Assassin Affairs

by R. S. Smith

  “Thanks for coming in, ladies. My name is Howard and this is my associate Marie. We're familiar with your work, Kristie, and would like you to appear in a minor role. Karlee, we saw the episode in which you two appeared as twins and think we may want you to appear also, but we need to see a little more as we're not as familiar with your ability.”

  “Well, I'm not getting naked for you guys,” she huffed, looking up at the screen.

  “That's not what we're looking for today. We just want to get a sense of who you are and if you might fit in,” said Marie.

  “My sister and I are a lot alike, except that she's more of a home-body and I'm more of a thrill seeker,” Karlee said, attempting to pitch her value to them.

  “What kind of thrills, dear?”

  “I travel the world and I kick ass, ma'am.”

  Howard perked up and asked, “What does 'kick ass' mean?”

  “I'm close to getting my black-belt in martial arts,” she bragged. “I've just returned from extensive training in Europe and plan to resume my education locally.”

  “If it's okay with you, we'd like to record a sample of both your acting and fighting skills for the screen. Our partners in New York and Hollywood will review it. If things don't work out this time, there is something else that we're working on,” said Howard. He then punched a button on the intercom and asked for Raoul to join them.

  “Yeah, that's okay, I guess.”

  Before she could complete her sentence, a South American lad entered through the exit door.

  “This is Raoul, who helps us out with our auditions from time to time. He already has his black-belt, and will take you through a few script lines and some basic moves to see what you can do. Okay?”

  She tensed up as she anxiously looked him over and as Marie turned on the camera.

  “Sure, bring it on,” she said as she scanned the lines to read that they had just handed her.

  The reading went well, and every time Raoul made a move, she counter-moved him, usually with him ending up on the floor.

  “Thank you, ladies,” said Marie and Howard. “We'll be in touch.”

  The next day, Karlee got a message from Alexei. It was her first contract. She was discussing it with her sister.

  “Kristie, I can't believe I'm doing this.”

  “Be careful, sis. When you dance with the devil, it can change you.”

  “Oh, it's not so devilish, it's actually more angelic. This time it's one of those damn bankers. You know, one of the ones who nearly destroyed society as we know it. Those bastards privatize the profits and socialize the losses. They leveraged to the hilt and when the shit hit the fan, we're the ones who had to cover it, and then they paid themselves big bonuses. It was so egregious, Kris. No, no devil this time, I'll be doing our country a service!”

  “So who's putting out the contract?”

  “I don't know. My bet is it's his wife. She's probably anxious to get her hands on his billions.”

  “Let me come with you, Karlee! You could use some back-up, and I hate those guys as much as you do.”

  “Okay, I guess I owe you that. What about Randolph?”

  “He's busy with his dad. Besides, this will give us some quality sister-time together.”

  “I don't know about 'quality', but I do know I'd like someone with me I can trust my first time out.”

  “First time?”

  “Well, first time as a pro,” she said with a wink.

  It was a few days later when they approached the man's estate in the middle of the night. Both girls were dressed in black, had night vision equipment, and were well-armed. It was a rural area on a large section of land, with no nearby neighbors, lots of security and the property was surrounded by a barbed-wire fence.

  “Be careful, sis,” Karlee said as they approached. “He has sound-activated sensors mounted in the trees. Don't speak unless you have to, and don't even step on any twigs.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know the drill, now hush.”

  There was a chill in the fresh night air as several dogs began to bark. Someone stepped out from the home and took a look around. The girls tensed up and exchanged a nervous glance. The man yelled at the animals to shut-up and returned inside.

  “Kristie, you stay here and cover me,” Karlee whispered in her ear. “If things go bad, do your sniper thing.”

  “Okay, sis. Good luck.”

  Just as she started to make her move, security flood lights came on and a siren started going off. A half-dozen men came running out of the home.

  “Oh shit!” shouted Karlee. “Run, Kristie!”

