"Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism."- Sigmund Freud
As I got up the next day, I was greeted by a very sunny glow that crept into my bedroom without permission.
On most occasions I would have been thrilled about the warm hazy sunlight that had snuck into the frightful autumn season, but warmth never comes alone.
Living in Bodhum was peaceful most of the time, but as soon as those rays hit the ocean water, you wouldn't be able to breathe properly when you set foot out of the house. Hoards of people would migrate to the city for the day and bask in the hot weather. A crowded beach wasn't the perfect setting when you were hunting someone down.
Thankfully I had information on how I could find out where my target was situated.
Lying on the beach shore, where the crowds of people grazed, was a very quaint bar. The owner apparently was in contact with my target .
I was very suspicious at first. After all, it's not everyday you hear that a serial killer is roaming around your hometown and that an accomplice is possibly working at your local. But doing what I do, I must treat every glimmer of information the same, be it important of not.
I rose from the creased sheets that covered my bed, where I alone found solace, and stumbled over to the bathroom. After completing my daily regime of showering and breakfast, I got ready to leave.
Picking up my multiple guns, and placing some refills in the pouch that rested on my beige overcoat, I hastily made my way over to the door.
Before pulling it open and unleashing a powerful light, I managed to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. On most days, I wouldn't have bothered with my hair. After all, that was the least of my problems. But taking into consideration what my boss had told me the day before, I found it best to make an effort. If seduction was indeed needed, I would have been totally unprepared.
Starring at myself avidly, I sighed as my hands tried to separate the long pink curls that lay messily on my shoulder. Wincing slightly each time I pulled a bit too hard, my fingers calmed the pile of fluff that had befriended my neck.
I crept away from the reflective glass and placed a stable hand on the door. Already, my mind was buzzing at the thought of the risk I was taking. I had hardly ever dealt with someone so close by and never in broad daylight. The thought of being caught was terrifying, but in some way, exhilarating.
I pushed the door open and, as I did, was welcomed by a terrifying sight.
Hundreds of people were reunited along the sandy beach, all bathing in the sun, catching whatever beams of light decided to lay on their bodies. Children were running along the water, splashing each other and shrieking when tiny beads of water hit their skin. The adults laying on the gold dust seemed oblivious to the madness that surrounded them.
I never did like the sun very much. It was too hot, and with my pale complexion I burnt easily. But not the light nor the visitors would distract me today.
As I strode through the crowds of people, I received some odd looks from a few mothers who were relaxing on their oversized beach-towels. Most of them were caused by the fact that I was flicking sand on to their tanned bodies. But I'm sure that at least a quarter of the cold, angry glares were provoked by my strange attire. My burgundy cape may have been a little over the top.
I could see the bar at the far end of the beach and rejoiced. Suddenly, a huge bucket of water drenched me entirely.
Gasping like an angry little girl, I turned slowly around to where the water had come from, my clothes sticking to me and my carefully placed hair dripping wet. Standing in front of me was a young boy.
His silver hair shun in the sunlight and his green eyes glowed vividly as he stared up at me, a yellow bucket in his hands. Some yellow shorts covered his pale legs as they trembled in front of my disgusted expression. He couldn't have been any older than fourteen.
He gulped loudly before meeting my glare with his emerald orbs. When he did, he dropped the bucket instantly.
"I'm sorry !" He voice seemed to break as he shrieked the words.
Before I'd gotten the chance to answer back, a fairly high pitched voice was projected from behind me.
"Hope !"
He ran away from me quickly, refusing to turn back around as he jogged towards the women who had called him over.
"Hope, huh ?" I muttered to myself as I walked closer towards the bar." That's pretty ironic."
I arrived at my destination swiftly. Thankfully, the hot weather had nearly dried me off by the time I reached the building.
Up above the entrance, the word "Lebreau's" made itself clearly visible.
I peered inside first, making sure not to run into anyone I recognized. I couldn't spot anyone over the age of thirty. Everyone was obviously outside enjoying the sun while it lasted.
A very pretty young women, roughly the same age as me was working behind the bar. My first guess was that she was Lebreau.
I made my way over to the wooden bar and pressed a firm hand on it's surface. The girl turned to me, her eyes glowing as she looked me up and down. She cocked her head to the side and smiled.
"What can I get you ?"
I stared down at the floor unwillingly.
"You wouldn't happen to know someone called Snow, would you ?" I shot my eyes back up to meet hers.
The young barmaid looked at me quizzically for an instant, before breaking her soft gaze away from my persistent glare, and dropping her pupils back down to the empty glass she was holding. I could see her complexion change from a deep caramel colour, to a more pinkish crimson.
"Uh..." She stopped in her tracks and breathed deeply for a moment, probably dissecting my sudden question. " No, sorry. May I ask why ?"
One thing people misjudge about assassins, is their quick whit and fascinating ability to lie. I've pretended to be so many people over the years that I often end up losing who I am . If I stray too far away from the task and begin to feel comfortable stepping in the shoes of my alias, things often go wrong.
The cover story I was going for was one that I'd been saving for a case just like this. It was, to be perfectly honest, a stroke of genius, that I had come up with in the early hours of the morning, when my mind pondered without cause or reason.
