The Shadow of Deception

I got a call from the contractor. It was the third time he had given me a contract this year. "I need a better deal," I could hear myself saying so confidently.

When you are in this game and a lot of Killer Lords respect you, you tend to grow in confidence. "You have your deal," he said with his husky voice. No one knew who the contractor was. Every Killer Lord is afraid of him, but not me.

I am not a Killer Lord, but at the right price, I will kill anyone. The contractor gave me two different contracts. Easy jobs, let me finish with Mark first.

Mark kissed me again and again. He reached for my top and tore it into pieces, exposing my nice curvy things. Poor Mark! He did not know he was my target and I had come to like him. I asked him where his wife and kids were and he told me they were in Italy.

"Nice, they will be safe," I said as I drew my silencer out of the pillow and shot him straight at his bare chest. He held his chest and tried to move as if he wanted to say something. Another shot and he was silent.

One of his bodyguards rushed at me. Though I shot him, it looked as if it had no effect. He punched my stomach and that punch took me immediately to where the bed was. I quickly grabbed one of the burning cigars on the tray and dashed toward him.

He threw another punch but I waved it as I dashed the cigar first to his right eye and then his nostril. I closed his mouth as he wanted to shout and side-punch his neck. He fell gasping for breath.

I ran toward the gun and grabbed it from the bed. He got up, trying to figure out where I was. The moment his gaze found me, I shot him in the forehead.

I knew the other bodyguard saw me and I had to do something about it but he was downstairs. I dressed and put the killing pill in my mouth. I don't need too much, just a little to give me time to escape without anyone noticing.

I went downstairs, he saw me coming and angrily asked me "What's happening? I heard some noise," I quickly got close to him, held his tie, and planted a kiss on his lips, strong enough to taste his saliva.

"Nothing big boy, but I think that your boss might need your attention," I said, posing in a sexy way that revealed the top of my chest. He gazed at it for some seconds, pushed me aside, and rushed upstairs.

I could hear his steps slow down and his deep breath as he gasped for air. Wow, that looked easy, I thought to myself. "Job accomplished," I said to myself as I heard the alarm ring. How did he do that? Where did Mark get his guards? They were super strong, I thought.

I could hear the dogs barking and the men approaching my position. Through their footsteps, it looked like there were not more than five men. I put on my mask. I needed to make it to the woods where I parked my bike.

This is my world, killing, hiding, and running. I am not afraid of men, but I am not good with dogs. I put on my mask, put back my silencer, and took out my long-range pistol. I needed to slow them down to get to the woods.

Two shots and two of the men fell. It looked like that angered the dead men's dogs as they increased their speed and rushed at me.

I could see that two of the men were trying to flank me on the left side, but I had to deal with the two dogs as one of them had reached my position now. As I tried to jump into the woods, it caught my leg. I felt a sharp pain and I tried to let go. It got hold of a better chunk of my leg with its teeth.

Swiftly, my knife landed on its forehead as I shot the other guy who was already aiming at me. The other loose dog jumped on me and grabbed my left arm. It was its mistake. I punched it in the neck before slicing its throat with my knife. It yelled before it let go. I had reached where my bike was.

I reached out for the handle of the bike, started it, and with one hand I was shooting at the two guys who flanked me. They were fast, but now I am on a bike. I was heading for the river at the end of the woods.

I shot the two guys flanking me as I was approaching the river. I could see the boat. It all looked like a very good plan when the last guy threw a grenade at me. By my calculations, the blast should not get to my position. I gave him the middle finger and smiled only to see myself thrown up in the air by the blast.

I fell into the river with the bike falling on me and one of its parts hitting my head. He got me! That was not an ordinary grenade. There was another explosion as I drowned lifelessly in the river.

He continued shooting sporadically at the river at the spot where I fell into the river. I tried, amid all the chaos happening at the same time, to move my legs and arms. I could not swim as there was something stuck to my leg.

The bike kept pulling me down and I was struggling. I could see I was losing the battle between my bike and myself. It was as if the bike had determined to pull me down the river. I couldn't fight it anymore.

I heard a different shot and I felt a sharp pain. It was all over for me as I lost consciousness and kept going down the river. Everywhere was silent and all around me had turned white. I died in the river that day.

My eyes were hurting and heavy and I could hardly open them even for a short period. Everywhere seemed white and cloudy. I tried to turn and I felt a sharp pain on the right side of my head.

