Nia: Beginnings

"Hi Nia I wasn't expecting a call from you let me go into a different room, friends over watching a movie." I hear a door shut in the background and the strange noise dies away.

"Hi Ben, I wasn't going to call I'm not that cheesy a girlfriend. This is new to you I don't remember letting you in on it. I well met a really nice gal and she's interested I'm interested and I wanted to ask you if you minded me having a girlfriend." I hear him shushing someone.

"I well damn I don't know, I rather think that is one of those things you say before we start talking proposals. Not that I'm going to be one of those cheesy boyfriends. Could you hold off on knocking boots until I meet her?" I look over at Sam as we exit the airport and smile at her.

"We could, she's staying in New York for a little while. Traded phone numbers and addresses. If I get stuck here an extra day could I once?" Ben is quiet for a second, talking to someone.

"Tell you what, once a day until your back. No men for you just her, the once a day I know you have enough control of your desires to abstain. If she's there for a while I don't see why you can't give each other a little fun in the meantime." I lean over and give Sam a thumb up in the limo.

"Thanks Ben, I do love you, this isn't some odd way to drive you away or anything. I gotta go the limo is here waiting for me to get in, I'll see you when I get back." Ben says he loves me as I hang up.

I get in the limo looking around. The seats are black leather, the carpeting is dark red. There is a small bar with a bottle of Champagne on ice in the top of it. Sam is sitting next to an older man I can only assume is her father. I know this man, he's hired me twice always puts me up in a fancy hotel with a suite. The frown on his face says Sam has asked for something he's not entirely comfortable with.

"It's been a while, I'm sorry I can't remember if your name is Anthony or Tony. It seems to be the same name of most of the guys I speak to in New York." He smiles at me, Sam takes his hand.

"My daughter tells me you two are looking to become an item. I confess to not being comfortable with that, Catholic upbringing you understand. Anthony and Tony are our cover names for speaking to you, you go about in shadows we do the same, keeps everyone from spilling the beans to the cops. My name is Crescenzo it is a pleasure to meet you Nia." He puts his hand out to me, I shake it.

"What did your boyfriend say?" Sam asks getting her dad to look at her a little surprised.

"He said he wants to meet you, he also said I am free to knock boots with you once a day while I am here." Sam smiles big at that. "Crescenzo do you have the floor plan for me? I'd ask if I'm staying in the Astoria again except I think Sam had a different idea." He sighs and nods.

"Yes on both counts, I need to make a phone call. You two can talk or plan but please no heavy making out she is my daughter I still see her as a little girl." Sam giggles and moves to the bar getting out the champagne.

"We haven't celebrated my birthday yet, I got calls and flowers and a really nice picture frame. I was in school at the time so couldn't leave and he couldn't come down. I think I got more presents at home, hopefully not a fiancé we had an argument on that one a long time ago." Sam says handing over a glass of Champagne, her father talking on the phone behind her.

"I had a few of the Tony's ask me on getting married over the years. I think I know the argument you are talking about." Sam sits next to me after giving her dad a glass.

Sam clinks her glass with mine then reaches over and does the same with her dad. I reach over and do it with him then we all take a sip, Sam turns to me then comes in close and kisses me. I open my lips to let her tongue in, a simple little kiss turns into a passionate make out session until her dad hangs up and clears his throat.

"Everything is set we are going home. My wife is actually eager to meet you Nia. Not just because our daughter likes you, some of your past exploits have kept me alive or moved me up in the family. I promise it will be a short conversation, we go to bed shortly early to rise you understand." I nod at him and smile.

"My boyfriend is trying to break me of that I'm up until midnight now. He works all day and wants to be up all night. I do not know how he does it, when I called he was watching a movie with friends. I think a horror movie I don't like them I know weird considering what I do at least until after this one." Crescenzo smiles and chuckles.

"This is not a side of you I ever thought I would see. I know you're a woman, it's hard to miss that but you were always so formal and cold before. Your boyfriend is a good influence on you I hope you're keeping him." Sam giggles next to me, I tickle her and nod.

"He's going to try and have a wedding proposal ready for me tomorrow night. Trying to give him a child hopefully this is the right month for it, we've been trying for six months." Crescenzo smiles at me.

