What do you think of the new cover? Made by @fractional . She's pretty chill.  Follow her. 

Just a brief notice, there won’t be much humour for the next while and things will start to get serious and dark. 

Yeah…Not in the mood to be happy…

NOT EDITED. You’ve been warned.

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Annoyance balled up in my chest.  “Why the fuck do you show up everywhere?”

His eyes twinkled and he leaned back in the stool, arms open.  “Coincidence?” 

I darkened my gaze.  “Doubt that.”  My nails grazed the counter, an itch building.  Did The Council expect me to seduce North America’s deadliest gang leader?  Just thinking of that was punch to the stomach.  Levi’s taunting voice entered my ears. 

Can’t handle the heat, darling?  I knew you weren’t ready.  My fingers crunched tightly, enclosed into a fist.  About to swing a new line towards Romane, his chuckle caught me off guard. 

“Wildcat.” 

I cracked my head to the side.  “Stop calling me that.”

Another deep chuckle shook from his shoulders.  “You know—For a Sniper, you have terrible aim.”

Wrinkles of confusion creased along my forehead.  A smirk toyed at his lips, and he nodded to something behind him.  Glimpsing over, the confidence exploded in my face.  He was blond haired, sitting five barstools down.  Wearing a similar red collared shirt, sleeves rolled, I stared with stupidity, left dry of a response to this discovery. 

Romane laughed this time.  “If Levi is teaching you how to attack the wrong target, you really should have joined Eagle’s Eye.”

I ripped my gaze off and coldly glared.  “I will never join your hell hole.” 

He wagered a finger, clucking his tongue.  “Nuh uh.  How would you know I live in a hell hole?  Because your owner Levi told you right?”  Left speechless yet again, he seemed satisfied by that and continued, “You have no proof I’m the bad guy here.  They’ve told you nothing.”  The certainty in his tone brought out my guilty look, using silence to admit the truth. 

He rose from his seat and tossed the bartender a bill.  He gave one last burning look and said, “It’s sickening how you can judge someone before you’ve even met them.  Don’t you see?  They’ve been feeding you lies, wildcat.”

Turning on his heel, he vanished into the crowd and left me with the empty beer bottle and shaking champagne glass wrapped around my fingers.  His comment made my body go rigid.  Was he telling the truth?  Had I been trusting the wrong people?  Was everything the Snipers told me…a lie?  But why?  What was the motive for that?  My mind was crammed with spilling thoughts and I held my head into my hands. 

“Oh god…”  I shot down the rest of the alcohol. 

I was unsure how long I sat there.  My mind was swimming in a pool of thoughts and possible lies and I wasn’t sure who I was—why I was here—who to believe—what was the truth.  Everything vaporised into a blank image.  I couldn’t function.  Sore confusion vacuumed my conscious right out.  Never had I ever been so confused, so stressed, so… lost.   

Words.  A human’s greatest weapon.  They could kill a human with a single syllable.  They could bring a human back to life, they could fix any broken heart.  They could break hearts.  They could push excruciating pain to the mind when knowing which buttons to press. 

I didn’t think it would be possible for Romane to say such simple words to twist my world.  But he turned it right upside down and inside out.  Surfacing thoughts I buried, thinking I could trust The Snipers. 

Or perhaps I was getting wound up for nothing.  

A quick movement popped me out of the clouds.  The bartender slid me another shot, a small slip of paper underneath.  I read it.  The fuck do you think you’re doing?  Get going.

Vamp.  I crumpled the paper and glanced at my blond target.  Get him into private room five.  Levi and I will end it there.  Now wasn’t the time to dawdle and ponder irrelevant theories.  I gunned down my final drink and smashed it on the counter.  Showtime.  Sliding off the stool, I slithered my way closer until I was beside him. 

His sleeves were rolled straight to his propped elbows.  I noted the loose tie hanging off his neck, it dipping into the ice cubed drink. 

