1 comments/ 5631 views/ 0 favorites Love and the Assassin Ch. 03-04 By: Iamcheysmom Chapter 3 The building where the gym was located seemed bright and cheerful. The picture she received from her contact did not do it justice and it made Ike uneasy. What if the contact was wrong, what if this girl was really training, what if she got hurt and it truly was an accident, she thought. The what if's were staggering. The further they walked into the building the more Ike's nerves got the better of her. Something was not right, something didn't fit. "Something's wrong." She said. "I know; I feel it too, what do you think it is?" He said looking down at her. There was a women sitting behind the reception desk, her head was down in concentration. This was her contact, she was sure of it. Squeezing Justin's hand they walked up to the counter and waited while she finished up her call. "Yes sir, tomorrow at four pm, we'll see you then." The girl said hanging up the phone. She looked up and stumbled back, "What are you doing here?" She said, returning to her work. "Oh I don't know I thought I would come by, may be sign up." She paused. "What the fuck do you mean, what am I doing here?" Ike was seething mad. The girl stepped toward the counter top and whispered. "Look, you can't be here right now, it's too dangerous. You don't even realize how much trouble I can get into just for calling you." The woman was exasperated. Ike reined in her anger and then asked, "What is going on here? One minute you're telling me that you need my help and now this is about you, how much you can get into trouble." She stepped back. "I am so out of here." Ike started for the door, but stopped and turned back toward the girl. "If I was you, I would think about what you're saying, because come hell or high water, I will be back and I will take you down with this place." Ike stomped out of the building leaving the girl to stare at her back side. Something was not right. Something had happened in the last twenty hours, but Ike was not going to let it stop her from getting in. "What do we do now?" "We wait. There was something about the girl's action; she kept checking the hallway to our right. We need to get back to the hotel and check the building's diagram again, we're missing something small, I just know it." "Do you think she will help if we come back?" He asked, holding the door to the hotel open for her. "I'm more then sure of that. She's scared, someone got to her, I think the owners know." Ike opened her door and walked back over to the table and picked up the interior diagram. "Holy shit! We were right on top of her. The girl was only ten feet from that counter, that's what she was looking at, that's why she was so nervous." Ike threw the photo back down and paced the room. "We need to get back in there, and we need to do it now!" "Let's go." Justin said. Ike went over to her bag pulled out her 9mm, and two C4 cakes. She was tired and pissed off, if she couldn't get the girl the nice way, she would get her the hard way, so what if there wasn't anything left of their filthy gym. Across the room Justin was also loading up, the waist band of his pants held two pearl handled .38's, on his hip sat a six inch hunting knife, and on the other hip sat his equalizer, a taser gun. Shooting over fifty thousand volts of electricity into your target, will not only cause them piss themselves; which he had to admit he liked, but they would talk about anything you wanted them to talk about. He crossed back into her room to see that she too was ready for a fight, any signs of her being tired were gone. She picked up her jacket and headed out the door. They rode the elevator in silence, now was not the time for talking, it was a time for reflection. They both knew what needed to take place, they were going in hard and fast taking down anyone that got in their way. The girls were to be lead out of the gym and their parents notified. The streets had been calm when they first headed out that morning, now only an hour later they were bustling. Shops were opening as people began to make their way to work or school. It was not the best time for the invasion they half ass planned, but what could she do, Angelique needed them; she needed to be saved. Walking back into the gym, the girl still sat behind the desk, it had been quiet when they were first there, but now they could hear the girls training. Shouts of triumph echoed down the halls as one of the girls landed a perfect dismount, music played as another worked on their floor routine and there was Angelique, a cast on one arm and a basket of clothes in the other. She was gaunt, her skin was grey and flat, the clothes she had been wearing in the picture, still hung from her body. Ike was sure if she got close enough, she would smell horribly. Ike nodded to Justin, it was time for them to take this bitch down. "Alright, now that you have had some time to think things through, are you ready to help?" Ike asked the girl behind the counter. "I can't." She pleaded. "You don't get it, it was wrong of me to step in like I did. I should have left well enough alone. There is nothing else left to be said. And if you know what is good for you, leave and never come back here." She walked around the desk and grabbed Ike by the arm, trying to escort her out of the facility. Big mistake. Ike pulled the gun from her waist band and gabbed it into her ribs. "Oh I don't think I'll be leaving without the girl. You called me, sorry for it or not, I'm here. Now either take me to where they are keeping Angelique or I will kill you," she snapped her fingers. "just like that." The girl's eyes bugged out of her head, as she felt the gun push farther into her side, "She's in the laundry room, down the hall and to the right, you can't miss it. Now please let me go. I won't interfere, I promise." "The time for promises are long gone, you promised you would help us get in here unnoticed, but you fell through. Do you really expect me to just walk down some hallway because you say so? I don't think so sweetie, you're coming with me." Ike yanked her in the direction she said to go, at the far end of the hall was a set of stairs and a door under them; Ike could hear the machines spinning inside. She walked cautiously toward the opened door, if anyone was in there with