Lilith Cohen Retribution

by William Manning

  “Good Idea. Between politics and golf, I’d choose golf every time.”

  “You seriously need to stop shitting on golf. It’s not that bad of a sport.”

  “Golf is like having sex without the orgasm.” He groans and nods. “Damn, you’re hopeless, Lilith. And I don’t know how you mixed golf and sex together.”

  “Well, it’s usually old men holding a stick trying to put their ball in a hole.”

  “God help you. You’re hopeless.”

  “He tried, and he said the same thing.” Lifting the sleeve up on my leather coat, I see its 6 am. “Wake me when Connie arrives.”

  “Will do.”

  Lying on the beach cuddling each other. Karl stares at me, and his skin dissolves from his face transforming into a skull. I am paralyzed and can't move. His fingers wrap around my neck, shaking me and strangling me, stealing my breath. “Lilith wake up! Lilith! Wake up.” I wake up choking and realize it was Dominic with his hand on the back of my neck shoving me, not Karl. “Nightmare?” he asks. “Yeah,” I say rubbing my neck.

  “You going to be okay to continue?”

  I bring the rifle to my shoulder. “Yeah, I’m not letting a fucking nightmare stop me from an operation.”

  “Good. Connie has arrived. Get in position. I’m heading down there. I’m leaving my M14 here for you in case you need it.” He darts from the room.

  After stretching and yawning, I slap a magazine in the 338 and slide the bolt forward. Peering down the range, the place is filling up with foreign leaders and dignitaries. I spot Connie waving at everyone and shaking hands and posing for the Press cameras.

  I hope we can protect her. My resume of protecting people is not too good, so we’ll see.

  She enters the building with a group of Secret Service agents on her flanks and Dominic, and Josef brings up the rear. She looked rather pissed Dominic was there. However, Josef looked relieved.

  “You have a problem following orders don’t you, Agent Cohen?” She snaps. “Anyway, I’ve informed the Secret Service you’re with me.”

  “Nice to know I won’t be getting my headshots done today.”

  The crowd disappears inside the UN building. NYPD officers have the streets blocked off. I look at them with suspicion wondering if they're actually NYPD, but if what the VP said is true then they won’t attack dressed like the police.

  Thirty minutes later I hail Dominic on the coms. “Do you have an ID on the Journalist?”

  “Yes, his name is Jimmy Cavell. He is 26 years old, blond hair about 5’10, skinny, he’s wearing Blue jeans and a tan windbreaker.”

  “Wait I see him, Lilith. He is sitting in the back row.”

  “I’m moving in,” Josef says.

  “Negative. Back off.” My voice severe.

  “You stick with Connie that’s an order.” Dominic snaps. “Something isn’t right about him.” “What?” I ask.

  “He’s nervous and sweating profusely and fidgety. I think the journalist is suicide bomber.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “The profuse sweating and the heat is barely on in this building. The constant fidgeting and the anxious look in his eyes. What have I always taught you, Lilith? Their eyes betray them every time. Because no matter how devoted to the cause you are the thought of killing yourself always makes us a bit antsy.”

  “Are sure you, Dom?” Josef asks.

  “Yes. It’s the only explanation he has no combat training its apparent in his body language, and he is not a true believer. He’s basically screaming help me by his expression.”

  “If he’s there against his will, there’s likely a sleeper with a detonator among you watch yourselves.”

  “Way ahead of you, Lilith.”

  “I am too,” Connie says. “I’m glad you guys ignored my orders to stay behind. You’re right, Lilith. I was letting my political side overtake my common sense.”

  “Well, you are the only politician I give a damn about. You took a gamble and gave me another chance. So being your guardian angel is the least I can do.”

  My cell vibrates in my pocket. It’s a number I don’t recognize. “Hello, who is this?”

  “I see ye boys gawking at my wee little puppet, Lassie.”

  The familiar voice makes the hair on the back of my neck rise. “Venora! Are you in the UN?”

  “Just me eyes and ears. You see, the lad has a camera on his collar and a mic. Don’t bother trying to find the bomb on his body as you know full well me methods.”

