Killing Game
Well I've finished a draft of another writing assignment for creative writing class. I didn't get a chance to post my second assignment, since I finished it too close to the due date. This time, thanks to reading break, I finished a week ahead. Hopefully this makes up for the lack of fanfics. Anyway, feel free to go through this story with a fine-toothed comb, since I want critiques. This story is for marks, so the more suggestions and criticism I have, the better I can make the finished product. I'll be doing what I did with Cat Fight and post any edited versions below the older ones and separate them with dingbats (apparently that is the name of the three asterisks used to separate scenes in a story). So feel free to comment and help improve my mark. ;)
Edit: I printed off the story and plan to hand it in. Too bad no-one commented or critiqued it. I blame the noobs on the comm for spamming everyone's friend feed. :P
Version #1
*deleted because entry was too large to post*
* * *
Version #2
Scarlett took a small sip of Chardonnay and swished it around in her mouth to taste for poison. Nothing seemed strange about the sweet taste, so she swallowed it. She had taken an antidote for common poisons earlier as a precaution, especially since she had used some in her husband’s drink. She eyed him carefully as he lifted his glass up.
These attempts to kill Greg, Scarlett’s husband, had been going on for years. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trying hard enough; it was that she was treating it like a game. She had initially hooked up with Greg and charmed him into marrying her as part of her assignment. It was Scarlett’s job as a spy to get close to Greg, who worked high up in the government, and to get a hold of as many secret documents as she could. She had funnelled hundreds of government documents to her contacts. Over time, she had grown careless after years of marriage and was caught snooping around in his study. This was when it became serious.
Scarlett’s superiors had given her permission to terminate her target whenever she deemed it necessary. She took advantage of this after she had been discovered. However, Greg was not a pompous rich man who thought that his money made him invincible like so many other men whose lives Scarlett had charmed her way into. Greg was incredibly shrewd and always seemed to be one step ahead of her. After her first attempt to kill him had failed, he came back with his own. Now it was a back-and-forth game of attempts to murder each other, which Scarlett found quite enjoyable.
Admittedly, she didn’t despise Greg like most of her targets. Their marriage had actually been a good one, even though they tried to kill each other frequently. Part of it had to do with the fact that Greg had one thing that no other man had ever gained: Scarlett’s respect. It took amazing willpower to continue to live with a woman bent on your destruction. The fact that he fought back only made her respect him even more.
Greg held the glass in place without taking a sip. He then placed it back down on the table, much to Scarlett’s annoyance. She grumbled to herself as he popped open a hollow ring and poured some white powder into the wine. With a satisfied grin on his face, he looked up at Scarlett as he took a sip of the poisoned wine.
After a minute of silence without Greg keeling over, Scarlett knew that she had failed again. As if to reassure her of her failure, Greg pointed to his ring and said, “Just a precaution. It contains a chemical designed to neutralize toxins in liquids. Great for removing poison from Chardonnay.”
Scarlett just wanted to rip off Greg’s mustache and goatee for thwarting her again. Her hand moved to rest on the semi-automatic pistol she always kept strapped to her thigh beneath her strapless gown. It might not be the most easily accessible spot, but at least it wasn’t visible. She probably could have worn more sensible clothing, but she specifically wore ridiculously expensive gowns. She liked to watch Greg’s face when he received the bills for her latest clothing purchases.
Greg smiled at Scarlett as she moved her hand away from her hidden gun. She didn’t want to shoot him, since that would be too easy. There was almost an unwritten rule that some stealth or subtlety was needed for their murder attempts, since otherwise the game would be too boring. Just shooting Greg in cold blood would be unworthy for such a formidable opponent; he deserved better than that.
Scarlett eyed the food on her plate. It was another unwritten rule that they could only poison one thing per meal, otherwise they would never have anything to eat. She prodded the mashed potatoes with her fork, considering whether the potatoes or gravy could be potentially deadly. She eyed Greg for any signs of what she shouldn’t eat, but he was busy shovelling his meal into his mouth. He had already discovered the poisoned item in his meal, so he was safe.
A poison could easily be placed in the gravy, so Scarlett cut up a small piece of turkey instead. She slowly slid the fork into her mouth and nibbled on the meat. A distinct bitter taste hit her taste buds, so she grabbed her napkin and subtly spat it out. Greg must have noticed, since he was trying his best to hold back a smirk.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Greg as she thought of a way to get the best of him this time. A smirk played across her face as she let out a whistle. She glanced back at the door as a German Shepherd wandered into the room. His tongue hanged out of his mouth as Scarlett gently pet his head and said, “Good boy, Princey. Would you like a snack?” The dog seemed to nod his head and Scarlett couldn’t help but smirk.
“You wouldn’t,” Greg said as he glared at Scarlett.
Scarlett chuckled to herself and then said, “Oh, I would.” She grabbed a large chunk of poisoned turkey on her fork, placed it on a separate plate, and planted it on the floor. Prince, Greg’s beloved prize-winning dog, gobbled up the turkey as soon as it was placed in front of him. Once done, he trotted out of the room. He wouldn’t survive to tomorrow once that poison made it to his digestive track.
Greg slammed his fists down on the mahogany dining table and said, “You know I love that dog. He’s off-limits.”
Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. “You should have thought twice about poisoning my turkey then. I’m sure if you contact the vet in time, he’ll survive.” She placed her elbows down on the table and propped her head up as she watched Greg fume angrily about Prince.
Greg grumbled as he tossed his cutlery back onto the table and stormed out of the room. Scarlett leaned back in her velvet-lined chair and listened to Greg call the veterinarian from the other room. He soon returned with a scowl on his face. Scarlett fiddled with her hair and acted like nothing had happened.
“I’m going to the office,” said Greg. “I still have paperwork left and I don’t want a certain someone snooping in on my work again.” He smirked at Scarlett with an all-knowing gaze while she eyed the ceiling inconspicuously. He then walked away without another word.