Angelique, Ike would use the girl as a shield, the loss of life didn't bother her. "Angelique, my name is Ike, I'm here to take you home." Ike said softly. "Yeah right, I've heard that before, hell I've even tried to get out myself and look where it got me." Ike couldn't see her just yet but she could hear the defeat in her voice. "There is always a way out, always hope." Trust on the other hand was different. "Is there anyone in there with you?" Ike asked cautiously. "No, I'm in here by myself; for now. Mrs. Broodman will be in here in about ten minutes to tell me to do the linen's again." She imitated Mrs. Broodman, 'Those sheets are deplorable, you must wash them again this instant!' "Then she'll slap me and walk away." Ike looked at the receptionist for conformation, the girl nodded her head solemnly. "She's telling you the truth. I've watched it happen time and time again. "So basically we have about seven minutes to get you and the other girls out of here before she knows something is up?" Ike asked Angelique. "I guess, but I'm telling you, it won't work, nothing ever does." Ike walked into the laundry room and held her hand out to Angelique. "It's good to finally meet you, what do you say we blow this joint?" Angelique looked at Ike's outstretched hand and shook her head. "No, I need to get this done, if I don't get the sheets washed, I'll be beaten, thanks but no thanks." Her lip trembled with fear. Ike ran a hand over her face and took a deep breath. "Look, I know you think you're going to get into trouble, but I have to tell you, either you move now, or I'm going to move you and trust me, you're not going to like it." Angelique's eyes grew wide in fear, something that Ike knew all to well, it was something she felt in the camp and it was something she promised herself she would never feel again. When Angelique made no move to go with her, she silently curse and then grabbed her by the arms and threw her into a fireman's carry. She was sure the girl would kick and scream, but she didn't she held very still, she made no movement to get away, not even a silent sob. Justin was waiting for them at the door, he had successfully found all of the other girls and set all of the C4 Ike had given him. He saw her as she rounded the corner, across her shoulder was their target and next to her was the receptionist. "Take the girl and get out of here, I'll meet you in five minutes." Ike said taking the girl off her shoulder. Justin nodded as he headed for the front door, but stopped short as a short lean woman stood at the top of the stairs leading to the gym. "What in the world is going on here?" The owners screeching voice filled the entryway. "It's called taking you down." Ike said with a smile. "I'm calling the police, I'll have you arrested." She said snootily. Ike cocked her hip and drew her gun. "Go ahead and while you're at it, why don't you tell them how you're running a scam, how none of these children you call team members are actually a part of any type of organization." Ike said pointing the gun at her, daring her to call her out. "This, this is preposterous. I'll have you know..." "You'll have me know shit." Ike said cutting her off. "I already know everything there is to know about your little 'business'." Ike turned back toward Justin. "Get her and the rest of them out of here, I'll be right behind you." "Oh I don't think so." The man said coming out of the side entrance. "I would say I was happy to meet you Mr. Broodman, but I would be lying." Justin said gritting his teeth. "Is that really anyway to greet the man who in a snap of his fingers can take you down." He said with a smile. "Oh I don't know about that now." Ike said with a smile. "You seem to think that just because you think you know someone, who knows someone else, you can do what you want with these children, well I beg to differ. Seriously." Ike pulled the remote from her pocket, and flipped the switch. "Oh no!" She said sarcastically. "I guess now all the C4 that has been placed around here is active, one false move and we all go boom. Trust me; it's not a pretty sight." The wife looked at her husband and licked her lips, "You're bluffing." She said. "Am I now?" Ike placed her finger on the trigger to detonate the C4. "You want to find out if I'm truly bluffing?" Mrs. Broodman turned white with fright, she looked back down at her husband and then back at Ike as if silently willing Ike to be bluffing. "What do you want from us?" She finally asked defeated. "I am taking all of these children away from here, and you will return all of the money you have taken from their parents." "If we don't comply?" Mr. Broodman asked. "This whole place gets blown to smithereens with you two still inside." Ike said calmly. Justin began to walk the children out of the facility, Angelique in his arms. He knew no matter what happened now Ike was in control and he wouldn't have to worry about them over powering her. All thoughts of taking them prisoner and roughing them up vanished when they couldn't get the drop on them. Now all that was left to do was call the police and wait it out. Ike stood by the door waiting for the husband and wife team, her finger was still posed on the trigger if they tried anything foolish. The husband had crossed the room to stand with his wife hoping it would play to her sympathy if they looked scared. It wasn't working. Ike took out two sets of hand cuffs and moved in front of them. Quicker then she could say shit, Mr. Broodman had kicked her in the stomach, sending the C4 trigger flying. He then charged after her hitting her in the face with his fist. "I got you now, you little bitch." he said hauling her to her feet. Ike's head spun, the force of the blow knocking her for a loop. She stood in his grasp trying to gain her bearings. "You don't have shit." She hissed, kicking him in the nuts. Mr. Broodman yelped in pain loosening his grip on Ike, as she fell Mrs. Broodman ran toward her, her fingers out stretched like claws aiming for her eyes. Ike kicked her feet out from under her and as she landed her skull made a sickening thud against the floor. Mr. Broodman was by her side trying to rouse her, Ike could see the blood starting to seep from the back of her head and she knew it was too late, Mrs. Broodman was dead. "What have you done?" He screamed hysterically. "I