The Assassin ✓

Chapter Seven

*Update daaay! As usual, don't forget to click play on the song above. And, also, in this chapter: 

Bold - present Vanessa, talking to Tom. || Italic - flashbacks.

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"When I was about 20 years old .. due to unfortunate circumstances, I earned my money with, um... killing. And I, uh, had an order - a young man, not much younger than me."

"Shoot." Vanessa heard a voice. She looked at the young guy, the victim, the "order", the kid, who was looking at her just as desperately as she was looking at him. Her arm was hurting because of the bullet in it; she felt the gun to her head. It was either the kid or her. She had to choose. Vanessa could barely stand upright. No way she could pull the trigger. Was the kid aware she couldn't help him? Did he know that if she dies, he dies anyway? Was he expecting she would fight for his life the same way she'd fight for her own? She knew she would die. They both would.

"But desperate times call for desperate measures. I knew I couldn't kill him. And I had a crazy idea. So we managed to break free and we ran."

The kid looked dead inside.

"For fuck's sake, they'll be here in a minute, so if you have any will left to live, you will come with me now." She growled. Something changed in Oliver's face and he stood up. Vanessa ran out of the room, dragging him with her. The abandoned building had 12 levels - she ran down, jumping over several steps at a time, almost tripping herself and definitely tripping the kid. She was counting in her mind. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Th-

"Where are they?" A male voice from downstairs said. Vanessa immediately stopped. There was a dark room next to the staircase. She pushed the kid inside and put a hand over his mouth. He wasn't talking, but his nervous breathing was too loud. Vanessa desperately tried to think. As the men ran upstairs, she pulled out her cell and dialed Marcus's number. As they passed, one of them stopped next to the door.

"What's in there?"

She felt like fainting. Two seconds later, just as he was about to step in the room, the phone rang upstairs and they started running up again. As soon as they got past them, Vanessa yanked the kid's sleeve and ran outside.

They knew this was life or death. They got out, reached the car, she started the engine and jammed the accelerator pedal into the floor.

"We ran and hid for a while, but eventually my wounds got worse and, after I fainted, Oliver, the guy I saved, made the mistake of checking me into a hospital.. And there .. we met Henry... Your father."

She pushed Oliver out of the door. "Run!"

She started running in the opposite direction from where the darkhaired man went. They ran through a maze of hospital hallways, right, left, right again, until Vanessa reached a door that led to a staircase. As she opened it, she heard an all to familiar gun click behind her head and a man, speaking in a low, quiet, yet very determined voice.

"Stop."

Vanessa froze and watched in shock, as Oliver didn't. He turned arond towards the man and suddenly his face lit up. Oliver seemed relieved. Vanessa slowly turned around and looked at their enemy. He was tall, dark eyes and dark hair, wearing an expensive looking suit that fit him perfectly. He seemed familiar. Maybe it was his eyes or facial features.. she was thinking for a few seconds, until Oliver spoke; one word, spoken in a way that should heal all of the world's diseases and all of their wounds. It was hope.