Scarlett sat back in her chair and admired her finely-polished nails. A countdown began in her head as she envisioned Greg grabbing the car keys from its place near the front door, walking out to the car, getting in, and turning the key in the ignition. She waited patiently for the sign that her plan had worked.
An explosion rocked the house and Scarlett slowly rose from her chair. She whistled to herself as she leisurely walked outside. What was left of Greg’s silver Lexus smouldered in a burning heap in the driveway. It seemed like the car bomb she had planted had done its job most effectively.
“Nice try, darling.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened as Greg stepped around the corner. His brown hair was still greased-back, his skin wasn’t burnt, and his clothes weren’t scorched. It was obvious that he had not been in the car when it had exploded.
Scarlett crossed her arms as she asked, “How did you know?”
“I didn’t,” replied Greg. He held up his car keys and pointed out the fob. “I’ve just been using this to start the car lately, just in case.”
“Well aren’t you fortunate,” said Scarlett. She narrowed her eyes at Greg and strutted back into the house. She’d get him next time for sure.
As Scarlett entered the house, her silver watch started to glow. There was a transmitting device hidden in the watch on her left wrist which allowed her superiors to contact her. She hadn’t received a word from them in months, so she was a bit surprised by the sudden contact. She shuffled into a side room so that Greg would not hear her conversation.
Scarlett pushed a button on her watch and said, “Agent 24 here. What are your instructions?”
The watch buzzed and a scraggly line stretched across the surface. “Your mission has been deemed no longer necessary. Eliminate the target and report back to home base immediately.” The watch dimmed and returned to normal.
Scarlett stood still for a minute as she listened to Greg make a call in the entranceway. It sounded like he was getting a car sent to pick him up. She’d have to act quickly if she wanted to complete her mission. She sighed as she hitched up her dress and grabbed her semi-automatic pistol off her thigh. The game had been fun while it lasted.
Greg just hung up the phone as Scarlett stepped into the room. She aimed her gun at Greg, but he glanced in her direction just as she was about to pull the trigger. He reacted instantly and dodged to the side. A loud bang filled the room as a bullet tore through an expensive painting on the wall.
Scarlett growled angrily for missing and aimed again. Greg ran into the living room and dived behind the Corinthian leather couch as she fired another shot. This time it went through the picture window and sprayed glass everywhere. Apparently she couldn’t even kill him with more overt methods.
Greg popped his head up from behind the couch with a gun in his hand. Scarlett swore to herself as she dove behind the La-Z-Boy recliner. She felt a tug on her dress as the bullet shot into the nearby TV and left rings of shattered glass behind. She examined her gown and spotted a bullet hole. Fortunately she had not been shot herself.
“I’m surprised you would try such a direct method to kill me,” said Greg from behind the sofa.
“Orders are orders,” said Scarlett as she reloaded her semi-automatic pistol. A bullet shot through the recliner right near her head, but Scarlett did not flinch. She had been in enough gunfights to remain calm.
“Too bad it has to end this way, since I was quite enjoying our little game.” Another bullet whizzed past the recliner as Scarlett cocked her gun to fire.
“Me too, but I always knew that I’d kill you someday.” Scarlett leaned past the edge of the recliner and fired off a shot. It zipped through the sofa, but she could still hear Greg breathing.
Greg popped up from behind the couch and fired a shot that nearly hit Scarlett. She pulled back behind the recliner just in time. “You know it doesn’t have to be like this,” said Greg. “We don’t have to kill each other.”
Scarlett let out a loud laugh. “Our entire marriage has been based around trying to kill each other. Why stop now?”
There was a few seconds of silence where no-one spoke or fired off a shot. Scarlett peaked around the corner of the recliner, only to find Greg now standing there with his gun pointed right at her forehead. He motioned for her to drop her gun, so she did so. She then rose to her feet, disappointed that she had let him get so close. She should have been one step ahead of him. Now she was going to be the one killed, not the other way around.
Greg stared at Scarlett’s face for quite awhile. He held his gun steadily pointed at her the whole time, but then lowered it. Scarlett raised an eyebrow as he grinned at her. He then said, “You know that the game doesn’t have to end; the rules just have to change.”
Scarlett eyed Greg carefully as she tried to figure out how easily she could snatch his gun and finish him off. She decided that she’d play along with him for now, just to buy her time. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I’m guessing that if you don’t complete this mission, whatever company you work for will send more men. Am I correct?”
Scarlett narrowed her eyes, unsure of where Greg was going with this. “Yes, a replacement agent would be sent in. Why?”
Greg gently ran his free hand down her arm and Scarlett tried her best not to just grab his gun and kill him now. Greg continued to smile at her as he said, “So maybe we should stop trying to kill each other and team up instead.”
Scarlett couldn’t help but chuckle. Greg had her in the perfect position to eliminate her, but instead he was trying to negotiate. Well it was time to turn this around. She whipped her hand out and snatched the gun away from Greg. He tried to cling stubbornly to it, enough so that Scarlett could not pull it completely from his grasp. During the struggle, the gun went off and fell to the floor.
The two stood completely still as the resonating sound of the gunshot faded away. Scarlett slowly looked down and ran her hand down her front. There were no signs of a bullet wound, which greatly relieved her. She looked back up just in time to see Greg collapse to the floor as he cradled his stomach.
Only the sound of Greg hissing in pain could be heard as Scarlett crouched down beside him and picked up the gun. She eyed Greg coldly as she prepared to finish the deed. “Any last words before I complete this mission once and for all?”
After coughing up some blood, Greg attempted a smirk. “You have finally got the best of me and I congratulate you for that.” His cheeks twitched as his life started to slip away.
Scarlett’s finger eagerly caressed the trigger, but she was interrupted by sudden laughter coming from Greg. “What’s so funny?”
Greg coughed up some more blood as he revealed a shaky hand. In his grasp was an unfamiliar remote, which he then pressed a button on. “You were good, but I was always one step ahead. See you in hell.”
