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11 Lost Cause
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2024-09-06 12:47:57Related chapters
Shadow of Yesterday 12 Things Love Makes One Do
Unmindful of the terror she had faced the day before, Jessica arrived at work in a delightful mood. She tipped the hobo outside the bank with a bill instead of a usual coin. The hobo was overjoyed. She didn't care if he blew it on a bet or a whiff of heroin as long as he was happy. The staff of the bank hadn't expected to see her in such a state but they weren't complaining. They all hoped to put it all behind them and start anew. Carlos greeted her like he did everyday and she greeted him back. Brenda was the happiest on seeing her in such a good mood. The traffic in the bank was slow as usual. “So what’d you do in your time off?” Brenda casually asked, briefly glancing away from the screen of her phone. “Watched some movies and went shopping,” responded Jessica. All the coworkers wanted to check in on her but the awkwardness was too much. Wheatley paid her a brief visit. The man rarely came out of his office. The visit was mainly a streak of recorded sentences and overly formal r
Last Updated : 2024-09-06Shadow of Yesterday 13 The Cage of Glass
All the officers in the police station were on edge. They were accustomed to small-time burglaries, petty thievery and drunken brawls. Not even the most experienced of them had seen something of that scale. An army of intimidating and obviously foreign looking men sat in front of them in handcuffs, waiting to be processed. More than half of the policemen in the station did not even know who the guests were. Juan Varga sat with his men without a hint of care on his face while Hugo and Gabriel sat in the interrogation room. Rodrigo had made a run for it. Hugo sat there like a mannequin. A sad one at that. He just stared at the walls in deep thought. A couple of officers sat across from him at a loss for words. They didn't even know where to start. They didn't have the slightest clue who they were dealing with. Gabriel had been waiting for the opportunity to make a phone call since the moment he had arrived there. As soon as the opportunity arrived, he made the most of it. Gabriel was di
Last Updated : 2024-09-08Shadow of Yesterday 14 The Way Out
The sun was about to go down and the neighborhood was bustling with activity. The children were making the most of the last minutes of sunlight. A bunch of kids were playing street hockey. The game was getting heated and there were all sorts of noises. Adam was having a hard time trying to concentrate on his work. His new project was killing him. It had been a while and still he couldn't plan the second floor. He kept drawing and deleting. The laptop screen was taking a toll on his eyes. The harder he tried to focus, the children just matched it. He finally gave up and slapped the laptop shut. He heard the front door close. He sprang up to his feet filled with adrenaline. He looked around for anything to wield. He picked up the baseball bat. It had taken him a lot of trying to get all the worry out of his mind. But that one thud sound brought back all the fears tenfold. He slowly creeped towards the door of his room.“Honey, I’m home!” Jessica exclaimed as soon as she entered the hous
Last Updated : 2024-09-08Shadow of Yesterday 15 Didn't wanna frighten you
Jessica gathered the courage to speak but the doorbell snatched the opportunity away from her. The pizza had arrived. Adam sprang up to his feet to receive it. Stepping outside, Adam realized that the sun had taken its leave a while ago. The sky was pitch black. The time flew when they were being intimate with one another. Adam gave the pizza guy a generous tip and returned to Jessica with the boxes. She had finally picked a movie to watch. Adam grabbed a crate of beer from the fridge and they were set for the evening. The movie was a romantic comedy just like Jessica had wanted. It had just the right amount of comedy and dirty jokes. The main female character has an affair in her office and her husband suspects it but the evidence escapes him by the barest of margins in a very laughable manner. After a while of enjoying the meal and the movie, Jessica remembered the matter at her own office that she needed to share with her husband. She took her time and chose her words. “Y’know? T
Last Updated : 2024-09-08Shadow of Yesterday 16 Reconciliation
Adam stepped out of the house with his heart in his mouth. He broke into a jog as soon as he was out of Jessica’s sight. He needed to get her out of there. The nightmare he had been running from was back in his pursuit. His mind was flooded with negative thoughts. A part of him was furious, wondering where he went wrong. Jessica needed to be away from what was coming her way. He tossed the envelope on the backseat and drove off. He could feel the air thicken around him. Adam had never been in such a panic since that fateful day. It started to drizzle. The rain drops skidded across the windshield. They were getting heavier and heavier by the minute. He took deep breaths and tried to calm himself as he drove on.Jessica watched the movie as it neared its end. There were a lot of classic comedy scenes on the trot. She laughed and instinctively searched for Adam. It made her feel holl
Last Updated : 2024-09-09Shadow of Yesterday 17 The Russians
An overly decorated muscle car rolled into a seemingly deserted suburb in Stuart. It attracted all sorts of attention because of the appearance but the blind would turn their heads because of the deafening music being blasted in it. It was daytime so the people didn't seem to mind the noise but the appearance of the car and the two thugs in it spoke volumes of how much they cared about people’s opinion. The vehicle drove to the back of a hardware store at the end of the street. The back garage door of the hardware store slowly lifted and a man stepped out of the way to let the car enter. The car slowly vanished inside and there were only echoes of the bass left in the street. The interior of the hardware store was another story. Dozens of men ran around obeying orders of their superiors. Meth was being tossed around and packed in different sizes of plastic bags. It looked like a legitimate sweatshop with employees working a conveyer belt. The place was dimly lit. The employees carefu
Last Updated : 2024-09-09Shadow of Yesterday 18 Meeting the Right Hand
It was another sleepless night for Jessica. Adam also stayed awake on the other side of the bed but both of them were oblivious to each other. They had problems of their own. The only thing in common between them was the wish for the ordeal to end soon. Jessica’s head throbbed with pain every now and then. None of her pills seemed to work. The rain had lasted the entire night. It only added to their stress. Each flash of lightning triggered the flashes of what Adam had run away from. They both got up from the bed at the first sight of sunlight. The storm had vanished and the sky looked as clean as it could ever be. Both of them sat across one another at the table and stared at the breakfast. Neither of them had the appetite for it. All they could do was poke it around the plate with grim thoughts while checking the clock every once in a while. Finally, it was time. Jessica excused herself and walked to the door. “Let me drop you there,” Adam offered as he got up and grabbed his keys.
