World's Greatest Criminal Wife

Chapter 4

     As the days slowly passed by, Monica had slowly begun to recover from the guilt of Rose's murder. She would occasionally remember the incident, but would laugh it off as she thought of Flaversham's cries of anguish. The one thing that she continued to think about was that mysterious figure she had encountered that night. She had run into him a few more times after that while out on her assignments, but she would only see him from a distance. They never said a word to each other. At most, they would acknowledge each other with a quick nod before he would disappear. She would try to follow him, but he would always be gone before she could pursue him further. He had to be stalking her at this point, she knew it.
The only question now was why.
Why was he following her? Was he judging her? Or was there some secret motive behind his creepy behavior?
Monica returned late that afternoon after yet another of their awkward meetings, washing her knife in the sink before sitting on the counter. Her legs ached a little, but she dare not acknowledge the pain. She could not let anyone, including herself, think she was weak. As she caught her breath, Sean emerged from the living room, straightening his work uniform. "Oh, thank God you are back!" he exclaimed as he saw her, pulling a piece of folded paper from his jean pocket. "I am so sorry to ask because you must be exhausted, but can you please take my assignment?" He held out the note, his feet shuffling nervously. He seemed to be slowly backing away in case she reached out to smack him.
"What? No! Are you insane?" She swatted his hand away, making him flinch. "This is the fourth assignment you have asked me to do in the past few days! Do this one yourself, you lazy asshole!"
Sean whimpered in fear. "But I cannot! I have work in an hour! I cannot just run and kill someone on the far side of town and make it to work on time! Besides, I would have no time to wash the blood off; it would make me look suspicious. Please, just do this last one for me! I promise I will never ask you to do anymore!"
Monica glared at him for a moment before giving a defeated sigh, taking the paper from him as she slid off the counter. "Very well, but you better keep your word..."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" He nearly tackled her with a hug, squeezing the remaining air out of her. "Now, I need to go! I will see you tonight!" He bolted out the door as she nearly fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
I forgot how tight his hugs are...
She unfolded the note, scanning the letter. The paper was old, the edges stained with water droplets. The black letters were neatly written in cursive, the letter signed with an R at the bottom of the page, the salty scent wafting off the paper hinted that the writer lives near the River Thames.
That was where she would search for her target.
Monica grabbed her blade out of the sink before rushing outside, heading down to the riverfront. As she entered the heart of the city, she hopped down to the docks hidden over the edge of the road. The cool shadows would keep her hidden from mice and humans that walked above her, making sure nobody would see her. The water slammed into the rocks below, spraying her with a light mist. Running her hand along the wall, her claws scraped off moss that had been growing in the cracks thanks to the water.
Her trail soon led her to a secluded bar hidden under the docks. She softly climbed down onto the walkway and looked around the pillar. Leaning against the wall was a young mouse who stared blankly out over the river. Judging by his stance, he seemed to be waiting for someone. She skimmed over the letter, reading the description. The man wore a loose, torn, purple jacket over a full black and white striped shirt. His baggy brown pants were full of holes with grey patches stitched into the knees. His tail was bent in half and his nose was marked with a big, ugly scar.
That was him: the one she was sent to kill.
She removed her gloves, shoes, and socks, holding them with her tail as she climbed up the beam. The wood under her hands had been softened by the waves, making it easier for her to sink her claws into. The softness also cushioned her jumps, masking the sound of her landings. This made it easy for her to get to the roof for a surprise attack. Another brilliant idea.
She jumped off the pillar, landing on the roof. She put her clothing back on before glancing over the edge. The man below her had not budged, clearly unaware of the danger he was in. She tossed one of the pebbles beside her in front of him. When he did not move, she tossed another one at his head, making him look up in her direction. Once he had backed up a bit, she lunged at him, pinning him to the ground with a snicker.
     "What the hell!?" he yelped, quickly trying to claw his way out of her grip. "Who are you? What is the meaning of this!? LET ME GO!"
     Monica rolled her eyes, jabbing him in the side with her shoe. "Hold still, dumbass!" she ordered as she dug her claws into his side. "I cannot kill you if you keep squirming around like this!"
     Her threat to kill him made him stop struggling, staring up at her with a smug look. "Kill me? I would love to see you try! I am twice as strong as your puny ass!"
     "We shall see about that." She leapt backwards as she released him, avoiding an elbow to the stomach. As he stood up, she kicked him in the nose, causing it to bleed. She promptly went in for another kick, but he managed to dodge her second attack, grabbing her ankle in the process. He pulled her leg and knocked her over, holding her down by the head as he held his knife to her throat.
With a cackle, she quickly pulled out her own blade, nearly stabbing him in the chest as he released her. She slashed at him, scratching his arm as he got her in the shoulder. He grabbed her fist as she went to punch him, kneeing her in the stomach. As she doubled over in pain, he kicked the knife out of her hand, sending it flying into the river. She tried to get up to go after it, but he tackled her with an evil laugh.
