Retaliation (The Assassins Book 1)

by Unknown

  “You arrogant prick. You have no right to boss me around like I’m a child. You may be the General of the people here, but to me, you’re nothing. I don’t take orders from you or from anyone for that matter. I’m not budging from this spot, and there’s nothing you can do to make me go back to that room.”

  I really don’t have time for this. I’m seriously going to throttle her good after I speak to my troops.

  I hear Nyx laugh. “General, I’d be more than happy to take her back to her room.”

  Great, the last thing I need is Nyx manhandling Clara. No, this was something I had to do myself. I know it isn’t going to be pleasant, but she isn’t giving me a choice.

  Before Clara knew what hit her, I lift her up, and sling her over my shoulder. She starts to pound on my back, and lets out a string of insults, but I hold firm. She has to learn that there are rules here that must be followed.

  “Put me down. You have no right to touch me. You have no authority to keep me here like a common criminal.”

  Whatever else she has to say is lost on me. Having her body slung over my shoulder is playing havoc on my senses.

  She’s always had this effect on me, even from the first moment I laid eyes on her. My reaction to her is pissing me off.

  Once we reach her quarters, I fling her down on the bed, and pin her down with my body.

  “Stop fighting me. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you can’t disrespect me in front of my men like that. They rely on me to keep them alive. I don’t tolerate insubordination. Now, I’m going to let you go, but you have to promise not to fight me on this.”

  She looks defeated, and in that moment I hate myself for making her feel like a child.

  “Very well, General Blake. I won’t fight you. Please get the hell away from me, now!”

  “Clara I…”

  “No! I don’t want to hear it. Just leave. Go ahead and lock me in here like a caged animal.”

  “I will come back after my meeting, and we can talk then.”

  Before I close the door behind me, all I hear is, “Don’t bother.

  αααα

  Clara

  I don’t know what I’m more upset about, the way Jackson just treated me in front of everyone, or the way my body seemed to respond to his as he pinned me down on the bed. It has to be his resemblance to Jonathan that had my body reacting the way it did.

  Even as I tell myself that, I know it to be a lie. Jonathan and I had chemistry, but there had only been a few rare occasions of immense passion when we kissed. What Jonathan and I had was much deeper than physical attraction. I mean, of course I found him attractive, but he wasn’t one for being overly passionate, just a few instances here and there, and it always took me by surprise.

  I know the way I had just acted in front of Jackson’s men was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m tired of being locked away in this room.

  I know there will be another mission tonight. I know that’s what they’re discussing without me. I need to get them to trust me enough to go along with them. As much as I want to leave this place behind for good, the truth of the matter is that I still have a couple people on my list to take care of. I prefer to work alone, but with the resources available to this group, getting rid of the scumbags would go a lot quicker.

  When Jackson returns, I’ll make him understand my need to help. My need to make the men on my list suffer, as I have.

  While waiting for Jackson to return, my body begins to signal the fatigue I’m feeling. Before I know it, I’m fast asleep.

  When I awake, I notice that the clock says 10:00 p.m. I’ve slept the whole day away. I knew I was exhausted, but I hadn’t realize just how exhausted.

  After all that sleep, I feel refreshed. I notice a tray of food on the table. My stomach growls, and I take that as my queue to eat. I have to hand it to them here at the facility, as they have pretty decent food.

  As I sit down to enjoy the delicious smelling pot roast, I notice a piece of paper under the napkin on my tray. I have a pretty good feeling as to who put it there. The question is, will I like what it says.

  Clara,

  I apologize for my actions earlier today. I came to make amends, but found you resting peacefully. I will be out on a mission tonight, but I promise we will talk more on our earlier discussion tomorrow.

  Jackson

  A part of me is a little relieved about the fact that I don’t have to see him again so soon, the other part of me is a little disappointed. I’m also highly upset that I wasn’t asked to go on the mission.

  I know it’s useless, but I have to try it anyway. I walk over to the door, and try turning the door handle. To my shock, it’s actually unlocked. Whoever the last person was to enter my room, made the mistake of leaving it unlocked. I can hardly contain my excitement. I know the group has to be long gone by now, but I have to see for myself.

  I creep quietly down the corridor, Sgt. Jensen had shown me the weapons room earlier. He said it was where they all met right before they leave for their missions. Just as I suspected, they’re nowhere to be found. I’m surprised to find the weapons room unlocked as well. Either my luck is changing, or I’m

  being set up. I decide it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving this facility tonight, one way or another. With freedom in my grasp, I quickly forget my earlier plan to join the assassins.

  I grab a few items from the weapons room to aid me in my escape. Once I make it back to my hideout, I will reassess my mission. I’ve already lost a lot of time being here. I need to get back on track.

  I’m thankful in that moment that Sgt. Jensen had given me a tour of the facility. He hadn’t pointed out any obvious exits, but I had studied the layout, and I now know how to spot an exit, even if they’re supposed to be hidden. I also know how many guards they have on duty here at the compound. The compound is mostly inhabited by the group of assassins, but there are a few guards here to make sure there’s protection while the assassins train and rest. They also have one cook here. Besides that, they do everything else themselves.

