Retaliation (The Assassins Book 1)

by Unknown

  I hope the guard is gone, but no luck, when I open the door, he’s there waiting for me. For a split second I think about using the knife on him, but I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my mother’s plan of getting me out of here.

  “Jules has asked me to be escorted back to my room.”

  The guard doesn’t believe me. He peaks into the room to see and hear a snoring Jules.

  He lets out a little whistle. “You must really be good. Maybe I should find out for myself.”

  “Do, and I will make sure Jules hears about it.”

  That stops him in his tracks. He steps away from me and escorts me to my room.

  “I will be right out here all night, so don’t even think about trying to leave.”

  Oh, I would be leaving, and there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it.

  αααα

  Jackson

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I don’t need a babysitter Donavan. You know damn well where I’m going.”

  “Great idea genius. You can barely walk.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I have to see her.”

  “You heard the Leader. He wants you to give her time.”

  “If the roles were reversed, and it was you, would you sit here, or would you do whatever it took to see her?”

  “That’s not a fair question, and you know it. Oh hell, let me go with you. We can’t have you dying on us now.”

  I can’t help it, I smile at him like an idiot. I knew he would see it my way.

  “So, where are we heading anyway? How do you know where she will be?”

  “I know exactly where she’s going. I don’t think they will be there for long, so stop your yapping, and hurry up.”

  Just walking is painful, but with each step that takes me closer to her, I feel my strength returning. The gunshot wound hurts like hell, but it’s nothing compared to the hurt I feel without her.

  Climbing the ladder out of our compound nearly kills me, but I make it. We have to make it across town without being seen. Clara’s father lives in the Upper Class District. It will be impossible to get in without being noticed, but if anyone can do it, Donavan and I can. I don’t think about the consequences of being caught. Clara will be gone soon. I know that time is running out.

  36

  Clara – Present Day

  I’m beginning to wonder if my mother was telling the truth about my rescue when I hear a scuffle outside my door, and then a light knock.

  I don’t know what to expect, but the last thing I do expect, is to find Brina on the other side of my door. I have rarely seen Brina smile, but when I open the door to find a dead guard at my feet, I also find a smiling Brina. Of course, seeing her here only adds to the ever growing pile of questions I already have. However, right now I know better than to waste time.

  “Ready to get out of here?”

  “I was ready the second I got here. Let’s go.”

  I expect to follow Brina out the door, but she confuses me by entering my room. I watch as she pulls out a set of keys, and unlocks the bars on my window. I decide it’s better to not ask questions, and just follow.

  Brina disappears out the window, and I dutifully follow. As I’m perched on the window ledge, I notice Brina climbing down a very old fire escape. It looks like it hasn’t been used in years, as it leads down to overgrown bushes. By the looks of the bushes, this is going to hurt. It’s better than the alternative.

  Once Brina hits the bushes, I hear a string of curse words come out of her mouth. I stifle a giggle for I know it’s my turn next. Roses are my favorite flower, but that doesn’t mean I want to be right smack in the middle of a rose bush. The thorns hurt like hell, but I push on, and free myself from the thorns.

  I don’t say a word to Brina, nor she to me. She nods in my direction, and I’m again following her. She leads me to an old shed on the grounds. Once inside, she opens a secret hatch that is covered by some old car parts. Looks like we’re heading downward.

  As we climb down, I can’t help but think of Jackson and everyone else in the assassin compound. I hope he knows that I’m alive. I know him, and if he thinks I’m dead, he’ll burn this place to the ground. I need to get to him before he does anything stupid.

  Brina leads us to an underground tunnel. I finally feel like it’s safe enough to talk to her.

  “Brina, I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to see you again. However, I have to know what’s going on. How do you know my mother? How long has she been working for the President?”

  Brina stops, and turns to face me. She doesn’t say a word, she just pulls me into her arms, and then gently releases me.

  “I’m just glad that your mother got to you in time before Jules could do any damage. You have done well tonight. I can see that your training has paid off. As for your questions, I can’t answer them right now. Your father will answer all your questions once we are safe. We must get to him as quickly as possible. We don’t have time to waste.”

  “I need to see Jackson first.”

  “It’s out of the question.”

  “Why?”

  “Please just trust me. We have to get to your father, now. His life is in danger.”

  “I’m supposed to care? He turned his back on me, remember?”

  “He had his reasons. Let him tell you in his own words. Then, you can see General Blake. Please come with me. Don’t make me knock you out, and carry you to your father.”

  I have always trusted Brina. She brought me back from the land of the dead. If she’s asking me to trust her now, then I’ll do just that.

  “Okay Brina. But, after I speak to my father, I’m leaving.”

  She doesn’t say another word. I know she’s hiding something from me. I have no choice, but to continue to follow her.

  αααα

  Jackson

  Donavan and I are just blocks from reaching Trent’s house. I’m breathing hard, and my wound is aching, but I can’t stop now. Donavan throws me a worried look, but I wave him off.

