On a quiet street in a sleepy part of town, the BMW pulled into the garage of the two storey home. As his neighbours stoked their fires, prepped their dinners and rested from a hard days' work, Joshua was wiping the last of the blood from his shoe.
From the outside, the White Family had made it. Their home was a million pound two storey house that backed onto a quiet canal. The children attended the best schools in the region.They were a model of a Family that had worked hard to achieve the middle class dream.
Joshua had done this hundreds of times. He spent two weeks out of the country followed by six weeks working locally from his office in town. He parked the car into the garage and glanced at the rear vision mirror, trying to tidy up his hair. He usually arrived in the same way that he left; his short brown hair styled tidily, his tailored suit crisp and fresh as if straight from the dry-cleaners. This time was different, he looked and felt like he had slept in his suit, and his usually clean-shaven face replaced with 3 days of stubble.
He got out of the car and made his way to the front door. Before he made it inside the door flew open.
“Daddy!” the boy squealed as he tackled his dad’s leg.
“Awww, you’ve caught me,” he replied as he pretended to stumble backwards. Grabbing the giggling boy, he tossed him over his shoulders and marched him inside.
“Look what I’ve caught,” he boomed as he stomped into the lounge with the giggling hostage over his shoulder.
“It’s Daddy!” squealed another voice as the girl tackled him.
The three of them tumbled to the floor of the lounge. It wasn’t long til they had couch cushions and started pelting him mercilessly through fits of giggles.
“Okay okay,” he said raising his hands sheilding his face while lying on the floor. “I surrender. I surrender.”
“Good. You’re now our prisoner. And you have to do we tell you to do,” said Luca standing defiantly over his dad. Sophie dragged her dad to the couch as Luca ran off and returned with a book.
“So I have no choice but to read a book to you two?” Joshua asked.
“Nope”, his daughter replied as she and her brother nestled on either side of him on the couch. Joshua took the book from his son, glanced down at the cover and froze...
It was a Geronimo Stilton book. He shut his eyes trying to shut out that memory. It was less than 48 hours that he heard the story read aloud as he hid on the balcony. He waited outside on the balcony until his target had finished reading the chapter to his daughter and said good night. As soon as the girl was out of sight, he slid the door open with his 9mm with a silencer in his right hand.
Pfft
Pfft
Then immediately she screamed. The girl stood in the hallway, turning back to hug her Father goodnight as she saw the bullets tear into her dad’s body. Leaving his body motionless and his blood to pool onto the sofa.
“Dad,” Sophie shook his arm.
“Dad, are you going to start reading?” His daughter’s question brought him back to reality.
“Luca, is there another book you want Dad to read?” He asked.
“This one is my favourite one Daddy.”
He opened the book reluctantly and turned to the first page. He paused as he could hear his voice in his mind. He could see the little girl, not much older than Sophie, snuggle up to her Dad. He could hear her scream. He could see her hug her dad’s corpse.
Joshua looked across to Luca and Sophie on either side of him waiting for him to start.
With his hands shaking, he started to read the first chapter.
From the outside, the White Family had made it. Their home was a million pound two storey house that backed onto a quiet canal. The children attended the best schools in the region.They were a model of a Family that had worked hard to achieve the middle class dream.
Joshua had done this hundreds of times. He spent two weeks out of the country followed by six weeks working locally from his office in town. He parked the car into the garage and glanced at the rear vision mirror, trying to tidy up his hair. He usually arrived in the same way that he left; his short brown hair styled tidily, his tailored suit crisp and fresh as if straight from the dry-cleaners. This time was different, he looked and felt like he had slept in his suit, and his usually clean-shaven face replaced with 3 days of stubble.
He got out of the car and made his way to the front door. Before he made it inside the door flew open.
“Daddy!” the boy squealed as he tackled his dad’s leg.
“Awww, you’ve caught me,” he replied as he pretended to stumble backwards. Grabbing the giggling boy, he tossed him over his shoulders and marched him inside.
“Look what I’ve caught,” he boomed as he stomped into the lounge with the giggling hostage over his shoulder.
“It’s Daddy!” squealed another voice as the girl tackled him.
The three of them tumbled to the floor of the lounge. It wasn’t long til they had couch cushions and started pelting him mercilessly through fits of giggles.
“Okay okay,” he said raising his hands sheilding his face while lying on the floor. “I surrender. I surrender.”
“Good. You’re now our prisoner. And you have to do we tell you to do,” said Luca standing defiantly over his dad. Sophie dragged her dad to the couch as Luca ran off and returned with a book.
“So I have no choice but to read a book to you two?” Joshua asked.
“Nope”, his daughter replied as she and her brother nestled on either side of him on the couch. Joshua took the book from his son, glanced down at the cover and froze...
It was a Geronimo Stilton book. He shut his eyes trying to shut out that memory. It was less than 48 hours that he heard the story read aloud as he hid on the balcony. He waited outside on the balcony until his target had finished reading the chapter to his daughter and said good night. As soon as the girl was out of sight, he slid the door open with his 9mm with a silencer in his right hand.
Pfft
Pfft
Then immediately she screamed. The girl stood in the hallway, turning back to hug her Father goodnight as she saw the bullets tear into her dad’s body. Leaving his body motionless and his blood to pool onto the sofa.
“Dad,” Sophie shook his arm.
“Dad, are you going to start reading?” His daughter’s question brought him back to reality.
“Luca, is there another book you want Dad to read?” He asked.
“This one is my favourite one Daddy.”
He opened the book reluctantly and turned to the first page. He paused as he could hear his voice in his mind. He could see the little girl, not much older than Sophie, snuggle up to her Dad. He could hear her scream. He could see her hug her dad’s corpse.
Joshua looked across to Luca and Sophie on either side of him waiting for him to start.
With his hands shaking, he started to read the first chapter.