"Nice to meet you sir" I answered, my face still candid, extending my hand for a shake.
"I've heard a lot about you" he added, taking a stand.
"I'm here as per your request, mister Bernard" I said casually, hands behind my back as trained.
"Here's my son, Juliano, he's the one you'll be keeping safe" he said, pointing to the dark haired man who sat idly, his gaze was low, letting out an eerie vibe.
"You make it seem like I need a babysitter" Juliano said, his head turning to me.
"You have had attempted assassinations against your life, doesn't that bother you?" His father asked, concern in his voice.
His son's expression, candid and unwavering "He doesn't even seem bigger than I am, if you were choosing someone for me wouldn't you take someone with a bigger build?" He asked, in a state of mockery.
Almost immediately after he stopped talking, the young lady at the counter bolted through the door
"Please forgive my intrusion" she said in between deep breaths, panting, her nicely done hair loosing it's elegance.
"The..men..they, they escaped and are somewhere in the building" she said, her voice trailing off.
"What men?" Juliano asked, his candid expression faded immediately, turning into anxiety.
"The men from earlier?" I asked, my interest piqued.
"Please stay here, mister Bernard, stay put" I added, heading for the door.
The problem wasn't about making them gone, it was about finding out where they could be in the building.
"How do we find them in the building?" The husky man in black asked, a security guard like the rest of them, hands on his waist.
"Shut all exits" I heard another say into a telecom "Let me have that!" I said ordered, snatching the telecom.
"All stations report to the entrance, The CEO is making to leave" I said, whoever these men were, they were professionally trained to intercept transmission, that is exactly what I needed.
'Now, their target is headed for the entrance as they thought, they'll find a way to get there too, without people's notice.
"You, you, stay low, go downstairs, I'll be in the CEO's office" I said, pointing to the two men in uniform.
My suspicions were right, one of them was already seen walking to the exit, as informed by the security men.
Walking stealthily, calmly, holding my breath time after time.
Looking through the corner of my eye, i could see his dark figure approaching the doors as well.
I was already closing in on him, "Looking for me?" I asked, making him turn to me, taking him by surprise, a kick to the lower abdomen did the trick.
"Who do you work for?" I asked, taking his collar tightly, as just then Juliano walked into the hallway.
"What's going on?" He asked, clueless to the situation.
"No, no, no" I muttered, holding tightly onto the man in a dark mask and dim light.
His hands were swift, taking what seemed to be a knife, he pushing me away, jabbing right at me, using the cross technique taught in training, I halted, took the knife from his hand.
'Whoever he is, he's quite skilled' I thought to myself as I used my feet to push his knees backwards, crippling him.
"It's over!" I said, looking at his cap and dark face mask, impulsively, I felt a chill down my spine.
"It's not over yet" he muttered under his breath, the next second, I saw what seemed like a flying piece of metal, 'Shit!' I thought, as quickly as I could, it was a blade and now it was stuck to my back.
"Oh God!" Juliano exclaimed as I fumbled to my knees, the blade hanging out "I'm...fine" I muttered, holding him as my support to come back up, the man who attempted such a stunt already sprawled on the ground.
"Please take him to the hospital" Juliano said to the security man who stood, frozen at the sight of damp clothing on me.
"I'm okay" I said, pushing him aside "Get him to the police, or else.." I instructed. They had lost the two men before, what is the probability they wouldn't lose him again.
"You're hurt pretty bad" Juliano said,his hand on my shoulder as I crouched down, the pain lingering on my abdomen.
"It's not that deep" I said casually.
"Can you help me take the knife out?" I asked him, watching the panic in his eyes.
"No! You need a hospital...a doctor!" He said, his eyes showing so much fear.
"Why would you risk your life like that?" He asked, taking me up carefully, putting my arm around his neck, helping me walk.
"It's my job" I answered sharply, the knife causing more damage in a still position.
"If you won't pull it out, let someone else pull it out" I said, the moment I sat in his office, a blood damped cloth on my body.
"I'll call the ambulance instead" he said, it was futile, a daddy's boy, ofcourse doing something like this would be impossible.
The moment he pulled his phone to dial, I took hold of the metal blade sticking out, carefully, taking a piece of my wrap in my mouth, I carefully pulled it out.
"What are you doing?!" He yelled at me, his phone falling to the ground.
The knife had been removed, taking the wrap out of my mouth "You wouldn't do it... and I can't wait for the ambulance, it's not a difficult wound" I said, propping the knife to the side, long and wringed of fresh blood.
"Get me some tissues" I ordered, his face and body in utter panic and frustration, his body in discomfort, frozen to a place.
"Now!" I added, making him move.
I took out my suit 'Can't let the hospital know I'm a female, I'll have to treat myself instead' I thought to myself, taking the tissue.
"Le..let me help you with that" he said, taking the tissue to my back.
"Thanks, I can do it alone, the security men will take my work from here, I can handle myself" I said, blood trickling down my back, I could feel it, it wasn't different from anything I had done in the past, just less bloody.
"Please, at least go the hospital" He suggested. "It's not that serious" I said, until I felt my knees to the ground, my eyes feeling heavy 'Fuck no' I thought to myself before it was all pitch black.