Hint of Darkness and Light

Verena’s POV

“You can bring out your trash Venie. You know you can trust me.” My eyes narrowed at Linda. She doesn’t prefer to indulge herself in my work especially now that it’s kinda sloppy.

“What do you want?” I focused on my victim’s background profile. After my 15th birthday I escaped from the orphanage not knowing what would happen with my life.

Familiar emotions came running back that made a void in my throat. I shake my head to get back to work and avoid the miserable moments of my life.

“You know that all your life I’ve been caring for you right Venie.” She forced a smile.

“Even though I didn’t make it right.” Linda is my guardian for 6 years after the nuns in the orphanage, she’s the reason why I work in a big organization that penetrates the government.

Is it legal? No.

Does it pay big time? Yes.

Linda and I kill to survive, we don’t have a choice, I didn’t have a choice back then at a young age.

And that made out a habit of mine.

If my parents didn’t just dump me out of an abandoned building. I may be a different person in this world. A girl managing a big company with a politician boyfriend who arranged marriage with me, a girl who had her education at Harvard and had a Porsche at the age of 17, if I’m wealthy in that life daydream though.

“I’m thankful for you Linda, you fed me well enough back then, you helped me to escape my hell hole-you know that.” I argued. Her eyes glistened with tears. It might be cringey but I have never experienced this kind of situation with her. Spitting out those words perhaps.

“You don’t have to do this though, I’m a hypocrite. I shouldn’t sacrifice your life for my gain.” I can sense the depths of her frustration and sadness. Funny, how her duality can make the insides of me laugh. She’s not like this. Not this emotional, maybe she’s pregnant huh?

“Just think that this is for us, I’m strong, I’m one of the top performing spies from the organization, I can handle this Lin.” I sighed. But deep inside, my heart swells from the ache and pain from work. I just don’t deserve this life. I hated it, it made me vomit, it scarred my whole soul. It created a strong woman who is afraid to lose strength but fragile of burdened emotions.

The victim is the don’s wife, some know her for her daring attitude not caring for the people. She’s a monster, more monstrous than us. She specialized in human trafficking and drugs and she uses her husband’s power to hide her. Fucking rat. I gathered the papers above the center table and faced Lin, with courage to do this alone. Once I’m in the event ripping through security is so darn hard. I shouldn’t fail this.

“Just be careful, I love you Venie, be safe.” Lin leaned and hugged me tightly. I’ll always treasure her for being the kind guardian I ever had. She suffers from breast cancer for a year. She didn’t told me at first but I eventually found out when I sneaked up on her. She’s in her mid 50’s and needed aid. She won’t let me sell the bar because of the thought of guilt. This is the only way.

This is Venie. You’ll be dead at the end of the day or be promoted as the chief. A billion dollars for my life. The salvation or the downfall.

I gathered my stuff before standing up. I scan the bar, everyone is busy with their own world. Some are dipping and sucking but I don’t care most of the time. This is my haven, the safe place I’ve created. From the money I accumulated from my work I let Lin to manage and look out for the club. Above the bar is a normal stereotype of a bar. But downstairs in the basement is my self training ground.

I walked past the crowd. I can smell cigarettes, alcohol and body odors… it made me nauseous. Can they even shower before going out and having fun, seriously people.

When I got out from the bar I ran fast to the parking lot and prepared myself for my “mission”.

Sounds cliche but my life is a total mess, just think about it. I’m an orphan who found a kind co-existent and later on worked for an organization in the hopes of finding my ancestors then failed.

I made sure to strap two knives in my thighs incase of hand-to-hand combat.

I drove two hours maximum from the bar to the Maximos event. It’s a fashion showcase led by Donna the Don’s wife. Funny how they assembled this and made it look like an ordinary fashion show but the truth is that this is an actual girl bidding event. Innocent way to sell girls.

I wear my earphone to communicate with Luca, my underwing, this evening he will guide me throughout the night.

When I arrived at what was supposed to be my ground the cold wind brushed my skin making me shudder.

My heart pounded so bad, I can feel whispers that something bad will happen besides the fact that we’ll be killing someone.

I’ll be using my sniper rifle but first I measured the location from the roof deck to the stage in the event where Donna will be sitting. It is an enclosed building but at one point from the upper right it is open for delimination.

I stopped chewing my gum and looked at my scope. The party is getting started. I turn my earphones on to connect with Luca.

“Hey, any updates?” I asked while looking at my scope. The runway just started a while ago. The space is compact and guards are gawking seemingly. The security is tight so on point shooting is not a must.

