CHAPTER 18: HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED

“Natasha?” Ellen exclaimed in total surprise. She was the last person she had expected to see standing outside her room door.

Natasha glared at her with bloodshot eyes. Ellen took a step back - a little shocked at the madness that seemed to be emanating from her eyes.

“Wh...What can I do for you, Natasha?”

Natasha cocked her brow and the corner of her lips curled upwards into an evil looking grin.

Call it instinct or some other name but it seemed to Ellen that the right thing to do at this point in time was to slam the door in Natasha’s face, lock it, bolt it, then call hotel security. But Natasha was a lot faster than she looked. Fending off the closing door with her arm, she pushed her way through and into Ellen’s room - the suddenness of her movement causing Ellen to stumble backwards. Mad women tend to be a lot stronger than they seem. Ellen looked up into Natasha’s face. What she saw scared her - hatred oozed from her eyes and they seemed like daggers - poised, ready to stab hard and deep.

“Natasha? Are you okay?” Ellen asked, trying to recompose herself. Mustn’t show fear, mustn’t show fear, she repeated to herself silently. I hope that came out sounding all right. Well, at least my voice wasn’t squeaky. Keep calm, keep calm. You can handle this. You can handle her.

Natasha reached out and grabbed Ellen’s arm roughly. “You’re coming with me,” she growled as she produced a kitchen knife from the inner recesses of the jacket she was wearing and held it pointedly at Ellen’s throat.

Gulp. Okay, maybe I can’t handle this. This is way out of my league, thought Ellen as she cringed under Natasha1s painful grip. Ellen gingerly pointed at the knife in Natasha’s hand and said, “Careful with that. It’s sharp.” Great thinking, Ellen. You’re such a genius, she mentally threw her hands up in the air. Here you are with your current flame’s ex-girlfriend who has very evidently gone completely off her rockers, holding a knife she’s about to plunge into your throat and all you can do is state the obvious.

Natasha tightened her grip around Ellen’s arm and dragged her out of her room and down the corridor towards the lifts. Ellen figured if Natasha wanted to kill her, she would have stabbed her there and then. Why even bother to drag her out of her own room? There really wasn’t any point in struggling. Furthermore, Ellen didn’t exactly want Natasha to change her mind and decide it was better to plunge the knife into her now instead. So she meekly allowed herself to be led by her, wondering what she was really up to.

“You know, Natasha. Whatever it is, I’m sure we could work it out. It doesn’t have to be like this,” Ellen tried talking some sense into her.

“Oh, but we are working it out. We’re just doing it my way,” Natasha grinned evilly.

Ellen felt a shudder go up her spine. For someone who looked like she had gone completely bonkers, her reply sure sounded really rational.

Natasha was rational all right - in an eerily psychotic way. She had been waiting in the hotel lobby for Ellen to return, patiently biding her time, all the while plotting her next move. Her eyes gleamed when she saw Ellen enter the lobby alone. Natasha was half expecting to see Michael with her but he was nowhere around. She smiled. She would have had to change her plans if he was with her. Now, there was nobody around to stop her.

She watched Ellen speed through the lobby area like a crazy woman, veering around and expertly avoiding the rest of the people who were there, She watched as the lift doors closed on Ellen’s flushed face. She watched the floors light up as the lift ascended, discreetly noting down the floor it finally stopped on. Then she stood up slowly and strolled purposefully towards the lifts. A man in a dark blue suit walked past her and nodded with a smile. Natasha smiled back, acknowledging him. Hah, looks like I’ve still ‘got’ it, she gloated to herself. He’s not too bad looking though, Natasha thought as she secretly looked him up and down. Only he’s not Michael. And Michael is the only one I want. Her attention diverted back towards the lift as the doors opened. She stepped in and pressed the 27th floor. The button lit up, the doors sealed shut and the lift shook a little before it began its journey upwards.

When Natasha stepped out, she had absolutely no idea which room was Ellen’s. She came to the first door and knocked on it. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still, there wasn’t any answer. One down, fourteen more to go. She tried the next room. Knock knock. Silence. And the next and the next and the next. Nothing. All of them empty. Then she heard a familiar voice. It sounded as if it was coming from the room next door. Natasha padded up silently to the door and pressed her ear against it.

“Yes and caused a flash flood too!” Followed closely by the sound of infectious laughter.

Natasha gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. Ellen Hsuan.

