Aubrey finished placing her moving boxes in the rooms they belonged to. After a long day of unpacking she was ready to sit down with a glass of wine and try to get some sleep. The wind was hollowing outside, forcing the branches of a nearby tree to scrape against the roof of her new house.

A sudden bang against her kitchen window made her drop the plate she was unpacking. Very slowly she peeked outside but there was nothing there, just the tree.

"He won't find me here." She whispered to herself. "They promised." Witness protection wasn't exactly as great as it sounded. Ever since she'd turned states evidence against Horacio Martinez it had been one long nightmare. All Aubrey wanted was to be a good lawyer, to do the right thing. But when she found out that her law firm was hired to defend one of the most evil people alive she couldn't take it. Martinez was wanted for so many crimes that listing them would take too long but chief among them was drug dealing, kidnapping and human trafficking...and murder.

When Aubrey learned who her firm was trying to protect she had taken as much evidence as she could to the FBI. In doing so she'd painted a massive target on Aubrey's back, forcing her to go into hiding. What was worse was that this was the second house she'd been assigned to, the first one was now a pile of ashes.

She looked at the rest of her boxes with no small amount of disdain. What was the point of unpacking if she wasn't going to stay here? The stuff wasn't even hers, it was all part of the act her protection agent came up with. After she finished with the kitchen Aubrey decided to finally have that glass of wine. She sat down on the couch and wished she had a working tv. Instead she settled for reading a book, dimly light by the one one lamp she managed to get set up.

Almost an hour later she realized just how dark it got in this house. If it wasn't for the lamp she'd be in total darkness. "Who designs a house without proper lighting? Seriously?" She huffed. There were a few candles she could light but after the last incident she decided against it. Instead she used the flashlight on her phone and started to get ready for bed. She was just about to get in the shower when something downstairs.

She immediately stopped and listened, trying to catch even the faintest sound. The only thing she could hear was the branches scrapping across the roof. Paranoia set in and Aubrey decided against the shower. She rushed back to her bedroom to grab the gun she had under her pillow, just in case.

She peaked out into the hallway but saw nothing except shadows. The wind picked up outside, making it harder to hear anything. But just as she was about to give up Aubrey heard a floorboard squeak. She aimed the gun down the hallway, flicking on her flashlight at the same time.

Moving slowly, Aubrey crept from room to room, checking every corner to make sure that she was in fact alone. She was almost done, giving the living room one last check when she heard something else. It sounded like a lock, like someone was trying to force it open. Aubrey ducked behind the couch, turning off her light just was the front door opened on rusty hinges.

Ever so slowly Aubrey peaked her head over the top of the couch. Standing in the doorway was a shadow just barely outlined by the streetlight outside. The figure stepped forward, shutting the door behind it quietly. Aubrey cold feel her heart racing in her chest, her hands damp with sweat. This man wanted to kill her, she couldn't hesitate even for a second. Aubrey moved slowly and carefully, knowing that if she moved too fast she'd alert the intruder. She crawled around the couch, keeping her head down as she tried to think of a plan. She could could still see him, moving slowly through the house as he searched for her.

Aubrey still couldn't make out any details. The intruder wore a mask of some kind, one that covered every part of his face. It gave him an unsettling inhuman look that made Aubrey's skin crawl. The mystery man moved away, heading further into the house in his search. This gave Aubrey a perfect opportunity to run for the door.

Her hand grasped the door handle, pulling it open in a rush. An iron grip seized her collar, dragging her back inside at the last second. The intruder threw her on the ground, knocking the gun out of her hand. It clattered across the floor, too far out of reach. Aubrey scrambled towards it, only for her assailant to kick it away. "Mr. Martinez sends his regards miss Posen."

Aubrey rolled herself over just as he wrapped his fingers around her neck and started to squeeze. She struggled against his grip, scratching at his arm with her nails. Her vision started to go dark so in one last desperate move she pulled back her leg and kicked with everything she had. Her foot landed in just the right spot, sending her attacker sprawling on the floor. Aubrey reached one last time for her gun, just managing to grasp the weapon. She could hear her attacker getting back up so, without looking, she turned around and fired.

The man screamed and grabbed his shoulder. Aubrey struggled to her feet, firing two more shots into her assailant. "Get the fuck out of my house."

.

.

.

An hour later Aubrey sat on her the first step of her porch, making it squeak loudly. If not for that squeak she'd be dead right now. She watched as the paramedics carried the body out of the house, followed by the FBI agent assigned to her.

"My apologies Miss Posen." He said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that all by yourself."

Aubrey shrugged. "Did you identify him?'

"Yes, he's a hitman used by Martinez on more than one occasion. We were even able to trace the payment on the hit back to his boss. Martinez is on his way to jail as we speak."

"Thank God." Aubrey ran her fingers through her hair and stood up. "I need a drink."