Chapter 1

“This must be it.” 

I pushed open the rusted metal door of the abandoned building where my employer had assigned me. From the outside, it appeared empty, with jagged holes punched out of the windows, molds embracing the cracked walls, and lights out that seemed to have gone off years ago. However, this place wasn’t abandoned at all. It was a hideout.

I pressed onward, each of my senses on high alert as the profound silence of the empty space magnified every subtle sound. The cracked windows allowed the moonlight to filter in, casting eerie shadows and making the dust dance in the air with each of my careful steps. I know that any noise could reveal my presence to the men waiting in the dark.

Until, a faint creak echoed from the far eastern corner. My heart raced as my fingers instinctively tightened around the cold metal of the gun concealed within my coat. They already know I’m here.

A grin tugged at my lips.

Wow, a welcoming party just for me? How thoughtful.

The first man lunges towards me behind a broken pillar. I sidestepped just as his dagger sliced through the air, close enough to feel the wind of it brush past my cheek. I pulled my gun out and fired it at the center of his forehead. 

Before his body even hit the ground, I caught the dagger slipping from his fingers and hurled it backward, burying it deep into the chest of the man rushing me from behind. 

Right after, five of them advanced towards me. Two of them carried a metal pipe, while the other three stood behind with their guns pointed towards my direction, hiding each at a pillar. 

Spare no one, says my employer.

Who says I will? 

The first person with the pipe swung down with enough force to crack the floor. I heard one of the guys fire their gun, so I twisted my body just in time and grabbed the second guy with the pipe, shoving him forward as a shield. A series of bullets pierced through his chest instead of mine.

I fired back, and the shooter’s skull snapped back in a spray of blood. I dropped the body of the guy who took the bullet and let him gargle his own blood. 

The first pipe-wielder roared in rage and swung again. The pipe came down hard enough to crack the floor. I ducked, stepped in, and drove my elbow into his ribs before jamming my gun beneath his chin. Somehow, I underestimated his strength as he was able to snap the gun from my hand before delivering a punch to my stomach.

Pain flared across my ribs, but I grinned through it. “That’s all?” I mocked, sliding away from him while pulling my spare pistol from my back pocket.

“You really think a mafia wouldn’t have a spare?”

Bang. 

The big fella collapsed, his weight shaking the floorboards. I used his body as cover while I picked up my first gun back up. My hands didn’t like getting dirty, and the stink of blood wasn’t something I planned to wear tonight.

The final two fired in unison. I rolled towards the pillar beside me for cover and leaned out just enough to return fire. I heard one of them scream as my shot probably tore through his thigh, causing the other one to fire even faster.

I was about to finish them when I heard something fast slicing through the wind. 

In the blink of an eye, two daggers shot past me. Then, both men collapsed, the daggers buried deep in their throats, where fresh blood immediately flowed profusely. The guns slipped from their hands, hitting the floor with a hollow clang before their bodies crumpled beside them.

Not my kill.

I stayed on guard, both of my guns raised. Whoever threw those blades wasn’t just lucky… they’re a beast. Hitting that clean in the dark? That took more than instinct. That took skills.

From the entrance, a slender yet delicate figure shifted. There was no mistaking the slight sway of its hair, and the sharp posture of its body. A woman. 

I couldn’t make out her face, but her presence was fierce enough to feel in my bones.

“And here I thought I was in-charge of the killing tonight,” I said, putting my spare gun back in my back pocket. “Hate sharing recognition, you know, but I’ll let it slide just for today. Nice aim.”

She didn’t answer. Her posture remained perfectly still, unreadable.

For a moment, neither of us moved, the silence hanging heavy between us.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded. “Another contractor? Were you also sent here to finish these guys off?” 

She turned around,  seemingly preparing to leave. “You’ll know soon,” she calmly said. 

Then, with a flick of her wrist, another dagger whistled through the air. It intentionally missed me, burying itself deep into the pillar an inch from my head.

I fired back, but it was too late. She already vanished as if she had never been there in the first place. 

I lowered my gun and reached for the dagger. This wasn’t the kind of standard steel most assassins in the underground carried. It was personalized, covered in red wine with a silver rose carving on its handle.

“See you soon, sweetheart.” I smirked, twirling it once in my hand before slipping it into my coat.