Death's Agent

Short story.

“Goodnight Lauren.” Lauren looked up to see a tall man slipping on a thick brown jacket.  “Don’t stay too late, big day tomorrow.”

She returned his smile.  “I won’t Bryan, drive safe.” 

Bryan sighed, flicked off the lamp that rested upon his desk and began walking towards the elevator at the end of the room.  He stared out the frost covered windows, gazing out into the night sky.  At this time New York’s skyline was ablaze with lights, other buildings having important work to do. 

Lauren watched Bryan enter the elevator and returned his wave and looked back at her computer.  She was running algorithms over and over, none quite achieving the desired effect.  They’d been in this process for two long years; tomorrow was the day they tested the formula on white mice.  It was a big step for Solace Corporation.  But still the results were not what she wanted.  As head of the project, it was her a*s that was on the line if they failed.

Their previous vaccine had only made the cancer worse, causing it to spread much more rapidly than it would naturally.  So they scrapped that particular formula and began on another.  This one showed promise, earlier on it stopped the spread of cancerous cells, but that was it.  It didn’t break down the cells that were cancerous and that’s what she wanted.  And so here she was, constantly searching for a new and better algorithm.  Nothing she tried worked, countless formulas had proved ineffective and she kept moving on to another.  With testing tomorrow, she prayed that their current formula would suffice in curing the cancer.

Sighing she removed her fingers from the keyboard and pulled her glasses off, sitting them on her desk.  Reaching up, she pulled the tie from her hair, letting the long blonde locks fall down her back.  She shook her and fluffed her head to get her hair in a more comfortable position.  She sighed once more before placing her hands back on the keyboard.  But she didn’t type; her eyes were drawn to a picture on her desk.  She reached out picking up the frame, careful not to knock the lamp off that was stationed next to it.  Smiling, she rubbed her finger along the image.  It was a picture of her and her boyfriend.  He was taller than her, his short dark hair a sharp contrast to her blonde hair.  She set the picture down and began typing on the keyboard, trying out different equations. 

 

This went on for another hour and a half, each one no different than the last.  She was about to give up hope and head home for the night, when she heard a soft muffled thud.  Startled she turned around; her chair being wheeled made it easier, those it squeaked loudly as if complaining at the action.  She sat motionlessly, searching the dark room for the noise.  Her first thought was that one of the mice escaped its cage, but that didn’t add up.  The mice were kept in a lab on another floor.  Deciding it was nothing; she turned back to her computer and began the slow process of saving her data and shutting it down.

After a few minutes, the computer had shut down and she turned off the monitor.  Standing up, she pushed her chair under the desk and reached out to turn off the lamp but stopped, her finger resting on the switch.  She stared at the picture longingly; she’d spend the night at her boyfriend’s apartment.  She removed her hand from the switch, leaving the light on and began digging around in her purse, at last pulling out her phone. 

 

As she began dialing his number, the lamp fell off the desk hitting the floor, the bulb shattering and plunging the room into pitch black darkness except for the subtle bits of light from the nearby buildings.  She dropped her phone and tried to scream, but a hand shot over her mouth, preventing any sound from escaping.  Another hand grabbed her by her throat and she was hauled back and gently placed against a filing cabinet. She could feel someone breathing in her ear.

“I’m going to move my hand now, be a good lass and don’t scream aye?”  Came a softly whispered voice, a man’s voice; it had a foreign accent, maybe English.  “Nod if you agree.”  The pressure loosened slightly and she nodded.

The man moved his hands from mouth and throat and she turned to face the stranger.  He was taller than her, but other than that she couldn’t make out his features.  Her heart beat rapidly, panic settling in and sinking its claws deep into her.

“Good girl, now I don’t have time to explain, but you need to come with me.”  The whites of his eyes were brilliantly lit in the darkness.

“Wh-who are you?”  She tried to keep the fear out of her voice, but she heard the audible quiver that betrayed her feelings.

The man placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to crouch, to which she obliged, getting down low to the ground alongside him.  “We really don’t have time for this, you’re in grave danger.”  He spoke, more urgently this time.

Despite her fear, she wouldn’t budge.  “No.  If you want me to go with you, I need an explanation.”  That’s it Lauren, let the scientist in you take over, get answers. she thought to herself, trying to sleep the rapid beating of her heart.

“Blast!”  The man cursed.  “Alright lass, I’ll bite.  My name’s Ian Stone.”  Suddenly a soft light illuminated his face, coming from a device in his hands, a cell phone she assumed. 