"I must say, you are quite the fighter," he told her with a condescending smirk. "However, you will not be able to defeat me. I know every fighting trick there is to know. There is no way you will be able to win this fight!"
Monica snickered, shaking her head. "Well, it seems you are a rather skilled opponent, as well. Still, you do not know all of the tricks I have up my sleeves."
She then proceeded to head-butt him in the snout.
As he clutched his bleeding nose, she rolled launched him into the water with a powerful kick. She grabbed the knife he dropped and charged as he slowly crawled onto the docks, just barely missing a stab as he rolled away. As she turned to attack again, he grabbed her arm and twisted it, causing her to drop the knife once more. He slashed her cheek, laughing as she howled in pain. Despite her agility, his skill seemed to match her own, making him a difficult opponent.
     Damn it, I need a new plan
     Without warning, she grabbed his wrist as he tried to attack her again, swinging him into a nearby beam and giving her time to run. He slowly got up and followed her as she raced towards the bar, planting her feet on the wall and flipping over his head. Just as she had hoped, he slammed into the wall, nearly running straight through it. He fell backwards, panting heavily as he laid there. She chuckled, picking him up by the collar and holding him over the water. He promptly freaked out at her strength, clawing at her arm.
     "Wait, please, let me go!" he begged, letting out soft whimpers as he tried to escape her grasp. "You have won! I surrender! Please, just let me go, I beg you!"
     Monica gave his jugular a playful squeeze. "I do not see why I should," she hissed. "You claimed that you were stronger than me when we first started this battle. While you have put up quite a fight, I still do not believe that you are in any way stronger than me.  Perhaps, if I kill you, it will be enough proof to show you that I am not to be underestimated."
     "No, no, please!" He continued to struggle as his eyes glittered with fear. "You are the superior one, I can see that now! I promise that I will not mess with you anymore! Please, let me live!"
     She snarled as she slammed her knee into his back, hearing his spine crack. He laid stunned for a moment as she wrenched the knife out of his hand, stabbing him once in the chest before dunking his head underwater. He attempted to free himself, however he could not do much to stop her from holding him down. After a moment, the bubbles disappeared, his body falling limp beneath her.
     Another man dead.
     She pulled him out of the water, dropping his body at her feet. His cloudy blue eyes stared blankly over the water, seemingly watching the blazing sun setting below the horizon. She stared up at the docks above her. To her relief, the battle had not attracted any spectators. She sighed, letting herself enjoy the calm silence after the brutal battle. The once dark walkway was now lit up by the sunlight, the crimson blood that decorated the battlefield sparkling a bright red.
     As she enjoyed her victory, she heard the bar door swing open. A young woman poked her head outside, her eyes wide as she scanned the scene in front of her. A man appeared behind his coworker, staring daggers at the rat. Upset about the wall, I assume. She glanced down at her fallen foe before turning back to them. "Go back inside," she ordered them, trying to appear friendly as she addressed them. "My business is finished here and I will be going home." They stared at her for another moment before heading back inside, silently closing the door.
     However, once they disappeared, she noticed a familiar pair of eyes hiding in the shadows beside the building.
     She backed up when she spotted him, nearly tripping over the body. Terror flowed through her veins, but she tried to keep calm. They must have been only a meter away from each other, the closest they have ever been. It freaked her out beyond belief.
     She cleared her throat, trying to swallow the nervous lump in her throat. "So, I assume you are the man who sent us the letter?" she questioned, trying to keep her voice from cracking. He nodded. His silence was unnerving. "W-Well, I expect you to have the payment with you. Us assassins do not do this sort of work for free; I am sure you are aware of that."
     The stranger stared at her as he reached into his pocket. He stretched out his gloved hand to her, revealing a small pile of gold coins. Cautiously, she approached him, taking the coins from him. Without thinking, she grabbed his wrist, pulling him close.
     "Alright, I am done letting you disappear!" she growled, her fear replaced with anger and determination. "Who the fuck are you? Why have you been following me all week!?"
     She got no answer, merely a calm blink. His silent response pissed her off more.
     She gripped him tighter. "Answer me, God damnit! What the hell do you want from me!?"
     Still nothing.
     With a frustrated sigh, she let him go. "Perhaps I should not be yelling at you like this if I want any sort of answer..." She glanced down at the gold in her hand, watching it shimmer. "Judging by the way way you have been acting, I assume you are some sort of criminal. You also seem to be extremely wealthy. Why would you not kill him yourself instead of wasting your money to hire someone to do it for you?"
     He let out a chuckle, a cold, bone-chilling chuckle. It sent a shiver up her spine.
     "Because frankly, my dear, I hoped to get the opportunity to finally speak with you."