The Hidden Toxin ✔(#6 in the Our Side of The Dice Series)

Chapter 32: A Battle of Knives and Temptations

Novosibirsk, Russia

Whistling sinisterly as Ebun strode down the alleyway, she admired the tall buildings that surrounded the Novosibirsk province and the minimal ray of light that peeped down the dark path where she walked.

Not like any of these things were particularly fascinating, but she had to do her best to get her mind off this person she was about to kill.

When Sean informed her of one of the rapists' look-alikes a few days ago, Ebun froze in deep shock. The first question that came to her mind was: which of the rapists was it? Before Sean could even give her detailed descriptions of the guy's physical appearance, Ebun's mind had already traveled far.

The picture of that day, shredded into smaller kaleidoscopic images of each of the rapists except the timid guy among them, thrusting deeply into her in sinful oblivion. It all flooded her mind. She could never forget how miserable the six of them had made her feel. Even their voices, their grunts, the deep baritone laughter that escaped their lips, their ecstatic moans were unforgettable.

She could not forget the hoarse voice of the masked guy, the leader of the rapists, as he called on each of his gang members by their names, commanding them to take their turns on her. Now she was finally going to get a hold on one of them.

The description that Sean gave had truly matched the looks of one of her rapists. Sean didn't even have to go further with the analysis before she figured out which one it was. The description was that of the sallow-faced guy, Gilbert.

Gilbert was the first among the six men to have his way with her on that day. His enthusiasm on that afternoon was glued to her memory and the fore walls of her mind. She could never forget how he'd been quick to unbuckle his belt and shift his boxer briefs below his posterior, how he'd forcefully spread her hips apart.

Ebun had, within three days, imagined six hundred and sixty-eight different ways to murder the demon when she finally got to see him. Her mind worked ceaselessly like a treadmill ever since Sean gave her that piece of information.

But it got to the point where she had to stop herself from imagining further. She feared that the emotions involved in those vile visualizations would overrule and cloud her ability to focus on the mission at hand. If that happened, she wouldn't be able to function as she ought to. She'd be too scared to kill him, and that would constitute a major flop on her part.

Ebun was now a professional assassin, but it didn't mean that she'd gotten past her trauma. She was very much still a subject to the whims of her pain. When it comes to assassinating people, letting your past tragedy get in the way of your operation was a tricky game that could go both ways.

The overflow of emotions that comes from reminiscing on your tragedy could unleash the real potential of a murderer in you OR, that same overflow of emotions could hold you back and cause you not to function as you usually would.

Ebun couldn't risk such a chance, especially because she hadn't reached high heights of willpower. She didn't only feel anger or the thirst for vengeance. She was also hurt and still broken from what had happened thirteen years ago. The agony was timeless. The passing of the years took none of the pain away. Hence, she wasn't strong enough to make up her mind not to let her emotions get in the way.

So she would rather not overthink it.

As Ebun kept walking down the path, she kept her calm — chewing from her pack of Doritos and whistling quietly after swallowing each morsel. She'd been strolling in the alleyway for almost twelve minutes now, and all she could hear was the sound of rats clawing on empty candy wrappers. Where the hell was the guy?