by Silk White
“Fuck you!”
The Gladiator sighed loudly as he looked down at the hunting knife sticking out of Angela’s thigh. At that point he knew he couldn’t use his hunting knife anymore out of fear of Angela losing too much blood so he came up with an even better idea. “I got something for ya ass,” he barked and then stormed out of the room leaving Angela alone with nothing but her thoughts.
Angela looked down at the hunting knife sticking out of her thigh and did her best to block out the pain. She knew this was only the beginning to a long night. Her eyes glanced around the empty room repeatedly searching for a way out or something she could use to pick her handcuffs. Angela let out a defeated sigh as she came to the realization that it was no way out of the room. Her mind wondered what The Gladiator had in store for her. Whatever it was, Angela knew more than likely it would be painful. Seconds later the door came busting open and in walked The Gladiator. In one hand he held a car battery and in his other hand he held jumper cables. Another agent strolled in behind The Gladiator carrying a small table. The agent set the table on its four legs, turned, and exited the room leaving The Gladiator and Angela alone.
The Gladiator sat the car battery on the table and clamped the jumper cables down to the battery while whistling a tuneless tune. He handled the jumper cables with care as if he was a seasoned mechanic.
“Still don’t want to talk?” The Gladiator asked with his eyes focused on what he was doing. He didn’t even have to look at Angela to see the fear in her eyes. He could only imagine what was going on in her mind.
“Fuck you!” was Angela’s only reply. Her eyes glance down at the car battery, and then back up at The Gladiator. The smile that was etched across his face made her sick to her stomach.
“Okay! Have it your way,” The Gladiator’s voice boomed.
* * * *
In the next room Agent James Carter sat in a steel chair and in front of him sat a cup of coffee and a pack of cigarettes. Across the table from him sat a red face agent who asked James the same questions one hundred different times in one hundred different ways. James took slow sips from his coffee when the sound of Angela screaming at the top of her lungs echoed through the thin walls. A hurt look flashed across James face and the fear of the unknown was evident.
“What are they doing to her over there?” James shot to his feet ready to defend and protect his woman.
“That’s the least of your concerns,” the agent said in a calm tone. “Have a seat please or else I’m going to be forced to restrain you,” he warned. Another loud scream erupted from the other side of the wall causing James to think the worst.
“That’s a female!” James growled through clenched teeth. “What y’all are doing is unnecessary!”
The agent looked at James and shook his head sadly. “She’s a wanted assassin. What part of that don’t you understand?”
“You don’t understand…”
“No you don’t understand!” The agent slammed his fist down on the table. “Your little girlfriend that you over here defending just killed several officers; hard working officers who left families behind so fuck you and your murdering girlfriend. The both of you can burn in hell for all I care!”
More screams could be heard coming from the room next door.
James went to respond, but a loud explosion erupted rattling the entire building. When James saw the shocked and nervous look on the agent’s face, he grabbed his cup of coffee and splashed the hot liquid in the agent’s face. Before the pain even got a chance to register, James grabbed the back of the agents head and violently slammed his face down into the table.
James swiftly fished through the unconscious agent’s pockets until he came across a set of keys. He rushed over to the door, stepped out into the hall, and immediately smoke attacked his eyes and lungs. Agents scrambled by left and right looking for an emergency exit route. James spotted a small fire slowly spreading from he assumed the explosion had taken place.
James saw the room next door open and The Gladiator ran right pass him with his mind on the explosion and what had caused it.
James eased in the room and his heart leaped up to his throat at what his eyes saw. Angela sat cuffed to a steel chair with her head hung low. From where James stood, he couldn’t tell if Angela was dead or just unconscious. Next to her sitting on a table was a car battery, and immediately James began to think the worst. He hurried over towards Angela, placed two fingers on her neck, and felt a weak pulse.
“You better not die on me,” James said out loud. He used the keys he stole from the agent to remove the handcuffs from Angela’s wrist. The sound of loud machine gun fire startled James and immediately he knew The White Shadow had arrived. James scooped Angela up in his arms like a man would carry his new wife and exited the room in search of the closest exit.
Chapter 16
The White Shadow sat parked in an all black luxury car across the street from the headquarters where Angela was being held. He was still pissed off with himself for letting Angela get away at the hotel. He was known for being a professional so all his moves getting replayed on the news didn’t sit too well with him. Watching the hotel shooting on the news made The White Shadow feel like an amateur, but sometimes things didn’t go according to plan. You had to take the good with the bad and not complain in the process.
As The White Shadow sat trying to figure out a way to get inside the F.B.I. headquarters, he spotted an agent exit the building heading to his unmarked vehicle. With the quickness of a cat, The White Shadow slipped out of his car with his 9mm with a silencer attached to the end of the barrel in his hand.
The agent reached his vehicle when a gloved hand covered his mouth and a gun was placed to the side of his head.
