STRANGER TO MANDY

"You're definitely more prepared than me." Mandy said while shuffling 12 golden coins between the palms of her hand. "I didn't give a second thought of what I left behind all those years ago... I'm glad you kept these things though when you retired." She winced when she felt a throbbing pain coming from the left side of her face that was bruised a deep purple and cruel red. The inside of her mouth even tasted of iron.

John got off the phone after making a 'Dinner Reservation' for 12. He glanced over to Mandy as she chugged down a cup of water with pain-killers. Bruises lined her knuckles and blood dripping from her cracked lips. He felt a pang of guilt lurch forth from his chest because he didn't want her to get involved in the first place, despite Mandy herself saying it was alright. It still ate away at him and it showed clearly on his face.

Mandy cocked an eyebrow at him. She took in a deep breath of air and it burned her lungs since her ribs were pretty badly bruised too. "You really need to stop looking at me like that."

"Looking at you like what?"

"Looking at me with the face of a guilty man who can do nothing but blame himself," she said sharply and irritation leaking from her voice. "Besides...you're not looking so hot yourself." Mandy clicked her tongue and winked at him. A smile stretched to her cracked lips and she got up off the chair. "You've gotten rusty, Baba Yaga," she began to head upstairs where the dead bodies still laid fresh.

John let a smile slip. He followed her up to mee the 'Clean up' crew at the door. "You say that but you still look worse than me."

Mandy rolled her eyes and stopped midway up the stairs. She snapped her fingers and pointed down at him. "Which reminds me. There's something I need to do before they and Charlie get here...so give them my regards, okay?"

John raised a brow at the sudden change. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere special." Mandy casually shrugged her shoulders. " Just gonna meet a stranger."

There were rifles and pistol pieces scattered across Marcus's desk that he worked on cleaning and putting back together again. It looked like he was getting ready for a job with the sheer focus and relaxed look in his eyes. Yet, something was amiss and he appeared to be a bit reluctant when putting the scope back on his rifle and sighting it in. His lips curled inwards and he bit down on them, sighing and dropping the act. He set his weapon back on the table and ran his hands through his hair. Marcus scoffed, wonder now of all times why he was feeling reluctant.

The sound of the doorbell caught him off guard and he literally jumped when the bell rang through his ears. He instinctively reached for his loaded and ready gun and peered off towards the front door. He slowly got up to his feet but walked calmly over and opened it. His eyes went wide but that was the only difference in his calm and composed face. "Mandy." he saw the smiling woman on the other side of the door with her hands deep in her pockets. "It's been a long time."

Mandy was in a different outfit that didn't compose of her vest and suit. Just a simple loose-fitting gray jacket, black shirt, and dark blue jeans. Her face was relaxed and was slightly turned up into a cocky smirk. "Sure has. 10 long years, actually." her eyes fell to his right hand that was still holding the gun behind his back. "So, why don't we act like civilized adults and put the guns away, huh?"

He sighed and revealed the gun to her before gently placing it on the table beside the door. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you'd have X-ray vision," he said.

Mandy scoffed a bit and she lifted her brow in confusion. "From one hitman to another, man. Cause it's suspicious as hell to hide something behind your back when answering the door." she did have a point since she does the same exact thing.

Marcus smirked. "The things I taught you really did stick, huh?" he saw a shift in her eyes when he said that.

Mandy's voice dropped that playful tone. "And I still hate you for that."

He sighed. "I didn't do anything." he stepped aside for Mandy to step in. "You were already a prodigy when I first met you, all I did was polish your skills."

"Hmm, craps skills if you ask me." A storm of mixed emotions across her eyes, to fast to make out what exactly they were. "The only thing I was ever good at in life, and look where that got me. 10 years being MIA." she let out a deep and exhausted sigh.

Of course, Marcus knew what happened 10 years ago and why she had to leave. To Mandy, it probably still felt fresh in her mind. Like it only happened yesterday and not a decade ago. "Mandy, what happened that day...it was not your fault-" he tried to speak but was cut off harshly by her sharp voice.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Marcus." she actually hissed at him, venom searing from her voice and hatred pouring from her veins. "Don't try to make me feel better when it was my fault. He..." shock crossed her eyes and she sucked in a deep shaking breath to stop herself from speaking anymore. "That's...not what I'm here for. I wanna know if Viggo offered you a contract." She composed herself rather quickly after she got down to the reason why she was here.

Marcus hesitated at first and pondered for only a second if telling the truth would be the best thing. "What would you do...if I told you he did?" he searched for an answer in her emotional eyes but they hardened up like a mask and Mandy's playful tone returned.

"Nothing. I'm just curious if you took it or not." she shrugged and waited for an answer but Marcus stayed quiet. Mandy was taken back at first and a disturbing look crossed her face for a second before it hardened up. "Personal feelings aside, huh? A jobs a job." she bit down on her lips. "How much?"

"2 million," Marcus answered. "Each."

She sighed in defeat and her voice sounded softer than usual now. "Is that so?" She took a seat in a chair.

"Is that really all you came here for?" Marcus took a seat across from her. "Just to ask me one question? I'm sure you still have my number."

"Yep," a small laugh escaped. "but I thought I should make a house call, guessing I might've scared you when I dropped off the face of the planet." Her smirk fell back on her red painted lips.

"I wouldn't say that." he shrugged. "Concerned, yes. Scared, no. You have a nack for...getting out of things alive."

"Yeah...I guess I just have a shit-ton of luck. To be honest with you," her lips thinned out. "I don't remember much of what happened after...you know. All I can really recall is grabbing my gun and pulling the trigger like...a million times."

A long silence fell between them that tugged on Marcus reluctance even more. Staring at Mandy like this really brought back a lot of memories because this is how she looked when she would often come and visit him. "I wish things were different. I really do, Mandy. I recall...you coming over and venting about everything." He laughed fondly.

"Simpler times..." she looked up at him and smiled brightly. "It's good to see you again, Marcus."

Marcus reached over and outstretched his hand for her to shake. "I'll be seeing you, Mandy Rose."

Mandy grasped it and squeeze tightly. She felt her lips began to quiver so she got up fast and broke away. Her hearts throbbed with every second and she fought with the urge to stay and vent about everything that happened to her through these last 10 years, but she was overstepping her boundaries this way by just being here, next to a man who was out for her life because of a job. Still...it was good to hear his voice again and it set Mandy's heart at ease if only a little.

John waited at the front steps of the Continental hotel in Manhatten where he and Mandy were supposed to meet up. He looked to the left and saw her motorcycle pulling up to the front of the Hotel. She took her helmet off and shut off her bike.

"You done?" John asked but all he got was a dejected flicker across her eyes. "Mandy?"

Mandy chewed the inside of her lips and gestured her head inside to the door. "Come on."

Author's Note:

Hey, it's been a while. Sorry that I didn't update for a while but I just had some many other stories to update. Nevertheless, at least it's posted. It's funny, slowly over time, I've noticed more and more people taking a liking to this story and it just tickles me pink. Thank you so much!

Anyway. I'm kinda making this up as I go along. I have an end goal and I know what I'm gonna do it and how it's gonna end, but everything else...well...We'll just have to see. I'm gonna try to tap into Mandy's character and her inner struggles of what she really thinks of her job, of John and what made her leave it all behind all those years ago.

I really got to plan this story out more because I generally just wanna do right by Mandy. I'm gonna have to take the time, watch the movie again and take notes and write a more professional bio for her. So I think it's gonna be a while until I post the next chapter.

That's all I gotta say for now. So until then, take real good care of yourselves.