The brown-haired, hazel-eyed X5 stood smartly to attention.
Sandoval glanced up over the top of a clipboard, "Have been briefed on your mission, X5-494?"
The bald middle-aged man dull grey eyes fixed on the younger one, seemingly scrutinizing the handsome erect figure of the powerful athletic soldier. He was one of the most lethal weapons ever to have existed, and yet in the eyes of those, like Sandoval, who had watched him grow from infancy – undeniably – a mere teenage boy.
Yet the response was prompt as always, "Yes sir … the target is Robert Berrisford; 58 years old; Widow; CEO Mercidine and one of Manticore's sub-contractors."
Sandoval nodded approvingly at him, "Our intelligence indicates that Berrisford's been curious lately about the work we do here, asking questions he shouldn't. Close surveillance has become a necessity."
"Yes sir," 494 murmured.
"We've established a cover for you," Sandoval continued, "Initially your primary contact will be with his youngest daughter…"
"Yes sir." Instantly the boy straightened and recited what he had memorised that morning, "According to the file her name is Rachel. She's seventeen. Youngest of two. Mother died when was ten. She's a good student, excels in history communications…"
_____________________________________________________________________
The house was huge, an intimidating town estate, where it probably took ten minutes just to get from the kitchen to the front door. It had obviously been built by shamelessly rich upper-class snobs to impress other shamelessly rich upper-class snobs, and yet, it was nothing 494 had not seen before.
Unphased, he rang the buzzer.
"Yes?" a gruff male voice rang through the metal grid.
"Simon La'Hane?" 494 answered swiftly.
A buzzing noise heralded the opening of the gate. 494 pushed it open and made his way up to the front door. Making a show of seeming nervous in front of the burley bodyguard who opened it for him, he used the opportunity to access the place.
It was large house. Clean, brightly painted and well aired. Inside the actual house itself, he could only spot minimal security, but there was a lot of marble décor, including a huge staircase, which swept down the side of the room. A fight would be easy in these conditions, a stealthy entry much harder, but then – neither of those should be necessary on this mission.
The bodyguard lead him through the hall and indicated that he step inside a brightly light side room. It was full of the expensive tastes he'd noticed throughout the rest of the house. Antique paintings, expensive rugs and in the centre of the room – an impressive grand piano.
By the large bay windows, 494 spotted a tall, fair-skinned brunette who was currently occupied in staring glumly into space. Apparently as one resigned to her fate.
At the sound of the door, she turned – and all at once 494 suddenly found himself enveloped in the most gigantic smile he'd ever seen a woman wear.
He was stunned for a moment by the sheer impact of the perfectly set white teeth in the dainty features of the girl. His mind was lost in a blank mental void he seemed to have no hope of escaping from. His body felt numb and oddly detached, as a warm creeping sensation seemed to float through his stomach. It was rather like having a warm drink on a cold day, except that this sensation was going upwards not down. For once, his extended vocabulary failed to produce the correct words as he tried to describe the vision before him. He couldn't do it. After all – there was just no word for beautiful in the Manticore dictionary.
Almost automatically he felt his hand reach out to clasp that of the suddenly lively-looking brunette, as she offered hers. Their eyes met and 494 could have sworn his stomach was suddenly full of fluttering butterflies, yarning for freedom.
Then his training kicked back in, he shook himself slightly, and planted a friendly, but commanding expression on his face. With a jolt, he realised who it was he'd been staring at. Rachel Berrisford, his new pupil.
_____________________________________________________________________
Rachel tapped the keys warily, a bored look on her picturesque face. Her tutor paced slowly up and down the room, concentrating completely on listening to her playing, as all good soldiers did when set with a task. Whatever it was.
"Is this alright?" she asked all of a sudden, shattering the monotony.
He started. Not
used to being interrupted in such a manner by needless questions, but his cool
demeanour fell back over him almost at once. "It's fine," he told her, "Just
watch your dynamics."
A mischievous sparkle rose in Rachel's eyes. She waited until he had turned
away again – and then – suddenly the music changed. Her fingers tapping out a
far livelier up-beat tune.
"And this?" she smirked.
494's eyes lit up at the new sounds. This was far better than anything he'd ever heard at Manticore.
"That's good," he practically grinned, "I like it." He did, he realised, very much. It was an unfamiliar feeling, 'liking' something, it wasn't necessary in Manticore, and yet – it wasn't unpleasant…
They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
"Well, I see your expanding you're repertoire," the stout man in his late middle-ages laughed as he strode towards the piano.
