Broken Duckling

THE BOOK COVER WAS ILLUSTRATED BY MY DAUGHTER KAILANY. TO WHOEVER LOVES THE ARTWORK, PLEASE COMMENT.

WARNING

The following story contains explicit language, which may be offensive, as well as adult themes, violence, abuse, and suicidal thought, which may not be suitable for some readers and inappropriate for youths. Therefore, the content in this story is intended for mature readers only.

I rode my motorcycle full speed down the road; everything was in my favor, including the trail of greenlights making it effortless to arrive at my destination quicker than anticipated. The mission ahead of me was complicated but not something I couldn’t handle. I had to execute my kills quickly and get those victims out unharmed. I usually am not hired for any rescue mission, but this one was different, he asked for a favor, and I complied with a smile.

I drifted my bike to the left toward the warehouse I’ve kept surveillance for the past three nights. I’ve studied their routine and pattern; I know their weaknesses. I observed the switch of shifts and how many men they maintain on the premises during the day keeping their boss safe. I had everything planned; the countdown would begin once I stepped inside.

I was just two minutes away when my phone began ringing on my helmet’s Bluetooth. Everyone knew I always maintain a no-contact rule during a mission; however, I bend my limitations for him, and I wouldn’t hesitate to answer any of his calls if it meant keeping him worry-free. So without hesitation, I answered the call by clicking the acceptance button as I turned the corner. “When are you coming home?” my lips tugged upward into a smile, hearing his deep voice rumble through the Bluetooth, erupting goosebumps all over my body. “I’ve only been gone half an hour,” he sighs out, causing my heart to flutter as I picture him running his hand through his beautiful hair while he continued to speak to me; he must be regretting asking me to do this for his friend “I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon, yet my wife had the audacity on leaving our bed “I chuckled while easing my bike to a stop far from prying eyes “is this a booty call?” he growls out causing my mouth to smile wider “I will be there before your wife comes home” I bit down on my bottom lip feeling my cheeks reddened as he groans “I hate that I’m the one that asked you to do this, just...keep safe, I miss you”.

I cut the call and climbed off my motorcycle, removing my helmet and stationing it on the back of the bike.’ I miss you echoed in my head, causing me to bite down on my lips, stopping myself from smiling. ‘Focus,’ I told myself as I placed an earpiece in my ear, keeping the promise I made before leaving the house of keeping him informed of any danger. Knowing he had my back made me feel so many emotions; the walls I had placed around my heart for years came tumbling down once I stumbled onto him.

I pulled up my mask, covering my face and exposing my brown eyes to the world.

Without making a sound, I ran across the empty lot towards the left side of the warehouse, where I climbed up the building toward the window I had broken the lock the night before. I looked around, ensuring my figure was not seen through the darkness, before sliding the window upward and sneaking inside.

Like a wild cat, I bent down on my knees, quickly running down the hall, searching for my prey. I slowly remove the dagger from my pocket while creeping closer to the guard, taking a cigarette break. I watched silently as he threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stepping it with his foot and putting out the flame before advancing toward the door. I hadn’t moved an inch, but something caught his eyes, or he felt my presence as he stood still, halting his movements. His body instantly tensed, unsure of what to expect behind him. He slightly tilted his head to the side, listening to the silence in the darkness while I held my breath. For a moment, I expected him to see me. “I’m starting to lose it,” he muttered before turning his head back to the door as I kept my body knelt in the dark shadow. I was inches away from him, yet the darkness hid me from sight; he released a breath, doubting himself before scanning his hand and opening the door. He should have listened to his gut feeling as he made the biggest mistake of not trusting his instinct. Finally, I got what I was waiting for; just as he opened the door, I quickly stood up from the ground and stepped out of the shadow, wrapping my arm around his neck while slicing the dagger from left to proper through his arteries just like Blade taught me years ago.

I let his lifeless body drop to the ground as I cautiously stepped over him, ensuring I didn’t press my foot on his blood; I wasn’t about to leave a trail of bloody footprints while walking through the door. ‘One down, nine to go.’

I gripped the bloody dagger and pulled out another with my other hand while striding down the hall like I owned the place. Sighting the next door, I needed to enter; I began to count ‘one, two, three, four, five’ suitable on cue; the two guards walked out of the room deep in conversation. I had a brief second before they acknowledged my presence, always being quicker than my target; I flung the daggers aiming straight at their necks. Just as they lifted their head, their eyes met mine, but it was too late for them. The blades impacted straight through their throats; the gurgling sound was the only music echoing in the hall before their bodies dropped to the ground; having taken down three men without even being seen had me smiling under my mask. ‘Three down, seven to go.’