  The men began firing and a round hit a tree just inches from the girls. Then the dogs were released.

  “What's the matter, sis?” Kristie calmly inquired as she lay prone and took aim. “I'm glad I spent the extra money for top-of-the-line equipment. This thermal imaging scope really lights up these guys!” She squeezed the trigger and fired off a shot; one of the shadowy figures fell over. Then in rapid succession she fired off six more rounds. Three more men and two dogs went down. “I can see someone in that upstairs window, sis!”

  “Take the shot!”

  “Maybe it's not him.”

  “Maybe it is.”

  “What if it's the wife and what if she's the one paying us?”

  “Let me see,” Karlee said, looking through her binoculars. “It's definitely a man, I think.”

  Kris nonchalantly fired off two more rounds at the approaching threats. Two more figures fell down. “It's your contract; tell me what to do.”

  “We need to be sure. Stay here. You've obviously got things under control. I'm going in. By the way, nice job, Kris.” As she disappeared into the night, she looked back over her shoulder and said, “I'm impressed.” Kris could be heard firing off another round.

  With most of the security team taken out, Karlee easily made her way into the house. Some sporadic gunfire could still be heard outside as she made her way to the upstairs window. As before at the Lieutenant Governor's, her head was covered with a hood because of security cameras. Still wearing her night vision goggles, she entered the darkened room. A startled man turned around.

  “Don't shoot! I'm not armed.”

  Karlee confirmed it was her target and took the kill-shot. A second figure appeared in the dimly lit area. She turned and took aim.

  “Please don't shoot me,” said the feminine voice.

  Karlee hesitated, then remembered what her sister had said about it maybe being the wife who was paying for their contract. She determined there was no point in killing the spouse this time, turned and ran out of the room and exited the home, sprinting across the large lawn. A few more shots could be heard as well as some approaching sirens. She promptly rejoined her sister at the perimeter.

  “I think I got 'em all, sis,” Kris bragged. “I hated killing the dogs, but it was them or us.”

  “You're a good girl, honey. Now let's get the frig out of here!”

  It was early morning when they arrived back at Kristie's house, once again dressed in their everyday clothes. Randolph was waiting. He wasn't the type to ask questions, but did have news.

  “Your agent called. You both got parts as extras in that movie!”

  It was a week later when the sisters left for Lake Geneva, a plush resort area just across the state line in Wisconsin and home to many rich celebrities, both famous and infamous. There were rumors that in addition to some Fortune 500 CEO's summer homes there, certain Chicago crime families could also be found.

  There was an air of excitement as everyone gathered for what was to be a three-day shoot, with some of the big-name stars attending. One of the locals had provided his own mansion for the filming. The Executive Producer was about to address the group.

  “Hello, everyone. I'm the movie's Producer and my name is Peter. We ask that you extras not bother the stars during the three-day shoot. There will be lots of downtime between shots, so hopefully you each brought a good book to read. As you k
now, this film takes place during Chicago's bootleg era and is about an assembly of gangsters and their girlfriends as the men meet to make plans for their future endeavors. You will be provided with costumes from that time period. Please show consideration for your fellow performers. We'll attempt to provide you with breaks and food on a timely basis. This is the staff off to my left. Familiarize yourselves with them, as they will be the ones to help you with your questions, get outfitted and organized. That is all.”

  Peter had been given the 'heads-up' by his associates in New York to keep an eye on Karlee, as her audition had captured special attention.

  Over the next few days, everyone did prove to be most cordial. The sisters and all the other extras had a memorable, fun time as they donned the outfits, partook in the scenes, and made new friends. Some of the big stars approached the more attractive young ladies who were most awestruck by their presence, with some pairing-off together and disappearing into trailers. During one of the breaks, Karlee chatted with one of the young men.

  “Hi, my name's Bob. This is my first time as an extra.”

  “I'm Karlee. I'm kind of new to it, too. What do you do when you're not busy being an extra, Bob?”