"Simon's much more fun than my last teacher," Rachel told him eagerly. "He wouldn't let me play anything but Chopin and Mozart," she added, with a smile at her almost-blushing favourite.
The older man chuckled, "I'm all for 'mixing it up a little'! Keeps things interesting … Robert Berrisford." He held out his hand to the piano tutor.
494 took it with a complimentary smile. "Simon Lahane," he told him.
Mr Berrisford nodded, apparently satisfied with his new employee, "Don't let me interrupt. She'll use any excuse to avoid lessons and practice."
"Daddy!" a blushing Rachel protested, as her father pinched her check playfully.
"Be firm," he added good-naturedly to a nodding Simon, as he left the room.
There was silence for a few minutes as Rachel fidgeted uneasily in her seat.
"Your father seems nice," 494 said slowly, remembering his common communication protocol classes.
"He's great," Rachel grinned, "It's just been the three of us though since my Mum died … are you close to your parents?"
494 shifted awkwardly, "No, it's just me."
Rachel looked away, disappointed with the abrupt answer.
"It's okay – they died a long time ago," he finished the excuse he'd been provided with.
The girl's head shoot back up. Her eyes wide in sympathy at the sad tale.
494 noticed the sudden change. "We're supposed to be playing piano," he told her quickly, "Not talking about my sad childhood."
Sighing inwardly, he rolled his eyes as she returned to her playing. This was going to be hard…
_____________________________________________________________________
"Fine work 494," Sandoval nodded approvingly as he read the papers in his hand.
The transgenic nodded his acceptance of the praise.
"Anything else we need to know that isn't included in your report?" the other officer in front of him asked.
There was a pause as 494 considered this. Suddenly a random piece of information, offered at the end of the last lesson, flashed into his mind. Uncertain, yet unmoving, he spoke, "Yes sir. I've been invited to dinner."
There was a stunned silence in the room. Both of the other two men looked completely taken aback. 494 wasn't entire sure why, possibly it was just that he seemed to be moving though this mission considerably faster than usual.
"When?" the officer gasped.
"Tonight, sir," 494 replied.
"We had no idea your relationship with Berrisford had progressed this far," Sandoval exclaimed, recovering slightly from his surprise.
"It wasn't Berrisford who invited me, sir. It was the daughter," 494 explained.
Suddenly the two older men smiled, exchanging knowing looks.
"Really?" Sandoval grinned.
"Under the impression there's a romantic interest on her part?" the officer asked, desperately trying to control his facial muscles.
494 looked confused.
"Does she like you?" the officer elaborated, now openly smirking.
Hesitantly 494 responded, "She's given every indication she enjoys my company, sir …"
The smiles of the two men grew wider.
"Play along 494," Sandoval told the young man, "This could give you beneficial access."
"Yes sir," a bewildered transgenic replied.
_____________________________________________________________________
The young couple sneaked through the patio onto the balcony. Giggling they swept down the steps and slipped inside the poolroom. Safely hidden from sight, Rachel turned to the young man.
"Hey," he muttered,
"We shouldn't be gone too long. Your father…"
"My father is busy with his cronies talking business," Rachel interrupted, "You'd be bored."
"Uh?" 494 shrugged, "Maybe not."
Rachel grinned, "You're a funny one!"
494 raised an eyebrow, "I am?"
"Mmm," she muttered, drawing close to him. The man grunted sarcastically, turning his head away.
"Most boys would rather spend a few minutes alone with a girl than sit in a smoke-filled room talking about genetics," Rachel teased playfully.
"Ah," 494 smirked, looking to the side as he raised his eyes in mock-despair, "Well – I'm not most boys."
"I know…" Rachel's voice had suddenly gone very quiet. She glanced sideways at the pool, a glint in her eye. "Do you wanna … go for a swim?"
494 exhaled slowly. He glanced across the vast expanse of water that was the Berrisford pool, suddenly nervous. "All-right..." he stuttered.
His eyes widened as she started to fiddle with the straps of the dark dinner-dress she was wearing.
Rachel blushed, "Could you … um … turn around?"
494 shook himself slightly. "Yeah," he muttered apologetically, "Yeah." He turned and started to loosen his tie.
A small splash behind him made him turn his head back towards her. His eyes went even wider…
In seconds, he was down to his underwear and in the water, swimming towards the breathtaking female figure.
