I typed in the password.

Stelle.

It made no sense. Adrian said I would know it, but Stelle meant nothing. I didn't even know anyone named Stelle. But it was a clue.

That idiot Antonio thought that I was the idiot sitting in the dark. He'd given me the password himself.

No, it wasn't anything Antonio said. I didn't have a bad aim. I hit my target. My target was never Antonio.

The water that I'd splashed over the wall formed a mirror and reflected the light of the keypad towards me. When he thought I was shifting away out of fear, I was actually getting a good angle for a clear, unobstructed view.

I got the idea when I was sketching the reflections of the glass jug.

Antonio blocked the keypad from my view but I saw every damn letter that he'd typed. I smirked. Wasn't I smart?

I'd turned off the lights for two reasons, one, for a better view. And two, so the cameras couldn't catch me.

The keypad beeped, accepting the password. Now I had to pray that nobody was out there. But when Antonio came in, his watch showed 9:00 PM. I hoped I waited for five hours. I'd freshened up, eaten and taken a quick nap.

The door opened.

Stelle was Latin for stars. Vickram Roy, the Professor who disappeared was head of the Aerospace Department at Los Angeles Institute of Science and Technology. The blueprints that I'd opened were probably designs for a satellite? Or a rocket?

Or a way to contact UFOs? Or species on Mars?

Yeah. I needed to focus.

I cautiously looked outside. There was a corridor and it was empty. I hadn't misjudged the time. Thank God. I silently crept down the corridor hoping nobody saw or heard me. If they did I might not be able to escape again.

I stumbled and caught the wall for balance. I held my breath. Did anybody hear?

No. And if they did I needed to run, fast.

I'm pretty sure running would have pissed them off. Half of me was too scared. It wanted me to run back to my room and escape some other day. I didn't listen to that part. I don't know if that was brave or brick stupid.

I quietly descended the stairs. The house was empty. Sure enough, there was a gun on the glass table. In the dim moonlight shining through the window, it was easy to see. The gun was heavier than it looked. Probably loaded. The cold metal felt unfamiliar in my hands. There were car keys on the table. I pocketed them and tried to open the door. It was locked. So I opted for the window instead.

I felt cool night air caress my cheeks. I missed it. Natural light and fresh air. I analyzed my options.

Go to the police? Adrian had contacts in the police force. He'd only find me. Go into hiding? Yeah. That might just about work. I had some cash stashed aside. I could buy tickets back to England or India. My roots. The Mafia probably didn't have such a big reach. Or I could somewhere exotic and change my name to Juanita.

Who was I kidding? He'd find me. It was inevitable. But I was so not going back.

I crawled out of the window and fell to the grass down with a small thud. The realization that somebody could have heard me made me panic and run.

A noise came from the house, it sounded like a man screaming insults.

I ran to the side of the house and peeked into another window, I know, I should have run. But maybe there was somebody else who could use help? I had to help. It was the one thing that kept me with a heart.

A man was being held by Damien and Antonio, he violently thrashing against them. Adrian stood across him with a knife and an emotionless face.

He looked monstrous. I was disgusted with myself for ever finding him beautiful. He may have seemed gentle but he was a Mafia Boss. He was dangerous. He was a monster.

Adrian said something and the man almost instantly calmed down.

Adrian walked towards him and talked to him. The man, who was calm as the summer sea, said something back.

What happened next scared the shit out of me.

Adrian handed the knife to the man. The man took it. I expected him to make a move for it. But he didn't. That was my first warning that something was out of place. My instincts told me to run. Adrian said something again. The man smiled then quickly dragged the knife across his throat. Blood sprayed everywhere. I bit down my scream till I tasted my own blood. I'd bitten my tongue.

Blood had soaked the front of the man's shirt. So much blood. It dripped down to the floor. The man still had a big smile on his face as the life drained out of him.

Hypnosis. I realized it a bit too late. And when I did, I did what any human would do.

I panicked.

I covered my mouth with my hand. I just witnessed a murder. I saw someone die. I saw someone kill themselves. Oh god. What do I do? I didn't even know how to use the gun properly. If they caught me...

My legs were shaking. It was fucking scary. I was literally shaking from fear.

I felt dizzy, almost nauseous.

The man. His smile. The red smile he'd happily carved into his neck. Adrian's emotionless face. His shirt front covered in blood. Antonio and Damien. Dressed in red.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I think I'm going to throw up. But nothing prepared me for the horror when I looked up.

Adrian was staring right at me with those cold grey eyes.

I screamed. My voice echoed into the night.

He barked out orders to Damien and Antonio who were staring at me like I was a ghost. The three of them moved towards the door and left the room.

They're coming after me!

I ran to the gates and pulled out the keys. I pressed the unlock button and heard a car unlock. But I couldn't find it. My fingers shook terribly as I tried again. The keys fell from my shaking grip. I quickly picked them up and tried again I managed to locate the car.

The door opened behind me.

I ran to the car, hyperventilating. I needed to get out. Fast.