soul just because he had unclean nails.

Time wasn't on his side to have a good shower. So he bumped into the shower to have a quick rough bath. The shiny tiles from the bathtub curved into the face of the one he dreaded at the moment, but he was starting to see her everywhere; the broken cracks on the walls of ghetto houses, the sticky ice-cream that stuck to the chins of reluctant school kids, the sultry lines in between the parted hairs of females, everything had her in it.

Alec was certain about one thing- that they only reminded him of his hatred and revenge for her. It appeared to grow everyday. Her kisses that felt like the exchange of slippery foamy saliva between two old women, wriggling from the highest saturation. So that when one touched, the other bellowed in un-grasped protest. Languorous desires that lost ears to the words "cure" or "stop"; His was no difference.

Persistent vengeful yearnings, molded with caressing love and unbearable cares. Mostly, his eyes widened with undue constrictions while they kissed and he watched her from his sorrowful visions, his opened eyes and closed heart affording her permitted unobstructed entrance into his being. His being of claws, thorns and pricks. That was all he had for her. Best things they say are mostly felt with the eyes closed, which explains why his eyes remained opened. Jarring eyes that remained cold to her puerile and warm laughter.

When Alec was done, it was just about ten minutes to eleven. No one had bugged him with unwanted calls or messages. Pathetic messages that were often received with boring sighs, and broken lines that hurriedly took their mournful positions on the receiver's forehead. The drive to the police headquarters was very rough and fast. Yet it wasn't too fast for him to still pay his usual rituals of the road- The erect streetlights that stood tall among the earthlings, annoying glances that fell off the faces of furious drivers, curious looks that graced the faces of kids even to the least of girls who walked about with love lettered buttocks.

Everything consoled him one way or the other but he only stopped his customary observance when Samantha's face curled into everything he glared at. If he was in a good mood, an irritating hiss would have rolled out of his mouth, so that his mouth made a courageous pout and unconsciously remained in that position but since he was in a furious state of feeling, he screamed "Ghostly beasty ugly Woman... Sam!". Rumbles from his stomach protested at the sound of her name. He felt his diaphragm spasm, accompanied by a rapid closure of his glottis, producing an audible sound.

"Mummy! He is scary!" Alec heard a kid who must have been watching him from the glass of the car where he sat. He had no time for meekness or affections, so he made a scary face, he achieved his aim and the child busted into depressing tears. Alec zoomed off.

The door opened slowly. After breathing in and out repeatedly, Alec summoned courage and went in.
"Oops!" He protested on seeing the secretary share some papers. He didn't expect the meeting to come to an end so fast. How could they end the meeting without listening to how far he was going with the issue of the assassins and the serial killer in town. Bereaved, he summoned courage and walked to the podium. Wondering eyes accompanied him.

" I am sorry for coming late. It was inevitable. Please listen to me before you take your leave" He begged. Porous laughter greeted his apology.
" The meeting is just beginning" one of the sergeants finally said.
" Oh!"

The audience watched him walk down the podium with an elegant shame.
The meeting continued with several speeches from the boards of directors, the DPO'S and the boards of directors. None of it interested Alec but he waited patiently till it was his turn to address the house.
" Alec Xavier!" The DPO finally called out.

Alec felt his heart raced. It raced not out of the fact that everyone was expecting him to deliver a speech filled with progress and hope but rather he was scared his ripe emotions that forced through all his senses would be revealed. He was scared his emotions would render him incapable of the duty.

"You will be fine, you have been doing well" Detective James whispered, before giving Alec a manly tap on the shoulder. Alec flashed a weary smile at his Bosom friend, one who had tried to replace the vacuum caused by Eric's death. James had been a close friend of the twin brothers, their love was greater than the one Jack had for rose- love's mountain that crumbled just the moment it was about to be mounted.

The unimaginable inebriation of Tristan and Isolde; the gnaws and thrills of being forever lost in the ocean of love. The audacious love of Romeo and Juliet; So it was worth Samantha's life whichever way James thought of it. Hence, there was no need of asking Alec to drop his revenge, although he had been able to persuade him from having a bloody revenge into having a logical one.

Sam and her gang had been wanted Criminals in the city of New York. Alec had been working on the case but he only got close to his mission with his brother's death. He had never imagined that Eric would fall a victim to her thirst for blood.
As Alec walked to the podium, he had a flashback about the ugly incidents of his brother's death. . .

