The Assassin

Prologue

The Year 2045

Alexander knew he wouldn't make it out alive. He had made peace with his mortality long before he stepped out of the car. As the autumn leaves crunched beneath his boots he sent out a silent prayer for his girlfriend Margret and their unborn child.

It had been two years since the attack of '43. When it had happened the news stations wouldn't broadcast anything else for days. Margret had unplugged the TV and disconnected the phone in the hopes of sparing Alexander any further trauma but it had been useless. The events of that day had already been burned into his mind.

At the time he was barely nineteen and had just been recruited for the Government's military police force. His family had been so proud of him, upholding justice by working for the Government was everyone's dream. He had expected to be sent on top-secret missions but instead, he spent his days as the office delivery boy. Despite the disappointment, he didn't complain. He knew that one day it would be his turn to take down the villains who threatened to undermine the Government.

One morning he was doing his usual coffee rounds when it happened. The assassins came out of nowhere and the office building descended into chaos. No one had expected the attack and even the most experienced officers in the building were unprepared to deal with the onslaught. While the arrows whizzed past and the screams seemed to reach a climax, Alexander hid in the storage closet. Peaking through the keyhole, he was unable to look away as the place he had come to call home turned into a bloodbath.

He had been the only survivor, the only recruit too cowardly to sacrifice his life. He knew that was why he was being sent on this mission, it may as well have been an execution. 

It had taken his employers two years to track down the assassins responsible for the attack. The assassins belonged to an organisation named Phlox. Its name was forbidden to be spoken aloud and any mention of the organisation was severely punished. Phlox was government enemy number one.

For his mission, Alexander was tasked with bringing in the ring leader of the '43 attack. He was undercover and had scheduled a meeting with the leader under the guise that he would be selling weapons. He didn't know much about the ring leader but he was smart enough to know that it was an impossible task. What exactly the Government hoped to achieve he didn't know, but it was not up to him to question their motives.

Slowly he made his way deeper into the forest, a black duffle back slung over his shoulder. He saw no one but his heart was racing.

"Hello." A voice came from behind him. For a moment Alexander lost his composure, confused by the unexpected feminine voice. "Is everything alright?" It asked.

"Why wouldn't it be," he spun around clearing his throat, "can I help you with something?" Alexander wasn't sure who the pale, dark-haired woman before him was, but he decided it would be best to stay in character.

"I believe you're here to sell me something." The woman giggled. Alexander thought she must have been around his age, but her youthful expression made her seem far younger.

"That depends," he took a cautious step in her direction, "do you work for Talen?" That had been the name headquarters had given him, the monster he was to bring in.

"No," the woman grimaced, "he works for me, at least he used to." Alexander wasn't sure what to make of the situation. He found it hard to believe that someone responsible for the atrocities of two years ago would have been working under the young woman. She would have barely been an adult when it happened.

"What's the matter," the woman smiled, "don't you believe me?" There was a dangerous edge to her voice. Alexander felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, a primal instinct was telling him to run.

"Well, seeing as there's no one else here I suppose you must be telling the truth." He replied, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Great," her smile widened, "what did you say your name was again?"

"Uhh, I'm Alex." As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he had made a fatal mistake.

"What a lovely name," the young woman began circling around him,  "unfortunately that's not the person I agreed to meet with or did you simply forget to use your alias?" She gave him a look filled with pity.

"Oh no, my colleague Michael couldn't make it today so-"

"Wrong again, your message said Mitchel, not Michael." Her look of pity turned to one of disgust. "the Government must have lowered their standards, letting a failure like you join their ranks." Alexander was too scared to feel insulted, his earlier bravado about resigning to his fate gone. He didn't want to die.

He spun on his heals and broke into a run, heading back for the dirt road where the car had dropped him off. He had only taken a few steps when he found himself face first in the dirt, searing pain in his left shoulder.

"Shit," the woman called out from behind him, "my aim has gotten worse."

Alexander took in ragged breaths, trying to think clearly through the pain. The leaves crunched as the woman began walking towards him. He crawled forward through the dirt. His heart was racing. The crunching grew louder. He frantically tried getting to his feet but doubled over in a coughing fit. He watched as droplets of blood sprayed across the forest floor. He felt a hand grab the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that," the woman chirped, "I'll make sure to put you out of your misery."

"Wait, please!" He pleaded. "My girlfriend, she's eight months pregnant. She needs me." Tears streamed down his face as he pictured Margret left to take care of their baby girl alone.

"Shh, don't worry," the woman stroked his hair, "I'll make sure that she joins you soon enough."

Alexander had never felt as much pain as he did in that moment. He was only vaguely aware of the knife slicing into his skin a second time. The world started fading around him and he pictured Margret's face, praying she would have a quick, painless death.  The assassin let him fall to the ground and he saw her disappear into the forest.

"Forgive me." She whispered.