Rivals at a cost

Let the punches role.

The sound of my alarm wakes my sleepy body, it is only 5: 00Am. I sit up in my bed and gather my thoughts’ yawn escapes from my mouth. I get dressed in a red cropped workout tee shirt, gray running shorts and I tie my long light brown hair into a ponytail.

Working out clears my mind, it makes me feel free and powerful. I have been training since I was 10 years old. In high school I was one of the best female athletes. I even gave some of the boys a run for their money.

I start to jog down the street, some shops start to open their doors, a salty floral scent fades into a fresh coffee scent. The sun starts peeking above the sleeping ocean while the city slowly wakes. My watch beeps at five kilometers, I stop and turn around, I make my way back to my hotel. I quickly take a shower to wash off any trace of my workout session. I start blowing out my hair, soft curls fall down my back, some frame my face. I apply a little makeup and perfume. I get dressed in a a white button blouse, with denim shorts, paired with white sneakers.

In my handbag I have a secret compartment that hides my gun and ammunition. I have a tracker and mic crafted to look like a keychain, I attach it to my handbag. I also have a small pocketknife, pepper spray, some extra makeup, a dress, and hair tie, along with a scarf and sunglasses. If I need to make a run for it, I am completely sorted.

Ray called me to quickly run over the plan, I get into my car and I insert my earpiece, I drive to the café.

” Are you ready agent Raven?” I hear Ray say.

“Yes Ray, is my backup in position?” I start the car.

“Yes, they are three minutes out, at a nearby restaurant”.

After fifteen minutes, I arrive at my destination, I gather everything I need and get out of the car. I walk into the café, greeting the owner with a smile. I quickly study my surroundings; I then walk to the counter to place my order. I got Marcus a coffee, I hope he drinks a coffee.

xxxxxx

I enter the café, a group of men walk in front of me, I hear them talking about the girl at the counter. I turn my gaze and notice Rose standing at the counter.

She has a perfect set of legs, they are long and toned, she definitely works out, they are also slightly tanned. I would not mind having them wrapped around my waist. Stop, what am I saying!

My attention gets dragged back to the men walking in front of me, the one makes a comment about what he would like to do to her, I can feel my anger start to boil. I would love to end him now, but I can not scare her of now. I barely know her, but hearing other men talking about her in that way, actually, at all wakes a possessive part of me I surely do not like. Fortunate for them they turned and walked to a table in the corner of the shop, I walk to Rose at the counter. She turns around and notice me.

“Well, is it not my favorite speedbump” she said walking to me, giving me a warm smile. I held out my hand, she gave me a strange look and slapped my hand away. I swear this woman is…

My thoughts get interrupted by her embracing me into a hug, I am stunned, I rarely hug anyone. Her warmth and scent took my breath away, she smells like warm chocolate mixed with nectarines. She pulls away,

“Did I do something wrong?” she questions me with uncertainty.

“No, not at all, shall we take a seat?” I assured her and gestured her to a table, she answers me with a warm smile.

“I ordered you a coffee, is that fine?”.

“Yes, that is perfect” this girl keeps on leaving me speechless.

“So, Miss Rose, am I allowed to know your Full name now?” I laughed.

“My name is Rosanna Biann.”

“Nice to meet your acutance without almost being knocked into another blood type Miss Biann” I teased her. She gave me an embarrassed giggle.

Aunt Soph placed our coffee on the table, she greets me with a smile, I do the same.

“So, what would your full name be Marcus.”

“Marcus Ameer Aristeo, So Rose, tell me, what do you do for a living?” I ask while stirring my coffee.

“I am a Website and software developer and designer.” She clearly is smart, not everyone would like to become a programmer or coder.

“Well, I did not expect that” I respond while sipping my Coffee.

“I am full of surprises Mar…”

My attention gets drawn to the men in the corner, everything starts to play in slow motion. The one guy takes off his jacket, he has a sleeve tattoo. I immediately recognize it; I place my hand into my jacket pocket for my gun. I see some of his men doing the same. With my other arm I immediately push Rose to the side to get a clear shot, I aim and shoot in the blink of an eye.

xxxxx

I fell to the ground, the thunder of a gun, stretches across the room, freeze for a moment. I then pushed the table over for cover, Marcus is next to me, I immediately notice a gun. He fired the first shot at my target! Why? I reach for my gun and knife in my handbag, I push the knife into my back pocket. I join into the crossfire with Marcus. Together we take out most of the men. Well, this makes things easier, I might even finish my mission today…

“More men are coming “. I hear Marcus say, I notice more than a dozen men enter the shop, civilians run past them inn a panic.