Last Updated : 2024-09-09Shadow of Yesterday 19 Camila (Flashback)
Two years ago in Colombia…The clouds shrouded the cornfield and the old farmer stood at the edge of the field with a hoe and a sack on his back. He hadn't touched the bottle for two whole days, awaiting the fateful day. There was no doubt that it was about to rain. The arrow had already left the bow. It was just a matter of time. The clouds rumbled and yielded a faint flash. The first drops fell and one of them landed on the farmer’s head. The old man smiled. It was time. The impact of the light droplets on the leaves echoed. The farmer was ready to dig new drains through the field and check if the old ones were in functioning condition. “Papa!” he heard behind him. He turned around and found his youngest daughter running toward him with an ear to ear grin. At first, he was irritated and angry at her as it was dangerous running around in the field at that hour and it would waste a duration of the invaluable rain in taking her back to the house. But just one glance at her blissful sm
Last Updated : 2024-09-10
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Shadow of Yesterday 90 From Lamb to Wolf
One year later…It was a cold winter with frost setting in on the grass and there wasn't much activity around, be it human or wild. It was one of the cons of living in the state of Montana but Adam and Camila couldn't have asked for anything better to start anew. The huge ranches in Missoula gave the perfect escape to the estranged couple. It had taken some of Frank's connections to get the ranch at a low low price. The previous owner had died of a cold a decade ago and the rumors of his wandering ghost didn't do any favors to the value of the estate. Adam was preparing the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. They had invited only their closest friends. Adam had even offered to pay for the flights of a few while the others didn't need it. He stood at the window as the sun went down.“It’s burning!” Ell shouted and Adam almost jumped out of his socks. He ran to the kitchen to check on the turkey in the oven. The timer still said fifteen more minutes to go. Ell and Sofia giggled and high fi
Shadow of Yesterday 89 Lost
Hugo was pushed away from Adam with the force and he lost his grip on him. He regained his balance and looked back at her. The golden magnum in her hands was unmistakable. He had been too consumed with Adam that he didn't realize when she had opened his drawer. Adam stared at Camila with wide eyes. He hadn't expected that from her in a million years. Hugo took one step in her direction and she pulled the trigger again. Adam shielded his ears. This time the bullet tore through him and he was down. Camila stood over Hugo as he took his dying breaths. There was no anger in his eyes, just immense sadness and tears. It broke Camila to see him like that. He barely managed to put his hand on her dress and gripped it. The sleeve of his shirt moved and she caught a glimpse of the watch she had gifted him. A tear escaped her eye. Then Hugo let go and his lifeless hand hit the floor. Adam and Camila stood there like mannequins. It took them a while to realize that it was over. Camila broke into
Shadow of Yesterday 88 To Take a Life
No matter what Hugo did it only ended up making matters worse. He stormed out of the bedroom and went downstairs. It was raining cats and dogs. The sound of the rain and thunderclaps echoed across the mansion. He walked to the living room and almost smiled when his mind expected to see Michelle on the couch tapping away on her phone. He sat down and buried his face in his palms. Something had to give. They say faith can move mountains but what they don't say is how long one must have it for. Hugo was at the verge of giving up. He had tried everything and provided everything a woman could ever ask for. Even rocks eventually give in to constant pressure but Camila was something else. She didn't even pretend to love him. The disdain in her eyes was so obvious that even the servants weren't oblivious to it. “Would you like something to eat?” Asked a servant with a professional ear to ear smile. She was an old woman who had been with the Ortiz family since Mateo Ortiz took charge. Nobody
Shadow of Yesterday 87 It’s Me
Adam put his hand on the Tokarev in his belt but he knew that it wasn't going to save him if he was a sitting duck against an army. The shadow of the man strengthened on the ground. Adam pulled out the gun and aimed it where the head of the guard was expected to be. His hands were shaking. One gunshot could end it all before it even started. A lot could happen to Camila as well if he was found in the mansion. His forehead was covered in sweat. The thunder rumbled outside and it shook him from the inside out. The guard stepped out of the room and caught Adam standing right in front of him. He was an old man with a gray beard. He pointed his AK47 right at his face and walked closer to him, examining him. Adam didn't even breathe. “What was it?” Yelled the other guard from inside the room. Adam felt the old guard’s grip tighten around the weapon and he followed suit. One badly timed itch would have started a war. The two of them didn't break eye contact for even a second. “Just a cat!”
