Prologue
"Clubbed to Death"
The audio and visual assault on the man sitting at the bar in the club was almost worse than any of the battles he had been in during the Human-Covenant War. Pounding drum-and-bass music was matched with a perfectly choreographed light show that was enhanced by holographic projectors attached to the pillars and walls around the dance floor. Nothing more than a two story club, the bottom floor had a large dance floor in the center that was illuminated in a ghostly blue color from within while a series of small and medium sized booths ringed the outside of the dance floor behind the pillars supporting the upper floor. The top floor was another dance area but it was mainly for mingling and talking, where people went when they needed a break or were trolling for a one night stand. Having popped a single pill earlier in the night, the man was free to drink as much alcohol as he wished without worrying about it being absorbed into his bloodstream. But he wasn't there for a good time. Adjusting the almost invisible glasses that sat high on his nose, the image of his target floated in the air. A beautiful blonde woman, the picture was from the UNSC's citizen databank which was notorious for making people look their worst, obviously saying something about her looks. Snapping back to focus, he turned away from the bar and looked out over the dance floor. Resisting the urge to adjust his almost uncomfortably tight black pants and shirt that would instantly draw attention to him from the fashion crazy crowd, he relented to just shifting his torso back and forth in a vain attempt to make his rather large frame sit slightly better in his outfit. Scanning ever so slowly, he kept his eyes peeled for the women's distinctive blonde hair and drop-dead gorgeous looks but he was in one of the most exclusive clubs in the new cultural center that was Seattle and it would be rare for someone who wasn't good looking to make their way in.
"Overwatch to Sword, reconfirming the target entered the club and all exists have been sealed." The voice cut through the music thanks to the miniscule receiver in his ear. Without any way to talk back he could only listen and hope that the spotters could judge his intentions. Unintentionally tilting his head as he listened to the voice speak to him, his eye caught something familiar and he looked over to see the woman ordering a drink with her friends surrounding her. Picking up his drink, he pulled out his ID and swiped it over a pulsing blue circle on the countertop. Making his way towards the small group, he let his eyes wander across her body which was absolutely perfect, accentuated by a tight black dress that was tasteful but sexy.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, leaning in directly towards her while he gave a small but warm smile that was returned by a flirtatious flick of her hair. Assassinating someone in this matter was always difficult and the man had to keep his wits about him to avoid falling for the target.
"I'm sorry, I already ordered, but if you want you can stay here." Gently nudging next to her, her friends seemed to get the hint that she was on her own for a while and they stalked away to find their own men, drinks in hand.
"Hope I didn't split you guys up," he said, trying to sound apologetic but in a way that showed he had no intentions of leaving.
"Don't worry about, we never stay as a group for long," she said with a laugh, reaching out to grab his right forearm before letting her fingers slide away slowly, her nails softly pressing against his skin. Their eyes locked for a few seconds and a sly smile crept across her face. "You want to dance? I had a long day and I need to have a little fun."
"Yeah, sure," he replied quickly as she took his hand and led him out to the dance floor as a new song began to play. Staying on the outside of mass of people near the center, but not floating on the edges, they pulled each other tight and began to dance quickly. It didn't take long for her to start letting her hands wander as she explored his back and neck before brushing her soft pink lips against his face. Drawing the line at kissing her, he let their cheeks brush up against each other as the music continued to dance with each other. This continued for a few more songs before she whispered into his ear during a lull in the music.
"Want to get out of here?" her voice was low as her breath tickled his ear and he felt like his body would turn to pudding. Recomposing himself, he slipped his hand down to just below her waist and pulled her tight as they made their way out of the dance floor. "Before we leave I should tell one of my girlfriends," she said suddenly, pulling away. He was about to protest for the sake of the ONI officers but he quickly agreed with her for fear of spooking the woman. It took a few minutes for her to spot on of her group and during this time he made sure to grab his jacket which had his weapon stowed away in a special pocket. An urge came over him to bring up the full file on the woman to know what it was that she was being killed for, something he never did. If ONI or the UNSC wanted someone dead, how was it his place to question why? Digging his fingernails deep into his palms, he opened up the file and quickly scanned it over. The woman, Nicole Yates, was an official within the Office of Immigration and Customs and was working for at least two off-world drug and weapons cartels that were open rebels of the UNSC, having retaken a handful of planets after The War had ended. Cursing himself, he closed the file and slipped his glasses off. Turning back towards the club from the entrance, he saw Nicole walking towards him, her hips swaying back and forth rhythmically. Smiling as he took her waist in his hand he led them outside and out towards the waterfront. The area they were in was busy as people walked up and down the streets from restaurants to clubs to bars and any other social establishment. Heading south towards the more industrial area of the waterfront, the crowds of people grew thinner and thinner.
"I parked down here to avoid the mess back there," he said, trying to avoid scaring her off by the stark difference in atmosphere from the lively hotspot. Spotting a small pier up ahead, he checked his watch and stopped when they reached it. "Hey, I need to make a phone call real quick." She nodded in understanding and he turned away as she took a few steps out onto the concrete dock. On either side of them were old boathouses that seemed to have been abandoned, no light coming from either one of the wooden structures. A soft glow shimmered off of the water as the enormous amount of light from the downtown area gave the entire area an ethereal purple glow. Sliding the pistol out of the jacket, he quickly spun around and spread his feet apart and steadied his aim. But before he could take the shots, she turned back around, obviously sensing something was wrong. Instantly recognizing the jet black M6C sidearm with the attached silencer she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Wha-what is this? If you want sex… I didn't have a problem earlier with going home with you." Silent, he slid the iron sights over her chest and tightened his grip, but something preventing him from pulling the trigger.
"You're a traitor to the UNSC and ONI wants you dead." His knuckles were beginning to turn white as he struggled to maintain composure and complete his mission.
"This is about the smuggling isn't it? Are you so willing to kill me just because you're ordered to? You're nothing but a weapon, a blunt instrument that some brass in Australia order around whenever someone gets on their bad side. I'd hope you're completely positive about what it is that you want to do."
A/N (3/31/09): Thanks for reading the first chapter! I really enjoy hearing comments from my readers so feel free to stop by and just post your thoughts on anything you read. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