  Venora prefers to turn her victims into suicide bombers by surgically implanting them with a bomb. It’s almost always against their will, and sometimes for laughs, she carves a peace symbol into their foreheads.

  “So if I see any of yous trying to get him outta the building I blow you all too bloody hell along with all the other useless blowhards pretending to give a shit about the world. The only way to stop me from truly killing your president is killing an innocent man who has a wife and three children. Tell me, Lily. Can you do it? Put a bullet right through his skull to save all those leaders of the so-called free world?”

  “I thought you hated Black Reign? Why are you doing their dirty work for them?”

  “Oh well I don’t see why I can’t make a few bucks here and there, after all, a girl’s gotta eat.” She snickers. “So you never did answer me question. Could you kill an innocent to save many, could you walk right in there and put a bullet through his head knowing he had a wife and three children and it so close to Christmas, quite a gift Santa Claus will be delivering them, eh?”

  “You’re fucking deranged, Venora.”

  “Now that’s the pot calling the kettle black. You are defending the same people who made this world the way it is, so ask yourself who is the real nut job here? And your righteous President is no fucking saint, ask her why she doesn’t do more to help the blights. Her answer should be interesting. So back to me question, Lilith. Could you waltz in there and put a bullet into the bomber’s head or are you going to sit on your little sniper perch and watch all the people in the UN be blown to pieces along with the Saintly Connie Kimura and your loyal lapdog Dominic? You know, to be honest, I am shocked you and him didn't become a couple. I mean bot o' you have something in common... failed marriages.”

  She’s playing a game one she has rigged. Either way, this goes Venora is going to blow the bomb just if I go in there she’ll get me in the blast too. No in my experience with her this bomb is going off regardless. There is no salvation for the poor bastard it’s wired to. “Her speech is wrapping up, Lilith. Tick tock tick tock.” She hangs up the phone.

  What I’m about to tell Dominic to do is going to make me sick to my stomach, but better one person dies than many.

  “Dominic kill the bomber. Put a bullet in his head in his head now!”

  “Wait maybe we can find the sleeper first.”

  “You won’t find a sleeper because she’s not in the building.”

  “Wait did you just say she?”

  “Yes, she as in Venora.”

  “Oh, son of a bitch!” he exclaims.

  “You have to kill him now, Dominic.”

  “Who the hell is Venora?” Josef ask.

  “A terrorist leader I been trying to kill for years and now she’s here about to unleash hell on earth.”

  “Oh shit, he's standing up. Bomb get down! He screams. A series of gunshots and screams fill the earpiece. An explosion roars inside the building shattering the ground level windows. I rip out the earpiece to avoid ear damage. “Dominic! Dominic come in! Josef Copy! Connie Copy! Anyone there?” My voice fills with dread when neither replies.

  Damn it! You assholes better be alive.

  Chapter 14

  A voice sounds off over the Coms. “Lilith, come in over?” A brief smile of relief slides across my lips and a snicker escapes my mouth. “Yes, I copy, you, asshole. How’s Connie and Josef?"

  “Scrapes and bruises and ringing ears, but they're fine. I can’t say t
he same for some of the UN members. 20 of them was killed in the blast the rest severely injured.”

  With Venora, you're not going to save everybody. All you can do is hope to save a few. My phone rings again it’s the same number as before. “Well done, Lily. Now it’s time to put those combat skills of yours to the test.”

  A loud hum fills the air as the power shuts down. “Lilith what’s going on? We lost power.”

  “Dominic, get ready I think you’re about to have company. Get Connie out of there now! My phone lets out a loud chime showing no signal.

  Shit, they’re jamming cellular signals.

  Explosions rock the streets below as rockets hit the barricades and the Secret Service sniper positions. I glance over the ledge and spot Islamic militants ascending from the sewer with RPG’s and AKs. One of them stops and unloads an AK at a police barricade. “Allahu Ackbar!” he belts out a war cry as he charges.

  I manage to tag one in the gut with my sniper rifle. Cocking the bolt, I notice something out the corner of my eye that makes me drop my rifle and ditch the room.