A loud ticking sound caught Scarlett’s attention. It seemed to be coming from somewhere else in the house. To her trained ear, it sounded suspiciously like a bomb. “What did you do?”
“I planted explosives next to the natural gas tank in the basement. It should be enough to blow the entire house sky high,” said Greg. Scarlett stared wide-eyed at him as she started to back away. “It was a necessary precaution, just in case you ever got the better of me.” Greg gave her one last smirk before his face became expressionless in death.
Scarlett didn’t hesitate as she bolted to the door. For once in her life, she was actually frightened. As she opened the front door, she heard one final tick. Flaming death engulfed her as she realized Greg had beaten her once again, and this time her life was forfeit.
* * *
Version #3
Scarlett took a small sip of Chardonnay and swished it around in her mouth to taste for poison. Nothing seemed strange about the sweet taste, so she swallowed it. She had taken an antidote for common poisons earlier as a precaution, especially since she had used some in her husband’s drink. He lifted his glass up and brought it to his lips.
Greg held the glass in place without taking a sip. He then placed it back down on the table, much to Scarlett’s annoyance. She grumbled to herself as he popped open a hollow ring and poured some white powder into the wine. With a satisfied grin on his face, he looked up at Scarlett as he took a sip of the poisoned wine.
These attempts to kill Greg, Scarlett’s husband, had been going on for years. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trying hard enough; it was that she was treating it like a game. She had initially hooked up with Greg and charmed him into marrying her as part of her assignment. It was Scarlett’s job as a spy to get close to Greg, who worked high up in the government, and to get a hold of as many secret documents as she could. She had funnelled hundreds of government documents to her contacts. After years of marriage, she had grown careless and was caught snooping around in his study. This was when it became serious.
Scarlett’s superiors had given her permission to terminate her target whenever she deemed it necessary. She took advantage of this after she had been discovered. However, Greg was not a pompous rich man who thought that his money made him invincible like so many other men whose lives Scarlett had charmed her way into. Greg was incredibly shrewd and always seemed to be one step ahead of her. After her first attempt to kill him had failed, he came back with his own. Now it was a back-and-forth game of attempts to murder each other, which Scarlett found quite enjoyable.
Admittedly, she didn’t despise Greg like most of her targets. Their marriage had actually been a good one, even though they tried to kill each other frequently. Part of it had to do with the fact that Greg had one thing that no other man had ever gained: Scarlett’s respect. It took amazing willpower to continue to live with someone bent on your destruction. The fact that he fought back only made her respect him even more.
After a minute of silence without Greg keeling over, Scarlett knew that she had failed again. As if to reassure her of her failure, Greg pointed to his ring and said, “Just a precaution. It contains a chemical designed to neutralize toxins in liquids. Great for removing poison from Chardonnay.”
Scarlett just wanted to rip off Greg’s mustache and goatee for thwarting her again. Her hand moved to rest on the semi-automatic pistol she always kept strapped to her thigh beneath her strapless gown. It might not be the most easily accessible spot, but at least it wasn’t visible. She probably could have worn more sensible clothing, but she specifically wore ridiculously expensive gowns. She liked to watch Greg’s face when he received the bills for her latest clothing purchases.
Greg smiled at Scarlett as she moved her hand away from her hidden gun. She didn’t want to shoot him, since that would be too easy. There was almost an unwritten rule that some stealth or subtlety was needed for their murder attempts, since otherwise the game would be too boring. Just shooting Greg in cold blood would be unworthy for such a formidable opponent; he deserved better than that.
It was another unwritten rule that they could only poison one thing per meal, otherwise they would never have anything to eat. Scarlett prodded her mashed potatoes with her fork, considering whether the potatoes or gravy could be potentially deadly. She eyed Greg for any signs of what she shouldn’t eat, but he was busy shovelling his meal into his mouth. He had already discovered the poisoned item in his meal.
A poison could easily be placed in the gravy, so Scarlett cut up a small piece of turkey instead. She slowly slid the fork into her mouth and nibbled on the meat. A distinct bitter taste hit her taste buds, so she grabbed her napkin and spat it out. Greg must have noticed, since he was trying his best to hold back a smirk.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Greg as she thought of a way to get the best of him this time. A smirk played across her face as she let out a whistle, which brought a German Shepherd into the room. His tongue hanged out of his mouth as Scarlett gently pet his head and said, “Good boy, Princey. Would you like a snack?” The dog seemed to nod his head and Scarlett couldn’t help but smirk again.
“You wouldn’t,” Greg said as he glared at Scarlett.
Scarlett chuckled to herself and then said, “Oh, I would.” She grabbed a large chunk of poisoned turkey on her fork, placed it on a separate plate, and planted it on the floor. Prince, Greg’s beloved prize-winning dog, gobbled up the turkey as soon as it was placed in front of him. Once done, he trotted out of the room. He wouldn’t survive to tomorrow once that poison made it to his digestive track.
Greg slammed his fists down on the mahogany dining table and said, “You know I love that dog. He’s off-limits.”
Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. “You should have thought twice about poisoning my turkey then. I’m sure if you contact the vet in time, he’ll survive.” She placed her elbows down on the table and propped her head up as Greg fumed angrily about Prince.
Greg grumbled as he tossed his cutlery back onto the table and stormed out of the room. Scarlett leaned back in her velvet-lined chair as Greg called the veterinarian from the other room. He soon returned with a scowl on his face. Scarlett fiddled with her hair and acted like nothing had happened.
“I’m going to the office,” said Greg. “I still have paperwork left and I don’t want a certain someone snooping in on my work again.” He smirked at Scarlett with an all-knowing gaze while she eyed the ceiling inconspicuously. He then walked away without another word.
Scarlett sat back in her chair and admired her finely-polished nails. A countdown began in her head as she envisioned Greg grabbing the car keys from its place near the front door, walking out to the car, getting in, and turning the key in the ignition. She waited patiently for the sign that her plan had worked.
