Strings - A Winter Story

-3-

"I notice everything I just act like I don't"

The sound of solid object hitting glass through a thin wall is enough to stir Autumn into a completely awake state. Autumn lies as still as calm water but her senses are working over time, her ears working the hardest. She slowly reaches for the gun down the side of her bed whilst keeping her eyes glued to the ceiling. Grasping it she moves her head carefully to look in the direction of the bathroom door, the origin of the noise. A thin wooden door divides the bathroom from the bedroom, a bullet could easily slice through it Autumn imagines. She can hear something or someone but the mystery and uncertainty makes her question it. However, her gut is telling her to get the hell out of bed so that's what she does. She rolls swiftly and silently out of the bed and quietly stuffs the pillows under the duvet, a textbook move.

Autumn then quickly tiptoes so she is beside the wardrobe which is next to the bathroom door. Her heart thumps rapidly as the threat of an attack heightens. She grips the gun tighter when she hears the bathroom door open slowly, however all it's joints creak with the movement. Autumn pushes herself back against the wall to make herself small and hidden, the wardrobe helping to shield her small frame.

With her eyes being the only thing moving, they connect with the nuzzle of a gun as it comes into view to her right hand side on the other side of the wardrobe. A man in full armour is carefully treading towards the bed where he believes she is fast asleep. Amateur move Autumn mentally analyses. She watches his movements carefully, definitely a trained soldier by the way he holds himself. He stalks like a predator, silent and deadly. Autumn notes the gun he has in his hand, the other in his holster and the knife in his boot. The handgun has a silencer on it. Someone wants Autumn dead without noise and commotion, professionals she concludes. When he is within two feet of the bed Autumn inhales a deep breath and in her head says her lines.

"I had strings but know I'm free. I've got no strings on me".

Ready and prepared, Autumn launches at the man, who is completely taken by surprise. She kicks the gun from his hand sending it flying into the wall. She quickly punches him in the jaw, feeling the bone shatter under her fist. The assassin quickly reaches for his second gun in defence but Autumn has already anticipated his move. She kicks him firmly in the family jewels which sends him buckling to his knees, crying out in pain. Always a good move against a male opponent. Autumn pants but she doesn't stop her attack. She takes this chance to jump on to his shoulders from behind and in one swift action, snap his neck. His body falls limp onto the floor in a heap and Autumn ends up sitting on his back.

Before she has time to steady herself the main door flings open and two more similarly dressed men enter. Autumn reads their faces like a book, they weren't expecting their fellow attacker to be dead so this gives Autumn a split second to grab the knife out of his boot and fling it at the man in front. With her perfect accuracy, it slices straight into his throat. His left hand instinctively goes to pull it out which would be the fatal move. By pulling it out, he slices his own carotid artery with blood spewing from the wound as proof. He falls to the ground dying in a pool of his own blood, he won't last the minute.

Now unarmed Autumn sprints bravely towards the second man who is raising his gun to shoot her. With all her strength she tackles him sending him slamming back down on to the floor. Swiftly, she jumps straight back up but so does he. However he has lost his gun but has his military knife in his hand. A smirk works its way across his scarred weathered face.

"Let's put a smile on that little pretty face" he teases raising the knife so Autumn can see, but his attempt at threatening her only cause her to grin back.

The man lunges at her attempting to stab her, which she easily dodges. He repeats that move and she just about dodges it, the knife just slicing her arm. She could feel the warm liquid ooze down her arm but she doesn't take her eyes of the man. Another smile embroiders on to his face when he sees the blood, the injury he inflicted.

Pay back time she concludes as suddenly Autumn jumps at the man and knocks the knife from his hands. Her unclothed legs wrap tightly around his neck as she sits on his shoulders. Her small frame made it easier for her to do the iconic Widow move. The man grabs a piece of her hair and pulls down hard, causing her to snap her head backwards. Autumn grits her teeth and blocks out the pain. With his hand in her vision, she snaps her head and clamps her teeth down on his hand that has her hair, tasting the rusty flavour of his blood. This causes the man to lose his grip on her and he topples over sending Autumn down with him. They crash down hard and roll off in different directions, fortunately Autumn landing beside the knife. She grabs it just in time as the man slams into her side sending her on to her back.
His quick reactions results in him quickly sitting on top of her, his huge hands clamping down around her throat. However, he hasn't seen the knife. Using this advantage, he also didn't expect to feel a sharp pain in his right arm as Autumn stabs it deeply with the knife. With him distracted Autumn crawls out roughly, her knees burning against the carpet before she spins and ends up behind him. She places one hand on his forehead, the other gripping the knife under his throat, his blood trickling down and onto his uniform. Her bare legs wrap around his torso trapping the use of his arms.

"Who do you work for?" She angrily demands as she threatens him with the knife. She could have sworn she hears him chuckle.

"Cut off one head and two more shall takes its place" he cryptically responds in a low husky voice as he crunches down on the cyanide capsule lodged in his molar. Foam quickly forms around his mouth and Autumn releases her grip upon him knowing that he just signed his own death cert.

All three attackers dead. She stands in the middle of the room panting as she is surrounded by blood and bodies.

"I've got no strings so i have fun. I'm not tied up to anyone "

Her professional instincts kick in, she needs to get out now. She grabs a towel and wipes down every surface, weapon and exposed skin in the room. She slides into a pair of sweatpants and gathers all her equipment into her rucksack and back bag. Aware of the time aspect, she needs to move now as her little tango would have definitely caused a lot of noise.
With her handgun in her hand, she approaches the main door and listens. With minimal noise, she opens it and head first peers out. She releases a building sigh of relief as she doesn't see anymore armed soldiers. Only one person down the far end has come out of their room to try and find the source of the disturbance. Autumn quickly turns her back on them and with her bags in toll, darts off in the opposite direction towards the fire escape. She could hear the woman dialing 911 and that is a good incentive to speed up.  She can't get caught, she just killed three people.

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By the time the police arrive, Autumn is long gone. She has walked three blocks east and is hiding on the rooftop of an apartment block. She can hear the sirens as the sound travels far in the wind.

She is puzzled by the last soldiers final words. They were H.Y.D.R.A no doubt about that. She hasn't had a run in or any contact with H.Y.D.R.A in well over a year. Why did they want her dead now she questions. After their last encounter she had expected them to come after her right away, they never did. Autumn ponders on how it is weird to wait a year to come after someone, there must be another reason.

She sits on the rooftop with her back against a concrete wall looking out at the city ahead. She sighs as she knows when H.Y.D.R.A want someone or something they don't stop until they get it, the same applies for wanting someone dead. They won't stop until they have her head on a stick. She knows this all too well because she had once worked for them, so she knows them inside and out.
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"I think a lot but don't say much"