Master

I set my things on the foot of the bed – I wouldn’t be here for long anyways. Once the task was over, so was my time here. Then it would be onto the next location. 

My future mother and father, the Black’s, were downstairs setting up dinner. I could faintly hear their conversation if I cracked open the door. 

“... doesn’t have anywhere else to go...”

“...family died in an accident...”

“...she’s just so scared...”

I smirked to myself. They were thinking exactly what they were supposed to. I heard the thudding of footsteps coming closer to me. A young girl with bangs came into sight, her thumb in her mouth and her eyes wide. 

I did my best to smile nicely at her so she would leave, but she didn’t move. Sighing, I closed my door and paced the room until I was called down for dinner. 

“I hope you got unpacked alright,” Mrs. Black smiled as she passed around the rolls. 

I took a roll from the bowl she handed me. “Yes, ma’am, I did.” I knew exactly what to say and how to say it, this obviously wasn’t my first rodeo. 

“Good. Now, James, I wanted to ask you...” she continued to speak to her husband, completely ignoring me and her other daughter. I stole a glance at her. She picked at her chicken, moving it around but never putting a piece in her mouth. 

The dog sat obediently at her side, wagging its tail slightly as it begged for some of the chicken. I rolled my eyes at its pathetic tries for food.

“Mara, do you not like Spot?” I cringed slightly at the basic name for their pet, but smiled kindly at Mrs. Black. 

“I’m not a big animal person,” I lied. In reality, I loved animals – dogs included. I actually have a pup of my own back at the warehouse. Kodak is a German Sheppard and is one of the best detective dogs in the world.

“Oh,” was all she said. 

~~~

It was now almost three, the best time for attack. The stars in the sky illuminated the hallway enough for me to see as I crept towards the master bedroom.

The dagger in my hand glinted from the moonlight, freshly cleaned with sink water. Earlier today I had scaled my steps so that I wouldn’t creak the floorboards when I walked tonight. 

I wouldn’t get caught. 

Not this time. 

They already slept with their door open, something about the youngest having nightmares regularly. I think her name was Juliet? Kind of ironic, Juliet died, too. 

I sighed under my breath as I watched them sleep, her arms around his torso. They were a middle aged couple with a kid. At least that’s what the Master told me. He didn’t mention, however, how easy this task would be. 

I know what you’re thinking, or at least what you should be thinking. And the answer is no, I don’t go around killing random people. There’s always a purpose to my victims. 

They aren’t chosen by me. That is the Master’s job. He discovers the criminals who have escaped with little to no harm done and sends his best workers to deal with the biggest ones. We’ve been after this one for a while. 

All Master told me was to get rid of him and to bring the wife and child to him. The least I’ll do is have a bit of fun with this one. I placed a bobby pin inside the door hinges, allowing it to completely lock when I shut it. 

I snuck into the room and slammed the door behind me. The once sleeping couple shot up. I hid the dagger behind my back as I stood in front of the door. 

“Mara? Are you alright?” Mr. Black asked worriedly. I shook my head and forced a tear to roll down my cheek. 

“I just, thought I saw something outside. A person or a really big animal,” I gasped. Mr. Black got up and walked over to me. I slipped the dagger up my hoodie sleeve and went over to sit on one of their chairs. 

He rattled with the doorknob for a moment, then pushed on the door. “Mara?” He turned to look at me as I pretended to wipe away another tear. 

“Yes?”

“Did you lock the door?” 

“Now Mr. Black, why would I do that?” I stood up, sliding the dagger out of my sleeve. “Or should I say, Mr. Ferguson?” 

He looked at me with wide eyes, glancing over at his wife. She shook her head slightly, fear sprayed on both of their faces. 

“How did you...” he started. 

“How did I know?” I finished for him. I twirled my dagger in my hand, clearly not showing off. “Well, that’s an easy answer. Not that you’ll live to find out.

“Oh, yes, I know exactly what you did. How you killed those orphans in that ‘accidental fire’ back up in Virginia, and how you blamed it on an oven left on overnight.” I scoffed. “I could’ve come up with something better, and I’m almost half your age.”

He clenched his jaw. “What else do you know?”

“I know everything. I know your full name isn’t James Black, but Michael Ferguson. You’re 37 years old. You have a scar on your left knee from when you fell on your bike when you were seven at your home in California. And I know that you meant to kill those orphans – that it wasn’t an accident. Should I go on?” Both he and his wife exchanged a glance at my words. 

“How do you-” 

“Let’s not bother with the questions. I’ve been tasked to eliminate you.” 

As I glanced around the quaint room, I saw as he slowly reached down to grab someone. I heard the click of a gun as I lazily turned my attention back to them. He held what appeared to be a Glock 42 in his hand. If he did shoot, I would take barely any damage.

“Put. The. Knife. Down,” he threatened. I slowly placed my weapon at my feet, then raised my hands to my head. He kicked it to the side and turned to his wife. 

“Jo, cover your ears,” he muttered. 

“Mike, you can’t shoot her,” she pleaded. 

“What do you want me to do with her, huh? She knows too much!” He raised the gun to my chest. I bit my lip to conceal my smile. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

The he pulled the trigger. 

I felt my back hit the wall behind me and I collapsed. A faint scream shrilled in the back of my head. To my left Michael was wiggling the door in an attempt to open it. 

My breathing was irregular, but I quickly regained my focus on the task at hand. Another smaller dagger was enclosed in my boot. It wouldn’t do any major harm but it would buy me a few seconds. 

I plunged it into his thigh as he let out a shout of agony. He turned to fire another shot but I was too quick. I had grabbed my dagger off the floor and held it up to his throat, twisting the hand with the gun around so he couldn’t move. 

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you,” I warned. He tried to move so I moved the dagger farther into his throat. I could see the skin underneath start to turn a pink shade. 

“You should’ve been killed just now,” he murmured. I laughed maliciously. 

“With that type of gun? And don’t you think I would’ve come prepared?” I kicked the gun out of his hand and across the room. 

I pulled up my shirt and showed them the bulletproof vest I was wearing. However, I probably did that a little too soon. Both Michael and I’s head turned at the second click of a gun. 

Jo held up the gun with shaky fingers. We both were surprised at the action, but he acted quicker than I did. He twisted me around so I was facing the gun. He stood over a foot taller than me and his grasp was tight. 

I couldn’t move. 

“Do it, Jo. Kill her.” She made eye contact with me and her lip quivered. I slowly pointed my hand to my head and then to her husband behind me. She nodded her head slightly. 

Quicker than the blink of an eye, she raised the gun and shot above my head. I felt the bullet fly over the top of my head, and the hands that once held me tight released. The body behind me fell to the floor with a thud, as did the woman on the other side of the room. 

The only difference is that one was dead. 

I ran over to Jo and put my arm around her. 

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much. You saved more than one life tonight, you know.” I helped her up and pulled out my phone, quickly dialing the Master. 

“It’s done. Send them over.” He hung up and I put my phone back in my pocket. 

“They’ll be here soon,” I told her, walking over to the door and kicking it down. “You should go get your daughter and go downstairs.”

“Who will be here? What’s going on?” Her voice wavered as she hastily followed me down the hall. 

“Don’t worry. Trust me. Just please comfort your daughter, I’m sure she’s frightened.” I walked outside as the dark colored cars pulled up to the side of the house. 

A tall man in a black cloak stepped out of one of the first cars. We started walking towards one another. 

“He’s upstairs,” I told the agents while looking at the man. 

“Dead?” he asked. 

“Yes, Master.” He nodded once before turning around. I glanced down at my feet when he spoke again. 

“Thank you for saving my wife and daughter.”