---

"Alec, A..lec" Eric groaned from his phone.
"Twin bro!" Alec screamed, jumping down from his bed as he was about retiring for the night. There was no need asking what was wrong, Alec quickly recognized his brother's voice as one that soaked with pain and agony.
"Where are you!" A hurt Alec commanded as tears dripped down his cheeks.
"Come... To.. To.. The hotel where you picked me three days ago" A dying Eric managed to say. Tears flowed down he cheeks. It was a tear of forgiveness, love and longing.

Eric had only come to the hotel that day since he was really heartbroken. He had caught his fiancee in a shameless intimate act, moaning alongside a flapping butt like her life depended on the pleasure she was receiving from the man who pumped her as if it was his final gift before receiving a bullet in his brain - watery from too much pleasurable thoughts. If she had asked for an apology, Eric was certain he would have forgiven her but instead she flung his proposal ring right in front of him! and walked away in the arms of her lover like a rain beaten chicken longing for shelter.

He had only gone out with Samantha that night to take his mind off the pains. When he met Sam at the cocktail party where Alec and James had invited him to, they knew he was hurting and they thought he should be invited. Back then, Eric was sure he had to come to the right place when he beheld Samantha. Luck was just in his pockets as Sam was also casting sexually exciting glances back at him. When he was about evaporating from his nervousness, Sam walked up to him.
She strikes, " its a pleasure to have a handsome man like you stare at me". She let her eyes fall on his lips and before Eric knew it, she had dipped his hands in his and they had a stimulating dance and all Eric could think was sex with the demonic sexual goddess.

"I want you" Sam had said, making sure to press her cleavage unapologetically on his chest. Eric moaned an electrifying "yeah"..... And now he was soaking in blood.
"Hang in there, wait for me bro" Alec' s plea dragged Eric back to his dying scene.

A mocking singlet and black pants were the only clothes on Alec's body when he dashed into his car. He was already close to the hotel when he realizes his shabby dressing, luckily he found some pack of shirts, they belonged to Eric.
Enraged exclamations,with bitter choruses, aching pleas laid down like a path to Eric's room and even though they had thorns, Alec ran wildly on them. He threw the door open and his eyes came face to face with his brother. Weary dead eyes that stayed open from waiting and longing.

"N- No"
Alec fell on his knees with a great thud.
"Stay with me"
His utterance expressed discomfort and pain. One that he saw when he looked at the faces of tactful beggars that had no choice. Written undeclared anguish on the faces of young girls who had just lost their dignity unjustly. Compassion held him prisoner, so that he wondered about the fate of the eggs he had unjustly fried few hours ago, even as the rising eggs begged him for leniency.

"Eric" Alec cried again, that was when he noticed the bloody note on the floor and written boldly was the name SAMANTHA. The note contained details about Samantha.

Eric had written down all that he observed about Samantha just in the one hour they met. He wrote down the things that pleased her and those that annoyed her. Hence, Alec was to do the opposite of anything that pleased her and the opposite of all that pissed her off, in that way, he would be able to strike her mentally.

Inside her is a bleeding hole that yearns for love but it is blurred with thick clothed revenge and hatred. You must reach that hole, brother. You must bring her down.
"I will, I will" Alec screamed repeatedly. The blood spread slowly till it formed the shape of a ghostly apparition.

---

"I will lay my hands on the killer very soon, I assure you that I am close. Close to getting evidence and the killer shall be caught red-handed!" Alec assured ferociously, before slapping the desk thunderously- pretense courage from the audience at the sound of the loud bang damped the hall.

"I will, I will" Alec said his final words as he walked down the podium. Silence wasn't the thing he was expecting to hear, he was sure he hadn't said the wrong thing, their brightened and compelled faces encouraged him. He was almost close to his seat when the audience recovered from the shock he had subjected them to through his alarming and intelligent speech. So, they applauded him mightily.

---

It was 7pm when Alec's Car parked slowly right in front of Sam's house. Alec got down feeling like a knight in shining armor who had come in search of a run away princess. He had almost forgotten the goodies he had in his car. He rushed back quickly to get it from his car.

The night was a calm and beautiful one. Even more beautiful with the street lights and flowers that decorated the street. A dog started barking on spotting Alec.
"He knows the wizard has come for the witch".
More barks from the dog.

"Keep quiet!" Alec screamed loudly at the dog. He watched it wag it tail away before proceeding to go into the house.
Alec knocked twice before the door finally opened. Ethan stood still, looking morose. He had his arms folded together, with his head bent slightly. His lips formed a tight squeeze.