“Keep your mouth shut and come with me,” The White Shadow demanded roughly escorting the agent over towards his luxury vehicle. The White Shadow reached down and removed the agent’s wallet from his back pocket. “Get down on your knees,” he barked as he began to fish through the agent’s wallet. The White Shadow came across a few pictures of the agent’s wife and two children. The White Shadow kept the business end of his gun trained on the agent as he popped the trunk and removed a heavy looking vest. “Here, put this on.” He handed the vest to the agent.
“Wha… What’s going on?” The agent stammered nervously. He recognized the man that stood over him as the man labeled as wanted on the news along with Angela.
“You’re going to strap this bomb to your body and walk into the F.B.I.’s headquarters.” The White Shadow explained to the agent, his tone was friendly and soft spoken.
“Never!” The agent spat looking up at The White Shadow like he was the devil himself. “We don’t negotiate with terrorist.”
The White Shadow read the address that was on the agent’s license out loud. “You do this for me and your family will be safe.”
“And if I don’t?” The agent asked, even though he already knew the answer to his question.
“You and your entire family will die and I’ll make sure that your beautiful wife and lovely children won’t be able to have an open casket,” The White Shadow warned.
“Why? Why are you doing this?” The agent sobbed. “What kind of monster are you?”
“I’m America’s worst nightmare,” The White Shadow replied seriously. “Now what’s it going to be?”
The agent sat silent for a few seconds as if he was in deep thought trying to weigh his options. “Tell my wife and children that I love them,” was the agent’s response.
The White Shadow nodded his head, removed a small remote control sensor from his pocket, and said “Will do soldier.” He tapped a button on the remote and instantly a few lights lit up on the vest that was now attached to the agent’s body.
“You know you’re never going to get away with this, right?” The agent said trying to convince himself more than the assassin that played God with his life.
“Yeah I know,” The White Shadow said sarcastically.
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“I’ll see you in hell!” The agent growled through clenched teeth as he turned and headed across the street in the direction of the building where Angela was being held captive.
The White Shadow waited until the agent was fully inside the building before he pushed down on a button on the remote and watched the front of the building explode and erupt in flames. The White Shadow popped his trunk and removed two Tech-9s, and then smoothly walked across the street and entered the headquarters building.
The White Shadow fired at anything he saw moving as he stepped through the building like he owned the place. He watched as agents scrambled for their pathetic lives. The agents were like sitting ducks and this was nothing but target practice for The White Shadow. He dropped two agents who were brave enough to try and stand their ground. The Tech-9s fired loudly. The first agent suffered from a quick shot to the head and the body of the man standing to his left got riddled with hot bullets. Both men toppled face down onto the tiled floor and their souls evicted from their bodies before they could even count to one.
Out of nowhere a big muscular white man sprung from behind a wall and fired off a quick series of shots. One of the shots hit The White Shadow in his ribs causing his body to buckle. The shot hurt him, but it didn’t drop him. The Gladiator fired off a few rounds from his hand gun then quickly took cover behind the wall. The shot didn’t penetrate through The White Shadow’s bullet proof clothing, but from experience he could tell that his ribs had been cracked or either fractured. The White Shadow quickly returned fire with the Tech-9’s rattling in each hand as bullets decorated the walls, vending machines, and small offices.
The Gladiator sprung from behind the wall, fired off a few more rounds, and then tried to dash in the office closest to him. Several Tech-9 bullets ripped and tore through The Gladiator’s body. The impact from the shots added with his momentum caused his body to windmill through the air before crashing violently down to the floor.
The White Shadow smoothly released the spent clips from the base of his guns and replaced them with fresh ones. He walked over to The Gladiator, stood over his body, and then riddled his body with more bullets. The Gladiator’s dead body shook like a rag doll as bullets pumped through his body. The White Shadow stepped over The Gladiator’s body and continued on throughout the building in search of The Teflon Queen.
* * * *
James carried Angela in his arms as he hurried throughout the building in search of an exit. At first Angela’s body weight didn’t affect James, but the longer he carried her, the more his arms felt like they were on fire and about to fall off. James barged inside a small office as the loud sound of gunfire continued to ring out. Inside the office James saw a small window. “That shit gone have to make due,” he said to himself. He gently laid Angela down on the floor. Once Angela’s half naked body touched the cold floor she began to stir. James walked over toward the glass, cocked his arm back, and fired a sharp elbow at the center of the window. Seconds later the sound of glass shattering could be heard.
“Baby?” Angela sat up. Her voice was groggy and dry. “Where am I?”
“Not now baby,” James told her as he helped her up to her feet. “We have to go.”
“Where’s my clothes?” She asked confused. More gunfire followed by loud screams could be heard throughout the building. The sound of gunfire brought Angela back to her senses real quick. Immediately she whispered, “He’s here; The White Shadow.”
James helped Angela out of the window first. She had saved his life so many times so it was only right that he return the favor. He quickly squeezed out the small window and landed awkwardly down in the grass. He helped Angela up to her feet as the two moved through the grass at a not so quick pace. Angela not being a hundred percent made it hard to move at top speed. She hobbled like a wounded animal, but she was determined to stay alive. Grass turned into hard concrete when they reached the parking lot.