Smiling bashfully, she took his hands as soon as he reached her.
"In you haven't noticed," she whispered, half mockingly, half deadly serious, "I've been sort of … throwing myself at you for the last few weeks …" She paused, watching his face nervously for a reply. 494 was too dumbfounded to speak.
Rachel frowned, misunderstanding his silence. "Don't you like me?" she asked anxiously.
494 swallowed, "I like you."
Abruptly she kissed him.
Her soft moist lips played delicately on his, as 494 felt himself becoming oddly hot and almost giddy. Colours swirled before his eyes. Every nerve in his body was tingling with excited electricity, as he forgot everything except the soft delicate touch on his lips.
"I like you a lot," 494 finally breathed as they broke apart.
"Well … this is nice," a third voice cut through the air.
Rachel spun around, sending shockwaves through the water.
"Maxie!" she gasped.
494 looked up. Above them, caught in the doorway by the light flooding off the lit pool, towered another extraordinarily beautiful girl. Her subtle milk chocolate coloured skin was framed around a contrasting cream dress, which swerved down her beautifully curved body and over her pleasingly rounded hips to her knees. Thick dark brown hair, permed and cut back to her shoulders, curled in dark locks around her face, setting off her cherry-red rounded lips and two huge breathtaking dark brown eyes.
To 494 however she barely compared to the female in front of him. The beauty of the new arrival was extraordinary – but in a way he was exceptionally used to, coming from Mantocore were all the girls were always blessed with prefect good looks. He preferred Rachel's pretty flaws. The pettishness, the teasing, the clumsiness… It made her – more natural, more real …
The intruder raised an eyebrow at the courting couple, "Oh, don't let me interrupt…"
Rachel stared at her, blushing furiously, as her grip on 494's hands was beginning to deprive his fingers of their blood supply, "You won't tell Daddy, will you?"
'Maxie' smirked. A pitiless glint flashing in her eyes. She puckered her full lips in a mock-frown. "What? Not tell Daddy his baby girl is playing in the pool with her new boyfriend? Why ever not?" she paused, still grinning, "Who knows – he might just turn this into a pool party for you…"
Rachel scowled, biting hard on her lower lip to stop herself from screaming in rage. "Maxie – you evil…"
The other girl laughed, cutting her off. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce us?" she grinned, suddenly making her way to the edge of the water so that her feet were roughly level with Rachel's head. She knelt down, holding her hand out in mock-seriousness to the young man. "I'm Maxine Berrisford, Rachel's sister."
Uncertainly 494 glanced from one girl to the other. Slowly he took Maxine's hand, muttering, "Simon La'Hane." Instantly earning himself an exasperated glance from Rachel … and a vicious chuckle from Maxine.
"No way - the piano teacher?" Maxine giggled, "What are you doing? Teaching her dynamics?"
494 stared at her uncertainly. Not quite sure how to respond.
Maxine laughed, straightening. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it then," she leered and, still giggling, made her way out of the poolroom.
There was a silence, as Rachel and her new boyfriend stared after her retreating figure.
"Well," 494 finally spoke up, his mind flashing through his common communication protocol lessons for something suitable, "Your sister seems nice."
"You," an exasperated Rachel sighed, punching him in the arm – much to 494's confusion.
_____________________________________________________________________
The transgenic stared at the screen of the laptop on the desk in front of him as windows flashed past at lightning speed. His fingers tapped several buttons on the keyboard and he waited breathlessly until the new little widow showed a full bar and the words, 'Transfer complete'. Relieved he pulled a disk out of it's slot and stuffed it in his pocket – just in time.
"Simon?" a female voice asked from the doorway.
494 glanced up, "Hey … Maxine."
"What are you doing here?" the girl asked coldly.
494 gave her an embarrassed smile, thinking quickly. "I got lost looking for the bathroom," he muttered. So he had a thing for old classics…
"The bathroom's down the other hallway," Maxine replied icily.
"Ah right …" 494 managed to make himself blush, almost convincingly.
Suddenly Maxine laughed, a playful glint in her eyes. "Has she got you all turned around?" she sneered, knocking her fist against his shoulder.
Instinctively 494 put a defensive hand across the spot she'd hit. For half a second, a frown flittered across his features. That had hurt… More than he would have expected from an ordinary.
Recovering himself, 494 smiled disarmingly, "I guess you could say that." He walked away to preserve his cover by heading to the bathroom.
