The Assassin's Target Ch. 02

Chapter Two: Cromwell Estate

The next day, I approached the school again, even though I had already sensed that Nissa wasn't there.

I stopped several passing girls, who were only too happy to talk to me.

"Where does Nissa live?" I asked them. Immediately they told me. I nodded my thanks, committing the address to memory while the girls drank in every detail of my stunning good looks.

Cromwell Estate was quite an impressive building. It still had the look of a castle, with towers and huge glass windows that were covered with thick curtains. The view of the ocean from up here was breath-taking, but I wasn't here to sightsee.

There were guards standing at the gates, and I had to knock them out before proceeding.

A human might have had trouble with this, but it was child's play for me to sneak past the remaining guards. Killing a few who discovered me, I hurried up the grand marble staircase to her room and pushed the door open.

It was a very traditional bedroom. The objects that jumped out at me the most were a four-poster bed with white silk sheets and filmy curtains that dominated the room, and a huge desk, where Nissa sat, head bent, focusing on her paper.

I tipped her head back and forced a hand over her mouth.

I could have hit myself! I usually crept in and killed the target before they became aware of me, but I had screwed that up. I felt her heart beating hard through the thin night-dress she wore as I pressed her softness up against my body.

"What're you?" She said clearly.

I was so startled, I dropped my hand.

"Well? You definitely aren't human." She wasn't asking.

"I have to get on with killing you."

I almost sounded apologetic. She nodded. I happened to glance down at what she was working on. It was a painting, and a skilled one at that, of the ocean.

I couldn't do it. My trusty knife fell from shaking fingers. Her knowing green eyes met my own yellow ones.

"I can't just leave you here. Come on."

"Can I help you with something?" James demanded in a strong English accent. I looked into the face of two very pissed off men.

I ignored the bantering; it would only distract me.

Although she must have been terrified, she summoned the courage to shove her heavy desk chair back, and went for her pencil, which she stabbed into my hand. I shrugged off the pain and kept my attention on her bodyguards.

There were a lot more now, crowding into the bedroom and others gathered around the door. How the hell was I going to get her out of here?

I expertly threw a punch into the face of the nearest guard, who made the mistake of getting a little too close.

The fighting pushed me away from Nissa, who was suddenly surrounded by guards. Humans, easy enough to take out. I unsheathed my knife, done playing games. I stabbed one in the shoulder. Direct hit. He went down screaming.

The next few were taken out with good old jabs to the nerve clusters on their necks. I took a rather hard hit from a giant guy and stumbled. I kicked his legs and they broke with a sickening crunch.

Finally, after I had eliminated at least three quarters of them, Nissa spoke.

"Mary, there is nothing you can do. Back up James."

The remaining guardians stopped short.

With wary eyes, they retreated several paces, never looking away from their mistress. Only one man remained at her side. She caressed his face briefly.

"Go, Damien."

Reluctantly, he withdrew as well. She had tears in her eyes as she examined her fallen guards. She bent to heal them, but I jerked her towards me.

I smirked nastily at her. "Shall we?"

She cast me a hate-filled glare and started to walk. Damien stopped her.

"Nissa...you are more important than us."

"He would only kill you all then me. This way, no one else has to die." She brushed him aside and we walked down the stairs slowly.

"Let me go guys." She said to her guards as they intercepted us.

I should just slit her throat and move on. What the hell was wrong with me? Assassins didn't kidnap. Only killed without mercy.

She began fighting tooth-and-nail to escape from me but my strength was superior to hers, even if I was a human. This girl was tiny, absolutely helpless against me.

"Behave or I have to knock you unconscious." I said with a menacing grin.

Nissa stopped stood still as my threat got through to her.

"I'm not going to-" I shut myself up, no point lying.

I dumped her unceremoniously into the car and drove to the nearest hotel the GPS showed me.

Strangely enough, I was finding myself wishing I didn't have to do this. She stood where I released her as I locked the suite door.

"Can you just get it over with?" The girl demanded, forcing herself to sound brave despite the fact that she was visibly trembling.

"I kidnapped you so I wouldn't have to kill you."

"You're an assassin. It's what you do. What's the problem?"

"I don't know." I ground out, frustrated.

It was the truth. I walked towards her, and she flinched.

My captive stared around the room.

"How old are you?" I blurted.

"Eighteen."

Eighteen. She was a child.

Nissa suddenly flew across the room and wrenched on the door hard, and when it didn't give she began to pound on it with her fists, yelling for help.

"Okay. That's it."

I dragged Nissa away from the door and quickly duct-taped her hands and feet, adding a piece over her mouth and flinging her on the bed. The entire time she fought me.

"I wouldn't want to touch a little thing like you." I said in disgust, as she misread the situation. "Great. I have a captive who refuses to cooperate."

Nissa fell silent at last.

Tatsuya-sensei probably wanted an update. He picked up his phone on the first ring when I dialed him.

"Raiden? Is Miss Cromwell dead?"

I didn't answer.

"Raiden?"

I felt numb inside, but I forced myself to be calm.

"Yes Tatsuya-sensei."

"Excellent work, Raiden."

Tatsuya-sensei didn't know anything was wrong, and I wasn't about to tell him otherwise. He had continued talking while I was standing there dazed.

"...proof of death to give to the council."

"Yes Sensei, I will. I have to go." I hung up the phone and cast the source of my distress an irritated glare. Then it hit me. She reminded me eerily of my sister, Yuki. That's why I had frozen back at the high school.

Tatsuya-sensei found me wandering the streets in Japan and took me in. I hated to betray someone who was like a father to me, plus it was a dishonor to my sister, Yuki's, memory. Even though she was Sensei's true daughter, I was proud to call her my family. I still remembered the night she died well...too well. That was why Sensei and I became assassins, to avenge Yuki and my parents.