Coin (Previously Zacharia) Opening

Coin opening (plus a little more). (could be considered Zacharia 3.2)

Andrea Daveys stood in the back of the gas station convenience store, staring at the container of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. The door to the freezer hung open before her, but the cold didn’t really bother her. She frowned, turning the frozen treat around in her hand, not really reading the information, just thinking. She hated ice cream. It had memories of her father that she couldn’t shake off. Gently she tossed it into the air, and catching it. She repeated this, still lost in her thoughts. She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her sister.

She pushed the freezer door shut and made her way through one of the few isle in the store. The door opened to the store, with a faint beep. Andrea looked up and saw a young man wearing a jacket, his hands buried in the jacket’s pockets. She shook her head and looked to her left, seeing the row of candy. For a moment she wondered if a chocolate bar would be enough for her sister, instead of the ice cream. She sighed, knowing it wouldn’t be fair.

After a moment she gets behind the young man standing at the counter, buying cigarettes from the owner. Her cell phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. She didn’t bother go for it. The buzz was an alarm, set for 9:45pm. Her favorite show would be on in fifteen minutes. She watched as the owner moved slowly around behind the counter, getting the cigarettes. Moving the ice cream from her right hand, to her left, to relieve the cold, she groaned.

Time slowed as the young man pulled something from his right pocket. Andrea saw the gun in his hand as it moved to point at the owner. She felt her heart race, pounding hard against her ribs. Her eyes focused on the gun.

Her fingers went numb, and she dropped the ice cream. It hit the tile hard, breaking the cheap plastic seal, and sending the insides in all directions. She felt the cold splash against her leg, instantly knowing the man in front of her would have felt the ice cream as well.

He did. He turned to her. First his eyes, looking down in surprise, then, up at her. She reacted, instantly. Her right hand reached out and grabbed the young man’s hand. She followed with her left elbow, just below the man’s ribs.

The gun didn’t fire. She felt the man’s grip of the gun loosen, and she quickly grabbed for the barrel, preventing it from falling to the ground. The man himself stumbled backwards and fell onto his back, gasping for breath.

Andrea smiled slightly, feeling as if she did some good, before looking to the owner. He still looked frightened. “Don’t worry, I’m a cop.” She put the gun onto the counter. “And he should be just fine, just knocked the wind from him.”

The owner didn’t move.

She blinked and nodded. “I tell ya what. I’ll go to my car, I’ve got a radio, I’ll call this in. Afterwards, I’ll come back, and help you clean up the mess.” She smiled, trying reassure the man.

Andrea quickly left the store, and went to her car, parked near-by. She laughed softly, proud of herself. Not that she hadn’t taken down crooks before, it always felt good, slamming and elbow or knee into a bad guy. It also never usually goes down this simple. Sure, the ice cream was lost, and she’d have make something up to her sister, but that wasn’t going to bring her down.

She opened the driver’s door and reached in for the hand-set sitting on the middle of her dash. “This is Detective Daveys. There has been an attempted robbery. Suspect has been apprehended, could you please send back up. I’m at a gas station at the corner of Wilkens and Uni-” A loud bang cut her off. Her finger slipped off the button on the radio.

“Detective Daveys! What is going on?” the voice of the dispatcher over the radio came through.

“I don’t know…” She trailed off. Two more bangs came in quick succession.

Andrea dropped the radio and ran quickly to the front of the store. Just inside the glass doors, she saw the owner standing over the would-be-robber. Blood had splattered onto his shoes, and the bottom of his pants. He held the gun, pointed down, a gently stream of smoke coming from the barrel.



Zacharia placed the briefcase on the night stand. He slowly released the latches, doing his best not to make a sound. He smiled softly, looking to the sleeping man on the bed. He grimaced, and pulled a revolver from the briefcase, and gently resting it on the stand. Then, he took out a long thin cloth. Carefully he lifted the sleeping man’s head, and wrapping it around his head, creating a gag.

He released the man’s head, letting it fall back onto the pillow. A groan came from the sleeping man. Zacharia smiled slightly, taking a tape recorder from the case, and laying it by the revolver. The man let out a muffled cry beside him, and started to try and crawl away.

“Mr. Harper…” he said, his voice softy, but a haunting quality. Harper stopped, and turned to look at his attacker. Zacharia motioned to the revolver. “I could fire this before you had a chance to get to a window or door…” he paused, shaking his head. “I never miss…” he smiled. The gun was empty, but Harper didn’t need to know that.

Harper sat at the edge of the bed. Zacharia picked up a small case, as well as the tape recorder. He pressed the record button and smiled. “Now, Mr. Harper…” He smiled, watching Harper squirm on the bed. He placed the recorder on the bed and laughed softly.

Zacharia may have looked old, but he was still strong, stronger than the even older man sitting before him. He pushed Harper, making him fall back, and his feet to go into the air. He grabbed Harper’s right ankle, keeping it in the air. Zacharia used his free hand to pop open the case, revealing a scalpel resting on velvet.

He was good with his hands, and easily maneuvered the case in his hand, and took the scalpel, and let the case itself fall to the floor. “Well, now…Lets keep things simple...” In a quick swipe he cut the Achilles tendon Harper’s right foot. “That should keep you here...” He let go of the foot, hearing Harper cry out in muffled pain.

“Now…where to begin…” He picked up the tape recorder and looked at the small microphone build into the device. “Becky Daveys…” His mind went back over the research he had done before his arrival. “You were her pediatrician. At the age of twelve, she was found, alone in her home, tied up, molested…” he paused for a moment, remembering the data. “Her father was suppose to be watching her. Several days later, he was found dead, hung himself, in motel room. Becky currently resides in a mental institution, her mind…broken. She thinks she’s still 12. Stuck at that age for all her life…”

Zacharia paced the room, thinking, his mind lost for a moment. He looked to Harper. “You know who I’m talking about…” He smiled slightly. “How about Helen Kirkland?” He nodded. “Ten. Again, home alone, and the same treatment. No charges were filed. But her mother blamed her father. She left him. His grief ate away at him. Years later, he was left alone, his job gone. He was gone then…” He paused for a moment and walked over to Harper’s head.

“You know who I’m talking about?” He laid the recorder on the bed and leaned over, and pushed off the gag. “Well?”

“HELP!” Harper cried. In an instant, Zacharia slashes the scalpel across his face.

“DO YOU!” Zacharia hissed.

“YES!” he cried, tears welling up.

“You did that to those girls.” Zacharia’s hand tightened on the scalpel.

“Yes, I did! I’m sorry. Don’t kill me!”

Zacharia nods slightly. “I’m done.” He shook his head, looking at Harper. “I’m sorry it had to go this way…” He gave a quick swipe and slashed Harper’s throat, cutting it deep, causing a spray of blood.