The fireplace in the office flickers weakly at this early hour of the morning. Caesar sits at his ornate desk, carefully examining various papers and documents. Maps, projects, and agendas no doubt. It appears that he has no shortage of those. Relatively meaningless tasks to send the Hunters on. To advance his own ego and convince himself that he has power. Without the Hunters, he would be worthless. Sitting on his high throne while he makes his servants do the dirty work, allowing him to sleep at night with a clean conscience.
Jade stalks through the wide corridor towards the office, careful to make her footfalls light and not cause any creaking on the wooden plank floor. A sharp creak sounds out and she holds her breath, silent enough to hear her own heartbeat drumming in her ears. Jade waits a moment. Then continues moving. She can see Caesar sitting in his lounge chair, with his back to the open closed double doors. He takes a sip from a coffee mug and stretches. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyievB075f
Jade unsheathes her weapon and approaches the doors, carefully shifting the one on the left so that it begins to move inward. It doesn't make a sound, and she continues to open it just wide enough so that she can slip into the office. Inside the office is an array of furniture. Cabinets and couches. The central desk with its collection of documents. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakqXf3uir3
And Caesar. Sitting comfortably in his chair, without a care in the world. Not for Jade. Or the people she had lost that night. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHIh1bVND5
Jade crouches low, clutching her machete, and begins to advance forward. The chair is only a few feet away, and so far she's undetected. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKhFsrmIin
Should I thrust the blade through his chair? Or maybe slit his throat instead?
A log in the fire falls over with a small crash, and Caesar stands up from his seat. Jade's heart stops. She lowers herself as close as she can to the ground, hoping that her cloak will allow her to blend in like a shadow. Her target doesn't turn around, instead making his way towards the fire. He mutters quietly and picks up a small pitcher of water. Jade quickly rounds the desk, closing the distance between her and the oblivious Caesar. He douses the weak flames and stands back up, the only light in the room now being cast from a few small candles on shelves and his desk. Caesar turns around to walk back to his desk. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXJYYOeDzl
And is met with a razor sharp blade point held half an inch from his neck.
"So, you survived after all." Caesar chuckles faintly, speaking in a whisper. His hands rest at his side, and his back is straight. His eyes show no sign of fear. Jade swears she sees a flicker of amusement flash through them, before being replaced by a cold stare.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t0ajO2Cjj
"Naturally," Jade retorts, shifting forward so that the blade tip now rest upon his neck. One thrust and he'd be dead. No. That'd be too quick. Too painless.
"I must say, I didn't expect to see you again." He raises a brow. "Where's Rowan?" 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJolxQdk8oT
Jade doesn't answer. She only takes off her hood and smiles weakly, a small tear running down her face.
"He would've wanted to be here to see this," she begins.
"See what?" Caesar cocks his head slightly to the left. "You kill me and then be executed for your betrayal?"
"I can't be convicted if there are no witnesses. And besides," she lets a wicked grin form on her face. "I'm quite enjoying this. The powerful, arrogant Caesar being threatened by one of his lowly assassins. If I hadn't lost my phone in the chaos of the initial outbreak, I'd definitely take a picture of this moment."
"It's truly a shame you think you'll walk away from this unscathed, Jade." Caesar speaks, a hint of a plea in his voice. "I know you're an incredibly smart woman. Think this through. A number of my men are asleep upstairs. The Hunters are all just outside in their bunkhouse. There's no doubt that someone will hear a struggle. And if you choose to do this, just know that I will not go down quietly."
Jade leans closer, staring Caesar directly in the eyes. Unwavering in her gaze, she sighs. Letting go of her dreams of escape. Now there were only two options. Kill Caesar, or flee and be hunted down for her assassination attempt.
"I know you won't."
Jade thrusts the blade forward in a swift motion. Caesar moves with lightning quickness to one side, receiving a gash on the neck but nothing that would kill him. Jade spins around and swings the weapon in a diagonal arc towards Caesar's chest but he jumps back towards the fireplace. He reaches down to grab a fire iron pole from the floor and barely raises it as Jade comes down with a powerful overhead strike. Sparks fly off from the clash and Caesar drops his shoulder towards her, shoving her back into the main clearing of the office. Jade grunts and then sprints to the right of Caesar, using a coffee table to leap into the air and come down with another attack. Caesar parries it but loses control of the fire iron and it clatters to the floor a few feet away. He quickly reaches out towards Jade's neck and grasps it tightly, causing her to gasp for air and drop her weapon. As he's strangling her, Jade makes one last effort and raises her knee to strike his groin in one strong movement. Caesar grunts in pain and staggers back. Jade follows up by jumping up and delivering a spinning back kick into Caesar's stomach, sending him toppling into a chair. Both of them crash to the ground, the combined strike leaving him crawling away weakly, clutching his abdomen. Jade reaches down and picks up the blade, walking slowly towards Caesar.
"Good effort," she taunts, rubbing at her sore neck. "But this is where it ends for you. See you in hell, scumbag."
"To you as well," Caesar laughs. Something about his tone is off. Caesar lays near the fireplace, his eyes looking past Jade and towards the now open doors to the office. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGStDP1ZjE
Jade whips around as the shot rings out and a bullet rips through the flesh of her left shoulder, sending her weapon flying away to hit the floor as she collapsed onto a couch.
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