"Hy" Ethan managed to say. Alec noticed the sore on his finger. It was a fresh one and judging from the clots and sick fresh lines with pink flesh, Alec knew he had just sustained it.
The short cut through Sam's soul was Ethan, so Alec knew he had to penetrate the mind of the boy. When he succeeded in getting Ethan's love that was tantamount to Sam's trust. The key to her soul was about to get into his hands! The thought made him quiver excitedly and he made a devilish tight fist- A fist that would steal Sam's key and never open again.
"Ethan" Alec started from where he stopped.

"I hope you feel much better now?" Alec smiled, carving his voice so that it sounded fatherly.
"Yes" Ethan lied but as soon as he shut his mouth, he burst into tears. Tears that had been piling up all this while. It started with little sniffs, slight coughs, then series of wriggling followed till he started to wail.
"Hey, hey Ethan"

Alec was completely short of words. In his mind's eye Ethan's face started to take on another form. His blonde hair turned brunette, his flat cheeks appeared chubby, his lost eyes became dreamy. The metamorphosis continued in Alec's mind eye till he was able to mold little Eric out of Ethan. Then they were kids again and out on the playing ground, pulling the alluring hairs of little pretty girls, chasing after cunning butterflies in the meadow, fighting and screaming at each other over momma's baked biscuits. The fragrance of baked biscuits, cakes, ice cream, spilled drinks filled the air. Voices that reverberated with Eric's giggles and obstinate snores found its way in also.

" Hey" Ethan called out slowly to Alec before tapping his arms.
"You blanked out" Ethan continued.
"I was worried about you" Alec replied. He did not dare to look Ethan in his face.
"Excuse me" Alec said and went out doors. When he was certain that his tears would add a good amount to the pacific ocean, he went back in. Ethan, an embody of sadness was sitting in a corner near the door.

"Ethan!" Alec rushed towards him. He threw his hands around him and hugged him tightly.
"Everything would be fine. It will be okay soon".
After much petting and affections, Ethan lightened up. Alec treated his bruise for him. He had sustained it while trying to cook since Nanny Angela had traveled and Sam wasn't around.

Alec watched Ethan carefully as he ate the chocolates and cake. Somehow, his smile soothed Alec's vengeful heart.
"Would you like some toasted bread and juice?" Alec asked.
"Yes" Ethan smiled wholeheartedly.

Alec started walking to the kitchen when he felt a warm hand grasp his stomach lightly from behind. Then Ethan's gentle head rested on his back. Alec's eyes twitched from the affection.
"I think I like you Alec. You are the best" Ethan said lovingly and after some seconds he let go off Alec.

Dinner was ready soon. Alec and Ethan sat at the table.
"Come, bring your meal" Ethan said before grabbing Alec's hand, then he dragged him to an old sofa chair that sat lonely in a corner of the living room.
"Let's eat here. Sam likes it here!"

After they had eaten, Alec continued with his mission. He told delightful tales and watched the little boy pay rapt and respectful attention to him. Few minutes later Ethan dozed off. Alec looked at his wristwatch, it was 9.30 pm.
"Oh no!"

He shifted slowly from Ethan, ready to take his leave but Ethan's drowsy hand held him back.
" Stay Alec" He said sleepily. Alec sighed. Thirty minutes later, Alec dozed off.
The only audible sounds were Ethan's light snores and the tick-tock from the wall clock, so when Sam flung the door savagely, Alec jumped up from his sleep. Ethan gave out a slow cry and fell asleep again.

"Sam!" Alec called out in terror. She stood still, heaving, drowning in her smelly sweat. Her left hand covered with her blood held her right hand where she had sustained a bullet injury. Her white petite gown was stained with blood so that she looked like a bleeding angel.

"A..lec" She stammered, confusion and pain filling her up.
Alec ran towards her, he drew her roughly into his arms and buried himself on her blood stained cloth. Sam groaned in pains.

"You hurt me Sam, I don't know who you are or what you do. I don't want to loose you Sam" Alec wept. For once in her life, the sight of a weeping man did not disgust her. Rather, she lifted his face with her bleeding hand and when she looked at the tears that rolled down his cheeks, they appeared liked a thousand pearls, golds and treasures. Sam gasped.
"I will tell you, everything. I will keep no secrets from you. Its a promise" She swore and sealed it with a kiss.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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