told you we could do this the easy way, or the hard way. You and your wife choose the hard way." Mr. Broodman sat on the floor, his wife in his arms rocking her back and forth. His sobs filled the empty hall as Ike walked toward the door, she needed to get out of there call the police and report what happened. "Where are you going? You can't leave us here." He cried out. "You're so right, I can't leave you here like this, that's why I am going to call the police and tell them what has transpired here today. Then when they get here, you're going to explain how you have been ripping off these kids parents, plus you're going to pay them back." Ike turned back toward the door and opened it. Mr. Broodman screamed and charged after her, knocking her out into the street. In his hand was her gun that he had knocked away when he first hit her. He fired the gun missing Ike by inches, she could feel the concrete kick up as the bullet hit the ground and bounced away from her, she couldn't allow that to happen again, she had to stop him. Ike tried to get up, but Mr. Broodman was there his foot knocking her back onto the ground. His eyes were filled with rage and grief as he stepped on her hand so she couldn't grab for him. He cursed Ike's name, blaming her for his wife's death, never once thinking that if they had done what she asked, his wife would still be here. "I am going to enjoy killing you very slowly." He sneered. "Fuck you!" Ike spat. He leaned over stretching out to grab for her, his hand wound in what little hair she had, pulling her to her feet. He drew back with his other hand in anticipation of hitting her, but Ike had other plans, she spun free of his hands and kicked him in the stomach. Mr. Broodman arched his body as it absorbed the impact of her kick, lowering her shoulder she ran full force ramming him the chest and pushing him into the tree behind them, the blow knocked the air from his lungs in a whoosh and sent her gun flying. Ike, seizing the moment, grabbed the gun and leveled it with his head. "It's all over Mr. Broodman." She turned toward Justin. "You can call the police now." She said, never taking her eye off him. Mr. Broodman stood against the tree his sobs racking his entire body. The fight that just moments ago filled his eyes was completely gone. "What have I done?" He cried. "It was all so simple, we wanted children, we wanted a house full but the doctors said Tammy couldn't have any and then we decided we would adopt, but that didn't work because they thought Tammy wasn't stable enough." Ike looked at him and scoffed. "You think?" He gave her a bland look of impatience. "She was not always like this, she was happy once. I guess the pressure was too much. I mean we wanted children so badly, you don't understand what that's like. When Tammy came up with the idea of a gymnastics facility, I thought it was perfect. Tammy was a world champion gymnast, she figured we could open up this place where young hopefuls could train, and it seemed that our dreams were coming true, but somewhere along the line, it all fell apart. She became obsessed. If one of the girls didn't perform to her standard, well you see what happens." He hung his head in shame pointing to Angelique. It was the last thing he said until the police showed up. *** While the police took everyone's statement, Ike watched as the coroner brought the body of Tammy Broodman out of the building. Sometimes desperation makes you do things that you're not proud of, Ike wasn't immune to this. She knew though in her heart, she could never treat an innocent child the way they did. "Excuse me ma'am, but we're going to need you to come back to the police department with us." The office said tapping her on the shoulder. "I understand." She said turning back toward him. Ike rode to the police department in the back of a tiny squad car. There was one thing about the English, they didn't believe in using gas guzzling cars, they preferred small eco-friendly auto's. As they approached the gate that lead to the prisoner entrance, Ike's heart began to beat rapidly, the tendrils of claustrophobia made their way around Ike's chest making it hard to breath. "Is this really necessary?" She asked licking her lips. "Yes ma'am it is." The officer in front of her said. Ike sat back in the seat and closed her eyes. She needed to concentrate on her breathing or else she would hyperventilate. She thought about Justin and Angelique, she wondered where they were and if they were safe, she thought about her mom and her dad, wondered if they would be proud of her now. The car came to a halt and the officer that sat in front of her opened the door and helped her from the car. From the outside, the place was ominous and overbearing but when she was out of the car it wasn't so bad. The station/jail surrounded an open air parking lot and exercise pavilion. On the right side of the station was an all glass office, you could see the whole place from one chair. Inside she could see monitors, switches and officers moving around. To the left she could see guards pacing the grounds, a stray hoop or holler, could be heard from where she was standing. "This way ma'am." The officer said taking her by the arm. They entered the glass building and turned right into a hallway that lead them back to the front of the building. Waiting for her was Justin and to her surprise, Angelique. At some point since she had left them at the gym, Justin had found Angelique something else to wear and although it hung from her frame, she looked ten times better then she had when she had first seen her. Justin nodded at her as she passed; a small smile on his lips. Angelique stood there watching everyone with wide eyes, Ike sent her a mental I told you so, and followed the officers to another part of the building. They stopped at a small grey room and the red headed officer opened the door for her. She walked through and waited for the two officers to follow her. She took the seat farthest from them and scanned the room for her escape, if need be. "This will only take a few minutes, Miss Edmunds." The officer with the red hair said. "Call me Ike, Mrs. Edmunds is my mother, not me." She said folding her arms over her chest. "Ok, Ike it is, could you please tell us what happened and why you were there?" He asked again this