Target (Complete)

Target 17

"So, how did you two meet? Exactly...I remember you telling the kids before that you've met the legendary Alex Parker before, when she was right there..." The boys were making breakfast for everyone bright and early in the morning while everyone else still slept. It was still dark outside. Lucian was taking great pleasure in having designated Finn as his assistant. 

Lucian slowly smiled while chopping some onions. "She was incredible..." he had started to say until he remembered exactly the circumstances in which he first laid eyes on her, his demeanor turned gloomy. "...but I don't know if it is my place to tell her secrets and her history with you. All I can tell you is that her life is not pretty, not for most of us anyway, and she's seen by far the darkest our world has to offer her already."

"Mhh. Right...a change of pace and lifestyle might be something she wishes to have after all." He said under his breath as he put some produce away, a little oblivious having already planned how many kids he'd like her to bear for him. They would be smart, beautiful, and swift killing machines. 

"If you wanna know about my life, all you gotta do is ask, sweet-cheeks." Alex said coming into the kitchen with a sleepy frown on her face that Lucian thought absolutely adorable. "Most of it is, after all, a matter of public record since I entered the Deathdealer program a few years ago. I am pretty sure Alphas have enough clearance on the database for that--or you might have to ask permission to see some of them." She sat down on a stool by the island and motioned for Lucian to pour her some coffee without looking at him--something that slightly annoyed him but he obliged nonetheless. 

"We ran into each other while I was escorting a wolf-diplomat to a middle-eastern wolf-pack. It was actually the mission that recruited her, if I am not mistaken. Back then I wasn't officially on their payroll either." Lucian said trying to steer the conversation away from something he knew would be unsavory to all parties inside the kitchen. 

She raised her eyebrows at him, scoffing a little. "Please, I do hope I made more of a lasting impression than that. I know I was a newbie to the whole super spy, assassin game, and everything...but as I recollect, it wasn't just you who was escorting a diplomat."

Lucian looked her way severely, warning her while setting down the piping-hot latte. "Perhaps that's a story for another day." 

She looked at him dead in the eyes. "When you get the chance, look up incident 41-B/57s-9, is all there on my profile. You might need to ask for permission to see all of it though. Some of the stuff I used to do was less than legit and legal, and some of the stuff I've done since has been somewhat...unsavory." She said seriously, sipping on her coffee. 

Lucian gave a heavy sight. "How are we on getting out of here and having someone pick up our friend in the dungeon?"

"I called the lady in charge who hates me. Left her a message because communications are down and stuff...you know? I think from the point she gets it, we'd have about two hours for her to scramble us out of here."

"Well...we wouldn't want you to go out into the world on an empty stomach. I don't want you thinking that this pack wasn't generous to those who do us favors." Finn said, motioning her towards the food he'd help prepare. 

Subconsciously, Lucian rolled his eyes but continued keeping busy. 

That's when it hit her. 

The kitchen smelled amazing. She could tell the coffee smelled had wafted through the better part of the first floor. The floor where some of Finn's people were supposed to be. Grown men who had probably spent all night guarding a very dangerous wolf. A dangerous wolf who only moved a finger if it somehow made him money. 

"Why would our guest work for a reactive semi-terrorist organization that would probably help put him out of the business of stealthy killing people? That man only gets out of bed if someone pays him to..." She asked, looking directly at Lucian. 

She tried to keep her gaze from reflecting the fear that had shot through her spine the moment she realized the answer to her question. 

Lucian breathed in deeply, grabbing his knife from the counter, slowly making his way towards an oblivious Finn who was doing dishes and putting together the table. 

"Maybe blackmail?" He said, as he was reaching for some coffee cups from the counter. 

Alex slid off her stool slowly, scanning the room for exists and weapons. "Assassins don't care about stuff like that. Most of us don't have anything to hide other than our real identity. Everyone know who he was." She managed to keep her tone even as she made her way towards him. 

"Money?" He said as he turned around and noticed the tension in the room was palpable. 

"Finn, do you have an intercom set up through the house and to the room they The Black Russian in?" 

"No..." He said, his voice cold as realization set in like a cold splash of water in the face. Something was wrong and putting trained killers on the offense. 

In all the years he'd known Lucian, he'd never felt he was ever scared of anything. And all the stories he'd heard of the astonishing Alex Parker, he could not fathom what would merit making such a wolf feel fear. 

Just then, through the french doors that Mrs. Emerson had picked out herself for her perfect kitchen flew in one of Finn's guards, making glass flow everywhere as Lucian threw himself over Finn and Alex threw herself over the counter landing on top of Lucian. 

She gave herself two seconds to compose herself before bolting upright to asses the situation. "Stay down." She muttered towards the bulk that was Finn and Lucian, grabbing a knife from the floor, she looked around. 

The man was alive but unconscious and badly hurt. 

There were about five men that were supposed to be guarding the Black Russian. The house was silent. She could detect the unconscious man breathing still, the heartbeat of the two men at her feet, and a few groans scattered through the house. 

Some of Finn's men were still alive. Hopefully all of them. 

"I learned to hide myself from...people like us a long time ago, gorgeous. No need to pop a vein on my account, trying got concentrate too hard. You would seem without popping some fur.  No need to ruin your pretty face or bother your little head." He said stepping through the whole. He was mostly composed, but visibly shaking. There was a small tick she was able to detect on his right cheekbone.  Maybe he hadn't noticed yet that he was slightly fidgeting with his thumb and shirt sleeve. Her eyes darted to it a little too noticeably. 

He cracked smile. "Those crazy kids done me dirty, precious. You can see the symptoms. I'm a goner." 

"We can help you. Let us help you." Lucian said rising up slowly, with his hands up. "Just let us get our friends to safety."

Alex cringed at his mistake. 

The Russian laughed. "Oh no, sugar. You can't help me. You see...it physically hurts to be myself. That's why Miss Princess could take me out so easily. This drug brings out the best in me, and the best me is no longer tied down by materialistic things, man. I am...better when I'm on the meds they gave me. Truly better attuned. You can't help me, because I don't need no help... I  don't want help."   

Okay,  here is for now, the only place I will post this story. Please comment. Thank you for sticking around until I could get back to writing again. Sorta. 

I will finish this before the fall ends!