The Assassin
The explosion erupted like an angry volcano. The ground shook beneath our feet, and a rush of wind whipped across our faces.
Beside me, Maria tucked her face into her jacket collar, shielding herself from the blast.
I couldn’t force myself to look away. My eyes burned from the harsh wind as I watched the red flames, left behind from the explosion, lick up the charred remains of the building.
Honestly, I was quite disappointed with the agent. I didn’t expect her to fall for such a simple trap.
It was too easy for Maria to distract and kill the buyer while I planted the bomb. Taking out his crew was like doing target practice - no challenge or thrill. The most entertaining part was watching Simone and her partner rush inside with determination etched all over their faces.
Were they seriously rushing in there to save criminals’ lives?
Simone’s moral compass didn’t make any sense. Why would she be willing to risk her life for someone who thrived on taking them?
Staring at the sea of flames, I guessed I’d never know.
Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away from the burning building and took a few steps back towards the van.
Maria grabbed my arm before I could get far. Should we grab the drone to check for survivors, she signed.
“No,” I replied. “No one could’ve survived that blast.”
She glanced back at the fiery scene before us, squinting her eyes. I don’t know… I think I see something down there.
“What?” I walked back to the edge of the cliff and peeked down at the scene.
Between the smoke coming out of the open door, there was a shadow stumbling through. I lifted the small binoculars hanging from my neck to my eyes to get a better look.
Emerging from through the gray clouds was Simone and her partner. Their arms were around each other’s shoulders as if they were holding the other up. Their grimacing faces were smeared with black char and tiny cuts. Together, they limped as fast as they could out from the wreckage.
A force tugged at the ends of my lips at the sight. This woman really wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Dammit,” Maria swore quietly.
I chuckled. “It’s alright. We’ll get her next time.”
Maria looked up at me. Her eyes lingered on the ghost of a smile on my lips. Rolling her eyes, she rose to her feet and walked back to the van.
I stayed back for a few more moments, watching Simone and her partner move further away from the destruction. They sat down on the ground, their chests unevenly heaving up and down.
A shiver ran down Simone’s spine, and she quickly looked around. Like she could feel me watching. Like she knew I was still out here.
I stepped away from the cliff so she wouldn’t know she was right.
I had to give her some credit for earning yet another point on the scoreboard. Surviving three rounds was no easy feat. I wondered how many more she had in her. Conceding didn’t seem like it was in her vocabulary.
And that meant our game wouldn’t be ending anytime soon.