DARK SHADOWS

I glanced at my watch for the fourth time as I sat inconspicuous in a corner of the nightclub waiting and watching. It was a cold Friday night in the aftermath of a torrential downpour that had flooded some parts of the city. But it was a weekend afterall and the club was alive and in full swing.
I lifted the half empty beer bottle I had ordered and downed it in two long gulps and was about to order another when an intrusive mental voice chided me. No, It wasn't my conscience, I'm pretty sure that bitch died a long time ago. It was my annoying sister who happened to be a telepath; lucky girl.
I created a mental wall forcing her out before she could launch into a sermon about quitting alcohol among other things and would have gladly left it that way but she was my eyes and ears outside, not that I needed her but it was part of her training. I watched the entrance for a brief second then looked away, my irritation growing with each passing second; he wasn't here yet.
I wasn't usually this impatient but for some reason, I was in a foul mood. The weather and the noise did nothing to help.
My sister's voice sounded in my head interrupting my thoughts, "He's here."
As if on cue, a casually dressed dark-skinned man stepped into the club. He was bald, muscular but not overly so with a set jaw and broad shoulders. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. He shifted his body slightly as he scanned the room and I caught sight of a pair of deadly looking axes strapped to his thighs. With a quick assessment, I expected he would be an interesting opponent. I hoped he wouldn't disappoint because I really needed the workout.
But I wasn't here for him. A fat man in a grey suit with a pronounced desert at the centre of his head stepped in next; the former deputy governor. He had brown skin the color of polished mahogany with dark brown eyes and even darker lips that looked like and probably tasted like burnt yams. Not that I planned on finding out that last part. He had a permanent smug look on his face and from the wrinkles and slightly drooping cheeks, I could tell he was in his late fifties.
After the tragic event of a year ago; the fall of Nigeria as one of the foreign newspapers had put it, the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State—the miserable excuse for a human being that just walked in—had so generously stolen as much funds as he could get his meaty hands on, enough to maintain his lifestyle of booze, drugs and women. He should have just stuck to booze, maybe then his wife wouldn't have sent me to kill him.
I continued to observe as he took a seat in the VIP section hungrily eyeing the half naked girls, shaking their barely concealed bodies to the loud music that blared through the speakers, carefully selecting his conquest for the night. Fucking pervert.
As I watched, he signalled to the bouncer to approach then whispered in his ear pointing none too discreetly at a dark-skinned girl dressed in a very flattering black gown that left very little to the imagination. The bouncer nodded and left heading towards the girl. My attention did not leave the fat man as he whispered a few words to his bodyguard and judging from the fact that the bodyguard immediately left, going in the direction of the bar, I guessed he had been temporarily dismissed.
While the bodyguard left Mr Bassey got up and went through a door in the VIP section. A few minutes later, the girl followed.
Stealth was second nature to me. I soon found my opportunity when the bouncer was distracted and the bodyguard wasn't looking and then I too followed the former deputy governor.
On the other side of the door was a staircase that led to the rooms upstairs set aside for purposes such as the one Mr Bassey had in mind.
The girl was about to step into the room the former deputy governor awaited her in. As she grabbed the door handle, about to turn it and open the door, I placed a hand over hers stopping her.
I felt the shiver and saw the look of fright on her face as she turned. She was prepared to scream but then she took one look at my face and her voice seemed to cease.
I had perfected the look that was currently on my face over the years, a dark, frightening, predator-like glare.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I have business with the former deputy. Turn around and walk away unless you wish to join him in death." Her eyes widened in fear as I spoke but I ignored it, "Get into one of the other rooms and wait for five minutes, then leave. Forget you ever saw me. Forget we ever had this conversation. Do that and you will live."
I stopped and watched her, waiting for her to react.
She stepped around me and as she did I caught her by the arm sending another chill through her. She looked at me, dreading that I had changed my mind and decided to kill her as well.
I slipped a thick roll of naira notes into her hand and whispered, "You don't need to sleep with men like this to get money." She walked away still in shock, mumbling her appreciation, stopped in front of a room two rooms away and entered. Smart girl.
With her out of the way, I turned the handle and entered.
The room was small with a double bed being the most prominent feature. The only source of light was a lamp stand close to the wall. There was a ceiling fan that didn't look like it had been used in the past decade but there was a window that provided a bit of ventilation and natural light. The dark green paint on the wall was peeling and the ceiling boards had broken in many places. Other than that, the room wasn't really furnished. There was another door at the opposite wall that most probably led to the bathroom and toilet.
Mr Bassey was seated on the bed completely oblivious to my entrance. He had taken off his suit and was now wrestling with his shirt, his tie hanging loosely from his neck. I needed to end this quickly, I definitely did not want to see this fat pig in all his glory.
The thought of wasting my night waiting just to kill this coward was unappealing to me. His bodyguard... Now that was someone I wouldn't mind killing.

