Five - No Words

The Cafeteria

Jordan gathered everyone in the hospital cafeteria. After more hugs and tearful exchanges there was a quiet moment. "I am leaving for Indonesia. I will be going alone."

There were many objections from the ones gathered. The noise level of the commotion was too loud and others looked on. "Calm down, please." Jordan pleaded. "This is not the place to raise your voices."

"Jordan, Honey, we all love you and we want you to be safe." Dana reached out to her daughter. "Come home with us, please!"

The Unlikely Assassin rose. "I go home and I am safe. That is correct. But when I do that thousands of people are not safe and every night I go to sleep I know others are suffering."

"You can not help everyone, Kiddo." Allyson looked at the determined woman.

"Ally, you know I know that. I know I can not help everyone but I can help many people who are suffering right now." Jordan sat but continued. "Mom, Dad...Ally. Go home and really understand why I do what I do."

"Honey, you were shot!" Dana cried out.

"Yes, Mom I was shot by a man who has enslaved thousands over the years. Killed God knows how many and almost starved Wing and Yue to death. There are thousands of owners like that man. And everyone we put out of business we save more and more people from that life of pain!" Jordan pulled her two friends close.

"Put out of business?" Brad questioned his daughter. "You mean kill. Don't you?"

Jordan frowned, "some have given their lives. I do not simply kill people for being users of humans. I offer them alternatives to the way they do business. I challenge them as human beings to chose a new path."

Wing decided to take a moment to add her knowledge. "My sister was taken at an early age...she was used and raped. She escaped and became a member of the People. I am ready to change the world with Jordan even if giving my life is needed."

"Wing, Yue. The two of you are young, get married and enjoy life!" Dana suggested. "There are governments fighting this fight!"

"Look at our government! Thousands are sucked into a life of suffering in our backyard! Do you see the government stopping it?" Jordan looked at her mother to explain. "Change is made by people who are passionate. Who care for those who are suffering...and those willing to sacrifice for a brighter future."

Jordan shook her head. "There are hundreds of us now. Soon there will be thousands. Then millions. And eventually I will no longer be needed."

"Or dead." Dana stared at her only daughter.

"Why is my life any more important than anyone else's life, Mom? I love you! Now imagine another mother dealing with a child that was forced into working for scraps, or in the sex trade. Any person taken from living a life of their choosing. Now tell me am I worth anymore to the world than those souls?" Jordan stopped as everyone was getting the message.

Dana made her way to her child and held her arms out. The two embraced as the mother spoke. "You are all worthy of living free. Now go and be who you were meant to be, Kiddo. I will never question your motives again." The mother of the Unlikely Assassin sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "It is time to say goodbye Brad. Ally, come on. The world awaits these ladies!"

"You are amazing, Mom!" Jordan pulled her mother close.

"Now to keep your crazy father safe, he went to Big Elbow." Dana looked at Allyson. "He is the one we should be worried about. He's getting too old for this fight." Allyson nodded in agreement.

"What did you say, Mom?" Jordan frowned.

"Jimmy's getting too old for this." Dana shrugged.

"Before that! Dad's at Big Elbow?" Jordan's tone took a left turn. "That old man is in Big Elbow?"

"What is it, Honey?" Dana tried to hold her daughter back.

"Go home, I will call you when I get back." Jordan was quick. "Wing? Yue? There's unfinished business at Big Elbow!"

The three women ran for the exit leaving Jordan's parents standing in the cafeteria. "I think Jimmy's in trouble." Allyson grabbed Dana.

"Yeah, Jordan is going to kill him!" Dana looked at Brad and Allyson. "I mean Jordan is far more difficult than any owner of a sweat shop."

Big Elbow

Jordan, Wing and Yue watched as bus after bus exited the compound just past 5:00pm. They were in time to witness the last of the 600 workers rushing for the last two buses. The factory had the floor of the first level completed with a helicopter now on it.

"There is something off here. Wing, Yue check the lodgings." Jordan directed her team.

Jordan headed to the house where she was shot. All was quiet until Diah ran from the house. "Fadhlan is loose!" She tripped looking at Jordan. "Jordan? Don't go in there! He is crazy!"

"Get to the lodgings, Wing and Yue are here. I will take care of Fadhlan." Jordan stared at the door.

"He is armed to the teeth, Jordan! Be careful." Diah got up and ran for her life. As she entered one of the lodgings she yelled. "Wing...Yue! Wing!"

Yue came running to the entrance. "I'm Yue, who are you?"

"The newest member of the team! Jimmy and Windy brought me in." Diah shook her head. "Whatever, Jordan's going into the house! Fadhlan is crazy! I just got out of there alive!"

Yue grabbed Diah. "Get used to it, people are not happy when we show up. I guess that's why I am here."

"What are you? A nurse?" Diah watched Yue roll her eyes. "What?"

"I am in my last year of medical school." Yue began looking for Wing. "Wing? Where are you? Crazy girl with me! Wing!"

"Funny!" Diah laughed sarcastically. "Jordan's going to need help! Come on!"

"Wing!" Yue stopped yelling for her friend.

Wing was on the landing of the stairs looking at the house across the compound. Yue and Diah ran up the steps to join Wing at the small window. The lights were on and Jordan could be seen walking deeper into the house.

