Chapter 1 HER LAST JOB

Never being used to the cold, Ramona had the misfortune of having to wrap her body in clothes at the slightest drop of the atmosphere.

Her phone vibrated against her thigh just then. Smiling and thinking her best friend finally had the decency to call her, she took the phone from the pocket of her pants. She looked at the name flashing in front of her eyes, and her smile came to a halt. For a moment, she thought of ignoring the call, but she knew too well what consequences that would bring.

"Hello, Kleinfelter." Ramona said, and then, without any acknowledgement or further greeting, the voice said;

"Meet me at my office now." He ordered, and the call ended before she would utter a word.

****

Ramona stared at the hard – faced man sitting in front of her. The man who shared the same surname with her, her only existing relative. Her uncle and then guardian since the day her parents died in an accident.

His pale blue eyes also stared at her, cold, calculating and unfeeling.

As she stared at him, she wondered how possible it was that her younger self had once considered him her savior.

"So, you want me to do yet another of your dirty works, huh? What happened to the rest of the group? Hawke, your favorite?" She asked him, schooling her facial features into a harsh frown.

"I want you to go for this particular mission." He persisted.

"Now you want to break your promise? I should remind you in case you might have forgotten somehow that you promised that was th..."

"I know very well what I promised, but you must have wasted years of working with me if you still believe people keep promises." Kleinfelter said, cutting her off, and his words stabbed Ramona straight to her heart.

Proudly stating, his, not a man of his words.

"You will do as I say," He paused as if to let that sink in, then he continued, "You are a rotten soul, after all, I assured that." He said, and Ramona squared her shoulders at his words.

"I will NOT have you tell me such nonsense, Uncl– Kleinfelter."

"Uncle?" He asked, and then let out a sleazy grin.

Pretending not to have heard, she continued, "I will not... I won't do another of your dirty works. I am done with all of this."

"Oh, but you will." He said, standing up and walking around the table to stand a few inches from where Ramona sat. She stood up too, not wanting him to tower over her.

"You will do as I say because your life belongs to me, I did save your pitiful life, didn't I? You will do as I say." He repeated.

Ramona stared at him, hard in the face, anger coursing through her veins.

"You should have left me alone! I would have fared bett–"

"It pains me that you don't know gratitude, my sweet Ramona. Haven't I taught you well? " He said softly, trailing his fingers across her cheeks. His fingers paused suddenly, then it tightened around her chin, forcing her face up. Ramona glared hard at him.

"Is that..emotion I see on your face, dear Ramona?"

" No." Ramona said, looking at him, her heart jumping, "No." She repeated when she removed the quiver from her voice.

"But I see it, could it be? That there is something wrong with my eyes?" Kleinfelter said, his voice low, almost soft even.

"I would rather not do this, Uncle." Ramona protested again.

She really was tired of murdering people. Others of her age would be leaving normal lives and working a well-to-do job. It's not like he gives her a good amount after a job well down.

"Uncle?"

"Kleinfelter." Ramona corrected almost immediately.

"Good." He said with an appealing smile.

"I don't want to, please." Her pleading, soft voice made him wonder why she was eager to resign.

He remembered when she started. After her first mission, of which she was terrified, but as time went on. She took it as fun. Hearing her refuse, he wondered a lot.

"Why is that?" Kleinfelter asked, his head tilting a little.

"It pains me to see people die Kleinfelter, it sickens me to do this. I feel like throwing up seeing blood these days and the worst is, the person dies from my hand. Please, just let me go, I beg of you.." Ramona pleaded, and Kleinfelter let go of her chin. Stepping back to look at her.

"Suddenly feeling pity, aren't you, Ramona? But you've killed far too many people to stop now? Or haven't you?" Kleinfelter asked, his lips now curving up in a cruel smirk.

Ramona felt herself growing angrier once more.

"Shut up. Just. Shut the fuck up. You forced me!"

"Did I?" He responded with a devious smile, "Show me proof." Kleinfelter further requested with a mocking grin on his face.

Ramona clenched her fingers tightly, how could she find proof when he'd basically been the dictator of her life since she was nine? He had woven his thread deeply, planned it all along. What did she have? Nothing. She was nothing without him.

She took a deep breath to suppress the rage building up inside her and willed her voice not to quiver.

"Who do you want me to get rid of this time?" She said, sounding emotionless.

"That's my girl," her uncle said in a sickeningly soft voice and walked back to his seat.

"Here." He said, as he picked up a picture lying on the desk and passed it to her.

Ramona stared at the man in it, she looked at his face, it was completely still, not even a glimpse of a smile. His thick raven black hair fell across his face, some tucked behind his ear, framing his dark gray eyes. He was... Handsome.

"Why do you want him dead?" Ramona asked, her voice quiet.

"That's none of your business, my dear." Kleinfelter replied, and Ramona looked at him. Of course, it had always been none of her business, her only job was to kill whom he wanted and to assassinate whom he willed. She was only a tool.

A killing tool.

"You have forty days to bring me good news." He commented.

Ramona looked at him, unable to mask her surprise. At most, he had only ever given her a week to get rid of someone, giving her more than four weeks now was surely shocking to her.

"Surprised? Haha. Don't be, it won't be easy, he is hard to get rid of." He continued; "As for the details, no need for you to know. I will give you a heads-up, you should move by tonight. I don't need to tell you to be careful.... But make sure to bring goodnews. " Again, Ramona was secretly surprised, usually, he let her wait a day or two before she moved.

"Can't i at least get a day to prepare?" She asked still looking at the handsome man in the picture that she was about to kill.

"The man would be staying in Leaman Cruise hotel today, the VIP section, room number 246, so my sources said. Whatever method you use, I will be expecting good news after forty days has passed." Kleinfelter said and paused, "or else..." He continued, purposely leaving the second part unsaid.... A killing tool.

"You have forty days to bring me good news." He commented.

Ramona looked at him, unable to mask her surprise. At most, he had only ever given her a week to get rid of someone, giving her more than four weeks now was surely shocking to her.

"Surprised? Haha. Don't be, it won't be easy, he is hard to get rid of." He continued; "As for the details, no need for you to know. I will give you a heads-up, you should move by tonight. I don't need to tell you to be careful.... But make sure to bring goodnews. " Again, Ramona was secretly surprised, usually, he let her wait a day or two before she moved.

"Can't I at least get a day to prepare?" She asked, still looking at the handsome man in the picture that she was about to kill.

"The man would be staying in Leaman Cruise hotel today, the VIP section, room number 246, so my sources said. Whatever method you use, I will be expecting good news after forty days has passed." Kleinfelter said and paused, "or else..." He continued, purposely leaving the second part unsaid.