A Grave Never Dug

"We stand here today, around a hole that shouldn't be filled by one so young. Astrid will

be missed dearly," the pastor said, with sorrow in his voice.

Her father stood up, and grabbed a handful of dirt, tears falling from his face. The crime boss everybody is scared of. Crying. I stood up next, also throwing dirt on top of the one person in this life I loved. Her father and I walked away, escorted by 4 guys, all armed. He got in h is car, I got in mine. I drove off, going to my apartment. It was time to hunt. I pulled up to my apartment, in lower Manhattan, looking at the single boarded up window, the old door that was one red, but is now a dull brown color. Home sweet home. I unlocked the door and went in, to the smell of her perfume. I made a promise to her, and tonight I would break it. The people who killed her would die. Slowly, painfully, praying for all of the pain to stop. I walked over to my closet and got dressed. The stereotypical black outfit, with combat boots, shoulder holsters. Then came the final pieces to my outfit. A large, black body armor was donned next, and over that, a long black trench coat.

Walking out of my apartment, my phone rang. It was the lead detective on the case.

"Hello?" I answered into my phone.

"Hello. Is this Michaël Feell?" he responded.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"My name is Hayes. I am the lead detective on Astrid's case. I'm not supposed to do this, but I need your help finding the people who did this."

"What clues do you have?"

"We have a plate on the car that fled the building you were in, the blade that was used to decapitate her, and the bullet out of your shoulder."

"Put everything in a box, and put it on top of your squad car. I'll meet you in ten and a half minutes."

Hanging up the phone, I floored my car flying to the police station. I got there in four and a half minutes later, using the other six to make sure I wasn't walking into a trap.

I walked up behind him, and took the box. He turned around and saw me. Looking at his watch, it was indeed ten and a half minutes since I talked to him. We looked at each other. I turned my back and started walking away.

"I don't care if you let them serve time, or make them suffer, but you have to get them. All of them." The pain in his voice was clear. He hated those people nearly as much as I did. I put the stuff in the back of my car, getting in to drive to see her father. I drive across town to the boss's lair.

"I'm here to see Bosu. Get out of my way," I commanded the foot soldier standing at the door as he pulled a gun, a Kimber, and stuck it in my face.

"Only people with appointments meet the boss. Walk away before I put one in you," he snarled at me. Grinning, I rolled up my sleeve revealing the mark of a general. His face went ghost white, and he quickly stepped to the side. I walked into his office.

"Konnichiwa. Anata no tasuke ga hitsuyōdesu."

"English today, my son."

"I need your help. I'm going after the family that did this. I will wipe them out."

"What do you need?"

"I need guns, ammo. And a car. All untraceable. And I need as many knives as I can carry."

The look in his eyes said it all. He was scared of me. I went to the bathroom and I could see the rage in my own eyes. I came back out, and sat down next to the Bosu. When the lower level foot soldiers brought in the cases holding my weapons, they finally figured out who i was. I had a nickname that struck fear into the hearts of everybody that heard it. I was called the avenging angel. They handed me the keys to a blacked-out Humvee, and loaded all my weapons into it. I hugged the man who gave me everything, and walked out of the building.

The first thing I did was go and find the van. I traced it back to a shop that the Italian mafia. I found out that was one of their stash houses. And I burned it. I burned it to the ground, killing everybody inside. It was a threat. The response I got was everything I wanted. They wanted a war, and they got one. One they couldn't win. I got back in my car and waited for to boss of the family to come see what happened. And in that moment, I slipped into memories.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" the waiter asked us

"May I have omanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1990" my Astrid, my girlfriend asked. The waiter left, and came back with a bottle of red wine. He poured our glasses, then left. We looked at our menus, and we decided what we wanted. When our waiter came back, we ordered. Astrid ordered a salmon filet, with asparagus and toast. I ordered a steak, rare in the middle with a side of potatoes and green beans. He left and we sat, talking and laughing. Her smile was so rare, and here she was, smiling at me. We ate our food, and ordered dessert. Our chocolate cake came and went. We got up to leave, and i left a generous tip. We walked out, and the last thing I remember is her scream. Like a knife through my heart. I woke up in a factory. I looked over, and I saw her, sitting there, tied up. There were guys behind her, all speaking a language I thought was Russian. Walking up to her, the first guy opened his knife, and grinned. One by one, her cloths were cut off. The sound of her screams, unforgettable. They forced themselves upon her, one by one, all of them laughing as they destroyed her soul. After they all had their fun, the guy that was obviously their leader walked up to her. What came next was sickening. He cut her fingers off, joint by joint and put them in a bag. After that were her ears. She was in and out of consciousness the entire time. He started cutting her skin off like you would a deer. All I heard was the dripping of her blood on the floor, drop by drop. After they cut all of her skin off, they cut her head off, and put her body parts in a box, wrapped it, and put a bow on it. I thought they had forgot about me. The boss turned towards me, and cut me free.

"Take this to her father. Tell him exactly what happened here. Or we will kill you."

I ran. I ran as fast as I could to his house, his guards stopping me at the front door. I looked at them, and was allowed to go by. I found her father, in his study looking at his ledger. I knew it well. I collected half the money, or favors that ledger detailed. I handed him the box, and fell to my knees, knowing the woman I loved is dead. Knowing I might be soon as well. He opened the box and dropped it, right on his desk. He called his guards in. They saw the look on his face, and they knew. There was a war coming.

"Sir, i know i failed you by letting her die, but I want to take vengeance on the family who did this." The grim look on his eyes, and I knew he would let me.

The slam of a car door took me out of the past. I looked up, and saw a low-level thug. One of the three that decided it would be ok to kill my dear Astrid. Getting out of my car, I walked up to him. I started a conversation with the guy. He was so dumb, he didn't remember me. I reached up towards his face, my knives appearing in my hands. His face looked so pleasing, the fear in his eyes was a drug. I started slicing him in places that wouldn't kill him. The back of his hand was first. Then his Achilles tendon was next. I opened my wings for the first time that night. I had become the one they would call the Avenging Angel. I displayed his body for all to see. A challenge. He was a lifeless messenger. I got back in my car, going home. I had moved, because the memories were too hard to try to live with. My new place was a small, run down town house with holes in the roof, busted windows, electrical problems bad enough to kill with one misstep. A place nobody would look. I took my knives out of my sleeve, where they are stashed and put them away. Carefully avoiding the puddle, I walked over to my stained moth-eaten bed. Flopping down, I made a big dust cloud. I fell asleep soon after my head hit the pillow. Dreaming of her, like every other night.

"Are you ok?"

I look up to see a pretty red-haired girl looking down at me. She had black skinny jeans and a light blue band shirt under an unzipped leather jacket.

"What?"

"Are you ok?"

She looked at the people by her side, and with one look they came over to help me up. She walked right up to me and wiped the dirt off my face. Digging in her fancy clutch, she pulled out a pack of face wipes. Taking one out she cleans the blood off of my face.