Girl of Shadow

by Holly Chavez

  Still, hearing the scene from Daytin does help recharge my memory on a few odd things that happened this morning. The first being the weapon that apparently Izabel kept ready against me. Why does she have a weapon and where did it come from? The second, the fact that she did throw it at me and it’s only now that I recall how accurate she was; a talent I did not know she had. Perhaps, she learned it in self-defense…

  Lastly, he brings up Izabel’s mother. Out of everything I’ve heard this afternoon, this is probably the most shocking thing of all and yet not at all surprising. I think my reaction is more to the realization that Izabel, only a child at the time, possibly witnessed it all. Still, I can’t jump to any conclusions based on sleep talk. Maybe one day I can get her to open up to me about it.

  Overall, most of it doesn’t seem noteworthy in terms of its effect on Liberty. I am curious about her weapon though…

  “So outside of a few small points, it all seems… gossipy.”

  Daytin looks embarrassed by my assessment of the information. “Yes, maybe, but I wanted you to be aware some things are not adding up with her.”

  I sigh. “You’re right. I’ll look into it personally.”

  “I asked Margery to search her room.” I pause at that. It’s not something I feel comfortable with, but I trust Daytin’s judgment.

  “All right. I don’t like it, but if she finds anything strange at all let me know, no matter the time.”

  “I will, sir.”

  “Good. Are you still able to attend the meeting tonight?” I feel bad placing another thing on his shoulders after the long week we have all had, but this meeting could be a big turning point for Liberty. Also, my need to see this thing through drives me. I want to start making things better for Izabel. When it’s all said and done, I may be the only person she has left.

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” Thank the Way we are on the same page.

  Chapter 29

  IZABEL

  “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”

