Chapter 3 THE ASSASSIN'S NIGHT

"To become death, one must first dine with fear."

The rain fell like judgment-loud, relentless, and cold.

Malachi watched from the shadows of the warehouse, his single good eye flickering between Amanda and Kane. The two stood face-to-face under the flickering bulb that hung from the cracked ceiling, dressed in black, sweat dripping from their foreheads.

"Again," Malachi barked.

Amanda lunged, knife in hand. Kane dodged, but she was faster, slashing upward in a movement meant to maim-not kill. He twisted, dropped to one knee, and swept her legs out from under her. She hit the floor with a grunt.

Malachi clapped once, slow and approving.

"You're both improving," he said. "But improvement doesn't keep you alive. Precision does. And restraint."

Amanda rose, breathing heavy. "That wasn't restraint. That was mercy."

"I don't train merciful people," Malachi snapped. "I train survivors."

Kane wiped his brow. "What's the mission?"

Malachi moved toward the steel locker and opened it. Inside was a red folder labeled with a serpent insignia. He tossed it on the table.

Target: Chief Caleb Onuoha.

A council member. High-ranking. He ran human trafficking lines under the guise of a charitable foundation. His latest project? Smuggling orphaned teens to Europe-under the council's protection.

"He's hosting a private event at Club Nyx this Friday," Malachi said. "Underground. No cameras. Just dealers, politicians, and devils in designer suits."

Kane flipped through the photos. "Security?"

"Ten guards. Four inside, six posted outside. Most are ex-military. Ruthless."

Amanda leaned closer. "And the plan?"

Malachi looked between them.

"You two go in together. Pose as hired performers. Blend in. At midnight, you get into his private lounge, take him out quietly, and vanish before the guests even realize he's gone."

Kane nodded.

Amanda smirked. "Sounds romantic."

Malachi ignored her. "This is more than just a kill. This is a message. Once the council sees that their elite are no longer untouchable, the fear will begin to spread."

He turned to Kane.

"You ready to make them bleed?"

Kane didn't hesitate.

"I was born in their fire."

Amanda's Past – A Flash of Ashes

That night, as the rain drummed the roof, Kane found Amanda sitting on the rooftop ledge, cleaning her pistol with eerie calm.

He approached quietly. "You were fast today."

She didn't look up. "I've had to be."

Kane sat beside her, letting the silence settle before asking, "What happened to your sister?"

Amanda's hand paused. The cloth in her hand trembled slightly.

"She was fifteen. They took her from school. Promised her a scholarship through some council initiative. We found her body three weeks later in a swamp near Aba. She'd been used. Dumped. Labeled as an overdose."

Kane's jaw tightened. "And no one was held responsible?"

Amanda scoffed. "One of the men who sponsored the 'initiative'? Chief Caleb Onuoha."

Their eyes met.

"So tomorrow," she said, "we don't just kill him. We make him scream."

The Night of the Kill – Club Nyx

Club Nyx was a fortress of neon and vice.

Built beneath an abandoned cathedral, the entrance was guarded by men in black, their eyes hidden behind mirrored glasses. Inside, chandeliers hung over a dance floor soaked in red light. VIPs laughed over champagne, girls danced in cages, and drugs flowed like wine.

Kane and Amanda entered as "dancers" booked through a high-end agency-thanks to forged identities provided by Malachi.

Amanda wore a blood-red dress with a slit running high up her thigh. Kane, in black slacks and a shirt that clung to his frame, looked every bit the polished escort she was sold to be with.

They moved through the club, smiling, blending. All eyes turned. None suspected.

From the second floor, Chief Caleb Onuoha watched them with greed in his gaze.

By 11:45 p.m., Amanda leaned close and whispered, "He's calling us up."

Kane's hand brushed her lower back, where a hidden blade was sheathed. He whispered back, "Let's end a dynasty."

CONTINUES....