Placing my gloved hand on the knob and opening the door wide, I entered the dimly lit hallway, tilting my head right and left, ensuring no one was around. Unfortunately, I couldn’t allow myself to be seen yet, so I turned my body to the left, rushing down the hall, knowing the next room would be a more significant task as all the remaining guards should still be on their break “What the hell? Stop shooting at me” someone yelled out from a distance confusing me at the words said since I haven’t heard any gunshots “you fucking asshole... I’m on my last life” I shook my head silently, chuckling, understanding they were in the midst of a video game; it was pretty ironic he was dying in a game when he wouldn’t be living much longer.

I flushed my body against the wall creeping inside the room, my eyes darting from one guard to the other “I don’t understand why you like playing this bullshit when you suck at it,” a couple of the men chuckled, finding amusement at the battle on the screen “kiss my motherfucking ass.” While they argued with each other, I stood there analyzing my next move.

I always enjoyed an up close and personal kill. Accomplishing it with seven trained men would be a challenge, but I knew it was why I was sent; they knew no one other than Kali, the assassin, could deliver a death without survivors. I was the best-known assassin in the underground world, and due to my reputation, I was also the most feared.

I stared at the back of the two men’s heads, calculating my movements as they stood before me, unaware of my presence. I pulled out my Ninja Sai while they continued their focus on the battle happening in front of them “$20 bucks Nico doesn’t last 20 seconds,” one said to the other; I quickly sprang forward, sliding toward them on my knee as I sliced my Sai against the back of their legs bringing them down to the ground instantly their unexpected screams caught everyone’s attention. Still, it was too late for these two as I stabbed my Sai in their hearts, twisting it to ensure I killed them instantly.

I smiled mischievously under my mask in triumph. Then, noticing the shocked expression on the faces of the others, I stood up, pulling my Sai with me, ‘game on.’ Once everyone pulled themselves out of their shock, they began to jump off the sofa coming at me in anger; my lips tugged upward into a smirk as the one closer to me picked up a pipe. “I’m going to kill you,” he lifted his arm, trying to strike me with the line. I blocked the hit with my Sai the clang of the steel hitting the metal rang loud; raising my other hand, I plunged the other Sai into his heart.

You can call it a kink, but I enjoyed watching the lifeless body in my hold, knowing I had the power to take their last breath. However, I wouldn’t want this one entirely, as I still had four other guards approaching me quickly.

A man ran ahead of the others towards me; I flung my Sai out of my hand, impacting his heart; I slid across the floor on my knees, kicking the other man off his feet when he ran towards me; once I brought him to his knees I plunged the other Sai into his heart, I stood up from the floor pulling my Katana out of its stealth from my back twirling my body in a circular motion I sliced the Katana into the last two remaining men. “Amateurs,” I mumbled low before turning my body towards the final door, where my main target hid.

I walked towards the office, placing my hand on the knob. I turned the handle and swung the door open, cautiously stepping inside, knowing he felt my presence before I entered. “So they hired the Goddess of Destruction to bring me off my throne... I’m honored” I arched an eyebrow upwards, noticing him sitting in his chair, not attempting to move as he finished signing documents as though I wasn’t here to kill him, “they told me you were good; quite frankly, I thought you were a myth but seeing how you manage to bring down my strongest men. I must say you have left me astounded” he brought up his green eyes meeting mine, chuckling to himself he shook his head “the only difference between my men and me, I’m better trained” he pulled a Katana from stealth next to his desk. He stepped away from his desk, making his way to the center of the room while keeping his eyes on me. “Care to dance with me, Kali?”.

I nodded, accepting his invitation; I stepped closer to him without uttering a word while pulling up my Katana. Although I found it amusing, he thought he could take me; I respected that he was willing to battle me to his death. His sword clanged against mine while he twirled his body; I gripped my Katana tighter, not allowing him to strike me. His foot movements were impressive; I don’t know what he heard of me, but I wasn’t an easy person to take down, and although he told the truth, he was better trained, but even so, he was not good enough to beat me. I’ve battled stronger and more prominent men than him. I stepped forward, swinging my Katana, which he blocked with his as he tried to cause me injury.

I was about to plunge the sword into his stomach when my phone began to go off, distracting me briefly, allowing Dante to land a punch, and making me stumble slightly back, causing him to chuckle.