“Rough day?” I observed.  He didn’t bother answering and sipped at the alcohol.  I traced a lingering finger up his arm.  He sighed and turned, “Look, I’m not—” He stiffened and travelled a longing gaze across my body. 

I grinned and removed his tie from the glass, pulling him closer.  His Adam’s apple dropped.  “Oh god…”

“Is there a problem?” I asked lowly.  

His eyes wandered to my red glossy lips.  “N—no…”  His innocence fuelled the abrupt hunger in my body.  I fed at his vulnerability and drew his lips to mine.  I raked desirable hands on his torso and felt his muscles relax. 

Taunting a light feather kiss, he slipped a whimper.  I spoke under a hush whisper, “Let’s try this again.  Having a rough day?” 

His arms clung to my waist, trickling to my bottom.  “Not anymore,” he answered.

I giggled and hooked him by his tie, dragging his hear to my mouth.  I let out a string of sweet dirty nothings, sensing him melt into a pool of bliss.  Experts say particular voices trigger the pleasurable part of the human, easing the stress off.  I peeled his layers of stress with my words and soon had a thick bulge pressed against my hip.  “…Take me…What are you waiting for?” I whispered.  I lifted my thigh, brushing over his clothed flesh. 

He wheezed and quickly slurred, “I want you to meet my little friends.” 

I hummed.  “Oh baby, all night long.”

A strained groan puffed past his lips.  I released his tie and stood waiting for him to toss coins at the bartender.  I bit my lip and he stumbled, my arms catching him.  “How much have you drank?” I laughed. 

His face was painted a rich shade of red.  “Enough to believe a sexy goddess like you has flew into my bed”—he hiccupped—“I mean, life.” 

I made another laugh and even hiccupped myself.  The hot alcohol churn buzzed in my stomach.  He guided me towards the private rooms.  Taking my hand, I glimpsed up to find Vamp and Levi gone.  Pleased they’ve started moving, I stirred my direction back to my victim. 

“Hurry,” I spoke in a rasp tone.  He started shoving people, beginning to hustle.  He guided me down the stairs, towards the first room available, but I pretended tripping, jerking him past the door to the fifth one.  “C’mon,” I giggled and heaved him in.  With a ground shaking crash, he locked the door and clutched my waist, forcing our eyes to fasten.

He dropped a low groan.  Suddenly I watched his expression turn from lust to something wicked. A sea of green swarmed his eyes, filling darkness into the orbs.  His grip tightened and my breath hitched.  “It’s time for you to see my little friends.”

Aware he meant something else, I panicked and tried wiggling out but his nails only dug harder.  Footsteps thumped behind us.  He spun me to face several men revealing themselves from the closet, the bathroom, the closet full of stag shop inventory and by the dresser.  My heart slammed onto my chest, knocking my breath out. 

“Let’s try this again,” he murmured hotly.  “You’re going to please my little friends.” 

Fear iced my lungs.  I started thrashing my arms and legs, failing to escape.  His chest vibrated in chuckles, dispersing into snickers.  “The friction isn’t helping you.”

I gulped and tried jabbing my knee up his crotch, but his hand caught it.  Distracted, I flung my elbow to his temple and he hissed, staggering sideways.  I made a break for the door except strong arms grasped my hips, throwing me to the ground.  I scrambled back, the men starting to confine me into the wall.  “Levi!” I screamed. 

One of them reached for my leg and I kicked under his chin, hearing a nauseating crack as his head snapped.  He hit the floor cold, stopping the men in their feet.  I dove forward, nabbing the gun from his pants. 

Rolling, I pounced at the door knob and was startled to see it crushed.  I crazily rattled it, unable to turn.  I smacked my hand on the wooden barrier.  “Vamp!” I yelled. 

I whipped around and a fist clubbed my nose.  My head slammed into the door and I yelped, crumpling to my knees.  The pain doubled when a shoe connected to my ribs.  Throwing a curse, they lifted me from my dress, bringing his revolting grin to my face. 

