Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Chapter 35 Exterminate Ace

Exterminate Ace.

Those words rang through my mind that night as I crept stealthily upon his property.

But unlike other missions, this one is different.

This one is different because I feel emotions. Assassins are never supposed to have emotions, they get in the way of missions.

We are supposed to be emotionless, elusive people that roam the night.

Cold.

Distant.

Those are the things people like me are supposed to be.

But here I am, watching Ace through the window from a nearby tree with a pang of....guilt in my chest. I watched Dakota today after school greet Ace, and they seemed pretty fond of each other.

I had also made friends with Dakota today, and I feel a sense of betrayal growing deep within me when I carry out the act.

Like the predator I was made to be, I stealthily stalk my prey and climb through a skylight in the roof. My feet softly land on the carpeted floors, and I creep through the hallways using the walls as cover.

My black clothes blend into the darkened hallways, and I know there's cameras placed about his home.

That's why I need to do this quick.

And then I peer around the corner, where I see Ace with his back faced towards me. He sits at the computer in his room and types away. I see the website open to some shopping website.

I pull the long knife from my belt.

I will make this quick.

I zero in on the prey, when suddenly I hear a voice.

I hear a voice singing, it's a woman's voice.

Dakota's voice.

I am startled, the knife slips from my hand and makes a low thump as it hits the ground.

Shit!

Ace spins around on his chair, his eyes landing right on me. In the blink of an eye, he jumps up from his seat, and pulls a gun from his waistband.

He clicks the safety off.

I'm looking down the barrel of a gun.

I swallow nervously. This isn't the first time I've been held at gun point, but each time it happens it's more uncomfortable than the last.

"If you move I will put a bullet in your head." Ace says as he slowly steps towards me cautiously. His eyes narrow at me, and his face looks intimidating.

"Hiding behind that assassin mask of yours, I see." Ace tsks.

My heart pounds loudly in my ears, and panic arises. I would be better of dead than to return to my Boss unsuccessful.

"Slide your knife to me and get on your knees." Ace's voice is low and menacing.

No I can't get taken captive here!

Death is the only way out, for if I return to my Boss unsuccessful, I will be severely punished. Pain and torture will follow. If I get taken prisoner here, I will never get out and live a life living in a cage.

Death it is.

And so with a deep breath, I spin around on my heel, and dash towards the exit.

But I don't make it ten feet before the sound of the gun goes off.

I fall to my knees, gasping for air. I hit the floor in a world full of pain, and I stare up at Ace with shock pooling in my eyes. Blood pours from my abdomen from wear he shot me, and I cough and sputter.

Ace's eyes are dark, and his gaze sends chills down my spine.

He's the last thing I see before my eyes roll into the back of my head.

Darkness.

* * *

Waking up in their target's pale colored cell is something that no assassin wants to wake up to. Groaning, I sit up on the small hard cot, and look around me. I'm caged in a tiny 6 ft by 7 ft cell.

All I see is bars, locking me away.

Pain inflames in my torso, and I gnash my teeth together in an attempt to suppress the pain.

Bullet wounds are nothing new to me, since my assassin training was brutal and I practiced with weapons of all sorts from a very young age. In that kind of life, mistakes are easily made, people slip up, and I was injured in the process.

But sometimes I was shot by my boss out of anger.

The sound of footsteps echos loudly, and I jump up from the cot, refusing to show my weakness. Refusing to show my pain and vulnerability.

Assassins don't show emotions. Assassins don't show weakness.

I rise to my feet, standing full height, with my head tilted high.

I am not in pain. I am not weak. I chant to myself.

Ace comes into my field of vision, and he looks at me with stern, angry eyes as he unlocks my cell. "You better loose the attitude written all over your face, or I will rip it off." He growls.

His voice booms through the cell, radiating power.

So this is the man behind the Revelation Gang.

"I want the truth, and nothing more. If you do not tell me the truth, then you had better start praying because it's going to be a long, painful night for you." He says.

So the rumors are true....he is very intimidating....and good looking, too.

"I'm. Waiting." He seethes impatiently.

"I'm just an assassin on a mission." I say, shrugging.

