"Who was that? The woman back there?" Five minutes in and she was already being pressed with questions about her past. This was why Emily hated meeting new people; they always had questions. She sighed.
"No one. Just an old…..employer" She took care choosing her words. She knew these were smart people and she didn't want them to start raising events she'd gotten so good at hiding.
"What did you do?" Don continued to interrogate her. The lift had broken which meant a long walk up to the office, he thought he could find out as much as he could. Emily thought for a moment. Lie? The whole truth? Part of the truth?
"I…We…" She was lost. Don looked at her expectantly, like a dog waiting to be fed. "I…" She tried once more. Screw it, she thought. "I killed people."
Don looked at her. His crystal eyes seemed to pierce her soul. They widened in shock when he realised she wasn't joking. "Like back there? That's what you were meant to do?" He was almost whispering.
"Yeah. Except I normally don't so it in front of my boss or two cops. I never found it easy" she admitted.
"How can that be easy?" His voice cracked.
"When you're trained as much as I am, as much as I was..." The conversation was going nowhere, so she gave up. "I was an assassin, okay? They hired me to get rid of people who were in the way or something. It's why I quit." Don couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked to Mac, but Mac ignored them both and continued to climb. "Why did you join?" She should have known he wouldn't be able to leave it there.
"They killed my family and everyone I knew." The rest of the journey was continued in silence.
When they finally reached the correct floor, Emily met the team, was issued with her badge and gun and changed into a blouse with black trousers. Mac then called them straight into a meeting to discuss their on-going case
"It's definitely the same person. All four bodies fit his M.O." Mac gestured to the board. "Blonde hair and blue eyes," Stella said. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Who found the bodies?" Everyone turned to look at Emily. She looked down, suddenly shy.
"Same person each time. Circus guy who goes out and walks his elephant. The bodies were in the same place each time." Don spoke up, taking the attention from her. She mouthed 'thank you' across the table.
"So Nellie likes the smell of dead bodies. Think he did it?" Danny remarked.
"Well you know me," Don answered, a smile pulling at his mouth. "Everyone's a suspect until you guys prove otherwise." There were chuckles and groans across the table. Emily only flashed a smile, before asking again.
"What circus was it?" Everyone looked to Mac, but the sound of angry voices stopped him. His instincts as a Marine kicked in automatically and he motioned for everyone to get down.
"I told you, we go in, grab the file, kill the bitch and get out." The voice that spoke was rough and scratchy. Stella moved closer to Mac upon hearing the final words. Lindsay shivered slightly in trepidation.
"B-but what if..." A new voice spoke, shrill and scared.
"What if what? You heard the boss?" An angry voice snarled.
"Wh-what if sh-she fights back? We all saw it. A-and there's lots of them with guns." The voice seemed closer and more terrified by the second.
The shooting began. Lab techs screamed as glass shattered, then fell to the floor, eyes wide and unblinking, fear still etched on their faces.
"She's not here!"
"Keep looking! We need her DEAD!"
In all the chaos, Emily seemed calm, as if she was expecting it. She wouldn't…she didn't…did she? Don regretted the thoughts but it made sense. Then three people burst into the room, heavily armed and searching to kill.
"GET ON YOUR KNEES!" The heavy-set man was clearly in charge. Everyone obliged. Mac appeared to want to fight, but the man who shouted saw this. He looked at his wedding ring and pointed his gun towards Stella. "Any funny business…she goes first. Understand?" At this, Mac had no choice but to get down. He looked to his team. Danny was shielding Lindsay, too focused on the team than fighting.
"You, give me your gun. Slide it to me. No funny business or you get a bullet in the brain." Emily felt the rough metal that could only belong to a gun press against her head. She slowly took out her gun and slid it towards them. "Good" He turned away. Emily smiled slightly, head bowed.
In an instant, she grabbed his leg and pulled him to the floor. She rolled out and flung her leg round, connecting with Ugly Number Two's face. She then flipped back, onto the table and started to battle Ugly Number Three. She slammed him against the wall, arm at the throat. He forced her back to the wall and drew a knife. Ugly Number One and Two had risen. Ugly Number Three dug the knife deep into her arm and began the move it. She kicked him, hard, and he dropped to the floor. Emily then pulled her knife out, barely grimacing. All three fired bullets.
The team looked down, but their heads snapped up as they heard a laugh. Emily was standing in front of the three men, she had flung herself behind the wall and saved herself. Mac could see bullet holes in the wall next to her. The men looked bemused. Then, it turned to rage. All three charged. Emily ran across the. She drew her new gun and fired three shots, at the guns. All but one hit. Emily was slammed to the wall, gun to her head, but she had turned it before they could shoot. Ugly Number One picked her up and threw her into the wall. Blood began to drip from her head.
"Now, stay down or I start to shoot these people," Ugly Number One growled. The two behind him snickered and aimed their guns towards the team. She laughed.
"What makes you think I care?" she said as she looked right into his eyes. Take the bait, she thought desperately.
"Fine." Ugly Number One raised his gun and fired at Danny. Danny grabbed his left shoulder in agony and let the bullets tumble from his fingers.
A new voice was heard. "I got it! I got it boss, I got the file!" It was young and clearly desperate to please.
"Let's go!" The one in charge yelled.
"W-what about…Her?" The scared boy asked, shaking from the beat down.
"JUST GO!"
Emily crawled over to Danny, praying he would be okay. She could see the river of blood that was slowly making its way down his arm. She didn't even his second name and she had gotten him shot. His hands were pressed against the wound but it wasn't enough, so she slowly unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it off. Danny's eyes widened. Emily tore the blouse into strips and bandaged up Danny's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Her eyes were wide with the fear of his death.
"Fine. Thank you" Danny smiled. Emily raised an eyebrow, and then shivered involuntarily. Weak. She chided herself. Don slipped off his jacket and tapped her on the shoulder. No one but Mac noticed her flinch. Don handed her the jacket.
"Thanks" She smiled properly this time. Don couldn't believe the difference from the woman from a few hours earlier and the one smiling now. Guess split personality doesn't begin to cover it, he thought to himself.
The lab clear up had just begun, there were too many body bags being wheeled away. Mac sighed at the state of his lab.
