A Crime For Passion

Sam Demello was a professional hunter living in New York, USA. He was the head of Trophy Hunters Association. His wife Janet always supported him in his career and decision making. They had a son Robert aged 15 and daughter Lisa aged 18. Robert was a wildlife enthusiast and loved all the animals. He requested his father several times to switch on to a better career. His father loved hunting and would not dream of giving it up. Robert developed a hatred for his father.

He started avoiding him as much as possible. Their dinner time usually consisted of a delicious meal and lively conversation. However, Robert started sulking for most of the time. He did not speak much to his parents. They were worried about his indifference towards them. They took him to a counselor, but he did not find anything wrong with him.

Sam decided to confront him directly over his aloofness. He asked him," What is wrong with you? Why are you ignoring your family? I have already told you that hunting is my passion. I can't give it up for your wildlife craze. Do you know that your grandfather and great-grandfather were great hunters? They shot down many ferocious beasts. Look at their kill." Robert was angry. He scowled and said," I don't want to answer any of your stupid questions. Your father and grandfather were cowards. You inherited cowardice from them. Why don't you shoot down a terrorist or two?" He turned away and went to his room. Sam was shocked. He had never expected this kind of reaction from Robert. His son used to dote upon his grandfather. He wondered how that love turned into hatred. Janet had heard everything. She consoled him by saying, " His anger and emotional outbursts are due to hormonal changes. Give him some time. I am sure he would be back on speaking terms."

They were silently watching him slam the door on their faces. The phone rang for several times before Sam picked it up. It was Robert's class teacher Ms.Amanda Wallace. She said,"Hello, I am Robert's class teacher Ms.Amanda Wallace. Am I speaking to Mr.Sam Demello?"

"Yes, This is Sam," he answered in his baritone voice. Amanda continued speaking," I would like to meet you and your wife in person. I had given an assignment to the class. They had to write an essay on the topic My father my hero.

I couldn't read his essay further. It was horrible. Please come and see for yourself."

" I will certainly come tomorrow. Thanks for calling Ms.Wallace," said Sam.

He lost his appetite and skipped his meals. Janet sat beside him on the couch. He rested his head on her shoulder and told her about the phone call. Janet squeezed his hand gently.

Next day they went to his school. Robert's teacher showed them his spiteful essay.

Sam started reading it. Robert had written:

A father is a real hero for his children. My father is the biggest villain in my life. He is a sadist and a murderer. He kills animals for fun and sells their skins. He earns his money through cold-blooded murders. He is a shameless man with no soul. He is proud of his idiotic profession and his ancestors. They were assholes like him with no heart and soul.

I hate my mother and sister for supporting him. The world would be a better place without them.

Sam had tears in his eyes as he passed on the paper to Janet. They were speechless for a moment. Amanda cleared her throat and said," I know it must be quite painful for you at the moment. However, I have a suggestion for you.

Why don't you pretend to give in to his demands? Observe his behavior for a few days. Gain his trust and then pursue your career without telling him." Sam nodded his head in agreement. He promised to call her back after a week.

Robert continued to ignore his family. He barely spoke a word or two at dinner. Sam started the conversation. He said," Janet, I have decided to give up hunting forever. I am sick of carrying around their carcasses. Robert is right. They have a right to live on this planet like us."

Robert dropped his spoon in surprise. He asked him," Are you serious? Can I believe you?" " Of course, my dear son," replied Sam," I promise to keep up my word and quit hunting for life." Robert immediately brightened up and smiled at his father. Janet was relieved to see that the cold war had finally ended. Robert became his usual self. He started socializing again. Sam called up Robert's teacher. He told her about the drastic change in Robert. He thanked her for giving a brilliant idea to tackle Robert.

One day he called Robert and said," I am going on a business tour with Lisa. Please take care of your mother."

Robert eyed him with suspicion. He asked him, " What kind of business are you doing? Why is Lisa accompanying you? I know she loves hunting. Are you going to break your promise?"

Sam assured him that he was going to buy diamonds from South Africa. Lisa was going to help him choose the diamonds of the best quality. Robert accepted his explanation and went to play with his friends.

Robert had the shock of his life after a week. His best friend and classmate Arnold Dayne came to his house for studying. He congratulated Robert and said," You must be proud to have a brave father and a valiant sister." " What are you talking about?" asked Robert looking confused.