  Once I reach my destination, I come up behind a guard at the end of the corridor. I immediately notice a ladder that leads to a hatch in the ceiling. I’m so close to the freedom I so desperately desire. I don’t want to screw this up now.

  I take a deep breath and quietly sneak up behind the guard. I say a silent “sorry” before knocking him out cold with the butt of the 9mm I found in the weapons room. My happiness quickly turns to frustration after I climb the ladder to find that an electronic key is needed in order to access the hatch.

  I’m not about to let a locked hatch deter me in reaching my freedom. I climb back down, and after carefully searching the guard, I find what I’m looking for.

  Now that I’m at the hatch again, I scan the card, and the door slides open.

  αααα

  Jackson

  “I have the target in sight. She seems to know what she’s doing because I almost missed her. I have to admit, she’s pretty good.”

  “Thank you Donavan. I have to admit that I’m not surprised considering it took us a long time to catch up to her. Just keep her in your sights. On another note, I trust your time off was good.”

  The men always give Colonel Donavan crap about his secret getaways, they believe he’s meeting up with a woman, but I know the truth. He uses his time off in order to check up on his sister to make sure she’s safe. Like me, his family believes he’s dead. It was something we had to learn to live with when we made the decision to join the rebellion. We’re a secret society of assassin’s, and we can’t risk putting our families’ lives in jeopardy because of our career choices.

  “She’s safe, and that’s all that matters.”

  I nod in agreement. You wouldn’t know it, but Donavan has a big heart. He has to in order to put up with me. He’s always there to keep me in line when I have to push myself to that dark place. I owe him my life.

  When I received my mission earlier today, I sent the r
est of my troops on a separate mission tonight. The mission I received from the Leader needed to be discreet. Only Donavan and I are privy to know about it, for now.

  Now, here we are, sitting on top of an abandoned building, watching tonight’s target make her way through the dark city. She thinks she’s pulled one over on us, but when she finds out we were watching her all along, she’s not going to be happy.

  “Looks like she’s heading to an abandoned apartment complex at the edge of the city.”

  “Very well. Lock in her location. I think it’s time that I make my presence known. Why don’t you head back to the compound. If I need you, I’ll call for you.”

  I shake my head at him as he salutes me. I wish he wouldn’t salute me when it’s just the two of us, he’s my best friend, but he takes rank seriously. He hands over the information I’d asked him for. My target is not going to be happy with my arrival, but it’s time to call a truce between us.

  For whatever reason, the Leader of the rebellion has taken a specific interest in her. A part of me wishes I’d never mentioned her to the Leader in the first place. My honor to duty is something I take pride in, but when would that sense of honor finally get me killed?

  12

  Clara – Present Day

  I’m not surprised that the hatch leads me into an old abandoned warehouse. It takes me a moment to get my bearings, and figure out where in the warehouse I’m located. I’m happy that I thought to grab a map from the weapons room. It’s unusual to find a printed map these days. They’re usually found in museums, since everyone uses a GPS for directions, but I know a GPS can be easily tracked. Luckily, Brina had shown me how to read a map during our training.

  I make my way out of the warehouse as quietly as I can doing my best not to be seen. I keep thinking that my little getaway will be discovered at any moment and I’ll be dragged back underground.

  I spot a street sign, and quickly identify where I am on the map. As luck would have it, I’m only ten blocks away from my apartment. I decide that the best thing to do, is to go back underground. Brina had also taught me how to navigate the abandoned subway stations in order to navigate around the city without being seen. People no longer use the subway stations, as they now use the monorails to get around the city. The President likes to monitor all activities of the citizens. Only those who work for the President are allowed to ride in cars.

  As I get closer to my building, I decide to make the rest of my way above ground. Just in case I’m being followed, I make sure to do one final check of my surrounds. When I don’t see any signs of being followed, I enter the building.

  I chose the abandoned apartment on the edge of town, because nobody ever comes here. At night I keep it dark, just in case anyone happens to be out here, they won’t be drawn in by a light.

  I finally breathe a sigh of relief as I reach my apartment door. Again out of precaution, I survey the area to ensure nobody has been there.

  After I clear the apartment, I finally feel safe enough to put my gun away. I can tell that Brina has been here looking for me, she’s left me little clues. I can only hope she doesn’t think I’m dead. I head into the kitchen to find our secret stash. It’s where we leave important notes for one another. I pull up the rug that hides a small trap door. It’s something we had built when I first moved in here. In the box, I notice the note from Brina.

  Clara,

  I know you were taken by the assassin’s. Don’t’ ask how I know, just hear me out. You have to go back and stay with them. You are no longer safe here. The assassins will keep you safe. Jules has it in his head that you’re alive. He has been asking around about you, and showing people your picture. He’s sending out troops to check all abandoned buildings for you. Burn this letter,

  and anything that leads you to me, and then leave immediately. He’s coming for you!

