9 Chapter 9 (1/2)
When the carriage stops at your stop, you are immediately awake, even though you are drowsy. ”Ma'am. Would you like me to see you to your hotel, this is a dodgy part of town, and you seem to not be at your best.” I pay the guy and smile. ”No. I have got it.” He nods and rids off. I walk through the unfamiliar streets, marking places you could run and hide. When I get to the hotel, I buy the best room. When I walk up to it, I smile. It is beautiful and gives me a perfect view of the place I am supposed to meet this mystery guy. I grab a pen, and place it on the ledge, pointing directly to where I am supposed to meet him.
To anyone, it would look like a random pen, but if I get caught, and Wilker checks this room, he will see it and know. I keep everything in my bag, set it in a chair, and lie down on my bed. I need to sleep, but it evades me. After an hour of staying perfectly still, and slowing my heart rate, I fall into a dreamless sleep. When I woke up, I felt better. I looked around, half expecting, and hoping the last week was a dream. But nope. It was all real.
I look out the window, and it is dark out. I push open the window and let the breeze cool off the room, then I head down to get a quick bite to eat. The first place I come across is a street vendor selling some sort of meat. I bought some and quickly down it. Then I buy a water to chase it down. Then I am left walking around the streets.
Everyone is walking by, laughing, smiling, not a worry in the world. As I pass a alley, I see a girl about make a short cut through it. The only reason I see the guy waiting in the shadow, is because he lets out a small laugh. I immediately jump up next to the girl. ”Hey, didn't we talk earlier tonight?” I ask. She jumps. ”What? We met.” She looks over my outfit. Her eyes go wide. ”Yes, we did. Remember?” I ask. She nods taking the hint. She keeps walking with me next to her. ”How have you been?” I ask awkwardly.
She plastered a smile on her face. ”I have been great. Didn't you see that guy who was checking me out earlier? He came up and talked to me. We are meeting up tomorrow.” I manage a half-hearted smile. I always hated this small talk. ”That is great.” We pass the guy, and I can see his interest has settled on me know. He is completely ignoring the other girl. I swallow and keep walking. ”Don't you want to know where we are going?” She asks. ”Do you really have to ask?” I answer, hoping she doesn't answer. ”We are going to park that is somewhere near here. He is making a lunch specially for me.” I nod as we get to the far side of the alley.
I feel a hand latch onto mine, I don't even flinch. The grip is tight enough to tell me to not let the other girl he is there. I stop. ”See you soon.” I say. She nods and walks off. As soon as she is out of ear shot, I turn with a dagger already out. I swing it towards the attacker, but he ducks. This throws him off balance and I pull away from him. He walks towards me. ”Why did you step in? Why not let me have her?” He is smiling at me. I stand my ground. ”Because I don't need a girl found dead in the city right now.”
I knew if word got to Wilker that a dead girl was found, the whole guild would be out here in a matter of hours. That happened anytime a dead member was found. He was a foot from me. ”Back off before there is a dead man.” I say. I move my dagger, so the light reflects off it.” He tried to grab it, but I dodge him and throw him into a wall. ”Don't even try.” I say and walk away. He calls me a few choice words and I turn on him. ”I have been called much worse. Trust me. I have gone by many names. You think any thing can beat the names I have collected as the only female assassin. You are sadly mistaken.”
Then I walk through several other streets. After a half hour, I hear a group walking through the alley. I slip into the shadows. I am watching them. They are obviously from the assassin guild here. They are all wearing multiple blades, like most people, but they all have a black dagger going through an x on there suits. They look slightly drunk. I go to take a step towards the exit of the alley, but that causes a rat to go scurrying. The leader looking one stops, getting all the others attention. I slow my heartbeat to a rats heartbeat.
The leader hears this though. He has them spread to all possible exits. ”Who is watching us. I heard you slow your heartbeat.” I slow it further to almost not beating at all. ”They can hear us boys. I can hear the heartbeat further slowing.” I take a deep breath. It is hard to keep a heartbeat this low for long. It makes you tired and makes you feel like you are going to pass out. I had trained myself to be able to hold a low heartbeat for about five minutes before I was pushing it.
”Look, who ever you are, come out. We can talk. No one gets hurt.” I decided to take a chance. I can't get past them. I will see me one way or another. I pull my deep hood up, hiding my long hair and face. I step out. I am in the middle of the alley way. I put my hands up, showing I mean no harm. It also lets them I know I am wearing blades. I turn in a circle so they can all see me. ”I didn't mean to stop you. I am just passing through.” I say.