  “I'm a lawyer.”

  “Too bad. I guess no one's perfect. I don't have much use for attorneys; I usually just kick their ass.”

  “I bet that makes you very popular in the legal community,” he kidded.

  “Ditto bankers,” she added with an attitude.

  “I've sued bankers,” he said, trying to impress her.

  “Really? So have I. I used to be an attorney, too. I don't know how good a lawyer you are, Bob, but I have noticed that you do have a great butt.”

  As Bob struggled for an appropriate response, Karlee noticed a man approach her sister. They were close enough that she could eavesdrop.

  “Hi, honey. I'm Sonny Sinclair. This is my home,” he informed her with his Italian accent.

  “Wow, you have quite an amazing place here, Mr. Sinclair.”

  Karlee nearly gagged as she listened to his over-used pick-up lines. Bob soon departed and she continued to listen to Sonny's banter for another fifteen minutes while pretending to read her book. Meanwhile, Peter was observing the whole thing.

  Soon Sonny stood up and said, “Kristie, let me give you a tour. There's a lot of history here that you will find of interest.” He led her out of the room, Karlee followed unnoticed. Peter followed Karlee, also unnoticed.

  The tour ended upstairs. Karlee, concerned about her still somewhat naive sister, peeked around a hallway corner as the couple entered a bedroom and closed the door. She sensed it was like watching the moth get enticed closer to the flame. A heavyset bodyguard stood outside its door. Peter continued his own surveillance unseen.

  Inside the room, Sonny ogled the young woman. “It looks like you’re gonna get what you wanted, sweet thing.”

  “What's that, Mr. Sinclair?” she asked in a childlike way.

  When he pushed her hand into his crotch, she suddenly realized how foolish she had been. Stunned, she pulled her hand away. “Mr. Sinclair, how dare you! I'm not that kind of girl, sir!”

  He tore off her skirt and tossed her onto the bed. She screamed out. Karlee made her move to the guarded doorway.

  “You'll have to wait your turn, honey!” exclaimed the threatening fellow.

  She gave him a swift and unexpected thrust of her knee. As he bent over in pain, she put him in a choke hold, and then entered the room as he fell unconscious. Kristie was on the bed nude from the waist down, with her blouse and bra pushed up around her neck. The wicked Sinclair was on the verge of penetration, with his trousers wrapped around his ankles.

  “Karlee, help!” she cried out.

  Karlee was all over the man in an instant. As they struggled, she happened upon a pistol hidden under one of the pillows. She and Kris ran for the door. He tried to pursue, but fell down, tripping over his own pants. Karlee returned and pushed the firearm firmly up against his neck.

  “This ends here, Mr. Sinclair, unless you look forward to castration! We don't want you coming after us. If you do, this escalates to the next level. Trust me, you don't want that. Do you agree?”

  He nodded yes and the sisters left the room, stepping over the bodyguard on their way down the hallway.

  “Why didn't you cut off his balls this time?” asked Kristie. “I liked that idea. And why aren't we calling the authorities?”

  “We don't want to end up in a situation like mom and dad had, do we?”

  “Oh yeah, I guess you're right,” Kris admitted, as they continued down the hallway.

  Peter walked into the room and shook his head in disbelief. Having sensed the potential for various problems, he had brought along his own security team. They maintained control of the facilities as the film-shoot wrapped that afternoon and everyone headed home, most unaware of what had happened.

  The next day, Karlee's phone rang. It was Peter the producer.

  “Karlee, I was awestruck by your performance yesterday,” he declared.

  “But I didn't even have any lines in the movie, sir.”

  “No, not that performance, hon. New York told me earlier that they had been most impressed by your audition and asked me to keep close tabs on you, preferably without your knowledge. I did just that and saw everything that happened upstairs when you discovered the assault, as well as the way you handled yourself throughout the three day session. We're preparing to start a new major movie about a young woman, rogue government agent and her adventures saving the free world. She'll have to be very fit physically and most adept at handling herself under adverse circumstances. That's you. You're the one we want to have star as the lead character. Are you interested?”

