Five

RED

     "Dude, something's eating you up. You can talk to me, you know" Lee said to me, bringing his cigarette to his lips. I heaved a sigh, shaking my head wearily.

"It's nothing"

"Is this about Dahlia?"

I froze at the mention of her name. I couldn't bear to think of her, I felt so troubled. How wouldn't I feel troubled? I was supposed to kill an innocent person. How was I supposed to do that?

Two days had passed since I saw her at the park. Usually, I would carry out my assignments two days after it was given to me. Five days had passed since I received the new assignment, yet I was still contemplating.

"Is your assignment giving you a tough time?" Lee asked, genuine concern in his eyes.

I heaved another sigh, bringing the bottle of vodka to my lips.

"Man, you got it bad. Just get on with it, can't you? This has never happened before"

"It's not that easy, Lee"

"Okay, you've had enough vodka to last for a lifetime. Give me that bottle"

"You're one to talk..... Just leave me alone" I slurred, resting my head on the wall.

"Red ...."

"Don't 'Red' me. Just- Just go away" I sniffed, closing my eyes. "This is not you, man. You've got to-"

"Oh, please- spare me your shitty advice" I said, stumbling to my feet.

I stumbled towards the car and got in. Taking a deep breath, I put on my seat belt. Lee got in too, insisting that I was in no condition to drive. Rolling my eyes, I moved over to the passenger seat. I couldn't help but notice Lee's sympathetic gaze from the mirror.

I turned away, closing my eyes.

I had to kill Dahlia.

I just have to do it.

It's not like I have a choice.

But deep down within me, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

***

LEE

    I parked the car, turning to look at Red who'd fallen asleep. Heaving a sigh, I got out of the car and opened the door to the passenger side. He was totally out of it. He'd passed out since he was heavily drunk. He reeked of vodka. I grimaced, pulling his heavy ass out of the car. I was worried about him. He hasn't been himself lately. He barely attends classes. He's always getting himself drunk and lately, he's been hooked on heroine.

I placed him on his bed, taking off his brown boots.

His damp hair was all over the place. Face, deathly pale. The bags under his eyes were more prominent. It was such a pitiful sight. I'm sure he's going to be a wreck in the morning.

***

I was awoken the following morning by the sound of Red throwing up his insides.

"What the-"

I grimaced as he kept on heaving. "I'm never getting drunk again" he croaked loud enough for me to hear from my room. I almost laughed even though I felt sorry for him.

He was always making that statement. Yet, he keeps getting himself drunk.

Slipping out of bed, I went to take my bath and get dressed. I went to his room and knocked on the bathroom door, thereafter.

"You doing okay in there?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm just dandy" he croaked

"Red, I-"

"Of course, you warned me. Just go away" he sighed.

"I wasn't about to say that. I was going to say that I'm worried about you. Are you decent in there? 'cause am coming in" I said, twisting the door knob.

There he was, hunched over the WC, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Fuck. If you're here to mock me-"

"For fucks sake, man. I'm not mocking you" I said, helping him to his feet.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head, his fingers clumsily trying to unbutton his shirt. "Here, let me help" I said, moving his fingers away. I unbuttoned his shirt and left the bathroom. While he had his bath, I began to search for clues. I wanted to know what his recent assignment was. I had a hunch that he was having a hard time with it. I found the file in his wardrobe. Just as I reached out to take it, I heard the bathroom door open. I quickly pretended to lie on his couch. He was emotionless, didn't even look at me.

I pretended to be texting someone on my phone while he got dressed. I looked away from my phone, minutes later. He was standing in front of the night stand, fully clothed. His grip on the table was so tight, his knuckles were turning very pale. "Red?"

He didn't respond.

I got out of bed.

Only then did I notice that he was trembling and breathing hard. "Red?" I said, cautiously stepping closer to him.

I grabbed him by the shoulders and made him turn to face me. His eyes were bloodshot and he was literally struggling to breathe.

Realization hit me hard.

He was having a panic attack.

"Hey, calm down. Just breathe" I said, trying to get him to calm down.

By the time the panic attack ceased, I sat down beside him on the bed. The last time he'd had a panic attack was three years ago when he was still depressed. Now at this point, I was really worried.

"I thought you've stopped having panic attacks" I said.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't know what happened. I -"

His phone rang and he picked the call. If he'd looked scared a few minutes ago, he looked terrified now.

"Now?" He breathed, growing even more pale.

"Who was that?" I asked him but he refused to say anything.

He began to search for something, ignoring me totally. Right in front of me, he injected himself with heroine.

"Stop it!" I said, yanking the syringe out of his shaky hands.

He shrugged and went to grab his gun. "Why won't you just tell me what's going on?!" I said.

He still didn't utter a word. He left the house with the black Benz. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that something wasn't right. I hurriedly walked back to his room. I pulled out the brown file from his wardrobe and opened it.

I gasped with shock when I saw who it was.

"Oh, shit" I cursed under my breath. He's going to kill her unless I catch up with him on time. I can't believe that he hid this from me. I grabbed my car keys and hurried out of the house.

****

DAHLIA

"Oh come on, Tori. You're mean" I pouted, yanking my glass of lemonade from her hands.

She smiled.

"Why didn't you tell me that you are already dating Lee?"

"Well, I didn't want to drag you into my shit" she shrugged.

"Your shit is my shit, remember?" I said, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah. Speaking of Lee, have you seen Red recently?" She asked.

I frowned, looking away.

I could remember the frightening words he'd said to me at the park. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Lia? What's wrong?"

There was a loud bang and someone entered our room.

We both screamed. I grabbed a bat while Tori grabbed the lamp. My heart thudded madly as the intruder took off his hood.

It was Red.

My heart sank.

He looked horrible.

But that wasn't what I was terrified of. I was terrified because he had a gun pointing to my face. "R-Red ...... what are you doing?" I whimpered, taking measured steps backwards.

"What does it look like am doing?" He said.

"You don't have to do this. Please" I said, tears filling my eyes. His eyes were dazed and bloodshot. Only then did I realize that he was high. I know it sounds stupid but I was relieved that he wouldn't do it if he was in his right senses.

"Please, Red" Tori whimpered.

He shook his head, a tear rolling down his left cheek.

"If I don't kill you, they'll kill her. They'll kill her" he rapsed, his hands trembling.

My heart broke.

"But-"

He shook his head.

"I have to do it. I have to"

There was another loud bang, an object colliding with his temple.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Lee was standing there, pocketing a black gun.

"I'm sorry, bro" he said, his gaze resting on Red's unconscious form.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I whimpered, backing up to the wall.

"I'll explain but please try not to freak out" Lee said.