"She's going towards the office. That's not a good move, Jordan. He is a crazy man with guns!" Diah yelled and began down the stairs. "Come on team!" She looked back at the two.

"Jordan told us to come to the lodgings for a reason." Wing explained. "She is the leader."

"Fearless." Yue added.

"Passionate." Wing chimed.

"Compassionate." Yue smiled.

"Meticulous." Wing rolled her eyes.

"So you see, Diah. Jordan would not have walked into the house without knowing what she was going to do." Yue motioned for Diah to come back to the window.

"But Jordan also prepares for the other person and it is as if the chess match is played out in her mind before it begins." Wing looked the newest team member in her eyes. "We trust Jordan to do what is right for everyone and not just for herself. So watch with us and believe."

The Office

Jordan stepped into the office when Fadhlan was on the phone with the President. "He was here with his hacker! They took almost all my money and gave it to my workers! Do you hear me? To my workers!" He sucked hard on a cigar. "I am ruined and I blame you!"

Fadhlan listened to the President speak then began to yell again. "What? I paid you a lot of money to turn away. I came to the forest so you could deny knowing we were still here. I need start up money and workers!" He waited for the President.

The words the President spoke must have been profound to quiet Fadhlan. There was an expression of defeat on his face. Jordan stepped into the office and he raised his gaze. He scrambled backwards in his chair.

"You're dead, I killed you! The medics said you were dead!" Fadhlan pointed as he yelled.

"Thank you, Fadhlan. Now no one will be looking for me." Jordan smiled and took a seat as she slipped a Glock from the back of her jeans. "Oh, there is one in the chamber and the hammer is ready."

Fadhlan knew his time was up. His empire had just crashed. His money was gone. There was no safety net for him. He drew in deep on the cigar and just stared at the Unlikely Assassin.

"I never would have suspected you being an assassin. You are far too scrawny...short...and a wo..." Fadhlan was interupted by Jordan.

"I know you are at the end of your life. But I am giving you this little time to explain why you did what you have done for most of my life. For eighteen years you have been destroying lives. For the love of God do not finish that word." Jordan raised an eyebrow. "Tell me why. Tell me what you gained in the eighteen years that made it all worth it."

Fadhlan pressed his lips together, rolled his eyes and began. "I was twenty-one, I graduated with my engineering degree. We were legit, a hundred employees, profits then 911 and shit hit the fan. Our profits tanked and we had to get tough to survive. So we did. The profits returned. For fifteen years I live like a king. I have a wife and nine mistresses!" The man laughed.

"Children? Any dependents?" Jordan cracked her neck. "Anyone really love you?"

"Love?! What would a killer know about love?" Fadhlan sneered as he drew on the cigar. "I love them all. My children adore me. They will cry at my funeral like I was their king!"

"They will be crying...for food, clothing and clean water. And when they want a better life, I will bring them all to the fucking pit! Do you not get it? Your happiness is over, your family, their happiness is gone, your mistresses you say you love...come to that same pit you have killed so many! Dog!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Fadhlan jumped up.

"Now imagine all the fathers of everyone you made slave for you! Imagine what they want to do to you!" Jordan stood toe to toe defending the families.

"I paid everyone! Everyone!" Fadhlan slammed the desk. "I fed them."

"Don't make me laugh! Your slaves were skin and bones! They had no money until my father and his friend came and gave them what was rightfully theirs!" Jordan guessed by the way Fadhlan was speaking on the phone.

"Thieves! Empty my bank account and destroyed everything I worked so hard for!" Jordan interupted Fadhlan.

"Everything you worked for? Are you delusional? Look around! Have you ever walked through those lodging? Damn it! You destroyed the lives of everyone who worked under your iron fist! You worked for your own luxury. Hungry for power, control and money. And you were able to hang onto all of that until today." Jordan was face to face exchanging verbal blows.

"I would do it ll again, you little bi..." Fadhlan was quieted by the Glock pressed into his cheek.

"I dare you to finish that word. Do it and join all the people you worked into the grave! Do it and test my resolve!" Jordan tempted the owner.

"Bitc.." Fadhlan called her on it and Jordan pulled the trigger. The man fell to his knees then collapsed to the floor.

"Self defense, Dog!" Jordan stuffed the Glock into the back of her jeans and walked outside.

Night had fallen and the three women watching from the lodgings witnessed the Unlikely Assassin step down from the house porch. The ran down the stairs to greet their leader. As they were crossing the compound another figure exited the house.

An automatic weapon was fired and Jordan stopped and turned. Diah yelled at the woman, "Amanda, noooooo!"

It was too late, Jordan had turned and fired. The bullet entered Amanda's forehead. It exited the back of her blowing out a six inch hole and a sad story of being used and using others came to an end that night.

Jordan was not happy as she turned the three women enveloped her. The women could sense Jordan was having difficulty dealing with her actions. There were only two words spoken by the leader. "Torch it!"

The four women walked down the road with a red halo of the fire at their backs. There will be more clashes with more owners and human traders. The Unlikely Assassin was hardened by this experience and even more focused on eliminating the users and abuser of humans.