  RPG

  The blast erupts into the room throwing me across the hall and slamming me against the wall face first. Trying to stand, but I slump against the elevator door. Bells ring in my ears as I stagger back into the room hearing muffled sounds of automatic fire and the hiss of rockets and explosions on the street below. Gazing through the crater in the wall there's an upturned limo and the road filled with hostiles wearing camo uniforms and hijabs advancing on the limo exchanging fire with Police and Secret Service Counter Assault Teams.

  The cops are torn to pieces by a Russian PKM machine gun. Several rockets slam into the Secret Service agents, blowing them to bits. Venora and a squad of Mercs flank the cops and engage them in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

  Definitely not the fighting techniques of Islamic militants.

  A cop in tactical gear charges Venora with a baton. Venora ducks his swing and kicks the side of his leg shattering his knee. She throws the officer to the ground and crushes his windpipe with her boot.

  Glancing back at the Limo, I see Dominic and Connie doing their best to hold them off.

  I guess Connie still has a bit of a field agent left in her. She still carries her sidearm.

  She fires her USP with one hand because her left arm is bleeding from a gunshot wound.

  Too bad there wasn't enough left in her to stifle her ego.

  I grab Dom’s M14 something faster than my bolt action. Peering down the scope, I line up my shot with the hostiles advancing on the limo. I gently squeeze the trigger. The rifle bucks against my arm, splattering the merc’s brains on the street. Lining up another shot the rifle barks and sends another round sailing into the neck of a merc moving in with an R.P.G. He collapses to the ground, blood spurting from his neck. The M14 cracks and the shot rips through a Mercenary’s groin sending him tumbling to the ground shrieking.

  He’ll bleed out in seconds, and I kept him from polluting the gene pool.

  The psychotic ginger bitch picks up an RPG and aims it right at me. A wicked smile slides across her lips.

  Not again.

  The floor collapses as I leap out into the hallway. I draw my Glock and race down to the street. I take cover behind a bullet-riddled police car and see Dominic is out of ammo. He has resorted to using Josef’s pistol because Josef is unconscious. Moving to cover behind a patrol car, I fire off several shots from my 45 taking down two of them. The bullets pelt the police car shattering glass and shredding tires. The firing stops and something heavy clanks on the top of the hood and lands next to me.

  They can take this shit back.

  I snatch up the grenade and return to sender. It blows up midair peppering their faces with shrapnel. I raise up and let off a couple of shots from my pistol, making them put their heads back down. I change mags in the M14 and rack the bolt. Police sirens wail in the distance. They scream retreat in Arabic. When they stand and try to run, my rifle puts down six of them. One of my shots strikes Venora in the leg. She stumbles to the ground. “Fuck!” she screams.

  Damn it! Come on, Lilith, that shot was bullshit. Breathe. Time to put you out of my misery, bitch.

  I’m about to finish her off when a merc in my blind spot dumps half a mag on my position with an AK pinning me down. He rushes to catch up with Venora. I line the crosshairs up with his head. The M14 echoes off the buildings as the heavy hitting 7.62 showers the sidewalk with his brains.

  I look over at Dominic who is sitting in a crouched position with the slide locked back on his weapon. “Lilith, we’ll be fine get after her,” he yells.

  I toss him the rifle and draw my 45 bolting after her. Darting down an alley, she is descending down a sewer opening. She yanks a pistol firing several shots forcing me behind a dumpster. Leaning around the dumpster I fire several shots and hit nothing but asphalt.

  Shit! The bitch already disappeared down the sewer. Racing down the ladder, I’m knocked down by the smell of shit. Only Venora would be crazy enough to run down here with an open wound and she’s nowhere in sight. Damn, where the hell did that ginger bitch go?

  This is like Ireland all over again when she gave me the slip. Visibility is poor my only source of light is the wall lights fixed along the walls. But I guess some light is better than no light. I cautiously advance further down the path, pistol aimed down the dimly lit pathway seeing nothing but a few adorable rats scurrying away.

  Shit, this bitch could easily ghost herself down here.

  I continue down the watery path till I come to a ledge and see a nasty sewer waterfall. It reeks of all the shit in New York. If Venora went this way, she is undoubtedly dead from infection. No way am I wading through all that shit water. I did that before in India and swore I’d never do it again. I don’t have to worry she’ll turn up again. She loves to make herself known; she loves the attention.

