Time Soaked With Blood
Unholy Confessions
The job Ricobono had for me this time was easy. It only involved delivering a package of first-class cocaine, imported straight from Columbia, from the dude who imported it to the boss. Easy enough. I got another $1,000 for the job, too. As I strutted back into my house, feeling quite accomplished, I saw that Michelle was sitting exactly where I left her, TV still off and tears streaming down her face.
I walked in further and sat on the table across from her. “Michelle…”
“You know Brian,” she started, looking up at me from where her eyes were glued to the ground. “I wish I could be the one who just didn’t care, you know? Didn’t worry about her boyfriend going out and being a complete retard. That’s just not who I am, though. I worry about you, now more than ever. It’s like you’re obsessed.”
I sighed, trying to prevent myself from raising my voice. “It’s not obsession, it’s being needed. Being trusted. You have no idea how hard it would be for me to stop, you really don’t. They know that I know way too much, I can’t just leave and hope to never hear from them again.”
“I know it’s hard, Brian!” she exclaimed. “But you don’t understand what it’s doing to us! You want to have a relationship with me, but work always comes first! When is that going to stop? When they kill you?”
“You know what Michelle? Maybe. I know this whole thing is hurting you, but it’s probably going to end up killing me. So can you please stop this guilt trip thing and support me?”
She stood up and shook her head vengefully. “No. I can’t, Brian, I can’t support this anymore. You need to decide which is more important, me or the mafia.”
I followed her action of standing and stared at her for a moment. “Do you realize how difficult this is to make, honey?”
“It shouldn’t be difficult,” she said, new tears forming in her eyes. “The answer should be clear to you. If it’s not, then our relationship isn’t as strong as I thought it was.”
She began to walk away, but I stopped her by her wrist and pulled her into a hug. After she skeptically hugged me back, I sighed deeply and said, “I choose you, Michelle. I’ll talk to Tony, I’ll see about getting out, okay? And then we can start our life together like we’ve talked about. Okay?”
She looked at me with a smile wide on her face and nodded. I smiled back and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll go talk to him, then.”
Once more I was on my way to his office. I have no idea how he’ll take it, but I’m hoping, praying, it isn’t badly. After parking in the front (for an easy escape, should it go less than well), I made my way up to his office and knocked on the door. It was answered by one of his assistants, who stepped aside and let me in.
“Haner, what can I do for you this time?” Ricobono greeted. “Have a problem? Need a hit?”
I shook my head, my nerves kicking into high. “No, sir. I, well… I need to talk to you about…”
“Cut to the chase, Haner,” he said. “The ice in my drink is melting.”
I nodded. “Sorry, sir. I was actually just wondering if it was possible… to get out.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Get out, as in leave the family?”
I shifted my gaze to the ground and nodded timidly. “Yes, sir. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have no problem serving you at all. It’s just that my girlfriend thinks it’ll interfere with us, and I think she’s getting ready for us to start a family.”
He didn’t respond, just continued eyeing me in a trying manner. I could see the thought rolling around his head from the way he stared. After a few good seconds, he beckoned one of his men down and whispered something in his ear. After the other one nodded and left the room, Tony turned to me and said, “Sure Haner, you can leave. I thank you for your excellent service, my friend. Good luck.”
I almost didn’t believe him, but I decided not to question. “Thank you very much, sir. I truly appreciate it, and all you have done for me.”
I walked out, feeling highly triumphant. I almost expected him to pull out his gun and blow my brains to kingdom come. I decided to make a quick stop at the flower shop on the way home, to surprise Michelle with. I feel like complete shit for talking to her like I did. That doesn’t really matter anymore, though, I’m a free man.
I pulled up to my driveway and got out of my car. Something was extremely wrong. Tony’s car was parked at the side of my house, and the door was slightly open. I grabbed my pistol from my glove compartment and ran inside the house right in time to see my girlfriend take a bullet right between the eyes.
Ricobono himself turned around after firing the shot and spotted me. I was beginning to lose control; tears were flooding down my face, my entire body was shaking, and I felt as if I were about to throw up. Anger was taking me over completely. I took a deep breath and growled, “What the hell did you do that for?”
“She lost me my best hitman,” he explained easily. “Now she loses her life. That’s the game.”
He walked passed me with his two assistants and almost made it out the door before I said, “And now you lose yours.”
He turned to face me once more, just in time for my bullet to strike him in the temple. The other two withdrew their guns, but I had them down before they could take the safety off of them. Police cars began to screech in front of my house as I dropped to the ground and cradled the body of my dead girlfriend, my tears pouring onto her face and mixing with the blood.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry, Michelle. I never wanted it to end like this.”
“What on earth happened here?” a police officer said as he stepped into my house, gun pointed directly at me.
I stood and said, “They killed my girlfriend.”
He looked down at the three men at his feet and widened his gaze immensely. He whipped his head up to look at me. “That’s Tony Ricobono! The most wanted criminal this side of the country, and you killed him?”
I nodded. “Yes, I did. I also used to work for him, and committed most of the murders you’re probably still trying to solve. And you, sir, are going to kill me.”
He stared at me in astonishment as I walked toward him. Without a final word, I grabbed onto his hand gripping the gun and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight into my chest. It wasn’t enough to kill me right away, I was fortunate enough to get to lay next to my dead girlfriend and bleed until my life finally ended, and all the burdens I held in the world were finally set free.
