Amy awoke on a cold, dark night. An owl screeched outside her bedroom window. Cautiously, Amy peered out. It was time.
She slipped into her black skinny jeans and pulled on a black hoody. She quietly opened the window and slipped out into the darkness.
A man meets her out by the big oak tree. "You ready?" He growls. His voice is low, husky.
Amy swallowed hard, and nodded "I'm ready."
He took her by the hands and led her into the woods. "Your assignment." He saif, pointing to a box. "Oh, and by the way, if anyone asks who brought you here, tell them his name was Mr. Zulu."
Amy nodded, hoping the fear didn't show on her face. She opened the box and pulls out a sheet. On it, are her instructions.
Dear Amy Cahill,
Here are the instructions requested.
In a fortnight, two robbers will break in and "kill" the canary. The bait is set. Please hurry. We need your help.
The Cat
In the box was a dagger, and shotgun. Amy swallowed, realization dawning on her.
There was another note inside the box, written in spidery, flowery handwriting.
Dearest Amy,
I forgot.
Robber #1.
Robber #2. Ian Kabra
Please don't forgot, if above doesn't have a note to match this, with one small detail different, then don't trust him. Do the deed yourself if you have too.
The Cat
The owl screeched again, causing Amy to jump. She whirled around, her heart thumping in her chest.
Right then, she felt a hand clap over her mouth and an arm wrap around her waist.
"Hello, love." A husky voice growled in her ear.
Amy felt her heart begin to beat faster. "Ian." She hissed. "Release me right now."
"No, love." Ian said, his voice still rough.
"Why?" She said. "We have work to do."
"Because, love," Ian said, "I enjoy your back pressed against my chest."
Amy ignored Ian, twisted around rapidly, and brought her knee up to between Ian's legs. He fell over, gasping for breath.
"Why'd you do that, love?" He asked, the love came out strained.
Amy rolled her eyes, knowing Ian couldn't see her clearly in the dark. "Because, love," She mimicked his throaty voice, "I enjoy it."
Ian got up slowly, and said, "We need to leave. I was followed. I just heard them leave."
Amy gasped. "So they just thought you coming out here to meet your lover?" She sighed. "Wow, thanks for telling me. I would have been a bit more...loving."
Ian shook his head. "It wouldn't have mattered. They left as soon as I said, 'I enjoy your back pressed against my chest.' They thought that was it, two lovers meeting in the woods, so they left."
Amy cocked her head. "You heard them leave?"
Ian smacked his forehead. "I'm a Lucian, remember? Of course I heard them leave!"
"Sheesh," Amy said, "Sorry." She pulled the now wrinkled note of her hoody pocket. "Let me see yours." She said, her voice dropping to below a whisper.
Ian pulled his out. His was identical to hers...except for one detail. Her name was written as robber number two instead of his.
Amy nodded. "Good. Let's go."
The couple slipped off into the night, the darkness seeming to swallow them up.
-The Hunt-
Amy glanced back at Ian, who was slinking along behind her. They had gotten in his car, shut off the headlights, and drove to their destination.
His assignment was undoubtedly different than hers. They always were. Their assignments were always similar, yet different.
Now they walking up a long driveway to a creepy, abandoned mansion. Ian's large, dark figure seemed almost to glide behind her small one.
They reached the house. It's windows and doors were locked tight, in case of invaders.
Amy sighed. "Now what?" She whispered.
Amy listened for Ian's response, but he didn't say anything, just kept walking towards the back of the estate. Tree branches, long overgrown, seemed to reach out with gnarled hands to grab them.
Amy shied away from the rough roots that stuck up out of the ground. She looked at Ian, who was walking ahead of her, his gait steady despite the difficult terrain.
He's been here before.
Ian continued walking, and then he turned back to Amy. "Hurry." He said. "It's almost time."
Time for what? Amy wondered.
Ian reached the back of the house, then began his running his fingers along the wall.
"What are you doing?" Amy hissed, growing suspicious.
"This." Ian said, his fingers stopping at a specific spot on the wall. He pushed, grabbed Amy's arm, and clamped a hand over her mouth as the ground beneath them dropped.
Amy fought the scream that welled up from the depths of her soul. They were plummeting, falling, tearing through empty space. Then it stopped.
Her chest heaved, and she stepped closer to Ian. They were in a dark passage, not recently used. Cobwebs stretched from one narrow wall to the other.
Ian stepped forward, brushing them aside. He motioned for Amy to follow, and then he was gone, swiftly walking through the eerie black tunnel.
Where is he taking me?
Amy walked forward, not noticing that Ian had stopped. She bumped into him, and then fell over, her body striking the dirt floor hard.
"Oof!" She moaned.
Ian held a finger up to his mouth in a Shh! gesture. Amy nodded, and got unsteadily to her feet.
For a few long minutes, neither of them said anything. Then Ian turned to Amy. "The Cat is waiting. He will strike at any moment, any time. This was not part of our plan. I was to murder you."
Amy gasped, and stepped away.
Ian continued, his face obscured with dark shadows. "Amy." He said, reaching out and touching her face. "The Cat wants you dead. You have failed him."
Amy stifled a sob. "What did I do?"
Ian leaned close to her. "Everything." He said.
Then he turned. "I too, will be a disappointment, but I couldn't kill you." He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Why?" Amy asked. "You've killed so many others. Seen so much death. What would one more be?"
Ian paused, opened his mouth and then shut it again. "I don't know." He finally said. "Its just, I...I...I love you too much to kill you."
I love you too much to kill you. The words tore through Amy's mind again and again. I love you too much to kill you. I love you too much to kill you. She brushed it aside, like one brushes aside a fly.
"Ian." She spoke his name softly, putting all the emotion she couldn't express into that name. "What now?"
Ian looked at her, with pity in his eyes. "I will be killed for disobeying orders." He said.
"No!" Amy said. "No! Just kill me. I am a disappointment." She hung her head.
"That's right you are." A voice purred behind her. Amy whirled around, and she heard Ian's stifled scream from next to her.
The man stepped up to her, his face covered with shadow. He ran a hand down her cheek. "You were such a pretty girl." He said. Then he whirled to his men. "Kill her, since this idiot couldn't."