Lilith Cohen Retribution

by William Manning

  I hate fighting people jacked up on Athena.

  I leap to the ledge where I lost my gun. I collapse after I land. Forcing myself to my feet, I hobble to my 45 and return to the body and fire three shots into the fucker's head slinging gray matter across the concrete.

  My arm throbs, and there's a shooting pain in my knee as I climb the ladder. I collapse in the snow to rest for a second. Placing a cigarette between my lips, I dig in my pocket for my lighter and light up my smoke. I lay there and smoke for a good ten minutes before I realize I should check on Dominic and Connie. I groan rising to my feet wincing in pain as I hobble back to the UN. I try to hold my arm still to keep it from moving.

  Turning the corner; the area is swarming with ESU officers along with EMT’s and FBI agents. The Police charge toward me with their rifles aimed at me. “You! On the fucking ground now!”

  Dominic steps in front of them. “No! She’s with the President.” They lower their weapons.

  He turns to me. “Damn, what happen to you? You’re beat to shit, and you smell like shit.”

  “Venora’s own personal Hunter agent happened to be jacked up on Athena. The asshole’s name was Derrick.” “Derrick? That son of a bitch was still alive?”

  “What happened to him that he became an Ex Hunter?”

  “He went batshit and slaughtered several villages in Africa and helped Russian Nationalist kidnap and kill a US ambassador. He let the nanites give him a god complex. We thought he was killed in action, but it was never confirmed.”

  I wince in pain cradling my arm. “Well, he’s confirmed KIA now.”

  His eyes broaden. “You killed him?”

  I take a puff from my smoke. “Yep. Dead as fuck.” His brow furrows. “Are you sure? Because we thought we killed him the past and he shows back up.”

  The corner of my brow rises. “Did you try stabbing the bastard several times and shooting him in the head three times? I flick my cigarette into a puddle. “He’s dead, Dominic, trust me. Augment or not, you’re not living through what I did. Son of a bitch did do some damage on me. I’d really hate to look in the mirror right now.”

  “Yeah well, it’s not like you were that pretty to begin with.”

  The corner my mouth turns up and my eyes narrow. “Speak for yourself, Mr. Tropics.” He sighs.

  “Really? This shit again?”

  I lower my head, my body throbs when I laugh at Dominic’s expense. “Well, looks like I’m taking it easy till my healing factor finishes its job.”

  “Yes, sadly you will be out of commission for the next 24 hours. Besides, we managed to keep Connie alive, and Colvin’s plan failed, so I call today a win. Anyway, get some rest we're going to hit the Black Reign building tomorrow night.”

  “Well, can’t be a one-legged girl in an ass kicking contest now, can I? So I may as well just sit back and relax.”

  Chapter 15 The next day

  The laundry service left a new pair of dark brown cargo pants and a green plaid shirt a new pair of black combat boots. After getting dressed, the first thing I look for is my socks.

  Well shit, the laundry service forgot my socks. No matter I got some in my gym bag.

  On the plus side, I don't reek of all the shit in New York thanks to twenty showers. The whole bottle of Listerine got rid of the shit taste in my mouth.

  I drift down the corridor and make my way to the elevators. The lift dings and the doors slide open and out steps, Tiffany. She beams a bright smile. “Wunderbar! I’m so glad to see you’re healed and smelling better. Jesus, you had all of us gagging yesterday.”

  “Tiff, I just took half the shit in New York in my mouth, I am not in the mood for jokes. Anyway, how are Connie and Josef?”

  “They’re both fine. Josef didn’t have a concussion and Connie took a stray bullet to the arm, but she’ll live. Anyway, come on we’re all eating lunch.”

  I join her on the elevator. “Food is the last thing on my mind at the moment. Especially after my diving expedition in the sewer.”

  “Oh, sorry. I can see how eating anything right now seems disgusting.”

  Getting off the elevator, at the TOC Dominic, Josef, Clare, Connie, and Nina sit eating at the table.

  Clare grins. “Nice to see you awake, sewer shark.”