time with a fake smile. "Aren't I supposed to have a lawyer present or my rights read to me? Or is it not the same across the pond?" The officer's cleared their throat, "yes well we thought you would willingly give us a statement without all the formality." "So I'm not being charged with anything?" She asked. "Not unless you think you did anything wrong this morning?" The red haired officer said matter-of-factly. Ike sat up and gave him a mocking smile. "I was here for Angelique, they wouldn't let her go. I was contacted by a worker from the facility, she told me that the girl was being beaten, kept in a closet and was doing all of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for the gym. Now correct me if I'm wrong here, but England does have a law pertaining to holding someone against their will and child labor. I went into the building, asked where the minor child was being held, the receptionist after some persuading," Ike smiled, "took me to the girl. The subject told me that if she left the facility she would be beaten severely and she was afraid to leave. I picked her up and carried her to the front part of the building and handed her to my partner Justin Soars with Eagles. That was when Tammy Broodman started yelling at us, telling us she couldn't leave, that none of the children could leave." Ike would never forget the look of pure hatred on the woman's face when she told her no can do. Love and the Assassin Ch. 03-04 "I drew my own weapon, which I can tell you was discharged once." The officer opened his mouth to speak, but Ike cut him off. "You can test me for GSR if need be but I can tell you now that when Mr. Broodman attacked me, my gun was knocked from my hands and slid across the room. He then tried to hit me again and that was when I kicked him in the nuts. He fell to the ground in a heap, his wife then came after me, I was defending myself when I swiped her feet out from under her. Trust me, death was not something I was expecting when I did that." Ike sat back in the chair and crossed her left leg over her right knee. "When she went down and I saw the blood I thought it was all over with, I thought Mr. Broodman would give up and I would then be able to call you in, but he didn't stop. I was walking out the front door to check on Justin, Angelique and all of the others when he attacked again, this time with my gun in his hand, he shot wildly hitting the cement next to my head. I guess when the shot missed he figured hitting me was the best he could do, so he picked me up by my hair." She half-heartedly laughed. "What little bit I have, and went to hit me again. I twisted and kicked out of his hold. I then rammed my shoulder into his stomach and backed him into the tree, taking my gun from him. It was over by that time, and I felt confident we could call you at that point." The officers were silent for a moment taking notes and forming questions. "Ike, can you tell us why you were called and not the child's parents?" "Officer?" She asked, prompting him for his name. "Roderick, Robbie Roderick." He said. "Robbie, cute, I like that name." She smiled. "I don't know, I never got the chance to ask Angelique where her parents were or anything, like I said, I was kind of busy." "Does anyone at the facility know the name of her parents, where she comes from or anything?" "Again, I don't know. To tell you the truth I was also amazed that I was called, my specialty is not in child recovery if you catch my drift." She said leaning back in the chair getting comfortable. Both officers nodded. "What was the C4 for?" Robbie asked. Ike laughed, "Like I said, child recovery is not my specialty, blowing shit up is, but to tell you the truth, I thought if I scared the owners enough they would just hand her over." She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess that didn't work out." "So you weren't planning on killing anyone then, it was all for show and tell, as you American's would say?" Robbie asked. "Now I'm going to have to plead the fifth on that one Robbie 'ol boy." She laughed. "Alright, Ike, you are free to go, if we need anything else from you, we will have Scotland Yard contact you." Robbie stood first and extended his hand toward her. Ike took his hand in hers and shook it firmly. "What will happen to Angelique, she's American not English, who will take care of her?" "We were going to look for her parents, but if they couldn't be found, we were hoping you could help us out with her." His smile wobbled. "Wait a minute; you want me to take the kid? Oh hell no, I don't do kid things, I do adult things, I'm never home, I don't have anyone that could feed and water her, nothing. I really want to help and I'm glad I got her out of there, but come on guys, I can't keep a kid." She was panicking, she knew it. "Look we need to find her parents, or some relative, but since you are an American, you would have to take her with you, there is nothing we can do, I'm sorry." Robbie said laying his hand on Ike's arm, trying to calm her. "Yeah, I'm sure you're very sorry about it all." She sighed. "So what are you going to do with her until you know something?" "Well, we may need you to stay here for a while so we were hoping you could keep her with you." Robbie could see from her expression Ike was ready to walk. "Look we'll pay for your rooms at your hotel, even give you money for clothes and food for Angelique, just please stay and help us out." Ike stood there, she didn't know what to do, half of her saw the girl and knew what it was like to be held against your will, the other half though was demanding she tell the officers to kiss her ass and walk away. She found the girl, she was safe now and soon she would be back home in her own bed with her own things. She looked over at Robbie, his blue eyes filled with pleading; she caved. "Fine; whatever, she can come and stay with us. There is one condition though, when her family is found, you put her on the next plane out of here, you got it?" Robbie nodded. "That would be no problem what so ever. We will gladly send her home to her family as soon as we find them. "Now you're just kissing my ass Robbie and even though I like that thought way to much, I have to go find everyone and get out of here. We are at the Walden Inn, rooms 714 and 715." Ike shook both officers' hands and