I stared into the once vulnerable being, his eyes radiating the wicked darkness that sent my hairs sticking up.

I swallowed a whimper.  “What do you want from me?”

He ripped out his pistol and tapped it on his chin.  He wandered his gaze to the ceiling before joining mine.  “Three things.  First, I want to take your virginity and hear you screaming my name.”  My eyes widened.  “What?  After all that taunting, you surely don’t think I’ll leave myself sexually frustrated.”  He tapped the barrel on my lip.  “You have a dirty mouth, baby.  And I’d love to see that on some certain places.” 

I gasped and wrenched off but he clutched a fistful of my dress, the roughness making me squeak.  “And then, after that, I’m going to complete an errand for my master.  And take what’s”—his gaze yearned onto my arm—“rightfully his.”

My knees were weak with confusion and terror, and I only shook my head, not wanting to believe such nonsense.  “Do you know what I’m talking about, Jessie?  Do you know what my master wants?”  I kept shaking my head, refusing to look at him. 

He groped my shoulders, shoving me on the wall again.  “I’m starting to wonder why he said you’d be hard to catch.  Apparently you’re supposed to be smart, but clearly you’re proving otherwise.” 

I stopped shaking and searched his features for the answer.  What did this stranger want?  I couldn’t—my blood turned cold.  The gun slumped out of my hand.  “You want—”

“Your drug, baby girl,” he finished.  He talked as if he was ticking off a grocery list, “and then after we extract it, we’ll take you into the police and get the reward for bringing in the ‘mutant’.”  He flicked the barrel off my chin.  “Surely you know you’re still wanted all over Hong Kong.”

“How could I forget?” I drawled, discovering my voice. 

Lust sparked in his eyes again.  “Feisty.  At’a girl.”  I despised it when everyone was possessive in my presence.  Everyone wanted to take control when I couldn’t even take control of myself.  “I think I’m gonna like fuckking you,” he smiled. 

I instantly flew my hands up, knocking his away.  I drove a heel to his chest and scooped up the gun I dropped, making a break for the closet.  A bullet swept past my ear, another missing my ankle. 

I barrelled into the closet, shut the door behind, and hauled some boxes to hold it.  Handcuffs and whips fell to my feet as the boxes shook going up.  The pile was taller than me until the door violently shook. 

I jumped at the sudden push and didn’t stop after he sneered, “You seriously think locking yourself in a closet was a good idea?” 

I remained quiet, and scrambled to scavenge more boxes but saw they were all used.  “Screw off!” I shouted. 

They laughed harder.  “We can easily break this door.  Brace yourself, baby.” 

My clammy hands trembled and I inspected the walk-in closet.  Flashy dresses and scarves were hanged, the maid and police costumes crowding me.  The door jerked forward, almost knocking the boxes.  I nearly screamed and struggled to keep the door closed.  “Just open it, baby doll,” he cackled, banging his boot on the wood. 

Frantic, I pushed the dresses to the side and aimed the gun at the blank wall.  I ripped off my shoes, putting on studded cop boots.  “We’re c’mon for you.”  I pulled the trigger at rapid speeds, firing a large circle shape.  The top box toppled over, hitting my shoulder.  I increased my speed, concentrating.  The second box collapsed.  The third.  The door creaked at the constant kicking. 

Sucking in a deep breath, I lifted my body off the wobbling boxes and sent my foot straight into the wall.  The circle collapsed forward and I ducked going in, jumping through the next room. 

Barely any light illuminated the large room, pipes driving from different directions.  I heard the rest of the boxes tumble and dashed to the farthest part of the room, checking for any doors.  

I silenced my heavy breathes once thunderous footsteps paraded into the echoed boiling room.  Liquid dripped on my shoulder.  This must have been where they filtered the water. 

“Can’t hide forever,” a man sang. 