  Dominic smirks after taking a bite of his turkey sub. “Well, karma has kicked in for all the times you made fun of my shirts.” Everyone is eating subs except Connie. She is eating a veggie burger on a tofu patty. Tofu always tasted like cardboard to me.

  He pushes a sandwich over to me. “Oh, Lilith. I got you your favorite. Falafel with no cucumber sauce. I know you hate that stuff.”

  I sit down at the table next to Tiffany with Connie on the other side of me. “I want to thank all of you for saving my life. Especially Dominic who helped me hold them off at the limo. And to Lilith who ran into a hurricane of bullets fighting our enemies head on. I want to thank you two for ignoring my orders because if you hadn’t, I might not be sitting here right now.”

  I glower at her. “All of which could’ve been avoided if you’d canceled the damn speech.”

  She sighs and lowers her head. “I know. I won’t lie what I did was dangerous and reckless, and I got people killed because of it. I should have listened to you, Lilith. Not dismiss you, but you have to understand it’s important that I get help from our allies for when we do go into Syria.”

  “Bullshit. You risked your life and got people killed for your ego.”

  She takes a bite of her food. “My actions were rather egoic you are correct. And make no mistake I am well aware of my poor judgment, and it won't happen again. Nevertheless, I will issue an address to the public and inform them it was a sudden attack by Islamic extremists. Their country of origin is yet to be determined.”

  “Either way, I’m glad you didn’t get killed because I don’t think I could handle working under Lavana again.”

  “A fucking men to that,” Clare adds, chomping on a French fry.

  Connie turns to Tiffany. “And, Tiffany, as promised you start your new career in San Diego.”

  “Whoa thanks, Ms. Kimura. This means a lot to me.”

  Connie beams asmile at her. “Please, Tiffany. Call me, Connie. After all we’ve been through we are way past being formal. We are friends.” I guess Connie wasn’t just leading Tiffany on. Maybe there is hope for America yet.

  “Connie I want to ask you something,” I say.

  She nods. “Go ahead.”

  “Why haven’t you helped the Blights more?”

  She lets out a long sigh. “Lilith, I am the President of the United States. Sadly that doesn’t mean much when every bill you propose to help them is shot down by Democrats and more shockingly, my fellow Republicans. Alas, I am but a mouthpiece for the government. I have nightmares of the people suffering in the Blights. I think about myself growing up in a place like that. Starving to death, having to resort to crime or selling my body so that I won’t die of hunger or thirst. After the nightmare is over, I wake up crying and crying till I lose my breath. But, the dream made me realize something. I am the most powerful person in the country, and yet at the same time I am the most powerless.”

  I figured Connie was powerless to do anything, Venora was trying to get inside my head to create chaos as usual. But, after hearing what Connie has to say its further proof that politicians are pieces of shit. They’re only out for themselves. Connie, however, seems to be a rarity among them. Too bad there’s not enough of her to matter.

  “I understand what you’re going through. It’s why I don’t have much hope for this country or this world.”

  “I’m in my second term, and it seems I haven’t even made a difference.” She briefly stares at her half-eaten burger and turns back to me. “America… has become a corporation rather than a country. Politics have stopped working for the people and started working for corporations and themselves. Corporations influence bills and laws now with their deep pockets. Votes are meaningle
ss.” Tears form in the corner of her eyes.

  I’ve seen some gruesome things in my days as a Hunter, but in my opinion, there is nothing more grisly than seeing a woman with a broken spirit.

  Dominic leans over places his hand over hers. “It’s alright, Connie. If you don’t manage to make a change in the government at least, you can say you didn’t become a puppet on a string for them to yank at their leisure.”

  She wipes her eyes. “Thanks.” She turns to me. “So what is our next move, Lilith?” Connie, asks.

  “We take the fight to Colvin tonight. Clare, you’re going to play a vital role here we need you to work up a virus to shut down their security systems and power.”

  “I’d been nice if the power grid was still down, but hey I can still break in for you.”