The elevator to the VIP suite smelled of stale perfume and burnt cigars. As it rose, Kane reached behind Amanda's back-touching the hilt of the blade she'd hidden in the folds of her red dress. Her pulse was steady beneath his fingertips.

"Remember," she whispered, "we smile until the screaming starts."

The elevator dinged.

Two bulky guards stood at the door, eyeing them like meat. One stepped forward to frisk Kane, but a curt wave from a seated figure stopped him.

Chief Caleb Onuoha.

He lounged on a velvet sofa like a god on his throne, cigar in one hand, whiskey in the other. His belly strained against his custom suit, and gold rings gleamed on each of his fingers.

"Well, well," he said, voice like gravel wrapped in silk. "They said the entertainment tonight was exquisite. I didn't expect perfection."

Amanda bowed her head demurely. "You honor us, Chief."

Kane nodded, silent, calculating every angle of the room. Two guards near the hallway. One behind the bar. One by the main door. Four total. Amanda had hidden a second blade in her heel. Kane's pistol was wrapped in the cloth beneath the wine tray he carried.

"You," Onuoha said, pointing at Amanda, "come sit beside me."

She obeyed, smoothly taking her seat beside the monster who had signed her sister's death warrant.

Onuoha chuckled. "You remind me of someone. A girl I once sent to Europe. Gifted, beautiful. Could have been a model."

Amanda smiled, sweet and lethal. "What happened to her?"

Onuoha smirked. "Never heard from her again."

Kane felt the shift in Amanda's posture.

That was the trigger.

The Kill

In a flash, Amanda moved-sweeping her leg under the table and burying the hidden blade deep into Onuoha's thigh.

He screamed, but it was cut off as Kane threw the wine tray into the air, knocking two guards off balance. His pistol was drawn before it landed.

Pop. Pop.

Two down.

Amanda stabbed again-this time in the throat. Blood sprayed across her face, but her eyes never blinked.

The guard behind the bar reached for his weapon, but Kane had already fired. His body slammed into the liquor shelves.

The last guard turned to flee-Kane shot him in the spine.

Amanda stood over Onuoha, now gurgling and shaking.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Her name was Ifeoma."

And then she slit his throat-slow, deliberate.

The Escape

Alarms blared.

They had sixty seconds before the elevator locked down. Kane grabbed Amanda's hand and raced through the suite, past the bodies, through the smoke and blood. The hallway lights flickered. Security was approaching from the stairs.

They burst through the fire escape door and began descending the stairwell three steps at a time.

Amanda winced, blood coating her side. "I'm hit."

Kane didn't stop. "You'll live."

Two floors down, gunfire erupted behind them. Bullets chipped concrete. They ducked into a maintenance hallway and found the kitchen. A terrified chef dropped his tray and bolted.

Kane grabbed a butcher's apron and wrapped it around Amanda.

"Put this on. Smile. We walk out through the delivery dock."

They limped out, blood soaked and smiling.

No one stopped them.

Back at the Safehouse

Malachi stitched Amanda's wound in silence. She didn't flinch.

"Clean kill," he muttered. "Sloppy escape. But effective."

He turned to Kane. "Next time, bring back a finger. A trophy. Let the council know who sends the reaper."

Kane nodded. "It's not over."

"No," Malachi said. "It's just begun."

Amanda lay back, eyes closed.

"They'll come for us now," she whispered.

Kane looked down at her-this girl who smiled at death like an old friend.

"Let them."

Council Meeting: The Panic Spreads

The council chamber buzzed like a disturbed hive. Dike Obana stood, slamming his hand on the table.

"This is the second hit in three weeks! Azubuike. Now Onuoha. We are being hunted!"

Chief Alozie's hands trembled. "Who is doing this? Who knows our secrets?"

Councilman Ebube, silent in the corner, stared at the fresh bloodstained photo laid before them-Onuoha's corpse with his throat torn open.

Dike pointed. "This... this is not just vengeance. This is a *message*."

And in red ink across the photo were the words:

"For the forgotten."

