The Beautiful Guardian: Vengence

Chapter Six: The Attempt

Ivanova and Maxine walk arm in arm on the sidewalk behind Ivanova's mother and sister. It was evening and they had just come back from a restaurant that Maxine treated the ladies to dinner. Natalia, Ivanova's sister, is walking on the outside of the sidewalk, closest to the street, beside her mother, Illiana.

Maxine is wearing a special jacket that she usually wore if she was on a job. News of Rusk's brother from Chloe has been putting her on edge. Much to the slight irritation of Ivanova, Maxine decides to take her pistol in the jacket's special pocket on the inside.

Ivanova, wearing a simple black dress with a simple wrap around her arms, clings onto Maxine as she walks beside her.

"See? I don't know why you have to carry the pistol with us," Ivanova chides.

Maxine eyes Ivanova, "Because you can never know what will happen if the brother of a slain enemy is in town."

Ivanova gets a confused expression on her face, "What? Gregory's brother is in town? Why didn't you say anything about it?"

"Didn't want to scare you, besides, I'm the most likely target, not you, " reasons Maxine.

Ivanova comes to an abrupt stop her eyes fixated on the face of Maxine.

"That scares me even more than anything else in the world Maxine, I wouldn't know what to do if anything happens to you," Ivanova says as she holds onto Maxine's sleeve.

"Don't worry, I have got this under control, It will take more than some thugs to take me down," Maxine says with confidence in her voice.

"But Maxine-"

"Hey, what did your sister do in the military? I have been watching her train and there is something about her that I can't put my finger on, " Maxine quickly says.

Ivanova raises an eyebrow, "You are changing the subject, Maxine."

"Yeah that too, but what did your sister do?" Maxine asks.

Ivanova shakes her head, "I don't know, we have been separated since my father's death, so I would not know and you are still avoiding the subject."

Maxine puts on a disarming smile, "Don't be silly, of course, I am, but I am also curious about your sister and mother."

"Maxine," Ivanova begins her protest.

"Look, can we discuss this later, we are having a nice..." Maxine's voice trails off.

"What? What wrong?"

"Down, "

"Huh?"

A car speeds down the road, it starts to drift toward the group.

"GET YOUR ASS DOWN!"

Maxine pulls Ivanova down to the base of the wall as Natalia pulls down her mother in the same way. Sounds of gunfire could be heard as explosions of dust and bits of brick appear above them. Maxine pulls her pistol from behind her and rises to return fire to the retreating vehicle. She quickly moves to the street in an attempt to at least get the license plate.

Sighing, Maxine looks over to Ivanova and begins to make her way there. She also notices that Natalia is helping her mother up off the sidewalk with one hand, and a pistol in her other hand. Maxine casually looks at the pistol before Natalia puts it away, burning it into her memory.

Ivanova rises with the help of Maxine.

"You ok? They didn't hit you did they?" Maxine worriedly asks.

"No, I'm fine, did they get you?" Ivanova asks.

"No."

"Good."

Ivanova slugs Maxine on the arm, causing Maxine to jump a little with a frown.

"Why did you do that for?"

"Next time a homicidal maniac comes into town looking to kill you, you better tell me about it got it?" Ivanova scolds.

Maxine raises her hands in mock surrender, "Ok, I got it."

The pair move over to Ivanova's mother and sister. Ivanova's worried look fades as she sees that both mother and sister are unhurt.

But attackers were not finished, the car roars back to them. Maxine hurriedly looks about them, noticing an old door to the brick building that was hit earlier. She tugs at Natalia, indicating to the door and to help her. The door easily burst open to the combined might of the two women. Then the four women enter the building just before the bullets from the car strike near the entrance.

The car comes to a stop at the busted door. With the driver's urging them, two passengers exit with pistols drawn. They quickly make their way to the door and pause for a moment to confer with each other, then they enter after the women.

The attackers enter what seems to be a small abandoned assembly plant. Pale blue lighting from the street lamps steams in through the sizable windows, onto the unused machines, creating areas of light that are surrounded by pitch-black darkness. One attacker moves ahead, followed by the other with some distance between them. They move silently down the center of the plant trying to keep a wary eye out for their quarry.

Ivanova deftly manages to look out of one of the windows, getting a look at the car outside. She catches a movement from the corner of her eye. An attacker spots her! He smiles as he raises his pistol. A sudden movement of an electrical cord out of the darkness catches both by surprise as it goes around the neck of the attacker. Ivanova ducks down and closes her eyes tightly as the attacker fights in vain for his life in the darkness.

The last hitman looks about in the room. He begins to panic when he realizes that his partner was nowhere to be found. He looks about wildly as he tries to make his way to the busted door. He turns his gaze toward the exit just as an arm clotheslines him to the floor, causing him to lose his pistol upon impact with the floor.

"Where is your boss?!" Maxine interrogates the hitman while pointing her pistol at him.

The hitman scoffs, "I ain't telling you nothing!"

Maxine pushes the barrel of the pistol against the forehead of the man, "Talk! Or you're dead!"

"Go ahead! I'm dead if I talk anyway!" He yells back.

Maxine begins to pull the trigger but gets interrupted by a sudden burst of gunfire from the broken door. Maxine dives away from her prisoner, who takes advantage and escapes down to the busted door covered by the driver.

The car speeds away as Maxine gets to the door to watch in vain of her quarry's escape. She sighs heavily and reenters to collect Ivanova and her mother and sister.