Being There

2000 word short snappy and multi layered story exploring the theme of friendship, loyalty, and revenge.

BEING THERE

            I cried when she told me.  As if I were the one who had suffered.  Anna handed me a tissue, she kept saying “look I’ll be alright….” 

            I was angry, it spewed out, “That b*****d, pestering you again, now, after that, haven’t you suffered enough, he just can’t…I won’t allow it…no! “        

            Anna remained passive, murmuring “not to worry,” her voice monotonous and cold.  She usually avoided direct eye contact, but her green eyes held my gaze. I wondered if she expected me to go through everything that had happened.  But she said, “I’ll deal with it…I’ll find a way.”        

          “How, Anna...how will you do that?  No, Jason needs to be stopped now, he’s diabolical, surely you can see it?”   

            She caught her breath, her eyes widened, I thought the force of my words had struck home, when she said wearily, “Look…Susie, you can’t risk it, he might hurt you as well?”  She got up from the settee, hesitated, then made her way to the door saying she had to get back.      

             I followed, “Anna I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, let me help now, I’m not afraid of ‘im, y’know me!

             She turned, and nodded, a flicker of a smile on her pale washed out face, then she was gone. I watched from the window as she made her way across the car park.   

                An angry bitterness welled up, I sat on the settee trying to think rationally, yet Anna’s misery swirled in my head. She’d be driving back to her mother’s house, moving in while her divorce went through. I knew she didn’t like being stuck with her mother, but as she said “It’s temporary and…I’ve got my job.” It gave her a sense of purpose. But now, that solace was snatched from her.     

              I thought back to the first time we met, at my interview with the advertising agency, Anna was waiting for me in reception, a sweet, pencil slim woman, with fine delicate features.  She led me through the endless corridors to the interview panel, I was glad of her nervous chatter.  I got the job, and was given a desk right next to hers.   

              I was in raptures, but the downside was lurking. And he was sitting opposite me. I could see his top half above the low privacy barrier, a bulky looking guy in his early thirties, a manicured goatee and staring eyes.  “Hi, I’m Jason,” he said proudly, in smooth clipped tones, his eyes locking onto mine. “Welcome to my team.” Even then, I was wary, as he dominated the conversation, and tried to be witty.  Then his expression changed, he became serious, speaking quietly, telling me that if I needed anything, he was the person I should ask because “he was the one with the connections….” I looked across at Anna, expecting her to join in…she was silent, her gaze fixed on the laptop screen.   

              I tried to get up from the settee but my head was still spinning with the memories of working with Anna. It didn’t take me long to figure out that Jason was an egotistical thirty something creep. A legend in his own mind, I’d say this to amuse Anna, especially before the weekly meetings, we’d discuss his menacing ways.  He’d target some hapless individual, finding subtle means to undermine them, rooting them to the spot with his relentless stare, poor sods. I’d glance at Anna across the shiny executive table, and we’d give each other that knowing look.       

              Like Anna, I was an Accounts Executive, and damn good at my job.    Proactive and charming, I maintained my client quota with ease. I did well, everyone said so, except Jason.   I could feel and smell his envy.  Anna told me to be careful, she was always telling me to be careful.           

            Thoughts continued to drift across my mind…I remembered how Anna was forced to tell me what had happened.  We’d been lounging in the creative zone, a colourful themed area of the office, designed to evoke inspiration for dull minds, but used for gossip and back-stabbing. Jason suddenly appeared.  He looked directly at Anna, ignoring me. She seemed anxious, but I figured that was normal, he had that effect on the staff.       

            “Rob said you were here.”  His snearing tone continued, “Could I have a word in private?”  And off he went.

               I kept silent, looking across at Anna for an explanation, but none came. She put her head down, dark silky hair falling across her face.  Then she stood up quickly and trailed after him down the corridor, nervously glancing around, aware of potential earwiggers behind the cosy partitions.    

             Anna was back at her desk within the hour, her face ashen, she hardly looked at me and left early with a whisper of “Will speak later.”

             I remember the awfulness of that early evening call to Anna.  I thought it was just a normal sort of catch up.        

            “Look, I couldn’t tell you before….” she paused, her voice strained… something was off track. 

          “He…he...” she said. I could see she was upset.   

            My heart pounded, “Anna, what‘s wrong,” I asked in desperation.   

           “He wanted to make sure I kept quiet, that I wouldn’t speak of it, oh God Susie, I should’ve told you.  I’m so ashamed… can’t say now…”  

              I knew it was serious, but I still had no inkling of the horror to come. I said we need to meet up, deciding on a convenient Pub halfway between the city and her mother’s house.   

              I arrived first, bought two drinks, and found a quiet spot at the back.  When she came in I got up and hugged her, she looked tired, and refused the drink.  We sat facing each other, at first she wouldn’t look at me, I felt queasy….I spoke first.    

             “So what was it…the private word…what did Jason want?  I tried to sound normal, but I remember my voice, rasping, a bit loud, someone looked over at us, I just wanted to know what had happened.

