Opaque

04 | Remember Me?

"Some warriors look fierce, but are mild. Some seem timid, but are vicious. Look beyond appearances; position yourself for the advantage." – Deng Ming-Dao

                Chapter Four

I released Blaze reluctantly and backed away a few feet. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. My back throbbed, making it painful to stand. That was definitely my weak spot, but I couldn't let anyone, especially not my enemies, know that. A good fighter knew that no fight was ever fair. When life was at stake, all weakness were exploited and that is exactly why one must always conceal their vulnerabilities.

I patted my shirt down and ran my hands through my hair to make myself look presentable. It was a tough task given that my shirt was stained with blood, only a fifth of which was my own, and sweat.

The men in combat gear searched through the entire school and auditorium for intruders, but it was all in vain because I had killed them all. All, except one. I glanced at him.

"You will pay for this," he said, in a matter of fact tone, as he waited for the agents to arrest him.

His lack of resistance was not a good sign. As far as I knew, he was drug dealer who had little to no connections with the Mafia and was basically helpless without his goons. He had a moderate sized gang and his connections weren't all that powerful, but the way he held himself up right now put second thoughts in my head.

What if he was being backed by some other powerful criminal? The way his eyes had glinted with knowledge regarding my past didn't settle well with me. Knowledge meant power and if he knew something, then he had the ability to destroy me.

Rule number five: always kill the leader. Unless, of course, I want to go through a long interrogation round.

The easiest situation was one where all the intruders died. If there were no living criminals, then it was easier to classify the case under encounter. That way the case would be closed and everyone would be happy. 

So the question was, how did I forget my own rule?

I should've been faster. I should've fought better. I knew that I had limited time; hell, I was the one who devised and planned this attack from the get go. Every second, every minute, was planned out well in advance so that we could have the upper hand, so how did the other agents get here so quickly?

As the armed forces continued to search the school, while hiding from the sights of any unsuspecting students and teachers, who were not involved in this situation, Agent Beta, Agent Lam, Agent Moon, and our boss, Agent Hook, made their entrance.

I watched them waltz in, decked out in their professional attire, and couldn't help but wonder whether or not they were the ones who hadn't followed the plan?

No, they weren't to blame. I was probably the one who got caught up in the moment and didn't notice the time. One would think that after training for a year and fighting criminals for another two years, I would become a lethal weapon, but sadly, even the smartest of people made mistakes. 

I shook my head at my own stupidity and kicked the imaginary dust on the floor. I winced as the movement in my leg traveled up my spine and stopped in my mid-back, where I had been hurt countless of times before. I really needed to get that checked out.

Agent Beta made her way to Liz, while Agent Hook and Agent Moon approached the ten students and our principal. Besides looking petrified, they all seemed normal and had little to no injuries. At least, I had done one part of my job.

Agent Lam, on the other hand, approached me and slyly took my baby out of my boot.

"How'd you know that was there," I asked her, surprised that she had figured it out so quickly, while making sure that I didn't give any emotion away. If it were up to her, she'd shoot me with my own gun and then call it suicide.