then walked back to where Justin and Angelique were waiting for her. She wasn't sure what she would do with the kid but she had to be with someone and even though she hated to admit it, she knew she was better off with her and not some foster family. God only knew if anyone ever found out what happened to her, she would be used again and again. As she rounded the last corner, she could see Angelique sitting next to Justin her head down staring at the floor. Ike could see Justin's lips moving in what must have been a one sided conversation. Ike shook her head, the poor thing's spirit was destroyed. "You ready to blow this joint?" She asked Angelique hoping to get a response out of her. "Where are we going?" She asked not looking up. "Well I thought you might like a nice long hot shower and some food, but if you would rather stay here in the police department it doesn't bother me." Ike started walking toward the door. "Wait up." Angelique called out. "I was only asking a question, you don't need to get all bitchy with me." "Look I'm tired, I'm hungry and I need a shower to get all the blood off me. Now until we find your parents I'm all you got, so are you coming or not?" Angelique looked down, her fingers twisting the material of the sweat shirt she was wearing. When her head tilted up a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't have any parents, I'm an orphan." Justin and Ike sucked in a breath, this child had been on her own for God only knew how long, it all fit now, she wanted to belong, she wanted a family, too bad she picked the wrong people. Ike thought. "I guess I could go tell Robbie not to worry about finding her parents." She looked over at Angelique, "I guess you're coming home with me now. Lucky you." Ike turned around and walked back down the hallway toward the office where she had been just moments before. Questions began to swirl around her head, how was she going to take care of her, where would she stay when she was away on 'business,' what about school and friends. Ike took a deep breath everything was spinning out of control like a bad roller coaster and she wanted off. "Ike, what's wrong?" Robbie was by her side his arm around her as he led her to one of the vacant chairs. "Well you can call off the search for Angelique's parents, she doesn't have any." "What do you mean she doesn't have any?" He asked stunned by what she just said. "I told her you were looking for her parents so she could go home and she told me that she didn't have any parents, that she was an orphan." Ike sighed. "Bloody Hell. Now what do we do with her." Robbie asked. "I guess she can come home with me for the time being, after that I don't know what to do with her, to tell you the truth." Robbie nodded. "I guess then you will be leaving as soon as you can." "Well not necessarily, I figured we would stay another day, catch up on some sleep, relax a bit. To tell you the truth this is all overwhelming." "Tell me about it." Ike was so focused on Robbie that she hadn't heard Angelique or Justin come around the corner. "Are you really going to take me with you?" Angelique asked quietly. "I guess so, for now anyway. Unless you got somewhere else you'd rather be?" Ike wasn't sure if she was the right person for the job, but it didn't look like she had any choice in the matter. "Okay." Angelique said as she pushed two ear buds back into her ears and pushed play on her mp3 player. Justin looked at Ike and Ike looked at Robbie. There was nothing left for them to do but pack up and head back to the states. Of course after Ike had a good ten hours in the bunk and some food in her stomach. The ride back to the hotel was quiet, Ike had her head leaned against Justin's shoulder and Angelique was asleep next to them. The first thing Ike was going to do back at the hotel was order her some clothes that fit and have her take a shower. After that food was the next thing and seeing a doctor about her injuries. If she was anything like Ike herself then going to the doctor was going to be an adventure. Chapter 4 Ike thought it would be best if they all flew on the same flight to the same place, Justin's ranch. From there she was going to make an appointment with the only doctor she used when she was in Arizona. She wasn't sure what she would do with Angelique, school was her best bet, but she had no idea if she had ever been to school. Justin's jeep sat waiting for them in the overnight parking lot, the monster of a vehicle looked the same as the last time she had seen it. The windows were tinted but you could hardly tell with all the dirt and mud that covered them. The driver side door still held the dent from the last time she drove it on one of their missions. Ike smiled as she remembered that day. She had never driven a stick shift before but on this day she had to learn, even if she wreaked his favorite jeep. They were waiting for their contact to show, when they were caught off guard. A man had approached them and asked for change. Justin had rolled the window down to tell the man to get lost when out of no where he drew his gun. Ike started the jeep and took her foot off the clutch a little too quickly causing them to hop and jump out into the street and into a tree on the center divider. The man of course ran when she hit tree. Despite all of the problems early on in the mission, they were successful in the take down of the most successful drug lords in Columbia. "You ready?" Justin asked. Ike looked around and saw that their bags had been put in the back of the jeep and Angelique was already sitting in the back seat, her head still moving to the beat of her Mp3 player. Whatever was on that thing, it must be good. Ike thought, sliding into the front seat. Justin turned left out of the parking structure and headed back for the freeway; from there it would be another thirty minutes to his ranch outside of Sierra Vista. Ike used the head rest on her seat to relax, even though she had slept most of the previous day and on the flight home. She figured she would take Angelique out shopping get her some clothes and anything else she could want or need once they were settled in. After that she would take her to the doctor and have the cast she was sporting at the moment changed. Justin's ranch sat on top of the clearing, the peach stucco gleaming in the sun, home