1-3. A Murderer Unleashed

"Rani, get ready. Joel's here and you have to go." Rani looked up to see her Uncle standing in the doorway. "What for?" "You have some work to do together, an article to write. He'll explain it to you." "Can't we work here?" "No, I have a meeting here tonight. You'll have to go to his place." She really didn't like Joel. He was rude and arrogant. The less time spent with him, the better. She particularly didn't want to be alone with him. He was an overweight man with an unkempt beard and moustache, a fake grin, and leering black eyes. He was always staring at her, which made her nervous, and any interaction with him led to her feeling picked on. He had a manic look to him and she often wondered about his psychological stability. She sensed that Bill didn't like him much either, even though he never commented when she vented. Just stayed quiet and looked thoughtful. She missed Bill. They hadn't had much opportunity to work together all summer so she'd seen very little of him since the rally. She usually worked on her articles with him. The evening was chilly for this time of the year. Fall was setting in early. Her last day of work at her summer job had come and gone, and college would be starting again next week. She stood beside Joel at the bus stop straining to see if the bus was on it's way. "So what are we supposed to be working on." Joel ignored her question and pulled a long, intricately carved knife out of a sheath hidden under his jacket. "Look at this." He said grinning, and tried to place the knife in her hand. She moved her hand away in surprise and said nervously. "What's that?" "It belonged to my Uncle, he gave it to me on his death bed. There's a story that goes with it." The manic gleam in Joels' eyes intensified as he started to tell Rani the story. Rani was distracted and barely listening. Trying to come up with some last minute reason why she couldn't meet with him, she explored the possibilities in her mind. None would have worked so she abandoned them with resignation. I wish the bus would come, she said to herself. I wish this night was over. This guy is too weird for words. She had caught portions of what he said. Something about two families in the south of Germany who were in a multi-generational war with each other and were killing each other off. Each generation had to find a member of the other family and kill them. The whole story (what little she registered of it) sounded bizarre and delusional. He couldn't really be serious! He looked at her meaningfully after he'd finished. The bus arrived and they proceeded to his apartment. She picked her way through partially opened boxes, many of which appeared to be filled with pornography. "How long have you been living here?" She asked. "A year." "And you haven't unpacked yet, or picked up any furniture?" "No." "Why do have so much porn?" Rani wasn't really surprised. She sensed that there was something seriously wrong with this guy, but everyone else seemed to think he was okay. She hadn't had much contact with him, but what little she had bothered her. This was just one more example. When she got back home, she was going to insist that they not put her in this situation again. "Because women are cows." She looked at him startled, not only by what he said but by the tone in which it was said. He was glaring at her. His eyes glittered menacingly as he pulled out the knife, then turned it, caressed it lovingly in his hands. "You're the one. The one I have to kill. I have to make sure that you can't reproduce any more German children. This conflict will end with our generation. With your death. I'm not going to kill you right away. I'm going to cut off your breasts first. Then I'm going to remove your uterus and your ovaries. And, finally cut out your heart." He was standing between her and the door. She could feel the cold grip of fear clutch her stomach. Forcing herself to stay calm, her thoughts raced through her options. She knew she had to come up with something fast. She had to keep him distracted and off guard until she could make a run for the door. "Why? Why me? I don't understand." She asked, making eye contact and looking at him calmly. "Who do you think I am? The least you could do is explain why. I'm entitled to that much aren't I?" "Well you do have to understand before I kill you." He stated seriously as he moved into the other room and perched himself on a box, all the while stroking his knife and leering at her. "Come and sit down, so I can explain." He slid the knife gently back into it's sheath and motioned to a box across from him. She sat down obediently, watching him closely, maintaining eye contact. Her entire body was on alert and ready. Waiting for her moment, waiting for him to get into his tale. Hoping desperately that focusing on his story would distract him enough for her to make her move. She noted without looking that the door was approximately a hundred feet away. Her blue clogs were placed neatly beside it. She had removed them out of habit when entering the apartment. He began to reiterate the story he told her at the bus stop. In an effort to get him back to reality, she pointed out that she was not German and had no connection whatsoever with Germany. His eyes had a far away look in them as he tried to reconcile that fact with his delusion. Rani made a run for the door. Joel leapt from his box, chasing her. Just as she reached it, he grabbed her from behind with one hand, struggling to pull out the knife with the other. She let out a blood curdling scream, startling Joel. He jumped back, involuntarily releasing her. For a moment his eyes seemed to come back from that distant place. She moved away from him, catching a quick glimpse of his twisted face, pulled open the door and ran out into the cold night in her stocking feet. Rani lay on her bed staring unseeingly at the wall in front of her. She felt so cold. She could feel the shock setting in as the trembling slowed. Up until this moment, her entire focus had been to get home. "Rani? Are you okay? You look pretty calm considering what happened." Cindy's pale face peered around the corner of the door. Cindy was her Uncle's girlfriend. The epitome of efficiency and hard work. Always by his side and completely devoted to him. Rani rolled on to her back and pulled herself up from the bed. What did Cindy expect her to look like, she thought resentfully. For an intelligent woman, Cindy could be an idiot. " I'm fine." "Come downstairs, your Uncle wants to talk to you." "Okay, give me a minute." Rani walked slowly down the stairs. Now what, she wondered, as if she hadn't been through enough. She wasn't in the mood to cater to anyone. "Rani, there you are!" Her Uncle smiled and wrapped her in a warm hug. She stood stiffly in his arms and waited for him to disengage himself. "I wanted to update you on Joel. He was picked up by the police and taken to the mental hospital." Good! Rani thought. That's where he belongs. I hope they keep him there forever. "Trevor, helped him escape last night. We're taking care of the situation. Don't worry." Rani just looked at her Uncle in shock. His words echoing in her head. He was smiling at her knowingly, expecting her to understand. Understand what? That they freed the man who tried to kill her? Put him back out in the streets where he could do this to her again, or to someone else! Why on earth would they help him escape! She shook her head in confusion and ran up the stairs to her bedroom, tears welling up in her eyes. Rev. 2007.05.12