Chapter 9 - In Enemy Territory
2172 Words
Nikita
“Mind if I sit with you?”
A group of four buddies, in their early twenties were around a table. They had been showing off their tattoos on their wrists that associated them with DN.9. They were the soldiers of the mafia group. She knew that they would be very willing to gloat about their success to any girl willing to give them attention. They quickly nodded their heads and they shuffled around the corner booth to give her an end seat.
She slid in and crossed her arms on the table. They just looked at her.
“What are your names?”
They went around each saying their name. Kiel, Miles, Jace, Ty.
“I’m Kylie, I didn’t mean to stop the party. I just wanted to join in, that’s all.” She flipped her hair, giving them a smile. “What are you celebrating?”
“Nothing.” A man who sat across from her said.
She reached out and grabbed his wrist. He froze. She placed his hand on the table, exposing his under wrist. She gently touched his wrist and the tattoo.
She looked up at him with admiration. “Ah, that’s impressive. A member of DN.9.” She gave him a smile. “I am a lucky girl. Not often do I find myself with members. I’ve heard they don’t just choose anybody. They have to be tough.”
She took her hand off of Ty. He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yeah. The toughest.”
“Whatever, you ain’t tough. Look here.” Miles leaned over, showing her the same tattoo. “I got this because I was able to beat up two of them during initiation.” She looked at him impressed.
The other two flashed their tattoos and gave her tales of how tough they were and why the DN.9 was so lucky to get them. Niki truly could care less, but the more they wanted to impress her, the more they talked.
She stood up. “Well… let me get you all something to drink to celebrate. It’s on me.”
She walked away from them and back to the bartender. As the bartender prepared the drinks she looked around at the underground casino called The Bowl. It was a circular room. Her eyes connected with a man in his late mid twenties with dark hair, nicely cut facial hair that made him look rugged in a handsome way. He sat at a poker table and watched her. Their eyes met a few times in the duration of her waiting for the drinks. The beers were set in front of her, she grabbed the first drink with her more dominant left hand. She glanced at him as she walked back with five beer bottles in her hands.
She set them down in the middle. She said, “To you men.” They cheered and took long drinks.
“Now that you're in, do you get to do anyting dangerous?” She widened her eyes.
Ty leaned in. “Yeah. Our capo, Scant, is doing an operation at the docs in three weeks.”
Niki looked at them as if she was amazed at their courage. “Wow.”
She offered them another round. As she stood up, she saw the same man who had watched her earlier had indeed moved to a closer table to the booth she sat at. She ignored him. On her way back, the men still at the table had their heads huddled together and she heard words like get some, and other vulgar terms. She set the bottles down on the table, acting as if she hadn’t heard them. They all grabbed a beer and cheered, laughing as they did. She slid back into her previous seat.
Miles said, “Hey Kylie, we are planning to take this party back to my place. You wanna come?”
In their own house, they would be much more willing to talk more freely.
“Sure, sounds fun.”
They all grinned at each other. She wanted to roll her eyes. Just let one try to lay a finger on her. They quickly finished their beers, now seeming anxious to leave.
They all got out and started walking to the exit. She followed them, content with their perceived notion that they were in charge of the situation. They went outside and walked down a dark alleyway. Suddenly, a man grabbed her arm and shoved her against the brick wall, knocking the breath out of her. Her pulse quickened as she looked at her attacker.
Nikita
She unsheathed her knife from her sleeve. But the man held his finger to his lips as if telling her to stay quiet, like he was somehow protecting her. The shadows in the alleyway made it hard to distinguish his features.
Niki looked over at the four men who had stopped. They walked back towards them.
“Hey man, hands off our girl.” Ty was the one that spoke.
Lien pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man. “Yo, she’s with us. Hands off.”
The man grinned and took a step back away from her.
He said, “You're new around here. You don’t know who she is. Do you?”
Miles said, “Yeah, that’s Kylie, she’s hanging with us.”
“You’re wrong, Miles.” How did he know the boy's name? Niki relaxed against the wall and watched him with curious interest. “This is Liz Martini. She is a con artist who steals unsuspecting victims' money and possessions. She would have swindled you clean by the end of the night.”
Miles looked a bit shocked, probably because the man called him by his first name.
It was Jace who said, “You serious man?”
“Of course I'm serious. I’m here to take her in.”
Lien said, “Ah come on, she was fine." He pointed his gun in her direction. "I should shoot her now, man. No one makes a fool of us.”
Niki watched the man step in front of her. “ Best you keep going about your business.”
Ty looked at his buddies. “Come on. Let’s go.”
The other three reluctantly left.
Just as they rounded the corner, she grabbed him and flung him against the same wall, placing her knife against his throat.
“Who are you? You just ruined my information.”