  ― Mahatma Gandhi

  ~~~

  Getting out of the house tonight for a six pm assignment ends up being more complicated than usual. Mirna is almost always my cover, but with everything that’s happened today, she’s faking sick in her room and is completely unavailable.

  At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage it. A real first for me. Then it dawned on me while riding horseback; I could fake sick too. A likely excuse since Mirna and I spent so much time together last night, it would only be logical that if she came down with the stomach flu that I would too.

  My plan worked perfectly. I dismissed Margery for the rest of the day, complaining of stomach pains and a strong need for privacy during my period of weakness. The guard wasn’t a problem either since he won’t enter my room unless he’s alerted to a problem so I just had to make sure I was extra quiet.

  Now, sitting in a tree, I scope out the home of my target with a pair of binoculars. So far everything looks just as Fernando said it would in his notes and drawing, which I memorized and burned. The person Eric is meeting with just arrived a few moments ago, a very tall and broad man dressed expensively. I can’t quite make out his face, but he’s just what one would expect in this type of neighborhood. His carriage sits parked right outside of Eric’s front door, giving me the impression that he won’t be staying long. Eric meets him in person by the front door, hurrying him through the entryway quickly, leaving me with the impression that Eric doesn’t want him to be seen. So, of course, I have to find out who he is even if he’s not my target. Fernando wants to know the content of their meeting, so I will find a way to get it to him.

  Leaping from the tree branch to the neighbor’s roof, I slink along the roof until I can get a better look inside Eric’s office. From here it’ll only be a short leap to the window ledge, but I stay put for a minute longer taking in as much information as possible.

  No visible guards, the window is cracked, the place appears clean but cluttered with bookshelves and furniture. Taking one last look at the street to make sure no one is watching, I take the final leap to the ledge. Stopping only long enough to regain balance before quietly lifting the window just enough for me to slip in. I adjust the window back to its original place, not wanting to give myself away by leaving it ajar.

  His desk is large enough for me to fit under, but with his meeting it’s likely I’d be discovered too soon. Looking around, I spy a closet. Taking quick strides, I open the door and find myself face to face with a filing cabinet in one corner and a few suits in the other. It’ll have to do. I leave the door cracked so I can see. My weapon’s drawn, I wait.

  Seconds later, I hear their footsteps and a bit of whispering I cannot make out through the closed office door. They both enter, but they’re so close I only see the fabric of their clothes. One in yellow, who must be Eric, and another in black, the guest. The guest locks the door from the inside while Eric moves out of my line of vision, but it sounds like he’s shutting the window I just came through.

  Whatever they are discussing must be important for them to take such security measures within Eric’s own home. Unknowing to them, I get to be privy to it all.

  The next thing they do surprises me. Instead of sitting across from each other and beginning their meeting, they both draw weapons. One a sword, and the other a gun, a weapon that very few carry anymore. They begin searching the room. Talk about paranoid. I consider trying to hide myself deeper in the suits, but then I’m trapping myself if I’m discovered.

  I would probably admire their tactics if it didn’t make things more difficult for myself. The sword isn’t so concerning, but the gun is a whole another story. I don’t even carry a gun.

  With a knife in one hand, I reach for a chakram, a circular weapon with a sharpened outer blade, from my belt. It’s perfect for this type of fighting because it can be thrown or used in hand to hand combat.

  I stand waiting, watching. They seem disappointed when they can’t find anything. I wonder what they’re looking for.

  It’s then that it dawns on me, perhaps they’re looking for me, but I shake the idea away. Impossible. How would they know I’d be coming?

  Just when I think they’re ready to begin their meeting one of them eyes the closet door. It’s then that I recognize Eric’s guest. It’s one of the guards from my house. Daytin. I can’t even begin to fathom what he’s doing here dressed as someone of great importance no less. I’ve also seen him in training and know he’d be a good match for my own skills, having Eric present won’t help. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I just might be outmatched and outwitted.

  He strides over to the door, Eric only a step behind him. I only have enough time to pull my hood further over my face before the door is swung open.

  My fear that they were looking for someone is only confirmed when a look of triumph crosses both of their faces. I doubt they even had a meeting. This was a trap. Somehow, I’ve been betrayed. But by who?

  Their looks quickly turn to confusion. Perhaps, it was not me they were expecting then. Or I’m not what they expected. I get that a lot.

  My job is to take out Eric by any means necessary, but I’m going to try to avoid seriously harming Daytin. He’s always seemed like a good guy even if his allegiance to my father makes him a fool, he still doesn’t deserve to die… at least not without a good reason.

  With plenty of time for contemplation later, I move in for the attack, going for Eric first. I need to remove his gun while we are all within close quarters. Hopefully, he won’t risk shooting it until Daytin is a safe distance away. The guns floating around today are not as well made as the ones before, which is why I don’t use them. It’s too easy to hit something unintended.

  Stabbing my knife and chakram into the wall, I use the pole in the closet to swing my feet upward. I catch Eric in the chest and Daytin in his mid-section, causing Daytin to stumble holding his stomach and Eric to land on his back on the floor. Retrieving
my weapons, I dive for Eric’s gun, but Daytin catches me midair and throws me against Eric’s desk.

  All of the air leaves my lungs as my side connects with the corner and for a moment I am dizzy with pain and unable to move. Sliding down the side of the desk, I allow myself time to regain my bearing before making another move otherwise I might pass out.

  When my head clears enough for me to see straight, I find myself face to face with a gun barrel.

  Shit. My hand aches and bleeds where my chakram sliced my skin through my gloves. I must have landed forcefully for my own weapon to have turned on me. My gloves are padded and meant to keep my hands safe from the sharp bite of the blade, but nothing is ever fool-proof. The warm blood feels almost hot against my fingers, reminding me that I’m still alive. Taking stock of the rest of me, I find that my knife is nowhere in sight. Definitely not good.

  “Are you the Girl of Shadow?” Daytin asks gently. He squatting down in front of me. His weapon sheathed and his eyes level with mine. He seems to be searching me for something. I have no idea what he hopes to find. If his job is to capture and kill the Girl of Shadow, then he may just succeeded.

  He doesn’t seem to recognize my face, but if the hood of my cloak is doing its job, then he probably can’t make out much. I don’t respond to him. Eric nudges me with his foot as if to encourage me, but still, I say nothing. If they want the answer they will have to guess, I won’t help them in any way.

  Gripping my chakram in my injured hand, I wait for my chance.

  “Are you the one killing all of our people?” Eric asks. I assume he’s referring to the other jobs I’ve done as an assassin.

  This time when I don’t respond he kicks me in the side. A yelp escapes me as pain radiates from my side. I’m pretty sure I have a broken rib.

  Daytin jumps up from his spot to confront his partner. “Eric stop! She’s just a girl.” I’m surprised that Daytin would come to my defense. It’s foolish of him, but… I appreciate it given the circumstances.

  “She’s not just a girl; she’s a murderer! We need to know what she knows!”

  “I got it, but this is not the way to do it.”

  “How would you recommend we do it then?”

  He ignored his question and says, “I’m not sure she’s the person we’re looking for.” He looks me up and done as is accessing something.

  “Why is that? She is the legendary Girl of Shadow! Wake up! Young or not it doesn’t matter.” He waves his arms in the air to indicate me; his gun still in hand. “She’s still a killer.”

  “Fine, but Liberty wants her and they want her alive so save the questions for later. Let’s get her packed up and out of here. We can figure out everything else later.”

  I do know two things for sure. First, I’m not killing either man tonight. They are not loyal to The Boss or his cause. They are loyal to Liberty; the group Fernando believes to be behind much of the civil unrest within the United Party and possibly the group that infiltrated my home. I don’t know why Fernando wants Erik gone, but he needs to know Erik’s involvement. This tidbit of information could change things.

  Second, I need to get the hell out of here. Whether they want to question me or not, I can’t let them know who I am and I’d never agree to meet them unless on my own terms. I need to have a little control over the encounter, something I won’t find here at this time.

  With escape in mind, I use the chakram to disarm Eric. Since neither man was expecting it, the chakram knocked Eric’s gun to the floor without a problem. At the same time as I let my weapon fly, I leap up, ignoring the pain, and turn and dive over the desk. Both men are moving toward me, but I’m already out of their grasps. They just don’t know it yet.

  Grabbing the curtain rod and using my feet to propel me forward, I break the window glass, shattering it. Closing my eyes, I swing my body out, my cloak catches on the edge of the glass and tears the back into two pieces. Turning mid-air, my fingers just barely gripping the edge. Daytin appears at the window. He attempts to reach for me put I have already let go. With a prayer to my mother for safety, I fall the fourteen feet to the ground. Landing the way Fernando taught me, I avoid new injury, but the one at my side makes it difficult to breathe. The drop to the ground only shook it up.

  Sticking to empty alleyways and abandoned buildings, I stumble along injured, wincing and shaking with each step. The fight gave me a rush of adrenaline and now I’m paying for it and running on empty. I feel this way after most of my missions; the key is to give myself time to let down slowly, but today I can’t afford to take the time. I could have pursuers on my heels any minute. The best I can do is tear a piece from my cloak and bind my hand. The cut is pretty bad, but that’s all I have time for. I have to keep pushing ahead and avoid making any obvious errors. The chilled night air helps, it serves as a constant reminder to keep moving.

  I failed a mission for the first time and yet I don’t feel shame. Instead, I’m faced with questions and need answers before I can move forward. Does Fernando know Erik’s involvement with Liberty? It’s unlike him to make mistakes like this. And if he did know, what’s he doing attacking Liberty?

  Chapter 30

  DARICK

  “Insight into character comes from listening intently to the spoken word. The physical person, their charisma, charm and dramatic flair is more often used to persuade audiences, as they use these stealth tools of disguise and deception.”

  -Maximillian Degenerez

