Love in Bullets

2| A Body Isn't All a Bullet Kills

She had returned to Black Bird only minutes ago.

Black Bird was the company she works for, but instead of calling it something like 'The Agency' Zasio Asid decided to name it after her late wife's favorite bird. It's ironic to 0013. Zasio is looked like a god within Black Bird, since it's mostly just families of agents-generations of different families all working as trained killers. 

Zasio Asid took one of the most basic birds and made a god like company out of it. And by default, she is represented as some queen of fucking England. 

The women can't even shoot straight and yet she runs a 'hire an assassin today!' kind of company. 

Agent 0013's black heels click against the clean and sparkly marble floors, the walls a beautiful deep shiny red paint. She gives a nod to the receptionist as she passes them, fixing her suits blazer as she does so. Her tie feels like it's trying to kill her slowly; 0013 wants to burn it.

Her black dress shirt and pants were the only comforting items, but currently they made her feel more claustrophobic than ever. Zasio made all high ranking agents wear formal wear whenever in the building, claiming the 'prized possessions need to look their best'. 

After every mission she is to report to Zasio, who everyone often just refers to as Z, before getting her next assignment. 

The elevator doors make a small dinging noise, and her face becomes one that could match steel. The silver doors slide open, the busy office floor noise rushing into her ears. She spots a few agents and analysis' she had worked with before, giving the tolerable ones nods and others her usual glare. 

A few lower ranking agents give her an envious look, wondering if they would ever reach her level, her status.

Agent 0013 didn't even bother to acknowledge Zasio's secretary, instead opting for just bursting into her office like usual.

Zasio was standing by her floor to ceiling windows, her expression tense as always. Her hair flowed behind her in beautiful blond waves. She didn't turn as the door clicked closed, and 0013 actually felt worried for a moment. 

A minute passed. 

Then two. 

And then three. 

Finally, she spoke. 

"I need you to do something." Zasio's voice was tense and cold, 0013 was obviously hiding something but she had known her boss for more than half of her life. She would get nothing from him.

Zasio turned towards her, her blue eyes puffy and red, her face tired and somber. 0013 wasn't used to seeing her face so distraught, so. . .messy, for lack of better words. 

"Ah, there is no use in telling you to knock. Is there?" Her voice contradicted everything her face was giving away. Her voice was confident. Strong. Un-yielding. 

Her face was saddened. Her mascara smudged. Zasio looked like everything she had once told 0013 that she hated. 

0013 gave a soft shake of the head, seeing the fragile state of the women in front of her. As much as she didn't like the women, she had respect for her position. Zasio was still her boss and as much as she despised her, she had to respect her.

Even if she hated it.

Zasio cleared her throat before moving to grab something on her desk. Her slender fingers clasped onto a thick folder stuffed with papers. She approached 0013, her steps faltering the slightest bit.

She handed the folder over to the agent, still not saying anything about it. 0013 took it from her boss hesitantly. She did not like the look on Zasio's face at the moment. 

"Four high ranking agents have gone missing in the last two months."

Zasio looked at her, expecting to see a look of surprise or shock. She found none, scoffing to herself a bit. 

"Of course you somehow already know that, huh?" Zasio stared at her for confirmation, getting it no less than a second later when she gave a haste nod while opening the folder in her hand.

"This is more background on the agents, and the missions at which they disappeared. It was spread out, the kidnappings, two every month. I have a. . .feeling they might be doing the same this month. It looked to be the same M. O. but we can't be sure just yet. Intel also suggests that they were planned to be one at the start of the month and one at the end."

Zasio was looking anywhere but her now, 0013 still flipping through the folder. She lifted one hand without acknowledging Zasio but gesturing for her to continue. 

0013 listened, only remembering what sounded useful, when she figured out a pattern. She looked up at Zasio in hopes that she would get the hint. She did, and stopped rambling.

She pointed to something on the folder, showing Zasio, before flipping through pages and doing the same thing. Finally, Zasio caught on. 

"Yeah," Zasio started with a sigh. "All the agents were stationed in Italy. I know what you are thinking, and yes, we are still based in the U.S. but we were. . .trying to branch out."

0013's suspicions grew higher at that point. It seemed so obvious to her who killed them. It should have been obvious to Zasio, too. But if she hadn't pointed it out yet, then something was happening with them.

Were they also getting killed off? 

Were their operatives getting taken, too?

Questions swirled around in her head before she finally looked at Zasio hoping for answers. Zasio looked at her with apologetic eyes, the same ones that had tried to comfort her in the hard times of her causing. 

Her head shook, the door opened, and she tried to remain calm.

"I'm sorry," Zasio whispered quietly.

No. No she's not, 0013 thought.