“The order is when a girl in a blue dress comes out you shoot then voila mission complete.” He said, hitting this man would be a pleasure. Anyone might wear a blue dress, maybe two or more.

He must be clear when giving directions, what an idiot.

I guess when anyone comes out wearing blue I should shoot right?

I fell silent as I scoped the field of view again.

The Donna is clapping her hands while the bidding starts for the girl in red.

But the thing is that I can see a familiar face just beneath the stage.

“What the hell is Jack doing in there Luca!?” My chest tightened. No one can see him get his gun out from his vest. This is bad. I need to get there.

“What? Your signal seems to be interrupted, the voice is unclear Venie, can you repeat?”

I hissed when Jack fired openly at the Donna.

I quickly got up and ran down the exit of the abandoned building. The rising pressure got me. I can hear loud bangs and open gun firing.

When I arrived at the hall my mind haywired. Everyone is still at the event. From my perspective ten people are dead. Blood splashed all over the floor. Models are frightened, I can see the single soul shaking rapidly from the incident.

Guards are down.

Jack must have been with his dumb people.

Someone tugged me at the waist. A hard thing pressed in my small back. A gun.

My heartbeat paced.

“What’s your organization?”

I forcefully kicked him at his foot that led me to lose my balance.

“Uh oh, stop fighting girl. We’ll get your plan trashing okay?” He laughed that out.

“Go to hell!” I muttered before kicking him at the crotch, my back facing him. After getting out of his grasp I shoot him in his knees making sure he won’t ever fight back again.

I came back to the hall meticulously avoiding guards to see if the donna was still alive. And look at this bitch, she is.

I applied my red lipstick that was initially hidden in my brassiere, then I went at the backstage. I gritted my teeth when the situation slapped me in the face.

Some of the women are drugged and others are being injected.

They must be the one who doesn’t like this crap and kept their heads up and tried resisting.

“Sorry I’m late, I met with the clients earlier.” I announced. I bit my lower lip hoping this tactic would work.

“Girl you’re just on time, after Sara you would go first.” The bulk guys said, but I know he’s not a manly man but a girly pop instead.

He handed me a short unholy gown that would reveal my entire boobs.

I consoled myself thinking that this might be my way to complete the task after nearly parading my nakedness in the vast of the crowd.

He then gave me a masquerade mask to hide my upper face.

The joy I’m feeling is backing up my embarrassment. This would literally be my only hope.

I went to the changing area and started to change. The slit would be an easy key for me to pull my gun from my thigh.

After changing I got out of the stinky area then a man pushed me out of the backstage to the front stage facing numerous hungry eyes to feed.

I fixed my posture and directly looked at Donna she’s all smiles and she had this aura that she might be sweet and lovely.

I walked slowly and everyone clapped their hands.

“She is a newly virgin model from the east. You can start bidding now.” The announcer said, laughing a bit with curtness.

I stood there for a few minutes before a man in a suit stood up.

I inhaled my heart wrenching for the situations of the girls who happen to be sold first.

I open the slit of the gown. The crowd wooed and before anyone could know my next move I pulled my gun out and shot Donna, making sure to kill her in a minute.

I ran faster than expected, but mischief happened. I was shot in my lower back and the pang of pain excruciate.

I continued running as if Satan was chasing me. I stumbled on a calloused table in the hallway. Because of the impact I suddenly dropped the gun. I gritted my teeth when I realized that they are getting closer and closer so that doesn’t give me time to get the gun.

Karma says it all.

When I reach the back exit I can hear voices trying to find me in the darkness in the back of the building. I gulped my saliva. My throat seems to dry all of a sudden.

I tried to manage my blood loss to make sure I’ll come out of here before I lose my consciousness. My legs are shaking from the pain and numbness of my whole body.

I saw the exit sign but before finally getting out a swish of a sharp object penetrated my body.

My blood burned.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“You think you can get away from death?” Someone muttered, jerking his knife again in my belly.

I forced myself to reach for my knife. I know he is clueless because he is unable to see in the dark.

I managed to reach my gun instead of my knife. I shoot his head.

“Neither do you.”

They must know where I am now that they’ve heard the gun fire.

Before the others can find me. I escaped the lucid place.

I kept running and running even the tree branches cut my skin. My sandals are getting heavier and heavier as more mud sticks to them.

My earpiece is missing, no one can help, minutes from dying.

I finally stopped when I reached a large field away from the forest. If centaurs are real they would find my body and feed me to the wolves.

So stupid Verena.

I am losing air from the running plus the wounds, maybe luck is on my side that it kept me from dying.

I lay down on the ground to rest momentarily. It’ll take moments before I die.