"I hope you rub off on Sam, we want to be grandparents." Sam groans I tickle her again.

"Don't lose any hope of that, she's like me likes both. Just need to find her a man that knows how to give good sex. I'm a little surprised you only have Sam, most Italian families have a few kids." Sam sighs and looks at me.

"My mom is Presbyterian from a big family she only wanted one or two. What they got was just me I wasn't a good birth." I pull Sam to me for a hug.

"Not your fault, we just need to find you a nice man. Maybe one of those thick glasses wearing guys you know in ASU." Sam groans and shakes her head against me.

"No way, they are not cute they are geeky in a bad way. I like athletic guys, they are all either focused on making it pro then finding a woman or screwing their way across campus." I giggle making Sam look up at me.

"Screwing your way across campus sounds like fun, really bad idea but fun. Tell you what if your dad can't find a nice man here I'll help you look in Phoenix. Ben might know one, he only brings over the weird ones but I know he has more friends than I've met. Nothing else we can go club hopping and see if there's someone you like." Crescenzo chuckles and shakes his head.

"I've tried all the ones I know, the closest we got was a boy she dated for two years in high school. I don't blame her for dumping him, he had two other girlfriends."

We pull into a mansion I look around seeing the high fences and the ornate wrought iron gate. The house itself I do not see until we get out, I gasp it is a lovely house, white with gold trimming on the roman pillars. There are big windows everywhere with drapes closed on most one is still open showing a sitting room with lovely brown leather seats and a big white sofa.

The driver and Ed get the luggage while Crescenzo walks me and Sam into the house. We are turned to the left to go into the sitting room which turns out to be more of a bar. Dark wooden bar fills one corner with a pool table before it, golden brass stools arrayed along the bar. There is a very nice stereo sitting next to a door that likely leads to the dining room and kitchen. A small woman is sitting on the sofa near to the window so I could not see her.

She gets up and walks over to Sam to give her a hug. I look at her she is short perhaps five foot with ample breasts of her own. She has dirty blonde hair grown long with brown eyes. She comes over to me I hold my hand out to her then squeak in surprise when she hugs me.

"Like I'm going to shake the hand of the lady that kept my husband alive and moving up the family. Besides your part of our family now, Sam likes you so you're invited to our family reunions. At least my family reunions, Crescenzo's family and the other family are rather intertwined. Sam doesn't go to those anymore you going would probably get you being asked to take on a job. I'm Elizabeth everybody just calls me Liz besides Crescenzo at certain times." Sam sighs and shakes her head.

"Pleasure to meet you Liz, I'll do my best to get Sam seeing a guy and pregnant, hopefully at the same time I am." Liz's eyes sparkle and she smiles at me.

"Well that would be nice, though married first or soon after would be preferred. You have the things you requested on the pool table, I will send your things up to Sam's room her bed is big enough." I nod then turn to the driver and Ed.

"If you would please leave the two linked suitcases here I need to go over my equipment and see the new items." Driver nods and sets them by the pool table.

Crescenzo takes me to the pool table while Sam and Liz sit on the sofa talking. I go over the floor plan and smile when I find pictures the elevator is just what I was hoping for. There is a space between the door and the edge of the wall, not wonderfully thick but enough to take out the guards without being shot dead in the process. The bedrooms might pose a problem they are behind a wall you walk along the outer wall to reach the doors for them two on each side of the hallway. The kitchen is open to the living room with a counter to eat at. The dining room is basically open with a sliding wall to close it off for private conversations or meals.

"Yes I can do this the elevator gives me a good base to start with, I'm worried about the bedrooms hopefully the guards empty and come for me. Now let's see what new toys I got, hopefully better than the last one those mini gun rifles shoot to fast for me." Crescenzo smiles then helps me pull the suitcases up to the pool table.

I go through my standard equipment first I have some new ones, an auto shotgun now. I'd been after my case worker to get me one of those, better than using a pump in a crowded room. Same old Colt .45, there is a new pistol, one of those Desert Eagles. I have a new rifle the AK-74 instead of the tried and true AK-47 I sigh and shake my head. I'd prefer to keep the old one, bigger round, not that I need a rifle the shotgun will work for everything. At the bottom of the suitcase are my mini Uzi's with the shoulder straps.

