Valerie's POV

We climbed down the stairs and moved towards the front door. Stepping outside we were greeted with a cold breeze, the petrichor evident in it. It was about to rain soon and we were drenched in blood.

I turned around and latched the door behind me. We stood next to the door and rubbed our boots on the ground to remove the blood from them and waited for him. There was silence, but one could feel the nervous vibes from Ollie by standing beside him. I remained shush. Knowing him, he would speak up sooner or later.

"Hey, are you certain he will take care of it?" Ollie asked me, concerned. I faced him and put on a neutral expression "Dude we're all assassins. Don't think low of anyone. Of course, he will take care of it." I replied.

"I'm not thinking low of anyone. It's just I'm concerned. It's his last rookie mission afterall. What if he panicks?"

"Don't be. You know him better."

The alley was in silence again. A comfortable one this time. I leaned back on the wall; one foot on the wall and other on the ground, arms crossed and eyes shut. My wounds have started to itch, my blood drying over my skin.

After a few seconds, I heard rapid footsteps. I opened my eyes and looked to my left. In the dark shadows of the alley you could see the silhouette of a youngster coming closer to us. We stayed put knowing it was him. He then stopped running and trudged towards where we stood and came face to face.

"Hey there baby boy" Ollie said to Ralph; a thirteen year old ,C-rank assassin. He had black hair and black-brown eyes with a knife in his hand.

We both turned to Ollie with a disgusted expression on our faces. "Seriously, you come up with the worst nicknames." we both said together. He put his hands up in surrender.

"So you were running, is there something we need to take care of?" I asked Ralph.

"Certainly. While I was finishing off what you left, I came across a witness. Because I was killing I couldn't take care of him so I've put a tracker on him. Besides that is your duty to silence witnesses."

"Any idea how far he would've gotten?"

"Considering his built, not far. But I would advice you to hurry. "

He handed me the tracking device. I turned towards Ollie with pleading eyes but he shakes his head in a no. I growled under my breath and left my spot.

I don't like killing witnesses, they're innocents but we have to kill them to make sure there are no evidences of our being. My hands falter to kill innocents, I take much more time to kill them than those low level beings. Ollie knows about this, actually our whole group knows about this but they all say that I'll have to overcome  this weakness of mine.

After turning a few corners, I see a man standing there with his back facing me. He was leaning against the wall breathing heavily. He was bulky and seemed middle aged. I looked at the tracker in my hands. It was him.

I walked up to him, my boots making crunching sounds against the concrete ground. I halted inches behind him. He looked back at where I stood. His eyes widened , shock spreading through his body after taking in my appearance. I don't blame him. It's not everyday you see a person walking around with weapons and covered in blood.

He tried to run away but I caught him by his neck from behind and slammed him into the wall. I dragged him down to the floor in a sitting position. I myself crouched down behind him.

"What are you gonna do to me?!? "He asked me, terrified. I didn't reply. He moved his hands frantically trying to remove my hold on him. "Let me go!! Please! I won't tell anyone!!" He pleaded to me. I hung my head down, curled my free hand into a fist and gritted my teeth. "Keep quiet." I ordered in a low, commanding voice. He complied in an instant, but still whimpered.

I don't wanna do this. For a second the thought of letting him go came across my head, but I knew better than letting him off. If I let him go, she won't leave me alive. Call me selfish but I have no choice.

I took a deep breath, uncurled my fisted hand and used it to turn him around, my grip on his neck never leaving. I raised my head and looked at him. He was crying, his eyes held absolute fear; fear of losing his life. My eyes turned moist by the sight in front of me, but I refused to let tears form.

It was all quiet. The only sound that could be heard were his low whimpers and my heavy breathing. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned my head a little to confirm if it was Ollie or not. Indeed it was Ollie. "Do it. The longer you take, the harder it gets." He told me, in a surprisingly calm voice. "Besides we're on a schedule here." He added. I don't wish to respond to him. He could've easily done it but he is making me do it.

