The Project

1: Eric

October 17th, 10:58 pm
Rooftop of Ortega National Bank headquarters

Target's name: Rick Tadashi-Vienna
Target's age: 29
Target's occupation: Marketing Manager of Danish Delights
Target's location: Claremont Suites, top floor, no more disclosed information
Preferred Method of Assassination: Not specified
Deadline: 11:30 pm, October 17th
Recommendations: Don't kill anyone else, even if they're a threat.
Clean up Crew Status: In the area, on call
Hitman Status: In position
Target's Status: Alive... for now

I impatiently tapped on the side of my thigh, a habit that I displayed whenever I was bored. Damn, it was cold. I should've brought a jacket. Then again, if I get chased it might slow me down. I checked the time again. I had thirty-one minutes before the deadline. I heard a guy talk in my earpiece. "Target is pulling in at the entrance." I recognized the voice of Ezra, the guy who always helped me with hits. He was amazing at estimation and observation, but this time, we had two extra spies checking on the target. It was too important of a mission to take any risks. There was one posing as a maid on the floor of the target's suite and another as an electrician in the lobby. Luckily, Rick didn't have many bodyguards or security precautions, probably because he thought, who would wanna kill me, a jolly lil' guy who works for a pastry company? Answer: his wife. Apparently he'd cheated on her several times, had an illegitimate child, and wrote in his will that if he were to die, his finances would go to her. She had to pay around sixty thousand, considering the risks, location, and lack of some information, but she treated it like no big deal, probably because his bank account is way, way more than a mere sixty thousand. Lucky lady. I kept an eye out for a scrawny guy in his late twenties that's 5'1 with shoulder length black hair and thick rimmed glasses.
"He's wearing a cornflower blue button down with a black tie."
I recognized the voice of Ivy, the woman posing as an electrician in the lobby. "His hair is also tied back. He's walking at around two miles per hour towards the elevator, and he's halfway across the lobby."
I did some math in my head, adjusting the Kabuki mask on my face. Considering the speed of the Claremont Suites elevator, how fast he's moving, and the distance, that means he'd be at his door in about... four minutes, give or take, if he keeps a constant speed and the elevator doesn't malfunction or something. I glanced at the giant windows looking straight into the walkway of his room. This should be a piece of cake, since I had a such a good shot. Compared to every other hit I've done, this was child's play. Baby's play, if that's a thing. "The elevator just left with him in it." Ivy informed us. In the background was quiet chatter and the occasional burst of fake laughter. I hoped that no one could hear her. That could compromise the mission.
"Are you in position?" Ezra asked. I nodded, then remembered he couldn't see me. I needed to check on Daniel, the guy posing as a maid on the top floor. "Yeah. Daniel, is he on the top floor yet?"
"No. But his bodyguards are starting to get suspicious of me, I think. They're staring me down every time I pass by his Suite. Do I have any options? Could I kill them? I could totally just knock 'em out, you know?"
I rolled my eyes. There goes Daniel, still trying to hone his nonexistent skills.
"Hell no, Daniel. We're only here for our target, that's it." Ivy irritatedly responded.
I wished this was a solo mission. So bad. Then I wouldn't have to deal with these people. I could probably do everything on my own anyway, it's not like any of this was hard. But my father, of course, ordered me to work with them to "build people skills." This wasn't the best time to do that, but I never really bothered to talk to my father longer than necessary. Don't get me wrong. Ivy was okay. Out of ten missions, she's only had mishaps during one. Daniel, on the other hand, was known for being a little difficult. This was one of his first days back on the field after probation. Out of the twelve missions, he'd completed, he messed up three. Daniel was honestly lucky my father hadn't gotten rid of him yet. I checked my sniper rifle one last time to make sure it was locked and loaded, then fingered the extra ammo I had at my side, just in case. But I doubted I needed to use them. I've been doing this for a really long time. Probably way too long. I was prepared for anything. Knives in both boots, ropes around both knives to secure them, an extra pistol on my belt, retractable grapple strapped on my back, an armored bulletproof suit, and smoke bombs in my pockets. The others had the same. Speaking of the others...
I took another careful glance at the at the top floor windows. There was still no sign of entry into his suite. "Daniel. Any sign of him?"
His elevator should've arrived by now. He didn't answer for far too long. I counted one minute... then three.
"Hello?" Ezra frantically called. This wasn't good. Daniel always had his earpiece on and always responded. He may have slipped up often, but still. This wasn't like him. Something must've gone wrong. I had a feeling that those bodyguards Daniel had mentioned earlier were the cause.
"Ivy, you know what's happening?" I stared at the entryway window like I could burn a hole through it.
"I'm heading over to check it out now..." She responded panting, like she was running. "but the elevators aren't coming back down. I'll take the stairs, but it'll take me a little under four minutes to climb all those flights."
Four minutes... I checked my watch. It was 11:10 now. We only had twenty minutes. Did we have four more to spare? I wasn't sure if I could take the risk, but I ran through the threats and possibilities in my head. Daniel could've been compromised for all we know. If that were the case and the assassination was revealed, Rick would be put into protection and we might not be able to get to him this time. Then we wouldn't reach the deadline. On the other hand, if he had been captured or is in the process of interrogation by those suspecting body guards and hasn't revealed us yet and Ivy gets there in time, she just might be able to help him escape. If barely. "Ezra," I tapped my earpiece to re-sync it, just in case. "Would it be possible for you to see what's going on through the security cams?"