  We continue to walk toward the house, making sure to stay in the shadows. When we’re within view of the house, I can’t see any lights on. A sinking feeling begins to form in my stomach. It would make sense not to bring Clara here, but I have no other idea where they could be. I’m not leaving here until I search every inch of that house.

  I signal to Donavan that it’s our time to move in. He follows me to the back of the house. The lock is easy to pick, and we have the door open in no time.

  The house is eerily quiet. I tell Donavan that we should split up. It’s a big house, so if we split up, we can cover more ground in less time.

  Donavan stays downstairs, while I head upstairs to check for any signs of Clara.

  I’ve cleared all rooms until I come to her bedroom. I have my gun drawn, but once I enter the room, I put it down. With my night vision goggles, I take in everything. Even when I pretended to be Jonathan, I had never been invited up here. I assume her father kept the room the same after she had left. The room is decorated in white and light pink. The room of an innocent girl. Clara has been through so much in her short life. This room is a far cry from the woman she’s become.

  I notice a picture of her and Jonathan on the nightstand. I walk over and pick it up. I don’t know what possesses me to talk to it like a crazy person, but I do.

  “I will find her brother. I will protect her with my life. Please forgive me for loving her. It should have been you here. She means everything to me. She has brought me back to life. I don’t deserve such happiness, but I will do what it takes to earn it. I love you brother.”

  I set the picture back down, and begin my search again. I come up empty. When I meet up with Donavan at the bottom of the stairs, he tells me he has had no luck as well. The last place to check is the basement. We waste no time heading downstairs.

  αααα

  Clara

  After an hour underground, I realize we’ll continue to
remain below ground for the remainder of our journey. I find it impressive that these tunnels go underneath the whole city, and nobody is the wiser.

  Finally, we reach the end. I follow Brina up a ladder, and through a hatch. Once I’m up the ladder, I notice that we’re inside a room. It reminds me of the command center in the assassin’s compound.

  “Hello Clara.”

  I turn to face the direction of where I heard the voice come from. Out of the shadows walks my father. I see the hurt look on his face when I don’t rush into his arms. I’m sure that in his mind, our reunion would be a joyous one. I hate to burst his bubble, but I’m not in the least bit glad to see him, at all.

  “Forgive me if I don’t hug you, Trent.”

  He flinches at the use of his given name.

  “I know you have lots of questions. I promise to answer them all, but not here. We have to go. This will be the first place they’ll look for you.”

  I’m confused, but then again, I’m getting used to being confused at this point.

  “Aren’t we hidden in this place? I can tell it’s a secret bunker of some sort.”

  “It’s not the President that I’m worried about. His men couldn’t find us if the hidden door was in their face. It’s another that I worry about.”

  “Great, more secrets. I guess that means that I don’t have a choice then.”

  “I’m sorry pumpkin.”

  “Oh hell no, don’t you dare call me that.”

  “Look, I’m sorry for hurting you…”

  Brina steps in between us.

  “I know you two have a lot to talk about, but if we don’t move now, we‘ll be found. Let’s move it.”

  My father and I stare one another down. I want him to know he can’t hurt me anymore. His eyes are pleading with me to understand. I turn away from him, and follow Brina back down the hatch, and back into the tunnels of darkness.

  As our feet hit the ground, an alarm sounds in the room we just left. My father locks the hatch, and tells us to run.

  αααα

  Jackson

  To the untrained eye, the secret door would’ve been overlooked. I’ve always been an observant one. It was one of the many reasons I was recruited for this job.

  As soon as I open the door, an alarm goes off. So much for the element of surprise. I know that Clara has been here. Her father knew I was coming for her, and he took her away.

  “You want to tell me what’s going on now? Why does Clara’s father have this secret bunker in his house? Is he the Leader?”

  It’s time I tell Donavan the truth. He needs to know what’s going on. I shouldn’t have kept my word to begin with. It was clear that Trent was not going to keep his.

  “No, Trent Mitchell is not the Leader.”

  “Well, if he isn’t, then who is?”

  I don’t have time to answer him. We hear the sound of glass breaking upstairs, and we know the President’s men are looking for Clara. I know they have escaped through underground tunnels, but I can’t let the soldiers know that. As much as I want to go after Clara, my number one priority is her safety. I motion for Donavan to follow me. We quickly seal the door behind us. That should buy them some time to get away.

  By the sound of feet hitting the floor upstairs, there are at least ten of them. Did Justice really think it would take ten men to capture Clara?

  I look over at Donavan. He knows what I’m asking of him. It’s two against ten. But then again, we’ve been up against unreasonable odds before. Of course, the last time I wasn’t recovering from a gunshot wound.

  “You want me to take seven, and you three? I mean you’re an invalid after all.”

  “Please, I could still take out all ten with one hand.”

  “Whoa, cocky much?”

  “Do me a favor Donavan.”

  “What?”

  “Just shut up, and get to work.”

