37. Alessia
Chapter thirty-seven
Alessia
I ’ve been so eager to try this bad boy out. One of the many perks with my new career choice are the fun toys I get to play with.
My relocation across the country to the desolate southwest had me doubting I would ever recapture that thrill—the one that comes from staring death in the face, by living with the constant shadow of death.
After moping around for weeks in a spell of despondency and self-pity, I emerged with newfound resolve, ready to take back ownership of my life. It’s my path to forge.
Still, I oscillated between melancholy and anger and contemplated building my own empire or devising a plan of retaliation. My insider knowledge could certainly take those down who hurt me. Yet, despite my longing for vengeance, I could never truly repay their betrayal in kind.
And the headache of running an empire wasn’t enough for me. The only way I could cope was to feed the bloodthirsty beast raging inside. I knew just the person that could assist me in that. Well-known assassin, Komodo.
To my recollection, at the time, I knew him to be a loner, loyal to whoever pays the most. But when I found a way to contact him, I learned he now works for The Organization. I told him I wanted in on impulse. He checked my alias to make sure there would be no way of tying me to the mob, and once he cleared me, he set me up with a meeting.
It wasn’t hard to prove my worth to them. My life of training led me up to that moment.
A couple of years later, here I am. On top of a tall building with my new Dragunov aimed at my next assignment. Because what would a markswoman be without the best marksman sniper rifle out there?
Edwin Edwards has been a very dirty little man with a thick file of corruption. Another CEO of some pharmaceutical company that is progressively in moral decline. He thrives off the sick to get rich. He has the only effective product on the market for a rare pediatric disease, and it’s pricy. Most families cannot afford it. The bastard could cut the cost down by 50% and still maintain his multi-millionaire status.
Supposedly, the people he borrowed money from to start his company were out of patience. He thought that with all the money he’d made, he was somehow untouchable.
I’m no vigilante, but I enjoy executing people whom the world would be better off without. I wish this one didn’t have to be a quick job. I’d love nothing more than to play with my food first, but I was given orders.
It’s become my catharsis for the pent-up anger inside me that never seems to dull or fade. It’s what gets me up every day.
Popping in a piece of cinnamon gum, I get down and peer through the scope. Yup, still there, utterly oblivious, as he sips his top-shelf liquor with a bunch of big kahunas. One of which is the man who hired someone to kill him.
Even if this weren’t a sorry sack of shit, if I’m told my mark, I execute it, not at all diffident or hesitant, and once you’re in, you’re in until they decide to release you. And the sentence for refusing a job, is death.
It’s not like we’re paid to shoot up schools or hospitals. They’re people that got themselves involved in dirty money one way or another.
And we all die eventually, right?
I know. I’m a heartless bitch. Blah blah blah .
No one knows what I do these days. When the Bonetti women were sent away, I went my separate way off to live alone in the desert. I check in with them every couple of weeks, but I haven’t spoken to any of my brothers since we left.
Despite missing the men, Gemma, Mamma, and even Lesina settled into their new, suburban lives reasonably well. Armando is the only one to visit, unable to be entirely out of his daughter’s life. But when he comes to town, I make a point of being elsewhere.
Scoping out Mr. Edwards’ security detail one more time, I see nothing has changed. All just as oblivious as the loser himself. Some security he has. I could probably wave a red flag and they wouldn’t even spot me.
Chomping down on my gum, I sight my target. Going for his chest since he seems to move around a lot as he’s talking. I rather not miss and risk one of his security guys catching me before I take a second one.
Releasing the air from my lungs through my mouth, I pull the trigger. Boom! Hits home. Square in his chest, sending him down like a sack of potatoes. “Ooooooooohhhhhh!!!!” I gleefully squeal in excitement as I duck down out of sight completely and kick my feet in the air like a kid. That was fucking amazing! I wish I were assigned to more sniper jobs like this one so I can play with the big guns.
“Mwuah!” I give my rifle’s stock a big smooch and pack it up as chaos unfolds from down low. Screaming and shouting. I hit the tiny inconspicuous earpiece in my ear to tap into the local cop’s frequency to see how far they’re out. The closest one seems to be a few miles away, so I have time. No time to waste, though.
Slinging the case over my back, I stay crouched down as I run for the back of the rooftop and I glance over. No one is back here scouring the area yet. Wow, his security team really fucking sucks. Good for me.
There are two more buildings at the same height as the one I’m on, with a large gap between them. It might not be Olympic distance, but it damn sure seems like it when you’re carrying a large bag on your back. My crazy ass has already done a test run for it, and I can clear it with no problem. Tall people might be able to jump, but this short bitch can fly.
Standing back several feet from the edge, I run my ass off and soar through the air and onto the next rooftop. I land on my feet but drop to my knees from the momentum. Springing back up, I don’t skip a beat as I take off into a sprint towards the next one. I pump my legs even harder, knowing I used a lot of energy on the first one. Biting back a scream, I clear the second gap, but not so gracefully this time. I still manage to get up and walk away, though it’ll most likely hurt like a bitch tomorrow.
A coiled black rope is tethered to a pole at the edge of the building. The fire escape stairs are too close to the threshold of the alley to stay obscured, so I have to repel myself down. With all the chaos going down on the next block, no one will ever suspect the little redhead with glasses and what looks like a cello case slung to her back coming out of the shadows.
Everything goes according to plan.
Just another average yet exciting day in the life of Freida Marina Lopez. Time for a drink and maybe some sex.