I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal
Chapter 51: Angry Adam

Chapter 51: Angry Adam

Sophia’s mother was frozen in place by Adam’s icy gaze. The silence that pervaded the kitchen was more menacing than any yell. There was a real pressure on the eardrums from the fear in the room.

"Listen lady" Adam said finally his voice a low gravelly sound. "If you want to call the police be my guest. Go ahead. Call them."

He paused letting the words hang in the air.

"But after you do whatever happens to your family whatever happens to your daughters you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. Their dark future will be your responsibility."

It was not a loud threat. It was a silent, well-considered factual statement. Sophia’s mother was physically struck by it. She flinched as though he had hit her. Her expression changed from one of defiance to one of fear.

"What... what do you mean?" she stammered. Her courage was gone replaced by a creeping dread.

Adam didn’t answer right away. He pointed a finger at one of the dead assassins the one he had killed first by the door.

"This man here" Adam said his voice flat. "He’s a cop."

It was a bomb of a revelation. A dishonest police officer. One of the men sent to murder him. It was a carefully selected fragment of the truth intended to distort their perception of the circumstances. It was a perfect success.

Sophia’s face lost all of its color. She had a flashback to the day before. to her bully, Andrew. On the hill behind the school, to his threat. Andrew’s father was a police officer, which is a terrifying fact.

She made a terrible mental connection. Because of what Adam had done to Andrew, she believed that these men were present. She thought that the violent outcome of the protection he had provided for her was retaliation.

She felt a wave of guilt so strong it made her sick. What Adam had done to elicit such a lethal reaction was beyond her comprehension. She had not been brave enough to question him about what had happened on the hill. The answer now frightened her.

Adam noticed the expression on her face. He noticed the glimmer of understanding and remorse in her eyes. He was fully aware of her thoughts. However, he was unable to speak. He was unable to reveal her secret to her Family. That would only make matters more difficult for her and worsen her predicament. For the time being, he had to allow her to believe her own version of events.

He sighed deeply. It was a very tired sound. He ignored the three women. He got down on his knees next to the bodies and got to work. He unzipped the first assassin’s tactical vest and started to pull it off.

His deliberate, heartless behavior was extremely unsettling. Although it was thin and reedy, Sophia’s mother’s voice returned.

"What are you doing?" she inquired in a horrified and incredulous tone.

Adam’s head turned abruptly. He looked over his shoulder at her with a scowl.

"Go sit in a room" he snarled his voice laced with a raw aggression that was startling. "Go sit in your shop. Just stay out of my way. I’m doing your job for you. I have no interest in getting involved in your problems."

The words were harsh brutal. They were a lie but they were a necessary one. He was pushing them away for their own safety. The lie stung. It made him sound like a monster. But it was better than the truth.

The force of his anger was too much for Sophia’s mother. She had been holding back tears barely keeping her composure. His verbal assault shattered her last reserves of strength. She began to cry silently her shoulders shaking.

Sophia saw her mother’s tears. She heard the raw anger in Adam’s voice. She understood he was pushing them away. She reached out and took her mother’s hand.

"Mom let’s go" she said softly.

Anastasia understood too. She took her mother’s other hand. Together the two girls led their weeping mother out of the kitchen. They walked her through the corridor and into the small closed shop at the front of the house.

The three of them sat down among the dusty shelves and forgotten merchandise. Sophia’s mother stared blankly at a wall lost in a state of profound shock. Anastasia sat close to her a small pillar of support. After a few minutes of heavy silence the little girl looked up at her older sister.

"I think you should go to your friend" Anastasia said her voice surprisingly steady. She was young but she was perceptive. She knew Sophia belonged out there with Adam.

Sophia looked at her sister. She nodded slowly. She got up and left the shop closing the door behind her. She walked back down the hallway her heart pounding. When she reached the kitchen she saw Adam had already finished stripping the bodies of their gear. He had rolled each one up in a clean bedsheet from the linen closet. The three white bundles lay on the floor a stark and horrifying sight.

She approached him from behind her footsteps hesitant. She stopped a few feet away from him.

"Can I..." she began her voice a small timid whisper. "Can I help you?"

Adam didn’t turn around. He didn’t even pause in his work.

"You have good timing" he said without looking at her. "I could use a helping hand." His voice was calm again.

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We are so grateful to each and every one of you for joining the adventure! Your assistance is greatly appreciated. I appreciate each and every one of your Power Stones, which are like mana potions that keep me writing if you are enjoying the story.

Let us have some fun now! I want YOU in this world. The new signature technique is about to be named by our hero. What ought it to be called?

Leave your most inventive suggestions in the comments section! I will choose my favorite, and it will be included in the story’s canon with a special mention for you.

I am eager to read your insightful recommendations!

Alphaboss

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