Arnold replied," Haven't you seen their pictures in the local newspaper the City Times? Your father killed a lion. He was posing over its carcass. Your sister bagged a giraffe as her trophy. Look at these pictures."

He showed Robert their pictures from the newspaper. Robert was burning with fury. His father had deliberately lied to him. His hatred for his father and his sister had crossed all the limits. He did not express his emotions. He asked Arnold," What would you call a person who attacks you from behind?" Arnold replied," I would call him a coward." Robert commented,"My father is the biggest coward in the entire universe. He attacked the poor creature when it wasn't looking. How could you call him brave? My sister is an ugly bitch. She is a whore who wouldn't mind selling her body for money. I am ashamed to have jerks as my relatives."

Arnold was speechless.

Robert said,"Just watch this video and tell me how you feel." He inserted a DVD inside the DVD player and switched on the TV.

Robert's father aimed his gun at the lioness feeding her cub. He pulled the trigger and fired a bullet to kill her on the spot. The cubs were scared but didn't leave their dead mother.

Arnold said,"You were right. Your father is a scumbag. I wish I could do something for you. Wait a minute! We can get a petition signed by our classmates and their parents. We can ask them to support wildlife by giving up hunting."

Robert was very pleased. He hugged Arnold and said," That is a brilliant idea! We will work together to save the animals.". They chatted on various topics like soccer and wrestling. They finished doing their history assignment. Janet offered hot cocoa to Robert and Arnold. Arnold went home after a couple of hours. Robert locked himself in his room. He was devising plans to punish his family for breach of trust. His father arrived with his sister the next day. He grinned from ear to ear when he saw Robert. " Hey, champ!" said Sam," Do you know what I have brought for you?" "Yeah, sure," replied Robert casually, "Maybe a lion's head." Sam dropped his suitcase in shock. " Why don't you tell me the truth, dad?"

Robert asked him. " I am sorry Robert," Sam replied," This is my source of livelihood. I am not interested in any other profession." Robert replied, "Please forgive me, dad. I guess I was too harsh on you." Sam was delighted to hear an apology from Robert. They hugged each other. Lisa gave him a warm hug. Sam told Robert and Janet about his exploits in South Africa. Robert had other ideas in mind. He pretended to enjoy his stories. He was waiting for the right opportunity to strike them.

A couple of days later Sam and Janet went out for dinner. Lisa stayed behind with Robert. He couldn't believe his luck. He offered to prepare milkshake for her which she accepted. The milkshake was ready within fifteen minutes. He went to his father's bedroom and took out a bottle of sleeping pills. He laced the milkshake with ten pills. He gave it to her with an evil smile on his face. She drank it and continued to watch TV. She became unconscious in a short while. Robert took out a butchers knife and severed her head. There was blood splattered everywhere. The doorbell rang, and Robert went to open it. Sam and Janet were horrified to witness the cold-blooded murder. Janet screamed and fainted. Sam knelt beside his daughter's body and cried his heart out. " What have you done?" Sam yelled at Robert," She was your sister." Robert answered," She was not my sister. She was the devil's daughter. Haven't you heard that Karma is a bitch? She was a wicked woman with no compassion." " Hunting animals is different from murdering a human," said Sam with tears in his eyes.

"I don't see any fucking difference," added Robert with a sneer, " Humans are always inferior to the animals. Humans unleash terror and violence. They pollute the earth and indulge in criminal activities. I hope you must have heard about the bombings in Syria. Humans use their so-called intelligence to create nuclear weapons. They are willing to kill each other for power and money. Have you ever seen any animal doing all these things?" His father did not reply. Robert looked at him maliciously and said," I will help you to get over your misery. Why don't you join your daughter in hell?" Sam was shaking with fear. Robert took out the butcher's knife and plunged it into his stomach. He kept on stabbing until Sam died. He slit his mother's throat and dialed 911. The police arrived immediately with an ambulance. They were taken aback by the gruesome sight. A Teenager had murdered his entire family. Sergeant Matthews asked him," Why did you do it?" Robert replied," I did it because they didn't deserve to live. You can shoot me if you want." The officer was shocked to hear these words. The court sent him to a juvenile home. Dr. Annie Jason used to visit him for counseling. They opened their hearts to each other. Robert liked her a lot and looked forward to her visit. She developed a maternal affection for the boy. She decided to adopt him as she was childless. Her husband Jim wholeheartedly supported her decision. Robert went to live with his foster parents after his release from the juvenile home.

