Chapter 112: Extermination
The lock clicked.
Mara pushed the apartment door open, the hinges groaning softly. She stepped inside, kicking the door shut behind her with her heel. The briefcase hit the floor near the entranceway with a dull thud. She slid her keys onto the small entryway table, the metal scraping faintly against the wood surface.
She stood motionless for a moment, shoulders slumped slightly beneath her damp coat. The silence of the apartment pressed in. She kicked off her shoes, one after the other, leaving them near the mat. She ran a hand through her hair, loosening strands from the tight bun at the nape of her neck.
She walked towards the kitchen. The overhead light flickered once before settling into a steady, pale glow. She opened the refrigerator, the soft hum momentarily louder. She scanned the contents. Milk, some leftover takeout containers, half a block of cheese. She closed the fridge door.
Her gaze shifted to the small wine rack beside the counter. She selected a bottle of deep red, pulled it free. She opened a cabinet, retrieved a stemmed glass, closed the cabinet door softly. She peeled the foil from the bottle top, inserted the corkscrew, twisted. The cork came out with a subdued pop.
She poured a measure of wine into the glass, the liquid dark against the clear crystal. She picked up the glass, leaving the bottle on the counter.
She turned, walking back towards the living room archway, glass in hand.
She stopped dead in the archway.
A figure sat on her sofa. Legs crossed casually. Dark trousers, a simple grey tunic – clean, dry. Hair dark, neatly cut, framing a face she recognized instantly. His expression was blank. Eyes forward, not quite looking at her, more through her, towards the wall beyond.
Fin.
The wine glass slipped from her fingers.