The Blonde Torpedo
Chapter 1
Silence is unnerving for most people, but for assassin it's not. They need absolute silence whenever they snuck into the homes of people to kill them in their beds, they need silence when there are witness around to make sure no one will notice. Quinn always loved the thrill of killing, that's how she got into the business. People always wonder how we get into these business when in reality it's simple, you do it, you get a reputation, you stay out of jail and your reputation will grow. Anonymity is the most important thing, people know Quinn as a freelance graphic designer, that's her front. She posts her art once in a while and when a real client comes in, she usually do once or twice a year to keep up appearances, to make sure people know her as a graphic designer. She has two offshore bank accounts under an alias, a security deposit box in a few banks in the country and an account under her real name.
Silence is what she expects when she walks into her apartment and the deafening silence was what greets her. She put her bag down and started unbuttoning her shirt, walking towards the bathroom for a long awaited bubble bath. She revels in silence and wouldn't want it any other way. She used to love music, but she saved music only for the few precious moments she could steal for herself. Times when she can really let go and be her old self. Quinn can feel herself slipping away sometimes, moments when there are just too much killing, moments when she cannot align herself with her past anymore. Just like this night, after a high profile target has been eliminated. For the next few days, the city will be bustling with curiosity. People will question what really happened and this is the perfect time for Quinn to become Quinn Fabray again, just another girl, struggling to make ends meet in New York. Quinn pulled herself out of the tub and took a peek towards the clock on the wall. It was still 9PM and she doesn't feel like sleeping yet, so she put on her leather jacket and walked out of the building.
Quinn lives above a bar, at first she thought that she could just order a couple of shots and call it a night but apparently the universe is not on her side as the bar is closed. She grunted and pulled out her phone to figure out what's happening tonight in the city. All she could find was hotspots for clubs, parties and hippie things around and she doesn't think she can handle it just yet so Quinn pull out her pack of cigarettes and put on her earphones to stroll around the city. Quinn walked a few blocks before she almost ran into a door, face first.
"Hey!" Quinn said before she could help it, taking a drag out of her cigarette, feeling the nicotine slowly seep into her system.
"Oops! I'm so sorry!" The girl was small, she doesn't look like a teenager, so Quinn figured that she was just a very petite lady. A brunette. In her mid-20s. Quinn's brain was quick to profile the girl in front of her. She was dragging a huge garbage bag and was struggling with the thick door.
"Oh, damn. It's all right. Here, let me help you" Quinn threw her cigarette, stepped on it and pulled the door open for the girl. After the girl succeeded in pulling the garbage out, she took a deep breathe before she began pulling towards the dumpster. Quinn can see the girl was struggling and sighed before she helped the girl pull the bag.
"You don't have to help, I can do this" The girl said but Quinn pulled anyway. "I'm Rachel" She said as they were halfway towards the dumpster.
"I'm Quinn" Quinn said and they lifted the bag to the dumpster. "Is this a bar?" She asked and the girl promptly nodded. "Is it closing soon?"
"It closes after midnight" Rachel said and Quinn smirked.
"Are you bartending?"
"Yes, I am actually. But tonight I'm going to be on stage"
"Really?"
"Yeah, come in and take a look. I'm going live in a few minutes"
Quinn smiled as Rachel told her to go in through the front door and take a seat near the stage. It has been a while since she connected with another human being, let alone help someone out, to be perfectly honest, it felt great. Quinn entered the bar and noticed that it wasn't really full but they seems to be regulars at the bar as they are familiar with the staff. One thing that makes Quinn really good at her job is that she notices details, she can tell whether someone is married, single or even recently divorced by just looking at them. She can tell how they are feeling by just being around them. Right now she's trying to relax and all the details she absorbs are way too much for her.
"What are you having sweetheart?"
"Beer would be nice" Quinn said and she fished some money out of her pocket. The bartender smiled and Quinn made her way towards the stage.
Soon enough, Rachel entered the stage and sat down on the piano. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen" She said and hushed tones told Quinn that the people around her are settling down.
"Tonight is a very special night for me, because my fathers are here" Quinn thought she misheard Rachel but when she looked at where Rachel waved and saw two flamboyant men waving, Quinn smiled.