---

The former deputy governor tugged at his belt that now seemed constricting as he tried to get his trousers off. He paused from his struggles realizing that someone had entered the room. He turned and discovered that it wasn't the girl he had asked to be brought up to him, rather, standing before him was a slender dark-skinned girl with jet black hair done in small braids at the sides and bigger ones in the middle. She was probably in her late teens although the look in her eyes was not that of a teenager. Her eyes were cold and menacing, an empty void. She was dressed in a shirt, trousers and a leather jacket, all black.
"Who the hell are you? You're not the girl I asked for!"
Still she remained silent watching him with those predatory eyes. When she did speak, her voice was flat, like her eyes devoid of emotions.
"It's nothing personal, just so you know, but you are going to die tonight." she said walking over to him.
"What the... Who are you?" he asked, shifting backwards so fast he fell off the opposite side of the bed.
He got to his feet rather quickly for his size. "What do you want? Money? I'll give it to you, just name your price."
She shook her head slowly like a condescending mother trying to convince her child that punishment was necessary. "I'm not here for your money."
"Oh no." he muttered, his eyes going almost perfectly round as the truth dawned on him, "My wife sent you, didn't she?"
Her only reply was a nod.
"No! I beg you. Whatever she's paying you, I'll double it. Triple even."
"I do not go back on a contract. My contract with your wife ends with your death. I'm telling you all this because she wanted you to know that she was responsible for sending you off to hell."
She advanced towards him but before she could get to him, the door burst open and the bodyguard entered. Seizing the moment of temporary distraction, the fat man dashed out leaving her to face the bodyguard.

---

I laughed as he ran out of the room stumbling as he went. It was a mirthless laugh, absolutely devoid of humour. Everything had gone according to plan.
I had seen him reach for his phone and speed dial his bodyguard. I had wanted him to do so. Now the night was about to get interesting, but first...
"Incoming." I sent a thought across to my sister, "The target is on his way out, coming your way, take care of him."
"I'm on it!"she replied immediately. "But how did he get past you?"
I sensed her utter bewilderment before the answer came to her.
"You let him, didn't you?"
I smirked inwardly as she mentally facepalmed before severing the connection.
I turned my attention to the hunk of muscles before me.
"If you want him, you're gonna have to go through me." said the bodyguard.
"Cliché." I muttered, "But, fine by me."
He pulled his weapons, did a few unnecessary acrobatic displays before getting into fighting stance. I resisted the urge to roll my eyeballs.
He lunged at me, closing the distance between us rapidly. I took a step back as he took a swing aiming for my neck and sidestepped as he brought the second one towards me in an upward swing.
A flurry of similar attacks caused me to backpedal and without delay, he pressed his advantage. Feeling he had the upper hand, he paid no attention to defence, neither expecting a parry nor a counter attack because I was weaponless. Big mistake.
He was going on full-on offensive, his attacks easy to predict, easy to...adapt to.