  Footsteps slosh through the water behind me. I whirl around with my pistol to shoot. A man twice my size snatches the gun from my hand and lifts me up by the neck with one hand. He delivers several blows to my stomach and follows up with a right hook across the jaw.

  Shit, he’s jacked up on Athena.

  He slings me against the wall knocking the wind from me. His hands squeeze my neck, cutting off my air. Just as I am about to pass out, he chucks me up against another wall. I try to get to my feet, but he plants a kick to the side of my head. I manage to get my bearings and deliver a kick to his stomach pushing him away. I launch to my feet and get in a few punches to his nose, stunning him. I try to deliver a kick to his head, but he grabs my leg and throws me down the pathway sending me sliding off the edge into the river of shit.

  Now I am super pissed.

  I glance to my left and Venora limps out of a dark corridor giggling. She leans on the railing. “You’re getting sloppy in your old age, Lily. Me friend is beating seven shades of shit outta ya.”

  Shit puns? Really?

  “I’m going to kill you after I’m done with him.”

  “You probably will, but not today. Darrick, just immobilize her we still need her alive.”

  “Why do you need me alive? What the hell are you playing at?”

  She bites her lower lip and snickers. “And spoil the beautiful gift I have for you, I don’t think so.”

  He makes a splash as he drops down in the waist deep water. “Sure thing, Ms. O’Brien.”

  I get myself vertical. “I guess Venora’s men will finallypresent a challenge for me.”

  He smiles back. “A challenge you’ll have.”

  He begins to punch me, but I deflect and sock him in the sternum and follow it up with a chop to his Adam's apple and a back fist to the nose. “I never thought I’d live to see the day where a Hunter agent was stupid enough to sell his soul out to psychopaths like Venora.”

  “Aye, that’s what you get for being so one dimensional in your thinking.” He roundhouses me in the gut knocking me against the railing. I throw a punch at him
, but he locks up my arm and slams his head into my nose. My vision flashes red as my body sinks into the filth.

  Head-butts are like a goddamn shotgun to the face.

  The tree trunk of a man grabs me by the hair and drives his knee to my nose, and pins me against the railing delivering jabs to my kidneys and throws me back in the water.

  This is turning into a shitty Monday. Ugh again with the shit puns.

  Blood pours from my nose as I crawl toward my Glock. My body pulsates with pain. He tries to kick me, but I block his foot and launch again to my feet. Deflecting several of his punches, he counters my block and tangles one of my arms up. I let out a wail after hearing my arm snap. Derrick smashes my face with elbow strikes and sends an open palm strike to my sternum. I fall to my knees gasping for air. He chuckles. “It seems to me, the notorious Death Angel talk around the agency was just hype after all.” I

  finally catch my breath and spit blood on his boot. “Well, what can I say, we all have our bad days.”

  I scream as he strikes my already shattered arm and slams me against the wall. I growl in agony as Derrick pushes my head into the concrete wall as if he is trying to shove me through the other side. “Venora was wrong about you. Honestly, I don't know where she gets you’re a formidable enemy.” My leg lets out a crack as he kicks the back of my knee. He kicks me in the ribs while I’m on fours stealing the wind from me. He drags me down the ramp and pushes my head underwater. “Open wide, Lilith! How does New York taste, baby!” Vomit erupts from my mouth as he yanks me up by the hair of my head.

  I'm going to need a gallon of bleach to cleanse my mouth of all the shit water I took in.

  “Okay, Lilith. I played with you long enough. It’s time I get back to my boss.” He raises his foot to crush my spine and just before he connects I roll out of the way. I jump to my feet and leap off the wall. My wrist blade plunges deep into the side of his neck. His body locks up with pain and stares at me with confusion in his eyes. “My healing factor got an upgrade, motherfucker.” I rip it out of his neck and shove it through his eye. Then into his Adam's apple. He falls to his knees. I grip him by the throat and let out a wail as I punch the wrist blade into his chest. Blood sprays my face as the wrist blade penetrates his chest over and over.