Ace-The Secret Assasin

Chapter Thirteen- You Maniac

Liam POV

     When we made it back to the hotel we packed up and headed out towards the airport. We were both ready to get back to the comfort of our own homes. Emma had already called up the private plane to make sure everything was ready to go before I drove us both to the airport invested in an easy conversation. 

     Once we made it on the plane we find our seats and start to get comfortable for the travel home. I’ve been quiet ever sense Emma made it clear that we could only be friends, but I’m trying to play it off like nothings wrong. 

     I know I could keep trying because Im not exactly used to not getting what I want and I can tell she wants it too but there’s just something that I can’t figure out. She confuses me more than anyone Ive ever met. Saying one thing then doing the complete opposite. It all is driving me insane.

     Just looking at her sitting in her seat with her face already in a book, makes me so happy. I can’t even explain this pull to her. Her smile, those eyes, her skin, that laugh, it all just reminds me of the times we’ve spent together; especially last night. I haven’t even known her for a month and I don’t remember what my life felt like without her. 

     Sometimes when she gets lost in her own thoughts I just stare at her and think about what is going through her little head. Remembering back to our conversation that first day we met and we were standing outside the bar talking about the stars and our lives. She told me about how she was an orphan, her parents dead at such a young age. Maybe she’s just scared of losing more people the way she lost them?

     Most women I meet are nothing like her though. She’s so deep and brutally honest. The ladies I normally was drawn to where pretty but dim, mostly fans that were obsessed with me and just wanted to sleep with me to be able to say they did. Not that it hurt my feelings much but I never found a connection with any of them. 

     Not like last night where the whole world could have exploded around us and I wouldn't have noticed because my whole mind, body and soul where focused on Emma. Even when she’s just talking the whole world disappears but her.

     ‘Dammit Liam that sounds clingy and obsessive. You barley know the girl! Have you officially lost it?’

     Huffing at my own delusional thoughts I reach down to grab my phone and focus on whatever bull crap is on i********:. This little crush of mine is going to take awhile to get over. Peeking under my eye lashes back towards Emmas seat, I watch as her eyes follow the story in complete curiosity.

     ‘She’s going to be hard to get over.’

….

     After landing we made our way back to her house in the car we left at the airfield on the first day of our spontaneous trip. I left my car at her house that day so we planned on just heading that way and then I would leave for home after that. Trying to start another conversation before our time together ended.

     “So will my lucky charm be at my fight tomorrow?” I ask her with my most charming smile. She glanced at me confused before she laughed remembering my last fight and me calling her my new lucky charm after I won.

     “I’m not sure yet. I might need to work.” She shrugs at me.

     “Oh come on, I can’t loose this early on in the competition….pweeeaasssee??” I start to whine as I fluttered my eyelashes towards her with my best puppy dog faced which just made her laugh more. 

     “Ok, ok I’ll be there Hercules even if I think you don’t really need me there to win.” She rolled her eyes but the smile on her face convinced me that she was being just as playful as me.

     “Thanks Sunshine! You are the best, I owe you.” I seductively wink at her which just makes her blush a little before we reach the driveway to her house.

     “I’ll hold you to that.” She laughs as she parks the car in the front circle of the drive. Jumping out of the drivers seat before I could say or do anything else I followed behind her making it to the trunk to grab my bags. After tossing them on the steps so I could wait for my car I notice Emma heading up the steps to the front door not even bothering to say bye. 

     “Emma,” I call out when she reached the set of main doors to the house causing her to turn and look at me with a smile on her lips. “Hold up.” As I jogged up the stairs to reach her. 

     When I finally made it to her I grabbed the handle of the door to open it for her to go inside. “You know I had a really good time and I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.” 

She leaned in pressing a feathery soft kiss on my cheek “You are very welcome, Thank you for being good company.” We both smiled as I slowly opened the door. 

When my eyes dropped down to the marble flooring that was covered in pools of dark dried blood. 

     My eyes searched the floor to be met with lifeless beady eyes staring back at me. Vile rose up in my throat threatening to come out. 

     What surprised me most was the way Emma bolted past the dead maid laying on the floor and headed straight into the house without a second thought. “What the f**k Emma?” I call back out to her as I followed her further into the house.

….

Emma POV

     My adrenaline is pumping in my ears as I head straight to Jame’s study. Guiding my body through the hallway to what I hope is an empty rest of the house I prepare myself for the worst but hope for the best. 

     ‘He had to of gotten away.’

     ‘…He can’t be dead…’

     When I get closer to the room I stop at the door with my hand squeezing the handle as tight as possible and taking the deepest breath I can manage. His words running through my mind.

     “Focus and breath, if you aren’t breathing you aren’t thinking. If you aren’t thinking you’re dead.”