"You would want to lie down a little while you need some rest," said Larry, as he tried to get a glass of water for me. He gave me some pills, I took them without hesitation and they worked like magic. In a few minutes the pain left.

"Did you get my phone?" I asked.

I wanted to be sure the Contractor could reach me or else I would lose the next job and contract. Larry was my Clean-Up guy. Whenever I finish a contract, he cleans up and I pay him. I turned and I saw his card on my table. My bill was $100,000 with a note below 'I woke you up from death.' I could see why my head ached. It was the damn bike that hit me during the blast. I stood up, the coverings slipped down and the things on my chest stood up with the tip pointing towards Larry like an arrow aiming at him.

"Why am I naked, Larry? I asked.

"You were very wet but if you want I can give you back your wet clothes," he replied, laughing. He went to the other bed in the room to get one of his shirts and pants.

I was naked and did not bother. Larry and I understood our jobs and sex was part of it. We helped each other in so many ways and those were some of the benefits of the job. I don't mind sleeping with my cleanup guy. He was as professional as I was. Larry is the most handsome man I have ever laid my eyes on. I could say he was one of the few men who respected me as a lady.

"Okay, come and get some," I smiled, lying back on the bed as seductive as I could be.

"$50,000 additional is my charge," Larry said.

"Are you gonna charge me for sex? That's ridiculous," I said.

Larry hopped on the bed, laid me down on my back gently, and kissed the valley of my chest caused by those busty things before he slipped downwards. He put his face between my upper thighs while his hands caressed my body. He had his hands on those busty things while his tongue was on my navel. As he got to my chambers, I sensed a slight shiver in my system as I quivered and moaned for more.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I knew who was calling and I had no intention of missing the call.

"It is done," I said. The Contractor did not reply. Instead, he said "Your balance is in the safe, you will see the file containing details for your next job. Expect the call to confirm the contract."

Any confirmation of contact means there is more than one gun. This is not good and I don't compete. Why would he want more hires when I have never failed in any job and I had an 'A' rating?

For seven kills I got seven million dollars! I knew the contractor could not make mistakes. I had killed Mark and his bodyguards, so my greed just went up when I opened the file for my next job.

I looked at the file over and over again. The file contained the picture of the youngest billionaire in New York, Marvin. I was responsible for the death of his father and now I might be responsible for his death.

The Contractor called but this time I was ready to say how much I wanted for the job. Each job gave me the confidence to set a particular standard and expectation.

"Fifty million dollars or nothing," I said confidently.

"You need to do your research on him, he is not an easy target. That's why the contract is open," said the Contractor.

I was going to back down. "How many hires?' I asked.

He said that there were three hires on the target and asked whether he should not leave it open. I told him there was no need.

I was going to kill the son whose father I killed. As far as I am concerned, Mr. Marvin is dead and with this $50m I am out of the game, the Contractor can get another hire.

I lay on the bed naked going through the details of my assignment when the notification on my phone popped up. An intruder!

Larry whispered to me. " Get your gun, we have got a visitor." He was also aware, his watch signaled it.

I stretched my hand under the bed to reach for my gun. The first shot hit Larry and he fell on the couch. He was exposed! The bulletproof door failed or the shooter had a more sophisticated gun. There was another shot and it hit Larry again and this time there was no sound from him.

I rolled towards his position, shooting consistently at the door. I knew it was a bulletproof door, so my shots had no effect, but the shooter does not know this, at least for now.

I moved Larry gradually to blindsight. I was not sure if he was alive. There was a bigger shot. Looks like a double barrel shot. It was his mistake. I was in blindsight and could see the shooter from the bullet holes that the double barrel made in the door.

I shot him twice and I heard him fall. I rushed towards the door. He was running away and towards the stairs, I shot him twice again in the left leg and right arm.

"You ain't going anywhere," I said.

When I turned him over and laid him on his back, I could see that he was a hire. "Who sent you? I said,

"Ma --Ma -- Ma -- Marvin," he said, and he was dead a few seconds after that speech.

I dragged him into the room, locked the door, and rushed toward Larry. He looked dead. I took out the life kit box. I hope he makes it.

"You don't look like a cleaner," said the lady interviewing me for the cleaning job at Mr. Marvin's company, M&M Industries.