I gripped the gun and kept low by the water tank.  Doors were nowhere in sight, and the closet entrance was blocked.  Only rows of water tanks and pipes filled the dim area.  My ears perked to hear them approach and I slowly crept out of the radar.  I hunted for the door from all angles and glanced at the ceiling.

There had to be—my gaze stopped right beside the vent.  A latch was dangling, the entrance to the next floor on the ceiling.  Made sense: The private rooms were underground. 

I tried looking for a ladder but flinched at a crack.  One of his men broke the wooden ladder on the other side of the water tank. 

“Like I said, baby. Can’t hide forever.” 

My heart beat quickened.  I squatted behind another water tank, the distance closing between us.  They loaded their guns.  Mine quivered in my hands.  I racked my brain for a solution, how could I get up there? 

The clock was ticking and I felt him right around the tank.  His gun peeked at the corner of my eye.  Immediately I had an idea.  I shot at the other water tank on the other side of the room, and froze at the click.  No more bullets.  Shit. 

One of his men placed a gun at my throat.  Two armed men stood on both of his sides.  “Jason!  I have your treat.”  His leader chuckled on the opposite end of the room.   “Unlucky, baby.  Get on your damn feet,” he continued while Jason made his way.  My stomach squeezed at his growing smile once I slowly crouched up. 

My hands skimming my thigh, I felt a cold metal, and suddenly whipped out the 212 and fired.  I was sent back by the abrupt force, the three men hit at the same time.  I didn’t get a chance to register the logic of that and scrambled to round the corner. 

I peered over another water tank to see Jason reach the three dead men, growling as he kicked the lifeless body. 

He grabbed his closest man and smacked his temple.  “How the hell did you allow her to shoot three of our men?” 

I glanced at my gun barrel and frowned to see only one bullet hole.  How…

“Find her!  I want her alive,” Jason demanded, breaking his arms for the others to divide. 

I wiped the sweat off my brow and shut my eyes.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.  This was harder now that the drug wasn’t effective.  Hell, I sort of wished the darkness could swallow me so I wouldn’t have to battle the anxiety. 

Breathe in.  Breathe out.  My left arm itched.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.  I counted, “One…”  Breathe.  “Two.”  Breathe.  “Three.”  I gunned down the water tank in front.  Water exploded out of three holes.  The exact force had me stumble in surprise.  It was like once the bullet shot out, it came—

Gunshots were flying and as soon as I dove, water came up my nose.  Their bullets penetrated other tanks, water now spilling like crazy.  I flipped over and started firing, nailing one in the thigh. 

Pushing myself up, I used a water tank as coverage and quickly climbed a pipe.  The water was jetting faster, it now at ankle height.  I glimpsed as I saw the exit was now on opposite end of the room.  About fifteen men were scurrying all over the place, guns ready and feet rushing. 

I scaled the pipes higher and jumped onto the water tank.  The loud crash had their heads fly up, and I kept hopping, closer to the exit. 

“There she is!”  I saw a gun aim and jumped off the tank, the bullet hitting where I was seconds ago.  In an aisle with three men, one slammed my wrist into a pipe and I yelped, the gun plummeting into the water.  Heat flamed within my chest.  I felt my eyes change colour and the hot fluid stir my blood.  I snapped my head to the man holding my wrist. 

I made an inhumane growl and my other hand clubbed his neck.  He freed my wrist and I pulled an upper cut, his chin cracking back.  Unlike in the movies, the men never waited their turn to get a punch into you; they attacked together.  The two made a lunge and I shovelled my gun out of the water in time to peg bullets into their hearts with one trigger. 

Expecting the force, I didn’t stumble and started running.  As I passed the hole I made earlier, more men started piling in.  Who was this man working for?  Someone swung their gun around the corner and I bent back, sliding under with my knees.  Skidding up, I turned around and fired. 

