I watch from afar, standing on the rooftop of a building.
My eyes are fixed on the three girls.
Vivian, Brittany, and Ana are still inside the house.
I hope they learned something important today.
Talking about these things… in public is not a good idea.
I sigh.
Well… now I have other matters to take care of.
I teleport.
In an instant, I am already in Trenton.
Since Loren decided to put a bounty on my head…
I think it's only fair to return the favor.
I want to send him a little message.
I take my phone out of the storage space and calmly walk toward a phone booth.
I dial the number.
The phone rings.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Finally, someone answers.
—Who is this?
I smile.
—Hello, Loren… how are you, my friend?
There is silence on the other end of the line.
—It's been a long time since the club.
Loren's voice changes immediately.
—You bastard!
—You're good at hiding… you damn rat.
—Yes, yes… —I reply calmly.
—But what matters now is what I'm going to do to you.
Silence falls again.
—Loren.
—You placed a bounty on my head.
—Five hundred thousand dollars.
—That's a lot of money.
—So I came up with an idea.
—I'm going to eliminate you.
I pause for a moment.
—But don't worry, my friend.
—You'll die with a smile on your face.
—Goodbye.
I hang up.
---
Loren stared at his phone with fury.
He was in a bar surrounded by members of the gang.
The place was filled with laughter, alcohol, and conversations.
But Loren's expression had completely changed.
He was one of the leaders of the organization.
How could he tolerate such humiliation… from a clown?
Across from him sat another gang leader.
Stiven.
—What happened, Loren? —Stiven asked.
Stiven was a tall, bald man covered in tattoos.
Loren raised his eyes.
—Do you remember what I told you about the clown who called me at the club?
Stiven thought for a moment.
Then he remembered.
—Yeah… what about that clown?
Loren frowned.
—They still haven't found him? —Stiven asked.
—That damn clown called me just now.
Stiven was surprised.
He had heard the phone ring earlier but hadn't paid attention.
—What did he say?
Loren clenched his teeth.
—He said I'll die with a smile on my face.
Stiven looked at him for a few seconds.
Then he started laughing.
—HAHAHA!
—Who does that lunatic think he is?
—We have a lot of influence here in Trenton.
Loren thought the same thing.
That clown was just a madman trying to scare them.
Everything in the bar continued normally.
Until…
The lights went out.
Everything was suddenly plunged into darkness.
Everyone in the bar belonged to the gang.
—Turn the lights back on, damn it! —Stiven shouted.
A second later…
The lights came back on.
—AAAAAHHH—
A scream echoed through the bar.
Loren and Stiven immediately stood up.
They pulled out their guns.
All the gang members did the same.
Everyone looked toward the place where the scream had come from.
And then they saw him.
A clown.
He was standing in the middle of the bar.
In his hand he was holding something.
A head.
The clown looked directly at Loren.
Then he lifted the severed head.
He held it like a bowling ball.
And rolled it across the floor.
The head slowly rolled…
Until it stopped right in front of Loren.
Loren looked down.
And his expression changed.
It was Gabriel.
His brother.
Loren's body froze completely.
He clenched his teeth.
Then he looked up.
But the clown was no longer there.
He had disappeared.
—FIND HIM! —Loren shouted.
All the gang members rushed out of the bar.
Loren stood there staring at Gabriel's head at his feet.
Gabriel should have been at home.
That meant…
The clown already knew where he lived.
At that moment his phone rang.
Loren answered immediately.
But it wasn't the clown.
It was one of the men who had been castrated by him.
—Boss!
—The clown killed Gabriel and cut off his head!
Loren gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Stiven looked at the head on the floor.
—That clown crossed the line…
Then he spoke calmly.
—Put your guns away.
—Call the police.
—Let them look for him.
—And when they find him…
We'll kill him.
Stiven placed a hand on Loren's shoulder.
—Calm down.
—We'll avenge your brother.
—But first let the police do their job.
—If I'm not mistaken… the FBI is already in the city.
Loren said nothing.
He simply nodded slowly.
His hand tightened around the gun.
—You piece of shit clown…
—I'll kill you slowly.
---
One of the gang members ran back into the bar.
—Boss!
—We found Gabriel's body.
—It's tied to a streetlight pole.
Loren immediately left the bar.
When he arrived…
He saw it.
Gabriel's headless body was hanging from a streetlight pole.
People passing by on the street stopped when they saw the scene.
Some screamed.
Others pulled out their phones.
The police began arriving at the scene.
At that moment…
Loren's phone rang again.
He answered.
This time it was him.
The clown.
—Hello, Loren, my friend.
—Did you like the message I sent you?
Loren said nothing.
—I was thinking about eliminating you today…
—But a small inconvenience came up.
—Don't worry.
—When I finish with this…
I'll eliminate you.
—And you'll reunite with your brother.
I paused.
—Oh, right.
—I almost forgot.
—This message is for everyone.
At that moment…
Balloons began descending from the sky.
They floated down near Gabriel's body.
People looked up.
The balloons formed words.
"Loren, my friend… you are next."
"And my deepest condolences for your brother."
The police, the gang members, and everyone present stared at the scene.
Suddenly—
POP!
The balloons exploded.
Confetti rained down over the entire street.
No one said a word.
Everyone was frozen.
---
I was standing among the crowd.
Watching Loren.
I smile.
This was for the bounty you put on my head.
I will eliminate you, Loren.
But not today.
I turn around.
And disappear into the crowd.
An instant later I teleport.
I return to Newton.
To Ana's house.
From afar I watch the house.
The three girls are still inside.
Vivian.
Brittany.
And Ana.
I watch them silently.