Cold Blood by Alexandra Littler (top non fiction books of all time TXT) 📖

I’ve decided today is the day I just want a little dog, well, big dog.


THREE HOURS LATER

Marco’s back. I can hear him and his ridiculous car its pink...PINK! I’m sure he thinks he’s Lady Penelope.
I hear a dog barking. I run to the door and throw it open. There is a white Akita sitting on my door step.
Marco says her name is Ice. She’s beautiful, it suits her completely.


THE NEXT DAY


I’m sitting on the couch with Ice, my new best friend.
I’ve told my employers that I’m going to lie low for a while so the police don’t catch me again.


I’m going to go back in two weeks. In the mean time I’m going to get closer to Ice.


THE NEXT DAY

Today me and Ice are going to the park. I get her new lead and walk to the front door. She follows me and I give her a treat. Instead of putting the lead on her I put it in my pocket. I’m confident that I can trust her not to run of. We walk down the road towards the park with her always off the lead.


I love the way she is so loyal. When we get to the park I let her run. I have brought a tennis ball so we play fetch which she and I both enjoy.
For the first time in a long time I’m happy to just live and see what tomorrow brings. In two weeks I have my next assignment but to be honest I’d rather just hang up my hat and settle down. However it’s not that easy. If I don’t work I don’t get any money and I have to keep my head down if I want to stay free.


ONE WEEK LATER


In five days I’ve got to go and get my next assignment. It will be good to get back into a routine again although I wish I could take Ice.
Hang on. Wait a minute. That’s it. I’ll be walking Ice. Take one shot and then stroll away, what could be simpler?
The police will never suspect a child walking a dog.
I need to go and get a shower now I’m going shopping tonight to get some more dog food for my favourite girl.


TWO HOURS LATER


I’m back. I went to ASDA.
As well as dog food I bought her some treats, a new ball and some more toys.
She likes her new rag rope and slippers (for destroying) which she is chewing on right now. I also bought her a basket to sleep in and a blanket for when it’s cold.


FIVE DAYS LATER

I’m going to work today. I ring the agency. They tell me to go to safe house 32b.
When I get there I’m gave a large brown envelope and a box of .45 calibre bullets.
Then I’m pushed back on to the street.


I rush home hiding the things under my coat.
When I get home I curl up on the couch with ice and open the brown envelope. There is a photo and an information sheet.


The persons name is Steph. She is from the home office. She started poking around in her boss’s office and found out that he was linked to a criminal organization. She is planning to go to the cops tonight so we, AKA me, have got to stop her.

She leaves work at about nine fifteen, she will get to the police station at about nine twenty so that gives me five minutes to get her. If I am successful I will receive three million.

If her boss goes down most of the criminal underworld goes with him. He’s made that plain to the agency. He will sing like a canary if he gets nicked. Whatever happened to community spirit? Just think if he does talk that will be a well paid assignment for someone, if you know what I mean. So basically if I don’t complete this assignment, a lot of people are going to suffer, me being one of them.


TWO HOURS LATER


It’s time to go.
Me and Ice leave my flat and walk over to the office building where the target works. Fifteen minutes to spare, me and Ice walk right past and I let Ice off the lead and play with her for a while.


TWO MINUTES TO GO

We walk over to the nearest bush and I pretend that Ice has gone the toilet, so I stoop as though to pick it up and pull out a tiny gun from my pocket.
I put the doggy bag in the bin and continue playing with Ice.
The women steps out and turns right. I squeeze the trigger, one small pop and time to start walking home, tossing the gun in the park lake as I go.

The criminal underworld is safe for now.


I slowly walk along I now have the perfect cover. I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, plus the police aren’t looking for someone fitting my description. I’m safe.
When we get home there are three messages on my answering machine.
Two are from the agency. They want me to come over immediately.
The other is from Jake my supplier he wants me to come over he has a present for me. I rush over to the agency and knock on the door.

I am shown to a large boardroom and seated near the head of the table. A lot more people arrive and take their places around the table. My boss comes in and sits next to me at the head of the table. The meeting begins, I am lost in politics.