The water was at knee level and slowed my propelling legs.  I neared the pipes above the latch, but found three men standing there.  I sloshed closer, and shot at the closest target. 

And then I saw it.  The bullet flew out the barrel, undid layers and split into three different bullets, entering the flesh of three bodies, spiralling like a drill.  Suddenly, it made a certain distance and retracted back, spiralling backwards, right into the barrel of the gun. 

I didn’t understand how that happened or how I managed to see that, but didn’t take the time and shoved past the dead bodies.  Adrenaline was too hot in my system to stop. 

I grasped onto the first pipe and then the next, scaling the tubes as fast as I could.  I placed my toes on another and slipped, grabbing onto the pipe.  In arms length of the latch, I flinched to hear the gunshots begin.  My hands fumbled with the latch and finally the flap opened.  I pushed off the pipe and scrambled onto the next floor.

Not pausing to take a breather, I staggered through the stripper lounge and was tackled from the side.  My gut slammed into the pool table and I was crushed by my attacker.  People screamed, jostling to the door. A single look in those green eyes, I groaned and spat, “Get away!”

Jason smirked and constricted my legs with his knees and arms with his hands.  My darkness somehow connected to my true self and I recalled the female had always ended up on her back in the books I read.  The male outweighed her and she had to determine how to escape this position.  Leverage, brace and twist.  The darkness filled my system again and instantly, I loosened my leg, braced, and tipped him with a hip twist, nailing him to the floor. 

My fingers caught onto his collar, and I glimpsed a snake tattoo wrapped along his neck.  Familiar with it—I bashed his head against the floor and shouted, “Who do you work for?!”   

“Your mom,” he cackled, jokingly. 

“I don’t want bullshit!”  I pressed the gun to his neck, pressing hard enough to earn a wince.  “Tell me.”  He shifted his jaw and before I could react, he bit down.  No.  He gurgled, “You’ll find out soon enough, sister,” and foam exploded from his mouth.  His body jerked and then stilled.  My darkness lifted and my shoulders slumped, exhausted.  The black irises changed to natural brown.  I whirled around to see the lounge empty, music blaring from the main foyer in the next room.

Sister.  I gradually rose, using the stripper pole for support.  He said sister…

“Jess!” I barely looked up and had strong arms enveloped me with warmth.  “Jess, say something!” 

I tried speaking but no words were audible.  Instead I croaked a low moan.  Vamp’s voice was strained and distant.  “Levi, how the hell are you going to tell The Council?!  You know what they’re going to do.”

“Can you just shut up?!  She’s hurt!”

“And I’m not?  My arm is broken!”

“She can’t speak, Vamp!”

“She won’t be able to after they realize she failed the test!”  There was a break.  “Look at him.  He’s dead!” 

“I’m serious!”  A hand lightly caressed my cheek.  “Jess, stay with me.  V!  Go get damn help!”

I hissed as he moved me onto his lap, pain erupting from my abdomen.  A breeze cast across it, my dress pushed to the side.  I glanced to the source of agony and saw red; red soaked on the carpet, red on the dress, red on Levi’s hands that held me.  I groaned, more blood leaking.  “Bullet…out…” I scarcely spoke but it was too hush for Vamp overruled mine.

“Fine, but she failed her fucking test!  She’s dead anyways and you know it.” 

My eyes weighed a ton.  It was too much.  How was I his sister?  Did I know him?  Was I related to him? 

Now I guess they thought I was unconscious because the last thing I heard was, “You know very well this wasn’t part of the test.” 

“They’re going to kill her, Levi.”

“I know.”

Blurs crammed my vision.  The heavy confusion, the physical exhaustion, the excruciating pain, and the depression—for I had failed.  I failed to become a Sniper.  And I was going to pay the price. 

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This was shorter than I thought…

No matter. So what do you think?

Yep.  She failed.  What—you thought she’d succeed in everything? Please, this girl is about to have hell thrown at her. 

Unless she dies first.