She blinked in surprise; this was not what she expected.  The man was extremely handsome, having soft features that seemed to all blend together as if he was crafted from marble by a master stone smith.  His eyes were a light hazel brown, sprinkled with flecks of green and she had to look away, as if some sort of force was pulling her into the imploring look he gave her.  Her eyes were drawn to his chin; rugged stubble gave the appearance that he hadn’t shaved for a few days.  The brown colored beard matched the wild brown hair atop his head.  A medium length style, the front combed to give it a sort of swooping upwards look.  Glancing at his attire, she saw he wore a black suit overtop a white shirt and black vest.  He also wore matching black pants, but his shoes were a dark red, contrasting with the black appearance garb. All in all it made for very attractive appearance.  She looked away least he see her blushing. 

“Ian Stone?  I still don’t understand who you are, or why you’re here!”  Her heart was beginning to slow, comforted by the man’s good looks.  “Why am I in danger?”

He turned the light off, once again casting his face in shadows.  “This might sound a tad bit . . .” he seemed to be searching for the right word, “insane, but trust me, I’m on your side.  I’m an assassin, sent to kill to you.”

Her eyes went wide with fear and her body rigid.  She attempted to stand and run, but Ian held her in place by grabbing her shoulder.

“Relax lass; I’ll do you no harm.  I’m trying to save you.”

Now she was confused.  “Wha-what is going on?  Why would someone try to kill me?”

“You’re research, you’ve been told it is to help fight cancer, but in truth it’s being developed to create a group of cells that are able to function as a perfect group.  Imagine how a lizard is able to regenerate a limb after losing it.  That is the true goal of what you’ve been assigned to.”  He explained, releasing her shoulder.

“That’s preposterous!”  She exclaimed.  “My research has no such capabilities!”

He shook his head.  “Believe what you want, I don’t give two f***s.  All you need to know is that I’m here to save you.” 

“Wait, if you’re an assassin, why aren’t you here to kill me?”  The more the man spoke the more questions she had.

“Professionally speaking I’ve been casing you for about a week now, learning your habits and schedule to take you out in the best manner possible.  But as a personal rule, I don’t kill women; I was raised better than that.  So here I am, the Prince Charming to your damsel in distress.”  He paused.  “Or is the knight in shining armor?  I confuse your American sayings.”  Shrugging he lifted his right sleeve and looked at the gold wristwatch he wore.  “Anyhow look at the time; I’m sure the new dog my superiors sent will be here anytime soon.”  He stood up, pulling her up with him.

As if on cue, a slight ding alerted the pair to the presence of the elevator.  Startled Lauren looked at the elevator.  The doors opened, revealing another man, this one a stark contrast to Ian.  He was short, probably close to her height.  His hair was shaved to the point where he appeared bald.  Resting on his face was a pair of black framed glasses.  His attire consisted of a light blue collared shirt and khaki pants finishing with what appeared to be brown cowboy boots.  She gasped when she saw the body of Bryan lying on the floor behind him.

His eyes locked with hers and he raised a pistol and took aim.  Just as he pulled the trigger, Ian shoved her aside with his right arm and she crashed into her desk before bouncing off on to the floor.  Instead of the loud gunfire she expected, there was simply two soft bangs, as if the sound was being repressed.  He must have a silencer on his gun she deduced.

Ian whipped out his own gun, completely with a suppressor of his own, with his left hand and fired once, the bullet hitting the up button on the wall next to the elevator.  With a ding, the doors began shutting and the man cursed, springing forward, but he was too late.  The doors closed, sealing Ian and Lauren away from him.

Ian helped Lauren up, still keeping his gun drawn.  “Quick, we’ll take the stairs, follow me!”  He grabbed her hand and began running across the room to the door labeled stairs. 

Leaning his shoulder into the door, it burst open and the pair began descending floors, their footsteps echoing in the stairwell.  After a few floors Lauren was tired, she didn’t exercise nearly as much as she would have liked, her time being spent mostly working long hours.  Ian on the other hand seemed to be perfectly fine.  She caught herself drifting to thoughts of what his body looked like under his suit and mentally slapped herself. 

“I’ve got a car around the building waiting on me, if we can get to it before your would be killer we’ll be home free.”  He began running with a renewed energy.  “Hurry!”

By the time they reached the bottom, Lauren was exhausted.  The mere thought of having to reach the car scared her more than the threat of being murdered.  But Ian continued to push her on. 

Opening the stairwell door cautiously, Ian slowly walked out, both hands clasping the pistol now, searching for a target.  After a few moments, he motioned for Lauren to follow him.  He continued to walk slowly towards the front door, his gaze moving from side to side, searching the room.  But all was clear as the pair exited the building.  Ian took Lauren’s hand again and pressed his body against the wall, commanding her to do the same.  Slowly they made their way down the deserted street until they rounded the corner and a black car came into sight.

It was a sleek model, obviously designed with speed in mind.  It stood out compared to other cars, but it was difficult to spot unless a light gave its location away as the street light above did. 

“Nice car.”  She commented.

“Thanks lass.” Ian turned back to face her and flashed a smile, his teeth a brilliant and perfect white.

My god, even his smile is perfect.  She thought to herself, blushing yet again. 

