Val Read online

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  BLURB:

  As if taking away what mattered most to me wasn’t enough, I was made to waste 11 years of my life. Now, I’m setting out to pay back the favor in Kind… it won’t be as long as 11 years, just one tiny sharp pain and they would be out of their misery. Bill settled, debt PAID IN FULL.

  “Valerinuh Berkov” The guard called out quite loudly, standing in front of my cell door. It wasn’t new having to hear different versions of my Russian name from people. At this point in my life, I might as well say I’ve seen it all, the good, the bad, the ugly, the unseen. I jumped off the bunk and took a moment to pick up a few things- the sheets of paper which I had stuffed into a notebook.

  “Goodbye for now Val” my cell mate said. I turned to her with a smile. Over the years, Sharon had gotten to know me more than I knew myself and that was because of the kind of job she did before landing in this hole called Prison.

  “Nǐ zhīdào gèng hǎo, jiàoshī [Chinese: You know better, teacher]” I replied, she knew what I meant and simply nodded as was her usual manner.

  It was a deal gone wrong but that was not enough reason to take him away from me. Those words rang in my head as I was walked to the warden’s office and a couple of minutes later, I was at the exit of the Prison yard. The gates buzzed open, it was the last time I was going to hear the clanging noise of these chains or the loud orders that disturbed my little periods of sleep. I took a look at the huge building which stood before me; the guard tower which overlooked the whole area and often sent bright rays of light through my window brought back memories of how many sleepless nights I had endured, the faded metal bars of the windows which stood high afar off reminded me of how much of my human side had died off within those walls and the scar on my jaw gave a sharp pain at the sight of the ambulance van which was parked at a distance. It had been eleven unforgettably long years in this Hades and I had no plans of staying away for long.

  “You’re free to go” the guard said as the handcuffs loosened off of my wrist, “try to stay out of trouble now”.

  I looked at the scar which had formed about my wrist, the sensation I got whenever the cuffs went loose hadn’t changed, there was this stamp of guilt that had been forced into my life and taking the cuffs off my hands sure didn’t change anything. I didn’t reply to the guard-as I had learnt in the confines of my cell room- as I turned away from the Prison yard. I heard the buzzing noise of the gates as I took in my environment; an empty space stared back at me. He was going to come for me, he had promised to, but at this time in my life, trust was something far too expensive for me to afford.

  My hands found warmth within my pockets as I started out on my own. I knew I wasn’t going to pick up my life from where I left it, I had made up my mind to stay with this new me, never to hold myself back and let fate decide whatever would be-This was the basic rule of staying alive, Survival 1O1 Sharon had called it. It had been 20 minutes into my long lonely walk when I heard the sound of a car’s engine from behind. It has to be him, I was definitely sure about it.

  “I’m sure you weren’t planning on going 10 miles on foot” a male voice said from within the car that pulled up in front of me. I got in, hardly raising my head to get a view of the person.

  “Hi” he said, I could see him grin from the corner of my eye, he definitely hadn’t changed after all these years.

  “Hi” I simply said, giving a quick smile “Thanks for coming to get me”. I tried letting go of the gloom and fitting into this new world different from iron bars and uniformed men.

  “I’m sorry I came late anyway” he said, stealing a glance at me. I raised an eyebrow and gave another smile that disappeared almost as quickly as it came. We stopped by at The Mall to get a few things before spending the next hour trying to get home, most part of the ride was engulfed in this awkward silence-just as I had expected. It was early evening when we arrived at his apartment, he had told me I could stay as long as I wanted, sadly enough, I already had plans of moving out. The apartment had evidence of bachelorhood, from the scattered pillows on the couch to the adorably neat sink in the kitchen-thank God for McDonald. His bedroom was a different story though, it had that romantic feel. Everything was in place and the smell of the fresh flowers he had bought earlier was definitely predictable.

  I stepped into the shower after I helped him unload the grocery. He had hardly talked about my past 11 years; I knew what he was doing- he was trying to make it feel like my past had never happened. If there was anything that has changed besides me, it was the way water felt as I let myself get soaked in the shower. A chill ran down my spine as water touched my bare skin, it brought back the memories of the last 4015 days, the torture, the pain, the struggle, the gain, it reminded me of Sharon. I was not going to let the freedom blind me for it was no freedom in real life; it was only a break before I went back.

  “What are you working on?” I said as I walked out of the bathroom drying my hair with a towel.

