towards the chef's unguarded domain and stopped, tossing the keys into the room. The magnetized bunch of metal skated on the tiled floor and landed next to the electrical machines that rose and streamed above the bed. Within seconds, the machines started to buzz and whine, the strong magnets going to work on the complicated waves and technology within.
Sanchez looked down the hallway. Still quiet.
He pulled a silenced Sig Sauer P228 from his coat and fired twice, hitting the chef in the head both times, a quick double tap. Blood spattered his pillow and blanket, the unconscious man thrashed in the bed, the bullets thrashing him like an electrical current. He died instantly, the silenced whups buried beneath a racket of noisy machinery. A flat line indicated his demise, but was soon lost beneath a cacophony of buzzing and beeps.
Sanchez walked back to the other room and stepped in, holstering his weapon, just as the police officer returned with several nurses, all rushing to the chef's aid. They passed him without a thought. Sanchez looked at the comatose old lady in the bed before him, stroked her wrinkled face, and smiled.
He stepped out of the room and disappeared, the noise and chaos around him providing the perfect cover. No one saw him leave.
*****
"Dennis, I'm going to order pizza. What do you want?"
"Plain for me." Dennis was sitting in his armchair, reading the new Stephen King book, immersed, and not even looking up.
Carla nodded and turned to Teddy. "What do you want?"
"Ham and pineapple?"
"Okay…gross, but okay." Carla walked to the foot of the stairs and shouted. "Dani?"
A muffled voice answered. "What?"
"I'm ordering pizza. What do you want?"
"I'm not hungry…"
"You will be though, what do you want?"
A pause. Carla heard her daughter sigh before responding. "Pepperoni, please."
"Good." Carla dialed the pizzeria number into her phone and ordered the food with a side of wedges, nachos and garlic bread. After a moment, she hung up and slumped onto the sofa. "Dani is really going for it with her course. Never thought I would see a kid work so hard." Carla smiled.
"She's a right boffin," said Teddy. He was doing a puzzle on the carpet, confused by the fact it was two sided. The same image on both sides made it extremely difficult. His tongue was protruding from his mouth, firm with concentration. He currently had the edges pieced together and was now working on the centre. Carla frowned. "That's not a nice thing to say about your sister."
"So? She calls me doucheface all the time."
"No she doesn’t," said Carla, lying. Dennis laughed in the background, exposing his wife's lie. Carla groaned. "Well, it's still not nice."
Teddy placed a piece in the jigsaw and punched the air in celebration. He scooped another handful from the box and placed them on the carpet. "I saw Dani cry today."
Carla and Dennis both looked at their son. Dennis flicked his eyes towards Carla and nodded, his eyes speaking clearly. This sounds like a girl problem . Carla nodded. "When, honey?"
"When I got back from football. We couldn’t play because of the rain so I came home early. I went to my room, that’s when I saw her." Carla nodded and stood up, preparing to pay her daughter a visit. Dennis looked over. "Leave her be. She likes being alone, you know that."
"Why would she cry?"
"Who knows? She's a teenager," he replied.
"She's a strong teenager, not like many I know. It must be serious."
"She'll be fine. If it's boy troubles, all kids need it. It makes them sensible."
"Parent of the Year over here," Carla smiled. "I suppose you're…oh, hang on."
Muted footsteps sounded on the hallway floor above and Dani emerged on the stairs. She stopped halfway down, leaning on the wooden bannister. "Mum, what weekend are we going away again?"
"The 16 th . Why?" Carla looked at Dani. The tear streaks were all but gone, darkening her normally vibrant eyes. The normal electricity in those brown orbs was
Sanchez looked down the hallway. Still quiet.
He pulled a silenced Sig Sauer P228 from his coat and fired twice, hitting the chef in the head both times, a quick double tap. Blood spattered his pillow and blanket, the unconscious man thrashed in the bed, the bullets thrashing him like an electrical current. He died instantly, the silenced whups buried beneath a racket of noisy machinery. A flat line indicated his demise, but was soon lost beneath a cacophony of buzzing and beeps.
Sanchez walked back to the other room and stepped in, holstering his weapon, just as the police officer returned with several nurses, all rushing to the chef's aid. They passed him without a thought. Sanchez looked at the comatose old lady in the bed before him, stroked her wrinkled face, and smiled.
He stepped out of the room and disappeared, the noise and chaos around him providing the perfect cover. No one saw him leave.
*****
"Dennis, I'm going to order pizza. What do you want?"
"Plain for me." Dennis was sitting in his armchair, reading the new Stephen King book, immersed, and not even looking up.
Carla nodded and turned to Teddy. "What do you want?"
"Ham and pineapple?"
"Okay…gross, but okay." Carla walked to the foot of the stairs and shouted. "Dani?"
A muffled voice answered. "What?"
"I'm ordering pizza. What do you want?"
"I'm not hungry…"
"You will be though, what do you want?"
A pause. Carla heard her daughter sigh before responding. "Pepperoni, please."
"Good." Carla dialed the pizzeria number into her phone and ordered the food with a side of wedges, nachos and garlic bread. After a moment, she hung up and slumped onto the sofa. "Dani is really going for it with her course. Never thought I would see a kid work so hard." Carla smiled.
"She's a right boffin," said Teddy. He was doing a puzzle on the carpet, confused by the fact it was two sided. The same image on both sides made it extremely difficult. His tongue was protruding from his mouth, firm with concentration. He currently had the edges pieced together and was now working on the centre. Carla frowned. "That's not a nice thing to say about your sister."
"So? She calls me doucheface all the time."
"No she doesn’t," said Carla, lying. Dennis laughed in the background, exposing his wife's lie. Carla groaned. "Well, it's still not nice."
Teddy placed a piece in the jigsaw and punched the air in celebration. He scooped another handful from the box and placed them on the carpet. "I saw Dani cry today."
Carla and Dennis both looked at their son. Dennis flicked his eyes towards Carla and nodded, his eyes speaking clearly. This sounds like a girl problem . Carla nodded. "When, honey?"
"When I got back from football. We couldn’t play because of the rain so I came home early. I went to my room, that’s when I saw her." Carla nodded and stood up, preparing to pay her daughter a visit. Dennis looked over. "Leave her be. She likes being alone, you know that."
"Why would she cry?"
"Who knows? She's a teenager," he replied.
"She's a strong teenager, not like many I know. It must be serious."
"She'll be fine. If it's boy troubles, all kids need it. It makes them sensible."
"Parent of the Year over here," Carla smiled. "I suppose you're…oh, hang on."
Muted footsteps sounded on the hallway floor above and Dani emerged on the stairs. She stopped halfway down, leaning on the wooden bannister. "Mum, what weekend are we going away again?"
"The 16 th . Why?" Carla looked at Dani. The tear streaks were all but gone, darkening her normally vibrant eyes. The normal electricity in those brown orbs was
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