I stared at the floor, for every small detail counts when you're acting, and began willing the tears to build up in my eyes.
When my vision started to become blurry, I knew that it was the right time to start the show.
Flicking my head up quickly, I reached over the ebony bar and took her hands in mine. The teardrops fell faster as I stared intently into her eyes, trying to make her crumble at my fragile state.
"I need to see him, just once more. I... I can't breathe, I can't sleep. After that one night we spent together, he's all I can think about..."
Yes, this was my cover story. It was so simple, yet highly effective. Any decent woman would succumb to me tears and help me find closure, and from the comforting look in her eyes, she would do exactly as I had planned.
"Oh, hun'... We've all been there." She bit her lip softly as her eyes dropped to the dirty floor once more. "Look, if you really want to see him then head upstairs. Trust me, it'll all be okay."
I smiled slightly at her and nodded.
This was easier than I had expected. Who knew that people could be played so effortlessly ?
I understood that taking advantage of someone who seemed so gullible was wrong, but it would all be for the greater good in the end. After all, did my targets once stop to consider the feelings of others ? Of course not.
My steps were carefully paced as I made my way up the creaking stairs. Every stride brought me closer to him, to my eventual victory. My heart raced as I finally arrived on the landing.
The place I now stood in was one of no emotion or life. It was an empty barren room, filled with boxes and an old bookshelf. You could see the dust circulating around the place as the sunny light slipped in through the unpolished and cracked windows. It was so different from the cheerful atmosphere that the room under my feet held. It was as if I'd stepped into an alternate universe, or fell all the way through Cocoon and came out of the other side.
As I took a step closer to the chaos, I suddenly heard rumbling coming from a joint room in the back.
A large man, very tall and very muscular appeared. I wasn't sure if it was his colossal size or the abnormality of his gaze that made me jump back a few inches. Suddenly he pointed at me.
"You're not supposed to be up here !"
I scoffed at his pathetic words as I narrowed the slim distance between us .
"Listen, I'm looking for a man named Snow and I am not leaving here without him."
He snorted sarcastically before shaking his head.
"He always did get the prettiest girls. There is no way on Pulse I'm telling some floozy were he is." He smirked. "I guess you'll just have to stay here with me."
I didn't know if that was a threat, or a puerile attempt at seduction.
The distinct smell of cheap cologne and steroids suddenly erased any distance that was separating us. He towered over me, his abnormal hair making him a few inches taller. His intense glare made me drop my eyes. I felt intimidated. Before, I'd almost wanted to laugh at his outlandish attire and even more bizarre stance, but now, as his burning eyes searched for mine, I felt like a pathetic small child. Of course, this wasn't going to bother me for long.
Moving my hand slightly up my vest, I reached in my pocket and grabbed my pistol. He instantly backed away.
The tiny weapon had more than one use. Not only could it make holes where there were none previously, it was able to scare even the craziest of men.
Moving towards him once more, I started to speak quietly not wanting to draw attention to the situation from downstairs. "I'll say it again, slowly, so that your small brain can comprehend. Snow Villiers, I need him, and if I don't get him, which trust me, I will, I'll kill you instead. That is, if you survive this. Got it ?"
He nodded once, and then raised his hands in surrender.
"In there." He flicked his head towards the small room at the back of the room.
Still pointing the gun in his direction, I made my way to the adjoining suite.
In there, along with dust, were very old files. Holding my weapon in one hand, I picked up one of the folders, only to be greeted by blank pages. Not one of them contained anything. Suddenly, my weapon went flying from my grip.
Turning around, he was there, holding himself like a beast as he had previously.
The pistol lay on the floor, the bullets leaking out of it.
What amazed me the most was the fact that he had crept up on me without making any noise.
Suddenly he started running towards me like a boulder. Not caring for a fight at a time like this, I decided to take an easier approach. A couple of seconds before he reached me, a took out my hand and hit him forcefully in the neck, causing him to fall instantly to the ground.
"Well that was a waste of time." I mumbled to myself as I jogged down the stairs, leaving the oaf where he lay.
The rain hit hard against the thin roof as a thunder storm started to form. As it did, hoards of people started running inside the bar, every last one of them completely drenched.
As I escaped the building, something grabbed my arm. Lebreau. She was standing next to me, a distinct glimmer of mischief in her deep brown eyes.
"That's right, run away. Don't come back, that is, unless you want every one to know who you really are."
Releasing my arm, she stumbled back into the dry and warm place. Turns out I'm not the only good actress in Bodhum.
The sky began to mock me as the rain fell harder and the pale blue, that brought happiness to many people this morning, began to fade. As the thunder bellowed and flashes of bright light started encircling the beach, I decided to sit down on the soaking sand. What was the point in doing anything more today. My spirits were low and my mind was tired.
I raised my head, letting the rain hit my pale skin. It was so relaxing to let the tiny crystals massage my eyelids.
Just as I was sinking into my own complicated mind, a loud, cocky, strong and stable voice called out from beside me.
"'Bit wet out to be sunbathing, don't ya' think ?"