---

The bodyguard continued to attack relentlessly as the assassin bobbed and weaved around his every strike. He had been unable to land a single hit but at least she was too occupied to make an attack of her own. She was good, scary good. He was amazed at her superior dexterity. But she was human afterall and she was bound to make a mistake and when she did, it would be the end of her. He just had to keep this up till then.
There was a loud crash as his axe sliced through a lamp sending it falling to the floor; a result of another failed strike. He slashed horizontally, aiming for her torso but she jumped backwards. Spinning three-sixty with the initial momentum, he came around with both blades going for the side of her head but he cut through thin air as she bent over backwards then took two quick steps back, putting space between them.
He tightened his grip on his axes as he took a moment to catch his breath. He felt beads of sweat flowing down his forehead in thick rivulets. His eyeballs stung as the sweat seeped through his lashes but he dared not wipe it. He dared not even blink as that could be the difference between life and death.
His opponent stood, watching him with those cold emotionless eyes. She wasn't out of breath and she didn't seem tired or flustered from exertion. He realized that while he had been putting all his strength into each strike, moving so fast his muscles burned, she had only been moving as much as was necessary to remain just out of his reach. Who was this girl?
Refusing to give up, he charged again with renewed vigor, both axes raised. He launched off the ground a few feet away bringing his weapons down towards her head. He was sure he had gotten her this time but at the last moment, she took a step back, fist clenched, then shot forward.
The blow to his stomach stopped him short mid air for a fraction of a second, violently forcing the air out of his lungs, before he dropped unceremoniously to the floor. The punch had rattled every fiber of his existence. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he coughed and spat. He inhaled sharply and immediately regretted it; a few of his ribs had been broken.
"Disappointing." he heard her say as he rose to his hands and knees, "I expected more."
He staggered to his feet as she picked up an axe from the floor where it had fallen from his limp hands.
"I've had my fun for the night." she said, "Now I kill."
He coughed a few more times then rose to his full height. She might have beat him, but he still had one last card.
"This isn't over. Not many have lasted long enough in combat to see my... talent. And no one has seen it and lived. Consider yourself lucky to—"
"Shut up." she said, cutting him off. "I don't have all night."
His mouth hung open mid sentence in shock. The shock turned to anger then rage. This worked to his advantage as he felt the rage coursing through his veins fuelling her with power. His muscles became slightly bigger and more defined, his broken ribs and bruised torso no longer mattered, he couldn't feel them. This was his talent; the strength of ten men.
"Are you done?" the girl asked. She now stood about ten feet away brandishing her newly acquired weapon.
He crouched and shot forward at blindingly fast speed, his right hand balled into a fist. He closed three-quarter of the distance between them and she hasn't even moved; this was the end of her, he was sure of it. With a roar of fury, he swung his fist to deliver the killing blow.
The speed at which she moved shouldn't have been possible. She twisted to the left, weaving around his outstretched arm then raised the axe high above her head and brought it down with incredible strength. The blade severed through flesh and bone and a fountain of thick dark red blood spewed forth as limb was separated from limb.
He dropped to his knees with a cry of pain as he clutched the bleeding stump that was once his fore arm. He could feel his power slipping away with his lifeblood. Through the blinding pain, and the tears that had gathered in his eyes, he saw the assassin watching him with a look of disappointment.
"Super strength is so overrated." was all she said, then she turned and walked towards the door.
"Who are you?"
"I go by many names, but you can call me Shiva."
The last thing he ever saw was the axe flying towards his head.
He barely had time to comprehend the speed at which she had turned and flung it before he felt his head split open on impact and then the world around him instantly faded to black.

---

The former deputy governor was sure of one thing as he ran out of the club, flinging aside anyone who was in his path; he had never before in his life been as scared as he was at the moment.
Without so much as a backward glance, he ran to his car parked in front of the nightclub. He opened the front door to see his driver making out with a scantily dressed girl. He couldn't afford the luxury of being shocked, talk less of ranting and raving, he had to get as far away as possible. He barked at them to get out, dragging them to hasten the process. As soon as they were out, he jumped in and drove off. Pedestrians jumped out of his way, raining curses and abuses as he accelerated away from the nightclub, but he didn't care, he had escaped.
As he drove, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his phonebook, taking longer because his hands were still shaky with fear, before he found the number he was looking for. He dialed immediately.
"Hello Mr. Deputy Governor." he heard a masculine voice say through the phone at the second ring. He detected a hint of mockery in the speaker's voice but chose too ignore it.
"I have a job for you."he replied,"As I remember, you owe me a favour."
"Indeed. What can I do for you then?"
The former deputy governor paused for a brief second then replied firmly,"I want you to go to my house and kill my wife."
"Consider it done." came the response and the line went dead. He heaved a sigh and tossed the phone aside.
"Twenty million." a voice said behind him and his heart nearly jumped to his throat. There was someone else in the car!

---

Now face to face with their target, Jessie understood the not-so-friendly thoughts she had been picking up from her sister all night.
Everything about him was irritating and it didn't help that she could read his every thought; past and present.
"That's how much she paid us to kill you. That's how much she wants you gone. Twenty million naira." she continued, absentmindedly stroking a pair of sheathed machetes that rested on her laps. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." she quipped.
She noticed him staring at the weapons, his eyes almost the shape and size of one naira coins.
"They're my sister's." she explained with a wicked grin," You met her earlier. Yeah, she'd probably want me to kill you with one of these."
His eyes grew even wider as, with quivering lips, he launched into a series of frantic pleading.
She ignored him and slowly unsheathed a machete watching his reaction with a look of amusement. "Any last words?" she asked.
In a rather pitiful final attempt to escape, he turned and swung open the car door, but before he could jump out, her arm shot forward from behind and wrapped around his neck restraining him.
"Don't worry, I'll try to be gentle." she whispered in his ear.
He opened his mouth to plead again but the words never left his lips as the machete exploded through his chest.
As soon as she was through wiping the blood off the blade with the dead man's neck tie, Jessie texted her sister the location to come pick her up; the job was done.
While she waited, she climbed onto the roof of the car and took out her phone; she had an unfinished game of Candy Crush to get back to.

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