The Last Call
Anna was about to board the flight to Paris when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and felt a surge of panic. It was him. The man who had ruined her life. The man who had threatened to kill her if she ever left him. The man who was supposed to be in prison for the next ten years.
She hesitated, wondering if she should answer or ignore it. She had changed her name, her appearance, her identity. She had moved to a different city, started a new job, made new friends. She had finally found some peace and happiness after years of abuse and fear. She had hoped he would never find her again.
But he had. Somehow, he had tracked her down. Somehow, he had gotten hold of her new number. Somehow, he had escaped from prison. And now, he was calling her. What did he want? How did he know she was at the airport? Was he here, watching her?
She decided to answer, hoping to end this nightmare once and for all. She pressed the green button and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" she said, trying to sound calm.
"Hello, Anna," a familiar voice said. "Or should I say, Claire?"
She felt a chill run down her spine. He knew her new name. He knew everything.
"How did you find me?" she asked, looking around nervously.
"That's not important," he said. "What's important is that you're coming back to me. Right now."
She shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. "No, I'm not. I'm leaving. I'm going to Paris. And you can't stop me."
He laughed, a cold and cruel sound. "Oh, yes, I can. You see, I have a little surprise for you. Something that will make you change your mind."
She felt a knot in her stomach. "What are you talking about?"
He paused, then said, "Look at your luggage."
She frowned, confused. She glanced at the suitcase she had checked in earlier. It looked normal, nothing out of the ordinary.
"What about it?" she asked.
"Open it," he said.
She hesitated, feeling a sense of dread. "Why?"
"Just do it," he said. "Trust me, you'll want to see what's inside."
She swallowed hard, then walked over to the baggage claim area. She found her suitcase on the conveyor belt and pulled it off. She set it down on the floor and unzipped it.
She gasped, dropping the phone. Inside the suitcase, wrapped in plastic, was a human head. A head she recognized. A head that belonged to her best friend, Lisa.
She screamed, attracting the attention of the security guards. They rushed over to her, asking what was wrong. She pointed at the suitcase, unable to speak.
The guards opened the suitcase and saw the head. They recoiled in horror, then called for backup. They asked her who she was, where she was going, how she got the head. They accused her of being a murderer, a terrorist, a psychopath.
She tried to explain, to tell them it was a mistake, a setup, a trap. She tried to tell them about him, about the phone call, about the threat. She tried to prove her innocence, to clear her name, to save her life.
But it was too late. The phone was still on, still connected. And he was still listening.
He smiled, satisfied. He had done it. He had ruined her life. He had made her pay. He had won.
He hung up the phone and walked away, leaving her to her fate.
He never looked back.
Chapter 2
Anna was taken to a police station, where she was interrogated by a detective named Martin. He showed her the evidence they had found in her suitcase: the head of her friend Lisa, a bloody knife, a note that read "I love you, Anna", and a plane ticket to Paris.
He asked her to explain how she got the head, why she killed her friend, what was her motive, and who was the man who called her. He accused her of being a cold-blooded killer, a fugitive, a liar.
She tried to tell him the truth, to tell him about her past, about her abusive ex-boyfriend, about his threats, about his escape from prison. She tried to tell him that he was the one who killed Lisa, that he was the one who planted the head in her suitcase, that he was the one who called her and taunted her. She tried to tell him that she was innocent, that she was a victim, that she needed help.
But he didn't believe her. He said she was making up stories, that she was trying to cover up her crimes, that she was delusional. He said he had proof that she was lying, that she was guilty, that she was dangerous.
He showed her a video clip, taken from a security camera at the airport. It showed her walking with a suitcase, then stopping at a phone booth. It showed her talking on the phone, then looking around nervously. It showed her opening the suitcase, then screaming and dropping the phone. It showed the security guards approaching her, then opening the suitcase and finding the head.
He said the video was clear, that it showed her acting suspiciously, that it showed her being caught red-handed. He said there was no doubt, that she was the killer, that she was the culprit.
He said he had enough evidence, that he was going to charge her, that he was going to lock her up. He said she had no chance, that she had no hope, that she had no future.
He said it was over, that it was done, that it was the end.
He left the room, leaving her alone.
She felt a wave of despair, of hopelessness, of fear. She felt like she had lost everything, like she had no one, like she had nothing. She felt like she was trapped, like she was doomed, like she was dead.
She cried, sobbing uncontrollably. She wished she could go back, to change things, to make things right. She wished she could see Lisa again, to hug her, to apologize. She wished she could escape, to run away, to start over.
She wished he would leave her alone, to stop hurting her, to let her go.
She wished he would die.