            “He asked if anyone knew about it”   She paused, staring into space.

            “So I told him no, no, I’d not said anything….My God how can he ask me that.” 

            “Ask you what, about what?”  I remember feeling irritated, trying to piece it together.

             “I was so ashamed of myself, that’s why I couldn’t tell you, oh God Susie, I feel so bad, so horrible….” 

             And she told me.  His ‘quiet word’ was a warning to keep her mouth shut about what happened in the cellar eight months ago, before I started at the agency.   She spoke matter of factly, saying he’d been pestering her for months, and engineered opportunities to work alone with her.  She said, each time, his comments became more disgusting, she kept thinking he’d stop, and then…in the cellar.

              I was the first �" and only �" person she’d told.  I sat open mouthed, trying to speak but the words got stuck.  “But…but I didn’t know.”  

            “How could you.” she whispered.   

             The incident was buried deep in her psyche.  He’d raped her in the cellar where the archived files are kept.  That’s what she said, I stupidly repeated it, “…in the cellar…the files…” trying to make sense of the incongruous description “…in the cellar…where the archived files are kept….”  She told me of the gruesome disgusting act perpetrated by Jason.

            “Anna, did you tell Rob?”

             Rob was our line manager, I guessed the response, no she hadn’t and what good it would do anyway, as Jason’s best buddy, Rob couldn’t be trusted.     

           “Did you contact the police?”

            Thin tears welled up in her tired eyes.  

           “He said if I told anyone he’d kill me.”

           “Not if you kill ‘im first�"“

            “Oh Susie please don’t say that, you frighten me when you talk like that.”

              Back at work, I was seething, and tried to avoid Jason. It was impossible, as they’d announced his promotion, so he swaggered around, bloated with confidence.   

                I was on my way upstairs, he was coming down.  “Good news then isn’t it, Susie?” he said sarcastically.

                I looked up at his big greedy face, I could tell from his eyes, he knew that Anna had told me.  I wanted to spit in that face.  Instead I threw him a challenging look as we passed each other, and said “It is for some.”   

                I carried on, then I heard him,”And of course, Susie,” I’ll be making a few executive decisions…very soon.”

                Glancing back, I could see he’d stopped and was looking up at me, unsmiling, except for a snide gloating expression.  I turned away, muttering “you evil b*****d” under my breath hoping he’d heard it. I felt quite sick.  

                Turned out, one of those decisions involved a fake redundancy - mine.  I was fired.  Anna was shocked, but she stayed, I asked why, there was no answer, the trauma hidden behind blank scared eyes.     

                I should have been looking for another job, but I was afraid for Anna, and needed to act before he struck again.

                The solution came to me suddenly, I sprang up from the settee, it was like a veil had been lifted. I couldn’t change what happened, but I could make sure it didn’t happen again.

               Thought I’d be shocked at the reality of getting a pistol, learning how to use it, and planning the next steps, but I thrived on the anguish, for the harm Jason had caused.     

                I knew one of the guys at the gym had a thing for me, he’d be useful now, rumours about his background turned out to be true. I met up with him one night after work, and got to the point. He didn’t look surprised, and he gave me a number. I gave him the cash, handing over more cash two days later on a dark autumn night. He was thin and nameless, he wore a hoodie, kept his head down,   told me to wait and keep checking my gym locker.  It turned up a couple of weeks later, neatly wrapped in wads of brown paper.   I liked handling the weapon with its fitted silencer, following the handwritten instructions from a sheet of grubby A4 paper, which said the text would disappear within 24 hours. There’d be no trace to me.

              By this time I’d been following Jason after work, he was a regular at one of the slimy late night bars on the city outskirts.  I watched his excursions with women down an adjacent alley, into the area behind the building. I wasn’t surprised. 

              Friday.  This was it.  I got the bus into the city, getting off one stop before the bar, I’d figured out the CCTV black spot. I crossed over the road, staying on the opposite side and headed towards the bar, circling the block until I saw him going in, his noxious image filled my brain.  I felt in my jacket pocket for the pistol.  Then, he came out with a woman, as expected.  I watched them go down the alley and round the back. I waited, she came out after ten minutes, hurrying back, probably looking for another punter.   He’d have his smoke, it would be his last.  

               My stomach churned…but it had to be done. I walked sharply across the road, driven by a rage that I couldn’t even explain to myself.

               I turned into the alley, and stood flat against the wall.  He came round the corner, stopping to light a cigarette, the ambler glow briefly outlining his   slouching frame.   He had a few drags, then carried on walking.  I quickly stepped forward into his direct view…he stopped. 

                “Who’s that? You’ve come back for more eh?”

                 Remembering the instructions, I squared up to the target... raised the pistol, aimed, and pulled the trigger, jerking backwards as the recoil slithered through my wrists and shoulders.      

                 He fell down, a black bulky heap.

                 I breathed long and hard and said out loud in the cold night air, “I’m here for you Anna….I always have been.”                

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

Author's Note

All constructive criticism gratefully received, in return, I'll happily review your work.