  Donavan smiles, and gives me a mock salute before he disappears. It’s about t-minus five seconds later that I hear the first body drop to the floor.

  I pull my knife. The quieter the better. One down, nine to go.

  37

  Clara – Present Day

  I continue to follow Brina through a maze of underground tunnels. None of us say a word.

  Finally, we reach another hatch. This time, we climb out onto an abandoned street. My father feels the need to explain this to me.

  “We’re at the city limits. Brina has a hideout setup for us. We won’t be there long. We need to leave the city, and the Eastern United States behind.”

  “Not until I hear the truth about what’s going on, and I want to see Jackson.”

  “The truth I can give you. We don’t have time to go back for General Blake. I’m sorry. You’ll have to trust me.”

  I laugh. He really wants me to trust him after he turned his back on me when I needed him most. He doesn’t push the issue. I want to know the truth, so for the time being, I have to follow him.

  Brina scopes the perimeter. Once she gives us an all clear, we follow her to an abandoned apartment complex.

  I shudder at the thought of Jules searching every empty building earlier to find me.

  “Brina. How long have you had this place? I thought Jules went through every abandoned building.”

  “He did. I set this up after he finished his search. I have managed to stay one step ahead of him, and his father.”

  Once we’re inside, I collapse onto the couch. We’ve been running for hours, not to mention that I haven’t slept since Jules took me from the church.

  In a matter of seconds, I feel my eyelids grow heavy, then finally closing, and I don’t have the strength to fight it. The last thing I hear is Brina saying, “Let her sleep Trent. She needs the rest.”

  αααα

  Jackson

  Lucky for us, I miscounted how many men there are. There are only eight soldiers here in search of Clara. Donavan and I move quickly. We take out the first six pretty easy. They never saw us coming. Now, we face off with the last two, and they’re more than ready for us. I realize now looking at one of the guards why I thought there were ten. I swear that guy eats guys like me for breakfast. I look over at Donavan.

  “Ready?”

  “Yeah, you take the big guy.”

  “Thanks a lot. Some friend.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  I look over at my target. I toss my knife back and forth between hands trying to look intimidating. I don’t think it’s working. Time to put on some charm. I don’t know what his name is, but he looks like Olaf to me.

  “All right Olaf. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way?”

  The only response I hear is the cracking of his neck, and then his knuckles. Any other time this might be a fun fight. With my wound still throbbing, I know it’s going to hurt like hell.

  I ready myself for the attack, but I’m caught off guard by Donavan’s laughter.

  “Really? You’re laughing at a time like this?”

  Both “Olaf” and the other guy look as puzzled as I am by Donavan’s sudden bit of hysteria. Donavan stops laughing. He pulls out his gun, and before I can blink, both men are down, swimming in their own pool of blood.

  “What the hell man? You could have told me you were going to do that.”

  “What, and spoil the fun. If you could have seen the look on your face when I told you to take the big guy. Oh man, it was priceless. I can’t believe you were really going to take him on in your condition.”

  “What else was I supposed to do? I didn’t have time to reach my gun.”

  “Who told you to put it in your boot? Haven’t I always said to carry it within arm’s reach?”

  “Really? You’re going to sit here and lecture me about how to carry my gun. You’re unbelievable.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t mean that as a compliment.”

  “I know.”

  “You can be such a prick sometimes. You know that?”

  �
�Yep.”

  “Let’s get back to the compound, and try to contact Clara’s father. I’m sure they’re long gone by now. It would be useless to try and follow them underground now.”

  Donavan is back to babying me again instead of the prick he was being a minute ago.

  “You need to have that wound looked at. I’m sure you busted some stiches open. I bet Captain Adrian is going to give you an ear full.”

  “Great, just what I need, another nursemaid.”

  It takes us longer to get back to the compound. Donavan was right, some of my stiches have come undone. I’m determined to find out where Clara is, and a little bit of blood isn’t going to stop me.

  As soon as we make it back to the compound, my men are on me. Donavan was right, Captain Adrian took one look at my blood soaked shirt, and started barking orders.

  “You’re going to have to re-stich me in the command center. I need to try and contact Clara’s father.”

  I receive a lot of puzzled looks, but right now is not the time to let them all in about who the real Leader is.

  Once I hit the control room, I start sending the signal immediately. I’m going to sit here all night and send this signal until someone answers me. Finally, I get a call back.

  “I’m guessing you aren’t going to give up on reaching Clara.”

  “Your damn right I’m not. Where is she? I want to see her.”

  “She’s sleeping. She’s had a long and trying experience.”

  “Is she all right. Did Jules hurt her?”

  “She is fine. He didn’t harm her. He didn’t get a chance. We got her out of there before he could.”

  I let out the breath I’d been holding. Whether he touched her or not, I’m still going to kill him.

  “I found your secret hideout by the way. Don’t worry, we took care of the soldiers who were there looking for Clara. They won’t find your secret door. You’re welcome by the way.”

  “Thank you. You never cease to amaze me General.”