I took a deep breath again. I pulled my hood down hoping that the cold breeze would calm my throbbing head. I then unlatched my hand from the witness's throat and moved it upwards to cover his mouth tightly. From my free hand I took out my katana from my back. The witness started squirming under my grip and let out muffled screams.

"You're gonna use your katana for this?" Ollie asked me confused. "I always use my katana for this." I replied in a monotonous tone. I raised my sword and brought it near that man's chest. My hands started to shake so I gripped my katana tightly.

I have to do this.

I locked eyes with the man and looked him dead in the eye. "My apologies sir. But you were in the wrong place...." I started. My voice cracked a bit as I spoke. ".....At the wrong time." I completed myself.

Then, it took everything in me to thrust the sword through his heart. I closed my eyes, refusing to see what I had done. I felt slipperiness on my glove covered hand that was keeping that man's screams muffled and also wetness on my face. After a second or two everything was quiet and his body went limp. I retrieved my katana from his body, still not opening my eyes.

* plip * * plop*

Drops of blood fell from my katana. I removed my hand from his mouth and brought it in front of me. I opened my eyes and looked at my hand. There was blood on my hand. An innocent's blood. I looked over at that man's dead corpse. Blood was seeping through his clothes and slowly yet gradually forming a pool on the ground. I gulped hard, swallowing the lump in my throat. I averted my gaze from the sight in front of me.

I tried standing up but it felt like all my energy had been drained away. I forcibly stood up but fell on my knees instead. "Are you okay?!" Ollie asked me putting one hand on my shoulder. I swatted his hand away. I hanged my head down in shame at the sight in front of me. I joined my hands together and said ,"Rest in peace." to the man's corpse.

I didn't get up this time. I didn't wanna go. This happens every time I've to kill an innocent. I cannot move. I hate myself so much.

A minute had passed but it felt like an eternity.

"I can tell you five things better than hanging around a dead body. No. You know what? Ten. No. Twenty. Thirt-"

"Are you gonna increase the number until I get up?"

"Yes."

I was not in the right state of mind to fight with Ollie. If I was, he would be dead meat by now. I put one hand on the wall beside me and pushed myself up in a standing position. My legs wobbled underneath me. Ollie rushed by me and put his arm on my waist to steady me. I was so mad at him right now for making me do this murder. "Remove your hand this instant or I will rip it off and beat you to death with it." I warned him in a seething tone. He promptly removed his hand and stood a little away from me.

We started walking in the shadows back to our flat, careful not to be seen by anyone. I was still a little uneasy but I ignored it. It was quiet, except for the sound of our boots on the concrete and on water once in a while. Ollie has been trying to converse with me in a minute's gap but I'm ignoring him. I'm still angry.

The missions where there are no witnesses are the best. Not just for me but for all of us. We maybe assassins but we still do feel bad for killing innocents. I think it hits me a lot more than anyone else because of my past.

"I sent Ralphy boy back to the agency and took the tracker back from that man's body as well after you went." He said yet again in an attempt to start a conversation, but I ignored. I heard him sigh behind me.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

No response

"I'm trying to have a conversation with you!"

"And if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to subtly avoid it , you bloody tosser!!" I replied turning back to him and raising my voice a little.

He sighed again. "How long are you gonna be mad at me?"

"I can remain mad at you for the rest of my existence for what you did."

"Oh no you canno-"

"And let me tell you, that is highly possible. "

"........ Why are you suddenly glaring at me so hard?"

"I'm hoping you'll spontaneously combust"

"You've been watching too many movies lately. Well, I don't know about spontaneously combusting but I might get buried six feet under right here if you don't stop glaring at me like that."

"That won't be bad either.........."

"Stop it"

"......"

"I said STOP!!!!"

"......"

"Oh God I can't, I'm going."

With that he walked away from where I stood. I walked behind him, at least 5 meters separation between us. Now I feel better that my anger is somewhat vented out.

                       Ralph Everett

                 Blood On My Sword
                     ' Assassin Angel '

Date published - 8th May 2020
Number of words - 1810
Image credit -: respective artist
Image source -: Pinterest