More than one way to kill

Part 1

The orange tree swayed gently in the wind.The leaves rustled as I took a step forward. A gentle breeze swept over me as the sun beamed down, heating the sand.

The tall man lifted his head to look at me. My heartbeat thumped in my ear. The sky darkened, the sun covered by angry clouds,as the man walked towards me,smiling. I reached behind me,feeling for the handle I knew was there.

A deep gravely voice boomed in my ears as he threw his arms around me.

"Freddie,it's been an age, how are you?"

I clenched, took a deep breath, and lunged. The knife plunged effortlessly through his chest. His eyes widened as the relisation of what I had just done dawned on his face. And just as fast as he forgave me I let him down. Again.

"I'm sorry this was how it had to be." I whispered gentely placing him on the floor against the orange tree. I looked around realising just how beautiful this place was,but the knowlage of what I had done tainted my memory of the suposed 'paradise'. And In a way I am glad it did. To many twisted memories flood this 'paradise' to the point knowing what actualy happened.. is to dificult to distinguish.

I shook my head, stoping the whirlwind of thoughts from distracting me from the mission I had to complete. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, foretelling rain and the possiblity of a storm. The sky was turning a deeper and darker black. I did not have long.

I pulled myself up from the ground placing the knife back in the pocket I stiched into my trowsers so my top hid the shape of it. I swung my backpack of my shoulder checking the contents. Everything is as I left it.

I took out my phone pinged a quick text notifiying the team.

{Task complete, location xR3 Pick up imediatly}

I waited as another text came through.

{Location x7yE is where your next task is, pick up ariving to take you to base tonight resume task tommorow}

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I had somewhere to sleep tonight, but back on mission tommorow. A pure nation ( I remminded myself) Is the reason we have to sacrfice so much. I warned him. Begged and pleaded. Put your head down, blend in,and your safe. But he never listned ,did he.

I started walking, my eyes darting back and forth scanning for any potential threats. Anything. And I mean anything, Has an ability to kill. My T-shirt clung to my back as the intensity of the sun dulled my senses,which of course is never helpfull.

A ping drew my attention back to the phone.

{Pick up location xR3 Please arrive wearing your arival mask or else you will be shot}

I reached for my mask from the side pocked of my bag, awkward as it was I did not have time to stop. I placed the mask over my face pulling my hair back in a tight bun ( while walking) making the mask clear. This action I have preformed so many times I do it without thinking.

I crouched behind the grey, moutainus rock covered in moss and leaves of the trees above,as I have done a thousand times before in training, but never had it felt this real. I screach of tyres greeted my ears as a grey land rover pulled up . I carefully stood up and walked to the car.

The door opened and a voice inside the car said

"Opperater XG5 location X46fR durration 2.5 hour"

I climbed in as relief and guilt flooded me threatning to overfill.Do not let your emotions controll you. You controll your emmotions. And NEVER let your guard down. The words my trainer told me again and again,drilled into me like they were the words that would save me. And I think they have. Being open leaves you open to attack. Being weak is vunerable to attack. And when you do a job like mine, any weakness can kill you. Survival of the fitest. And surving is key.

The car gently rocked me to sleep with the endless lulaby of trees and vilages that passed me by. Urecognisable landscapes and the odd sheep. Then vilages and people. Loud and laughing with the odd buisness man looking wierdly out of place. Slowly but surely they fadded out of focus like a camera with a faulty lens. I slipt into a dreamless sleep, dark and menacing but what exacty was menacing I am unsure. But when I woke up and I had a deep feeling of dread.

“How long till we get there?” I asked grogily pulling myslef up into a more comfortable position as my neck started to hurt where it was rested against the window.

“The ETA is 40 min, you will be ariving at the train station, your ticket will be sent to you shortly.” A robotic voice greeted me. So they have a voice protector. Coward.

“You have a voice protector then? Why? You in trouble?” I aksed aqusingly.

“I can not answer that question.” The voice replied yet again with no expression, so creepy. A shiver ran through me.

“Of course not” I mutted. Now I looked around me. It was a landrover. Landrover Discovery. 16 plate. Old but well kept. Black and shiny. Clean. Black leather - and verry comfortable- seats. Tinted windows and probadly bullet proof. No need to be worried right?