Ebube swallowed hard. The boy had returned.

Continues....

An Old Priest's Warning

The storm had passed, but the sky remained bruised and heavy as Kane slipped back into the church courtyard before dawn.

Father Uche stood beneath the crucifix, candlelight flickering against his deeply lined face. He didn't look up when Kane approached.

"I saw it on the news," the priest said. "Club Nyx. Four guards dead. One councilman."

Kane said nothing.

Father Uche finally turned to him. "I gave you sanctuary, Kane. Fed you. Taught you to read the Scriptures. Now, you use those hands to tear men open like beasts."

"They tore open my family first," Kane said softly. "I'm just returning what was stolen."

The priest's gaze was heavy. "Vengeance is a cycle. Once it wraps around your throat, it never lets go."

Kane's eyes darkened. "Then I'll become the noose."

Uche touched his rosary. "If you continue down this path, I can no longer protect you. There are forces in this town older than the council. Older than politics. Your war will awaken them."

Kane turned away.

"They should've stayed asleep."

Amanda's Secrets

Later that day, Amanda sat in the corner of their hideout, polishing her weapons. Her side was stitched up, but pain rippled beneath her skin with each movement.

Kane watched her from the doorway.

"I never said thank you," she murmured, eyes still on her knife.

"For what?" he asked.

"For saving me. Back at the club."

"You didn't need saving."

She looked up then, face unreadable. "You remind me of my brother. He was the only one who ever stood up for me."

Kane stepped closer. "What happened to him?"

Amanda's hand froze. Her voice dropped.

"He disappeared the night after Ifeoma died. The council said he ran away. But I found his body weeks later... burnt, chained to a tree."

Kane sat beside her. "They've killed so many of us. And they think we'll stay quiet."

Amanda looked at him-really looked-and for the first time, there was softness beneath her steel.

"Promise me something," she said. "When it's over... if it ever ends... don't become the monster."

Kane hesitated.

Then, quietly: "I won't. As long as you're beside me."

A Twist of Shadows – The Informant

Unbeknownst to them, a shadow slipped through the back alleys of the slums. A woman, face hidden beneath a hijab, tapped twice on a rusted door behind a meat shop.

Inside, Councilman Ebube sat waiting, sweat beading on his brow.

"You have news?" he whispered.

The woman nodded.

"They're working with someone named Malachi. Ex-military. Arms dealer. Disgraced. Dangerous."

Ebube leaned forward. "And the boy-Kane?"

"Trained. Cold. He won't stop."

Ebube's hands trembled. "We need to stop them before they reach the next name."

The woman placed a sealed envelope on the table.

"This is where they sleep. Tonight."

Ebube took the envelope with shaking fingers.

"Bless you."

But when he looked up, the woman was gone.

The Trap

Night fell again like a black curtain.

Kane and Amanda returned from the market, unaware of the blinking red dot now tracking them from across the street.

Inside the warehouse, Malachi loaded rounds into a shotgun. "Good. You're back. You'll need to pack-fast."

Kane frowned. "What's going on?"

"I intercepted a frequency. The council's calling in private contractors. Not just thugs-*ghosts.* Mercs trained by foreign governments."

Amanda's face hardened. "They know where we are?"

"Maybe not exactly," Malachi said. "But it's only a matter of time."

Suddenly, the power died. The lights flickered out. Darkness swallowed the room.

Amanda drew her pistol. "That's not a coincidence."

Malachi whispered, "Positions. Now."

Through the silence came a sound that didn't belong-the faint hiss of a silencer.

Then-

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Bullets tore through the windows. Kane dived to the ground, dragging Amanda behind a metal shelf.

One of Malachi's men screamed, then fell silent.

"Too late," Malachi growled. "They're already inside."

CONTINUES....

Blood and Fire

Glass shattered as masked assailants burst through the side windows, armed with tactical rifles and laser sights cutting red lines through the dark.

