The shadow Hunter

Part 1: Alena Rose-Chapter 1

~7 years later~

~15th of June 2015~

The needle pricked my shoulder and stung but it didn't bother me; i had faced worse. He had a steady hand and the needle glided over the back of my shoulder. It didn't take long for the man to be done. He held a mirror up so i could see the work he had done. I admired the black lines that joined and curved, creating the shape of a bird in flight. "Perfect." I replied. I sat up from the scruffy leather chair and pulled my shirt back on. Thomas sat in another chair, flexing his bicep with a new tattoo imprinted on. The image was of a snake. "Looks great Tommy!" Chrissy told him. The guy who had been tattooing me, placed down his needle. "These ones are on us." He spoke in a thick eastern-European accent that reminded me of Russia. His eyes fell to me and they scanned me slowly. "This one is new?" He was right. I had only been in with Thomas, Chrissy and the rest of the gang for the past three months. Although it felt much longer since i had escaped Russia and snuck on the boat that took me to Manhattan. From there i ran as far as i could until i ended up in the darkest parts of the city

One night I was walking around a supermarket, my eyes searching the shelves for something to satisfy my hunger. I picked up a packet of cookies and a bottle of strong Russian beer. Checking the aisle for workers or cameras: I stuffed the items down my hoodie. Pulling my cap further down my face, i confidently walked towards the doors. As I passed through the doors, just as i had calculated, alarms started to blare. A security guard to my right grabbed at my arm but i swiftly elbowed him in the face. I started to run and although i didn't dare look back- the idea that the guards nose would be dripping with blood, an expression of confusing plastered on his face- satisfied me greatly. I sped around a corner into a dark alley and stumbled into a large muscular man. I looked up at his face. It was stern, chiseled and his features were dark. And now in the tattoo shop, the same face glances at me as he speaks.

 "Yes, only been with us a few months but she has been useful." Thomas answered, rolling down his shirt sleeves. I was very useful. This gang had a habit of making enemies and when they became a problem, i was very good at making sure they weren't a problem anymore. "And is she available like the other girls?" The man asked. He smiled at me, bearing all his teeth. I didn't return the smile. Chrissy laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. "Oh no, Alena isn't for sale, not yet anyway. She has her other jobs." The man's smile faltered slightly with disappointment. He meant my body of course. It wasn't news to me that Tommy used some of the girls for profit but it was something i chose to ignore.

Chrissy started to walk towards the door and i followed her and Thomas. It was dark outside, the city lights shining brightly. In the distance, a tall building towered over the rest with a large 'A' plastered on the side. I knew who that building belonged to and my fists clenched at the thought. Tony Stark was a horrible man who did terrible things, that is what i had worked out years ago. I pulled my eyes away from the building with an effort and tried to calm my temper. 

 A dog barked in the distance as we made our way down the street towards the warehouse. "I think he would have paid a lot of money for you." Thomas said. I kept my lips pursed tightly, ignoring the comment. "It's a shame we have other plans for you." It's true i was no stranger to these kind of businesses. I wasn't necessarily pretty, i didn't think i was bad looking or anything, i just wishes i looked more like my mum. But i had learnt that sometimes to use any beauty i did have, or simply the fact i was a women, in certain situations was necessary. An old friend had once joked that my eyes were so blue they hypnotized men.  A street lamp flickered as we reached the warehouse. "And what are those other plans for me?" I asked. Chrissy pushed up the screen, making a rattling noise. "Oh Alena, you will find out soon enough. " 

Bright lights filled the room and bodies heavy with sleep, slumped on the floor, started to stir. The first person to fully wake up was Leon. He had rich, dark skin and black eyes. He was the same age as me but his arms were already covered in tattoos. "Your back." He said suddenly alert. "Let me see then." He instructed me. I pulled off my shirt and turned around so they could see the bird. Leon pressed a finger to the still tender skin but i didn't flinch.  Slowly the rest woke up and crowded around to get a glimpse. There were many of us that Chrissy and Thomas had taken under their wing. Some were as young as 8 whilst others were in their 20's. But we were all people with no family, no home and Thomas and Chrissy gave us that. Once everyone had got a good look, i pulled my shirt back on. "We got chinese, saved you some but you might need to microwave it." Leon told us. I looked over to the table where a few boxes of noodles and chicken dishes sat. Thomas started to re heat the food and Chrissy grabbed a couple bottles of beer, then we sat down at the table. I hadn't eaten all day and ate so quickly it burned my throat. Marcus and Ryan joined us from upstairs. They were a lot older than me, maybe mid twenties. They along with Chrissy and Thomas were the ones in charge. "The guy is away over night on a business trip tomorrow  so really it's tomorrow night or never." Marcus explained. They were discussing a heist they had been planning for weeks. "Its just the security guard we got to deal with." Ryan added. 

This is usually where i came in. "I guess that's my job them." I said plainly. The four heads turned to me with a weird expression on their face. I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Oh don't worry Alena, Marcus will sort him out." Thomas told me. This made me even more confused. Marcus never dealt with the messy bits, he just planned. The four shared a glance. "Besides you will be busy." Chrissy added. I wanted to ask more but i had learnt quickly with Chrissy, you shouldn't pester. I downed the rest of the cheap beer in the bottle. "You should sleep." Marcus told me and considering i was pretty tired, i stood up and walked across the warehouse floor. I slumped on the couch next to Leon. There wasn't beds for us in the ware house so we just found spots on sofas, the floor, chair. It was better than the hard, cold streets. I was tired but didn't sleep, i rarely did. A long time after, the lights were finally turned out and Thomas and Chrissy retreated upstairs whilst Marcus and Ryan took their turn on watch.

 At some point i must have fallen asleep but i was woken by heavy footsteps and unfamiliar voices. The room was still dark as i sat up. I rubbed my eyes, trying to make out the bodies in the dark. "Chrissy?" I whispered into the dark. "Thomas?" I said when there was no reply. No reply again. I jumped up, thinking we must have intruders. Before i could prepare to fight anybody, a male voice spoke from the darkness but i did not hear what he said. I started to follow the voice in the dark when i heard a footstep behind me. I whisked around quickly but no one was there. Was it Dreykov? Had he tracked me down?

I felt a shiver go down my spine as someone started to breathe from behind me. Before i could turn around and set eyes on my target, a gloved hand clamped over my mouth. My eyes widened with alertness. I tried to scream but the hand was held so tightly so instead i started to wrestle away from the man. He was strong but i was stronger and soon i had wrestled free from his arms. I turned around and saw the man for the first time. He was dressed in a black army-like uniform. Over the heart was a crest with two words written in bold. 'Hail Hydra' it read. It wasn't Dreykov, it was someone else.

I struck a punch in the man's face and kicked him sharply in the stomach. I started to run towards the stairs to wake Chrissy and Thomas but as i did, i realized that they already knew we had intruders. This is what they meant when they said i would busy. This is what they had planned for me. I was going to be taken again. Anger surged through me, i hadn't fully trusted them but i thought they needed me enough not to betray me. I was grabbed by another pair of arms. I felt pain shoot up my arm as a needle was plunged into my arm and suddenly i had no strength to fight back. The edges of my vision started to turn black and the room blurred. The last thing i saw was a man with circle glasses and a lab coat step out from the dark. He spoke in the voice i had heard before. "Take her." He said, and this time i could hear he was speaking with a Russian tongue. And then everything went dark.