  “Nothing” Parker said, pulling down the laptop’s screen and turning over to me. I could see something in his eyes, Something I had missed for as long as I could remember, it was that same look Morgan gave me when it felt like my world was crashing; it was care- a reaffirmation that I still got someone. “You’ve hardly changed”. I gave a quick look at him, he couldn’t be serious, if only he knew what laid behind this flesh.

  “I’ve been through a lot Parker, I’ve definitely changed” I replied calmly as he walked towards me. He still had the smoothest walk and those dark innocent eyes. He was now only an inch away from me, I could feel him reach for my hands.

  “I never got to see that tattoo” he said turning behind me to the tattoo that laid there. I nodded lightly. “Those handcuffs couldn’t break you,” He paused “you’re strong and I’m sure you’d pull through pretty fine”. I felt his warm breath as it touched my neck, only then did I realize that it had been an awkward silence for the past moment and our faces had gotten really close to each other’s. I knew where this was heading and I wasn’t going to hesitate, I felt my towel loosen from my body, the rest that happened was our own little secret.

  Morning finally came; I woke up to the smell of fried eggs.

  “Good morning Val.” Parker said as I walked into the kitchen, I smiled at the sight of him battling with the frying pan’s handle.

  “Here, let me help you with that” I volunteered taking the spoon out of his hands, he didn’t resist. “You could get set for work already” I told him, placing a kiss on his cheek.

  “You sure?” he asked, I noticed how restless he had been at the frying pan; it was so obvious he was running out of time already. I simply nodded and watched him walk into the bedroom. He returned minutes later dressed in his usual white button up shirt with folded sleeves and black pants with his badge fitted firmly into his belt. He looked very much like when we first met; he had interrogated me when Morgan was murdered eleven years ago, we got to know each other from that moment and he visited often while I was in custody and now here I was, making him breakfast.

  “And oh! Happy Valentine” he fixed a stalk of flower in my hair as I collected the cup he had used for coffee

  “It’s Beautiful” I smiled, I needn’t be reminded it was Valentine’s Day, it was February 14 and I had engraved that date on the walls of my cell room for as long as I could remember. “Happy valentine to you too” I finally replied, placing another kiss on his cheeks.

  “See you in the evening.” He said walking out of the apartment, “and stay safe” he added as he hopped down the flight of stairs. I watched him drive off before rushing to the shower for a quick bath and moments later I was at the mirror knotting my hair into a ponytail before curling it with a Hair stick. I got a glimpse of the scar that had been permanently placed on my lower jaw and it brought back memories of that night, memories I dreaded to think about.

  I left for the post office later on; I could feel all the unsuspecting eyes get a glimpse of me as
I walked in. Things had hardly changed, it still looked the same with crowded people and scattered conversations raining in the air. It had been a while since I saw this many normal people in one place. I made my way to the escalator, Box seven eleven I reminded myself as I walked towards the long line of shelves on the second floor. I searched my purse for the key Sharon had smuggled into the cell; it was the key to her post box which had a parcel in it which I simply tucked into my purse and walked away quite hastily.

  The taxi pulled up in front of a condo with the address that had been printed on the parcel. It was on the outskirts of town, in a neighborhood that was utterly quiet, except for the barking of the dog from the house across the street and the rustling of leaves by the gentle breeze. Everything was just like Sharon had described it. I securely locked the door as I got into the house that seemed deserted for a long time. It looked beautiful with all the exquisite furniture and paintings that hung on the wall, it was a complete opposite of prison but there was no time to adore this beauty so I made my way to the kitchen just as I had been instructed and walked over to the large dining table that had been finished with Italian wood. The table’s top split in two and opened into a well loaded mini arsenal as I turned the knob of one of the drawers. I smiled, just what I needed. Sharon’s words came to my mind again, “The crib’s not as beautiful as it looks.”

  “Thank you Sharon” I whispered to myself as I loaded the black leather bag that had been neatly folded into one of the drawers. IMI mini-UZIs, Glock 17s, Shotguns, AK-47s, Auto rifles, Snipers, this arsenal had it all. I changed into something ‘sexier’ from her large wardrobe before heading for the basement. There was a black BMW M5 sitting in the dark chill of the basement, it looked quite normal except of course, it had ‘backup’.

  The engine revved, my day had just officially begun as I took the tunnel in the basement which led to a major road.

  “Welcome Redshiv, please activate Robin function” I was startled at the female android voice.

  “This isn’t Redshiv” I blurted, giggling about Sharon’s underworld name.

