Ten Years Earlier
Nikita Pierce had an excellent childhood. She had a wonderful home, loving parents, and enough siblings and friends to always keep her company. She had some complaints (what teenager didn't), but overall she was happy. Life was always adventurous, whether with sports, school, or torturing her siblings. Her mom was a little tougher on her maybe because of that, but the way her dad spoiled her kind of balanced it out. Although Nikita was adopted as a baby, unlike her brother and sisters, that never diminished her role in the family or how loved she was. She was a beloved, rascally kid, and had a bright future ahead of her.
It was early March of Nikita's senior year of highschool when the shit finally hit the fan. Her older twin sisters, Jill and Sandy, were home from their freshman year of college for their spring break. Her younger brother, Sean, was moved up from the freshman highschool football team to varsity for the next school year. And Nikita had been accepted to a plethora of colleges on both athletic and academic scholarships (she didn't know where she wanted to go yet; her sisters wanted her to be pre-law like them, but she was thinking about sports medicine or physical therapy). There were tons for the family to celebrate. Their mom decided to treat them all to dinner one night. Their dad had to work late, so he'd meet them at the restaurant. He had some important Army job that kept him busy most days. Their mom was busy as well, but as a senator she had a more concrete schedule.
Which was why Nikita and her brother and sisters were at her office before dinner. They could leave the second she finished and eat someplace downtown. However, a senator's office was boring for four teenagers. They needed to do something while they waited for what felt like forever. They found an abandoned construction hallway upstairs, and it became their playground. Jill and Sandy climbed and walked on the boards and beams that were lying around, while Nikita and Sean raced each other in rolling chairs. They were all screaming, laughing, teasing, and talking. It was fun and exciting, and much better than just sitting around and waiting.
At some point, Nikita slouched in her chair and inched across the floor. She was telling some swim meet story with exaggerated movements and weird voices. Jill, Sandy, and Sean were egging her on as they giggled. She ended up tripping over something, falling flat on her face; the chair tipped and slammed down atop her. Erupting in laughter, her siblings didn't notice their mom stomping up the stairs. She had finished her work for the day and heard her children fooling around upstairs when she went to look for them. The sight before her was not an enjoyable one, "What the hell are you doing? This is my job."
Despite their mother's sharp, disdainful tone, the teens continued to laugh. Especially Nikita as she remained on the floor. Their mom placed her hands on her hips and employed her best "mom" glare. It only had some affect. Maybe because they knew how much trouble they were in, they just couldn't stop giggling. All their mom could do was roll her eyes and sigh. Against teenagers, one had to choose their battles. And that one wasn't worth fighting. In clipped words, she gave orders for her children to obey, "Clean up. Meet me in the car."
Jill and Sandy did as instructed without problem. Nikita kept picking on Sean, however. He fired back on some things, yet it was so easy for her to get under his skin. Once they finished, he had enough. Nikita poked at Sean one last time, and he chased her to the car. Their sisters let them be, used to the two's antics. Jill and Sandy just shrugged and took the direct route to the parking garage. Sean and Nikita chased and teased from floor to floor. One floor away from the underground garage, they passed by the hall that led to security. Nikita stopped abruptly; Sean crashed into her. Before he could comment, she shushed him, "I have an idea. We erase the tape of us fucking around, and there's no proof to get us in trouble."
"You've come up with some shit schemes before, but this," Sean began, scrutinizing his sister. Nikita somehow managed to think of the most insane half-baked ideas. They always led to great stories, but also serious trouble. Hell, hanging out in the construction hall was Nikita's idea. Sean should've learned to just say "no" and walk away. But she drew him in with a daring smirk and a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. He was helpless as he followed her down the empty hallway, "What if there's guards?"
"I got cash. I can pay 'em off. Just watch the door Boy Scout," Disappearing into the security room, Nikita threw out Sean's least favorite nickname. She always said it to rile him up and get him to do whatever she wanted, and it worked. He was raised to constantly try to do the right thing. Yes, he was a boy scout- almost an eagle scout- but serving those in need was his responsibility; he needed to help. Nikita knew that, and exploited it. She'd probably get him to follow her to the edge of the world if she wanted. Even though he'd grumble, he'd still do it.
Sneaking into the room and sitting at the computer was the easy part (the guards were nowhere to be seen). Nikita had to admit she didn't know how she would delete the footage. She thought she could poke around on the computer and figure it out. It shouldn't have been too complicated. She at least solved how to switch the feed that was showing. If she could pull up the construction hall, she might've been able to delete the archival footage. She slammed on a couple of keys on the keyboard, and managed to rewind the feed. All she had to do from there was select the clip of them messing around and delete it- easier said than done.