An explosion rocked the house and Scarlett slowly rose from her chair. She whistled to herself as she leisurely walked outside. What was left of Greg’s silver Lexus smouldered in a burning heap in the driveway. It seemed like the car bomb she had planted had done its job most effectively.
“Nice try, darling.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened as Greg stepped around the corner. His brown hair was still greased-back, his skin wasn’t burnt, and his clothes weren’t scorched. It was obvious that he had not been in the car when it had exploded.
Scarlett crossed her arms as she asked, “How did you know?”
“I didn’t,” replied Greg. He held up his car keys and pointed out the fob. “I’ve just been using this to start the car lately, just in case.”
“Well aren’t you fortunate,” said Scarlett. She narrowed her eyes at Greg and strutted back into the house. She’d get him next time for sure.
As Scarlett entered the house, the face of her silver watch started to glow. There was a transmitting device hidden in the watch on her left wrist, which allowed her superiors to contact her. She hadn’t received a word from them in months, so she was a bit surprised by the sudden contact. She shuffled into a side room so that Greg would not hear her conversation.
Scarlett pushed a button on her watch and said, “Agent 24 here. What are your instructions?”
The watch buzzed and a scraggly line stretched across the surface. “Your mission is no longer necessary. Eliminate the target and report back to home base immediately.” The watch dimmed and returned to normal.
Scarlett stood still for a minute as Greg made a call in the entranceway. It sounded like he was getting a car sent to pick him up. She’d have to act quickly if she wanted to complete her mission. She sighed as she hitched up her dress and grabbed her semi-automatic pistol off her thigh. The game had been fun while it lasted.
Greg just hung up the phone as Scarlett stepped into the room. She aimed her gun at Greg, but he glanced in her direction just as she was about to pull the trigger. He reacted instantly and dodged to the side. A loud bang filled the room as a bullet tore through an expensive painting on the wall.
Scarlett growled angrily for having missed and aimed again. Greg ran into the living room and dived behind the Corinthian leather couch as she fired another shot. This time it went through the picture window and sprayed glass everywhere. Apparently she couldn’t even kill him with more overt methods.
Greg popped his head up from behind the couch with a gun in his hand. Scarlett swore to herself as she dove behind the La-Z-Boy recliner. She felt a tug on her dress as the bullet shot into the nearby TV and left rings of shattered glass behind. She examined her gown and spotted a bullet hole. Fortunately, she had not been shot herself.
“I’m surprised you would try such a direct method to kill me,” said Greg from behind the sofa.
“Orders are orders,” said Scarlett as she reloaded her semi-automatic pistol. A bullet shot through the recliner right next to her head, but Scarlett did not flinch. She had been in enough gunfights to remain calm.
“Too bad it has to end this way, since I was quite enjoying our little game.” Another bullet whizzed past the recliner as Scarlett cocked her gun to fire.
“Me too, but I always knew that I’d kill you someday.” Scarlett leaned past the edge of the recliner and fired off a shot. It zipped through the sofa, but she could still hear Greg breathing.
Greg popped up from behind the couch and fired a shot that nearly hit Scarlett. She pulled back behind the recliner just in time. “You know it doesn’t have to be like this,” said Greg. “We don’t have to kill each other.”
Scarlett let out a loud laugh. “Our entire marriage has been based around trying to kill each other. Why stop now?”
There was a few seconds of silence where no-one spoke or fired off a shot. Scarlett peaked around the corner of the recliner, only to find Greg now standing there with his gun pointed right at her forehead. He motioned for her to drop her gun, so she did so. She then rose to her feet, disappointed that she had let him get so close. She should have been one step ahead of him. Now she was going to be the one killed, not the other way around.
Greg stared at Scarlett’s face for quite awhile. He held his gun steadily pointed at her the whole time, but then lowered it. Scarlett raised an eyebrow as he grinned at her. He then said, “You know that the game doesn’t have to end; the rules just have to change.”
Scarlett eyed Greg carefully as she tried to figure out how easily she could snatch his gun and finish him off. She decided that she’d play along with him for now, just to buy her time. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I’m guessing that if you don’t complete this mission, whatever company you work for will send more men. Am I correct?”
Scarlett narrowed her eyes, unsure of where Greg was going with this. “Yes, a replacement agent would be sent in. Why?”
Greg gently ran his free hand down her arm and Scarlett tried her best not to just grab his gun and kill him now. Greg continued to smile at her as he said, “So maybe we should stop trying to kill each other and team up instead.”
Scarlett couldn’t help but chuckle. Greg had her in the perfect position to eliminate her, but instead he was trying to negotiate. Well it was time to turn this around. She whipped her hand out and tried to snatch the gun away from Greg. He clung stubbornly to it, enough so that Scarlett could not pull it completely from his grasp. During the struggle, the gun went off and fell to the floor.
The two stood completely still as the resonating sound of the gunshot faded away. Scarlett ran her hand down her front; there were no signs of a bullet wound, which greatly relieved her. Her eyes met Greg’s surprised ones as he collapsed to the floor and cradled his stomach.
Only the sound of Greg hissing in pain could be heard as Scarlett crouched down beside him and picked up the gun. She eyed Greg coldly as she prepared to finish the deed. “Any last words before I complete this mission once and for all?”
After coughing up some blood, Greg attempted a smirk. “You have finally got the best of me and I congratulate you for that.” His cheeks twitched as his life started to slip away.
Scarlett’s finger eagerly caressed the trigger, but she was interrupted by sudden laughter coming from Greg. “What’s so funny?”
Greg coughed up some more blood as he revealed a shaky hand. In his grasp was an unfamiliar remote, which he then pressed a button on. “You were good, but I was always one step ahead. See you in hell.”
A loud ticking sound that Scarlett had not heard before started up somewhere else in the house. To her trained ear, it sounded suspiciously like a bomb. “What did you do?”
“I planted explosives next to the natural gas tank in the basement. It should be enough to blow the entire house sky high,” said Greg. Scarlett’s eyes widened as she started to back away. “It was a necessary precaution, just in case you ever got the better of me.” Greg gave her one last smirk before his face became permanently expressionless.