They helped him to continue his education. He graduated in Arts and joined a course in wildlife photography. He had temporarily forgotten about his vow to close down Trophy Hunters Association. He earned international acclaim as the best wildlife photographer. His best friend Arnold Dayne joined his office. He had ten trustworthy employees. They shared the passion for wildlife.

One day Robert was going through his social media messages. He came across the pictures of The Trophy Hunters Association in The Facebook. He was furious to see them gloating over a dead elephant. He was preoccupied with thoughts of seeking revenge.

Arnold knocked on his cabin door. Robert asked him to enter. "What's wrong, buddy?" he asked him," You look as if you have lost your hundred dollar bill." Robert showed him the picture that upset him. Arnold thought for a while. He asked Robert about his plans to tackle them. Robert answered," I want to close down the shutters of The Trophy Hunters Association permanently." Arnold smiled at him and remarked," You need to kill all the members and make it look like an accident."

"You are a genius!" shouted Robert in joy," I am going to find a way to kill them."

"Are you insane?" asked Arnold," Do you want to jeopardize your budding career at the cost of their filthy blood?" Robert was confused. He hit back," Are you asking me to be a mute spectator to their cruelties?" Arnold took out some papers from his pocket. He said," I have already seen that photo. I knew that you would lose your temper and do something foolish. I managed to obtain information on their hunting business. These papers contain the details of all the members. There are twenty people including twelve men and eight women. Their chief Joe Morgan replaced your father after his death. These are their contact numbers and addresses. Invite them to participate in the special hunting package tour. It will be a one-way journey for them. They will be returning to their original abode of hell." Robert was so ecstatic that he did a little jig in front of Arnold. The latter quoted," Hold your breath, bro. Listen to me carefully. We will send an invitation to every member with an irresistible offer. We will take them to Kenya for trophy hunting. The messengers of death would be waiting for them. We will plan the tour itinerary meticulously. We will take out the real bullets from their rifles and replace them with fake ones. The wild animals especially the lions will tear them apart for the intrusion."

Both the friends went ahead to put their plan into action. They were pleased to receive an overwhelming response from their intended victims. All the members of the association had signed up for the tour. Robert sent them a message about the date of departure and flight timings. He gave them a list of things they needed to carry including their clothes.

The day of departure finally arrived. Robert and six of his friends formed the part of the entourage. They had reserved their rooms at a Jungle Resort near Masai Mara wildlife sanctuary. The resort manager offered them welcome drinks.

They settled down in their respective rooms. They gathered around in the lounge after their breakfast. Robert briefed them about their tour itinerary. They were going on a safari without their rifles on that day. Robert wanted them out of his way so that he could swap the bullets. He stayed behind citing health reasons. After their departure with four of his friends, he sprang into action. All the rifles contained fake bullets. The hunting party returned to the resort by evening.

Two minivans were waiting for them outside the resort on the following day. They boarded the van and left for the wildlife sanctuary. Robert followed them in his jeep. Arnold gave him company. The hunters resumed their journey on foot. They split into groups of four. Each group consisted of three men and two women. They had a guide in each group. They decided to mark their trail on the way. They carried their food in a wicker basket. All the hunters had their own set of maps and rifles.

They decided to meet near the waterhole where the animals came to drink water.The first group headed by Joe Morgan went in search of the lions. Robert's friend Adam guided them. They continued to walk for an hour before encountering a pride of lions. Adam offered to take care of their belongings. They handed over their bags to him and moved ahead. The lions were taking their siesta after a heavy meal. Joe Morgan fired a shot which disturbed them. None of the lions had any scratch on their bodies. They surrounded the group and looked at them menacingly. The hunters were alarmed as their firing was ineffective. They pounced upon the visitors and killed them. Adam watched this scenario gleefully. He had recorded the video for Robert. He took out their hunting licenses from their bags and destroyed them. One of the groups was gored to death by the rhinos. The wild elephants trampled another group to death. A pack of hyenas launched themselves upon the visitors and feasted on their bodies.

The guides recorded these videos and shared them with Adam. The authorities closed the case of the missing hunters as purely accidental.

They reckoned that the dead hunters were probably poachers as there was no hunting license found.

Robert celebrated his success by throwing a grand party. He smiled when he remembered the quote:

Shoot the animals with a camera and not the gun.