Ace crosses his arms and scrunches his eyebrows in anger. "Really? I had no idea! Thanks for clearing that up for me, I was confused as to why you were in my house last night dressed in all black with a murderer weapon in your hand. I thought you were just going to have a tea party with your little stuffed animal friends. Yeah, no shit you were an assassin."

I continue to stand there, not saying a word.

"Answer me." He demands.

I don't answer.

And then Ace approaches me.

"What are yo-AH!"

Before I can even react, Ace pinpoints my pressure points, and jabs his fingers behind my collar bone and forces me to the ground. He then proceeds to grab the upper inner part of my elbow joint, and he uses his other hand to pinch the nerve between my fingers.

It all happened so fast, and it feels as if my arm is shattering.

I bite the inside of my cheek and groan in pain. "Stop!" I hiss.

Ace lets go, much to my relief.

"If you don't give me answers now, I won't hesitate to tie you down to the table and find your breaking points using my new knife kit." Ace says that with such truth in his eyes that he wasn't lying.

But I can't betray my Boss....can I?

With a deep breath, I speak. "I'm an assassin, sent on a mission to take you out. I was sent b-by..."

"By who? Tell me."

"I-I can't tell you." I whisper.

"Bullshit." Ace says.

I don't say anything. I can't. I'm unsure. I can't betray my Boss like that, he'd find out and kill me. I pledged my loyalty to him, and now I can't go back.

Without another word, Ace leaves me alone in the prison. He must need some time to think about exactly how he is going to torture me.

The cells are a quiet place. I know there are others held captive here, and yet, nobody speaks. Or, if they do, they speak in hushed whispers. The occasional clanging of dinner dishes or low groans of pain is heard, but other than that, everything remains silent.

I wrap my hand around the large bars of my cage and peer out. Both ways, there's a hallway. Not much to see here.

With a pained sigh, I hunker back down onto the cot, holding the wound on my abdomen.

But I'm not alone for long because suddenly, I hear footsteps.

Not just one pair of footsteps, but two pairs of footsteps.

And to my surprise, Ace is back.

But it's not just Ace. It's Dakota, too.

Dakota glares at me, and I feel bad for befriending her. I practically betrayed her in targeting her boyfriend in my assassination mission.

But then again, why should I feel bad?

I was ordered on a mission, this is merely just another job.

They both enter the cell, and Dakota glares at me. "So, I've heard about this little ordeal."

I don't say anything.

I simply do not know what to say.

"You were hired to kill Ace, correct? Now, what we are trying to figure out here is by who? Who sent you?"

"I cannot say." I reply blankly.

Dakota crosses her arms. "That's alright, because I already know who sent you."

My heart rate picks up, and I become even more nervous. I cannot betray my boss, he took me in, he built a roof over my head. Yes, he is cruel but I cannot forget all the good things he's done for me.

"You're bluffing." I spit out, trying to mask my fear.

"Oh, I'm afraid I am not. I know for a fact that you are working for Lars."

What? How could she have possibly known?

"You're lying....I'm actually working for...for some other smaller gang." I say as confidently as I can muster.

"Oh, that's where you are wrong. I can see through your lies and read your eyes. Right now they look desperate and panicked. But there's really no need to be afraid. Join The Revelation Gang, and you will be promised protection from that vile man."

Ace elbows Dakota and growls under his breath, obviously not liking her bold statement.

"And I'm sure Ace would be happy to train you better, right Ace?" Dakota adds.

Ace's eye twitches and he glares at me. "I'm not so sure about that, Dakota. What if this little assassin is merely acting?"

Dakota shrugs. "I don't see that she is. She seems....she kind of remind me of myself. I can just tell that there's something....different about her. Like she needs a key to unlock her."

"All the more reason not to trust her. If I need to find these key to unlock anyone, I prefer to take them out and bury them with their secrets. I'd rather take them to the grave than risk having them reek havoc upon my gang." Ace states, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Ace, trust me on this one. I have a feeling this will work out." Dakota pleads as she stares up at Ace, her eyes sparkling like some love sick puppy. Ew.

After moments of silence, Ace sighs in frustration. "Fine. But if she does anything out of the ordinary, and I mean anything, I won't hesitate to put a cold bullet in her head, got it?"