Scarlett didn’t hesitate as she bolted to the door. For once in her life, she was actually frightened. As she opened the front door, she heard one final tick. Flaming death engulfed her as she realized Greg had beaten her once again, and this time her life was forfeit.
Edit: I printed off the story and plan to hand it in. Too bad no-one commented or critiqued it. I blame the noobs on the comm for spamming everyone's friend feed. :P
Version #1
*deleted because entry was too large to post*
* * *
Version #2
Scarlett took a small sip of Chardonnay and swished it around in her mouth to taste for poison. Nothing seemed strange about the sweet taste, so she swallowed it. She had taken an antidote for common poisons earlier as a precaution, especially since she had used some in her husband’s drink. She eyed him carefully as he lifted his glass up.
These attempts to kill Greg, Scarlett’s husband, had been going on for years. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trying hard enough; it was that she was treating it like a game. She had initially hooked up with Greg and charmed him into marrying her as part of her assignment. It was Scarlett’s job as a spy to get close to Greg, who worked high up in the government, and to get a hold of as many secret documents as she could. She had funnelled hundreds of government documents to her contacts. Over time, she had grown careless after years of marriage and was caught snooping around in his study. This was when it became serious.
Scarlett’s superiors had given her permission to terminate her target whenever she deemed it necessary. She took advantage of this after she had been discovered. However, Greg was not a pompous rich man who thought that his money made him invincible like so many other men whose lives Scarlett had charmed her way into. Greg was incredibly shrewd and always seemed to be one step ahead of her. After her first attempt to kill him had failed, he came back with his own. Now it was a back-and-forth game of attempts to murder each other, which Scarlett found quite enjoyable.
Admittedly, she didn’t despise Greg like most of her targets. Their marriage had actually been a good one, even though they tried to kill each other frequently. Part of it had to do with the fact that Greg had one thing that no other man had ever gained: Scarlett’s respect. It took amazing willpower to continue to live with a woman bent on your destruction. The fact that he fought back only made her respect him even more.
Greg held the glass in place without taking a sip. He then placed it back down on the table, much to Scarlett’s annoyance. She grumbled to herself as he popped open a hollow ring and poured some white powder into the wine. With a satisfied grin on his face, he looked up at Scarlett as he took a sip of the poisoned wine.
After a minute of silence without Greg keeling over, Scarlett knew that she had failed again. As if to reassure her of her failure, Greg pointed to his ring and said, “Just a precaution. It contains a chemical designed to neutralize toxins in liquids. Great for removing poison from Chardonnay.”
Scarlett just wanted to rip off Greg’s mustache and goatee for thwarting her again. Her hand moved to rest on the semi-automatic pistol she always kept strapped to her thigh beneath her strapless gown. It might not be the most easily accessible spot, but at least it wasn’t visible. She probably could have worn more sensible clothing, but she specifically wore ridiculously expensive gowns. She liked to watch Greg’s face when he received the bills for her latest clothing purchases.
Greg smiled at Scarlett as she moved her hand away from her hidden gun. She didn’t want to shoot him, since that would be too easy. There was almost an unwritten rule that some stealth or subtlety was needed for their murder attempts, since otherwise the game would be too boring. Just shooting Greg in cold blood would be unworthy for such a formidable opponent; he deserved better than that.
Scarlett eyed the food on her plate. It was another unwritten rule that they could only poison one thing per meal, otherwise they would never have anything to eat. She prodded the mashed potatoes with her fork, considering whether the potatoes or gravy could be potentially deadly. She eyed Greg for any signs of what she shouldn’t eat, but he was busy shovelling his meal into his mouth. He had already discovered the poisoned item in his meal, so he was safe.
A poison could easily be placed in the gravy, so Scarlett cut up a small piece of turkey instead. She slowly slid the fork into her mouth and nibbled on the meat. A distinct bitter taste hit her taste buds, so she grabbed her napkin and subtly spat it out. Greg must have noticed, since he was trying his best to hold back a smirk.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Greg as she thought of a way to get the best of him this time. A smirk played across her face as she let out a whistle. She glanced back at the door as a German Shepherd wandered into the room. His tongue hanged out of his mouth as Scarlett gently pet his head and said, “Good boy, Princey. Would you like a snack?” The dog seemed to nod his head and Scarlett couldn’t help but smirk.
“You wouldn’t,” Greg said as he glared at Scarlett.
Scarlett chuckled to herself and then said, “Oh, I would.” She grabbed a large chunk of poisoned turkey on her fork, placed it on a separate plate, and planted it on the floor. Prince, Greg’s beloved prize-winning dog, gobbled up the turkey as soon as it was placed in front of him. Once done, he trotted out of the room. He wouldn’t survive to tomorrow once that poison made it to his digestive track.
Greg slammed his fists down on the mahogany dining table and said, “You know I love that dog. He’s off-limits.”
Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. “You should have thought twice about poisoning my turkey then. I’m sure if you contact the vet in time, he’ll survive.” She placed her elbows down on the table and propped her head up as she watched Greg fume angrily about Prince.
Greg grumbled as he tossed his cutlery back onto the table and stormed out of the room. Scarlett leaned back in her velvet-lined chair and listened to Greg call the veterinarian from the other room. He soon returned with a scowl on his face. Scarlett fiddled with her hair and acted like nothing had happened.
“I’m going to the office,” said Greg. “I still have paperwork left and I don’t want a certain someone snooping in on my work again.” He smirked at Scarlett with an all-knowing gaze while she eyed the ceiling inconspicuously. He then walked away without another word.
Scarlett sat back in her chair and admired her finely-polished nails. A countdown began in her head as she envisioned Greg grabbing the car keys from its place near the front door, walking out to the car, getting in, and turning the key in the ignition. She waited patiently for the sign that her plan had worked.
