“Johnson! Report in!”
An elderly man stood over a microphone, nervously waiting for a reply. “Johnson! Can you hear me?!”
The six guards next to the man tensed up. The captain of the guards spoke up. “Johnson must be dead. The killer must be here! Don’t let down your guard men!”
“YES SIR!”
Two of the guards, guns raised, walked towards the only entrance to the room. The elderly man collapsed on the ground. “I-it’s no use…I-I’m a dead man.”
The captain glared at him. “Don’t you dare question our abilities like that. We’re more than capable of defeating a single assassin.”
A series of footsteps could be heard outside of the door, getting closer with each passing step. The guard tensed up. “Tch. Isn’t even bothering hiding himself this time huh? All men, fire at will!”
The guards started firing at the door, the bullets penetrating the wood, the splinters being scattered everywhere. One by one, the guards stopped firing. The door was now non-existent, leaving the men with a clear view into the dark room ahead. “D-did we get him?”
One of the guards slowly walked forward, gun still raised. Stepping past the door frame, the guard took his first step into the dark room, slowly being engulfed into the inky blackness. “Guys! I think we—HNK!”
The guards nearly collapsed in fear as they heard the thud of their comrade’s body hitting the floor. A shadowy figure, in the blink of an eye, appeared at the door frame. The guard closest to the man raised his gun to fire, but the man was too fast. Taking out a knife, the man threw it, entering the throat of the guard.
“NO!” The guards began to fire at the man, who quickly ran into the room, avoiding the bullets. Two of the guards were standing side by side. Quickly changing directions, the man ran in front of them, slicing both their throats in one single motion. Blood gushed out of their throats as they collapsed on the ground.
Spotting one of the last guards, the man dashed towards him. The guard took out a small sword. The sound of clashing metal filled the entire room. The sword had parried the knife, but the two weapons remained locked against each other.
The man quickly stepped to the side, using the other guard as a shield against the captain’s gun. Then, pushing forward, the man began to move the sword closer to the guard, who was trying desperately to push it away.
In a swift movement, the man reached into his shirt and grabbed a second knife. The guard noticed and tried to step back, but he was too late. Blood began to pour out of a stab wound in his chest. The knife had pierced his heart.
Slumping, the guard dropped the sword, gave one last gasp of air, and collapsed, dead before his body hit the ground.
The captain stared at the man. “So…you’re…you’re the assassin?”
The man grunted. “Such a strong word. I’m nothing like an assassin.”
The captain grunted. The man raised the knife to his face and charged forward. Before the captain could react, the knife swung cleanly through his throat.
The old man cried out as the captain’s head rolled away from the body. “P-Please! Don’t kill me! I’ll offer you more your money than your employer! I’ll make you an extremely wealthy man!”
The man sighed. “If it were just for the money, I’d be just an assassin. I owe my employer my life. He gave me hope when there was no hope. If he wants you dead…” The man lifted the knife close to his chest. “Then nothing will stop me from killing you.”
In a blur, the man sliced the old man’s throat. The man stepped away as his victim fell to his knees, blood gushing from his throat. Taking out a phone, the man dialed a number. “This is Number 7. I’ve completed the task.”
After a slight pause the man smirked. “There was more killing than I would have liked, but there was no avoiding it.”
After another pause, the man nodded. “I understand sir. I’ll be back for my next orders as soon as possible.”
Ending the call, the man slipped the phone in his pocket and walked out of the room.
Celine Webber collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. “A-again!”
A young man nodded. “With pleasure.”
Celine slowly stood up and put her rapier in front of her. She charged forward, hoping to catch an early advantage. However, the man was faster. Parrying the first blow, the young man stepped forward, causing Celine to lose her balance. After another blow, Celine collapsed on the ground. “Y-you win…I give up for today…Nathan.”
Nathan smiled and extended his hand. “I’ve been training since I was little. You’ve come far since you’ve started.”
Celine took his hand and stood up. “That’s because I have such a wonderful teacher.”
Leaning forward, Celine gave Nathan a little peck on the lips. Nathan looked down sheepishly. “Just doing my job. Now, be sure to cool down your body and stretch. Don’t want to get injured now would you?”
Celine nodded and started stretching. An elderly man walked up to the two of them. “Nathan, how’s the newest ‘Liberator’ coming on?”
“She’s learning quickly. Still raw, but give her a few months, and she’ll be ready to fight.”
“Good. We’re going to need all the help we can get. I just received word that Minister Bently was assassinated last night, along with his entire security detail.”
Celine gasped. “You’re kidding me…wasn’t Captain York in charge of the defense?”
“Yes. He…was killed as well. Most of the guards were killed by having their throats slashed. Captain York had a far more gruesome death…decapitation.”
Nathan shook his head. “That’s just despicable…he deserved a lot better death than what he received.”
“Indeed. Now, that brings me to my next point.”
Nathan tilted his head. “What is it?”
The man cleared his throat. “Nathan, you’re being assigned to be in charge of security for what we presume to be their next target.”
“But…what about Celine’s training?”
The man smiled. “Liberator Three will train her while you’re gone. Don’t worry, your girlfriend is in good hands.”
Nathan blushed and looked down. “Well…I guess I’ll start getting ready then.”
Celine walked up to Nathan. “I’ll help you pack.”
In a secluded part of a forest, the killer leaned against a tree, eyes closed, when a voice penetrated the silence. “On time, as always.”
The man looked over at a shadowy figure. “That’s the way you trained me Grandmaster.”
“Hmmm…indeed I did Malcom. Now, I’m sure you want to know who your next target is.”
Malcom nodded. “That would be ideal.”
“It’s another minister of the government. Have you heard of Minister Gerrett?”
“Yes I have.”
“I don’t have anything personal against the man. In fact, he is politically sound and a shrewd politician. However, he has dug his nose in our organization’s business and has released some key facts concerning our organization. Enslaver Two’s identity was revealed. Sadly…he was killed in action shortly thereafter.”
Malcom sighed. “Another one gone.”
The Grandmaster chuckled. “I already have another person to take his place. However, I’m not fond of losing assets. Malcom, your orders are to kill Minister Gerrett. Kill everyone there. I want no witnesses.”
Malcom nodded. “I understand Grandmaster. I’ll be off then.”
“Good luck, Enslaver Seven.”
ns 15.158.61.54da2
