Wesley showed me the ins and outs of guns on our way to Albuquerque. I was getting the hang of it so far, but the recoil made me especially sore when we used the big guns, so I was stuck with a pistol for the time being.

When we reached Albuquerque, Wesley got us a motel room on the outskirts. I wasn't too fond of it, but at least our room was clean. Wesley brought my bag of clothes and toiletries from the old truck we rode in on, and handed me a pistol.

"What is this?" I asked.

"I'm going to...run some errands for a bit," he explained.

"Is that code for 'kill someone'?"

Wesley looked away and murmured, "Possibly."

"What are you up to? You've been pretty silent the whole ride here. What is going on?" I asked nervously.

He sighed. "Don't worry about me. Just make sure to stay out of sight while I'm gone. Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay fine. But I don't like this."

Wesley just said to me, "Anything that comes through that door that isn't me...shoot it." Then, he left.

Right after he left, I locked the door and closed the curtains. I sat down on the bed staring down at the gun in my hand. Even though I was learning about guns, I hadn't grasped the thought of killing someone. He made killing someone seem so easy but I couldn't bear the thought of taking a life. But what if I had no other choice? It was difficult to think of how in a split second I had to consider someone's else life over my own. But I was in a world of killers now. Killing was almost as easy as breathing. An assassin killing me would be like me squashing a bug.

I yelped as the cell phone Pekwarksy gave me began to ring. I put the pistol on the nightstand and answered it. The number was blocked of course, but the voice I heard on the other end filled me with relief. "Lydia?"

"Mom? Is that you are you okay?" I asked frantic.

"Yes. But I've been worried sick about you. Where are you? Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just worried about you. Where are you?"

"In a cabin...there's snow everywhere...but I have food and a fireplace. There's a man here, watching me. He says I only have 30 seconds left. I just wanted to tell you I love you so much and just...be a good girl for me,alright? Whatever they ask, just do it."

"I know. Mom do you remember where the kill order is? Where you hid it?" I asked quickly.

"It was...the beach house, I think. Xavier...he took me there after you were born. It was in west Malibu, I think. It's been so long...I remember the beach...when you were 12, I think-" Then, the call disconnected suddenly.

"Dammit!" I yelled and threw the phone across the room. It was an old Nokia phone, so it was still in one piece. I grabbed the mattress and screamed into it as loud as I could. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was only six-thirty in the evening. In a huff I grabbed my small bag and placed the pistol in it before heading out of the door.

An hour and a half later, I was pretty tipsy and on my way to drunk at this flimsy bar I stumbled onto down the street from the motel. It wasn't very busy, a few men and women but no more than about 10. I was about to order my fourth bourbon when a martini was placed in front of me. I glanced up at the bartender, an overweight man nearing about 50.

"On the house," he said as he nodded toward the other end of the bar. A man, seemingly in his late twenties, waved at me. He had a nice tan, slicked backed hair, and a pressed suit. What was a guy like him doing here? And waving at me?

I wasn't dressed particularly impressive, just jeans, black boots, a white Tshirt, and a black hoodie. My hair was a mess and I had no makeup on unless you counted Chapstick. I glanced at the man confused, he just laughed and picked up his drink to make his way over to me. I sighed. I just wanted a few drinks to numb myself, not get hit on my some random man.

The man sat down on the stool next to me and asked, "Not a big fan of martinis?"

"Not particularly. I mean I've had a few more...colorful ones, but..."

"Try this one. You might like it." He was staring at me intensely. I took a big gulp and he smiled.

"See? That wasn't so bad. So, what's a beautiful girl like you in a place like this?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Fancy Suit."

"Well, I grew up around here and came back to visit some old friends."

I really wasn't interested in his conversation, but my brain was full on buzzed. After a while, though, I could feel this dark cloud settling over me. It was strange like I was slowly losing control of my body. I had only drank half of the martini, and now I was struggling to stay awake as well as upright. I had had stronger alcohol and knew my limit, so I immediately knew something was off. Very off.