Shadow of Yesterday 86 Intruder
Days passed agonizingly slow for Camila. The security around her had tightened exponentially. Her each step was carefully watched. She had a strict routine that even laid out her lunch, dinner and bedtime. Hugo still hadn't been physically intimate with her but that didn't mean she had any say over anything else. She wasn't allowed to leave the mansion alone under any circumstances. The servants and guards had orders to stop her at all costs and failure would result in execution. The recent bloodshed left little doubt in the gravity of the orders and everyone shadowed her twenty four hours. She wasn't allowed to own a cellphone. The walls were suffocating the life out of her. It was a starry night with a crystal clear sky. Camila stood at the balcony watching the only friends she had left. The stars never hurt her. They were free and Camila envied them. She cursed the day she had fallen in love with Hugo. She had been blind to the blood running through the white walls of Casa Ortiz.
Shadow of Yesterday 85 Best Served Cold
An extravagant yacht floated a couple of kilometers away from Tortuga Bay in Ecuador. A party was being hosted on the vessel. There were dozens of women of all shapes and sizes wearing swimsuits and bikinis, dancing to the beat. The tables had lines of coke on them and every once in a while, one of the guests showed up and one of the lines vanished. Dominic Carter was the center of attention as he sat on the beach chair wearing a tropical print shirt and a pair of shorts that barely hid what it was supposed to cover. Two girls sat on the armrests leaning their bodies on him and he wasn’t complaining. Everyone was trying to be on his good side since he was the proud host of the party and the yacht. Most of the girls enjoying the party had made their way to his list through his bedroom. The rest were future prospects. Dominic preferred them in their mid teens. Half a dozen guards were scattered across the vessel and two of them stood behind Dominic like mannequins. The lines on the tabl
Shadow of Yesterday 84 Misfit
A month later…The flight from the United States descended with the sun. Ernesto Cortissoz Barranquilla International Airport was already bustling with activity. There weren't many passengers traveling from the United States to Colombia. The majority of them were tourists and the rest were back to see their families. Among the crowd of arriving passengers was Adam Peterson trying his best to blend in. He wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and a baseball cap. He walked over the line at the immigration. He produced his passport that read, “Alex Bradley” and the officer didn't take long to return it after stamping it. He went through the formalities and stepped out of the airport. His mind was working over time. He couldn't spend one minute without looking over his shoulder. There was some truth to Frank’s words. This was a stupid idea. Hugo Ortiz didn't have much support back in Nebraska yet he still managed to wreak enough havoc to have the federal government involved. But this was hi
Shadow of Yesterday 83 Why?
Michelle was out with her friends drinking at Club Toledo. The place was packed with young boys and girls trying to get noticed and have a good time. The flickering lights and deafening bass music filled the club. It all reeked of sweat and cheap deodorants. Michelle was looking for a new target as usual. All her friends had found someone to spend the night with. Michelle had higher standards and no such man was up for grabs in the club. She decided to stick to the drinks. She checked the watch and it was ten already. Juan didn't show up. She’ll have to tame that stallion some other day. Even thinking about him made her mouth water. She caught one of her friends dragging a muscular guy to the restroom and she couldn't help but laugh. She ordered another round. Her phone pinged and drove her attention away from the psychedelic lights and deafening music. The screen said, “Message from Pedro”. She cringed as she was in no mood to deal with his tantrums and failures. She tapped on the ph
Shadow of Yesterday 82 The Mastermind
Hugo stood in the light of the burning cabin as he smoked a cigarette. He had never expected that from Pedro. Hugo’s father had assumed the financial responsibility for Michelle and Pedro. The siblings had been less than grateful but Hugo had never expected Pedro to do something so heinous against his saviors. Hugo knew that Michelle would give him hell for doing what he did to her brother but he didn't regret it. Pedro was to become an example for those who dared to look at the Ortiz family the wrong way. Hugo extinguished the cigarette under his shoe. He still had to break the news to Michelle. He shook his head and entered the SUV. Juan was typing away on his laptop. As soon as Hugo was inside, Juan ordered the driver to step on it. Hugo was silent for a while until he finally had enough of the secrecy. “What’s up with you and computers?” Hugo asked. Juan was a bit reluctant.“Senor Ortiz… I have a confession to make. I didn't drop investigations into Madam Michelle when you told