sweet home. Ike thought as they drove up the drive way. Angelique whistled as she finally looked up from her lap. The house had been Justin's parent's before they had tragically died, in the will they left, Justin was supposed to carry on the tradition of baling hay. The farm had once been one of the most productive and lucrative businesses in town, now though as the economy was getting tough, Justin needed to lean in a different direction, so half of the acres had used for hay and the other half was a mercenaries play ground. Justin was contracted through the US government to train their most promising soldiers, sometimes it worked out and then other times, well, they failed. Nine months out of the year he was a drill instructor and the other three he trained people like Ike. Maybe this was where Angelique belonged, Ike thought. Justin opened the front door of his house, the living room was painted in soft tans, his furniture was the same the chairs and couch were hand crafted. All three pieced had been covered in cow hide; the chairs were matching black and white spotted fur, while the couch was tan and white. The coffee table was made of leather hide and pine wood, brass rivets held the hides to the wooden frame. Over the fireplace hung his fifty-two inch plasma screen T.V. "Come with me Angelique, your room is this way." Justin said leading her down the back hall. "Okay." She said following him with her head down. Ike walked down the hall off the small kitchen; her room was where it always was, last room on the right next to the bathroom. She opened the door expecting to see her contents removed, but everything was the same, it was as if Justin was waiting for her to return to him. It creped her out. Ike threw her duffle bags down on the floor and sagged onto the bed. The mattress was still lumpy and stiff. Ike smiled as she eased her body onto the bed. It was good to be home. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep for the next week straight but she knew there were more important things to do. Sitting up, Ike reached into her bag and pulled out a fresh set of clothes and headed for the bathroom. She figured she could shower quickly and fix them something to eat before calling Dr. Miller. Hopefully if everything went right, Angelique would have a clean cast and they would have a better understanding as to what happened to her. "The bathroom is down this way Angelique, you are more then welcome to shower and do whatever you need to, whenever you like." Justin said as he was showing Angelique the house. "Speaking of showers, I got first dibs, sorry kiddo." Ike said walking into the bathroom. "It's cool, you stink more anyway." She smirked. Ike flipped her off and smiled as she closed the door, the girl must have been feeling better, her wit was quick and she really was beginning to remind her of herself. The water from the shower beat down on her body as she washed her hair and body. Even though she had showered before she got on the plane, the stagnant air and cigarette smoke clung to her making her skin feel slimy. On the sink sat her black BDU's and white tank; standard attire for someone in her line of work. On the inside though, she was a clothes whore. Anything with a brand name was in her closet; Justin was the only one who knew about it. Slipping into her black silk panties she thought about what she was going to make for breakfast, she didn't see the girl eat, so she wasn't sure what she wanted, maybe she could make a variety of food and go from there, at least she would know what to and not to make for her. Angelique was sitting at the table; her mp3 player sat in front of her on the table, beside her a sketch pad and wore out pencil. The book was open to a picture of the rolling hills of England. It was stunning. If you stared at it long enough you would swear you were actually there. Ike went over to the table and pulled out a chair. "You do this?" She said pointing to the drawing. Angelique pulled the book closer to her, "What's it to ya?" She asked. "Nothing, I just thought it was beautiful, that's all. The showers open if you want it; you better get it before Justin's done unpacking. He's a bit of a girl when it comes to his hair, if you know what I mean." Ike smiled. Angelique nodded and picked up the notebook. "Thanks." She said walking toward the bathroom. "No problem." Ike mumbled to her self. Ike went over to the counter to make a pot of coffee, she knew the kid would be a hard nut to crack but everything she said was the wrong thing, she wondered if she had been this impossible at her age, and then all she had to do was think about what she had been through, and yeah she was this bad, if not worse. "Where you at sweet cheeks?" Justin called out to Ike. "In the kitchen, making some coffee, you want some?" She answered. Justin rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. "Look at you little misses domesticated." His voice was full of playful teasing. Ike shot him the middle finger as she turned the Mr. Coffee machine on. "Suck my ass Justin. I'm in no mood." Justin raised his hands in surrender. "I get it, you're a little sleep deprived, but there is something else bothering you. What can I do to help?" Ike sighed, yeah something was definitely bothering her. "What am I going to do with a fifteen year old girl?" She asked Justin sat back in his chair, "well have you ever thought of training her to do what you do? If I remember correctly, you were only a couple of years older then she was when you came here." Ike opened her mouth to protest, but Justin waved her off. "Before you say anything, you won't have to do anything if you don't want to, I can do it all myself. Hell she may even want to join the Special Forces boys I train in the summer. Think of how much trouble she could get into then." He laughed. "And if she doesn't want to be a part of our world?" She asked. "Well, she could still stay here with me; we could enroll her in school and see what she wants to do from there. It's not like we can't send her to college or where ever she wants when she turns eighteen." That sounded like a plan, they could give the option of going to school and then on to college or she could work for them, be trained by them and maybe have a pretty good life. Either way, Ike knew she would always make