Maxine straightened. Her dark eyes watching him until he reached the office door. "She says she loves you, you know," she suddenly called after him.
"What?" 494 spun around, his eyes wide.
"My sister," Maxine repeated coolly, "Says she loves you."
494 stared at her. A part of him was clenched up in fear. He thought of the barcode, covered with make-up on the back of his neck. Of all it signified. If Manticore ever found out…
"Your hands are shaking," Maxine's chilly voice cut through his thoughts.
"They are?" he whispered, staring down at them.
"You all right?" Maxine asked.
"I'm just … happy," 494 explained slowly.
Maxine finally smiled. "Treat her right," she told him as she guided him from the room, "She's my baby sister. She means the world to me."
_____________________________________________________________________
494 let the magnetic bomb case click into place beneath the dark blue jaguar belonging to the Berrisfords. Satisfied that it was secure, he pulled away, trying desperately to keep his head in the game.
He crept past the car, fighting his inner turmoil. Trying desperately to keep his mind clear. Mission. Duty. Discipline. He had to do his job. There was no other way.
Then suddenly he made the mistake of glancing upwards. There she was. Rachel. His Rachel. Packing something away in her bag. 494 swallowed. Voices played themselves back in his head.
Maxine in the study, "She loves you, you know."
Mr Berrisford the day before, "Sometimes the right thing can go so wrong."
Sandoval giving the elimination order, "Take them all out."
He walked slowly up the drive. Forgetting the precariousness of his situation for a moment, as he desperately strove to clear the voices and her face out of his memory.
The sound of the bodyguard's voice startled him out of his reverie. Mr Berrisford was making his way to the car.
Startled, 494's enhanced reflexes kicked in, making him dive for the cover of some bushes. Narrowly avoiding being seen.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he glanced down – and froze. The remote. The remote in his hand. It would trigger the bomb. It would eliminate them all. Eliminate her. Kill her.
Then the voices haunted him again.
His own in the pool, "I like you a lot."
Sandoval's order yesterday, "Eliminate the target tomorrow."
Another officer prepping him, "You understand your assignment?"
494's eyes suddenly hardened with purpose. He broke out of his cover, just as Berrisford slammed the car door shut in front of him. Neither he nor the bodyguard noticed the transgenic as he dashed inside the house.
Rachel was coming downstairs, clutching her schoolbag. In seconds 494 was in front of her. Her eyes widened in happy surprise at the sight of him.
"Simon!" she grinned, "What are you doing …"
"We don't have a whole lot of time," he muttered, rushing the steps towards her.
"What's the
matter?" she asked gently, supposing he had some bad news to tell her,
concerning himself. Perhaps he had to go away…
Rachel felt quite numb at the thought. Please God, don't let her lose
her Simon…
"Listen to me," he hissed, "You and your father have to leave town right now."
"Why?" she gasped, her eyes narrowing in shock – and sudden instinctive suspicion.
"I'll cover for you," he snapped, "I'll tell them that … y-you left in the middle of the night, but you have to go now." He seized her wrist desperately.
"You're hurting me," the girl cried.
"Come with me," he half-ordered, gently tugging at her arm.
"No," she shrieked, pulling away from him, "Tell me what's happening!"
Biting his lip, 494 stared at the floor for a second. Slowly he looked up and said the words that blew his whole world apart – and hers right along with it.
"I was sent here to kill your father," he muttered, "It was my job. You were my job."
Stunned Rachel stared at him as his words sank in. Tears welled up behind her eyes.
Her father's voice rang in from outside, calling for her to hurry up.
Suddenly, she slapped the transgenic's face.
"Daddy!" Rachel yelled frantically. Pushing passed 494, she ran to the door.
Suddenly another woman appeared in her way. Cold brown eyes shot daggers into the young male on the stairs. Maxine.
The darker girl was shaking. Her hand curled into fists, as she bit so deeply into her lower lip that a thin trickle of blood began to tickle across her chin.
494 took a step backwards, half-afraid. Even Rachel was too taken aback by the sight to do anything else for a moment – it proved a moment too long.
As the young man stared, bright light flashed across the two girls. Painting their faces bright pink, as a thundering wave of sound swept over them. Shaking all of them right down to their bones.
Maxine spun round. Her eyes wide, as she saw the family car bursting into a million pieces – with her father inside it.
"No! Daddy!" Rachel's voice tore through the yard, "NO!" The younger girl collapsed to her knees, bitter sobs shaking her body. Her sister just stood there, numb with shock, beside her.
