The Don’s Deadly Assassin

31. Camela

Camela

Chapter 31

I carefully adjust the clasp of my chunky gold chain, and give myself a look over in the mirror. Tonight, we’re going to an outdoor concert. The blue ripped jeans, white T-shirt, chunky gold jewelry and windswept wavy hair would make me fit right in with the twenty-something year old revelers.

Our evening out is to a rock concert, and might very well lead to another dead body. This time though, I’m not nervous or scared.

Instead, I’m excited. I’ve never killed for my own purpose before, one I can put my heart into. And with Vincenzo, knowing the full truth, at my side, we can truly enjoy the show.

I might no longer wish to be an assassin for hire, doing the Handler’s bidding on innocents, but the assassin blood still runs through me.

Come for mine, and I’ll come for you.

The pulsing rhythm of the music courses through my veins from the moment Vincenzo and I step into the electrifying atmosphere of the outdoor rock concert. Hand in hand, we weave our way through the mass of people, the shared excitement a sheer force to be reckoned with.

As we immerse ourselves in the heart of the crowd, I can feel the steady thrum of adrenaline that comes with being on the hunt.

Only, someone out there thinks we’re the hunted.

I smile at that thought.

"Can you believe this energy?" Vincenzo shouts over the music. "I almost forgot what it feels like to be in a place like this. To be this young again…” he places his hand on my lower back and I lean into it.

“Young, wild, and deadly,” I turn my neck up to him and whisper into his ear.

I revel in the thrill of the moment. This is where I feel alive – right in the thick of danger and death, fighting to survive.

As the band launches into their next song, I scan the crowd, searching for any signs that we’re being targeted. My gaze lands on a familiar face, causing my heart to skip a beat. The Silent Death.

She’s never met me. But this one time, I saw a folder on the Handler’s desk when he was searching for a weapon in Brazil. Her face, leathered from hours under the sun, gleaming beady eyes and thick red curls, wasn’t one I could forget.

She’s staring right at us, her hands in her pockets, and I scan the area around her, never truly looking at her, pretending I never noticed her presence.

I turn back around, whistling and bobbing my head, pretending to jam to the music, trying not to draw attention to myself.

"Vincenzo," I place my arm around his shoulder, bumping my hip against his. He laughs and bends closer, kissing me on my cheek. “An assassin is here. She’s after us."

His eyes remain hooded, and he smiles. He gives me a reassuring squeeze of my hand, knowing that we're being watched, and laughs again.

To my surprise, Vincenzo begins to dance. He takes my hand and turns to face me, his back to the stage. I allow myself to be swept up in the music, moving closer to Vincenzo as we dance and weave through the sea of people.

We twirl and sway, our bodies finding their rhythm together, but all the while, I can't help but feel a creeping sense of dread as Silent Death's gaze follows us from afar.

"Keep going," Vincenzo encourages me, his breath warm on my neck as he pulls me close. "We've got this."

I trust him implicitly and allow him to twirl me in a circle. A sea of faces swarm by my periphery, and I cross the snapshot of the woman with the fiery red curls before he turns me back into my position, my back facing her.

“She’s watching,” I mouth at him.

He leans closer, places his hands on the small of my back, and nuzzles his face into my neck. “Is your earpiece on and functioning?”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Yours?”

“Affirmative.”

I pull back just a little, his hands still on the curve of my ass, and look up at him. His eyes lock into mine and he tilts and bends his head down. For a second, everything - the music, the fragility of our lives - fades away, and I part my lips just as he meets mine. I taste him, his slightly dry lips dusty and wicked - an addiction I don’t want to quit.

But, the song ends. A few people cheer, and we pull away.

Before the next one begins, Vincenzo points towards the stalls and mouths at me. “Beer?”

His eyes fall to the ground. I know what he’s saying. Stay here, and then follow.

I nod, and he touches my shoulder in goodbye before moving through the crowd towards the stalls. I watch him recede and keep my eyes glued to his form to see who might be after him. Nothing.

I bend down, pretending to tie my shoelace, and slowly scan the crowd for her shoes. There. She’s still in the same spot where she stood.

Why isn’t she following Vincenzo?

Perhaps she wishes to do away with me first before exterminating him. I’d cause trouble, wouldn’t I?

Without thinking, I loosen the cap of the water bottle I hold in my hand. I drink it quickly, thirsty and desperate, and it’s over before I know it.

I pretend to look around for a dustbin. Right there, near the stalls where Vincenzo’s heading.

I crush the bottle and follow him towards the stalls. Close, but not close enough to tell him to wait up.

The electric energy of the concert buzzes around me, but I'm focused solely on keeping an eye on both Vincenzo and Silent Death, who trails just a few steps behind me.

For a few seconds, I need to lose her. I keep walking ahead at a leisurely pace until I can find a distraction. I watch as Vincenzo stops near a large bucket of ice near one of the vendors and leans over it, his hand sliding into his pocket.

It takes a split second for him to drop the vial’s contents into the bucket before he leans a little too far, spilling the water all over the concrete floor.

People jump aside, and the vendor yells at him. “Sorry! So sorry!” he apologizes loudly.

“How the hell will we keep our beer cold now?” The vendor screams, drawing a crowd. Vincenzo fumbles with his wallet, looking to compensate. I turn my head to the side, noticing the Silent Death is distracted by Vincenzo.

In that moment, I dart behind a grid-like metal structure and crouch to the ground. The Silent Death turns back, looking to where I had just stood, a brief flicker of confusion coming over her face.

I’ve shaken her.

She regains her composure just as fast and begins to walk towards Vincenzo.

“She’s walking towards you,” I say into my earpiece after pressing the on signal.