Malachi returned fire instantly, the boom of his shotgun shaking the walls. One intruder flew back, hitting the concrete with a wet thud. Kane grabbed Amanda's hand and pulled her behind the crates, bullets whizzing past their heads.

"We're outgunned!" Amanda hissed.

"Stay low," Kane growled, pulling out a smoke grenade. "We move on my mark."

He tossed the grenade. Thick gray fog erupted across the room, blinding the enemy. Kane fired blindly into the smoke, hearing a man cry out.

Malachi shouted from the corner, "Go! I'll hold them!"

"We're not leaving you!" Kane yelled back.

"I said go!"

Kane grabbed Amanda's waist and ran, ducking under the hail of bullets. They slipped through a side corridor and burst into the back alley.

But not fast enough.

A man in tactical gear dropped from the rooftop behind them, slamming Amanda into the ground. She fought like a lioness, her blade flashing.

Kane turned to help, but another attacker smashed a rifle butt into his temple.

Everything went black.

Captured

Kane woke to pain.

His head throbbed, mouth dry, wrists bound behind a cold metal chair. He was inside a dimly lit room. Concrete walls. One blinking camera in the corner.

A single figure sat across from him.

Councilman Ebube.

He looked older up close-bags under his eyes, thin lips quivering.

"You've caused quite the mess, boy."

Kane spat blood on the floor. "You don't know the meaning of mess. Yet."

Ebube ignored the insult.

"Do you know what happens to wild dogs, Kane? They get put down. Quickly. Quietly."

Kane stared at him. "Then you better bring a bigger leash."

Ebube chuckled bitterly. "You're just like your father. Stubborn. Proud. Foolish."

Kane's face darkened. "Mention him again. I dare you."

Ebube leaned forward. "Your father was offered a way out. He was told-give up the land, take the money, leave. But no. He thought he could fight us."

Kane's fists clenched. "He died a man. You'll die screaming."

Ebube stood. "We'll see how much screaming you do first."

He snapped his fingers.

A door opened behind Kane.

And someone stepped in.

The Ghost From His Past

Kane couldn't turn to see the figure.

But the voice-he recognized it instantly.

"Hello, Kane."

Cold.

Flat.

Female.

He froze.

"...No."

The woman moved into view. Combat boots. Tactical vest. Scar across her cheek.

Ijeoma.

Kane's cousin. His childhood best friend. His sister in all but blood.

He'd buried her.

Or thought he had.

She looked down at him with dead eyes.

"They told me you died in that fire," he whispered.

She gave a ghost of a smile. "I did. The girl you knew died. What stands before you now is reborn."

"Why?" Kane's voice broke. "Why work for them? They killed your parents too!"

Ijeoma crouched, eye to eye.

"They spared me," she said. "And in return, I learned the truth. Your father was not a hero. He was a liar."

"You're brainwashed."

"No," she said. "I'm awake. And now I've been tasked to break you."

Kane stared at her, a storm in his chest.

"I'm going to survive this. And when I do... I'll remind you who you really are."

Her eyes flickered-just for a moment.

Then the door slammed shut.

Amanda's Fury

Elsewhere.

Amanda woke in a dark, moving van. Her arms tied. Bruised. Furious.

A voice spoke from the driver's seat. "You should've stayed a dancer."

She recognized the voice-it was the same man who'd taken her sister. The one who smiled while lying to families.

Chief Alozie.

Amanda didn't speak. She flexed her wrists, feeling the blade hidden under her bracelet.

"You and that Kane boy think you're gods of vengeance," Alozie said. "But gods bleed. And burn."

Amanda closed her eyes, slowed her breath.

When the van hit a bump and the man beside her reached to adjust her chains, she struck.

The hidden blade went straight into his eye.

The driver swerved.

Amanda rolled, kicked the back doors open, and leapt into the night.

Her body slammed into the roadside grass. Pain flared-but she crawled, dragging herself into the trees, blood trailing behind her.

"I'll come back for you, Kane," she whispered.

And disappeared into the dark.