FIVE HOURS LATER


I stumble out carrying a thick brown envelope.
Basically a lot of people have decided to save a local park that was going to be built on. Our client however doesn’t like that, so has employed me to pick the committee off one by one.
There are five but I reckon I can finish them all off within a week.
That is if I don’t get caught which won’t happen, I hope.
I go home and put the envelope carefully into my secret safe.


FIVE MINUTES LATER

I walk out of the door with Ice by my side.
It’s a ten minute walk to Jakes but with Ice by my side it goes much quicker.
I get to Jakes and knock at the door. He lets me in and I sit on the couch in the front room, Ice curls up at my feet.
Jake comes in carrying a back trumpet case, he puts it on my knee and sits down next to me. I cautiously flip the locks and ease the lid open, Jake knows I wasn’t any good at music at school so I’m curious to see what is in the case.


Cradled in the plush blue velvet is a bullet proof jacket and a small gun, there is also a large box of shiny .45 calibre bullets.
The beauty of it is that no one will know my jacket is bullet proof unless I take it off and start waving it about. Jake is just like Father Christmas, lots of nice presents, he gives me a stab proof vest.
This is good because it means I can wear both and be twice as safe. I’ll wear them when I’m working tonight. They will keep me warm if nothing else.


Chapter Three
BOOM!! And a Nasty Surprise.


I leave Jakes. Me and ice go to the chippy on the way home. I know that if I don’t eat now I won’t have time later. I have a busy night tonight. If the committee aren’t assassinated quickly their little organization will grow and get out of control.
If they save their precious park a lot of investors will lose money. As will the company hiring us. Personally I think it will be a piece of cake if I can catch them all together I can plant a bomb. Luckily for me they have a big meeting tonight and they’re all going to be there.


SEVEN O’CLOCK
I’m sitting outside the venue of their precious meeting. I planted a bomb an hour ago and as soon as they’re all there I’m going to detonate it.
I have next to me the little remote that will detonate the bomb. I like fire. It fascinates me. I think I’ll enjoy this particular job.
SEVEN THIRTY
One more person to go a Mr James Mitchell. Really I shouldn’t have his last name but because it was a bulk order they couldn’t give me a more in depth description than James Mitchell fat and balding and always wears a tweed jacket.
Oh here’s his car and yes he’s in the building. I wait five seconds to let him get right in and then I push the small red button!
The whole building seems to shake and then a fountain of fire streams through all the doors and windows.


BOOM!!!


Ah well time to go home, job complete and with minimum fuss.
One bomb, KA BOOM! All dead. No hassle for me. Perfect.
THE NEXT DAY
I go to the agency to collect my money. It is five million in cash.
I might use it to buy a new bomb. As you might have guessed my old one just went boom last night.
Tomorrow I have a day off because of the size of last night’s assignment; you wouldn’t think there would be so much work in one city. I just wonder when I will have to move away.
TWO DAYS LATER
I have a surprise to day and it isn’t a pleasant one. Someone has posted a letter through my door saying they know who I am. I force down my weetabix as my heart sinks in dread. This could be a major problem because they know where I live and I’m not prepared to move, I won’t be chased out that easily.
But if they go to the police they won’t put me in a cell with windows, I will be locked out of the sun. Another problem is that if the agency find out they will see me as a liability and I will lose my job or worse. No staff support or retirement programme in this game.
It feels as if my life is crumbling around me.
What am I going to do? It’s like I’m stuck on a roller coaster that’s about to crash.

For the first time in my life I feel, well…. scared!


If it wasn’t for Ice sitting by the door I would probably be hiding under my bed right now.
It’s not a nice feeling because when you’re this side of the law, if someone knows who you are the only options are to brick it and run or stay and face the consequences.
I have only the second option open to me at this moment in time.
THE NEXT DAY
Suddenly Ice starts barking, that’s not good at all.
I hesitantly make my way across the room. I ease open the door and see a white Caucasian male standing down the hall. He