Wearing one of Jacob’s sweatshirts, Erik kept his head down as he took the fifteen-minute walk to the bus shelter. He knew Jacob was disappointed in his mistakes. After shooting Brandon, Erik had left at the apartment the jacket that he’d worn while committing the murder. Checking for gunshot residue had to be the only reason the FBI showed up for the second time, took the jacket, and left. The only way they would have made the connection with the jacket was if there actually was a camera in that alley area and Erik had overlooked it. He must have walked into the frame, and the FBI recognized him and his jacket and came calling. The county crime lab had to have found GSR on the sleeves, or Erik wouldn’t be wanted for murder.
He couldn’t believe how badly he’d messed up. Now he had to pay the price and complete his task, and hopefully, he would be forgiven. He had to do better going forward.
Erik reached the bus shelter and took a seat. He stared at the intersection and watched traffic go by as he waited for the call from Jacob. A man wearing a gray hoodie gave him a nod as he took a seat to Erik’s left. Neither man spoke. Erik had been told to keep quiet, sit patiently, and leave immediately when the call came in.
Several minutes passed in silence, then Erik grunted loudly and doubled over. He gasped for air as a sharp pain overtook his left side.
The stranger next to him pushed the knife deeply into Erik’s left lung and twisted the handle. The man pulled out the knife and buried it once more, that time in Erik’s left kidney, until Erik collapsed against the side of the shelter. The man took Erik’s phone from his pocket and walked away.
The last words Erik heard were “The deed is done.”