     Reaching into the back of my pants I grab my 9mm hidden by my jeans. c*****g it and taking off the safety I grab the handle again ready to face whatever is on the other side of the door.

     Slowly pushing the door open I scan the room just like I was taught and evaluate my surroundings but the smell of death took over my senses quickly. Seeing the large office in disarray I knew that whoever was in here never found what they were looking for.

     Making my way through the room I head towards the desk but what stops me in my tracks is the pool of blood dried to the white carpet.

     My heart clenches in pain as my worst fears swarm my mind. Rushing in the direction I confirm my suspicions as I look down at James dead body laying on the ground surrounded by blood. His body was days old so the smell was almost unbearable and the bullet wound to his temple was the fatal blow that caused it all. 

     At that moment I stopped breathing, I stopped thinking, I just stared at the only person I could define as my father dead in front of me. The man who saved me from my nightmare of a life and gave me the chance to make my own destiny no longer exist in the same world as me. 

     The tears that slowly flowed down my cheeks were uncontrollable. I don’t cry anymore, I don’t let myself feel this. Ive seen hundreds of dead bodies, taken hundreds of lives but I never imagined his would be the one that would break me.  I loved him and this is how he ends up. Just like everyone else.

     I hear Liam call out to me again as he busted through the office door. “Emma….”  he breathed out seeming like he was out of breath panting. He stopped whatever he was going to say when he sees my down on my knees and tears streaming down my face. As he made his way to me, the image in front of him finally cliques and his eyes widen in shock. “Emma, we need to call the police.”

     My head snaps in his direction before I wiped my cheeks off with the back of my hand. “No.” I state. When he looked at me in confusion I decided to stand up off the ground and grab my cell phone from my back pocket with my gun still in my other hand.

     Dialing the number I knew by heart I let the phone ring until Joe’s voice rings in excitement in my ear. “Hey babe, you back from Italy yet?” She asks.

     Not even bothering to answer her question I say the Short phrase Ive never wanted to have to use. “I’m just calling to say goodnight sunshine.” The words fell out of my mouth with no emotion while my tears threaten to start falling again before I pushed them back. I heard the sound of her typing on a keyboard quickly before she responded. 

     “All outside signals have been blocked and Im logged into the security system. All thermal sensors are showing two people in the house. No one can listen in now, what the hell is going on Emma?” She gulps. We both knew what our code meant but neither of us wanted to admit it was real. 

     “Phase Black. I need you to send me all of the security recordings from the last week and every current file on the books. Completed or not got it?” I breath out scanning the room before making eye contact with Liam. He seemed scared honestly more protective than anything. He keeps looking around at the office like he could find some  answers to the million of questions running through his mind. 

     “Got it, how long do you need for the security feature? I need you to be gone before I shut it off and clear the system.” 

     “Give me thirty and we’ll be out. Send the cleaners but make sure they preserve the bodies. They deserve a proper goodbye.” I know I won’t be able to give James a real funeral but I can’t let them get rid of his body like we get rid of all of the prospects. 

     “f**k Em… Im so sorry…” She whispers to me. She went from work to best friend just like that and I can’t let myself be that close to breaking again. It’s crunch time.

     “Not now, we will talk about it later. Liams with me so send a car to take him home like he knew nothing. Also update his location on his phone to verify his time. I want it to look like he was never here. I’ll be heading to one of the safe houses and I’ll make contact when I make it safe. Don’t…” I start to continue before Im interrupted by a frustrated Liam.

     “No.” I look up to see him staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest. 

     “One sec.” I say into the phone before turning to the i***t standing next to me. “What?” Looking at him like he’s stupid to question me. 

     “Im not going home. Wherever you go, I go too.” he stares me down with the same stubbornness as me. It took all I had in me not to drug him and drag him home myself. 

     “And why would you think that would be ok?” Im exasperated at this point and I don’t have much time let alone time to argue with this big dumb-ass. 

     He huffed but still stood his ground, “Before we left I promised James that I would protect you. He’s not here anymore but I keep my promises no matter what. He would want me to make sure you are safe.” 

     His words send a painful wave of sadness wash over me and I can’t help but closing my eyes and taking a deep breath to calm my temper. Of course James asked Liam to look over me and the fact that James trusts this man with my life is the only thing I have left to hold on at this point.

     “Liam look around you. People around me die, this isn’t a promise you want to keep. You need to go home. Protect yourself.” 

    The next thing he says pisses me off more than anything else anyone else has ever said. Just one simple word, “No.” this time he is sterner then before. 

     Biting down on my tongue so hard I can taste blood I try and not to yell at the i***t standing in front of me. “Mother-fucker fine!” I yell kicking some books that were scattered on the floor while bringing the cell phone back up to my ear. “Scratch that, Liam is coming with me. I’ll let you know the next steps” the storm of typing starts again before a hear a small giggle come from Joe’s side of the phone. 

