Kiri's Assignment

Kiri is sent to assassinate Bashir with a lethal kiss, but finds she can't complete her assignment.

Kiri’s Assignment

 

     Kiri ordered a drink from the Minotaur bartender and then turned to scan the dark, crowded tavern for her target.  The prophet Bashir frequented this particular establishment, so she was sent to find him among the other rough and tumble disciples of the new order.   The scientific community was deeply concerned over the appearance of this new prophet.  In a few short months he had gained a large following in his anti-science movement.  As a freedom fighter, it was Kiri’s job to preserve the stranglehold that the Atheists Scientists had on the world at large.  Religion had been the oppressor for far too long and she felt it necessary to keep god out of politics.  Bashir stood to overthrow all that she had helped to create and maintain.  He needed to be eliminated before the world was tossed back into a final civil war that would most likely wipe humans off of the face of the earth for good. 

       The assignment was simple.  Kiri needed to get close enough to Bashir to kiss him.  The lethal poison she had been injected with would then kill him quickly, but not affect her in the least bit.  Given that Bashir loved both wine and women, her boss thought this would be the best way to get to him.  An assault team or even a male assassin was likely to draw too much attention to the Freedom Fighters.  They did not wish to be implemented in a political coup.  Instead, they wished to make it appear as if it were a personal vendetta against the man.  If the assignment was successful, Bashir’s followers would disband quietly and the threat would not escalate to war. 

      The bartender set down a class of clear liquor in front of Kiri.  She tossed it back in one quick gulp, set the glass down and headed over to the far left corner.  Most of the patrons were paired off, but a group had congregated at a table in the back.  Kiri couldn’t see Bashir exactly, but she knew he was amongst them.  There weren’t many pictures of this new prophet.  The only picture she’d been given was one taken from a distance at one of his rallies.  The news, which was controlled by the government, had not covered Bashir much at all.  The stations ran several small blurbs about him in the beginning, but no one seemed to know much about this mysterious man.  The government quickly banned all mention of him to the public.  Even still, word of mouth had made him popular.  The underground could prove quite powerful, which is why Kiri had been called in.

       Kiri, who never felt nervous, suddenly felt something inside of her well up.  What was this strange feeling, she wondered. Could it be fear?  She had killed before, but always in combat.  She’d never actually assassinated anyone and it felt far too personal to her.  Kiri had also used her feminine wiles on men before to coerce secrets from them, but never to kill them.   She drew a deep breath and calmed her nerves.  Her hips swayed seductively as her high heels clicked on the wooden floor.  Instead of her Freedom Fighter clothes, she was dressed in a short skirt and corset top.  Her ample bosom spilled over her top just enough to catch attention from male admirers.  She rather liked this outfit she thought.  It was a nice change from her usual practical uniform.

       The crowd parted as Kiri came toward them.  She saw a man sitting at the table and guessed that to be her target.  A woman dressed similar to Kiri sat next to him.  She whispered something in his ear as Kiri came to a stop in front of them. 

      “Bashir?” she asked.

      “Yes,” he said looking up from his companion.

      “You!” Kiri exclaimed in surprise as their eyes met.  It was the very same man whom she had broken out of the facility.  This was not good, not good at all.  She couldn’t kill him, not after he’d saved her life.  Kiri starred at him intensely with incredulity. The probability of this unfortunate coincidence was astounding.

      “You,” he smiled warmly.  He stood up, wine glass in hand.  “This is the woman who saved me!  A toast to….what was your name again?”

       Kiri scowled.  “Can I speak to you privately for a moment Bashir?”

       “Sure,” he said, setting his glass down.  He stepped toward her and she ushered him away from the crowd.  The group continued to drink and laugh as they walked toward an empty hallway.  He stopped and leaned against the wall, eagerly waiting for Kiri to speak.  He hopped that they would meet up again and here they were.  He looked at her longingly, wondering if she might not be willing to pay him back for saving her life.  Admittedly, he never met anyone quite like her before and he was intrigued.   His eyes lingered on her luscious lips as she started to speak. 

       Kiri leaned in toward him and said calmly, “Someone is trying to kill you.”

      “Who?” Bashir wanted to know.

      “Me.”

 

      

     

       

 

Author's Note

Although I wrote this particular chapter myself, the book was a collaboration with fellow author Joel Schwan.