An explosion rocked the house and Scarlett slowly rose from her chair. She whistled to herself as she leisurely walked outside. What was left of Greg’s silver Lexus smouldered in a burning heap in the driveway. It seemed like the car bomb she had planted had done its job most effectively.
“Nice try, darling.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened as Greg stepped around the corner. His brown hair was still greased-back, his skin wasn’t burnt, and his clothes weren’t scorched. It was obvious that he had not been in the car when it had exploded.
Scarlett crossed her arms as she asked, “How did you know?”
“I didn’t,” replied Greg. He held up his car keys and pointed out the fob. “I’ve just been using this to start the car lately, just in case.”
“Well aren’t you fortunate,” said Scarlett. She narrowed her eyes at Greg and strutted back into the house. She’d get him next time for sure.
As Scarlett entered the house, her silver watch started to glow. There was a transmitting device hidden in the watch on her left wrist which allowed her superiors to contact her. She hadn’t received a word from them in months, so she was a bit surprised by the sudden contact. She shuffled into a side room so that Greg would not hear her conversation.
Scarlett pushed a button on her watch and said, “Agent 24 here. What are your instructions?”
The watch buzzed and a scraggly line stretched across the surface. “Your mission has been deemed no longer necessary. Eliminate the target and report back to home base immediately.” The watch dimmed and returned to normal.
Scarlett stood still for a minute as she listened to Greg make a call in the entranceway. It sounded like he was getting a car sent to pick him up. She’d have to act quickly if she wanted to complete her mission. She sighed as she hitched up her dress and grabbed her semi-automatic pistol off her thigh. The game had been fun while it lasted.
Greg just hung up the phone as Scarlett stepped into the room. She aimed her gun at Greg, but he glanced in her direction just as she was about to pull the trigger. He reacted instantly and dodged to the side. A loud bang filled the room as a bullet tore through an expensive painting on the wall.
Scarlett growled angrily for missing and aimed again. Greg ran into the living room and dived behind the Corinthian leather couch as she fired another shot. This time it went through the picture window and sprayed glass everywhere. Apparently she couldn’t even kill him with more overt methods.
Greg popped his head up from behind the couch with a gun in his hand. Scarlett swore to herself as she dove behind the La-Z-Boy recliner. She felt a tug on her dress as the bullet shot into the nearby TV and left rings of shattered glass behind. She examined her gown and spotted a bullet hole. Fortunately she had not been shot herself.
“I’m surprised you would try such a direct method to kill me,” said Greg from behind the sofa.
“Orders are orders,” said Scarlett as she reloaded her semi-automatic pistol. A bullet shot through the recliner right near her head, but Scarlett did not flinch. She had been in enough gunfights to remain calm.
“Too bad it has to end this way, since I was quite enjoying our little game.” Another bullet whizzed past the recliner as Scarlett cocked her gun to fire.
“Me too, but I always knew that I’d kill you someday.” Scarlett leaned past the edge of the recliner and fired off a shot. It zipped through the sofa, but she could still hear Greg breathing.
Greg popped up from behind the couch and fired a shot that nearly hit Scarlett. She pulled back behind the recliner just in time. “You know it doesn’t have to be like this,” said Greg. “We don’t have to kill each other.”
Scarlett let out a loud laugh. “Our entire marriage has been based around trying to kill each other. Why stop now?”
There was a few seconds of silence where no-one spoke or fired off a shot. Scarlett peaked around the corner of the recliner, only to find Greg now standing there with his gun pointed right at her forehead. He motioned for her to drop her gun, so she did so. She then rose to her feet, disappointed that she had let him get so close. She should have been one step ahead of him. Now she was going to be the one killed, not the other way around.
Greg stared at Scarlett’s face for quite awhile. He held his gun steadily pointed at her the whole time, but then lowered it. Scarlett raised an eyebrow as he grinned at her. He then said, “You know that the game doesn’t have to end; the rules just have to change.”
Scarlett eyed Greg carefully as she tried to figure out how easily she could snatch his gun and finish him off. She decided that she’d play along with him for now, just to buy her time. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I’m guessing that if you don’t complete this mission, whatever company you work for will send more men. Am I correct?”
Scarlett narrowed her eyes, unsure of where Greg was going with this. “Yes, a replacement agent would be sent in. Why?”
Greg gently ran his free hand down her arm and Scarlett tried her best not to just grab his gun and kill him now. Greg continued to smile at her as he said, “So maybe we should stop trying to kill each other and team up instead.”
Scarlett couldn’t help but chuckle. Greg had her in the perfect position to eliminate her, but instead he was trying to negotiate. Well it was time to turn this around. She whipped her hand out and snatched the gun away from Greg. He tried to cling stubbornly to it, enough so that Scarlett could not pull it completely from his grasp. During the struggle, the gun went off and fell to the floor.
The two stood completely still as the resonating sound of the gunshot faded away. Scarlett slowly looked down and ran her hand down her front. There were no signs of a bullet wound, which greatly relieved her. She looked back up just in time to see Greg collapse to the floor as he cradled his stomach.
Only the sound of Greg hissing in pain could be heard as Scarlett crouched down beside him and picked up the gun. She eyed Greg coldly as she prepared to finish the deed. “Any last words before I complete this mission once and for all?”
After coughing up some blood, Greg attempted a smirk. “You have finally got the best of me and I congratulate you for that.” His cheeks twitched as his life started to slip away.
Scarlett’s finger eagerly caressed the trigger, but she was interrupted by sudden laughter coming from Greg. “What’s so funny?”
Greg coughed up some more blood as he revealed a shaky hand. In his grasp was an unfamiliar remote, which he then pressed a button on. “You were good, but I was always one step ahead. See you in hell.”
A loud ticking sound caught Scarlett’s attention. It seemed to be coming from somewhere else in the house. To her trained ear, it sounded suspiciously like a bomb. “What did you do?”
“I planted explosives next to the natural gas tank in the basement. It should be enough to blow the entire house sky high,” said Greg. Scarlett stared wide-eyed at him as she started to back away. “It was a necessary precaution, just in case you ever got the better of me.” Greg gave her one last smirk before his face became expressionless in death.
