Love in the Line of Fire

Ilana absentmindedly ran her thumb along the wooden handle of her dagger, tracing the carved out initials as she prepared herself for the throw.She stared at the target in front of her with bold red circles, the colors burning the back of her eyelids. Thirty five feet. She had never thrown at this distance. She pulled in a breath. She was confident in her skills.The people around her continued to chatter loudly and she gritted her teeth. There was a time when she had absolutely loathed any and all company while she was practicing. She still hated it, make no mistake, but she had learned to work with it.Now, she focused on the cold handle of the dagger, finding a rhythm in the even beats of her heart. Her eyes stayed strictly on the target in front of her until, slowly but steadily, the voices around her slowed.Focus. She whispered. The chatter dimmed down until it was nothing but a vexing buzz in her head, a white noise she could easily block out.She loved this feeling, the sen

Ilana took a deep breath, checking herself out in the reflection of the glass doors. She received a bunch of judgy looks but she was way past being bothered by trivial things such as strangers opinions anymore.The first day of the newest mission.She pulled down the very uncomfortable pencil skirt once, smoothing out her bottle green shirt.No matter how many times she’d worn the skirt - never once of her own choice - she could never get comfortable in it.She finally pushed the doors open, stepping inside the gigantic lobby.She clutched the file tightly, a little tell tale sign of her nervousness.People walked past her as if she was invisible. Heels and boots clattered against the marble floor, a sea of blacks, browns and beige around her. She slid her file silently to the receptionist. The woman looked grateful at not having to go through the torture of small talk.“Welcome to Meyer Enterprises. Please use this card for your attendance until you get issued with the permanent one

Ilana had been given three days and three days only for her observation period.Helene made sure to call her at the *ss crack of dawn on the fourth morning, reminding her that it was time for action now.The call had only resulted in a cranky Ilana and in turn, a very off-character Rosie.Helene had never bothered her like that before. She always let Ilana take control of the missions, trusting in her skills.She did ask for biweekly reports but that was all.Now, Ilana wondered what made this mission different from the others.She pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache blooming through her temples.She needed to be on her best for what she was about to do today.To add to her worries, Calix Meyers was now on his fourth day in the office as well. She blew a breath, glancing out the glass walls of her unit.It was one pm. Calix should be heading out soon. He came late and left too early.Which was great for her. It made it easier for her to avoid him.She glanced back towards the

Ilana slurped the greasy, most incredible tasting chowmein, an episode of criminal minds playing on the tv screen in front of her.She pulled the comforter around her - the fifth time in the last half hour - making sure it was tucked securely underneath her legs.Winter was barely there and Ilana was already a shivering, trembling mess.She grabbed the uncorked wine bottle from the table in front of her, taking a long swig. She sighed contentedly, the warmth from the wine and blanket seeping into her bones, even if it was only temporary.Ilana glanced at the clock. It was one hour till midnight.Her untimely cravings were to be the death of her. Now the show was on and there was food to be eaten and that meant one or two hours down the drain.Well, that was life, she thought with a mental shrug, leaning back into the couch.The episode ended and she grabbed the remote, skipping through the ending credits and onto the next episode but a voice made her stop.It was a door slamming shut.

Ilana got out of her car at least twelve blocks away from the apartment she was supposed to go to and began her walk along the dark street.She usually never drove to her missions. Cars were too risky and the chance of getting caught doubled whenever a car was involved. But today, she felt lazy and a little too confident. She’d been doing this for fifteen years now. She had earned the right for a little rest.The silence around her was thick, pressing onto her ears and she looked around, trying to spot the cause but she saw nothing. Extreme silence had never meant good.There was not a single soul roaming the street. It was only 1 in the morning but there was always someone. A drunk stumbling out of a pub or the whining of a child from an open window.West creek was devoid of life. Ilana bit the inside of her cheek, feeling the familiar rush of excitement wash through her. A fight was coming and she was so ready for it.She mentally counted through her daggers. Two in each arm band ar