  ~~~

  I try not to let my nerves show as I pretend to enjoy a meal at a little Italian restaurant just a few blocks away from my home and workplace. They don’t serve traditional Italian food, no one really does. Dishes are based around the ingredients grown from the farming district and restaurants make do with what they can afford. I come here occasionally when I have a few hours off. The place is usually quiet with normally one or two families eating. Most of the patrons see me and leave, but the owners don’t seem to mind since I always leave a generous tip. They also don’t snoop. They make my plate and then make themselves scarce until after I leave.

  It serves my purposes well.

  Stirring my spoon through my bowl of beans, I watch the little pieces of meat surface for a moment before sinking back to the bottom. Who knows what kind of meat it is? Probably whatever they were able to get their hands on. Chicken maybe? Or pork? Certainly not beef. The restaurant is located in one of the nicest districts, but they have been struggling to keep their restaurant open.

  Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on who you ask, they are not interested in getting on The Boss’s good side. Not that they are on his bad side either or else they would already be closed. They are below his notice and that’s exactly where they want to be, but it doesn’t always make for good business.

  Looking up from my bowl, I feel like I’m watching the paint curl away from the walls. It’s already chipped in so many places that the gray stained sheet rock makes up the majority of the wall. Soon there will be nothing left of the mural depicting families eating with an enthusiasm rarely seen. It must be a throwback to a better time.

  Finally, tired of checking my watch every few seconds, I slip it off my wrist and put it on the table facing me and watch the seconds tick by.

  He should have been here by now. Actually, he should have been here an hour ago. I’ll wait another fifteen minutes. Any number of things could be holding Daytin up.

  We were supposed to meet at 7:30, after his ‘meeting’ with Erik. All he was supposed to do was help subdue whoever has been targeting our people. We assumed it’s the Girl of Shadow. He just needed to capture and tie the person up and take him or her somewhere for questioning which Erik is supposed to take care of. Then report back to me. Simple. Easy… where are they?

  It’s possible they were overpowered, but the Girl of Shadow has never been seen with an accomplice as far as my reports show. In which case, it’s unlikely the two men could have been overpowered since they had the upper hand.


  Just when I’m certain I’ll have to leave without information, Daytin strolls in, in civvies, appearing on edge which pushes me closer to the edge. What could have possibly happened? Whatever it is can’t be good. Daytin looks close to a meltdown himself. The guy is always calm and cool.

  He slides into the bench across from me, looking exhausted and I feel bad for running him ragged. I push the food towards him. He looks like he needs it. Though I want immediate answers, I give him time to eat and collect his thoughts.

  “Thanks, sir.”

  “How did it go?” We talk in whispers. One can never completely rely on their surroundings. There could be a listening hole somewhere.

  “Not as expected sir. She got away.”

  I smack in the table in frustration. “Damn it all.”

  “How did it happen?” Daytin tells me everything from his perspective; how they searched the room, their confrontation with her, and ultimately how she got away.

  “So, she’s just a girl?” I’m surprised because even though it’s always been known that the Girl of Shadow is female, I expected her to be in her thirties. Even after my run in with her the other night, I didn’t get the impression that she was very young. She was skilled and had a confidence about her that spoke of years upon years of training.

  “Yes, I’d guess no older than twenty.”

  “Are you sure she’s the Girl of Shadow?” I can’t keep the doubt from seeping through.

  “Yes. Has to be. I’m certain of it, sir. I underestimated her when we had her cornered, but she proved herself quickly. She left a few weapons, but there’s nothing about them that would help with discovering who or where she is. They’re generic, but I took this off the floor. It must have come from her person.” He dangles an all too familiar necklace in front of my face.

  “And you’re certain this came from her?”