"Thank you for this lovely conversation, but I need to go." I left some money on the counter for the bartender and tried to flee as fast as I could. It was very difficult as I was on the verge of collapse. A hand suddenly grasped my shoulder and spun me around. I nearly lost my balance and grabbed a nearby bar stool to steady myself.

"You're not going anywhere! Not until you thank me for the drink!" The man said as he grabbed me by my arm. I could feel my heartbeat speeding up and the cloud was starting to lift a bit. The adrenaline was kicking in.

I grabbed his hand in an instant, and turned his arm back the opposite way. He howled in pain and I used his strength against him to slam his body into the bar. I let go as he fell to the floor. I bolted and someone caught me in their arms. I began flailing my arms around, but the grip was too tight on me.

"Lydia, it's me!" Wesley was covered in dried blood and he began shuffling me into a beat up taxi cab. I stared at him incredulous. "Oh my God, what happened to you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. What were you thinking? A bar?"

" I was thinking that I wanted an escape. Just for a moment, ok? I talked to my mom. I was trying to get here to tell me where she was or where the house was, but we only had about 2 minutes to talk.

"So you came to a shady bar and almost got yourself killed?"

"I can take care of myself. I handled it. How did you find me anyways?"

Not me... Your father. He called me after I...finished my errand," Wesley explained as we pulled up to th motel room. Wesley went inside and came back three minutes later with my stuff and the phone. Then, Wesley pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. "Where are we going? And do I have a tracker on me?"

"Las Vegas. And yes," Wesley answered.

"Why Vegas?"

"Because we have a flight to catch." He motioned to the backseat and I noticed a Manila envelope. I grabbed it and opened it. Inside, there were fake IDs and tickets for a plane ride to Los Angeles that takes place 2 days from now. "Was this part of your 'errands'? Along with an unhealthy body count?"

"I thought I was seeking out help from a friend. Well, more like ally of my father's. I got in contact with his son to help us. He held up his end, but decided to ambush me as part of his BIGGER deal with the Immortal. He knew about my father's old contractor. For a second...I thought I might not make it out of there."

It was silent before I asked, "But you're okay, right?"

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. "Are you mad at me?"

" You nearly got yourself killed or worse. My job is to keep you out of the Immortal's hands. I'm trying to teach you to defend yourself since I know you're not ready to kill yet. All I ask is that you don't do stupid shit and mess that up. Agreed?"

"Agreed. But I was upset, surely you understand that. My life as well as my mother's is on the line so it's not just about me."

"This is all about you. But you can't run out like a fucking child. You could ruin everything."

"Don't lock me away like some caged animal!"

"And risk you dying? No. It wa risky to go in there myself, so I wasn't about to let you die like that."

I looked at him. This had hit him hard. It was personal. "Who was it?" I asked after Wesley had calmed down a bit.

"What?" He looked at me startled.

"I know you killed your dad, but who else was it? If you tell me, I...won't be so fucking stupid next time. You're right. I was dumb. Just tell me who it was."

Wesley only said,"Reach into the back and get a bottle of water. It'll help clear your head and get he drug out of your system. I wish I could go back and kill that asshole. Luckily, you haven't fainted yet."

I did as I was told and after a few hours, I felt the cloud fully lift from my mind. When we stopped for gas and snacks, Wesley paused before he started the car up again.

"Her name was Fox. She was my mentor. She taught me almost everything I know about killing and there Fraternity, but she was more than that. She pushed me. She challenged me. She inspired me. She even gave me busted nose, but she saved my life. I owe who I am now not just to my parents, but also to her. She made me realize who I could be."

"She died, didn't she?"

"Yes." Wesley said nothing else as we drove forward. I wished I had met this woman. I wished I could've thanked her for Wesley.

An:sorry for the late update. A lot of changes happened in my personal life and then got brief writers block. I am types this on my iPhone so sorry for any typos.

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