HAHAH omg I keep getting distracted but i finally finished
a single note
Det. Karina Lewis closes her front door, locking it while shrugging off her coat.
Knock… knock… knock…
She spins around. The hallways empty when she was out here, barely a half second ago. Rushing to the door, Karina looks out the peep hole. Nothing. No one. She sighs, damn kids. It wouldn’t be the first time a neighborhood child had “pranked” her. Nevertheless, it wasn’t cause for worry. Why would its be? Karina paid good money to live a nice, safe, gated community.
Kneeling down to unlace her boot, she noticed a small, folded piece of paper under the tip of her toe. How strange. Unfolding the paper as she rose, Karina’s face drained of color as she read the note.
An “X,” big, red, covering the whole page.
“Equis…” she whispered. Karina’s hand shook, grip almost ripping the note in two. She took a breath, closing her eyes, as she thought back to the last time she received an X.
“Mija…” Karina’s mother began, nearly 10 years prior.
“Mama?”
“Tell me you didn’t join Equis, tell me you don’t work for Ricardo.”
Karina’s tear filled eyes shot open, heart pounding, breath shallow. That had been the last time she saw her mother alive.
Looking back to the note, Karina crumpled it, making a fist with her hand. She took a shaky breath. She should’ve known the only was out was death. Even a decade later, she couldn’t escape it. Even after his death, she couldn’t escape him. She knew avenging a death was a bad idea. The only person who could’ve sent the note– he should’ve been dead. Karina was almost certain she had made sure of it.
Karina stormed towards her kitchen island, throwing her purse on the countertop. Hunching over, Karina rested her face in one hand, and tapped her long, manicured nails on the granite.
Revenge is a never ending cycle, Karina knew this. But she also knew how tempting vengeance is. Slamming her fist down, “Who the hell do I have to hunt now?”
Sighing, Karina stood up straight, collecting herself before walking to her bedroom.
Grabbing a suitcase, all she need was a change of clothes, a toothbrush, a hair brush, face wash, her gun, socks, glasses, glasses case, her backup gun, a phone charger, and her wallet– give or take.
Slipping a coat around her arm and sunglasses atop her head she texted her boss, “Family emergency. I won’t be coming in tomorrow.”
Heels clicking against the hardwood floors loudly as she walked out the door.
Finally, she was going back to Mexico.