Silhouette (Part One)

Chapter 1

10 years later

My eye scanned the street through the adjustable scope. The sea of people moved down through the sidewalks below. "Target should be approaching from the northeast." Silver's mellow voice breathed into my ear. Complying, I swung my rifle around and watched the intersection to the northeast. Face after face passed under my gaze, unaware of the danger lurking above. As unaware as the target that rounded the corner and walked up the street, within the cross hairs of my scope.

One shot. One kill. Never leave the enemy capable enough to fight back. Never leave the enemy alive. I pulled the trigger.

I watched the man's shiny head explode against the wall, brains decorating the brick backdrop like a priceless work of art. The man's name was Walter Keegs. Walter Keegs is a leak that hid within the walls of a lab, pretending to work for the Department of Defense. All leaks must be plugged. Just as my family paid the price for my Father's mistake.

The screams that followed when people realized someone had just died. Yes, he died. "One shot. One kill. As reliable as ever." My mentor ran up to the man I had just murdered without a second thought. The silver briefcase Walter let fall to the ground when the bullet decided to use his brains as paint was snatched up by Silver and he entered the building without looking back. I stared through the scope a little longer, watching the life leak out of the opening that used to be Walter's head. The scarlet color is forever stained in my memory, just as it now stains the pavement.

When did I become so callous to this? No. I've never been callous to it. Just indifferent. My life changed that day. I changed that day. I pulled away from the window as police sirens pierced through the honks and screams of the people who will forever remember this day. Disassembling my rifle took less time than I thought, and I was soon walking down the metal stairwell of the decrepit building that saw another murder. The red violin case was designed with a false bottom to hide the parts of my gun. This is now my life. Running, hiding, killing.

As I settled in the taxi that I instructed to take me to the hotel we were operating out of; I began to doze off.

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The mirror across from the bed he sat me on was positioned just right. When I eventually awoke, I scooted off the bed and looked at myself. The boy staring back at me was one I did not recognize. His gray eyes were wide, his face speckled with red globs of blood that did not belong to me. A little red slash was visible just under my jaw line. Probably where the man had pressed the bloody knife, intending to take the life within me.

"You are a mess kid. You must be in shock." He knelt down and leveled his face with mine, looking at me in the mirror. His hair was short and silver. Mine, brown and disgusting. "Anyway. Now that you're awake, you should take a bath and get yourself cleaned up. I've already filled the bath tub with nice warm water, all you need is to get in." He ruffled my hair and guided me to the bathroom. I couldn't move. Didn't want to. All I wanted was mommy.

But mommy is gone. She will never hug you again. Never give you kiss goodnight. Never. Never. Never.

The tears came again. They wouldn't stop. And sissy. Sissy. Daddy. I felt the cold tile floor beneath my bloody pant legs as I collapsed and cried. Cried till there was no more. I had accepted it.

Never.

Stripping, I entered the waiting bath. Cleaning the blood of my family, of they're killer, of the horror. I have accepted it. But I will never forget, and never forgive.

The bath ran cold as I spent more time than needed, but I cleaned myself. I drained the cold water and horrible memories and dried off. The clothes I stripped off were nowhere to be found, which was fine by me. I didn't want them. Didn't need them. Only, my clothes were back at my house. The house of horrors. With a towel around me, I walked out and found a set of clothes lying on the bed. My savior nowhere to be seen.

I pulled on the underwear, pair of jeans, and light blue T-shirt. I settled back down onto the foot of the bed just as he came through the heavy wooden hotel door. His light gray windbreaker was wrinkled and his face was flushed red. In one hand he had a white bag and in the other, a brown paper tray with two cups. One large and the other small.

"You slept quite a while, so when you woke and cleaned up; I figured you might be a little hungry." My stomach growled in response, so he set the white bag next to me on the clean white sheets. Clean. I opened the bag and pulled out a small white box. The big purple 10Piece on the top told me all I needed to know. My stomach rumbled again, growling at me to feed it.

The digital clock across from me read 12:30. 12:30? AM or PM? The pure white curtains blocking the window at the far end of the room were backlit by sunlight. I dug in without another thought. The man took the bag and pulled out a fat round saucer, maybe a burger. The smaller of the two drinks he handed to me after I had eaten over half my nuggets.

"You're safe now. I will take care of you." He looked down at me and gave a pained smile. I stared back. Not able to say anything. Mostly due to the last two nuggets I'd stuffed in my mouth, but really due to the fact I didn't want to. He patted my head and made his way to the bathroom, leaving his unfinished meal on the dresser nearby.

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The cab jerked me awake. These memory dreams needed to stop. I can't live with the past, so I live for the future. I live for my family, and for their revenge. That won't happen unless I stop looking back.

The swanky hotel was certainly out of place in the surrounding area. The glass doors opened for me as a bell-hop let me in. Making my way up to our room, I decided to ask for some time to think. I don't need to think. I need to act. Acting keeps me alive. The heavy wooden door swung easily on the obviously well oiled hinges, and the green room beyond matched the hallway. Matched the whole color scheme of the hotel itself. Green.

"Welcome back. Mission accomplished. I know this is your 24th mission, but I truly am impressed by your skills. You will soon be doing this on you own." His once pure silver hair was starting to gray around his soft, laid back ears. Right around the temples. "I got a little something before I made my way back here." He bent down to a little fridge in between the two beds. He brought out a blue frosted cake. White bubbles ringed the bottom edge of the sides and ringed the top, enclosing green writing in the center.

Happy 18th Birthday Sil. He echoed the writing as he set the cake on the little table next to the bathroom door. He tried to be like a father to me, but fathers don't teach their sons to kill. The important thing is that he tried.

Sil? Silhouette.

I am now Silhouette. I never told him my name, nor did I want to. He called me Silhouette because I followed him around like a shadow when I was younger, so he called me his Silhouette. I never spoke. Not until I wanted to.

"Thank you." Baby blue walls flashed through my mind. The blue cake looked so good. I hadn't had cake in a while.

"You're very welcome. Now I have something else to tell you. Before I do that, grab yourself a piece." He tossed me the large hunting knife he keeps strapped to his waist. I sliced a piece off and set it on a paper plate he brought over. If he stopped, then how'd he get here before me? I was closer. Whatever. I never stopped asking questions, but they never left my head. It's best not to press into his methods, he'll tell me the rest of his tricks eventually anyway.

The cake melted in my mouth as I took bites. Slowly but surely, it disappeared. I savored every sugary bite. I became so engrossed in the sweetness of cake, that a small thunk shattered my bliss. A box was sitting next to the cake, and next to the box was the only person in my life, smiling. A warm smile.

I looked at him, "What's this?"

"It's your birthday, so I decided to get you a present."

"No wrapping paper?" I asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Of course not. Too much work, and I was never good at wrapping things." The smile kept the corners of his mouth tugged upward in wrinkles. "And we got another job. Just in time too. That's what the present is for.

I grabbed the box and opened it. A long black knife rattled around the bottom next to a black leather sheath that can strap to my waist. "Now you're ready for your 25th mission." His smile darkened and faded. From that expression, I knew I wouldn't be shooting anyone. This knife was to be christened. Christened through blood.