~~~
"Okay then, sir. Goodnight", Sophia smiled at her boss
"My regards to your Nana", The burly man smiled back at her and he left the coffee shop.
It was a long day and finally, she was about to close the shop since she was the one given the responsibility to do so. All she needed to do was clean up the tables and she'd go back home to her grandma.
And her nightmares.
Just as Sophia began to clean the first table, she heard the chime sound of the door, indicating that a customer had arrived.
Couldn't the person see the board outside which read 'closed'?
Sophia turned abruptly, ready to snap at the person but her words died on her lips as her eyes landed on the people by the door side.
A lady of about twenty-four or so and two young men of about the same age-maybe twenty-six stood there all clad in black by the door, looking deadly.
Who were they?
"Three cups of coffee, please" " the lady said and they sat on a table at a secluded corner close to the door side. Sophia watched as one of the men dropped a gun on the table in front of him and she gulped nervously.
Looking at the remaining two people's trouser holsters, their guns were strapped there and the aura they carried made Sophia sick in the stomach. She knew instantly that they were dangerous and not people she could even try to mess with.
She scurried off to make the coffee for them and in no time, she was already finished. When she took it to them, they seemed busy. The guy who brought out his gun had a laptop in front of him with his whole attention on it while the lady was talking to the other guy. Sophia saw the snake tattoo on the laptop guy's left wrist and she couldn't help but stare at the other's wrists. Just as expected, they had the same tattoo on their left wrists.
Were they in a cult or something?
Did her parents' killer send them to kill her?
"He's here", The laptop guy closed his laptop and stood up before pushing his gun back to his trousers' holster and Sophia swallowed.
Who was there? Was it their boss who was going to kill her like he did with her parents?
The lady glanced at Sophia and the tray which had three steaming cups of coffee on it and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry, we're in a hurry. We can't take it again", The lady placed a ten dollar note in Sophia's palm. "Keep the change", She smiled and the trio left from the coffee shop.
Sophia breathed out in relief and looked at the dollar note in her hand. She quickly went to drop the towel she was using the clean the tables. She was scared they would return so she made up her mind to leave the work for that night and complete it the next morning as early as possible before the coffee shop would be opened for customers.
She quickly strapped her bag across her shoulders locked the transparent doors of the coffee shop and walked down the alley towards her grandma and her house since she moved in with her grandma after her parents' death while their house was sold. She was too traumatized and scared to even live in the same house where her parents were murdered right in front of her.
"Please, I'm sorry",
Sophia halted in her steps when she heard someone's pleading voice coming from where she was about to pass through to go home.
"You fucking gave information to the enemy and you expect us to spare your useless life?", Another man sneered. It was as if he was the one who was being begged to spare the other person's life. "How smart of you, Russo",
"I'm sorry, please won't do it again. Please accept me back", The pleading man continued.
Something about the whole noise didn't settle well with Sophia and a part of her told her to run and follow another way back home but the curious part of her was against that thoughtful side. She had forgotten the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'. She moved further until she could catch a glimpse of the people there.
Sophia's throat suddenly went dry when she saw the people there.
They were the trio from the coffee shop and they had an older-looking man on his knees in front of them, begging for his life while a laptop guy pointed his gun at him.
Could he be the one they said had arrived?
A sense of relief flooded through her that at least she wasn't the one they had planned to kill but still, that man's life was in danger and she wasn't sure she could help because they were dangerous people and they were saying something about him betraying them so his death was already predicted to happen.
"Young Miss-", The poor man looked at the lady who had an emotionless look on her face, reminding Sophia of her parents' murderer. "I know you as a nice girl, please save me. Spare my life",
"How dare you even think of talking to our sister?", The second guy slapped the man across the face, and that instant, Sophia fixed the puzzle.
The three were siblings and the lady was the younger one of them. Maybe the laptop guy was the older one? She wasn't sure of that.
"Mr. Russo, we can't do anything to save you as long as Don has given the order that you should be killed for your huge betrayal" " the lady said. She didn't even look or sound like someone who would give out money to someone like Sophia as she did back at the coffee shop.
"Even without Don's orders, this mother fucker is dying right now", the Laptop guy growled and pressed the gun in between the man's eyes. "Last prayer-last wish",
"Please spare Me-I have a fa-" The laptop guy didn't let him finish when he pulled the trigger.
"That was fast", The other guy smiled at the laptop guy who wasn't even smiling at all.
Sophia stared with wide eyes at the lifeless body of the man on the floor as he lay there, in a pool of his blood while his eyes were opened in horror and without realizing it, a scream tore from her lips.