"It's been awhile since they visited me to New York. They live in a small town in Ohio, called Lima"
Quinn almost knocked her beer down. Quinn is from Lima. Her parents and older sister still lives there. It's impossible.
"So, please enjoy my short performance tonight" Rachel's delicate fingers danced on the piano keys. She has a distinct way of playing, different from how classical players play, but not quite like a rock star. It was the in between, the softness, the subtle notes that made Quinn enjoyed her performance.
The crowd went wild, if a group of fifteen or so people can be called a crowd. Quinn knew that the girls was special. She has that quality, impossible to describe, but it's there. When Rachel joined her parents at their table, Quinn half expected her to just walk past her, but she didn't.
"Hey, Quinn. Would you like to join us?" Rachel asked, offering her a hand. Quinn smiled a bit and stood up, taking the hand and letting Rachel pull her to the warmth of her family.
"Dads, this is Quinn. Quinn is a nice girl I just met outside" Rachel said, putting her beer bottle down on the table.
"Quinn! You have the best cheekbones I've ever seen!"
"This is my dad, Leroy Berry" Rachel said, introducing Quinn to one of her fathers. "And this is my other dad, Hiram Berry" Quinn took both of their hands, noticing that they both must work behind a desk and rarely do heavy work by themselves.
"It's nice to meet you, Quinn" Hiram said and the conversation started flowing naturally.
When the bar finally closes, Quinn stood outside the bar, waiting for Rachel to pack up. Her fathers had gone back to their hotel and somehow convinced Quinn to walk Rachel home. Rachel finally got out of the bar and was mildly surprised when she saw Quinn still waiting with a cigarette in her hand.
"It's a bad habit" Rachel said as they casually walked away from the bar. Quinn effortlessly following where Rachel was indirectly directing her.
"So is staying up late" Quinn mumbled and Rachel chuckled.
"Anyway, you already know way too much about me without me knowing a thing about you" Rachel said and Quinn's mind flew back to the hours she just spent with Rachel's parents. They had told Quinn pretty much there is to Rachel, from they day she was born to the day she moved to New York.
"What do you want to know?"
"Do you have a job?"
"I'm a freelancer" Quinn said and Rachel's eyebrow quirked.
"What kind of freelancing do you do?"
"A little bit of everything" Killing, blackmail, assassination, an entire gang wipeout. "Small things that can not go wrong" She added. "I'm a designer" Quinn finally said, handing Rachel her business card. It was not her designer business card however, but her other business card. "I need you to promise me not to give my number to anyone, even to your friends who might need a designer"
Rachel took the business card and looked at it.
"You seem like a very private person" she finally said after a few minutes.
"How'd you figure that one out?"
Rachel let out a big sigh, it was exaggerated for sure and started explaining. Quinn was entranced by how Rachel could speak so many words and only meaning half of it.
"We'll this is me" Rachel said and they stopped in front of an apartment building. "Would you like to get inside and have some tea?" Rachel asked and Quinn smiled at her. They were both facing each other and this is the moment in all romantic movies where she could either go inside and get lucky, or kiss her goodbye.
"I'd love to stop by but I have an early morning tomorrow" Quinn said and Rachel fished her keys out of her bag. "It's been a lovely evening, thank you for turning my night around".
"I had a pretty good night too, I'd love to get to know you better" Rachel said and Quinn smiled. "We should have lunch sometimes" Rachel said and Quinn nodded, agreeing with her.
"Well, we can arrange something. If only I had your number" Quinn said and Rachel laughed.
Rachel fished out a Sharpie from her bag and took Quinn's palm. She wrote her number on it and finished with a small autograph of hers. "That will be priceless when I'm famous" Rachel said and Quinn chuckled.
"I don't doubt it" Quinn said and she leaned forward. For a few milliseconds, she contemplated whether to go for her cheeks or her lips, but she played it safe and gave Rachel a small peck on her cheek. "I hope I'll see you see Rachel Berry".
With that, Quinn smiled and turned on her heels and walked away. Maybe this is the start of something good.