Chapter 1

Sarah rushed into her apartment, nearly running into her friend and flatmate Tyler, who stood there wondering about what had just happened, still in her pajamas, with a concerned expression on her face. She slammed her bedroom door shut, threw herself on her bed. She landed with a thud and screamed, "I am the greatest stupid upon this planet!!!" repeatedly. Her face buried in a doughnut shaped plushie. Hitting her forehead on the soft pillow repeatedly.

Tyler knew that on one of those days, even if her beloved friend Sarah needed company, she should avoid going there. She has always been like that. The one who is always in a bad mood. After living with her for three years straight, Tyler knew how unpredictable she can get at times like this. She was actually afraid of her temper but she entered her bedroom anyway.

Seeing Sarah lying like a lifeless log in her bed, she kind of felt bemused. She was indeed a cruel yet a sweet friend of hers. Even people who appeared perfect can do stupid at times. She was that kind of woman.

Tyler advanced, taking slow yet measured steps towards her bed. Sarah stopped moving for a few seconds. And didn't say anything. She needed to prepare something beforehand. Some words to comfort her. Even though she had no idea what Sarah was thinking and what has happened.

She looked at her for one last time but Sarah seemed to be sleeping? Nah that can't be or is it the case? She wondered.

"Where were you last night?" said Tyler as she sat down on the bed beside her apparently motionless body and tried to make sense of all the fiasco.

Sarah jumped up, both of her hands still in her hair. She did not answer. There was alot to talk about. Alot of things undiscovered. Unheard stories to tell. How to start? How can she explain it all in a few words? Will Tyler understand what danger awaited them both? Sarah pondered pacing the room.

She avoided the concerned Tyler for a few seconds but then she faced her. She had to have some words! Why has she lost words for all this? She wasn't the only one who was in danger but Tyler was too.

'Wait! what! Sarah's hand is bandaged? It was ok last night so how come?' Tyler noticed while looking at her right hand now resting on her right hip.

"What's with your hand? It was alright last night!" Tyler asked.

"Have I told you about Harry, my old coworker?"

Sarah found the real words to describe the things she has been hiding from Tyler. Well Tyler knew what she did before she moved to New York and why she chose to flee from her homeland Turin (If that was what it was).

On the other hand, Tyler was shocked to hear a boy's name from her friend's lips. She has never talked to her about her old colleagues. She didn't want to talk about it. And she also did not insist, afraid to make her sad. She was about to say something big, cuz that's she was now talking about what she hated to even think of. Tyler was sure of that.

'No' was she could say at that very moment. Her eyes were wide open with surprise.

"Well, I'll tell you now. This is the crazy horrible guy I still prefer to avoid. He has always been there with me when I killed people. I got my hands dirtied with the blood of people I didn't even know existed."

"You killed people? Like for real?" Tyler laughed heartily like it was the biggest joke she had heard, banging her hands against both of her hips. Sarah did not expect that response from her. She looked bewildered.

"Well yes I did. Its true. And you know that."

"Great job! I expected this from you." She gave Sarah thumbs up, and ginned from ear to ear. "It's clear from your words that the man you are talking about is dear to you. You adore him," Tyler said matter-of-factly. She noticed the red color on her face. A sudden rush of emotion she had never seen on her friends face. She was a psychologist for a reason.

'Tyler better stop or else you'll end up like those people that I killed. You know what I am capable of then why!?'

"Oh, shut the f***k up! Pay attention to what I'm about to say." She gave her a cold stare. Tyler shut her mouth close. 'No need to make her furious. Otherwise she won't tell me about the reason for her late night adventures.' Tyler thought to herself.

"You know what? Last night, a man appeared out of nowhere and attempted to stab me, but I prevented him from doing that. You know I am very good fighter. I fought him back. But injured my hand in the process.",showing Tyler her bandaged hand. Tyler examined it for few seconds. It was badly injured but bandaged by a professional for sure.

"I ran as quickly as I could down an unknown street from him ( I could have killed him right at that instant but I didn't cut I was afraid to break my promise) I saw a window open, so I crawled up through the pipes and entered a dark empty room. You know that I am an outstanding climber too! When the guy couldn't locate me, he disappeared because the entire house looked like a deserted old building but it wasn't. There had been no lights on. And I couldn't guess that it had inhabitants in there too Probably the people living there weren't home?"

"Thank Goodness!" I gasped. To my surprise, I was confronted by somebody. A cherry in top. That someone was holding my stomach really hard. I struggled before I started yelling, "Let me go, I'm not a robber!" The man, yes, of course, it was a man, released me from his grip.