He looked her in the eyes. “My name is Killian, and you’re welcome.”
She kneed him in the stomach. He grimaced and bent lower. Niki took a step back.
“I don’t need your help.” She turned away and walked down the alleyway.
“They had planned to spike your drink. I was helping.”
She stopped and turned to look at him. He had followed her and was only several steps away. She walked back.
“This isn’t my first time. I knew what they wanted. But I needed information.”
“You won’t get it from a bunch of soldiers. They’re expendable, no one would actually tell those new recruits anything.”
“Like I said, I don’t need your help.” She was getting irritated with this man.
“I’d say you do.”
Wanting this nosy do-gooder to get the message, she raised her left arm and swung, aiming for his jaw. He blocked her, then grabbed her wrist, pulling her tightly towards him.
“I know that’s favorite move of yours.”
She stomped on his foot. Causing a curse word to leave his lips as she elbowed him hard in the stomach. He advanced once again, trying to subdue her. She threw another punch and he blocked. He lunged for her and she twisted away while kicking him in the thigh. The man grabbed her wrist and she hooked her leg around him, causing him to stumble. She pushed him until he stumbled into the wall behind him. Niki held her knife to him again.
“What do you know of me?”
“I know you’re supposed to be on a date right now, Nikita.”
Her eyes widened and her grip on the knife slackened. He knew who she was. But he was in DN.9 territory. Her whole operation relied on her identity not being known. She gripped her knife harder, hating how comfortable he was in this position. His eyes held her gaze. She knew those eyes. She had looked into them last night. He was the man who had tried to save the Millbrooks.
“Who are you?”
“I told you, Killian.”
“That didn’t answer any of my questions.”
“You still haven’t answered mine. Why aren’t you on your date?”
Date? What date? She took a step back, letting go of him. He wasn’t a threat.
“I don’t know what you're talking about.”
“With your fiancé, Cassius.”
That's when she remembered eight thirty, The Lantern. Well, she technically didn’t agree with it.
“Don’t call him that. He's nothing to me.”
Killian straightened. He was taller than six feet, with broad shoulders and a very solid build. It took all of her momentum and strength to have pushed him against the wall.
“Come on, I’ll drive you there.”
She hesitated. She didn’t know this man, and didn’t understand how he knew her. But the only way she was going to get answers was if she went with him. She looked around the alleyway, then followed him onto the sidewalk.
“You aren’t supposed to know about me.”
“They don’t trust the Crimson Spider, they asked me if I ever saw you to keep an eye out just in case.” He turned down another street. “Seems they were right.”
She could tell he was trying to provoke a reaction out of her. Truth be told, he was right. She and the Crimson Spider shouldn’t be trusted.
She stopped, and he paused too, looking at her.
She said, “People’s lives are always on the line. They chose to make a deal. They knew what they would be risking. I didn’t choose this. So don’t place their lives on me. I don’t want it.”
He looked thoughtful before saying, “Some consequences of choices are forced upon us, without us choosing them. It’s not fair, and sometimes it’s not right. But we got to move forward in the best way.”
She looked at him, wondering who this Killian was.
“Are you with DN.9?”
“No. Just a guy who sometimes enjoys a good gambling game.”
He turned and kept walking. She had to lengthen her strides to keep up. This Killian knew how to talk and fight like he was a mafia member, but acted as if he truly was a regular guy. Who was he?
They rounded the corner and he took out his keys, unlocking his what looked like a brand new black ram pickup. She got in and recognized it was more of a sports edition. She glanced at him, impressed. Who was he?
He started the engine and merged into traffic.
“What were you doing there? You said you were after information.”
She didn’t know him, she didn’t trust him. “None of your business.”
He turned down a street into the more well developed area of the city.
“I feel like it kinda is when you're standing up my closest friend on a date.”
She looked at him, wondering why she was even talking to him.
Sadly, she said, “I don’t want that.”
He pulled in front of a Chinese Restaurant with red wording. Gold Chinese writing was on the window, and a soft glow illuminated the windows.
He put the car in park and turned towards her. “Then what do you want?”
He was the first person in her life to ever ask her that question.Niki looked out the window at the restaurant, knowing Cassius was inside waiting for her. Her heart dropped, not wanting to enter.
Silence grew between them. She realized she wanted to speak her deepest wish to a man she didn’t even know. Vulnerability, in its rare moment, swept over her and she didn’t like it. She pushed her emotions down and steeled herself. This was a path, a future, she knew she had to walk alone.
“Night.”
She opened the door and slid out.
Killian gently grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him, leaning over.
“Don’t punch him, again. Will you?”
She shut the door and turned around. She didn’t want to enter, but did she even have a choice? She didn’t. Not until the mafia was gone, for now she would have to play the game. But she will win this game and watch the world burn behind her.
- Writer
