Dead Before the Report

Grant Brenna was sitting behind his large desk when the lights flickered and went out. He was a naturally paranoid man and so he drew his gun without thinking. Brenna leaned slightly forward and pressed the button on the intercom to double check that the power was out.

He stood slowly and scanned the room, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dimness, the only light coming in from off the street ten floors below.

Fire cut a searing gouge in his leg before he even heard the sound of the shot or saw the flash of the muzzle. He yelled in pain as he dropped to the floor. The shot had come from the right side of the door, but he hadn't heard the door open or close.

"Who's there?" Brenna shouted into the darkness. The only answer was silence. Brenna grunted in pain as he tried to stand up, but only succeeded in falling over again. As he looked around the room he saw a shadow flit across the window. He Quickly aimed and pulled the trigger, the stillness of the room shattering with the shot.

A hollow laugh filled the room and made Brenna's blood run cold.

"Did you really think that you would not pay for what you have done?" a voice whispered out of the darkness somewhere to his right.

"And just what did I do?" Brenna asked, his voice quavering as he thought over all he had done.

Another chuckle echoed through the room, "I think the bigger question would be, what haven't you done."

"Well whatever you think that I did, I didn't do it. I'm a business man. Nothing more," Brenna said, trying to inject some force into his voice.

"Oh you did it alright," the voice said, this time it was closer, "I know everything about you. I have waited a long time for this."

"At least be a man and show yourself," Brenna said.

"A man huh?" the voice sounded amused, "well what if I'm not a man. What if I'm a monster? I am what I am thanks to you Brenna. And now you will die at the hands of your creation."

"Look I'm sure there is some way to work this out. Some way that I can make it up to you, what ever it was that I did."

"I don't think so Brenna. You are not going to get out of it just by apologizing. You killed her, and now, it is your turn." A gun cocked just next to Brenna's ear.

Brenna jumped a foot into the air and tried to scramble backwards, "look, I don't know who it was that was so special to you, but I'm sorry. I'll do anything."

"Sorry? Well I'm sorry, but your apology not only comes to late, it means nothing to me."

Brenna was dead before he could have even heard the report of the shot that took his life.

David stepped over the lifeless body and walked out of the room, his steps lighter for the first time in a long time.