Chapter 1

 

Riley Falls POV:

 

My legs were chained to the floor of the vehicle. Three men with ghostly lit faces, from a single overhead light, sit on a metal bench across from me. Weapons trained on me. No one speaks. Another two armed men sit at the front beside the driver. They are separated from me, by what I know is bullet proof glass.

 

"Where are you taking me?"

 

"You are to remain silent,” the middle one says. He has the face of a drill sergeant, leathery skin, deeply etched lines cut in from years of barking commands. Like his partners he wears a flak jacket.

 

“May I have a cigarette?”

 

“No,” he says

 

The men, for all their plans, have not come as prepared as I had hoped. They are seated close together and have separate weapons. They could kill me before I could take out all of them. My eyes dart from the commander to the young one.

 

Weakest link

 

“I think I deserve to know where I am going “

 

“Shut up! You deserve nothing!” The commander and middle one look startled at the young one.

 

With their guns aimed away from me, they are vulnerable. Suddenly I shoot my legs up, snapping my ankle chains in the process. The middle one reacts quickly by my standards. But he is moving in slow motion compared to a female assassin. As he reaches for his gun my right foot lashes out and my heel crushes his flak jacket.

 

“Should have given me that cigarette”

 

I hear a satisfying crack and the man crumples to the ground.

I snap my handcuffs and reach over to the young one and put his head in between my palms. I twist his head around and hear another crack. I look over to the commander. His lips move. He wants to tell me something. Maybe apologise. I’m not in the mood to listen.

 

“Simulation disconnected”

 

The van shimmers. The faces go out of focus. Instead I see badly beaten up robots. I look up at the window and see my father.

 

“Great ……just what I need”

Chapter 2

 

 

People judge. It's just what we do. If we see a 15 year old girl standing in a park holding a baby girls hand what would be the first thing that came through your mind? When the little girl calls the 15 year old  'mommy' What would you be thinking?

 

When someone is murdered all everyone thinks about is how they died? Who killed them? But the last question to run through their minds is Why?

 

I don't kill people for fun. I don't enjoy killing people. It's just something I have to do.  Because I kill to survive.

 

I bet you don't understand do you? Let me explain.

 

My Mother left me 10 years ago when I was seven. She didn't have a reason for leaving she just...left. My father is the headmaster of our school. He treats me like any other student at Assassin Academy. We learn everything here. From our ABC's to how to create a bomb from scratch. We learn languages and Morse code. And most of all we learn to never let our guard down. Our school isn't stereotypical. We don't have the Jocks and the cheerleaders. We don't have the goths or the nerds.  Were all equal. We all wear the same colour clothes. We all have to look forward to the next day which is basically what you do everyday.

 

Before my mom left me she gave me advice.

 

" The people closest to you will hurt you more than your enemies ". She left after that. I remember seeing her sobbing as she ran. The woods only let me see her for short period of time before she disappeared.

 

" Are you even listening to me?! ". I look up to see my father glaring at me.

 

" Yes sir. ". His eyes softened.

 

" I only want what's best for you Riley. Your over-doing yourself. I don't want you to get hurt.  ".

 

Like you hurt me?

 

" I know sir ". He nodded his head and dismissed me.  My hand touched the door knob as he spoke again.

 

" Will you ever call me dad again? Will you ever...forgive me? ". I closed my eyes. The pictures flashing in my eyes.

 

Blood. Too much blood.

 

I opened my eyes and then the door.

 

" Never. "

 

***

 

" You missed our meeting today , " Casey stated. I stared at my best friend.

 

" I know. I was with the headmaster ". Casey nodded in understanding. Her eyes held no sympathy  and her face held no emotion. I loved that about her. How could she be so impassive yet so understanding?

 

" Is there anything I need to catch up on? ".

 

" No. "

 

" Then I'll see you later ". We both gave a slight nod of our head and split our ways. Both going to our next class.

 

 

Show no emotions. Feel no pain

 

Chapter 3

 The day flew by too fast and before Inknew it I was back in my dorm room tying my hair into a ponytail, getting ready for two hours of hardcore training. I winced when I saw the bruises From yesterday. Here at the academy, bruises weren't always a bad thing. They could mean two things.  It could mean you were strong enough to survive a beating given to you by someone who left bruises. Or it could mean that you were so weak that you have  bruises. 

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Publication Date: 09-22-2015

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