Scarlett didn’t hesitate as she bolted to the door. For once in her life, she was actually frightened. As she opened the front door, she heard one final tick. Flaming death engulfed her as she realized Greg had beaten her once again, and this time her life was forfeit.
* * *
Version #3
Scarlett took a small sip of Chardonnay and swished it around in her mouth to taste for poison. Nothing seemed strange about the sweet taste, so she swallowed it. She had taken an antidote for common poisons earlier as a precaution, especially since she had used some in her husband’s drink. He lifted his glass up and brought it to his lips.
Greg held the glass in place without taking a sip. He then placed it back down on the table, much to Scarlett’s annoyance. She grumbled to herself as he popped open a hollow ring and poured some white powder into the wine. With a satisfied grin on his face, he looked up at Scarlett as he took a sip of the poisoned wine.
These attempts to kill Greg, Scarlett’s husband, had been going on for years. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trying hard enough; it was that she was treating it like a game. She had initially hooked up with Greg and charmed him into marrying her as part of her assignment. It was Scarlett’s job as a spy to get close to Greg, who worked high up in the government, and to get a hold of as many secret documents as she could. She had funnelled hundreds of government documents to her contacts. After years of marriage, she had grown careless and was caught snooping around in his study. This was when it became serious.
Scarlett’s superiors had given her permission to terminate her target whenever she deemed it necessary. She took advantage of this after she had been discovered. However, Greg was not a pompous rich man who thought that his money made him invincible like so many other men whose lives Scarlett had charmed her way into. Greg was incredibly shrewd and always seemed to be one step ahead of her. After her first attempt to kill him had failed, he came back with his own. Now it was a back-and-forth game of attempts to murder each other, which Scarlett found quite enjoyable.
Admittedly, she didn’t despise Greg like most of her targets. Their marriage had actually been a good one, even though they tried to kill each other frequently. Part of it had to do with the fact that Greg had one thing that no other man had ever gained: Scarlett’s respect. It took amazing willpower to continue to live with someone bent on your destruction. The fact that he fought back only made her respect him even more.
After a minute of silence without Greg keeling over, Scarlett knew that she had failed again. As if to reassure her of her failure, Greg pointed to his ring and said, “Just a precaution. It contains a chemical designed to neutralize toxins in liquids. Great for removing poison from Chardonnay.”
Scarlett just wanted to rip off Greg’s mustache and goatee for thwarting her again. Her hand moved to rest on the semi-automatic pistol she always kept strapped to her thigh beneath her strapless gown. It might not be the most easily accessible spot, but at least it wasn’t visible. She probably could have worn more sensible clothing, but she specifically wore ridiculously expensive gowns. She liked to watch Greg’s face when he received the bills for her latest clothing purchases.
Greg smiled at Scarlett as she moved her hand away from her hidden gun. She didn’t want to shoot him, since that would be too easy. There was almost an unwritten rule that some stealth or subtlety was needed for their murder attempts, since otherwise the game would be too boring. Just shooting Greg in cold blood would be unworthy for such a formidable opponent; he deserved better than that.
It was another unwritten rule that they could only poison one thing per meal, otherwise they would never have anything to eat. Scarlett prodded her mashed potatoes with her fork, considering whether the potatoes or gravy could be potentially deadly. She eyed Greg for any signs of what she shouldn’t eat, but he was busy shovelling his meal into his mouth. He had already discovered the poisoned item in his meal.
A poison could easily be placed in the gravy, so Scarlett cut up a small piece of turkey instead. She slowly slid the fork into her mouth and nibbled on the meat. A distinct bitter taste hit her taste buds, so she grabbed her napkin and spat it out. Greg must have noticed, since he was trying his best to hold back a smirk.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Greg as she thought of a way to get the best of him this time. A smirk played across her face as she let out a whistle, which brought a German Shepherd into the room. His tongue hanged out of his mouth as Scarlett gently pet his head and said, “Good boy, Princey. Would you like a snack?” The dog seemed to nod his head and Scarlett couldn’t help but smirk again.
“You wouldn’t,” Greg said as he glared at Scarlett.
Scarlett chuckled to herself and then said, “Oh, I would.” She grabbed a large chunk of poisoned turkey on her fork, placed it on a separate plate, and planted it on the floor. Prince, Greg’s beloved prize-winning dog, gobbled up the turkey as soon as it was placed in front of him. Once done, he trotted out of the room. He wouldn’t survive to tomorrow once that poison made it to his digestive track.
Greg slammed his fists down on the mahogany dining table and said, “You know I love that dog. He’s off-limits.”
Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. “You should have thought twice about poisoning my turkey then. I’m sure if you contact the vet in time, he’ll survive.” She placed her elbows down on the table and propped her head up as Greg fumed angrily about Prince.
Greg grumbled as he tossed his cutlery back onto the table and stormed out of the room. Scarlett leaned back in her velvet-lined chair as Greg called the veterinarian from the other room. He soon returned with a scowl on his face. Scarlett fiddled with her hair and acted like nothing had happened.
“I’m going to the office,” said Greg. “I still have paperwork left and I don’t want a certain someone snooping in on my work again.” He smirked at Scarlett with an all-knowing gaze while she eyed the ceiling inconspicuously. He then walked away without another word.
Scarlett sat back in her chair and admired her finely-polished nails. A countdown began in her head as she envisioned Greg grabbing the car keys from its place near the front door, walking out to the car, getting in, and turning the key in the ignition. She waited patiently for the sign that her plan had worked.
An explosion rocked the house and Scarlett slowly rose from her chair. She whistled to herself as she leisurely walked outside. What was left of Greg’s silver Lexus smouldered in a burning heap in the driveway. It seemed like the car bomb she had planted had done its job most effectively.
“Nice try, darling.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened as Greg stepped around the corner. His brown hair was still greased-back, his skin wasn’t burnt, and his clothes weren’t scorched. It was obvious that he had not been in the car when it had exploded.