  “Glad to hear it. Dominic, Josef you will attack the lobby. Nina and I will begin our insertion from the rooftop. Connie will provide a Mercury Jet for transport. Once inside, I will tear Colvin apart. That’s my plan if Connie has no objections.”

  “It sounds like a solid plan, Lilith. After you kill Colvin, I will have Clare release all the Intel she has sapped from Black Reign’s computer systems to the media, and we will sit back and watch them burn in the media fire. All the corrupt politicians Colvin owns will be scurrying like rats on a sinking ship.” She clenches her jaw and juts out her chin. “If I can’t help the ones who need it then I will destroy the ones who stand in my way. I will burn Rome to ash.”

  “Good Idea because even when Colvin is dead his cronies are still running around along with his board members.”

  I stand up from the table. “I’m headed to my room to get prepped for tonight.” I leave the TOC and head up to my room and close the door behind me.

  Tonight’s battle is going to be bloody, but it’s nothing I’m not used to. I know Dominic is used to battles hell he used to be part of the Mossad’s Kidon unit, a unit designed for nothing but assassinations.

  I slip on my black tactical uniform with long sleeves. There’s a rap my door. I answer and it’s Tiffany. “Hey, Lilith. How are you doing, you feeling okay?”

  “Okay. I’m still coping with the loss of Karl.” More like coping with this betrayal.

  “You and me both. I’m still trying to accept that my

  baby brother is gone.” She laughs. “This may seem stupid, but I keep thinking he is just on a business trip and will come back any day. Is that stupid, Lilith?”

  “No, it’s not.” She sits on the edge of my bed and puts her head in her hands and sobs. “I miss him so much. It makes me sick those animals took him from us. He was a good man and they robbed us of him.”

  Her calling him a good man ignites rage and disgust inside of me, but I stifle it before I do something stupid and tell her the truth.

  She raises her head and bloodlust burns in her eyes. “When you hit Black Reign tonight, slaughter them all. Make Colvin die screaming.”

  Tiffany has changed radically. I almost don’t recognize her. The Tiffany I know abhors violence hell she doesn’t even like guns. Now she has killed people, and now she’s advocating me to carry out wholesale slaughter.

  “This will be over soon, Tiff. In the meantime, stay in HQ and do not leave the building.”

  She wipes her eyes on her sweater. “Then I can go back to my old life?”

  “Yep, Then you can go back to your old life and your new career.”

  “Are you going to stay in The Hunter’s agency after this?”

  “Well, I don’t exactly see myself working in a mall kiosk handing out lotion, Tiffany. So what do you think?”

  She frowns. “I guess that’s a yes. But hey, if this is what you’re happy with I support it, Lilith. It makes me feel good to know they’re people like the Hunters are out there giving evil assholes their just desserts.”

  Shock fills my face. “Wow! What happened to the old Tiffany who said I needed to get out of the business of death?”

  “That Tiffany had her eyes closed. This Tiffany’s eyes are wide open.”

  Nice to finally see my friend come to her damn senses for once, and wake up and realize monsters only understand one language… death.

  I stroll to the wall and push the button behind the picture. The wall slides open. I duck into my armory and pull a Tovar with a suppressor and foregrip with a red dot sight. I select some throwing knives and slip my wrist blades on. I slide the Katana in its sheath on my back.

  She angles her body toward me on the bed, staring at the floor. “You come back to me, Lilith, I don’t want to bury you too.” Her voice shaky.

  “I’ll do my best.” I step into the elevator and turn to her. “I need to see if Nina is ready. I’ll meet you in the TOC.” I push the button, and the doors slide shut.

  I knock on Nina’s door. “Come in!” she answers. Josef is half-naked and in the process of getting dressed.

  He nods. “Lilith.”

  I wave fighting back a smirk. “Josef.”

  Why the hell is Josef getting dressed in her quarters unlessoh wait never mind I already know. And now, I’m getting an image. Damn it!

  Nina is on her knees naked and praying in Hindi in front of a statue of the Goddess Kali. Seeing someone praying in the nude doesn't shock me. I’ve seen such things before. She chants loudly in Hindi. I have no idea what she is chanting. I don’t speak Hindi, but knowing Nina, it’s probably along the lines of help us bathe in the blood of our enemies’ etcetera.