He was already tampering with them, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem, right? "I could, but..." I could clearly hear him hesitate. "I'd have to stop interfering with the footage to look at the current stuff happening. If I do that, then there's a big chance that whoever's watching the cameras right now could see Ivy and probably Daniel, too."
Why didn't I think of that? I reconsidered my options. I had some rope tied around my ankles that secured the knives, plus some wrapped around the grappling hook just in case. We ran through an emergency scenario almost like this in briefing. One where I'd have to directly become involved. If they were long enough...
I started throwing out the knives and untying the rope. Maybe I could luck out. Where I am is pretty close to the window I meant to shoot into. I would estimate... maybe 5 and a half... no, six meters. Or seven? Somehow, maybe I could hook onto the ledge of the rooftop and swing into a suite. It wouldn't be his, but I didn't have much of a choice if I was going to swing in from here. "Ivy, how much more time?"
"Two minutes," She panted. "I think."
I stared at the glass and tried to think about how thick it would be. Last time they replaced their windows was fifteen years ago, before the massive "life-proof" windows were invented. I think the current windows were standard. It would only take a really strong wrecking ball to break it. In that case, that wrecking ball was going to be me. It's not like I've never done it before.
"Eric." Ezra said cautiously. "Eric, if you're scheming something, stop. Ivy and Daniel have everything under control."
I tied my two ropes together in an impossible knot, then threw everything I didn't need off my body. "I can't take that chance. Daniel hasn't done that much field work or close combat and Ivy tends to go off instinct before analyzing the situation. I'm not saying they're incompetent, I'm just saying it'd be better if I could maybe reinforce them."
I heard Ezra sigh. "Ivy, you got that?"
"Yeah." She sounded a little offended. I wanted to say sorry, but we had time for that after our target was killed. "I have only three more flights, hold on. I'll tell you Daniel's situation before leaping in this time." She mumbled.
Passive aggressive words, typical of Ivy.
I took the grapple tied it to the end, setting it to activate once it hit a solid surface before chucking it to the Claremont Suites rooftop ledge. I felt the grapple take a strong hold. I stared at the floor I estimated that I'd drop into. The lights inside this person's suite were on. It was directly two floors under Daniel's last location. I tested the rope by tugging it slightly. I hoped it'd be mostly safe. "I'm going in. Should be on your floor in a few."
"What?" Ivy and Ezra both interjected.
Before they could stop me, I got a running start, grabbed the designated part of the rope, and leaped off towards the window. I lifted my feet in front of me in a position to break the window. I flew for a few milliseconds more, then I felt impact. I effortlessly smashed through the window, tucked, and rolled. I overestimated how far the wall was from the window. I bumped right into it with my leg, but nothing was broken. Glass shards surrounded me, but the armored suit and mask served as good protection. I slid my mask on and hoped that if anyone was in the apartment, they were too scared to come out.
I took out my pistol and exited the random person's suite. "I'm in." I whispered into the earpiece.
I heard someone face palm, presumably Ezra because Ivy should currently be on the top floor within a hand's reach of imminent danger. "Ivy. What's the situation?"
"I-I don't know. I can't find them in any of the hallways. I think they pulled Daniel into Rick's suite, maybe so they could interrogate him themselves privately, and then contacted Rick to stay away?"
That's a good guess. I started bolting up the stairs. "Wait, Ivy... do the elevators even work?"
"They should. Rick just entered one a few..."
I reached Ivy's floor and immediately found her bright electrician's uniform in the middle of an empty hallway. "Ezra, did Rick's car ever leave?" She asked into her earpiece.
"No. It's still out here." He responded. "If they did happen to tell him about our scheme, it would've left by now, right?"
I glanced at the elevator. The indicator said it was on floor six for an awfully long time. "Is it stuck?" Ivy asked me.
"I hope so." I muttered.
I forced open the elevator doors to reveal a shaft with the actual lift car about six and a half stories down. It got stuck between floors, so it'd be difficult for him to escape if they pried the doors open. "Change of plans." I told Ezra. "We'll force our way into the lift car and kill him there before people come to help him."
"We don't have a lot of time before help comes." Ivy glanced at Rick's suite. "And... what about Daniel?"
I checked my watch. 11:19. Only eleven minutes before the client's deadline. "Ezra, do you see anybody like firefighters or officers making their way into the building? No, but they're pulling up, and... now they're in. They'll get to the sixth floor by stairs in maybe two and a half minutes."
I set a mental timer for three minutes, estimating the time it might take them to pry open the doors and help him out. I decided to distract the aid, then get to the target. I was wearing a mask, after all. And there were two bodyguards Daniel mentioned, which needed to be taken care of as well. "Ivy, take this." I handed her the pistol. "There's two bullets. You'll need it to get Daniel."
Her hazel eyes bolted at the gun, then to me in realization. "Eric-"
I shoved it towards her more impatiently. "We have a mission to complete, subordinate. Either you take the gun and go find Daniel or I leave with it right now and hope Daniel's sorry ass doesn't die."
She snatched it from my hand, a resolute look in her eye. "Okay. Don't... do anything stupid, okay?"
"Same to you."