I stood at the entrance of the arrival lounge, trying to be as invisible as possible. I was holding a newspaper in my hand, but I was not reading it. My eyes were roving over the dozens of people walking up and down the spacious hall.
Most of them were travelers, whose plane had just arrived. And the rest of us were waiting for them. I searched for my quarry, putting my eyes to work as I pretended to read the newspaper.
I found him not long after, walking with a bounce in his step, that annoyingly smug smile on his face as he swung his briefcase nonchalantly.
Not wanting him to see me, I pressed myself further into the wall, as if I wanted to join with it. I waited until he had walked past me, then I discarded the newspaper and walked out after him.
The sun was setting and the evening breeze was cool on my cheek, I dipped my hands into my coat as I hurried on. He made his way to a taxi while I ran to the spot I had parked my car. Making sure I did not lose him, I pulled out of the parking area and began to follow his car.
As I drove, I pulled the pistol out of my coat pocket and placed it on the passenger seat. I was going to end everything right now.
The man I was chasing had ruined my family, and it was time to make him pay.
Two years ago, he had been driving under the influence and had killed my brother who had just been minding his business on the sidewalk. Just because his family had money, nothing had been done. He had been arrested, but was eventually released on bail. The case never even made it to court because the police and the media silenced it.
And my family scattered subsequently; about eighteen months later my parents were divorced and getting them together in the same room was war. I was without a sibling and my parents now had only one child.
Why should we be the ones suffering when the killer was out there living his best life yet? If the police could not be trusted to do the right thing, then I had no choice but to take matters into my hands.
I followed his taxi through the busy roads, keeping a distance of about two cars all the time. I did not want to spook him before I wanted him to know of my presence.
Eventually, the taxi pulled up before his house and he stepped out. I parked a couple blocks away and stepped out while he settled the driver. He stood on the curb, watching him drive off and that gave me the time I needed to rush up from behind with the gun in my hand.
And as he turned to go into his home, he was staring at the business end of my pistol.
He stopped, the briefcase dropping from his hands at once as they flew up in surrender.
“Do not move an inch,” I told him. “I have been waiting for this for a long time.”
“Please, whatever you want I can give it to you.” He pleaded.
“Good, I am here for your life.” I pulled the safety of the gun off.
He did a double take as he recognized my face, “Jackie? What the hell is this?”
“This is for my brother, you bastard!”
“I was cleared―”
“You paid to be cleared! That is not justice! But I know what justice is, and you are about to know what it as well. But not for long.”
With the gun pointed at his head, where it would be most deadly, I made to pull the trigger.
Just then, the entire neighborhood was engulfed in sirens, the red and blue lights filled up the place as police cars screeched to a halt all around us and armed officers trooped out with their weapons pointed at us.
“I can’t believe this.” I cried, feeling anger seeping into my veins. “You paid them to follow you around as well?”
“Please!” He cried, “he’s crazy! He’s going to kill me.”
The leader of the police team stepped forward as he holstered his weapon, hands raised.
“Jackie, you need to drop the gun.” He said as he moved slowly, “you should think about your parents, do you think they would want to lose their last child after losing the first?”
“Shut up! All you do is to sell your services to the highest bidder, if not this scumbag would be in jail for what he did!”
“That was then, not anymore. But killing a man in cold blood will not make things any easier for you, only worse. And for your parents as well.” The Leader walked closer still, “it will be selfish of you to think only of yourself. You have to consider them as well.”
My hand shook a bit as my resolve faltered, and then he reached out and lowered my gun hand. He signaled to another officer who came to cuff my wrists. Sobbing profusely with my shoulders slumped; I followed the officer meekly to the car.
“Thank God you guys were here!” My target was saying, “He’s crazy, he could have killed me.”
“Please stretch out your hands sir,” The Leader muttered.
“What?”
“You are also under arrest.” His hands were taken forcefully and handcuffed, “the corrupt officers in the department have all been arrested, so all the cases they ever worked on are now being reviewed. We saw what kind of mess they did on your hit and run case. That was the only reason we were here in the first place. You are going to prison, and your money won’t save you this time.”
He was taken to another police car; the leader stopped and gave me a nod. I nodded back as I relaxed into the car seat.
At last, my dead brother would get the right kind of justice.
The End.
Thank you for reading.
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bruno-kema#1355