The Dumpster

Girl Gang

I took a deep breath before looking out of the scope. My target was moving slowly through a crowd of bystanders. There was no clear shot. I waited until the bystanders were left behind. I aimed at their heart. My finger was already pressing the trigger. Then I got a call.

I was in the Amazonian Sisters for most of my life. When I was ten, I was taken from my family to go train with them. You see, they recruit unusual little girls to join their ranks. Very unusual little girls. Sometimes their radar goes off on them, and sometimes the media gets there first.

"You're late for breakfast child," Mother said in her usual tempered voice.

"That is because I'm completing an assignment at the moment," I frowned. The target was out of sight. "And I lost them, thanks to your call."

"Today's breakfast is a very important one Helena. You need to be here. You have an hour," she ended the call.

"Damm," I scratched my neck. There was no time to eliminate the target. I sighed. I guess that was an "abandon your mission" call. It better have not been.

My rifle was at ready. I shook my head and started to take it apart and place it into a bag that I had brought along. I was always allowed to miss breakfast, but why not today? I started down the steps of the building. The streets of this city were bustling. I made my way towards a Victorian house. On top it looked like every other house from that era, but below, there were multiple stories of training facilities, lodging, and cells. Today, most of us would be in the house.

"Hello, sister," Mallory greeted me at the front.

"Hello Mallory. How was Paraguay?" I replied smugly. She sneered. Everyone knew that Paraguay was a disaster.

"Up yours Helena," she growled. "Meet me after."

"Thanks Honey," I waved as I trotted in. All the sisters were around the table already. I waved awkwardly. Mother glared at me. "Hello Mother."

"We waited for you to show up before we started. Sit down. Ryder will be serving us soon," Mother said, gesturing to the table.

"Thank you, Mother," I nodded. I sat down next to Nora.

"Now the breakfast may commence," she said in a loud, official voice. Breakfast was an oral report of the previous day's activities. Everyone would make a brief speech and continue on what they were doing before. Of course, we cycled through everyone, so most only reported in once a week. Then there was some like me that reported in once a month IF you're lucky.

"Helena. Helena. Your turn," Nora aroused me from my thoughts. I glanced around and stood up, as was customary. I adjusted my sleeves and shook out my hair.

"Well, in this past month I've got certain intel on a very important Son of Cain. From what I could get out of the one I was interrogating they recruited an alchemist not too long ago. He's said to be fairly old and skilled at what he does. Whatever THAT is," I stated surely.

"How exactly did you get that type of information from a  Son?" someone asked.

"I managed some truth serum down his throat. He, uh, gladly complied. Anyways, I've been attempting to assassinate the alchemist. As you all know, alchemists as old as he is said to be are very dangerous. So I've given myself that as a mission," I ended as I sat back down.

"Thank you Helena. Any further intel must be reported in to us. Every month," Mother instructed.

I frowned, "But Mother! I've been hunting him for almost a year without aid! Why now?"

"Because!" she snapped. "You are suspended until further notice! Breakfast completed."

"But…," I sat there as everyone was leaving. Nora patted my back.

"It'll be fine Helena, she's been keeping a lot out of the field. I got taken out yesterday," she tried to comfort me. She slipped something into my back pocket, "Working with the computers is fun though. I have to go. See you later."

"Goodbye," I waved. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a flash drive wrapped in a paper. I blinked and unfurled it. It had a little note on it.

Helena,
Go to the computers and copy all the files on here, as soon as you can. Thank you.
- Nora

I frowned. Why was she so secretive about it? Is this not commissioned? Why was Nora doing unsanctioned work? I jogged down the stairs into the control room.

"You took a while," Nora sighed. She pushed her chair back and turned around. "So I've noticed that they've been bringing us all in." She stood up and walked to the screen, pressing small combinations, and bringing up a diagram. She enlarged it and stepped aside. "I've found the call order passed down Mother and Rowena. It says that there's an impending attack on us, but I can't see why we're stuck in here."

"Yes. That is unusual. Unless it's something calculated. Nora, can you pull up a list of their recent contacts?"  I glanced at her. She nodded and tried to pull it up, but it was repeatedly denied.

She frowned, "I have high access, but it's being denied. That's even more unusual."

"Why are you telling me this Nora?" I asked, glancing at her, frustration looming.

"You're the only one that I could think of to tell. I think something bad is happening Helena. Something very bad," she looked up at me in concern.

"You're right. Crap. Someone sold us out to the Sons," I pushed my hair back. "Someone high up. Nora, we can't report this. But we need to. Crap."

"I know. We're in deep. This needs to stop. But, I have no idea how high up it goes," she sighed. "As far as I'm concerned, Mother is at the-" The whole building shook.

"The Sons!" I cried out. "Nora, start rounding up people and lead them out. I'll wipe the drive."

"Helena! No, no, no. You have to come with us! You might die. You can't. Leave the computers," she shouted back at me.

"Nora. You asked me to do this. Go before they get down this far. Please," I sighed, shoving her out, and locking the door behind her.

I slid into her chair and pulled myself into the desk. I put the flash drive in and downloaded all the files. There was noises outside the door, and somewhere in the distance there was screaming. The flash drive blinked when everything was downloaded and I removed it. I wiped the hard drive and  began tearing out as many wires as I could. Crap. Crap. Crap. I'm so dead.

I ran into the armory, grabbed a loaded Glock, and looked for the escape. The door was being kicked. I found the hatch and started climbing down, closing it behind me. Everything went black. I climbed down using only my touch. You'll be okay.

Blood rushed to my ears and I listened. My feet touched the floor. I touched my fingertips to wall on my right. I walked slowly in the dark. They hadn't pursued me. I felt another ladder and began to climb back up. My head hit something and I pushed up. Light flooded in and I squinted.

Someone hoisted me up and I pushed them away. I slipped and fell to the floor. I glanced up at a larger man and blinked. Holy crap. The alchemist.

"Hello. Why did you come out of the floor?" he asked pensively.

"Who are you?" I demanded, shoving him against a counter. The tunnel had led me to some sort of tourist shop.

"I think you know who I am. You've been tracking me for weeks. The name is Johnathan Pratt, and I am an alchemist. You're not good at being sneaky," he smirked. I felt something jab my side and glanced down. A knife.

"You're a dick," I spat at him.

He raised his eyebrows, "Well, that's not nice. Besides, who has who cornered?"

"Shut up," I growled.

"No," he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Grow up," I shoved him back against the counter.

"I am way older than you, honey," he smirked. "Way older. And I am rather youthful, yes."