sure she had what she needed, no matter what. "When she gets out of the shower, we'll sit her down and give her, her options and see where it goes from there." Justin nodded, "sound like a plan." He said walking toward the refrigerator. "Let's see what we can cook up for breakfast." He smiled. "I don't know about you but I am starved." Ike smiled. "I had the same thought, only I didn't know what Angelique eats and what she doesn't." "Well then, I say we go with the stand by's, eggs, bacon, toast and jam. If she doesn't want that, I have some Cap'n Crunch and some milk she could always eat. It has to be better then what she was getting, if she had anything at all there." He said removing the items he was going to use from the refrigerator. The table was set when Angelique came out of the bathroom, in the middle sat a bowl of scrambled eggs, a plate of bacon, another plate piled high with toast, a small jar of grape jelly, a box of cereal, milk, orange juice, coffee and a couple of cans of Coke. Never since she was little in the orphanage had she seen this much food at one time. She didn't know where to start. "We didn't know what you might want to eat, so we made a little of everything." Ike said as Angelique sat at the table. "I eat anything, trust me." She smiled. Ike watched as Angelique piled food onto her plate, she had taken a little of everything, including the cereal that she ate dry. "We want to talk to you about what you may want to do, now that you are back state side, Angelique." Ike said. "It's Twist." Angelique said around a bite of toast. "It's my nickname." She said when Ike and Justin stared at her. "Okay, Twist it is then. Well we want to give you a couple options, you know see what catches your attention. No matter what you choose we will both help you out for as long as you want us too." Justin said. "As in?" She asked. "Well, if you would like to go to school and then college we would pay for you to finish your education, but if you would like to stay here and learn and train to do what we do, well, you could stay here and do that, its up to you." Twist's eyes lit up, "You mean I could stay here and learn how to shot people and blow shit up? Awesome, when can we start?" She said wiggling in her chair. Love and the Assassin Ch. 03-04 "First of all, it's not all kiss, kiss bang, bang kiddo. There are things you will have to learn before you get to even shoot a gun or try to blow something up. The most important thing that needs to be done, since this is the life that you are choosing, we need to get you to the doc and get that arm checked and if it needs to be reset, then get it done. You won't be able to hold a gun or shoot it if you can't use your arm." Ike said trying not to sound like a downer. "Whatever. I'll do whatever it takes to do this. Oh my God, this is so wow, yeah I so need to do this." She sighed. Ike and Justin looked at each other, Twist was holding back something. "Look Twist, I know you must have some skeletons in your closet but when you do what we do, you have to leave that behind, unless you get lucky enough to get who ever hurt you as a target. You get that right?" Justin asked softly. Tears welled in Twist eyes. "Fine; whatever." She pulled her mp3 player out of her pocket and placed the ear buds into her ears, she was finished listening to what they had to say. Ike looked at Justin and pointed to her room. Something was very wrong when it came to Twist and what happened to her. Ike wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened to her, maybe it was better left for the doctor's to handle and maybe letting her pick up a gun wasn't in her best interests. Ike closed the door to her room and sat down on her bed with a sigh. "Something is off about this whole situation, and I feel like this kid's out of control. She was too eager to pick up a gun and use it. Some how I don't think this is the right decision for her at this time." Ike draped her arm across her face. "I think maybe all of the abuse she has suffered is making her want revenge, may be some justice too. I can not tell you what to do with her, but I think in some ways this is the best place for her. She can learn discipline and control, not let her emotion get the better of her. Let's give her some time to adjust, get her health and take it from there." Justin was always the calm and rational person in their relationship. "On one condition, if you see this isn't going to work out and I'm not here to pull her back, you take her out. You pack her up and send her to a school somewhere. I don't want her getting hurt anymore then she has already been hurt." Ike said lying back on her tiny twin bed. "Deal." Justin said. "Now why don't you go and lie down in my room on my bed, hell it would be better then this little thing." Ike smirked. "Yeah I bet lying down is what would be going on in your room. I'm not as dumb as you think I am." Justin palm landed on his chest right over his heart with a thwack. "You wound me my love. I would never think to do such things to you." He smiled. Ike chuckled, "I know you better then what you think, lover boy." "Harsh." He laughed. "I get it; I'm not your type. Fine, I can deal." Justin walked out of the room with a smile on his face and a dent in his ego. It was worth a shot, he thought as he walked back into the kitchen hopefully to find Twist still sitting at the table. Her hair was down covering her face; her cast held one side of her sketch book as her right hand drew harsh lines and shaded in spots. His breath caught when she looked up at him. Her innocence poured like liquid heat from her violet eyes. Given a couple of more years; she would be a heart stopper. I am seriously in trouble with this one, he thought looking back at her. "What are you drawing?" He asked her as he sat back down. "Nothing really. I mean, I'm not that good, especially with this thing on." She held her cast up. "If that's not any good, then I want to know what good means to you. Look if you really want to draw something, I have a creak not far from the house that you could sit by and draw. Or I could take you to some Hopi lands I know and you can draw from there too, whatever you want." He said smiling. "I think I would like that, but does that mean I can't learn to shoot a gun?" She asked. "No, it means I think you are a really talented drawer and I was just thinking you would like to get out and do something, since you have been inside for a long time. Plus, you really can't do anything until that cast of yours comes off." "Okay, let's go find me a place where I can draw." She said gathering up her things. "You want to go now?" He asked. "Sure, I mean, like you said I have been cooped up too long, and I would like to get out and do something. Its better then sitting here knowing there are guns around and I can't use them." "Alright, let me go tell Ike where she can find us and we'll be all set." Justin said getting up from the table. *** Ike woke two hours later from her nap; a note sat on the night stand next to her bed. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but she was still trying to catch up and yeah, who cared. She was on vacation temporarily and with nothing better to do with her time, sleep sounded like a good plan. Ike sat up and opened the note card. Ike, I took Twist out to the reservation for a little down time, we should be back soon. Justin. Something about the letter didn't surprise her, it wasn't like the girl wasn't exactly his type; "damsel in distress," she should have seen it coming. She walked back out into the kitchen; the sun was beginning to touch the red clay mountains of Sonoma, damn, she thought reaching in the refrigerator. There was nothing in the refrigerator, only what little food they had cooked for breakfast, and now she was hungry again, someone was definitely buying take out and it wasn't her. She wondered back into the living room, nothing had changed only a few books here and there, more contemporary literature then Sigmund Fraud, then again a little naughty erotica wasn't half bad given the right mood. She picked up a book she had wanted to read the last time she was there, but didn't get the chance to. Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Geary; nothing said relaxation like a paranormal romance. Ike sat on the plush leather cow hide couch and opened up the book, it was weird for her to just sit there and have nothing to do. Ike was getting to the good part of her book; the mambo was mixing a spell for protection, when Ike heard the crunch of tires on gravel. She marked her page and closed the book. She was not used to waiting on someone and it made her nervous, so she got up from where she was sitting and walked to the front door opening it for them. Justin was out first, in his hand was a brown paper bag, Twist followed, the clothes she had been wearing when they left had been replaced with shorts and a tank top, even though it was only April it was still plenty hot, so it was a no brainer that they had gone to the mall. "What's for dinner?" She called out from the door. "Chinese, I hope you don't mind, Twist picked it out." Justin said smiling. "Not a problem." She said holding the door wide for them. There was a smile on Twist face, something that Ike had never really seen before, it made her happy to see her that way, especially after all that she had been through. "Did you have a good time?" Ike asked as they walked into the house. "It was so fucking cool. I got to feed a buffalo." Twist smiled even more. "Let me guess you took her over to Lou's place, huh?" She asked Justin. "Yep, I thought she would like it there." Ike nodded, this was what Twist needed, some time to be a kid and enjoy the little things in life. "Awesome," she said. "I'm guessing you would like to go back, then?" "You know it." She said, "One of the buffalo is getting ready to have a baby, Lou said he would call Justin as soon as it was born so I could meet him or her first. I can't wait!" Twist was full of excitement. "Sweet." "I know, right?" Twist began to take out the container from the brown paper bag. "I have had an outrageous day, I don't think I have ever had this much fun, ever, to tell you the truth. Someone pinch me and tell me I'm not dreaming." Ike moved to her side, mischief filled her eyes. She lifted her hand to teasingly pinch her, when out of no where Twist crouched into a fighting pose. "Whoa wait a minute chica, I don't know what you think you're going to do, but I was just messing around with you." Ike said raising her hands in surrender. "I don't like to be touched." Twist said. "So you say?" Ike said cocking her brow. Twist looked over at Justin and then down at herself, "sorry, habit." She said standing back up, "so, who wants chow mein?" She went back to setting out dinner like nothing had happened. Ike pointed to Justin and then to her room, they walked into her room leaving Twist to finish setting out dinner. "What the hell was that about?" Ike asked as Justin closed the door behind them. "I don't know, she didn't act that way when we were on the Reservation." He said bewildered. "Truly makes you wonder what really happened to this little girl, and I feel sorry for them if they ever cross my path." Ike said, anger laced through her words. Justin smiled, he knew she liked the kid; he just wasn't sure how much, now he knew. "I feel the same way." They walked back into the kitchen, Twist was sitting at the table, her plate pilled with food, her hands were neatly folded as she waited for them to sit and serve themselves. For the first time Ike actually looked at her, sure she had seen her picture, sat next to her on the plane, but she never really looked at her. Her hair was a beautiful brown with natural red highlights, or could it be fake; she looked closer and saw streaks of reds and pinks. "What's with the hair?" She asked. "Huh?" Twist asked confused by the question. "Your hair, what's with the colors?" "Oh," she smiled and took one of the clipped in colors out of her hair. "You, like?" Ike smiled. "Cute." "Very." She smiled, picked up her chop sticks and began to eat. Justin sat back in his chair and smiled to himself. Never in his life did he ever believe he would find two women in his life that were so identical. It was amazing. It was as if he woke up one morning and found out he had a twin. The rest of the evening went by smoothly, Ike sat in her favorite chair reading, Justin in his chair cleaning his guns and Twist sat on the couch with her sketch book and color pencils. If anyone was to look in the window at that moment they would see one happy family. No one would suspect a thing.