Kill Switch: A Vigilante Serial Killer Action Thriller (Angel of Darkness Suspense Thriller Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Steve N. Lee
Tags: Action Suspense Thriller
ended too.
It was Cheng Chao-An who’d saved her. He’d taught her not just how to go on functioning in society, but how to see what she had to do and know exactly how to do it – all without tormenting herself with questions for which there could be no satisfactory answer to a ‘civilized’ mind. If not for her time in the mountains, her thoughts would have haunted her, paralyzed her, brought her crashing to her knees mentally, if not physically.
Nowadays, she did what she did because it needed doing. Simple as that. In the same way a firefighter couldn’t help but run into a burning building to save a child, so she couldn’t turn a blind eye to some vile piece of scum abusing another innocent victim.
Fifty-three.
To the majority of the population she’d be a serial killer. To the handful who knew the truth, an angel.
Life? Life was sacrifice. And she sacrificed so that others didn’t have to.
Tess lowered herself to the strip of lawn between a couple of the brick buildings and then gazed around.
From the building opposite, a man with both arms plastered with tattoos shuffled out. He stopped, leaned against the wall and mopped tears from his eyes.
Tess had been in that building already so she’d seen what was inside. She didn’t want to see it again. Not even in her mind’s eye. But she couldn’t stop the image blasting into view. In that building earlier, words, even thoughts, had failed her. Staring openmouthed, she’d stood before a room containing a mountain of human hair that the Nazis had shaved off the dead to stuff mattresses or weave into cloth for soldiers’ uniforms.
With a frown, Tess heaved a breath. Even though she’d seen it for herself, she still couldn’t get her head around the horrors of this place. It was simply too difficult for a person in today’s world to comprehend what had gone on here.
Cross-legged on the grass, she peered up the tree-lined avenue. Auschwitz was a place of true nightmares and yet, if she hadn’t known its history, it looked like a run-down college campus. Strange. Except…
It was so eerily quiet.
She checked the sky and then at the trees dotted along the avenue.
Why didn’t the birds sing here?
Did the authorities poison them to imbue the place with an otherworldly atmosphere befitting its hellish past? Or could animals truly sense the evils that had been done here?
An old lady hobbled toward Tess and then stood just a few feet away, studying the buildings.
After a few moments, she turned to Tess and spoke excellent English with an Eastern European accent. “Do you know where the gas chambers are, please?”
Tess pointed back the way she’d just walked. “To the end, through the wire fences, and turn left.”
“Oh, it sounds quite far.”
“A few minutes’ walk, maybe.”
“Oh, dear.” The old lady sighed. “Would you mind if I sit to rest a moment to get my strength back?”
Tess gestured to the grass. “Please.” She’d rather stare down a gunman than indulge in pointless chitchat, but if a person couldn’t show a little tolerance and kindness here of all places, they had no soul.
“Thank you.”
The old lady tottered closer and then simply stood, scanning the grass at her feet as if a chair might magically appear.
Tess held out her hand. “Can you manage?”
The lady took it and then carefully lowered herself to sit. “Thank you. I’m afraid I’m not quite as fit as I used to be.”
Tess smiled politely, hoping the old lady would do her resting in silence.
She didn’t.
“Have you come far to visit here?” said the lady.
“Not really. I was kind of passing through already.”
The lady nodded, looking at Tess as if wanting to say something else, but didn’t know what.
“Have you?” Tess said. “Do you live here?”
“No. I’m from Romania. But I had family imprisoned here, so wanted to see the place for myself while I still could.”
“Your family was held here?” asked Tess. The place was horrific,
It was Cheng Chao-An who’d saved her. He’d taught her not just how to go on functioning in society, but how to see what she had to do and know exactly how to do it – all without tormenting herself with questions for which there could be no satisfactory answer to a ‘civilized’ mind. If not for her time in the mountains, her thoughts would have haunted her, paralyzed her, brought her crashing to her knees mentally, if not physically.
Nowadays, she did what she did because it needed doing. Simple as that. In the same way a firefighter couldn’t help but run into a burning building to save a child, so she couldn’t turn a blind eye to some vile piece of scum abusing another innocent victim.
Fifty-three.
To the majority of the population she’d be a serial killer. To the handful who knew the truth, an angel.
Life? Life was sacrifice. And she sacrificed so that others didn’t have to.
Tess lowered herself to the strip of lawn between a couple of the brick buildings and then gazed around.
From the building opposite, a man with both arms plastered with tattoos shuffled out. He stopped, leaned against the wall and mopped tears from his eyes.
Tess had been in that building already so she’d seen what was inside. She didn’t want to see it again. Not even in her mind’s eye. But she couldn’t stop the image blasting into view. In that building earlier, words, even thoughts, had failed her. Staring openmouthed, she’d stood before a room containing a mountain of human hair that the Nazis had shaved off the dead to stuff mattresses or weave into cloth for soldiers’ uniforms.
With a frown, Tess heaved a breath. Even though she’d seen it for herself, she still couldn’t get her head around the horrors of this place. It was simply too difficult for a person in today’s world to comprehend what had gone on here.
Cross-legged on the grass, she peered up the tree-lined avenue. Auschwitz was a place of true nightmares and yet, if she hadn’t known its history, it looked like a run-down college campus. Strange. Except…
It was so eerily quiet.
She checked the sky and then at the trees dotted along the avenue.
Why didn’t the birds sing here?
Did the authorities poison them to imbue the place with an otherworldly atmosphere befitting its hellish past? Or could animals truly sense the evils that had been done here?
An old lady hobbled toward Tess and then stood just a few feet away, studying the buildings.
After a few moments, she turned to Tess and spoke excellent English with an Eastern European accent. “Do you know where the gas chambers are, please?”
Tess pointed back the way she’d just walked. “To the end, through the wire fences, and turn left.”
“Oh, it sounds quite far.”
“A few minutes’ walk, maybe.”
“Oh, dear.” The old lady sighed. “Would you mind if I sit to rest a moment to get my strength back?”
Tess gestured to the grass. “Please.” She’d rather stare down a gunman than indulge in pointless chitchat, but if a person couldn’t show a little tolerance and kindness here of all places, they had no soul.
“Thank you.”
The old lady tottered closer and then simply stood, scanning the grass at her feet as if a chair might magically appear.
Tess held out her hand. “Can you manage?”
The lady took it and then carefully lowered herself to sit. “Thank you. I’m afraid I’m not quite as fit as I used to be.”
Tess smiled politely, hoping the old lady would do her resting in silence.
She didn’t.
“Have you come far to visit here?” said the lady.
“Not really. I was kind of passing through already.”
The lady nodded, looking at Tess as if wanting to say something else, but didn’t know what.
“Have you?” Tess said. “Do you live here?”
“No. I’m from Romania. But I had family imprisoned here, so wanted to see the place for myself while I still could.”
“Your family was held here?” asked Tess. The place was horrific,
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