They continued to the car, reaching it upon which Ian opened one of the back doors and ushered her inside.  He searched the street before stepping in with her.  “Hit the pedal mate.”  He told the driver, whom Lauren hadn’t seen until Ian had brought her attention to him.

“Who’s that?”  She asked, the man being out of her sight.

Ian laughed.  “That’s just Barney, an old friend of mine.”

The driver, apparently Barney snorted.

“Good old Barney.”  Ian clasped a hand on the man’s shoulder.  “But this whole mess is behind us, Barney will take us to the marina where we have a boat waiting.  From there we can plan our course.”

Lauren sighed.  “Is there any way I could borrow your phone to call my boyfriend?  I want to tell him what’s happened.”

“I must apologize but that is not a smart option.  Better to leave him in the dark for his own safety.”  Ian pulled his phone out and popped the cover off the back.  He pulled the battery out and threw it out the window.  He then threw his phone out next before rolling the window up.  He turned and saw the incredulous look Lauren gave him.  “Its traceable, I had to get rid of it.”  He defended himself, his voice a mock indignation. 

They rode in silence from there, until they reached the marina.  As Lauren went to open the door, a soft click alerted her to the presence of the doors locking.  She tugged on the handle, but the door didn’t budge. 

She turned to face Ian.  “What’s going on?”

Ian sighed.  “Well I’m afraid I have some bad news.  I lied.”  He pulled the gun out from his jacket and placed the end of the suppressor on her forehead.  “I have no quarrel with killing women.”  

A soft bang was emitted from the gun as blood and brain matter splattered the window.  Lauren’s head jerked back before slumping to the side, blood pouring from a hole in her head.  Ian reached up and wiped a bit of blood off his cheek before placing the gun back in its holster.  A click signaled the doors being unlocked and Ian stepped out of the car.  He walked around to the back and opened the trunk. 

He sighed.  “Barney, what the hell?”  He called out.

 

A door being slammed signaled Barney exiting the vehicle.  His boots clicked as he walked around the car to join Ian.  He was the same man from the elevator who had fired at the now deceased Lauren. 

“What?”  He said innocently.

Ian motioned to the two bodies in the trunk.  “I understand the sap from the elevator, something starting with a B, but who’s the other meathead?”  He pointed to a second corpse, this one wearing a white lab coat.

“Oh that’s Jeremy.”  He stared at Ian, as if that was all the explanation needed.  Ian gave him a look.  “He’s the head of testing, the one who torments the poor and innocent Mus musculus, an honorable creature that deserves naught the horrible experiments its kind has cast upon on it in the name of science by corporate devi-“

“Alright alright, I get the point.  He’s an evil mouse man.  You could have summarized it to that.”  Ian shook his head.  “You are the weirdest man I know.”

“Ian, ease up on the straw, sip slowly and savor your beverage.”  Barney retorted.

 

A look of puzzlement crossed Ian’s face.  “Huh?”

Barney sighed.  “Curse your inadequate intelligence.”  He cleared his throat, as if explaining to a small child.  “I’m saying you suck.  A lot.”

Ian frowned.  “I honestly regret the day I befriended you.  Let’s just get this over with.”  He reached into the trunk but stopped.  He looked at Barney and pulled out a large container filled with mice.  “Seriously?”

Barney stood to attention.  “I quote Mahatma Gandhi.”  He closed his eyes.  ”To deprive a man of his natural liberty and to deny to him the ordinary amenities of life is worse then starving the body; it is starvation of the soul, the dweller in the body.”  He opened his eyes again, glaring at Ian.  “Furthermore to reinforce my opening topic, I quo-“

Ian interrupted him by slapping his face.  Barney stumbled in surprise more so than in pain.  Ian smiled.  “Much better.”  He shoved the container into Barney’s arms. 

He reached back into the trunk and pulled out another phone.  He motioned for Barney to return to the front.  Barney mumbled some words inaudibly before setting the container down and moving to the front of the car.  As Ian shut the trunk, Barney started the car, placed a brick on the gas pedal and put the car in drive.  It lurched forward suddenly, racing down the dock before leaping off the end, diving into the water.  With a large splash, the car vanished from sight.

Barney walked back over and picked up the container and took a position next to Ian’s side.  Ian pulled out the phone, punching in a few numbers.

“Time to call home.”  He chuckled while he waited for the other end to pick up.  “Hello Charlie, Ian here; calling to confirm success.  Be home in a bit.”  He hung up the phone.  “And off we go Barney, running off into the night.”

Barney made a sound of disgust.  “Do not include me in some fairy tale romantic love story you’ve concocted.  I’ll have no part in any fabricated tale constructed with your flimflam and poppycock.”

“Oh just shut up and walk.”  Ian said, sighing.

With that, the pair walked off into the night, leaving no trace of the heinous task they had just performed.

Author's Note

An honest and constructive critique would greatly be appreciated.