Scarlett crossed her arms as she asked, “How did you know?”
“I didn’t,” replied Greg. He held up his car keys and pointed out the fob. “I’ve just been using this to start the car lately, just in case.”
“Well aren’t you fortunate,” said Scarlett. She narrowed her eyes at Greg and strutted back into the house. She’d get him next time for sure.
As Scarlett entered the house, the face of her silver watch started to glow. There was a transmitting device hidden in the watch on her left wrist, which allowed her superiors to contact her. She hadn’t received a word from them in months, so she was a bit surprised by the sudden contact. She shuffled into a side room so that Greg would not hear her conversation.
Scarlett pushed a button on her watch and said, “Agent 24 here. What are your instructions?”
The watch buzzed and a scraggly line stretched across the surface. “Your mission is no longer necessary. Eliminate the target and report back to home base immediately.” The watch dimmed and returned to normal.
Scarlett stood still for a minute as Greg made a call in the entranceway. It sounded like he was getting a car sent to pick him up. She’d have to act quickly if she wanted to complete her mission. She sighed as she hitched up her dress and grabbed her semi-automatic pistol off her thigh. The game had been fun while it lasted.
Greg just hung up the phone as Scarlett stepped into the room. She aimed her gun at Greg, but he glanced in her direction just as she was about to pull the trigger. He reacted instantly and dodged to the side. A loud bang filled the room as a bullet tore through an expensive painting on the wall.
Scarlett growled angrily for having missed and aimed again. Greg ran into the living room and dived behind the Corinthian leather couch as she fired another shot. This time it went through the picture window and sprayed glass everywhere. Apparently she couldn’t even kill him with more overt methods.
Greg popped his head up from behind the couch with a gun in his hand. Scarlett swore to herself as she dove behind the La-Z-Boy recliner. She felt a tug on her dress as the bullet shot into the nearby TV and left rings of shattered glass behind. She examined her gown and spotted a bullet hole. Fortunately, she had not been shot herself.
“I’m surprised you would try such a direct method to kill me,” said Greg from behind the sofa.
“Orders are orders,” said Scarlett as she reloaded her semi-automatic pistol. A bullet shot through the recliner right next to her head, but Scarlett did not flinch. She had been in enough gunfights to remain calm.
“Too bad it has to end this way, since I was quite enjoying our little game.” Another bullet whizzed past the recliner as Scarlett cocked her gun to fire.
“Me too, but I always knew that I’d kill you someday.” Scarlett leaned past the edge of the recliner and fired off a shot. It zipped through the sofa, but she could still hear Greg breathing.
Greg popped up from behind the couch and fired a shot that nearly hit Scarlett. She pulled back behind the recliner just in time. “You know it doesn’t have to be like this,” said Greg. “We don’t have to kill each other.”
Scarlett let out a loud laugh. “Our entire marriage has been based around trying to kill each other. Why stop now?”
There was a few seconds of silence where no-one spoke or fired off a shot. Scarlett peaked around the corner of the recliner, only to find Greg now standing there with his gun pointed right at her forehead. He motioned for her to drop her gun, so she did so. She then rose to her feet, disappointed that she had let him get so close. She should have been one step ahead of him. Now she was going to be the one killed, not the other way around.
Greg stared at Scarlett’s face for quite awhile. He held his gun steadily pointed at her the whole time, but then lowered it. Scarlett raised an eyebrow as he grinned at her. He then said, “You know that the game doesn’t have to end; the rules just have to change.”
Scarlett eyed Greg carefully as she tried to figure out how easily she could snatch his gun and finish him off. She decided that she’d play along with him for now, just to buy her time. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I’m guessing that if you don’t complete this mission, whatever company you work for will send more men. Am I correct?”
Scarlett narrowed her eyes, unsure of where Greg was going with this. “Yes, a replacement agent would be sent in. Why?”
Greg gently ran his free hand down her arm and Scarlett tried her best not to just grab his gun and kill him now. Greg continued to smile at her as he said, “So maybe we should stop trying to kill each other and team up instead.”
Scarlett couldn’t help but chuckle. Greg had her in the perfect position to eliminate her, but instead he was trying to negotiate. Well it was time to turn this around. She whipped her hand out and tried to snatch the gun away from Greg. He clung stubbornly to it, enough so that Scarlett could not pull it completely from his grasp. During the struggle, the gun went off and fell to the floor.
The two stood completely still as the resonating sound of the gunshot faded away. Scarlett ran her hand down her front; there were no signs of a bullet wound, which greatly relieved her. Her eyes met Greg’s surprised ones as he collapsed to the floor and cradled his stomach.
Only the sound of Greg hissing in pain could be heard as Scarlett crouched down beside him and picked up the gun. She eyed Greg coldly as she prepared to finish the deed. “Any last words before I complete this mission once and for all?”
After coughing up some blood, Greg attempted a smirk. “You have finally got the best of me and I congratulate you for that.” His cheeks twitched as his life started to slip away.
Scarlett’s finger eagerly caressed the trigger, but she was interrupted by sudden laughter coming from Greg. “What’s so funny?”
Greg coughed up some more blood as he revealed a shaky hand. In his grasp was an unfamiliar remote, which he then pressed a button on. “You were good, but I was always one step ahead. See you in hell.”
A loud ticking sound that Scarlett had not heard before started up somewhere else in the house. To her trained ear, it sounded suspiciously like a bomb. “What did you do?”
“I planted explosives next to the natural gas tank in the basement. It should be enough to blow the entire house sky high,” said Greg. Scarlett’s eyes widened as she started to back away. “It was a necessary precaution, just in case you ever got the better of me.” Greg gave her one last smirk before his face became permanently expressionless.
Scarlett didn’t hesitate as she bolted to the door. For once in her life, she was actually frightened. As she opened the front door, she heard one final tick. Flaming death engulfed her as she realized Greg had beaten her once again, and this time her life was forfeit.