"I am, you have four staircases, four stores, and about ten office spaces in this building. The penthouse, I guess, is for somebody special like the boss," I said, smiling.

"Wow! Very impressive. You can resume the next day. We are short on staff.

Why would the Contractor want Marvin's death to look natural and why should I steal the documents he wanted? These thoughts rang in my head. I should just shoot him down and make the contract easy.

"You should not be here," said a man I knew later to be Ken. He was Marvin's right-hand man. I thought of killing him but I would love to know why Marvin would put a mark on me. Something about this whole contract seems unclear. My contract is open, I have two hires competing with me to kill Marvin, and I know for a fact that Marvin is aware that his life is in danger or else why would he send someone to kill me?

I made up my mind that at any point Marvin would recognize me. I am killing him. I cannot be exposed or I lose getting contracts from the Contractor.

"Oh, my bad! I did not know that. I was told to clean the upper floor," I said. I could see that he had not bought it and was reaching for a gun in his belt pouch.

"This is not the upper floor, this is the penthouse," he said, placing his hands on his waist, and there was no gun.

"What's your name?" He asked me. I stammered, "My name is C - - Ca – - Cas," I muttered, not sure of what I should tell him. I did not expect him to take an interest in me.

"Is your name Cass with a double 'S' or Cax with a crossed 'X'?" Ken asked.

"Cax with a crossed X," I replied, unsure what his response would be, but I was ready for anything.

I scanned the area we were off-camera sighting, and my heart bit went up by double. I have not even started the cleaning job and I have blown my cover. I loosened the mop stick from the mop gradually as he started walking gradually toward me.

The door opened and Marvin walked in like somebody who had just received some bad news. He walked straight to his seat before acknowledging the both of us now staring at him.

"I can see you are having a good time with the cleaner. I haven't seen this one before. I thought I left an instruction that I wanted to know everyone that worked in the Penthouse." Marvin said.

"That is what I was looking into before you came in. She says her name is Cax and is obviously scared of seeing me," Ken said.

I knew I had to do something quickly unless I could be in a terrible position that would make things difficult. Both of them were staring at me as if they were expecting me to solve a problem.

Marvin was almost my age. I was nineteen when I killed his father. He had grown to be a replica of his father. He looked so harmless and gentle that I almost forgot he ordered a hit on me. I was not sure, but if he was not the one who planned to kill me, then I must find out who. I looked at my mop and looked back at him.

"I am sorry, I will take my leave. It was my mistake. I thought the upper floor meant upstairs. That there would have been some work. Thank you, sir," I said.

"Wow! I like this one. One minute she was scared, the other minute very bold." Ken said, smiling. "You look too beautiful and smooth to be a cleaner, don't you agree, Marvin? He asked.

Marvin was shy and looked away. It was as if Ken saying I was beautiful made him blush. I looked at him with some charm and he looked away again. "Oh no, this cannot be the Marvin that tried to kill me. Something is amiss and I am going to find out.

"I could leave if you want me to, sir," I said. Now he was looking unsure of his next move. I was waiting patiently.

"You can leave, Cax," Ken said.

"No! Let her stay after all somebody has to clean the office, right? Marvin said. Ken and I did not know whether he was asking for permission or instructing us.

I pulled out my mop and started mopping immediately while Ken sat opposite Marvin.

"So what is the matter? You rushed in here like you had seen your father's ghost.," said Ken, looking at me as if he wanted me to leave.

"Yeah, I did, I met with Father's lawyer today and it was not fun," replied Marvin. Who was now looking at me and his eyes were pleading. I stayed to hear what he was about to say.

"Do you want Cax to leave?" asked Ken.

"No let her stay, she could be useful," Marvin said.

His father's lawyer had stated that he would need to get a wife in six months or lose his inheritance to his Uncle. I almost burst out with laughter when I heard it. This Marvin I saw will only have to buy a lady. Someone that was shy of seeing Ken call a cleaner beautiful. I did not understand why wealthy parents do this for their kids.

I was shocked when Ken seemed unmoved. It was like he knew before Marvin the situation at hand. He told Marvin it was not a problem and he would fix it. I pitied Marvin even more. He looked like someone who was not prepared for this kind of life. I blamed myself for that, but I only count deaths in dollars and his death was going to bring me a great fortune. I thought of who Ken was and who he was working for. I immediately made him a suspect. Either he is an assassin hired to kill me or a spy sent to spy on Marvin.