The Heart of the Target

The Job

{Bex’s POV}

As I stepped into my condo, I could already hear the soft meows of Ashes. I looked around, wondering where he’d hidden away while I was gone. “Ashes?” I called out, opening the pantry and grabbing out his can of cat food. “Come on out sweet boy!” I grabbed his bowl, and plopped the food down into it, before refilling his water bowl. Soon I heard the pitter patter of his little paws as he ran into the kitchen, jumping up onto the counter in front of me. His fur was grey, with little white feet, the tips of his ears and the tip of his tail were also white, his eyes were a pale blue color. He was the sweetest little thing, I ran my hand across his back, before lifting him up, kissing the side of his face. “Hi there Ashes, how’s my boy?” I asked, before setting him down and lying his food bowl down in front of him.

My burner phone began buzzing from my drawer, I quickly made my way to it and answered it. “Hello?” I answered, a chipper tone in my voice.

“Bex.. why is he still alive?” Came a familiar voice through the phone.

I sighed, making my way to the couch and flopping down in them. “Why is it that you only call when you want me to ki** someone? No hello, no how are you.. it’s depressing mother.” I mocked, rolling my eyes.

“Hello Bex, how are you? Why isn’t he dead yet?” She asked, sarcasm dripping throughout her tone.

She wasn’t really my mother, just the woman that raised me, Madam Lessara Borough. She and the others in the Order of Ichor, apparently got started as a cult in the 60’s, women who thought that bathing in blood would keep them young forever. In the 70’s they began calling themselves vampires and began to hire out their services. In the 80’s, Madam Borough opened the orphanage, she took in girls who had no family, and nowhere else to go. She gave them a family, but also.. she trained them to be weapons. She taught us how to be strong, independent, and how to exploit other’s weaknesses for our own personal gain.

The younger group was taught ballet, gymnastics, karate, and other types of self defense. Then, the older group was taught how to use weapons.. all kinds, even how to turn normal every day items into a weapon to make sure that we were never caught off guard. We were put into specialized classes, one for socializing, one for botany, and poison making, and another for special skills. Lastly, we were taught to be chameleons, to always blend in, and only stand out when necessary.

I sighed, glaring up at the ceiling. “Mother.. I was given this task, with the specific instructions to keep everything to do with this family to myself, and the contractor. You know I’m not meant to share any details, even with you, but rest assured, I’m following my orders to a T, and once I’m done, Silas LaRoux will be gone.” I said, smiling down, as Ashes rushed over and jumped up into my lap.

I pet him gently, scratching his back softly with my long nails. “Don’t play around too much, we do not normally do all of this extra work, this isn’t your normal job Bex! You have to make sure that this doesn’t come back on you, or us! I get that you’re following orders, but don’t get too close to this family! If they find you out, they’ll stop at nothing to see you dead!” She snapped.

It’s funny, she always acts so cold, and hateful, but you could practically hear the worry oozing from her voice. She was just anxious that something might happen to me.. or to the others from the orphanage. “I’ll keep a low profile mother.. it’s what I do best, you know that.” I said, lifting Ashes in my arms and walking back to the kitchen. I sat him down in front of his bowl, and watched him as he began to eat. I couldn’t help the soft smile that spread across my face. He was so skinny, and terrified when I found him.. he reminded me of how I was when I first went to the orphanage.. I shook the memories from my mind and turned back to the living room. “I’ll handle it mother, you have my word.” I shot back at her, sighing.

I could hear her slowly letting out a deep breath that she seemed to be holding. “Fine, just make sure you don’t screw up Bex! It’s important that you make sure this target not only is eliminated, but in a way that cannot be traced back to us, you need to make sure that it appears to be an accident, otherwise the entire plan falls apart.”

I nodded, rolling my eyes. “I got it mother! You know I always do! I’m the person you call when you want things done right, so just trust me to get it done!” I snapped, running my hands through the front of my hair and brushing back the curtain bangs that had begun to fall in front of my face.

She sighed on the other end of the line. “Alright, I’ll call to check in tomorrow Bex, and I expect less attitude, and a proper check in!” She snapped, hanging up the phone.

I tossed the phone back into the drawer, and groaned, walking to the couch once again, and flopping backwards onto it. Normally we don’t take jobs from people we haven’t had contracts with before.. or at least someone who was put into contact with us by one of our old contractors. This however, was different, one day mother got a call, a man offering 40 million dollars for us to end Silas LaRoux, he asked for mother’s best.. and so she put him into contact with me. Somehow he knew of my plans to leave the Order.. but if they found out.. they’d ki** me. You don’t just leave the order.. it’s not even an option.

They instructed me that as long as I got this job done, and done right, then they would happily keep my secret, and give me a 20 million dollar bonus, just for me. As part of this job I was told I’m not allowed to reveal any details about this job with anyone within the Order, or otherwise. I’m meant to do this by myself, and I needed to dig up as much information about the LaRoux family as I could before the timer ran out. Eight months, was how long I was given. I’ve spent two of those months tailing him, calculating his future moves, by learning his routines. Soon, I would have enough, tonight I made contact, and now the real work begins. I’d make Silas fall in love with me.. and tell me everything I needed to know. I’d make him be the one that sells out his own family, then, and only then would I finally be able to finish this contract, and escape this world for good.