Nikita thought she had just solved her problem when a noise outside the window caught her attention. The blinds had been closed however, which was odd. The guards should've been looking out the windows while they were on duty. In fact, the guards should've been in the room. She had been so relieved that the room was empty, she didn't stop to question it. Then she was. She opened the blinds, catching a murky glimpse of the outside. The sun had gone down, but the lights around the building hadn't been turned on. Nikita could still see some things in the dark, but not any details. Wanting to just ignore the whole thing, she turned back to the computer. That was when she heard the noise again.
It was much more distinct that time. She recognized it as tires squealing. Moving closer to the window so that she could see out of it clearly, she spotted a man she had a feeling she knew (probably a senator who worked with her mother) walking towards his car. It was the only thing in the otherwise bare back parking lot. Hardly anyone parked there because of the poor access in and out of the building; the man must've been one those "tradition or else" leaders her mom complained about. While he fished for his keys in his pocket, the source of the tire squealing- a large black van- sped into the lot. It parked next to the senator, and three armed people in tactical gear hopped out.
A voice in Nikita's head told her to run out of the room, to get help. Yet she was stuck witnessing the people accost the senator. They yelled and shouted, jamming their guns at him. Nikita couldn't make out the muffled words, but she knew how terrifying it was. The senator shook, passing his briefcase to the people. They took it, rifled through it, and shot him. It happened so fast Nikita didn't even know it had happened at first. She blinked and the senator was lying on the ground, blood seeping out of his chest. She had seen characters die in TV shows and movies before, yet that was so drastically different. It was real. She had witnessed a murder.
The loud gasp broke free from her chest, she had no power to stop it. Slowly, she backed away from the window. Her hands flew to her mouth to cover a sob that was threatening to spill over. The image of the shock and fear on the senator's pale face, and the amount of blood that exploded out of him was seared in her brain. She couldn't shake it, and it was rattling her to her core. Nikita couldn't make sense of the armed people in tactical gear, or the purpose of the killing. She began to have the horrifying thought that if those people could get to one senator, they could get to any of them. As if reading her mind, one of the assailants neared the window with their gun drawn; they saw her, the lights in the security office were too bright. She had to get out of that room. She had to find some help, or her mom.
Sean crashed into her again when Nikita scrambled into the hallway. He appeared panicked, his hazel eyes blown wide in apprehension. Whereas Nikita was sprinting down the hall, Sean grabbed onto her needing to know what he had heard, "Nikita, what was that? I heard a gunshot. Was it a gunshot? Did you hear it too?"
"It's fine, Sean. We need to find Mom. Or a guard," Nikita swallowed down her own terror. She had to be brave for her brother. If he saw just how rattled she was, he'd be out of his mind in fear. She had to get it together for him. He didn't need to worry. Luckily, the guards were running back to their station. One of them was already speaking into his radio about gunshots heard on the premises. The other stopped in front of the two teenagers, eyeing them suspiciously. His hand steadied on his utility belt, and he menacingly asked Sean and Nikita if they had seen anything. Thinking about the person with the gun that had approached her, and the fact that there was a possibility no one was safe, Nikita lied. She positioned herself in front of Sean, shaking her head, "No. We just got lost on the way to the parking garage from the bathroom."
After a moment, he told them to go home and followed his partner. Sean and Nikita didn't have to be told twice. They sprinted the rest of the way to their car. The second they got inside of it, their mother asked them where they had been; she was about to call them. Instantly, Sean spilled his guts. At least he held to the lie about the bathroom and didn't mention the breaking and entering of the security room. He just told her about the gunshots and the guard who had let them go. Jill and Sandy frightfully peered outside the window, apparently they hadn't heard anything from the garage. Their mom, on the other hand, took out her cellphone to report what they had heard.
The police were already aware, but they were ordered to stay put so they could interview the witnesses. Their mom was very practical and calm as she called their dad, explaining the situation and why they had to cancel dinner. Jill and Sandy continued to look around them frightened that the gunman might be around. Sean was doing the same, his eyes still as wide as ever. Nikita, however, was dead silent. She was afraid to speak, not with the image of the senator's murder so fresh in her mind. Not with the fact that the people with the guns were so ready to kill anyone else- so ready to kill her for being behind the window.
Time passed without Nikita noticing. She was so wrapped in her terrifying thoughts, she didn't realize that the police were in the garage wanting to speak to her and Sean for what they had heard. They were honest about only hearing gunshots. They lied about only being in the hall. And Nikita lied about not seeing anything. There had to have been security footage of the crime; she didn't need to tell the truth. She also had the sinking feeling in her gut that if she did, she would've been in a world of pure terror.
"Are you guys okay?" Their mother asked them again while they eventually drove home. Jill, Sandy, and Sean simply shrugged and nodded. They were told the gunshots they heard had killed a senator. The fact startled them, but they swore they would be alright after some time. It was scary, yet they were safe. Nikita curled in on herself in her seat, silent. Their mom tried asking her one more time, "Nikita, sweetheart, are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. It's nothing," Though she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it never would be again.
