Three Strikes (alternate ending)

Three strikes alternate ending (not the official ending)

Thanks to Tiedash for inspiring this alternate ending

 

The ship was waiting at the pier, the large crate sat on the docks, with the words "Fine china" stenciled onto its side.

This was the target crate that Julia needed to get.  Luckily, there were no guards at the pier at this time of night.  It was just her, the truck, and the trolley.

With this being a solo job, it was tricky to get the crate onto the trolley.  Weighing in at roughly one hundred pounds, it was not easy.

To an observer, it would come as no surprise when the trolley tipped, slamming the crate onto the pier, which promptly broke.  The crate fell down into the water, where it vanished with a loud splash.  An observer would also have heard Julia's barrage of cuss words.

Actually, someone did hear these things.

            

As Julia continued to curse and swear, four shapes came out from behind another crate.  They had been waiting there the entire time, just to see if things had gone well.

"Well Julia," Mario said casually, puffing his cigar.  "Looks like you failed."

Until that moment in her life, Julia had never truly known fear.  Now she did.  "Mario," she said.  "I can explain!  The trolley, it was…"

"I don't care about the trolley."  Mario said.  "What I care about are my Tommy guns.  Where are my Tommy guns?  I want my Tommy Guns.  Can you give me my Tommy guns?"

There was no response from Julia.  She simply trembled with fear.

Mario sighed.  "I guess you don't have my Tommy guns then."  Julia made no response.  "Very well then."  Mario looked back at his three henchmen and nodded.  "I'm sorry it's had to come to this Julia, but you've left me with no choice."

With a quick snap of the fingers, the three henchmen were upon Julia.  Switchblades were opened, and the clothes from Julia's body were cut away.  One of those blades was pressed to her neck as they forced her onto the ground.  Two held her down while the third grabbed the box of horse bandages.

As they wrapped her up in the tight, stretchy bandages, Mario watched silently, puffing away at his cigar.  After five minutes, he looked at his pocket watch impatiently.  "Come on boys," he said.  "We don't have all night."

The henchmen did not reply. They only intensified their efforts to wrap the woman beneath them.  And in five more minutes, they were finished.

As the henchmen inserted some tubes and wires into the mummified woman, Julia lay on the pier, squirming and struggling in her bindings in a desperate effort to gain freedom.  She had no idea what Mario was planning, but she knew that it wasn't good.

With a casual flick, Mario tossed his cigar off the pier and into the water.  He walked over to the bound form of his former henchwoman as his henchmen prepared the body coffin.

He knelt next to her form, stroked her bandaged skin, relishing in the soft feel.  "Because you are dismissed from being a hitman," he said.  "I have another job for you, one that cannot fail."

Julia squirmed and tried to talk, but the bandages stuffed and wrapped in her mouth kept her silent.  "I could have sold you to one of my associates in Canada , so be grateful that I'm being this kind."

The henchmen came over carrying the body coffin.  Julia began to give muffled screams as they picked up her squirming form and put her in the casket.  This time however, belts were applied to her wrapped form, tying her down to the caskets lower section.  She continued to squirm and give her muffled screams as they lowered the upper part of the casket down.

With a click and a hiss, the top of the casket was on, and covered the body of the mummified woman within.  The straps, bolts and locks were applied on the sides of the casket, binding the two halves into one. 

Julia's eyes had been left unwrapped, so she could see out of the casket's eyeholes.  She could not see what was going on outside her private prison, but she could hear it.  And then, just like that, everything went black. 

She began to panic when she realized that her eyeholes had been covered up, leaving her in complete and utter darkness.  "It's okay," she thought, trying to calm herself down.  "It's okay.  You're going to be okay, you're going to be okay…"  She repeated it over and over like a mantra, trying to keep from going mad.

"You're going to be okay…"

Outside the body casket, the remaining locks and straps were tightened down, and the job was finished.

The henchmen picked up the casket and carried it over to a waiting limo in the parking lot.  Mario followed and got into the car with his henchmen, the casket, and the mummified woman who was sealed inside.

**

Two weeks later

**

The latest party was another hit with the guests, and this pleased Mario to no end.  The guests loved to comment on his exquisite pieces of art, such as the straight jacketed men covered in silver paint, and the latex covered women who had been converted into chandeliers.

But the surprise hit of the party was the silver body casket.  It had been placed onto a display stand and given a soft glow by surrounding lights.  Dozens of guests surrounded the casket, marveling at its beauty.

"I say Mario," one of the guests said, "That is a beautiful casket you have there.  Wasn't that the one I saw at your last party?"

"Why yes it is madam.  You obviously have a good memory."  The woman chuckled.

"Oh Mario.  You do know how to flatter a woman!"  As she went off to get some more drinks, Mario's new hitman walked up to him.

"So boss," he said.  "How long are you planning on keeping her in there?"  Mario smiled.

"A very long time my boy.  With the IV's and other equipment we've got hooked up, she could theoretically live for another fifty years."

"Wow.  But she is getting out, right?"

Mario took a deep puff of his cigarette, and watched the smoke drift into the ceiling fan.  Then he smiled, and looked at the hitman.

"Who said anything about letting her out?"

story continues in part two

02.02.06