     “I knew I liked him for a reason.” she laughs.

     “Shut up! Talk to you soon.” What is with everyone right now. 

      “Ok you got twenty-five, stay safe sunshine. I love you.” She says before I hang up the phone call, directing my anger again towards Liam.

     “Can you shoot?” I ask holding up the 9mm in my right hand. 

     “Yup, dad is a gun fanatic. Taught me everything I know.” He says all too confidently.

     “Here,” handing him the gun. “Lets hope that’s enough.” I scoff before walking to the door to make my way to artillery room. 

     Following me Liam hesitantly plays with the gun and setting the safety back on before tucking it into the back of his jeans and covering it with his t-shirt. 

     Walking towards the door that stored most of our artillery, I punched in the special combo on the lock pad before it flashes green and unlocks. Once we are inside I get straight to work picking out the different guns, weapons, and ammo that we could potentially need during the time that we are hiding out. 

     Not trying to be too extravagant I make my way to the wall of AK47’s, I grab two and some ammo to go with it and place them on the table that’s centered in the middle of the room. Next I went towards the knives, easily grabbing a pre-packed set and then made my way to the explosives. Just a couple of grandes, smoke/tear bombs and some extra dynamite for an emergency. 

     When I realized how quiet it was I finally turn around to see Liam starring at me and jaw dropped to the floor. “Ill explain all of this to you eventually but we don’t have much time. Can you grab a duffle bag from over there and start putting this stuff together?” I point to the area where we store all of the carrying cases. 

     Still in shock Liam looks nervously at me and almost whispers to himself “You are a f*****g maniac.”but doesn’t hesitate for long before he heads over to look for the duffle bag I asked for.

     Once I got the last of the items I needed, I headed back to James office to grab the most recent files, cash and the change of identity cards/information in case we were to need to leave the country unsuspected. 

     All of these items were hidden in a secret compartment that was placed behind one of the bookshelves. When I got to it and noticed the books shoved off I could tell that they didn’t suspect the hidden spot so when I pulled on the actual physical shelf itself and found the key pad I quickly typed in the correct password followed by a finger print on the screen. A large popping noise came from within and I grabbed the sides of the bookshelf to pull open the door. 

     Everything seemed to still be there including the cash in all different types of currency, Change of ID’s including the  portable printing system for new ones, and different burner phones that I could need but the one thing that caught me off guard the most was the single envelope sitting on top of it all, that had my name written across the front in a very familiar handwriting. 

     My brain started to overload with theories and ideas but I didn’t let them take over as I proceeded to take what I needed and tossed the envelope in the small bag that I was using to cary all the items. 

     Rushing out I made my way back down the hall. As I entered the artillery room Liam was zipping up the duffle bag from before. “I need to grab a couple more items from my room and then we will need to go and fast.”

     “Anything else I can help with?” he asked his face was slightly nervous but nothing in his voice showed concern. 

     “If you want go ahead and take these bags out to the car. Then I need you to get ride of your cellphone. Leave it here but destroy it first.” He nods quickly before grabbing the bag in my hand and the duffle. Once he left the room I hurry to my room to pack up a few more clothing items, back up batteries and some memorable items. 

     I debated going into my closet and opening my safe spot and decided that it was better than not. Unlocking the combination I pulled out a black neck tie, a hair clip and a couple of old photos. Putting those in my bag I made sure to also grab my knitted blanket that was given to me by my parents when I was a baby. 

     Quickly I made my way back downstairs and to the car. When I walked out Liam was leaning against the passenger car door waiting for me. I tossed the remainder of my things in the back seat before hopping into the drivers seat and Liam followed.

     “Where are we going?” He asked. Something about the way he was handling this made me suspicious but I trusted this guy more than anything so I hope he feels the same. Which is what led me to ask the next question before I turned out of the driveway and out towards the road. 

     “Do you trust me?” Reminding him and myself of the other night when he asked me that same question before we jumped off the waterfall.

     “With my whole life.” He responded with strong confidence before he turned his head to look out the window and stare out towards the passing homes and streets.

     I slightly smile to myself before I turned my focus back to the road ahead. As I continued out route, I slowly reached into my pocket while I uncapped the tranquilizer that I grabbed earlier and quickly jabbed it into the side of Liams neck. 

     “What the f**k?!?!” He yelled before he looked at me shocked. “You f*****g maniac! What was that?!?” He was pissed beyond belief but slowly he started swaying in his seat as he rubbed the side of his neck. Finally he was out a few seconds later with his head leaning on the window. 

     I looked at him sadly knowing that this is the only choice. I’m not going to lose anyone else, especially this sweet gentle man next to me. A small tear escaped while it rolled down my cheek slowly.