FicWad

The quarry was dark at midnight, it was the tenth anniversary of Zeke’s death and all was quiet. Suddenly a raspy voice spoke one word in a hiss, breaking the silence. The word was “revenge!”
Then all was silent once more.

“Oh John can, you believe that we’ll be married in two weeks,” Bridget, his fiancee gushed, and John smiled indulgently.
“Yes dear,” he said, patting her hand.
The wedding was going to be the biggest thing the town had ever seen, although everyone knew that it was no love match, and everyone who was anyone had been invited. John wanted to make sure no one ever forgot that when he did something he did it big. He knew as he got on in the years that there were younger wolves at the door, wanting to take his place. He wanted to make sure they knew how much money and power he had.
“I have to get back to the bank, honey,” he told Bridget.
She began to pout, “can’t you not go to work for one day,” she said in her little girl voice.
John smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted. He pulled out his wallet and took out a wad of cash, giving it to her.
“Now you buy whatever you want my dear,” he said kissing her on the cheek.
She squealed in delight, and hurried off down the street, her displeasure all ready forgotten.
John smiled again and turned to walk down the street the other way. As he passed a poorly lit alley, a word made him suddenly freeze.
“Revenge!”
He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, heedless of the people jostling around him and stared at the alley. He took a couple of steps and looked down it, but saw nothing. He shook his head as if to clear it and continued up the street.
He stepped in the bank and Victoria, his secretary told him there was a young man waiting in his office for him. Curious, because he didn’t have any appointments for that day, he walked into his office. A young, red-haired man sat there, he stood up as soon as he saw John and held out his hand.
“Mr. Franklin, it’s such a honor to finally meet you,” the man said eagerly. “My name is Gene Hartman and I want to work for you. I just graduated from business school and got on the first train going west. I’ve wanted to work for you since the moment I first heard what a great businessman you are.”
John shook the man’s hand, smiling at his eagerness. “It just happens I need a new bank manager, the old one just up and quit on me yesterday. I don’t usually give jobs to men off the street, but you seem like an honest man.”
Gene smiled warmly, “thank you so much Mr. Franklin,” he said. “When can I start?”
“I’ll show you your office and you can get started today if you would like.” John said, turning and walking out of his office. Gene sent him one hate-filled glare, before smiling brightly and leaving the office.

“Are you still here Mr. Hartman?” John asked when he noticed that Gene’s office was still lit up brightly.
Gene smiled, “there is so much work to be done.” He said, “I’m sorry to say but your old bank manager wasn’t very good at his job.”
John nodded, “I was about to fire him anyway, he just saved me the trouble by quitting. Don’t work too hard,” he told Gene, before turning and walking out of Gene’s office.
Gene glared at John’s back, then got up and left the office. He was the only one still there and he walked quickly toward the door. He had just walked through when he ran into a beautiful woman.
“Excuse me,” he said, grasping her elbow to keep her from falling.
The woman laughed, “I’m sorry, I can be so clumsy.” She looked up at Gene and smiled, “you must be Mr. Hartman, the new bank manager. I’m Bridget Johansen, Mr. Franklin’s fiancee.”
She held out her hand for him to shake it, but instead he grasped it softly and kissed the top.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” he said.
Bridget blushed and giggled, before saying, “I came to find John, is he still in the bank?”
Gene shook his head, “he left before I did, I don’t know where he went.”
Bridget pouted, “oh pooh, and I wanted him to have dinner with me.” She glanced at Gene and brightened. “How about if you have dinner with me instead.”
Gene looked troubled, “I’m not sure if that’s proper.”
Bridget waved his misgivings away, “it’ll be fine,” she insisted, before taking his arm.
She didn’t see the tiny smile of triumph that was on Gene’s face as they walked toward the hotel together.
John was sitting in his study looking over some papers, when he heard footsteps outside his door. He looked up and frowned, Mrs. Givens had the day off and she was the only servant he had right now. He heard the slow footsteps again and wondered if Bridget had come to ask him something. He got up and walked toward the door, opening it, but there was nothing there. Suddenly he heard the footsteps again, this time above him on the second floor. He raced up the steps, intent on catching this intruder, but as soon as he reached the second floor, he heard the footsteps again, this time in the attic. He looked up with confusion, he knew there was no way for anyone to get up there without first passing the steps, he would’ve seen them. He cocked his gun and slowly walked up the attic steps, he could hear the footsteps, going back and forth almost as if someone was pacing and he knew without a doubt that they were waiting for him. He reached the top attic step and pushed open the door, as soon as the door creaked the footsteps stopped.
John walked into the attic, gun raised, and shouted. “I know someone’s in here, show yourself now.”
He listened, but heard nothing, and slowly he walked further in, looking around quickly. Suddenly he saw an image in the mirror that made him gasp, Zeke’s rotting corpse was standing right behind him and he whirled around quickly, but there was nothing there. He became aware of a word being repeated over and over, soft at first, then louder, until John dropped his gun and covered his ears.
“REVENGE! REVENGE!”
John began to scream in terror and pain as the word filled his head. He fell to his knees and howled and as suddenly as the sound began, it ended.
John uncovered his ears and stood up, shaking slightly. He heard a noise downstairs and grabbed his gun, before running down the stairs quickly. He burst into the front room where he had heard the noise and raised his gun, firing before he even thought about it. Bridget dropped the vase she was holding, causing it to shatter on the floor, then grasped her chest. John watched in horror as she fell, almost as if she was in slow motion. Gene reacted quickly and caught her as she fell, before laying her gently on the floor. Dropping the gun, John fell to his knees beside her and grasped her hands, they were already growing cold.
“We wanted to surprise you with flowers,” Bridget gasped out, a trickle of blood running down her cheek.
She suddenly went limp and Gene checked her pulse, before looking at John with contempt.
“She’s dead,” he said, then jumped to his feet and screamed, “she’s dead and you killed her!”
John shook his head, then slowly got to his feet. “No,” he said desperately. “I didn’t know it was her.” He grabbed the gun off the floor, holding it to his head and pulling the trigger. The gun fired, blowing the side of John’s head off. He dropped to the floor, next to Bridget’s body, the gun still held tightly in his hand, his blood mixing with hers.
For a moment Gene stood there, savoring the sweetness of the scene before him, then as he heard the sound of running footsteps, he disappeared.
The townspeople who had heard the second gunshot burst into John’s mansion and stared in horror at what appeared to be a crime of passion. Only one man noticed the word written in John’s blood and he paled in terror.
“Revenge.”

The quarry almost shook with the gleeful laughter of Zeke Simmons, he had gotten his revenge on his murderer, now it was the council member’s turn. One by one each of them would pay, and they would all feel his wrath.