Slowly Maxine turned around. Her face a bitter mask of grief as her eyes fixed on the young man who still stood motionless on the stairs above them. "You're from Manticore, aren't you?" she whispered, it was more of an accusation than a question.
494 just stood there. A part of him refusing to believe what had just happened. It couldn't be true. It couldn't. He had the remote right here. He hadn't touched it….
Suddenly something inside Maxine broke. Bitter sobs tore though her, as her feet slammed onto the stairs. She was going to beat the crap out of this bastard. Smash his head into the marble behind him. Break every bone in his body. Just to pay him back maybe a tenth, maybe just a hundredth of the pain he had caused her as he robbed her of one of the dearest…the most precious things in her life… but then her baby sister beat her too it.
Pushing Maxine aside, Rachel's frantic fists were suddenly pummelling uselessly against the stunned male's face and chest. Tears ran freely down her face as she vented her grief on the bewildered male.
Her sister turned away. Unable to join the fury without risk of hurting Rachel and feeling sick at the sight of the man who had caused the death of the closest thing she had ever had to a father.
Suddenly tires screeched to a halt on the drive. Maxine glanced up, catching sight of the men inside. One of them held a remote control – identical to the one she had spotted in the hand of the male transgenic.
Calm snapped over her. She pushed her grief aside, to deal with her new mission – survival.
"We have to go," she yelled, rushing up the stairs as she grabbed one of Rachel's wrists and started pulling the sobbing girl back down and through the house to the back door.
"This way," Maxine called back to the remaining transgenic, "Unless you really want to go back to your bosses out there. Don't think they'll be too happy that you screwed up your mission."
Taking a last look outside, 494 saw Sandoval himself climbing out of the jaguar. Wordlessly he raced after the two girls.
_____________________________________________________________________
Night set over the city, spreading yet more shadows and mysteries over the barren concrete landscape. Inside a cheap motel, several sectors away from where the Berrisfords had lived, Rachel slumped exhausted onto the double bed. Between the shock of her father's death and the unexpected departure, even this short stretch had been too much for her – despite the car that her sister and 494 had hot-wired.
Maxine sighed as she closed the motel door, leaning against it as if it's hard chipboard frame could somehow alleviate the dead feeling that was building up inside of her. Slowly she turned around. She caught sight of the male transgenic hovering awkwardly between the window and the broken TV.
"So," she sighed, breaking the wary silence with her earlier question, "You're from Manticore?"
He looked up. "Yes," he said slowly, "How do you know about…? Oh – your father told you I guess."
"No," Maxine shook her head. 494 glanced up at her, frowning.
She didn't explain. "So what was it? You got close to us to find out what we knew and when you found we knew too much – you kill our father?"
"My orders were to kill all of you," 494 said slowly, "I planted the bomb beneath your car and was supposed to wait for you all to enter the vehicle before detonating."
"You planted that bomb!" Rachel gasped. As stupid as it sounded, somehow the realisation that it was her Simon who caused her father's death had evaded her until that moment. The realisation that her father was dead had evaded her until that moment. She turned away, sobbing again.
"Yes…" 494 mumbled. He felt like he was back in Manticore – giving a report. Only officers never got this upset. They would raise their voice and threaten – but they never cried or raged like the two women in front of him now.
Maxine bit her lip. "I guess they didn't trust you then," she muttered, turning away, "They set the bomb off themselves. I saw a remote in the car."
494 swallowed, realisation dawning on him, "They must have seen me enter the house and realised I was going to warn you. Then they heard Rachel's scream and when they saw you blocked her way to the car – they must have just decided to take what they could get." He turned his face away, unable to meet the eyes of either of the two Berrisfords.
Anger flooded though her at the prolonged torture of the sound of his voice. In a heartbeat, Maxine flew across the room and punched him hard in the face. The blow sent him flying up into the windowsill. Cursing, he slowly turned his head. Blood trickled from his nose. His large pleading hazel eyes staring straight up at her.
Suddenly Maxine gasped, backing away as if he had suddenly become toxic.
Those eyes.
She had seen them before. Memories flashed through her mind.
A shadow bird flying over a sign reading 'Mission'. A boy with his hands in a beam of light, creating it.
"Ben?" she whispered.
_____________________________________________________________________
I still don't think this chapter is anywhere near as good as the last one, but there you go. I'll have to try harder next time. Please review this thing for me anyway…
