The Bounty

Three

Three

It wasn't that hard to find Maria. I followed her for two days and now it was time to engage my target. I also made sure that there were no loose ends.

Maria was just getting out of a cab. She was unaware of me as I followed her in the street.

Jumping up on the roof, I kept her in sight as I ran past her to a quiet alley in the street. There was no other person in sight when I jumped off the roof.

I hid as I waited for Maria to walk past me. She was on her way to her meeting with the corrupt police captain Markus Eysley. He was the one who got her out of jail and he also aided her with some terrorism jobs.

When I saw her passing the alley, I grabbed her and put my hand against her mouth to silence her. She made a startled sound and struggled but my grip was tight.

I spun her around and pressed her against the wall. My eyes started burning and I could feel unearthly strength seeping into my muscles. She tried to scream and I chuckled at the look of fear in her eyes. This was a very familiar reaction.

"So, Maria Layman, why was I sent to kill you?" I asked. "And don't bother screaming. No one will hear you."

I moved my hand slowly from her mouth and she screamed. I waited for her to stop and started laughing. "I told you, didn't I?"

"Wait... you are..." She took in my yellow cat-eyes and the red bandana that covered half my face. "It can't be."

I moved my hand to her neck and squeezed a little. "Maria Layman, I was sent to kill you and that's exactly what I will do."

She stared at me in surprise. "Oh, how rude of me." I pulled back my hood and bandana. "I am Blackwell."

"H-how? You are nothing but a girl." She said girl in a distasteful tone. "This must be a joke."

"If this was a joke, I wouldn't have had a gun in my free hand, now would I?" I lifted my hand to show her my weapon and trained it on her. She squirmed and I moved it closer to her nose.

I already know enough about her to just kill her so I started to pull the trigger. "Wait!" She screamed.

"Why?" I demanded.

"Because I have some very valuable information." She tried to bargain.

"Okay, talk!" I still kept the gun on her.

"W-we found out about a secret military testing base in New York. They are testing weapons on people! I joined the terrorist movement to put a stop to them." She took a deep breath and I squeezed her neck hander.

"On what people are they testing this weapons?" I demanded and her face started to turn red from the lack of oxygen.

"Some of the victims were marines and others are people in hospitals who have no family." She scratched at my hands.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"N-no." She cried so I finally pulled the trigger. Blood splashed on my face and there was a massive hole between her eyes. I tasted the metallic blood in my mouth and the smell overwhelmed me. Covering my face with my hood and the bandana, I let her fall to the ground.

I ripped her shirt and jacket off and made my signature beta mark on her back. I took a photo as proof and left her in the snow which was already turning red around her.

***

I was so glad when Shaw didn't give me a new assignment straight away. Even murderers needed a vacation now and then. He told me that he will call me if he has a new target for me.