  She slices her hand dripping blood at the foot of the shrine. Nina then wraps a white bandage around her palm, and she turns and looks at me wiping a red dot from her forehead. “Why hello there, Lilith. I see you’re fixed for battle.”

  “So what’s up with Josef in the room while you’re naked?”

  Her eyes burn with lust as she saunters over to her armory. “Lilith, don’t be dense. You know sex clears my head before a battle. It keeps me centered. You know like your violin or meditation does for you,” she says, opening her armory.

  I shrug. “Whatever floats your boat. So what was the ritual about?”

  She twists a suppressor on her Five-Seven pistol and slaps in a magazine. “Protection for us and that Kali rewards you with the vengeance you desire.” She leans in close. “When you kill him, Lilith, relish it. Enjoy it.” She slips on her red panties and matching sports bra then her black tactical uniform.

  The FN FiveSeven was Nina’s preferred sidearm. Named after the round it uses, the natural armor piercing high-velocity 5.7mm.

  “Josef, again thanks for saving Tiffany. The both of you.”

  Nina nods. “Forget it, Lilith. I would do it all over again for you. I know how much she means to you.”

  He waves his hand. “Ah, it was nothing. Nina and I were getting sick of being undercover anyway.” He slips his magazines for his suppressed AK74SU into his ebony TAC vest. “Lead the way, Lilith.” He holsters his MP-443 Grach.

  We leave and join the others in the TOC. Clare has a layout of the building’s blueprints up on display on the big screen. My brow furrows. “I thought we lost all our Intel at the cabin?”

  “Aww, you underestimate my hacker Jiu -jitsu, Lilith.” She laughs. “Actually I’m joking the Intel was provided to us by Nina and Josef. Hats off to them.” She salutes both of them.

  I hurried over to the screen. “Okay as I said earlier Dominic and Josef will hit the building from the bottom. Nina and I will go in from the roof.”

  Dominic slams several bricks of CX9 on the table. “We blow the building on our way out. Bury the fuckers.” “After I kill Colvin,” I add.

  “Goes without saying.”

  Josef lifts his hand. “Lilith, you should probably

  know that Colvin will have his elite Blackguard guarding his office. Especially after you saved Lauren from being killed, you will be shaking a hornet’s nest.”

  “I don’t plan on shaking the nest. I plan t o set it on fire and blow it up.”

  Tiffany clears her throat, gra
bbing Clare's attention. “I’m not an assassin, but I feel the need to point out the obvious.”

  “Speak your mind,” Clare replies.

  “When you guys go in there shooting and blowing stuff up, what about the Police? I’d imagine they’re pretty jumpy after the attack on the UN.”

  “I’m glad you brought that up, Tiffany,” Connie jumps in while walking over to her. “I wouldn’t worry about the authorities; I’ll handle them. After all, I can always say the usual. America was attacked by terrorists, and counterterrorism teams responded. That would explain the exchange of gunfire in the Central Park area. The nation will buy it when I inform them it was Black Reign behind the attack on the UN.”

  “So you would lie to the country?”

  She chuckles “You’re seeing it as too black and white. Besides, it’s not a lie Black Reign is a terrorist organization as far as I’m concerned. It won’t be hard to convince the public after I expose Black Reign’s involvement with the attack today.”

  “Do you have proof, Connie?” Tiffany probes.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. We ID’ed one of the bodies of the attackers as Black Reign.”

  “Then why not out them right now. Why risk the life of your agents? It seems like shattering his image would be worse than death.”

  There is some old Tiffany left in her yet.

  She leans on her cane. “A man like Colvin will find a way to whitewash everything. Say it was some rogue employee of his company and the Justice Department will buy it too because he could pin the entire attack on Venora.” “She’s right.” Josef chimes in. “Venora is on Black Reign’s official employee roster and their payroll. He can say Venora was stealing weaponry from the company armory and recruited likeminded disgruntled employees.”