Once I stabilized myself, I clicked my earpiece, answering the call as I continued to fight. I swung my fist and kicked my leg, striking Dante while our grunts intensified with every swing and hit. “Princess, please tell me that you did not just answer the phone while fucking”

Without uttering a word, I twirled my Katana in my hand, blocking his swing as the Katana clanged together; I released another grunt as I used more strength to take him down. Dante tried to plunge his Katana into me, but I blocked it with my Katana. In this careless move, he made me see an opening, and I could embed my Katana through his neck, decapitating his head. The thud of Dante’s body dropping to the ground and his head rolling on the floor was loud enough for anyone to hear.

“FUCK!... Please tell me you answer the phone while fucking” Dante’s head finally stops flipping on the floor; however, what I just heard on the line causes me to chuckle, hearing clearly what he just shouted in my ear. “I didn’t know you had that type of kink, Dimples; I will make a note of it next time” He took a deep breath while I bent down and picked up Dante’s head off the floor. “You are going to bring me to my grave sooner than I need to, Woman” I walked over to the desk picking up a duffel bag from the floor. I noticed the bag when Dante picked up his Katana; I placed his head inside the bag. “What’s the reason for this call?” I can picture him shaking his head at my tone, but he knew as much as anyone no one should be contacting me during a mission.

I swung the duffel bag placing it on my back while I stepped towards the door, dropping my signature card and a single white rose over the headless body. “Dr. Russo,” I halted my movement upon hearing her name. “She’s been MIA for three weeks,” I responded; I didn’t want him to listen to the tone in my voice. I tried not to get attached to people and show them my weakness, but not knowing of her worried me. She didn’t accept working for us, but she became one of us when she saved Dimples and me. I shut my eyes, pulling myself from the memory of seeing his lifeless body bleeding out. I could hear the shuffling of footsteps before someone else spoke. For a moment, I was expecting bad news. “I need your help” Hearing her voice on the other line asking for my help made my body tense and my heart clench. I should be happy that she was found, but having her request for my service is what concerned me the most. “I’m on my way” I didn’t hesitate or ask questions I knew, but by uttering those words, she was in trouble. I clicked the phone off, ending the call abruptly. I knew at that moment the man I promised to go home to would be pissed off that I accepted another mission while he was still on his honeymoon, but I couldn’t deny Dr. Russo my help, especially after having saved my life.

I stepped out of the office, heading rapidly down to the basement. Using my Katana, I ripped the chain apart from the gate. Then, opening the gates wide, I ran right through while glancing at my wristwatch. I had only minutes to complete this mission.

Upon seeing me, the screams of the women and children were expected. They feared me, especially seeing my bloody mess, but I had no time to calm everyone down; I needed to get to Dr. Russo and figure out why she needed Kali’s services. “If you want to live and be free, follow me out,” a young woman around twenty who seemed unafraid of anyone stepped towards me. I could see the fear in her eyes, but she hid it well, wanting to protect the others even if it cost her life.

Her eyes schemed my body up and down before she asked, “Who are you, and why should we follow you?” I tilted my head towards her. “I was hired to rescue Angelina Dubai” Her eyes widened, and I knew then she was who I came for. “Ms. Dubai, I was sent for you” I pulled out my signature card, the one he wrote a unique code in that only she would understand, and handed it to her. “I’ve just killed the men who held you all hostage. It is your decision if you want to stay or go, but I must warn you, the building will explode once I’m outside” She looked over her shoulder, nodding her decision and accepting my help; it was clear she trusted me once I handed her the card.

I turned my body and headed out the door; I didn’t have to see whether or not they would follow me out; I felt them huddled behind Angelina, following mindlessly as though she was their mother hen. I was here for only her, not the others, but I had a soft spot for those who were hurt or abused that I didn’t address the fact it was a one-person rescue. Once we were out of the warehouse, I stepped towards a van, quickly hotwiring it. I looked to Angelina and instructed her where to drive off to. “I can’t drive you to safety. Something else came up. I removed the tracker from the van, keep going south until you see the police station, do not stop the vehicle until you arrive, and ask for Officer Esposito. He is the only one there who is in contact with your father. Ms. Dubai? It was a pleasure to see you well,” she nodded, getting behind the wheel. “Thank you,” she shouted as all the other women and children entered the van.

Once they were out of sight, I clicked the detonator engulfing the warehouse in flames, before turning towards my motorcycle. Pulling out my phone, I looked through my apps depending on Dimples’ tracker; his location was just 15 minutes away. My lips tugged upward into a smile noticing where he was. I quickly turn towards Luca Reign’s residences realizing by the looks of it that Bambi found Thumper, and I’m heading to a load of trouble.