"What are you doing here?"
I had frozen in place automatically, my body reacting to the danger; I was absolutely sure that no one could have seen me, I double checked my photometer, confirming that I was in total darkness. I thought back, I hadn't made any noise, and I had removed all of my equipment. This must have been an inside job, I instantly confirmed, otherwise there was no other way to know that I was here.
I shifted slightly, turning my body so that I presented less of a target, as well as moving my hand closer to my pistol, and flash grenades. The man who had spoken was sitting leisurely facing the open window.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" He hummed over my shoulder. His voice had a musical melodic quality, it seemed unreal. He sat there for a moment, his head cocked to the side as if he was listening, then he shook his head slightly, allowing a brief glance at a wide dazzling smile.
Something was wrong. Something deeply wrong. I didn't know this person, he was acting so …. Playfully, almost like he was a cat and I was the mouse he was chasing.
"I've been watching you for quiet some time." He continued, sliding off the desk and walking over to the window. He still didn't turn around, a face, I need a face, something, anything. Who was he? The other part of my brain was screaming at me, following me, he's been following me. How? I've been so careful.
"Since that job in Madrid, actually, it was quiet something, I never expected anyone to do things so ….. passionately." He had his hands clasped behind his back now, in the light I could see that his skin was pale white. He seemed to caress words, almost like he was performing a poetic masterpiece. Give me a sign, a face, anything, anything! I could feel my body releasing endorphins into my bloodstream, heightening my reflexes. Making me faster, stronger.
Who he was didn't matter anymore, he was compromising the mission. I could not allow the mission to be compromised. He had been following me since Madrid, so clearly he didn't work for whoever owned this building. His presence here would compromise things. I had to deal with him.
"It took me three weeks to find you again, by then I knew what…." He began in the musical voice, but in that instant my decision was made. My pistol left the holster on my leg and was pointed at his back just as quickly as I thought it. I felt it kick against my hand and listened to the quiet pop of its discharge. My body was moving before the bullet left the gun. I ran towards him, vaulting the desk, and jumping over his head.
He flinched slightly as the bullet hit him, and then whirled around to face me, by then I was already in the air above his head. He flinched, just flinched, the other half of my mind screamed to me, he was just shot in the back of the head, and he just flinched.
He made a grab in the air, and missed me by mere inches; I was out the window, my fingers automatically closed around the wire. I pulled it and the window swung closed, the edges heating as the chemical reaction occurred, sealing him inside. The clamp above the window, detached, and burned away. I surveyed the look on his face, a look of disbelief. Then he simply disappeared.
I didn't have the time to ponder what happened, I was currently falling towards the street below. I pulled the cord to my parachute, and I shot open behind me, slowing my descent slightly. I was still spinning and I had to stop that before my chute would open completely and keep me from crashing into the ground, effectively terminating my ability to continue taking orders.
I tucked my right arm and leg in slightly, spreading my left arm and leg out an inch. Within seconds my body had completely righted itself, and I felt the sharp jerk and the drop in my stomach as a moment later the chute opened up.
I landed on the fire escape of a nearby apartment complex and after rolling the landing painfully I pulled up and repacked my chute. I didn't have time to check for tears, I needed to get as far away as possible. I couldn't leave any evidence, and I needed to move out and recap my mission back to HQ.
I blinked the green confirmation light twice, indicating that I had left the office building and was safely on the street. Then the red once, to indicate that no one should approach me, and that I would be entering into radio silence for at least four hours.
I continued down the fire escape to the backpack that I had taped to the outside on the second floor. I detached it with my knife, and then slowly opened the window to the apartment. I had checked this apartment previously, it was empty and in the process of being refurbished. Closing the window behind me I walked into a backroom undressed from my gear in silence and quickly pulled on the designer jeans, t-shirt, jacket and shoes.
I put the backpack on, along with a jacket that I had purchased, and cautiously opened the door out into the hallway, pulling out a small aluminum canteen, filled with watered down vodka, I spilled it out on my shirt and jacket, then washed my mouth with it. I held it in one hand, and stumbled out in the hallway. I slowly made my way down to the alleyway and stumbled out onto the sidewalk.
I stumbled back and forth, using the wall to hold me up, until I reached an underground rave party. I stumbled into the line, and looked up at the bouncer.
"I'm really ththirrsty." I said slurring the words, and pitching backwards slightly. I spoke English in an attempt to make it look like I was a rich American brat. The bouncer said nothing.
"I said I'm really thhirrssty, why don't you let me get a drrrinkk," I tumbled into him slightly then pointed with my finger at his sternum. "I jussttt want a drink." He grabbed me, and pulled my up in the air by my shirt. Then stared at me for about five seconds, and then set me down.
I wandered off for a second, then came back.
"Look misssterrr, I need a drink, I'm really reaaally thirsty."
"Get lost" Finally something, something I could work with.
"I am lllossst." I slurred. "I need a ddrinkk too ffind my way hooommmmeee." I mumbled singing the last part.
"Leave or I will deal with you myself."
"Oooh that sssounds kinky." He looked like he was about to say something, paused and reconsidered and threw a right hook.
I ducked and spun to the right, passing by the bouncer, and ran into the club cackling like a drunken mad man.
The bouncer chased after me, but he had to turn around and stop the flood of ravers that wanted in. I moved over to the dance floor, cutting through subtly, dancing as I moved, until I was at the other side. Then I walked towards the backroom.
I opened a door into a utility closet; closing and locking it behind me. Then I went over to the far wall, where I had a small secure room built and stocked. I softly pulled a lever behind a water pipe, causing the wall in front of me to slide forward. I entered in a seven digit code on the keypad it located in the middle of the metal door behind the wall.
I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me and immediately the sound cut off. I sighed, happy to be getting some sleep, and took of the drenched shirt and jacket. I headed towards the bed, issuing voice commands to close the door and lock down the room. I could hear the quiet hiss of the hydraulics as the door shut and the room locked down, I laid on the bed, closing my eyes, and letting out a huge breath that I'd been holding from the very beginning.
"So this is where you were hiding." said a voice from above me.
The one who I assumed was David, slammed into me at what felt like a thousand miles an hour. My head snapped back against the wood, bouncing against the paneling and causing my vision to cut out for a moment. I brushed the pain aside, angling my slightly and shoving my elbow up into his diaphragm. He grunted, rolling off of me and pulling himself up. I rolled towards him, kicking my leg out and catching him in the side of the face.
He rolled back, as I kicked up off the floor, shoving my feet out and throwing my arm into the air. At the apex of my jump I arched my back throwing my feet behind me and popping my arms up in a defensive posture. I ended up with my back against the far wall, and one foot on the platform.
I looked up and immediately threw myself to the right as Mark slammed a heavy staff down right where I had been standing. I head a distinctive groaning sound and watched in awe as three long racks of dumbbells bent and fell to the floor. Mark was crouched with the broken weapon in his hands, bits of wood falling around him like rain.
I did the one thing that to this day I can't believe I have ever done.
I flipped him off.