Chapter One

Everything has it's consequences...

The year of 2002, after my parents and I walked out of the theater, we took a short cut to our house. It wasn't that far away, but it seemed like it. I was 12 years of age. We walked through the dark, silent alley. We suddenly realized that somebody was following us, but before Daddy turned around to see who it was, the person knocked him out; as well as Mommy. Not knowing what to do, I just froze stiff. I watched as they dragged my parents bodies across the wet, dirty alley ground and into the long, black car. I wasn't paying attention when they snatched me up and took me with them. When I awoke, I saw Mother tied up to a chair and Father to a pole as I was. I couldn't see very well, but with what I could see the room looked like a basement. It had old bricks for walls and a little light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There was also a table full of different kinds of silver-colored items. As my vision started to come back completely, a tall guy dressed in doctor's clothing came in. He was humming a familiar tune that my father had sung to me when i was little to make me fall asleep. The man approached the table with all the items on it. He got what looked like a dagger and examined it carefully. He walked passed me and with the dagger, he cut my arm. It started bleeding real bad. Ignoring me, he made his way to Father and smacked him in the face and said, "You might want to see what's going to happen."

Father couldn't speak, because he had duck tape over his mouth. He tried his best to talk, but all that came out sounded only like mumbling. The tall man walked over to Mother and took her by the hair, lifted her head up to where her neck was vulnerable. He looked at Father and without looking back at Mother, he slashed her neck. Father screamed as much as he could, but muffled sound was the only thing that was heard, besides the gurgling of my mother gasping for air. Father cried as he watched the love of his life's blood pour on the floor. I was so terrified, I didn't do anything but just watch as my mother lie at my feet dead and listening to the sounds of my father's tears. The man, ignoring our reactions, took Father down off the pole. Father got loose and knocked the tall man out and untied me. We looked for a way out, but there were no doors. After a couple of minutes was wasted, I finally found a hidden door way. 

" Go, hurry!" he yelled

I went and I turned towards my father to see if he was coming, but as I did the man must have woken up because he shot my daddy in the back of his head. His blood landed on me. I was shocked that my own father's blood was on me. I was so shocked that I just about froze, but seeing the tall man making his way towards me made me realize that I needed to run. I ran the fastest I could. Luckily, I was faster than the man. I out ran him, but I could still hear him as he yelled, " I will find you!"

I ran till I couldn't run anymore. I swear to avenge my family no matter what it takes. I will keep that in my mind until I succeed or die.

I had no other family that was alive to care for me. I had to do everything on my own. Somehow I was able to go to school all the way through high school. I went to school at Eastman Middle and High School. I took many courses in fighting and weaponry. Instead of going to college after high school, I went to weapon and aiming classes. I learned about every weapon ever made and I mastered them all. I learned how to fight every way imaginable and wouldn't leave till I had mastered everyone of them. 

I moved to New York City to learn boxing. After I mastered that style of fighting. After my last day of training in boxing, I decided to go to the shooting range to practice my shooting. After I shot I couple of rounds, a short man with strawberry-blonde hair and tree brown eyes walks up to me.

" Are you Alaina Mendoza." he asked

"Depends. Who are you?" I answered after I pressed the button to bring back my target, so I could put a on a new one.

"Can't say, but I knew your father."

I quickly looked at him, and I took my hand and pinned him against the wall by his throat, " You don't anything. My father is dead."

" I knew him before his death," he said trying to breathe and talk with my grip on his throat getting tighter," We go way back. I hired him, as I came here to hire you. Hear me out."

"Why should I? I don't trust you."

"Just calm down and put me down. I will tell you why," he said gasping for air. I looked at him with fury and impatient. I put him down.

"Alright. You have five minutes before I get real pissed." I said fighting the urge to kill him where he stands for mentioning my father.

He hurries and pulls out a contract with 'Issac Mendoza' signature at the bottom and hands it to me. I look at the packet, "What's this?" I asked, still examining it.

"That's your father's contract with the profession he had. I have one for you, too. If you are anything like your father then I really need you to take his place." 

"My father was a construction worker. He traveled a bunch, yeah, but he wasn't a.. a hit-man."

"Yes he was. Why do you think he went away longer than all the other people he supposedly worked with? Why do you think he always brought home more money than them?"

" I don't know, but you got the wrong people."

  I put my earmuffs on as he started to say something. I picked up the revolver I rented for $15 and started shooting at my target. I shot one shot, before the man pressed the button for the paper to come back.

"What are you doing?" I asked when I took the earmuffs off. 

"You will see." 

The paper came to a stop and on it was the hole that I had shot. It was right in the middle of the red center.

"Well I see you have your father's aim."

" I've had classes."

"So did he, and I paid for them."

"So, what's your point?"

"My point is you should give this job a try. I'll pay you good money."

"How much we talking here?" I asked starting to wonder how much this guy is willing to pay me to do a job for him.

"$3,000 even, $5,000 if you do it professionally."