The new suitcase is a little strange there is a vest of sorts with a little box. I find a note the vest is a camera that feeds to the box. They want me to wear the vest and record what I do to help train my replacement. There is also a wrapped gift box with a note on it, it says for the best worker we ever had happy retirement. I laugh inside is a gold watch, Crescenzo laughs when I show it to him.

"Nice watch at least, I think that is real gold." Sam says at my shoulder.

"I thought you would have more guns, or maybe less." Liz says going into Crescenzo's arms, she looks up at him. "We should head to bed, it's almost one and you're getting up at seven."

Sam and I watch them leave then Sam turns to me with a smile.

"So are you taking off now or going to give me the one bout of sex with you for now?" I look at Sam and sigh.

"I think I'll go now, can spend the day with you then, my return flight isn't until eight tonight." Sam sighs and nods then gives me a kiss.

"Be careful, I don't want to lose my best chance of happiness yet." I smile at her.

"I'll come back I have way too much to live for. Getting engaged tomorrow night, going to see about getting you a boyfriend and knocked up with me. Not to mention the chance to tumble into bed with you, I want to suck on those tits of yours so much." Sam smiles and turns pink, she gives me a second kiss then yells for Ed.

Ed waits while I get my guns in place with the vest on. I slip my trenchcoat on, on the way to his small family car Ford Focus. With my standard equipment suitcase in the back seat we take off. Ed tries to talk to me I shake my head then turn the radio on to a classical station. They are playing Flight of the Valkyries when we reach the high rise apartment building. As calm as I'll ever be I get out, pull out my suitcase and head for the door.

The entrance area is magnificent there really is no other word for it. The walls are off white carved into shapes with gold over the raised shapes. A diamond chandelier dangles over the middle of the rather large room. There are two sofas and perhaps fifteen wooden plush chairs scattered around the entrance. A very nice counter runs along one wall leading to the elevator with a curious man sitting behind it. I go over to him and put my hands on the counter.

"Hi there I'm running late I'm the early morning entertainment for Mr. Johnson on the top floor. I hope its Johnson I'd hate to think my company screwed up the name again." He looks at me for a moment, trying to decide what sort of entertainment I'd be I bet.

"I have no record of there being an early morning entertainment for him, this not being the first time I'll send you up. Here use this card in the elevator it will take you right to him. You may wish to check your makeup you look a little smudged." He hands over the card and I smile at him.

"Thank you and I will on the elevator, those shiny walls are so good for that." He smiles at me as I head to the elevator.

The door opens immediately I go in and check my makeup. My lipstick is a little smudged, very easy to tell on this high shine silver elevator. I know it's silver, chromed steel looks different at the corners. I drop my trenchcoat and pull out the receiver for the vest. I don't know if it would receive a signal in the suitcase, best to not chance it. I get my shotgun ready, check my makeup again then wait. Wondering why there is no elevator music I keep waiting.

Chris was right it takes upwards of a minute to get up to the top floor this is after I fixed my makeup. I sigh in relief when there is a ding and the door starts opening. There are two men sitting on a sofa watching TV turning toward me as the door opens. I kick my suitcase into the doorway then level the shotgun at them, one stands up.

"Hello, perfection is here." Their eyes go wide.

I open fire the first booming report of the shotgun shreds the man standing. He stands there blinking at me for a moment, his body falling apart around him. The first to fall is his left arm, followed by his entire torso I almost cut him in half. He falls then with a splat as blood oozes out creating a circle in the white carpet. The second is moving to roll over the sofa I shoot him in the middle of going over, he jerks and blood sprays everywhere.

A growling man is standing in the dining room, I turn to face him. Puzzled I watch him he's twitching a little growling like a little kid trying to be fearsome. He falls to his hands and knees twitches a little more then does the worst impression of a howl I've ever heard. I would laugh except he's coming for me moving toward the back of the sofa. I watch him come standing in the doorway of the elevator the doors trying to close on me.

