Assassin

II

The Headquarters of the Western Republic Assassins is a large stone building in the middle of nowhere. Emma tells me that this land used to be known as the Northwest Territories before the war.

The war... The nuclear fight with North Korea that almost destroyed the earth and exterminated humanity. It only ended when there were no more nuclear weapons to fire and each army was so diminished that continuing would have meant one thing: the end of our world.

After the war, the remaining land in the newly formed Eastern and Western Republics was declared infertile due to the radiation emitted by the nuclear weapons used during the fighting. Only now, 200 years after the war, are the devastating effects finally beginning to wear off. Even so, the ground around Headquarters is black and refuses to grow even a small plant.

The building itself is made of white stone and descends several yards into the ground. The lowest levels are devoted to the growing of fruits, vegetables and other foods. The levels nearest to the surface are where the cafeteria, gym, track field, any other training rooms, and living quarters are located.

During my first week at Headquarters I don't leave the infirmary. Most of the time I am unconscious as medicines are pumped through my veins, attempting to repair the damage the smoke caused to my body. After 3 days of my induced coma, the healers begin to put me through a series of gentle exercises that they assure me will strengthen me and reawaken my limbs.

Emma comes to visit me daily, teaching me about the Assassins' history, something that is never discussed in school. Everyone knows that the Assassins exist both in the Eastern and Western Republics, and everyone knows that they were formed to protect the general population from the possibility of another war. Though the existence of the Assassins is common knowledge, it's a subject that is never discussed.

Once I'm deemed healthy, Emma takes me around Headquarters trying to make sure I'm comfortable with its layout. She also establishes a routine. Around eight in the morning, she comes to wake me and takes me down to the cafeteria for breakfast. After we eat, I change into a black tracksuit and we go to the track field where Emma has me run several laps around the track at a light jog. After my run, it's time for core and strength training, two hours of push-ups, sit-ups and lifting heavy objects twice my weight. Once I'm exhausted and my muscles feel like they're filled with lead, it's time for lunch.

The day after I arrived at Headquarters I was weighed and the number of calories that would help me build the maximum amount of muscle was calculated. My lunch usually consists of a bowl of soup, a sandwich, a cup of vegetables and a drink of water. After my meal, Emma and I spend the rest of the afternoon sparring in hand to hand combat. Then dinner and bed.

My days go by in this order and every night I cry less and less as the feeling of numbness spreads from my chest to the rest of my body. This feeling of unreality is what helps me make it through the days. It's as if I can convince myself that my parents aren't gone, that none of this is real, I can hold the emotions that threaten to destroy me at bay.

One afternoon during our sparring session, Emma gets to her feet and sighs, "I think we'll leave it here for today."

"Why? We've been at it for less than two hours," I protest.

"I know," Emma agrees. "But you'll be starting training with the rest of the initiates tomorrow and I want you to be well rested."

A squirm of nervousness makes my stomach clench at the thought of meeting the others. Doing my best to ignore it I ask, "Where do recruits come from?"

"Assassins are recruited at the age of 16 if they have the grades and the physical abilities. Some are born into our order, about half of our recruits are orphans or those who have been abandoned by their families," Emma answers leading the way to the cafeteria.

Orphans, I think to myself. Like me, I am an orphan... Grief, intense, numbing grief blooms in my chest and begins to run through me like blood through my veins. This feeling is so unexpected that when it comes, I stumble and have to grit my teeth against the sobs that are making my throat burn.

"Are you alright Katherine?" Emma asks turning back to look at me.

Not trusting myself to speak, I simply nod, fixing my gaze on the floor. We don't talk much during dinner and after we have finished our meals, I follow Emma back to my room. After I crawl under the covers, I expect her to leave so I can rest but to my surprise she sits down on the edge of my bed.

"I want to talk you through what is going to happen tomorrow," Emma explains. "You'll go down to the gym around eight thirty and meet the other initiates and the head trainer. There will be several stations to prepare you for the test. The head trainer will go through these stations with you. You'll eat lunch and dinner with the others and then you'll move into a bunk with the other female initiates."

Nodding, I lean my head back on my pillows and ask, "What is this test? What will I have to do?"

Emma smiles. "The head trainer will go over that with you."

Sighing, I close my eyes and hear Emma get up from the bed. "Wait," I say opening my eyes. "I never thanked you properly for saving my life," I say feeling my voice begin to shake. "Thank you Emma, I can never repay you for what you have done for me."

Emma smiles and says, "It's not a debt owed." Then she turns and leaves, her red hair disappearing behind the door.

The next morning, I wake to the sound of a soft buzzing in my ear. "Alright, I'm up," I groan not opening my eyes. When the buzzing doesn't stop, I sit up and glare at the camera in the corner of the room; through which I know the infirmary staff are watching me. "I'm up," I say raising my voice. The room falls silent.

Smiling to myself, I stretch and look around the room. On the table beside my bed, I see a folded black outfit and black boots on the floor below it. Swinging my legs to the side, I hold it out in front of me. Upon first inspection, it appears to be just a simple long-sleeved black shirt and leggings, then I notice that a thick leather covers the torso area and shoulders then meets in the back to form one thin line down the center of the shirt. I rub the smooth surface of the leather between my fingers and decide that it must be thick enough to protect the essential organs and the spine from any danger that the wearer might experience.

Looking at the clock, I see that it's almost eight. I quickly pull on the leather outfit, lace up the black boots, and pull my hair into an elastic. Before leaving the room, I grab an ID card that I was given my second day here at Headquarters. This card serves two purposes, when it is scanned in the cafeteria, it causes food specific to that individual to be dispensed, it also allows the carrier access to mostly any room in the building.

I make my way to the cafeteria and after scanning my card; I take my tray of food over to an empty table. Picking up my fork, I quickly begin eating my breakfast of eggs and toast. Once my plate is clean, I press a button on the edge of the table and a circular hole appears sucking the plate into a clear tube that has the same diameter as the plate. Leaving the cafeteria, I head down a long hallway to a stairwell. I descend two flights of stairs and walk down two more long hallways before coming to stand before the tall, heavy, steel gym doors.

I reach my hand towards the door handle, but as my fingertips brush the cold metal I hesitate. This is the day I decide if I want to start a new life. If I want to have new people in my life after everything I have lost. If I want to be an assassin.

Taking a deep breath, I pull open the gym door.