Trust and Flirtation

Chapter Three

"Hey, what are doing here?" The bartender asked me as I walked in.

I looked around and grinned. "I'm here to see the client. Tell him Ian Clancy has returned."

The bartender looked unfazed. "It is sweet to view the sea..."

"...When standing on the shore," I finished.

"The client is waiting for you, Mr. Clancy," The bartender said, satisfied with my answer.

I walked toward the back of the room where a man was sitting behind a desk.

"Mr. Walker?" I asked.

The man in the chair turned around, revealing a man, covered in scars and scratches.

"Please, Ian," He said. "Call me Alan. Sit, please," He added, gesturing to a nearby seat.

I sat down. "Alan, the target..."

"Dr. Simon Reid," Alan Walker finished for me.

"Yes, sir," I said. "Target was eliminated. No witnesses."

Two weeks ago...

"Witness claim to have seen a sniper on the roof," one of the cops called through his radio.

I heard that message through the radio because I had nicked one of the police radios on my way up.

Grabbing my briefcase, I disassembled the sniper and packed it inside the briefcase.

Suddenly, the door to the roof burst open and at least five SWAT enforcers burst in with their assault rifles pointing at me.

"Hands up!" One of the SWAT Enforcers yelled at me.

I groaned. "You guys really don't want to mess with me."

"You're under arrest," The SWAT Enforcer said.

I sighed and shook my head, grinning. "You just don't get it, do you?"

Explosions shook the roof as IEDs that I'd installed into the roof exploded knocking the SWAT Enforcers in different directions.

I grabbed my suitcase and jumped through a window, shattering it as I spotted my target.

As I landed hard on the floor, I felt some glass stab into my arm, causing some minor bleeding.

I quickly whipped out my pistol and focused on the target.

"Dr. Simon Reid," I said, "You're on my boss' hit list."

"Freeze!" A police officer yelled, running into the room, his gun pointing at my back.

Dr. Reid turned around. I suddenly recognized his face. How could I forget a face that had brought me pain?

***

Three years ago...

January 21st, 2046- Earth One

I woke with a start.

"Ian?" A girl said, sitting up next to me. "Are you alright?"

I looked over and saw Annika Rose, sitting up in bed next to me.

"I'm fine," I lied, kissing her on the forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Annika laughed and pushed me back onto the bed. "You are such a terrible liar, Ian," She said, kissing me on the lips. "What's wrong?"

I was about to answer when I heard the door to my apartment getting blown off its hinges.

I pushed Annika off the bed and fell down right next to her.

"Stay here," I told Annika.

Annika's face was filled with fear. "Ian, I love you," She said it like it was the last time she'd get to say it to me.

I didn't really know how to answer, so I just said, "You're going to be fine. Just stay here."

Annika began to cry. "Ian, don't leave." She begged me.

"Hey," I said, grabbing Annika's hand, "You'll be okay, I promise. Just stay quiet, okay?"

Annika nodded.

I grabbed a gun from a drawer next to me and loaded it. I handed another one to Annika.

"Use this to defend yourself," I told Annika.

Annika grabbed my hands and pulled me in close. Her lips were so soft against mine. I wanted this moment to never end.

However, the moment I heard gunshots, I broke off the kiss.

"I gotta go," I told Annika.

Annika nodded, and I slipped on a t-shirt and ran to my apartment's entrance, only to find it cut off by a man wearing a long brown trench coat.

"Who are you?" I asked, pointing my gun at the man.

"My name is Simon Reid," The man said. "You can put the gun down, Ian."

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

Simon Reid ignored my question. Instead, he pulled out a gun and pulled back the hammer.

"Wait, you don't want to do that," I said, terrified.

The gun went off with a loud bang. Missed.

"You're going to have to do better than that," I said, springing forward and disarming him of his weapon.

Just then, Annika came running in the room, gun outstretched.

"Annika, no!" I yelled.

"This girl means something to you, Ian?" Reid asked.

Seeing the tears in my eyes, Reid pulled out a knife and lunged.

"Your weakness is the girl, Ian," Reid said, kicking me to the side.

Annika stood rigid. "I swear, if you hurt him..."

Reid sneered. "You care about him too, do you?" He asked. He kicked me in the gut.

"Stop!" Annika yelled, now crying.

Reid picked up his fallen gun lying in the palm of my hand.

"This is it, Ian," Reid said. "Now, she dies."

"NO!" I yelled, tackling Simon Reid, just as his gun went off.

"Ian?" Annika asked.

I looked up. Annika's white shirt was covered in blood.

"No!" I yelled, running to Annika.

Reid got up and starting running toward the window.

I turned around just in time to see Simon Reid jump out my apartment window, down 13 floors and land on the pavement below.

I quickly refocused my attention on Annika.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

Annika nodded.

I threw her arm over my shoulder and together we walked towards my car.