The Royal Shadow

Chapter 2: My Unlucky Encounter

      Me and Stacey headed down to meet Gavin in his office. When we are outside his office Marlene walks out. The b***h of all bitches.

        "Oh hello." Marlene starts, "I was wondering how long it would take for you to come back to spread your legs for Gavin again."

        "If you don't shut up Marlene I will choke you myself," Stacey says balling her fist up. 

        "Its okay Stacey we don't have time for her right now," I say to Stacey. "Marlene you better hope karma kills you before I do." I walk past her and walk into Gavin's office I smile as I felt the anger radiating off her as I walked past her. Stacey was right behind me. 

        "Gavin," I say my voice settled and calm.

        Gavin looks up at us from his papers. "Stacey and Natasha. I don't need a report I heard everything I needed to know from the news." He looks at me. "I have come up with a solution that could fix this without jeopardizing me in the process."

        I was confused, "without jeopardizing you. What are you getting at Gavin."

        "I have set you up to live somewhere else for a while until this blows over. We can't have the Royal Guard finding you here. It could ruin my business. 

        "So you're mainly worried about yourself." I couldn't believe what I was hearing he was going to leave me to fend for myself. What did I expect from a cold assassin? 

        "I'm protecting every assassin here if the royal guard founds this palace. Other assassins could be in danger as well. Risking one person's life is better than everyone else's."

        "I get it. My life is as worthless as a sandbox in the dessert." I started to get flustered I never lived on my own before I don't know what to do. 

        "All your information about your new place is in this folder you have until the end of the day to leave.     Think of it as a paid vacation." He hands me the folder. And I take it. "You can leave."

        I quickly left his office. Pushing past the other assassins I could hear Stacey trying to keep up behind me and apologize to every pissed assassin that I bumped into. When I make it into our room I go fall onto my bed. Stacey sits on the edge of the bed. I don't say anything to her. 

        "Nat it's not that bad," she starts. 

        I look over at her, "How come."

        "Well, you don't have to see Marlene anymore." She laughs but I don't and she stops. "I know you don't want to admit this but Gavin is right."

        "What." I shot up straight. "How could side with him on this."

        "Nat just here me on this one." I stay quiet and let her talk. "If you leave you can stay low for a while. And then when the Royal Guard. Realize he can't found you. You can come back."

        "Stacey are you serious right now. I can still stay. I just won't go out anywhere. See fixed." I get up off the bed and start walking back and forth.

        "Maybe I can come with." Stacey offers.

        "We both know you can't we signed a contract bonding us to Gavin. The only way we could be released from the contract if he signs us off." I say still pacing back and forth. 

        "Oh, that is what the contract said I didn't read it." I stop and turn to her. She looked so serious. I had to laugh. "You're not serious right now."

        "I am. Gavin explained it to me he said that it was no reason for me to read it. He said it was a waste of both our time." Stacey says pulling a black strand of hair away from her aqua blue eyes.

        "You couldn't be that naïve Stacey." I roll my eyes and go to sit on my bed.

        "Well, it seems like that got you out of a slump." 

        "Well since I have no other option it seems you can help me get some of the stuff out of here," I say.

        "Sometimes I think that you just use me." Stacey gets up and moves to my closet. I roll my eyes and follow her.

            We pack most of my clothes in boxes and all of my guns. Stacey tries to lighten the mood. By making jokes. And it kind of worked. Soon I wasn't worried about it anymore. And we hung out in our room until I was ready to move everything to my new place.  

            As we pull up to my new place in a car. I found out it is an apartment forty minutes away from the warehouse. Stacey helps me move everything into my new place. And to my surprise, it was fully furnished. Stacey keeps telling me how lucky I am. She stays at my apartment until it starts to get dark then she has to leave. And I was left in an empty apartment. I decided that I should go to bed. 

            I toss and turn in my bed. I wasn't able to sleep and it was useless to try. I got up and decided to go for a walk. I contemplate taking my gun but, finally decided I didn't need it. Then I left I didn’t know where I was going I walked for a few minutes. Then I hear something as I turn a corner. First I heard laughter coming from an alley I was about to walk past and think nothing of it. Probably some drunks, but then I heard a girl crying. I slowly walked into that direction two men were hovering over a tiny girl.

        “Look at her she’s pathetic,” said the man that was bent down next to her.   

        “What the hell are we going to do with her,” said the man with the gun in his hand. I looked at them anger filled my eyes. I reached back for my gun. But I remember that I left it at my apartment. What am I supposed to do with a man that is armed?

        “Maybe we should have a little fun with her,” said the man bent down next to the girl.

        “Please just let me go I won’t tell anyone promise,” the girl said her voice shaky.

        My instinct told me to help her so once again I pushed reason to the side. I guess I will have to do this the old fashion way. I calmly walked over to them I wore a faint grin on my lips. They turned as they heard me approaching. I looked at both of the men not glancing at the girl.

        “Wow, guys I didn’t think men like yourselves would ever sink so low just to get laid.”

        “And what do we got here,” said the man that was bending down next to the girl but suddenly was standing next to the other guy.

        “I just came to get the girl and I would be on my way. I hope that’s not a problem.”

        The man with the gun took a step towards me I didn’t cower back instead I smile, “why would we do that.”

        “Well because I asked politely,” I say rolling my eyes

        “I can't let that happen,” he said pointing his gun towards me.   

        I put my hands up then my smile vanished completely. I stomped his foot and elbowed him in his torso. That knocked him back a couple of steps. But before he could register what just happened I took the gun from his hand. And shoved my foot into his chest. The other guy came at me fast but I quickly dodged. The blow that was meant for my shoulder went right past me and I kicked him in the chest and he crashed into the ground. As the other one got up he strikes and I dodge as he tries again to hit me I grab his arm and toss him into the other guy that was getting back up and they both fell. One man got up and spat blood onto the floor,

        “You dumb b***h. ”He looks at me furiously

        Giving nothing of his next move he strikes meaning to hit my nose he was really fast I barely dodged it. Then he quickly kicked me in my knee. I yelled as a pain course through my body I fall back a few steps. He came towards me and tried to hit me in my chest. This time I counter attacked. I gathered all my strength and punched him in his a jaw. I watch as he crushes to the ground. He was unconscious. Both of them lay on the ground motionless. I go to grab the gun they dropped when that other guy tried to hit me. Then I noticed the girl was staring at me.

        “You should get home I don’t think you should be out this late on your own. It's not safe.”

        Then I start to hear rushing footsteps coming towards our direction. I look in their way. I couldn’t believe who I was looking at the Royal Guard and some other officers. They looked at the bodies laying on the ground. Then to the girl than at me. I look directly at the Royal Guard his tan skin glimmered with sweat and his cropped black hair sat atop his head and I met his cold gaze. I smiled then like I always do I vanished into the night.

        I ran I was running at full speed I was still in pain from the attack to my knee. Just what I needed The Royal Guard seeing me. What was I thinking getting involved in that mess when I am supposed to be keeping a low profile. It wasn’t my business.  I looked behind me making sure no one was following before I decided to go back to my apartment. I enter my apartment locking the door and I go straight to my room and I fall on my bed happy to get off my leg and I quickly fell asleep.