  Brina

  I don’t know what to think about what I’ve just read. How had Brina known I was taken, and by the assassin’s. I don’t have time to ponder on that at the moment. I quickly burn the letter as she has asked. I make my way around the apartment to gather essential equipment and personal belongings. If this is the last time I’ll be here, I don’t want to leave anything important behind.

  I’m strapping on my gliding pack when I hear the squeak of the stairs outside the apartment. I pull out my gun, and prepare myself to face off with Jules or even his men. I’m surprised that there’s only one. I aim my gun, my finger itches to pull the trigger.

  “I wouldn’t pull that trigger if I were you. I’ve been shot before, but I didn’t like it very much, and I don’t recommend it.”

  I roll my eyes in frustration when I recognize his voice. I should have known Jackson would follow me.

  “What the hell are you doing here? Don’t you have a mission to be on right now?”

  “I’m on it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You are my mission.”

  I don’t like the sound of that. I aim my gun at him again.

  “You had better start explaining just what you mean by that.”

  “I’m not here to kill you. I can’t believe you would even think that. I was told to test your skills, to see how far you would get before we spotted you. I have to hand it to you, if I hadn’t placed that tracker in your jacket, Donavan wouldn’t have spotted you so easily.”

  “Why the hell am I being tested?’

  “Just put the gun down, and I’ll explain.”

  I’m very reluctant to put the gun down, but I do. Just in case something goes wrong, I start to move closer to the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony.

  “Start talking.”

  “When you were brought in, we had to tell our Leader about you. I was contacted by him this morning. He knows about your part in the deaths of the men on our list. He wants you to join us. However, if I’m going to have you on my team, I have to know I can count on you.”

  “What makes you think I want to join your little group?”

  “Do you have any other options?”

  I don’t, but he doesn’t need to know that. I climb onto the ledge of the balcony.

  “Clara, what are you doing?”

  I know what I’m about to do is going to freak him out, and I can’t help but smile.

  I plan on returning to the compound, because I really don’t have another choice, but I don’t want him to feel like he’s getting his way.

  “I want some time to think about it. I need some time by myself. Don’t worry about waiting up for me, as you can see, I have my own key.”

  I flash the key I had stolen from the guard, I give him a mock salute, and before he can make a move toward me, I jump.

  αααα

  Jackson

  I watch as Clara jumps from the balcony and in that moment I forget how to breathe. I run over to the balcony, and watch as she gracefully glides through the air. I’ve no idea where she’s gotten a glider pack from, but I’m very impressed. They were used during the takeover years ago, and were now hard as hell to find. The President banned them from being used. Nothing and nobody is allowed to be in the sky without his permission. He’s paranoid about spies in the sky. Anyone caught in any type of flight motion without consent, is to be killed on the spot, no questions asked.

  As I watch Clara disappear into the night sky, I can’t help but feel a little proud of her bravery. I’ve always known it was there. I would catch a glimpse of it in the past when we were together. One day I was going to have to tell her about all the times we’ve met, and man is she going to be pissed at me, again.

  αααα

  Clara

  It feels really good to be flying again. I know the consequences of being caught in the air, and I simply don’t care. I’ve never been caught before, and I don’t plan on it now. I know where the cameras are located throughout the city. Brina had shown me how to maneuver around the city without being seen.

  I fly around for another thirty minut
es. I’m not ready to go back to reality, but I just have so many unanswered questions. How did Brina know that I’d been taken by the assassins? Where is she now? Why does Jules believe I’m alive? I also know that Jackson is hiding something from me. That day in his office, he mentioned that we had met before. I was too upset at the time to ask him about it. Now, I’m curious to find out exactly what he had meant by that remark.

  I land in an open field close to my apartment. No, scratch that, my old apartment. I can never go back there now. I don’t know where my place is in this world now. For right now, according to Brina, it’s with the assassins. Once my mission is completed, I’ll figure out my next move. I trust Brina, and if she says to go back with Jackson, then it’s what I must do.

  The thought of Jules out there looking for me, sends a shiver down my spine. I push down the memories of that horrible night, but I can still hear one of the men whispering in my ear, “Jules sends his love.”

  I can feel myself starting to hyperventilate. I take a few minutes to get my anxiety attack under control. I reach for my necklace, the one Jonathan had given me on the night of our engagement. I panic realizing its missing. It must have fallen off while I was flying. I know it’s useless to look for it now. I can only hope it fell off somewhere where Jules can’t find it.

  I push the sadness over losing the necklace away. If I let myself go back down that road, I won’t be able to function. I put away my jetpack and start making my way underground, back to the assassin’s compound.

  Even though I may not agree with my new living situation, the last thing I want to do is give away their hideout. I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me. Jonathan was murdered because of me, and that had pushed me over the edge into insanity.

  I’m not surprised when I’m greeted by a guard as I re-enter the hatch that leads me to the underground compound. I’m however, surprised that he treats me with kindness, and not hostility.