Hollow Point Happiness

Contract 1: Weeping Rose

The dials gave faint clicks as Mana adjusted them. It was cold on top of the building but the thermal reflective mat kept her relatively warm. 9:37 pm was what her watch read, the target was late but it didn't bother her. She had heard enough of the radio chatter to know that it was just traffic not bad info. Looking down the scope she read the details from the internal ballistics CPU. She finished her adjustments and looked back down the scope right as the door to the room opened, she flipped the safety and pulled the bolt to load a round. The target walked straight towards their desk and sat, Mana just waited.

The client wanted to send a message, they wanted the target's family in the room when they died, and one other thing. 9:49 pm. The door opened again and a kid ran into the room quickly followed by a woman. The target stood and walked towards the child and Mana placed a finger on the trigger. 15ft...10ft...5ft... The rifle shook. The window shattered as the round ripped into the target's thigh forcing them down to one knee, the target convulsed violently as the round started to electrocute them. Mana bolted another round and pulled the trigger again, this time hitting the targets chest and destroying their heart. The target started to fall to one side, Mana bolted the third round, this one was the special round ordered by the client, it caused the rifle to shake violently as it discharged. The round entered at the target's temple but you would never be able to tell, there was barely anything left of the targets head, most of it was a fine mist on the wall behind them.

There was screaming from the room but Mana never heard it over the wind or the distance, the only noise that existed in her world was the casing hitting the roof. As the last one ejected from the rifle Mana let her mind ease, the last shot was the one she was worried about but it was done now and she could relax. Picking up the casing she felt the warmth filling her fingers. 'SCI Terrioties .308 Custom: Hollow Point'. She smiled, it had ended up being an easy job and subsequently an easy paycheck.

As she packed up her rifle and rolled up the thermal mat she heard a buzz from her phone. A message flashed across the screen reading "Transfer received: €90,000 To Account 'Mystic' From Account 'SCI Territories'" but the message was quickly followed by another alert, it was a proximity alarm.

"Damn, didn't think they would move so quickly."

She put the rifle case and thermal mat into her bag and walked to the roof access door as she drew a sidearm, loading the mag and sliding the rack, a memory flashed through her mind.

"Don't worry... I'll be fine." She told herself.

Pulling up the hood of her clock she faded into almost complete transparency and opened the door. She sprinted down the stairs making it down about 13 floors before she heard the bodyguards, forcing open a door to a hallway she heard voices below her shout. She sprinted down the hallway and around a corner leading to a dead-end. She found a small inlet in the wall and crouched so the cloak would cover her completely. The bodyguards stormed down the hall and slowed as they reached the corner each drawing a pistol.

"Where the hell did they go?"

"Maybe into one of the rooms. We have to find them, let's go."

The group slowly made their way down the hallway, there was 3 of them. As they approach a door the first of them prepared to kick it in, Mana saw her chance. The man kicked the door in and it went crashing into the room, as the noise filled the hall Mana jumped forward and grabbed the last man in the group and gave a violent twist breaking his neck, dropping the body she brought up her sidearm, a Warmage Kilo .45 ACP Machine Pistol, and let out a stream of rounds into the second mans back and nape, killing him instantly. Only landing a couple of shots on the first who then hit the ground screaming. Mana walked to the man and kicked the gun away from him and placing a foot on his back, intentionally on a fresh bullet hole, drawing a pained grunt from the man.

"How did you get here so fast?" Mana asked,

"We had a feeling something might happen toni-"

Mana fired a shot into the floor next to him,
He panicked, "Ok, ok, look, we got a tip from a person on the top floor." He cleared his throat,
"They said they saw a suspicious person going to the roof, ok. That the truth I promise. Happy now?"

"Yes, very."

She dropped a nanite-healing syringe next to the man's hand, he breathed a sigh of relief as he reached for it. Mana pulled the trigger again, placed a shot into the back of his head, he went limp.