This crazy man leaps atop the sofa staring at me and drooling. I stare back smiling, trying hard to not laugh. He leaps from the sofa spilling it over creating a groan from under it. I'm impressed by the leap he is getting some good air time, I aim and fire. I only catch a part of him he spins in the air changing his directory and ending up in a pile on the other side of the elevator. He is up again quickly surprising me a little, this time he only pads toward me on hands and feet growling still.

I let him get closer then shoot him in the head. I am sprayed with blood and other things I do not want to know about. His headless body flops to the ground leaking more blood. I grab up the receiver and kick my suit case into the apartment following after just in time to not be hit by the doors. The sofa moving has me walking over there kicking it upright. I stare down at the second man, his arm is shredded his side spilling blood. He looks up at me his eyes staring into mine you would think he is some cheap sideshow hypnotist except for the smell of blood, human waste and his cough of blood.

"What are you?" I stare at him a little puzzled.

"I'm a person just like you. I just happen to be the best assassin ever seen on top of that." He shakes his head and coughs up more blood.

"You are not human no human can do what you can do." I shoot him I can hear a stumbling gate coming from the corner where the hallway to the bedrooms is.

While the really drunk person shambles along toward me I check the dining room and kitchen. No other guards in here I move back into the living room and head toward the hallway to the bedrooms. A shambling man coming toward me makes me back up and trip over the receiver. There is a walking dead man coming toward me. There is no other explanation for this thing that is coming toward me.

It is in the shape of a man at least somewhat, the flesh of the legs are partially decayed showing bone. The face is swollen and leaking a green fluid along with black blood. One eye is popped just sitting there in the eye socket. The worst part though is what else is in the eye socket I can see maggots eagerly finding things to munch on. I shoot it from the floor it jerks back sending a spray of pus and blood against the window. I shoot it again as I work to get up it stumbles back farther getting near the window.

I keep shooting wondering when I will run out of ammo the thing is pressed up against the glass. With a good portion of the torso gone I aim higher and shoot the head, the head explodes shattering the glass behind it. I fire twice more, into the glass breaking it up to create a wider path for the thing. I shoot it again sending it falling out of sight. A noise draws my attention I turn to face a man with a strange design on his face. He is not what one would call a snazzy dresser with no shirt and more designs on his chest and arms.

Tired of the crazies I raise the shotgun to fire and get a click. He is smiling at me I think still talking in some weird language I don't know and haven't heard before. I pull out my Colt and go to shoot him when something grabs me and throws me across the room. I don't bounce off the wall though I did clear the TV, lost my Colt in the process. This thing is coming for me the man has come around the corner to watch me still saying something. I grab up the mini Uzi half under my arm on the floor. I look up at the thing and I have no idea what it is as it comes closer.

The skin is pale like newborn babe pale, there does not seem to be eyes, just a head with a really big mouth. It opens its mouth to show fangs, not one or two but a whole mouth full of fangs. The feet are two long toes, the hands are little more than claws. Before I can get any more freaked out, I raise the mini Uzi and empty the clip into it. The thing is pushed back and nearly cut in half lengthwise, when I get a click on the mini Uzi it straightens up and comes for me again.

It comes slow this time, using one hand to hold itself together. I watch as pieces fall off, not big ones but small ones. The horrible dresser comes farther into the living room to get a better look. Tired of his incessant prattle in whatever language he is saying I pull out the Desert Eagle aim on him and fire. The damn thing kicks like a mule raising the gun high obscuring my vision of him, the thing turns and heads that way.

When I get the gun back aimed on the thing as it jumps out the window I realize, the man is gone. I go for my suitcase and pull out the AK, screw this it's the biggest rounds I got except for the shotgun. I find my Colt, it's easier to handle than the Desert Eagle and head for the bedrooms. I check the first door on the left, it's empty even the bathroom. I giggle a little the bathrooms are small in this there is a shower, toilet, and sink. Crying coming from the door straight across I go there and kick the door open.

I would giggle again the doors are not sturdy except for the two women. They are huddled in the corner staring at me eyes wide scared out of their minds. I leave them there muttering something about vampires. I shake my head and try door number three, this door opens into an empty room there is not even a bed in here. I check the bathroom just to be sure and find nothing besides the bathroom stuff that always comes with an apartment. Moving to door number four I debate on kicking it in or just opening when a voice comes out of the room.