I can see they are all surprised. I am looking at the leader. ”Pull you hood away.” He says. I lower my hands keeping my hands within in casual distance of my blades. Same for all five assassins around me. I could take them, but I would probably take some damage. ”I would rather not. I would like to just keep my hood up and to not give away my identity. You of all people should understand that.” He stays quiet. ”People in our profession don't like people knowing who they are exactly.” I say. He takes the hint. ”Have we finally met the infamous Huntress?”
I laugh. It had been a long time since I had heard that name. ”The Huntress. Is that what I am called in these parts?” I ask. One of the assassin's behind me spoke. ”It is one of the nicer names that I have heard.” ”That's more like it.” I say. ”Well, I should turn in. Are we good?” I ask. The leader looks at the others. ”What are you doing in our parts? Missions in these parts go to us.” I sigh. ”The mission was in our territory. The drop off is out here though.”
The leader looks around again. ”Okay. If we find you dead, which guild do we inform. I have never actually learned which one you belong to.” I give him the address of our guild. ”Okay. Nice meeting you. My guild will be reaching out to yours.” He says. When two assassins meet, they are expected to do this. I nod and walk out, right as I am about to turn the corner, I hear the leader speak up. ”Huntress?” ”Yes.” I ask turning my head slightly wo where you can see only the side of my hood. ”Good Luck. Be a shame if you died. The female assassin dying on our turf would not be good.” I smile. ”Okay. If I die, I will make sure it is off your territory. Will ask them to prolong the death shot until I am just outside.” I hear a laugh and walk up to my hotel room.
”Well, hopefully Wilker will use this connection as an opportunity.” I feel asleep fairly quickly, into a restless sleep. When I woke up, I hurriedly got ready, arming myself to the teeth. Everything from poison to concealed weapons. I look out the window, I am supposed to be there in one hour. I don't bother getting breakfast. I can see a guard on the roof directly across from my room. He is looking away towards the pick-up spot. He is working for the man I am meeting up with.
I walk into the streets, cloak on, hiding most of my weapons. I walk around the pickup point, making ten other guards without them seeing me. I go into the watched spot a half hour early. I can feel the guards eyes on my, but I pretend not to notice. I lean against the wall and start cleaning my mostly clean nails with a dagger. Making it look like all my attention is on my hands, when in reality, I don't even have to be paying the least bit of attention to do this. A trick I made up myself.
I hear someone walking into the alley twenty minutes later. He is only ten minuets early. But he has guards. I sheath my knife, a sign that I mean no harm, and look up at him. His face is uncovered. He is not trying to keep his identity secret. He look's me over, as if he can see right through my suite. I don't squirm, although I want to. After his eyes get back up to my face, he gives a genuine smile. ”Hello sweet little girl. What are you doing in back alley ways? You could get hurt.” I give a small feminine smile. ”Oh, I am anything but sweet.”
His smile drops for a quick second as he takes a step toward me. ”As much as I would like to figure out just what you mean by that, I have business going on here in a couple of minutes. Do you mind leaving.” I shake my head, purposely letting my hood fall back. The affect takes place immediately. My hair falls in ebony waves. My ice blue eyes stare at him, not a hint of warmth in them. ”Gorgeous.” He whispers. ”Darling, please. You don't want to be caught in my business. A beauty like you could easily get hurt.”
I put mock hurt in my expression. ”Oh, but your business is with me. You are the man that is going to pay my guild and tell us where your territory is right?” His jaw drops and then turns into a deadly smirk. ”Wes sent you?” He asks. His eyes go back over me again. ”Yes. And I would like to keep things professional if you don't mind, so let's get on with this.” He only answered with, ”I wouldn't.” ”This creep. Ugg.” I check my anger, and put my assassin smile on my face. ”So, where is your backup?” He asks. ”Don't have any. You told him to only send one. So here I am.” He laughed.
”Come on Beauty. You are just a face. I bet you don't know how to use a single one of those blades. Just send out your man, and we will get this over with.” I raise one eyebrow. ”There is no one else to send. I am on my own.” His eyes narrow in shock. When he sees the truth in my eyes, his smile comes back. ”Then this is going to be more fun than I thought. I just planned on killing which ever assassin he planned to send. But you, I think I will take you with me.” I smirk raising my hands to either side of me. ”Just try to get me. I dare you.” The words come out on reaction. Then I remember his ten guards. I use my senses to realize, some of his men got closer. He takes a few steps towards me, unsheathing a couple of daggers. ”Really girl. You don't want to try my patience.” I smirked. ”Oh, but that always makes things more fun.” Then he lunged at me.