  “My sister and I are a package deal, sir. That's not negotiable.”

  “Done!” he promptly exclaimed. “We're still lining up financing for the project, but expect to start production in the near future.”

  Meanwhile, Alexei was lining up other work for her, too. She went on several missions that weren't of much consequence until one day when he called with a special undertaking.

  “Karlee, one of the senior American diplomats has been kidnapped for ransom by a small group of Middle Easterners. They are holding him, his wife and kids as hostages on a fishing yacht in the Caribbean. We have been engaged to deliver the payoff and secure their release.”

  “Okay, Alexei. What's the plan?”

  “I've worked with one of our agency contacts to get both you and your sister included with a group of girls that have been hired to provide an escort service for some of their comrades. You'll each have the usual comm device concealed in your ear. Janine and I will come aboard with the payoff after you two have ensured that the family is alive and well. We'll be using a go-fast, or cigarette boat, in case things go awry and we need to pursue them. Randolph will provide additional cover from another yacht nearby. Several others will be providing assistance.”

  It was a few days later when the half-dozen escorts boarded a boat at a pier in Key West to take them to the yacht. Kristie looked over at an adjacent boat to see Randolph watching inconspicuously. He winked at her. The pick-up boat promptly delivered the young ladies at the awaiting luxury craft. As the foreigners welcomed them aboard, their demeanor made her skin crawl.

  “You ladies will make certain that these men are kept happy! Be sure that their fishing lines are always baited and that their drinks are always full. There is a changing room down below with your bikinis.” He then turned around and resumed his conversation with the other men in Arabic.

  Karlee, seized the opportunity to search the lower deck and determined where the prisoners were probably located. Once all the girls were back on deck, they were joined by the diplomat and his wife, with an armed man accompanying the anxious looking couple. Both were middle-aged and rather frumpy in appearance. The girls determined that the kids were being kept secured in the lower deck area to keep the parents in li
ne.

  Inspired by the stories of the 911 terrorists drinking alcohol at the Florida strip clubs, these men also ignored their religion's dictates. “Girls, bring us some drinks!” ordered one of them with his middle eastern accent.

  As the morning wore on, the sisters kept an eye out for other boats, hoping to see Randolph's as well as one with Janine and Alexei.

  “I just love the turquoise color of this water,” marveled one of the other girls as the warm, salty, sea-breeze blew gently against her face.

  “Oh, look, there are some dolphins!” shouted out another.

  As the liquor flowed, the men became more obstinate, continuing to speak mostly in their native tongue.

  “Girls, now that we are out past the three-mile limit, the rule is no bathing suit tops allowed.”

  The other four girls were used to such things, and casually complied. Kris and Karlee were less eager.

  “You two, go topless or go overboard!” shouted one of the villainous characters.

  Wanting to blend in with the other girls, they too removed their tops.

  “Now bring us more drinks, bitches!” he said arrogantly.

  By the time morning slipped into afternoon, the sisters had been able to confirm the children were safe below deck, although bound and gagged. The men slipped into a state of increased drunkenness. Several other party boats joined them in the area as a school of fish had been detected by everyone's sonar. Many of the other partiers were topless as well, with some being totally nude.

  “Look there,” pointed out one of the liquored-up men, “those girls on that boat are naked. Oh, I love some things about this country!” As Kristie brought him some fresh bait for his fishing line, he reached over and tore off her thong.

  “Hey, you can't do that!” she shouted at him.

  He slapped her and Karlee started shouting, too. Having enjoyed seeing his comrade tear off Kristie's bottom, another one of the men boldly tore off Karlee's thong as well. As both sisters struggled with the men, the leader shook his finger disparagingly at them.

  “You two must learn the meaning of obedience. After all, we are going to take you back to our homeland with us.”