PROLOGUE: SMOKING GUN
He watched both of them dancing together, rage intensifying with every passing second. Seeing these two move so eloquently as one cohesive unit filled him with a level of fury that previously seemed impossible to reach.
And to make matters worse, they didn’t even seem to notice. Regardless of how long his stare lingered, or the length of time that he remained glued to this same spot, neither one of them paid any attention whatsoever.
It was almost as if they didn’t care. Apparently, all that mattered to them was each other, and nothing else.
How can this not bother them? Why won’t they acknowledge me? Am I really just being blatantly ignored? This is unacceptable.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. No, things were definitely not going according to plan at all. After everything that had been done up to this point, all those steps taken and the insane amount of effort exerted, he was still not getting desired results.
The dancing continued, just as fluid and smooth as before. Clearly, this tandem fit very nicely, like two peas in a pod. Some may even say that they belong together. He refused to go this far though, mainly because it was a disheartening truth that simply couldn’t be handled.
While still watching from that same spot, a new emotion bubbled to the surface: jealousy now coursed through him like blood. He hated to admit that kind of feeling about anyone, particularly these two. Yet this was the stone cold reality, however unpleasant.
That led to another emotion, one even more powerful than the previous: hatred.
Yes, he hated each of them, with absolutely every fiber of his being. And the fact that nothing has been progressing as originally envisioned only fueled this fire of rancor even more.
Fortunately, a backup plan existed, one surefire failsafe that would alleviate this problem entirely. He vowed to only execute this strategy at the last possible moment, when all else seemed hopeless, and not a second sooner.
Well, that moment had arrived. No time like the present.
Nobody would have any reason to suspect him. Because he belonged here right now, just like everyone else, and his presence created no cause for trepidation.
But that was all about to change, in a very big way.
Staring darkly towards the dance floor, he located the happy couple again. An instant later, a previously holstered gun was now being held in his steady hands.
He had never done this before, nor even come close. So there should have been an incredible amount of nerves, perhaps even reluctance. But there was none; not an ounce of hesitation lurked at all. This felt surprisingly natural and easy. Above all else, it felt right.
Without a second thought, he aimed this weapon towards the dance floor, and pulled its trigger.
Then all hell broke loose….
