I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal

"Don't talk to me in a loud voice. Do you understand?"

He realized then that he had pushed too far. He had tried to get Philips to kill Adam before. He had used his blackmail to try and force him to do his dirty work. But even with the threat of exposure hanging over his head Philips had refused. He had to be more careful. He had found Philips's line a line he could not cross.

"Okay," he said his voice a little softer now. "At least bring me five thousand dollars."

Philips was relieved. If he had asked for ten thousand again he would have killed him right there and then damn the consequences. He took a deep breath. "Okay," he said. "I'll get it right now."

But James needed the money and he also needed to get rid of Philips so he could do Adam's work. He had decided to do what Adam had asked. But he was not going to tell him about the five thousand dollars. That would be his little secret his own personal reward for his troubles.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" he said his voice a suspicious growl. "Are you going to trap me by calling others? Go and get it yourself. And remember no one should know about this."

Philips was furious but he left the room without another word his fists clenched at his sides.

James was alone now. He looked around Philips's bedroom. It was a room of incredible luxury a testament to his family's immense wealth. He had never seen a bed like that before a massive four-poster bed with silk sheets and a canopy that seemed to touch the ceiling.

He was filled with a bitter resentment a deep-seated jealousy. Some people get everything without doing anything, he thought a familiar refrain in his mind. And I get nothing even after doing everything.

He pushed the thought aside and started to search the room. He opened the drawers of the large antique desk and found a thick stack of documents. He did not bother to read them. He did not care what was written in them.

He just stuffed them all into his bag. He searched the rest of the room but found nothing else of interest.

He felt that Adam would be happy with this much. It was a good haul. And he had his own little bonus as well.

Adam had not told him to look for anything specific. If he had he would have searched for those things. He heard Philips coming back down the hall.

James quickly stuffed the last of the documents into his bag and stood in the same spot where he had been before his heart pounding in his chest.

When Philips entered the room he saw that James's face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Philips was a little surprised. "Teacher are you okay?" he asked.

"Why are you sweating so much and taking such long breaths?" He suspected that James had been up to something. He could feel the tension in the air a palpable thing.

James got angry again his fear manifesting as a blustering rage. "Do you want me to beat you again?" he said his voice a little too loud a little too defensive.

Philips realized then what had happened. James had been searching his room.

He had been looking for money. He decided in that moment that he would definitely kill this greedy pathetic teacher in the future. But not now. Once Adam's matter was solved once the bigger threat was eliminated he would deal with this little nuisance.

He took a thick envelope of cash from his pocket. It was the five thousand dollars he had retrieved from his father's safe. "I've already given you my monthly allowance," he said his voice a cold flat monotone.

"I brought this from my father's garden. If you ask for any more money in the future I will have no choice but to ask my father directly and use your name. Do you understand?"

James was furious. He grabbed Philips by the collar and pulled him close their faces just inches apart. "Are you threatening me?" he said his voice a low dangerous growl. "Don't you understand what I can do to you? Don't you remember the secret I know?"

"If you keep asking for money like this then I have no choice," Philips said his voice cold and emotionless his eyes a pair of empty black voids. "I'll tell my father my secret myself. I'll confess everything. And then even if I go to jail I won't go alone." He looked at James with a cold defiant stare a look that promised a mutual destruction.

James understood. He had lost his leverage. Philips was no longer afraid of him.

James realized then with certainty that Philips was not as simple as he appeared to be. He was a snake a viper hiding in the grass.

He pushed him back and snatched the five thousand dollars from his hand. He stuffed the money into his bag a small victory. "You've shown me a lot of tricks," he said his voice a low growl. "But I have a lot of things I can use against you too."

He had an idea a brilliant and devious idea. Why not make Adam and Philips fight each other? He could be the puppet master pulling the strings from the shadows. He had a lot of choices now. He was no longer a pawn in their game.

As he was leaving he turned and looked at Philips a cruel smile on his face. "This act of yours will cost you dearly," he said. "Just wait and watch."

He walked out of the room his backpack slung over his shoulder. Philips stood in the doorway watching him go his face a mask of cold fury.

When he was sure that James was gone he raised his hand and struck the wall where James had been standing.