Second Chances - An Assassin Story

One

She was strapped to a metal table. The cold surface against her exposed back made her shiver. What are they going to do to me, she thought. She couldn't see anything around her. The lights were turned off in the room. But light from the hallway faintly glowed in the room. They left her alone in the dark, tied to a table, alone.

Then the door slammed open and the lights turned on, blinding her. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw three doctors in their lab coats surround her. They walked over to the table, and Samantha noticed that a needle and a bottle of yellow liquid were the only things on the counter. The doctor turned away from Samantha and grabbed the needle.

"What did I do?" she asked in a weak voice.

"Nothing. But you must build your pain tolerance," the doctor told her. She opened her mouth to argue that her pain tolerance was the best of the class but she bit her tongue. That was a battle she couldn't win. Outside of the glass on the opposite side of the room, there was a group of people with clipboards watching me.

"This will simulate a full hour of constant torture from the enemy. You can go twenty days without talking, but you can do much better," the doctor said as he filled the vial with the yellow liquid. Samantha tried to slip her hands out of the straps but the straps tightened as she fought.

One of the doctors shoved her head to the right and held it there. The other doctor applied alcohol to an area near her neck. The doctor with the needle walked over to her and slowly stuck her with the needle. Pain erupted through her body she screamed and she felt herself losing consciousness.

"That's it, Scarlet! Be strong," one of the doctors said. They called her Scarlet because of her red hair. After a couple seconds, she lost consciousness, but was woken by someone splashing water to revive her. She felt the pain and blacked out again, but she was revived. And it went on for an hour, until the pain stopped.

One of the doctors walked towards the door and opened the glass. When he returns, Samantha's best friend from the academy, Natasha, runs over to her. Samantha fell into her friend and gave her a weak smile.

"Well done, Scarlet, you don't have to do that again until another year or so," the doctors told her. She smiled in relief and Natasha helped her get out of the torture wing.

They walked down the long hallway and noticed that the door to the river was open and the cold winter air blew in. No one walked down the hallway and, looking around, Samantha noticed the security cameras were turned off.

"Go - get out of here, no one will know," she whispered to her friend.

"No, not without you - they could hurt you because of me," Natasha shook her head and replied.

"I can take the pain and torture. But you shouldn't. Get out of here," Samantha said, using her strength to push Natasha out the door. She waved at her and then closed the door before Natasha could walk back in.

"No! Samantha! They're going to kill you!" Samantha could hear the pain in her voice as Natasha yelled.

"Just go! I'll be fine! I'll see you when this is over!" She called back to her. A tear stained her cheek as she backed away from the door.

Two days later the security guards came to her door, along with the director. He knelt down next to her cot and whispered, "where did she go?"

"I don't know," she said. The director shook his head and snapped his fingers. The guards dragged her to the torture chains and locked her wrists. She promised herself not to fight until she was sure there was a way to get out. And that's when the director through the first punch. Aiming at her face.

~~~~~~
Samantha shot up in bed. She still has that nightmare. Every night, from two years ago in that room. When she got out of the academy, she searched everywhere for her friend.

Sweat drips down her face as she looks at her clock on her nightstand. 5:30, she read. She slowly got out of her covers and made her way towards her bathroom. She starts the shower and looks at herself in the mirror. She brushes her teeth and looks back at herself. Sighing, she steps into the glass shower.

After ten minutes, she gets out and gets dressed in a white blouse and a black, high-wasted pencil skirt. Today is her first job interview and she isn't going to mess it up. She puts on a thin amount of makeup and red lipstick before putting her hair up into a high ponytail. She put on her black high heels and grabs her large, black shoulder bag.

She shuts and locks the door of her apartment after grabbing a protein shake from her fridge. She takes the elevator down to the parking garage and gets into her red Porsche. On her license plate, SCARLET is spelled in red letters.

When she pulls into the parking lot, she parks in a guest parking space and walks into the large, white building. She walks to the front desk and greets the man sitting in the chair.

"How can I help you today, Miss?" He asks.

"I have a meeting with Mr. Johnson," she says proudly.

"Ah, then you must be Miss. Samantha Hurst," he smiles at her. She nods and he says, "his assistant will be down here to get you. Will you please have a seat."

She makes her way to the waiting area and sits down in a chair, getting out her laptop. A picture of Natasha and herself fills the screen. She pulls up her banking document as someone walks over to her.

"Miss Hurst?" The woman asks, "Mr. Johnson will see you now." Samantha gets up and follows the woman towards the elevator after putting her computer away. The woman pushes the top button and the elevator smoothly glides upward. Samantha notices a small tap from the woman's shoe. Annoyed, Samantha focuses on the view behind her. The ocean view from up there was extraordinary.

The ding startles Samantha out of her daze and the two women was through a long hallway with four doors. It was the door at the end of the hall, and Samantha presumes that's the Director's office. To the right of her is a large set of double doors, leading to offices. She could see them through the glass. She made eye contact with one of the agents in the room and she could sense she was familiar, but she can't place it.

She heard her mutter, "oh my god," as Samantha walks into the Directors office. She smiles at the Director and looks at him for instructions.

"Close the door, Ms. Stevens," his voice booms. She utters her apologies and shuts the door. Then he turns his attention towards Samantha and she gives him another smile.

"So you must be-" he's cut off by the door slamming open. The agent from the office walks in and runs towards her. Angrily, he mutters, "Natasha, I'm-"

"Holy shit!" Samantha says cutting him off again. He looks at her shocked as she collides with Natasha. She laughs on the verge of the tears and says, "I looked everywhere! I could find you! Holy shit I'm so sorry!"

"You're alive! You're actually here!" She chokes out, hugging Samantha tighter. A clearing of a throat makes the girls turn towards the Director.

"Natasha, mind filling me in?" He asks her.

"Sir, this is Scarlet. She saved me two years ago. She's the one I was talking about." She says and silence fills the room.