Dakota nods and Ace directs his attention to me. He points an accusing finger at me and scowls. "And you, if you even dare to cause this gang any problems, you will be tortured within an inch of your life, and then you will be nursed back to health only to start the process over. Once I feel like you've suffered enough, only then will you die."

Ace says it with such a coldness and his eyes hold so much truth that a shiver runs down my spine. I nod, my chapped lips spewing words that burn my ears. "I understand. I am now a member of The Revelation Gang. My loyalty now goes to you."

Ace glares at me, before dragging Dakota out of the cell with him and slamming the cell door shut.

Someone's in trouble.

* * *

Ace's POV:

I take Dakota to a little interrogation room. Anger fills me up but oddly enough, so does pride. Dakota is bold, strong, and daring.

But at the same time...foolish.

She let an unknown assassin who works for Lars join my gang? Our gang....

I kill people like that on the spot and she takes them in. I take lives she saves them.

"Ace, are you alright? You seem kind of-"

"Irritated, angry, impressed?" I cut her off.

"Impressed?"

I roll my eyes. "Look, I'm a bit upset that you would willingly let someone like her join this gang. Join my family. It's just not wise to trust someone like her." I state sternly.

"Well, someone like her seems to be nothing more than a lost child in the dark who knows no other way. I suggest you stop judging people so early and investigate more instead of immediately killing them because of your insecurities. Ace, I understand that you've got a gang to protect, I really do. But decisions concerning someone's life should be investigated. Only if there is evidence of their crime and they refuse to be agreeable, then take care of it however you see fit." Dakota says.

She thinks she can just waltz into my gang and change things...and yet.....I don't mind.

I don't mind having someone by my side helping me rule this gang with me. It takes courage to operate something like this.

It takes a special kind of woman to operate something like this.

I huff. "Fine. But if anything at all happens because of this decision, you will be held responsible and you will feel the guilt of your decision for the rest of your life."

Dakota nods. "I understand."

"Good....and now I've got an assassin to train." I grumble as I wander out of the interrogation room.

This woman always wins.

Dakota: 1.

Ace: 0.

* * *

Night time brings its hand of darkness that covers the land.

And that night, I head down to my bar to talk to Jordan and Drew about plans. Plans to get rid of Lars once and for all. Recently he has been stealing shipments of weapons that belong to my gang.

But, more importantly, he had sent an assassin to take me out.

And I'm sure he isn't going to stop until either me, my family member, or my gang members are dead.

So it is time.

The bar is empty, I closed it off to specifically talk about private matters. Taking a seat at one of the barstools, I order a drink and begin to talk with Jordan and Drew.

"Jordan, Drew, I called you down here to plan about the final destruction of Lars. He has been causing us nothing but trouble, and I'm about done with it."

"Are you sending in an assassin?" Jordan asks.

"No, I'm thinking a seductress. Men like him love a good looking woman in their bed, don't you agree?"

"I agree." Jordan replies.

"I definitely agree. There's nothing better than bringing a sexy woman into my room and having-"

"Alright, Drew. We don't want to hear about your sexpades, remember?" Jordan cuts him off, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Ouch, okay, sorry." Drew says as he throws his hands up in surrender.

I roll my eyes. "As I was saying, I think it would be a good plan to send the seductress in with a little microphone so we can communicate with her. And then when he is having sex with her, she kills him at his most vulnerable moment."

"Ohhh me likey. I mean I wouldn't expect one of my lucky women to kill me when I'm all up in her-"

"Damn it, Drew. You always go to far." I growl out while I glare at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I did it again? I will try to keep my mouth shut."

"Yes, please do, you're giving me a headache." Jordan complains as he massages his temples.

"Any way, I am planning to execute his plan tomorrow night. I want you two to get the supplies we will need ready. Contact Cherry, the seductress for me and tell her we need her. Got it?" I ask.

"Yes Boss." They reply in unison.

We sip our drinks, and Jordan pipes up. "So, how are you and your woman doing?" He asks as he wiggles his eyebrows.

Drew opens his mouth. "Have you two had s-"

"Stop it right there." I growl out.

I hate these idiots.

"You both are imbeciles, you know that?" I say before I take a sip of my drink.

"Yes, but we're your idiots." Drew says.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.