She looked at the phone on the table, the one she had dropped when she saw the head. She wondered if he was still on the line, if he was still listening, if he was still smiling.
She picked up the phone and put it to her ear.
She heard a click, then a beep, then silence.
He had hung up.
She felt a surge of anger, of hatred, of rage. She felt like she had been played, like she had been mocked, like she had been defeated.
She decided to fight back, to stand up, to resist.
She decided to call him back, to confront him, to challenge him.
She decided to end this, to finish this, to kill him.
She dialed the number he had called her from, hoping he would answer, hoping he would hear her, hoping he would fear her.
She waited, listening to the ringing, to the waiting, to the hoping.
She heard a voice, a familiar voice, a hated voice.
"Hello, Anna," he said. "Did you miss me?"
Chapter 3
Anna felt a surge of adrenaline, of courage, of determination. She felt like she had nothing to lose, like she had everything to gain, like she had one chance.
She decided to talk to him, to trick him, to trap him.
She decided to act like she was scared, like she was sorry, like she was in love.
She decided to pretend, to lie, to deceive.
She said, "Yes, I missed you. I missed you so much."
She heard him laugh, a smug and arrogant sound. He said, "Really? Then why did you run away from me? Why did you change your name? Why did you try to escape?"
She said, "I was confused, I was afraid, I was stupid. I didn't know what I was doing. I made a mistake. A big mistake."
He said, "And what was that mistake?"
She said, "Leaving you. Leaving the best thing that ever happened to me. Leaving the only man who ever loved me."
She heard him sigh, a soft and tender sound. He said, "Oh, Anna. You don't know how happy you make me feel. How much I love you. How much I need you."
She said, "I love you too. I need you too. I want you too."
She heard him whisper, a low and seductive sound. He said, "Then come back to me. Come back to where you belong. Come back to my arms."
She said, "I want to. I want to so badly. But how? How can I?"
He said, "It's easy. Just do what I say. Just follow my instructions. Just trust me."
She said, "Okay. Okay, I trust you. What do you want me to do?"
He said, "First, you have to get out of there. You have to escape from the police. You have to find a way."
She said, "But how? How can I do that? They have me locked up. They have me surrounded. They have me under surveillance."
He said, "Don't worry. I have a plan. I have a friend. I have a contact."
She said, "Who? Who is your friend? Who is your contact?"
He said, "You'll see. You'll see soon enough. Just wait for my signal. Just wait for the call."
She said, "What call? What signal? When? When will it happen?"
He said, "Soon. Very soon. Any minute now. Just be ready. Just be alert. Just be brave."
He went on, " Hahahaha, Good. Good, my love. You won't regret this. You won't regret choosing me. You won't regret coming back to me."
She said, "Okay. Okay, I will. I will do anything for you. Anything you ask."
"I have to go now. I have to make some arrangements. I have to prepare some surprises."
She said, "What surprises? What arrangements? What are you going to do?"
He said, "You'll see. You'll see soon enough. Just wait for my call. Just wait for the signal. Just wait for the explosion."
Chapter 4
Anna waited anxiously, nervously, fearfully. She waited for his call, for his signa. She wondered what he was going to do, how he was going to do it, when he was going to do it.
She looked at the clock on the wall, counting the minutes, the seconds, the moments. She looked at the door of the interrogation room, hoping for a chance, an opportunity, an escape.
Suddenly, the door opened and someone came in.
"This is the phone for the call", the man said.
"Who are you?", Anna asked.
The man said nothing and left.
She looked at the phone on the table, wishing for a sound, a voice, a message.
After a few minutes have passed, She heard a ring, a loud and clear sound. She heard him say, "Hello, Anna. Are you ready?"
She said, "Yes, I'm ready. What do I do?"
He said, "Listen carefully. This is what you do. You take the phone and put it in your pocket. You stand up and walk to the door. You knock on the door and ask for a glass of water. You wait for the guard to open the door. You grab his gun and shoot him. You run out of the room and head to the exit. You look for a black car with tinted windows. You get in the car and drive away. You meet me at the rendezvous point. You understand?"
She said, "Yes, I understand.
He said, "I love you, Anna. I'll see you soon."
He hung up the phone.
She felt a rush of adrenaline, of courage, of determination. She felt like she had nothing to lose, like she had everything to gain, like she had one chance.
She decided to do it, to follow his plan, to escape with him.
She decided to act like she was thirsty.
She decided to pretend, to lie, to deceive.
She took the phone and put it in her pocket. She stood up and walked to the door. She knocked on the door and asked for a glass of water.
She waited for the guard to open the door. She saw his face, his uniform, his gun.