“Do it. Now,” he says back before the line disconnects.

My fingers deftly retrieve the retractable wire device hidden within my boot, flicking it open with practiced ease. Swiftly, I insert a hook at the base of one of the poles in the metal grid and turn to the back of my boot, where there’s a flap.

I unzip the flap and place the device back in my boot, positioned under my foot and close the flap again. Now, when I walk, the almost invisible, thread-like but strong wire will extend out against the ground in whatever direction I go.

I step out from behind the metal grid and walk towards Vincenzo. The Silent Death is ahead of me, and I walk in an arc to meet Vincenzo from another corner, crossing her path as I do so.

I look up and smile, waving at Vincenzo. Vincenzo breaks into a grin and motions me over to a quieter, less crowded spot…right next to the water spill.

I nod and begin to walk, flipping my hair over my shoulder, pretending to look back at the band for a second. Silent Death's eyes bore into me, assessing my movements as she senses something amiss. Her instincts are good, but our execution is better.

"Camela!" Vincenzo calls out to me as I’m about to reach his side. "Here," Vincenzo passes me a cold beer, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest of moments. It's a subtle signal that the plan is in motion, and Silent Death has taken the bait.

"Thanks," I murmur, my eyes flicking between him and our deadly pursuer.

"Are you ready?" He sounds concerned, but he trusts in our teamwork.

"Always," I reply, my heart pounding in my chest. I know we have only one shot at this.

This spot here is quieter, with a smaller crowd. The vendor selling the beers has gone off somewhere, to get on a call to arrange more ice, Vincenzo tells me.

I face him while he faces the crowd, the puddle of water just behind me.

"She’s coming closer," Vincenzo murmurs. "Wait for the perfect moment."

“What’s she doing?” I ask.

“She’s got her hand in her pocket,” he says, his eyes down at me.

I nod. She must have a trick, a poison to slip into his drink or under his skin.

"Almost... Now!" Vincenzo's command cuts through the noise.

With lightning-fast reflexes, I turn around, dropping my phone to the ground. I bend and watch the Silent Death’s footsteps.

Her eyes are straight on my body, and I look up, staring at her right in the eyes. She pauses and frowns, and I smile at her, giving her a little wave from where I crouch.

Good. She knows I know.

She mutters a curse under her breath and begins walking brisker towards us. I feel my muscles tense as I see Silent Death approach the puddle that’s just a few meters away from her, her steps almost soundless. The electric energy from the rock concert pulses through my veins, amplifying my every sense.

The next kill begins.

I stand abruptly, and lift my foot to scratch my other calf, as I do the wire lifts off the ground just by an inch or so. She doesn’t see it, her eyes locked on mine, ready to pounce.

As Silent Death takes another step, the taught wire gets in her way, tripping her.

"Gotcha," I think, watching Silent Death stagger, her balance momentarily lost. Before she can recover, I rush towards her.

“Oh my god!” I shriek, drawing the attention of the crowd. She fumbles on the wet substance, trying to regain her balance.

But of course, she can’t. Vincenzo had poured the most slick oil substance in the bucket of ice before he ‘accidentally’ knocked it over. She’ll never regain balance.

So, of course, I will run over to help.

"Are you okay?" I feign concern as I reach out to "help" her. Silent Death's eyes narrow in suspicion, but it's too late to get out now.

I stretch out my hand and she has no other option but to take it. I lift my back leg as though balancing myself as she tries to pull me down beside her. The concealed, retractable wire trips her further, and she falls against me, with me being the only thing keeping her afloat.

In a split second, I dig my nails into the hand she’s gripped me with, and she lets go of the sting. That’s when I let go of her completely, putting one foot back on dry ground.

I sink down to my knees as her head hits the unforgiving concrete, busting open her forehead.

A sickening crunch echoes through the air, silenced by the cacophony of the concert.

“Nooo!” I scream, and tears flow down my eyes. Vincenzo comes rushing to my side.

“Darling,” he throws his arms over my hunched figure, turning my face away from the blood seeping into the floor. “Oh, you poor thing! Are you alright?” he asks.

His hand reaches into his pocket. Then, I can feel the taught pull from the wire give way. He cut off the wire’s connection to my boot.

His hand goes back into his pocket with the cutter. I still sob into his shoulder.

“My wife,” he explains to the crowd. “She was running to help, but…”

Around us, people start crowding. Our act deserves an Academy Award.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Vincenzo shouts with urgency, waving his arms to where Silent Death lies crumpled on the ground. The crowd of onlookers grows.

"Did she slip?" someone asks, pointing toward the puddle of water near Silent Death's body.

I nod grimly, fighting back a new swell of emotion. "It all happened so fast," I say, my voice shaky. "I tried to catch her, but she just...fell."

Vincenzo tries to lift me up from the floor, but I fight him, crawling over to The Silent Death’s body. "Stay with me," I cry out loud to Silent Death, keeping up the act as I check her pulse. Of course, there's none.

“She’s dead!” I scream with horror.

“Help her, poor girl,” a panicked young woman shouts at Vincenzo. “She mustn’t see more of this.” Vincenzo pulls me away as I give the woman’s hand one last squeeze.

I look down and sob again. Vincenzo hands me a bottle of water someone had given him.

As murmurs of sympathy ripple through the crowd, Vincenzo and I glance at each other. His eyes meet mine, and we share a silent understanding. We need to get out of here.

"Please, give my wife some space!" Vincenzo calls out, expertly managing the group of people gathering around us. He feigns distress while subtly directing the flow of the crowd, creating an opening for us to slip away.

"Let's go," Vincenzo murmurs as we blend into the sea of bodies, not waiting around until the authorities to show up.