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44 Level Playing Field
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Shadow of Yesterday 45 Soundproof Hospitality
The van was moving at a blinding speed. The driver expertly shifted the car from lane to lane and maneuvered around the traffic. The interior of the van was extremely dark and the windows were painted black. The maneuvering made the passengers of the van lose their balance every once in a while. The old beggar tried to fight blindly and threw a few random punches in the air but he received a single well timed blow in his abdomen that made him fall down and roll into a ball. His head was covered by a small sack and his hands were zip-tied behind his back. It took him a while to regain his breath. “Do you fuckers have any idea who I am?” The old beggar yelled as soon as his lungs allowed him to speak. “I work for Vladimir. Ever heard of that name?” The beggar added and awaited a shocked or terrorized response. “We know. That’s exactly why you’re coming with us,” a voice laced with indifference responded from the darkness of the sprinting van. “I will rape your families, you fucking b
Shadow of Yesterday 46 Saving What’s Already Lost
At Jessica’s house…Night had fallen and the house looked empty. Adam sat idly in the dimly lit living room and stared at the clock as it barely moved. The half full bottle of whiskey stared at him and he stared back. The voices in his head were continuously suggesting him everything ranging from violence to suicide. Recently, Adam had been encountering these thoughts quite frequently and in those times, the bottle had always been his best friend. But today, he didn't crave the alcohol. A part of him wanted the voices to finally consume him. The arrival of police in his already shook up life was not a good omen. It was the harbinger of even worse days to come. With police in the picture, god knows what Hugo would do to get his hands on Jessica. Among the voices, he could hear Jessica’s voice, calling him a liar. It made him break down. Tears fell from his eyes as he sobbed with his face buried in his palms. All this time he had tried his best to convince himself that he had no choice.
Shadow of Yesterday 1 The Locked in Couple
The sun rained fire and there was no sign of clouds in the sky. The corn field danced with the wind and added to the beauty of the farm. The day was hot enough to make the birds flee for shelter yet it couldn't stop little Sofia and Eleanora from playing in the open. The heat didn't seem to bother them at all. They ran around in circles with their ragdolls. The corn was ripe for the harvest but old Bruno knew that the yield, like the next several harvests, would go into repayment of the debts he owed. He sat on his porch with his sickle and tried to gather enough strength to get up. Old Bruno was sure that one of these days his back would betray him. He saw his girls run around recklessly and feared for their safety. He called out to them but they didn't care to respond. “Camila! Come out!” he called out to his older daughter to come out of the house. A beautiful teenage girl came running out on her father’s voice. “Get them inside. They’re gonna hurt themselves!” Bruno said and sto
Shadow of Yesterday 2 Back to Normal
The next morning, Jessica was ready to leave for work. As expected, the sun shone brightly and the snow was starting to disappear. She took a long shower. She took a moment to breathe and leaned into the mirror above the sink. She stared at her reflection for a minute, the faint scar on her forehead, just below her hairline reminded her of the terrible accident she had a year ago. She shook it off. In a matter of seconds, she was ready for work. She walked downstairs and found Adam on a phone call. He had a habit of pacing around while he talked on the phone. Jessica had found him in the most bizarre places doing the oddest of things during a phone call. Sharp rays of sunlight penetrated the windows and landed on the carpet. The room felt welcoming after a long time. The noise outside made no secret of the resumption of everyday life in the town. The TV barked like always. She sneaked into the kitchen and prepared a modest breakfast. A misshapen sunny side up and a strip of bacon that
Shadow of Yesterday 3 The Albuquerque Client
Adam landed in Albuquerque in the night. The flight had been short and painless but over crowded as expected. It was as if everyone wanted to escape Nebraska and get a tan in New Mexico. He took an atrocity in the name of coffee from a vending machine and took a break. Albuquerque International Sunport wasn't the busiest of the airports in the country. The rush was entirely because of the flights coming from the icy states. The airport witnessed a brief surge of traffic before going back to normal after a few minutes. He took a breath and stepped out of the airport. He had planned to take a cab but he caught a driver waiting for him in front of the entrance. The driver was a black man in his sixties with a bald head and a faded mustache. The old man was fighting his sleep while holding a large card that said “Mr. Peterson”. The state the driver was in, showed that he had been waiting for a while. Adam felt bad for making the guy wait that long. He hadn't expected to be received at the
Shadow of Yesterday 4 Doctor
With Adam gone for the business trip, Jessica was home alone. It never bothered her. She even liked the solace and freedom to some degree. She wasted a few hours rewatching the same TV shows that she had watched several times already. She felt a faint stingy feeling in her head. It was a precursor to a spell of excruciating headache if not tended to. It meant that it was time for her medication. She rushed to the fridge and pulled out the leftovers of the night before. When she was done with the meal, she took out her pills. Only the last of each pill remained. It was time to resupply. She winced. There went her dream of a lazy day. Jessica took the keys of her car and walked outside. The Beetle raced through the dark roads. For a moment she watched out for the suspicious black sedan but it never appeared. She was done glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then. It was way past the general office closure time so the roads were deserted. There was scarcely a car or two in view
Shadow of Yesterday 5 The Creep
A night of staring at the ceiling was finally over. Sleep only arrived when the sun was just around the corner. Jessica didn't feel odd waking up alone. Adam’s job demanded travel and a lot of lonely nights. She often wondered if his nights were as lonely as hers. He could always pick someone up on his way to the hotel to give him company. She shook off the thought. The man she loved was better than that. He never looked forward to those interstate travels and that meant something to her. The alarm had done its best to ruin the seldom blissful dream she had had in a while. She swung a slap at the clock and it shut up abruptly. She had called Adam several times in the night and he hadn't responded. She went to the kitchen to fix herself something but realized that she was in no mood for breakfast. Adam had brought a box of biscuits for days like these. She grabbed a pack and left for work. The snow was nowhere to be seen on the roads. Only the last of the ice on shingles and naked bra
Shadow of Yesterday 6 S.O.S.
The scorching heat of the noon had completely drained Adam’s resolve. The entire day was spent under the sun at the site of Simon’s soon to be warehouse. Adam could feel his brain vaporize out of his head. Simon seemed unfazed. The land was perfect for what the client asked for. There were no high rise buildings in close proximity so it would add to the scenery. Adam was fine with the request and Simon Cole was amused with the plans Adam had shared with him. After a while of running around in the boiling heat, they took a minute in the limo. Daylight was depleting quickly and Adam was starving. Simon decided to pay a visit to a restaurant. He barked some orders and the limo arrived at a food street. “Any favorites?” Simon asked in a friendly manner. “Anything that’ll fill the belly and can reach me in the car,” Adam responded without attempting to mince his words. Simon smiled.“You read my mind,” the client said and called his driver. They both ordered Chinese takeaway. Simon was e
Latest chapter
Shadow of Yesterday 46 Saving What’s Already Lost
Shadow of Yesterday 45 Soundproof Hospitality
Shadow of Yesterday 44 Level Playing Field
Shadow of Yesterday 43 The Fateful Day
Shadow of Yesterday 42 Not The First Time
Shadow of Yesterday 41 Straight To The Point
Shadow of Yesterday 40 It’s Not Your Fault
Shadow of Yesterday 39 Retreat
Shadow of Yesterday 38 Volkov’s Army
