The Assassin's Assistant

Chapter One

Chapter One - LUX

Before you go and judge me, I want to let you know that I didn't plan for things to go this way. It's not about anything personal, it never is. It's about survival. And luxury. Plain and simple.

Pounding entered my dreams. Boom. Boom. Boom. My head shot up. 'She's here,' I thought. I slipped on my boots, threw on my jacket, and opened the door. As expected, Brittany was there, indicating that I was beyond late. I pushed a dyed brown strand of hair out of my face, realizing that my bed head was a dead giveaway that I was sleeping. With no greeting more than a nod, I locked the penthouse door behind me and we left.

There would be no talking until we got to a safe spot, not like she’d be up for chit-chat anyways, especially because I was late. We left the apartment building and entered the crowded New York City streets, weaving our way through the mass of people. Humidity hung in the air from the afternoon rain, and cars sprayed us from puddles as they drove by. The streets were so wet; it was a feat that Brittany didn’t slip in her outrageously high heels. That was the thing about her: she always had on heels, and her auburn hair was always perfect, no matter what. Though I wasn’t the type of girl to stress about beauty, it drove me insane.

My gaze drifted from her to look at the sky. Fall had arrived fast, and the sky was already pure black, but it was hard to tell through the glaring city lights. After walking for a few blocks, we arrived to the subway station.

A musty scent filled my nose as we descended. The water vapor in the air brought out smells of all kinds and added an extra chill. I pulled my jacket tighter around me to block out the cold. A train pulled in and the people swarmed at it in a giant mass, all racing for a seat. Under the veil of the crowd, we slipped inside a door labeled "Central Controls". Nobody bat an eye. I had to stop myself from laughing at their ignorance. They never failed to deliver the same results, too busy with their own selves and petty problems to worry about anybody else.

We walked through a series of hallways with the same icy silence. The two of us had gone about a half mile in this maze of halls until we arrived to a lone door that did not match any of the previous. It was a large, polished mahogany door with a lock that would've made prison wardens jealous.

Brittany pulled out her keys and opened the door. We stepped onto the soft, plush, carpet, and I relaxed in the heated air. Lights and screens buzzed to life all around us. Within seconds, a face appeared on the largest screen. This was the face of my savior and nightmare. The man seemed to age ten years in the two that I'd worked under him. New wrinkles creased his face, and his eyes had lost some of their malicious vigor and had taken on a drearier, dull appearance. I knew better than to let that fool me though. He was as power hungry as ever.

"Well, finally you two decide to show up."

"Lux was sleeping," snarled Brittany. She shot me a dirty look for making her look bad in front of her boss. It was funny how much she would change when we were in front of him. I just set my jaw and kept my eyes locked on the screen.

Sir let out a laugh that made needles shoot up my spine. It was cold, heartless, and terrifying. "Now I thought that our little young one would be full of the most energy."

‘Little? Young? What am I? Five?’ I thought to myself, though it’d be stupid to actually say it out loud. No matter how long I work here, I still find it a hard habit to master.

Taking a deep breath, I said, "Sorry, Sir. It won't happen again." I saw Brittany roll her eyes. My teeth clenched down on my bottom lip from aggravation. She didn’t have to rub it in.

"I have a new assignment for you, Brittany," he said, "You'll need Lux for this one."

Her posture changed, and she stood taller than earlier. "Absolutely, Sir, what is it?" Brittany asked.

I saw him press a button off-screen and papers started to print out of the fax machine. Three of the screens went into overdrive scrolling through data and information, the rest flashing through pictures. "I am requesting the extermination of Harold Band. He’s the owner of Bexx Industries and is gaining political traction. I've had numerous attempts to knock him off his feet before resorting to you, but, alas, extermination is only option." Brittany opened her mouth to talk but he cut her off, raising a frail, wrinkled hand. "I've provided all of the information you will need in there. I am a busy man, and I don't want to keep this call on for too long, it may get intercepted. Good luck to you both."

His screen closed out. After a brief pause, Brittany let out a sigh. "Lux, tell me why you fell asleep, please. Honestly."

I nonchalantly walked over to a computer screen, and pretended to scroll through the information. "I was studying."

Brittany shook her head at me. "You don't need to. You don't even need to go to school! I honestly don't understand why you worry about it."

"It's senior year, I have to study. You were the one on my case about having to study more so you won’t have to bail me out all the time."

Brittany gave me a sympathetic smile. "Honey, what you've learned from me will help you more in your career than anything that they can teach you there." She put a hand on my shoulder, an awkward gesture, considering that she was not the sentimental type. "Now could you please read the files and give me a summary? And check the payment, will you? This guy is bound to be under heavy security, so the boss will probably be packing it in."

I nodded and went over to the recently faxed papers, and my heart nearly stopped.

$500,000 each.

Man, I'm a sucker for luxury.

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