The weight of the gun was unusual.The killer had expected to hold the gun for the first time and it to be heavy in their hand.It hadn’t been heavy, just as it wasn’t heavy now.Yet, neither was it light.It was usual in that the gun felt just right, perfect for their need.It was as if the gun had been made just for them.
It’s one thing to shoot a target, and quite another to shoot a person.Still, as long as the person doesn’t move, there won't be a problem.
There had been risks to the first two murders.When the knife had been drawn, the killer’s movements had been quick to avoid the victim defending themselves.And the sedative had worked well for the second victim, but it had taken more force than expected to strangle another human.The gun would be the easiest of the three to take a life, but if the victim had a chance to run, they were not sure they could hit a moving target.
The killer dipped their hand back into the box the gun had come from, and pulled out the short, back, metal tube.They screwed it onto the gun to silence the shot that would soon come from it.
One shot.That’s all it takes.
They grinned.
I only have one shot.
The grin faded.
I hope.More than that, and I’m not doing my job properly.The Collector only took one shot to kill his victims, and I need to do the same.
The killer placed all of the folders back into the folder and placed the folder into a shoulder bag, along with the gun.There were already tools in there, along with a map of the museum (which had been memorized), detailed instructions on how to disable the alarm (also memorized), and how to pick the lock on the back door should that access route be needed.
They checked left and right to ensure the coast was clear, then exited the vehicle.The killer slung the bag over their shoulder, leaving the top open for easy access to the gun should there be any trouble.There was a chance there would be, but only a slim one.
As they walked toward the large building, they knew it was a far bigger risk.Once they were inside, it would be far harder to escape should they be caught in the act.
I’m just a member of the public out for a late-night stroll.Nothing unusual about that.
The killer made their way to the stone steps leading up to the front doors, but diverted to the right, walking along the front of the building and then around the corner, down the side, passing a woman walking her dog, and around the next corner to the back of the building.They reached into their bag and pulled out the bullet-pointed notes on how to disable the alarm, even though they knew them by heart.
It felt like a heist.They were entering a museum, but they wouldn’t take anything.They would leave a scene for people to view the next morning, a reverse heist.
Except it would be far easier than they imagined.
When they reached the rear of the building and the small shipping dock, they spotted the man going in through the open back doors, carrying a crate.
The killer quickened their step, rushing to the back door and peering around.They saw the man moving slowly through the next doorway before turning right and disappearing from view.If memory served, the killer, the man, was headed in the direction of the storage area, twenty yards down the next hallway, and through a door to the right.
The killer took a cursory look behind and at the van parked near the door, checking for a second person, before they hurried their step while still treading lightly to the next doorway.They peered around the corner and watched as the man slowly made his way to the door before turning right and disappearing.
The killer rushed in the opposite direction, making no sound in the white corridor they were sure would echo with heavy footsteps.Only when they rounded the corner and were out of view did they slow to a normal pace.There was still a chance of being caught before reaching the research rooms, and if that happened, they could claim they were lost.
As their walking slowed to a normal pace, so did their heartbeat.Even with the knowledge that they would kill someone in the next few minutes; there was no excitement.There was no nervousness.There was only knowledge that they were doing the right thing.
They wove their way left and right through the hallway at the rear of the museum, past rooms that the paying public usually didn't see.Not once did they consult the map in their bag.Not once did they see another person in the museum.
Not until they reached Research Room 2.
There, they found the first sign of life.
There was no window in the door, but the killer could hear the footsteps of the woman within.From the research they had done, it should be Maria Chen in the room, and she should be alone.If she wasn’t, then it only meant that more people had to be killed.It was no different.Killing one person to prove a point was the same as killing two…or three.
How many would be too many?
The killer might find out in time.There were fifty states, and within all of them, mistakes had been made in cases, both present and previous.There was a wealth of ineptitude to choose from.They could kill indefinitely, and there would still be much more to do.
The killing would have to stop at some point, or it would become gratuitous.As much as the killer took pride in their work, it had to stop when the message had been received by the powers that be.Then, they could slip away into the darkness.
There was always the chance that they might be caught, but the killer always laughed inwardly at that thought.They were smarter than them all.That eventuality wouldn’t come to fruition.
The sound inside the room beyond the door changed as Maria began to hum a happy tune.