She grabbed his gun and shot him. She heard him scream, fall, and died.
She ran out of the room and headed to the exit. She saw the people, the chaos, the panic. Several gunshots were heard causing the commotion.
She looked for a black car with tinted windows. She saw it parked outside, waiting for her.
The driver was the one who gave her the phone.
"Oh, you again?"
The driver only gave her a mischievous smile and sped off.
She felt a powerful and violent force.
She turned around and saw the airport, not far from the police station, in flames.
She realized what he had done, what he had planned, what he had achieved.
He had bombed the airport. He had killed hundreds of people. He had framed her for the crime.
He had betrayed her, tricked her, used her.
He had lied to her, hurt her, hated her.
He had never loved her.
She felt a wave of despair, of hopelessness, of fear. She felt like she had lost everything, like she had no one, like she had nothing. She felt like she was trapped, like she was doomed, like she was dead.
She cried, sobbing uncontrollably. She wished she could go back, to change things, to make things right. She wished she could undo what she had done, to save the guard, to save the people. She wished she could escape, to run away, to start over.
After making sure, there's no vehicle after him, the driver dropped Anna and went on his way.
For several days, Anna refused to pick the call coming from that phone her ex boyfriend gave her.
Days turned into weeks. One fateful day, The phone rang again. This time, she picked the call. It was her ex boyfriend.
"Hello, Anna," he said. "Did you like my surprise?"
Chapter 5
Anna felt a surge of anger, upon hearing his voice.
She said, "No, I didn't like your surprise. I hated it. I hate you. You're a monster. A psychopath. A murderer."
She heard him laugh, a cold and cruel sound. He said, "Oh, Anna. Don't be so dramatic. Don't be so naive. Don't be so stupid."
He said, "You should be grateful. You should be thankful. You should be proud."
He said, "You helped me. You helped me achieve my goal. You helped me make history."
He said, "You see, I didn't bomb the airport just to frame you. I bombed the airport to send a message. A message to the world. A message of terror."
He said, "I'm not just your ex-boyfriend. I'm not just a criminal. I'm not just a fugitive."
He said, "I'm a leader. I'm a visionary. I'm a revolutionary."
He said, "I'm the head of a secret organization. An organization that has been planning this for years. An organization that has agents all over the world. An organization that has a mission. A mission to destroy the corrupt and oppressive system that rules the world. A mission to create a new world order. A world order that I will control."
He said, "The airport was just the beginning. The first of many attacks. The first of many targets. The first of many messages."
He said, "You were part of my plan. Part of my strategy. Part of my masterpiece."
He said, "You were my pawn. My bait."
He said, "You see, the phone I gave you. The phone you used to call me. The phone you still have in your hand. It's not just a phone. It's a device. A device that contains a powerful explosive. A device that is connected to a remote detonator. A device that I can activate at any time. A device that will blow you up. And anyone near you."
He said, "You're not just a killer. You're not just a fugitive. You're not just a liar."
He said, "You're a weapon. You're a threat. You're a martyr."
He said, "You're my final surprise. My final message. My final call."
He said, "Goodbye, Anna. I'll see you in hell."
He pressed a button.
He waited for the explosion.
He waited for the silence.
He waited for the end.
But nothing happened.
He frowned, confused. He pressed the button again.
Still nothing.
He checked the device, the connection, the signal.
Everything was fine.
He wondered what was wrong, what was missing, what was blocking.
He heard a voice, a familiar voice, a hated voice.
"Hello, this is Detective Martin. You're under arrest."
He realized what had happened, what had changed, what had intervened.
She had tricked him, fooled him, outsmarted him.
She had lied to him, betrayed him, used him.
She had never loved him.
She had called the detective, the one who had interrogated her, the one who had doubted her.
She had told him the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
She had shown him the phone, the device, the evidence.
She had proven her innocence, exposed his guilt, revealed his identity.
She had helped the authorities, the police, the FBI.
She had tracked him down, located him, cornered him.
She had ended this, finished this.
She had won.
She felt a wave of relief, of hope, of joy. She felt like she had gained everything, like she had someone, like she had something. She felt like she was free, like she was saved, like she was alive.
She smiled, laughing uncontrollably. She thanked the detective, the one who had helped her, the one who had believed her.
She thanked him for his support, his trust, his kindness.
She thanked him for his friendship, his partnership, his love.
She thanked him for her new beginnings, her new dreams, her new happiness.
She thanked him for his happy ending.
She looked at him, the man who had saved her, the man who had cherished her.
She hugged him, kissed him, loved him.
She said, "I love you, Martin. I'll see you soon."
She said, "Let's go to Paris."
The End
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