The Assassin
Simone’s voice was the only thing holding me back from setting the entire world on fire. Though low and laced with exhaustion, it was proof she was still alive.
Thankfully, Simone knew approximately how far off she’d gone from the main road. The information made it easier for us to find her.
I sped ten miles over the speed limit and through every red light on the road while Maria prepared medical supplies in the back of the van. Within an hour, we reached the location we’d seen on the news.
The crowds and camera crews were gone. Only the broken vehicle lay untouched on the charred grass. Those bastards didn’t have the decency to move it yet.
I parked the van a few feet down from the explosion site and climbed out of the car. I jogged across the field, over the hill, and towards the shallow grave where Simone lay.
She looked like a corpse under the moonlight, the silver light illuminating the novel paleness and the scratches stretched across her skin.
I almost grimaced at the thick blood pooling beneath her left thigh.
I wondered what kind of person could do this to someone like Simone - and then I remembered not too long ago I was.
Back then, I would’ve grinned at the sight of her like this.
Now, I only wanted to cover her with a blanket and shove her somewhere the rest of the world can’t touch her.
Her half-lidded eyes rose to me as I approached the grave. “You really came?” She whispered, her neck shifting backwards in surprise.
“You didn’t think I would?” I asked, leaning down to gather her in my arms.
Her shoulders started to raise in a shrug. They froze mid-movement as she hissed from the pressure of my arms hooking underneath her knees.
“It’s alright,” I assured as I lifted her up. “I’ve got you.”
Her head weakly leaned against my chest for the entirety of the walk back to the car. With every step, her body lost more and more tension, relaxing in my grasp.
Maria’s eyes lingered on us as she opened the back doors of the van. She subtly shook her head, but continued to flit around to grab the rest of her materials.
As I lay Simone down on the makeshift gurney, Maria pulled on a pair of gloves. She grimaced at the sight of the shrapnel sticking out of Simone’s leg. You might have to hold her down, she signed to me.
Simone watched with a crease between her brows as I stepped near her head and lay my hands on her shoulders. “What are you doing?” She asked.
“Close your eyes,” I demanded.
Her eyes bounced between me and Maria who was setting a hand on her knee and the other on the piece of shrapnel. “Wait, you guys don’t have anything to numb me with first?”
“No time,” I replied.
The crease between Simone’s brows deepened as she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain.
Maria didn’t bother doing a count to prepare for the removal. She quickly yanked the piece out.
Simone let out a small scream, her nose scrunching up from the discomfort.
Blood immediately seeped from the open wound, squirting out like a fountain waterfall.
Maria grabbed a warm, wet towel she already had prepped and pressed it against the wound. “Drive,” she spoke since her hands were busy. “I’ve got her.”
“But-”
The next look she shot me was sharper than a knife. “Go,” she snapped, the jagged edges of her voice more visible at the louder volume.
Reluctantly, I left the two of them alone in the back and walked back up to the driver’s seat. I kept one eye on the road and the other on the rearview mirror, sneaking peeks at Maria’s progress on Simone’s leg.
My partner was surprisingly gentle with Simone. She gave Simone a towel to bite whenever the pain was too much, and she offered apologetic glances every time Simone winced.
I almost didn’t know what to expect when I brought the two of them together, but seeing them like this gave me hope they could be friends someday.
By the time we arrived at the closest safe house, Maria had cleaned, stitched and bandaged Simone’s leg wound.
“Thank you,” I heard Simone say as I climbed into the back.
Maria replied with a nod. Turning to me, she started to sign. The other injuries are minor. She got off lucky. This could’ve been much worse.
“I know,” I said. “For some reason, she just won’t die.”
With a roll of her eyes, Simone started pushing herself up. A grimace formed on her face from the little bit of strength the movement took.
“Uh-uh,” I told her, moving closer to scoop her back up. “You can’t push yourself. Your body has been through enough.”
“But I’m fine,” she insisted.
“That’s the adrenaline lingering in your veins. Relax a little and see how you feel then.”
Simone’s plush lips pulled into a pout, but she didn’t fuss. She let me carry her up to the apartment and into the bathroom.
I set her atop the closed toilet seat before moving to the tub to run some hot water. The trickling of the water filled the silence between us as I peeled Simone’s dirty clothes off of her.
Once the bath was ready, I sat her on the edge of the bathtub and set her feet in the water.
She silently watched me as I washed the rest of the grim off of her, the crease between her brows slowly returning.
Simone’s gaze only tore away from me when Maria knocked at the door, a pile of towels topped with fresh undergarments and pajamas in her hands.
Maria gave Simone the tiniest of smiles as she set the pile down atop the toilet like a peace offering.
Simone didn’t return the smile. She only stared as Maria turned on her heel and walked back down the hall.
“Why are you two being so kind to me?” She finally asked the question that’s clearly been on her mind.
I looked away from the spot I was cleaning and up at her face. Her dark brown eyes were riddled with confusion, glowing with questions under the fluorescent lights. “Who did this to you?” I countered.
Her eyes lowered as she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
I grasped her chin and pulled her face back up. “It matters to me.”
Moisture formed in her eyes as they flicked between mine, searching for a reason to put her faith in me. “My godfather,” she whispered after a long moment. “I…I found out that he…he’s a corrupt man.”
“How corrupt?”
“Corrupt enough to kill his best friend in cold blood and lie to his goddaughter about it.”
“Oh shit,” I muttered. “I’m sorry.”
“He’s not the only one who covered it up.
Apparently there’s a good chunk of the agency that’s laying in bed with criminals.
God only knows what other shit they’ve done.
Or how many other innocent people they’ve killed.
And because I found out…because he knew I wasn’t going to keep my mouth shut, he killed me.
” She blinked and the tears she’d been holding back rolled down her cheeks.
“I’ll never see my sister or my friends again… will I?”
“Not if you want to stay dead.”
Nodding, she averted her gaze. Her eyes glossed over as she stared at the wall across from her, no doubt struggling to process the weight of consequences she didn’t deserve.
“If you don’t…if you want to return to your old life, I’ll take care of him - and anyone else who puts a target on your back.”
“No,” she said, her eyes returning to me. The solemnity was gone, replaced by the fire that’d drawn me to her in the first place. This time her flames were hotter, wilder, and hell-bent on destroying everything in their path. “I’m going to kill him.”