Last Days

It was his last day in London and Ax was watching Anne far below. She was walking to her car. It was parked in the V.I.P area, almost alone. She looked like she was in a hurry. Was she leaving the country? He smiled at that. He had found her, and warned her. He did not kill her. He had wanted to, shit, he still did, but he was done with that. It had to end, somewhere. He did not kill her - this time. But he had made it perfectly clear, and he was sure she had gotten the message. It certainly looked like it, now. If ever he saw anyone even near his place he would certainly find her and kill her, he’d told her. But, he had let her go. He did not consider it letting her off. He himself had been torn by the nightmares of that child. Anne Pembleton would have nightmares, too. He watched her walk to her car. More like a half run, actually, and he felt a deep contentment rising in his chest. He had done the right thing. He was done. His new life with Cookie could now begin for real. All he wanted, right now, was to get back to his Cookie.

He watched Anne on the way to her car. He felt good. He felt free. He counted her steps.

He watched her, like an old memory, like remembering an old smell. He watched her walk to her car and stick in her keys.

It was then that he heard, something. What? What did he hear? A whistle? It was not a whistle. He looked up, across the street and saw Djamila on the opposite roof. She had her hand raised in salute. Anne got into her car, banged the door shut and turned the key. The car exploded in a huge ball of fire.

By the time the flames and smoke had cleared and Ax looked across the roof there was nothing to see. Djamila had gone.

As he looked down it all became clear. He knew the path he had to take. The path he must take so that Lucy’s life had not been in vain. He would change. Change his way of doing things - of being - that was the difference he had to make in his life. It was unfair, this life, all that was good was doing the right thing, being what you were good at, and he knew all his life till now had led to this moment. Well , so be it. He would do good now by taking life, yes, but he would take like to make life better for others, not for some greedy politician somewhere with only money and his or her own career on their mind. He would kill so that nobody would suffer as he had suffered.

He had a new purpose. He shook his head as he looked over at where Djamila had been. Then he looked down at the burning car. Yes, life had a purpose, a new and better purpose.

He pulled his hood over his face, turned and walked away.