“Listen I think we should...” before he finished his sentence, I start to make my way to the stares.

“Cover me!” I shouted at him.

xxxxx

What on earth is she thinking!  I take out two men aiming at her, this Girl likes playing on deaths porch. Five men follow her upstairs start to make my way to them...

“Marcus…” I hear aunt Soph call me. I make my way to the counter, I find Aunt Soph hiding behind the it.

“Aunt Soph when I say run, I want you to run out of the back door and make your way to the parking lot, you will find my men there, some of them are probably already on their way.”

She nods at me; I get up from behind the counter and open fire at them.

“RUN!!” Aunt Soph gets up and runs out of the door, just then my men enter the shop, we quickly take out the last of the men.

xxxxx

I notice five men following me upstairs, I shoot and two of them fell to the ground whining in pain. I try to shoot again but all I hear is a clicking noise. Great now I must do things the hard way. One of the men approach me, he pointed his gun at me. In a swift motion I push his extended arm to the right and grabbed his gun to the left. He is left unarmed, and I fire two shots, he and another falls to the ground. I feel a hard force run into me. I fell to the ground, breathless. The gun is nowhere to found.

“I must say, I underestimated you. I thought with his men out of the way, I could easily take him down. I knew there would be some casualties, but I did not expect his girlfriend taking out most of my men…”

“What are you talking about? “I ask staring him dead in the eye, not dropping my guard.

“The man you are with, I assumed he is your boyfriend.” he said looking confused.

“If he is, what has that to do with anything?” I ask strongly.

“Well, you can be of great use to me, if you are one of the most powerful mafia leader’s girlfriends…”

“Oh, I get it, you are trying to distract me so that I can drop my guard. You are scared to throw the first punch; I will gladly make the first move then…”

I run towards him. I hit him under his jaw, he hisses in pain. He stepped back and swing at me. I shrugged my shoulder up to take the punch. I hit him right in the face twice. He stumbled back, blood gushing from a cut above his left eye. He grabs me from the side and throws me onto a glass table with such force it shatters beneath me. I groan in pain. I feel a warm liquid running down my face, for a moment my vision blurs. I try to stand. I feel a strong-arm snake around my chest, I stumble back into someone. My vision clears up and I notice light dancing on a blade pressed to my neck.

“Either you behave, or I will have to leave a bloody gift for your boyfriend to find” I feel his breath on my neck.

I go numb against him, gathering all my strength...

“Okay” I whisper.

“But there is something I have to tell you then…” I feel him resting his weight more on my shoulder to get close and listen.

“And what would that be?”

“He is not my boyfriend!” I yelled. I knock my head into his, he groans in pain. I pushed he arm forward with all my strength while standing my ground. I then fell back with all my weight onto him. He stumbles backwards and he trips. He falls to the ground and I land next to him. I quickly wrap my arms tightly around his neck and continuously tighten my grip, he struggles and tries to reach the gun next to us. I feel his body going numb, after a few minutes, I release his lifeless body. I roll out under neath him.

“So much for your backup Ray…”. I say laying on my back catching my breath. He is silent for I while. When Ray is silent, it is never a good thing.

“I called them of as soon as I heard your dates name.”

“What, why?” I ask confused.

“Leora, you remember when they thought you at the academy about those mafia groups who are protected in a way…”

“Yes, Ray what is going on, you are scaring me.”

“Well, the guy you used as your cover, Marcus, he is the leader of the most powerful mafia groups and he…”

“His group is protected, right?” I interrupt him.

“Yes, I am sorry, but you are on your own Leora” He said helpless.

“Okay what is the plan?” I ask while reaching for the gun next to me.

“Run, get as far as possible from them. If they catch, you do not, under any circumstances, tell them who you really are, they will place a bullet between your eyes without even asking if they were your target.

“But…” I hear glass crunching across the room.

I see Marcus walk towards me with his hands in his pockets, a few men walk behind him in an orderly manner. Behind him I notice someone creeping towards him and the men following him. I immediately aim at the man. The men behind Marcus draw their weapons and aim at me, ignoring their warning I fire.

The shot roars thru the room and the man falls to the ground with a thud. Alex and his men turn around, they notice a body with a pool of blood creeping around him. Alex turns his gaze to me, he looks impressed.

I feel myself drown in darkness.