Nation Assassination

Chapter Sixteen

I faced forward again, keeping my distance while i thought of a plan. I know this has to be part of the test... it has to. And every planned scenario has the perfect outcome if you play it right. I scanned the crowd, who was facing forward and away, but i noticed some looked away from the group. Not only did i have to evade ordinary people, i had to evade other, high trained assassins. Although they aren't hostile, i have to act like they are or ill get caught.

I had one of those moment where something just clicks. My eyes darted to a poll holding up some netting around the edge of the grounds, and then to a flag hanging from the top of the poll, and then to the crowd, and then back to the poll. If i can find a way to distract the crowd with the flag, i can climb up the the netting like rope and slide down the poll.

"There's no time to waste" I could hear Jean say, but i couldn't see him. "Soon, they will grow bored and search for you. If your gonna go, go now."

At hearing the word 'now', i sprung into action. I put my hood up and crossed the outside of the grounds. As i passed by the edge of the crowd, i saw someone had a dagger hanging out of their back pocket. It didn't alert me, though. We were all assassins, and seeing someone with a concealed weapon wasn't exactly threatening. What did perk my attention, though, was that it was hanging out. As i passed by him, as silently as i could, i slipped the knife out of his pocket. The man turned a bit, but didn't see me because not only am i short, i'm thin.

Even if he was to turn around again, he wouldn't see me. As soon as i had the knife, i was gone. I saw Jean in the crowd a few times, looking right at me. I hated how he was able to slip around so easily without being noticed.

I stood just under the flag, that was about forty feet in the air. I wanted to throw the knife at the flag and cut it down. The wind was blowing the right direction, so the flag would float down onto the crowd... and if i'm judging their instincts, since their assassins, the flag should immediately alert their attention to the direction it came from, meaning i had to move fast or i would be seen. While they're scanning the pole and netting from the area the flag fell from, i would have to run as fast as i could to the opposite side of the grounds... but that's a long run... i thought as i walked silently to the flag.

"Once you're inside, your safe. Your task is to make it inside and wait for further instructions." I heard Jean's voice again.

I scratched my plan completely. New plan: climb up, cut down flag, and then jump.Once i was inside, i was safe.

I ran the rest of the way and put the blade between my teeth. I ignored the pain that was starting to form in my left arm, it was just a gash reopening. Instead of focusing on the pain from the thin rope in my hands, the pain from my arm, and the fear of falling. I instead focused on climbing.

Left foot, right arm. Left arm, right leg. Repeat.

As i climbed, i thought about Francis. This was for him. This one, right now, was just for him.

I lied to myself and told myself, if i do this, if i can do this and complete my task, i could see him again. Inside, i knew it wasn't true. Deep down, i knew i would never be able to see him, talk to him, hear his voice... never again. All because of the monster i despise the most. Training at the NA to be an assassin... it wasn't for redemption. It was for vengeance. Not only did they tear away my family, my only friend in the world, but they tore away my dignity.

They're the reason i had to become a thief. A fighter, a murderer.

Yes, i killed people before. On the streets, it was dog eat dog. If you weren't a hunter, you were the hunted. If you weren't a predator, you had to be prey. Where i come from, people killed people over a shirt. Over less than a pound of food. Food that they could scarf down in seconds. They would take a life that could never be gotten back, just so they could live another day. No, not live. Survive. There's a huge difference between living and surviving.

I killed lots of people. In fact, i was what you could call a hitman for a while. When i was at my lowest point, a rich man found me. He would give me a full dinner, and then send me out to kill someone who had done him wrong.

After a while, his reasons grew more and more petty. At first, it was serious business, like the first time i killed for him was the man that had raped his daughter. I was okay with killing people like that. But soon, he began to send me after people that didn't deserve to die. I murdered a clerk who had given him two cents to short of change. The clerk could never go home to see his family ever again, just so i could eat my next meal.

I grew tired of it.

When i refused to kill a woman who had rejected him, he tried to kill me. Like i said, dog eat dog. I was determined to live. He was rich, had everything he could every want, but he didn't have my determination. His attacks were flimsy, while mine were strong and full of rage.

That man is dead now, just like everyone else he sent me after. I have a bad reputation in Ameron, but not here. Not here at the NA. Here, i am safe. But i can only stay here if i can be of use to their ranks... which is why i was going to work my ass of to help them in their cause.

I just hate that they think i'm innocent. I have more blood on my hands than three of these guys put together. But they don't know that. And they never will.