“Which car you wanna grab?” James asked sucking in as much air as his lungs could take.
“Don’t matter,” Angela said as the sound of gunfire erupted behind them and bullets pinged and ponged off the body of the car closest to them. Angela and James ran in a low crouching position until they reached an all black Sedan. James sent his fist through the driver side window and then let himself inside. He hit the unlock all button on the panel and watched Angela slide into the backseat through the rearview mirror. James pulled down the visor and the keys to the Sedan dropped down into his lap.
“Bingo!” James started the car, threw the Sedan in drive, and sped out the parking lot like a mad man. “You alright back there?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Angela replied. She stared out the window and watched light poles fly pass in a blur. “Slow down and do the speed limit so we don’t attract no unwanted attention.”
“Where do we go from here?” James asked with his eyes focused on the road.
“I have a safe house that no one knows about out in the Poconos.”
“Where in Pennsylvania?” James asked.
“Yeah,” Angela answered quickly.
“And you sure don’t nobody know about this so called safe house?” James was just beginning to trust Angela again, but he just had to make sure that she was sure about this safe house. The whole point of a safe house was that it was suppose to be safe.
“Positive baby.” Angela climbed into the front seat and winced in pain. Immediately James eyes diverted from the road down to the gaping hole that sat in the center of Angela’s thigh. Just by looking at her face, James could tell that she was in severe pain.
“You alright?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Angela said waving the deep gash in her thigh off. “I have a First-Aid kit and medical supplies over at the safe house,” Angela told him. She thought it was cute that James was concerned about her. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving me back there,” Angela said smiling weakly. She was happy to be alive, but on the inside she felt like shit.
James chuckled. “If I save you around four more times, then we will be even.”
For the rest of the ride James and Angela rode in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. Silently James wondered just how long it would be before The White Shadow tracked them down and popped up at the safe house. He respected Angela’s skills and felt safe when in her presence. She may have been a dangerous and deadly assassin, but whatever she was, she was now his. James was tired of denying how he really felt about Angela. She had proved herself to be loyal and trust worthy, and honestly all the shooting and killing made James love Angela even more. It was something about a woman who knew how to use a gun turned him on. “I love you.”
Angela glanced over at James with a surprised smile on her face. “Where did that come from?”
“Don’t worry about all that,” he said jokingly. “Just know that I love you.”
“I know you do.”
“How do you know?” James asked curiously.
“I just know,” Angela said smiling. “Turn left right here. Go all the way down to the end of the street and it’s the only house at the top of the hill.”
The Sedan’s tires crunched through fresh snow as it navigated them to their final destination. James pulled up in front of the safe house and Angela quickly hopped out in the freezing cold. She punched a code in the keypad on the side of the house and seconds later the garage door slowly began to rise. Then hopped back in the passenger seat and James quickly pulled the Sedan into the garage.
The first thing Angela did when they stepped foot inside the safe house was tend to her wounds. Meanwhile James strolled through the “safe house” that favored a mini mansion in complete awe. He never dated a woman for what she had or how much money she made, but from the looks of things Angela seemed to be rolling in dough. This only meant she must have killed a lot of people, but none of that mattered to James because he was already in too deep.
“What do you think of the p
lace?” Angela asked while stitching herself up.
“I think it’s huge,” James replied. “I bet you come out here all the time to get a peace of mind.”
“Actually this is only my second time ever stepping foot in this place,” she said honestly as she peeked at the surveillance monitors that rested on the counter. Angela opened a packet of B.C. powder and took it dry to help with her pain. “You like it?”
“I love it,” James said. “But I love you more.”
“Do you really?” Angela hopped down off the counter and limped over towards James. She walked stiffly as though every step was killing her.
“I promise you I do,” he said looking her dead in her eyes.
“You love me enough to run me some bath water and then scrub my body from head to toe?” Angela purred.
James glanced down at Angela’s dirty and bloody feet. “I don’t know about all that.” He laughed. “How about I wash you from head to ankle?”
Angela looked down at her dirty toes and couldn’t do anything but laugh. She was all beat up and needed time for her body to get repaired. Even The Teflon Queen needed time for her wounds to heal. People who had to go up against her may have thought she was invincible, but the truth was she was a mere mortal just like everyone else. “I got a few cuts and bruises so now you don’t love me no more?” Angela kissed James on the lips. “Is that what it is?”
“It’s going to take a lot more than a few cuts and bruises to stop me from loving you,” James said strongly. He swiftly scooped Angela up in his arms and carried her upstairs to the bathroom where he ran Angela a nice hot bubble bath. Angela winced as she eased down into the hot water.
“Awww,” Angela exhaled. The hot water was just what her body needed. Her body was beat up and sore from all the shit she had been through. She was happy to be alive and even happier that she was able to keep James alive through all of this. “Thank you.”
“You are more than welcome,” James said. He sat on the edge of the hot tub with a sponge in his hand. “It ain’t no turning back for me now.” He chuckled.