As I have said before because the lights were switched off, I couldn't see anything but when he turned them on, I couldn't see too because of the sudden glare, and when my sight recovered, what I saw was unexpected because the stranger was none other than Harry. He kept staring at me and calling my name over and over again. Stupid! For the first time in my life, I buried my face in my hands, ( I have no idea why I did that) but he saw that my hand was bleeding severely so he advanced and said, 'Relax! When I saw you, I knew you were trying to escape from somebody. Your hand is bleeding; it requires a bandage,' so he wrapped it in bandages and I told him everything; I don't know why, but I did. He is the only person who know me too well maybe that's why? We were best friends back in the time. But not now.

He exited the room, leaving me on his bed to go out and get some water. When he returned, I pretended to be sleeping, so he turned off the lights and departed the room, closing the door behind him. And soon I fell asleep, I would have made my escape but I'd didn't cuz I was exhausted and before he could find me again in the morning, I managed to flee through the same window."

Throughout this narrative, Tyler was staring at her friend in utter disbelief, while Sarah was pacing all over the room. She finally tried to avoid staring at her friend and said "I know what you're thinking, I'm such a f**king idiot! I was running away from one problem and ended up in another, right? What if he eventually finds me once more? I'm sure he will!"

"Do you mean you slept in his bedroom in his bed?" Tyler expressed utter shock in her arrogant and proud flatmate, who was speaking politely for the first time since they met.

"That's exactly the problem. I should have got back home but I didn't. That man was after me and I knew he would have found me of I had escaped. Oh well it all ended but what can I do now?"

"You are not the one I know! I had no idea you could love someone!" Tyler was still not getting her point. She was thinking about Harry not the real problem. Well Harry was a problem too.

"What the hell are you thinking? He is my greatest enemy, And will always keep that in mind."

Tyler tried to change the topic by asking, "Who was the man who tried to kill you?"

"I know who he was, but what scares me is that if that guy really knows who I am, I would be in big trouble. And he'll find out about Harry's and my badblood. And he'll use him against me or maybe try to kill us both. I don't give a f**k to what he'll do to Harry but me. I have to do something about this man. Really quick."

"You can not hide like that. You have to be at your work you know you need money to find your brother remember?"

"Yep, you are right; no one will stop me from doing my job, even if it is that guy!" said Sarah enthusiastically, but without revealing the assassin's name.

"That's my girl! Now you have to get up to go to work because it's getting late," Tyler said that as she rose from the bed and patted Sarah on the back. She hopped out from the bed. Sarah felt relieved and dressed up for work, but something inside herself told her to remain at home, so she changed into her usual clothes and headed to the dining table.

"What? You aren't going?"

"What are you thinking? You're not going?"

"No, I don't think so. I have some very important business to take care of "She spoke as she sat at the table.

Marcus, her work colleague, was her best friend. They always worked from home together if she was not in the mood to go out of her place.

"Hi, how are you?" Marcus replied.

"Hi, everything is perfect with me. Isn't the meeting today?"

"Yes, and you must be there because Sam was asking about you. I believe he has discovered something concerning your brother."

"Obviously, I'll be there. I do have something to talk about. Today I would like to work at home!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, indeed. Look, I've got a plan. Would you like to meet me at one o'clock in the afternoon?"

"Of course, why not?"

"At my place probably!"

"I'll be there," he said and hung up the phone. Tyler was paying close attention to their conversation.

"Does that mean you'll be avoiding getting out?"

"Yes, you are right. Look! The guy poses a serious threat to us all, including you. You are my only friend, and I would not want to see you die here in this way. No way, I'm not going to let it happen." She smiled smugly as she refilled her empty coffee cup.

"But-"

"There are no buts." There was a brief pause.

"You are aware that I have murdered those who have done wrong in the past, but all I want is to live a better life. I don't want to mess things up, and I won't tell you what I did to him. It's for your own sake." She said this after drinking her coffee in one shot. 'How she did that? It was hot as fire!? She was Sarah Hal after all!!' Tyler thought. Her lips curled into a smile.

Sarah dialed her boss's Eason phone number, and he replied.

"Look Who's calling now?"

"Hi, Eason. Could you please give me today's leave? I have very urgent work at home. Marcus and I will work from home once again." She called him by his name. He didn't mind that though.

"No, I'm not giving you another day off; you're coming right away or you'll be fired!"

"But, Sir, please try to understand!"

'Sir?'

"No, no, no," he said as he hung up the phone. Sarah was irritated and tapped her fingers on the table for a few moments while staring at the emptg cup before her. Trying to recapture the 'episode' all over again. Tyler, on the other hand, was dressed up to prepare to go to the hospital with keys in her hand.

"You know what? I have to go! ", Sarah announced furiously and went to her bedroom.