"What? You are going to pay me 5,000 dollars to do one job professionally?"

"Yes."

I have a feeling that there is a catch, so I ask him, "What's the catch?"

"The catch is i am asking you to kill somebody your father possibly couldn't."

"If my father can't do it, then what makes you think I could?" 

"Because I think you are better than him," he said with complete confidence.

"Okay, fine. Deal, but I'm not signing any contract."

"Okay, but later you will."

He gives me the name and address to where he lives and works at. I examine it. It's a woman, no wonder my father couldn't bring himself into completing this mission. Her name is Annabel Lee, and she works at Wolfram& Harte. She is a lawyer; well there's another reason he couldn't do it. Luckily, she lives here in New York City. She gets off at 1:05 p.m. It's 12:00 p.m. I better go. 

As I collected my items that I had brought with me, I found a black bag under the table; it had a note on it. It read:

"I want you to use this to do what I asked of you, Alaina. If your like your father in choice of weapons then this is for you to keep"

I took the bag and opened it. It was a Stryker bow. It's the fastest and strongest crossbow in the world with a distance of 405 feet per second and a draw weight of 175 pounds. This is perfect for me. I took the bag and the rest of my belongings and walked out the door. I got a cab to take me to the place she lives at.

" 9276 West-side drive. That will be $20."

  I handed the guy his money and got out. As he drove off, the target parks her car in her drive way. I made my way towards the building across the street from her place. She was still in her car on the phone, as of I could see. I approached a window on the highest floor on the building. I set myself in position and got my bow ready. I put the Stryker in the window, but it was still invisible to everyone. She got out of the car with her phone and keys in her hands. As she approaches her door, I start to feel horrible. I started to second guess myself in whether to finish what I had already started. I asked myself, "what did I get myself into? What was I thinking when I accepted that man's offer?" I suddenly felt a presence among me. It gave me the courage to go on. It reassured me that it was okay. I re-positioned myself and as soon as she turned around to close the door, I pulled the trigger. The arrow was so fast I couldn't keep my eyes on it, but i I didn't miss my target. It hit her right between the eyes, and her head just about blew off because of all the force and strength behind the arrow. 

"Mission accomplished." I whispered to myself.

I packed up my new crossbow left. I went to my apartment building that I was renting for the moment and wondered how I was going to get my money. I looked over the paper he gave me with the Stryker. I turned it around and found a number on it. I dialed it.

"Ah. I see you have done what I have asked," the man answered with too much satisfaction in his voice.

"Yes, now where's my money?" I demanded.

"Look in the drawer beside the bed."

I looked and found my money and a contract. "I thought I told you that I wasn't signing any contract."

"You did, but I have a good feeling you will be contacting me again pretty soon with that contract signed."

"Doubt it."

"Oh, but you will," he said with a little bit of deviousness in his voice.

Before I could say something back he hung up. I put the phone back and examined the contract. I looked at the whole thing, from beginning to end. I read it also, but I didn't sign it. I don't think I am ready fro this kind of job. Am I? I decided to sleep on it. The next morning, I woke up by the sunlight shining in from the window. I got up and shut the curtains, but as I went to lay back down to go back to sleep, I seen the contract that the short man gave me. I read it one more time, and then I looked at the clock. It was 10:30 a.m. I go my pen andsigned the contract. I wasn't sure if I was ready for this kind of life, I knew that I wanted to take the challenge. After I had signed it, I called that man again.

"I told you that you would sign it," he said when he answered my call.

"How are you going to get it?"

"Hold on and you will see."

As he said that, there was a knock on the door.  I answered it and there was the tallest man I had ever seen in my whole life. He must have been 6'11". He had dark brown, shaggy hair and bright blue eyes. 

"I'm here for the contract that Mr. Tiny gave you."

I handed him the papers without any fuss. After I gave him them, he just walks off.

"Mr.Tiny is your name?" I asked humorously.

"Yes it is. There is a guy, goes by the name Crow, he is wanting you to meet him."

"Why?"

"He wants to hire you for a job. He pays good money. I would take the job if I were you."

"Well your not me, so let me decide if he does or not. Give me the address and time he wants to meet."

"He will give it to you his way."

"What's his way?"

"You will have to find out because I don't know."

I hung up and right when I did. I found a note beside the lamp. It said: 

I know Mr. Tiny already told you that I want to hire you for a job. Meet me at the alley way between Wolfram & Harte tonight, if you're not scared. I will be there at 10:30 p.m. exactly. Don't be late or you will regret it. 

-Crow

It was 5:30 p.m., and Wolfram & Harte was three hours away. I hurried and got my knives and revolver and called a taxi. I ran outside to meet the taxi. I told him where to go. After three hours, the cab driver pulled in front of the office building. He said, " Wolfram & Harte. That will be $50."

I gave him the money and got out. It was 10:00, so I waited 30 minutes on the sidewalk before going through the alley way. Finally, it was 10:30 and time to meet this Crow guy.

Author's Note

This one is a little graphic...I hope it's okay..