+++
When time soaked with blood turns its back,
I know it's hard to fall.
Confided in me was your heart
I know it's hurting you, but it's killing me.
I walked in further and sat on the table across from her. “Michelle…”
“You know Brian,” she started, looking up at me from where her eyes were glued to the ground. “I wish I could be the one who just didn’t care, you know? Didn’t worry about her boyfriend going out and being a complete retard. That’s just not who I am, though. I worry about you, now more than ever. It’s like you’re obsessed.”
I sighed, trying to prevent myself from raising my voice. “It’s not obsession, it’s being needed. Being trusted. You have no idea how hard it would be for me to stop, you really don’t. They know that I know way too much, I can’t just leave and hope to never hear from them again.”
“I know it’s hard, Brian!” she exclaimed. “But you don’t understand what it’s doing to us! You want to have a relationship with me, but work always comes first! When is that going to stop? When they kill you?”
“You know what Michelle? Maybe. I know this whole thing is hurting you, but it’s probably going to end up killing me. So can you please stop this guilt trip thing and support me?”
She stood up and shook her head vengefully. “No. I can’t, Brian, I can’t support this anymore. You need to decide which is more important, me or the mafia.”
I followed her action of standing and stared at her for a moment. “Do you realize how difficult this is to make, honey?”
“It shouldn’t be difficult,” she said, new tears forming in her eyes. “The answer should be clear to you. If it’s not, then our relationship isn’t as strong as I thought it was.”
She began to walk away, but I stopped her by her wrist and pulled her into a hug. After she skeptically hugged me back, I sighed deeply and said, “I choose you, Michelle. I’ll talk to Tony, I’ll see about getting out, okay? And then we can start our life together like we’ve talked about. Okay?”
She looked at me with a smile wide on her face and nodded. I smiled back and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll go talk to him, then.”
Once more I was on my way to his office. I have no idea how he’ll take it, but I’m hoping, praying, it isn’t badly. After parking in the front (for an easy escape, should it go less than well), I made my way up to his office and knocked on the door. It was answered by one of his assistants, who stepped aside and let me in.
“Haner, what can I do for you this time?” Ricobono greeted. “Have a problem? Need a hit?”
I shook my head, my nerves kicking into high. “No, sir. I, well… I need to talk to you about…”
“Cut to the chase, Haner,” he said. “The ice in my drink is melting.”
I nodded. “Sorry, sir. I was actually just wondering if it was possible… to get out.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Get out, as in leave the family?”
I shifted my gaze to the ground and nodded timidly. “Yes, sir. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have no problem serving you at all. It’s just that my girlfriend thinks it’ll interfere with us, and I think she’s getting ready for us to start a family.”
He didn’t respond, just continued eyeing me in a trying manner. I could see the thought rolling around his head from the way he stared. After a few good seconds, he beckoned one of his men down and whispered something in his ear. After the other one nodded and left the room, Tony turned to me and said, “Sure Haner, you can leave. I thank you for your excellent service, my friend. Good luck.”
I almost didn’t believe him, but I decided not to question. “Thank you very much, sir. I truly appreciate it, and all you have done for me.”
I walked out, feeling highly triumphant. I almost expected him to pull out his gun and blow my brains to kingdom come. I decided to make a quick stop at the flower shop on the way home, to surprise Michelle with. I feel like complete shit for talking to her like I did. That doesn’t really matter anymore, though, I’m a free man.
I pulled up to my driveway and got out of my car. Something was extremely wrong. Tony’s car was parked at the side of my house, and the door was slightly open. I grabbed my pistol from my glove compartment and ran inside the house right in time to see my girlfriend take a bullet right between the eyes.
Ricobono himself turned around after firing the shot and spotted me. I was beginning to lose control; tears were flooding down my face, my entire body was shaking, and I felt as if I were about to throw up. Anger was taking me over completely. I took a deep breath and growled, “What the hell did you do that for?”
“She lost me my best hitman,” he explained easily. “Now she loses her life. That’s the game.”
He walked passed me with his two assistants and almost made it out the door before I said, “And now you lose yours.”
He turned to face me once more, just in time for my bullet to strike him in the temple. The other two withdrew their guns, but I had them down before they could take the safety off of them. Police cars began to screech in front of my house as I dropped to the ground and cradled the body of my dead girlfriend, my tears pouring onto her face and mixing with the blood.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry, Michelle. I never wanted it to end like this.”
“What on earth happened here?” a police officer said as he stepped into my house, gun pointed directly at me.
I stood and said, “They killed my girlfriend.”
He looked down at the three men at his feet and widened his gaze immensely. He whipped his head up to look at me. “That’s Tony Ricobono! The most wanted criminal this side of the country, and you killed him?”
I nodded. “Yes, I did. I also used to work for him, and committed most of the murders you’re probably still trying to solve. And you, sir, are going to kill me.”
He stared at me in astonishment as I walked toward him. Without a final word, I grabbed onto his hand gripping the gun and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight into my chest. It wasn’t enough to kill me right away, I was fortunate enough to get to lay next to my dead girlfriend and bleed until my life finally ended, and all the burdens I held in the world were finally set free.
+++
When time soaked with blood turns its back,
I know it's hard to fall.
Confided in me was your heart
I know it's hurting you, but it's killing me.