She pulled herself up to her full height and patted her jacket pocket reassuringly, checking for the knife she had hidden inside. It was just a precaution. Only to be used if Ellen proved to be too much of a trouble. Natasha had no intention of just stabbing her. Oh no, that would be too easy. What Natasha had in mind was to make it look like suicide. Ellen’s death would have nothing to do with Natasha. She had to make sure she would not be implicated. Then when Michael was heart-broken with grief, she would be the one there to console him, to care for him, to love him.

As Natasha dragged Ellen with her into the lift, the other one next to it opened and out walked Michael.

“Mic-” Ellen screamed but was quickly muffled when Natasha clamped her hand over her mouth. Natasha was a tad second too late though. Michael had already turned. He watched in horror as he saw the lift doors close on a terror-stricken Ellen and a psychotic looking Natasha.

Michael panicked. What was Natasha doing here? Why was Ellen with her? Was that a knife I saw? Where was she taking Ellen? He quickly watched the floors above the lift door - they were travelling upwards. Michael frantically pushed the up button on the panel. The roof! Abandoning the thought of waiting for a lift, he dropped the paper bags he was carrying and ran towards the stairs - leaping up the steps 2 at a time.

Shit, shit, shit. Damn, damn, damn. Please be safe, please be safe. Don’t let that crazy bitch do anything to Ellen until I get there. Geesh! What am I talking about? Just don’t let her harm Ellen at all! Michael grabbed on to the banister, hanging on tightly and gasping for air. His head was pounding from the lack of oxygen and the world was spinning in front of him.

Come on, Michael. This is not the time to faint. Ellen needs you. Damn, I knew I should have spent more time at the gym.

Natasha pushed Ellen out on to the roof. Bloody hell, she cursed. Michael had seen them. She had to get this done as soon as possible before he wised up and caught up with them. Prodding Ellen’s back with the knife, she ordered her towards the edge.

Ellen frowned. Oh oh. This isn’t what I think it is, is it? She wants to make this look like a suicide. Ellen could have slapped her forehead there and then, only she didn’t dare move her arms. The cold pointed steel of the blade at her back conveniently reminded her that if she made one false move, it would very likely be the last move she’d ever make. But don’t panic, Ellen. Keep calm. Michael saw us. He’s probably changing into his superhero costume at this very moment and zooming on up here in supersonic speed to save me. Huh! I can’t believe I’m staring at the face of death and cracking a joke about it, Ellen choked back on a giggle.

“Look, lets make this easy for you and me, okay?” Natasha said with a sigh. “We’re on the 35th floor. Just jump, will you?”

“Could we possibly wait for Michael?” Ellen asked innocently.

Natasha stared at Ellen with a dumbfounded look - a little taken aback by Ellen’s absurd request. “No! We cannot wait for Michael! Now jump or I’ll push you off!” she screamed.

“Okay, okay. I was just asking. No need to get so touchy,” Ellen said.

“Just shut up and jump,” Natasha ordered again.

Ellen cautiously peered over her shoulder at the drop below her. Oh dear. It is a really long way down and I don’t see Superman in sight at all, she worried.

“Ermm...Is there any other way we could do this? It’ll be a lot less bloodier if I just took the lift back down again,” Ellen said gingerly.

“Damn it!” Natasha yelled. She was slowly losing her patience. Gripping the hilt of the knife tightly, she took a step towards Ellen.

Ellen quickly held out her hands. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll jump!” she threatened. Huh? What was I saying?

Natasha stopped and looked at Ellen curiously. Was this woman crazy or just plain stupid?

Just at that moment, the door to the roof burst opened and a blur of a figure came crashing through. It stopped for a few minutes though, hunched over, hands on its sides, gasping desperately for air. The sudden commotion caused both women to look towards that direction.

“St...sto...stop!” Michael panted. Ellen groaned. Saved by a totally unfit boyfriend who couldn’t stand up straight? Uh uh, somehow that image didn’t seem quite right.

Oh sod this, Natasha said to herself when she saw Michael. I’ll just push her off myself, she decided and headed towards Ellen. Ellen, too busy shaking her head at Michael, didn’t see Natasha coming at all. Michael, on the other hand, was too busy trying to breathe properly.

The next thing Ellen felt was the rush of wind on her body as she watched the sky getting further and further away from her. Oh oh, she thought.