  “Operation failed, Voice mismatch”

  “Override pol’zovatelya [Russian: User Override]” I said, hitting the accelerator as the car increased its speed. I still couldn’t figure out why Sharon had secured her car with a Russian password.

  “Override successful. Welcome User X, please listen to-”

  “Get me directions to 86 & Park” I interrupted, not interested in having a conversation with some unseen android. Co-ordinates popped up almost immediately on the screen on the dashboard as I took a sharp turn, heading for the shortest route. 86 & Park was no new place for whoever had had issues with drugs and alcohol, it had been nicknamed Devils See Through because of the many drug dealer that lined the block but had never been caught by the police. It had been a regular spot for me eleven years ago and I was going back, on a different purpose this time.

  I pulled up at 12th block; it was my first time here. We always heard of how dangerous this place was and how expensive ‘stuff’ was sold. Its interior was the same as others, a counter and bar filled with liquor and a hall half filled with chairs, the other half being free for dancing. For a moment I wondered what made it quite expensive than other spots on the block.

  “Boqin?” I said to the Asian guy at the counter. He didn’t reply as he continued with his normal routine of fixing drinks for his customers. I turned around; there were quite a number of people seated and I doubted that Sharon had described the right place to me. “Dude, did you hear me?”

  “Oh, yes I did. We just don’t have drinks with such names here.” He replied with a grin that made his eye thinner than it already was.

  “I wasn’t asking for a-” he signaled to someone behind me, I turned to see the thick guy that had posed a threat while coming in walk towards me. I kept my calm and gave a light smile which was not returned. There was a sharp pain in my neatly braided hair as he pulled me out from the counter.

  “Let go of me” I cried feebly but my cry fell on deaf ears. I grabbed his arm, giving it a sharp turn towards his back till it touched the back of his head. He let go of my hair as he gave a loud roar which got everyone’s attention as his arm dislocated from his shoulder, he fell on his knees as my foot hit his thigh and the thud of his body on the wooden floor pushed some chairs out of place. I turned back to the counter fixing my hair again. The shock in the bartender’s face was so obvious.

  “Boqin?” I asked again, this time with a smile.

  “Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong” He replied, just what I had been expecting. I heard footsteps approach me from behind.

  “Zūnzhòng méiyǒu rén zài fúwù de dàolù[Chinese: Respect no man in the path of service]” I replied. He signaled past me again and the footsteps stopped. There was a flash of disbelief in his eyes as he stared at me for a while.

  “Follow me” he finally said, taking off his apron. He led me through a door which led to an inner VIP room. We walked over to a shelf of drinks.

  “I’m Boqin” he said to me, doing something to the shelf which made it open in two leading into an elevator’s room.

  “Oh Hi” I said quite surprised, I wasn’t expecting the owner of one of the renowned drug places to be at the counter serving drinks to his customers.

  “You don’t look like the usual people we work with” he said as the disguised elevator moved towards an underground floor.

  “I’m not as pretty as I look” I said, watching the screen on the elevator count down in seconds: 17…16…15 seconds to Chimney. There was a moment of silence which was broken by the ‘ding’ of the elevators. The door slid open and we were welcomed by loud music, smoke and a strong stench of tobacco smoke in the air.

  “This way” he said leading me into a small room. The noise of the music outside was deafening loud and I wondered how it couldn’t be heard from above. “Here” he said, flipping a file over to me “Redshiv’s instructions. Names, address, daily routine, everything you need.”

  “Thank you” I simply said, turning to leave already.

  “Wait” he said, it was obvious he had been meaning to say something more. “Those names are at the top of the food chain, Nǐ shìtú zìshā. [Chinese: You're attempting suicide].”

  “Tā shì sǐwáng, wǒmen zhīdào hépíng [Chinese: It is in death we know peace]” I replied, walking over to the door. The deafening sound of music blared on as I made my way through to the elevators, leaving was easier than getting in. I felt all eyes on me as I walked out of the Bar.

  “Welcome User X, updates are avai-” I shut down Voice function; I sure didn’t need any distractions now as I opened the file Boqin had given me. It was a twofold file, one had the profiles of my targets with their details while the other had information these guys definitely wouldn’t want the world to know. I flipped the pages of the first part; it had the profiles of four men.

  “Alexander Sparks… Gutiérrez Pablo… Dmitri Udinov… Jian Li” I whispered the names of the guys who had made my life miserable for the past 11 years. They all had a link; they were members of the board at Nervana Group of Companies, one of the country’s biggest names in science research and drug production. The other file however, revealed their other side. They boosted the efficiency of their products with doses of ‘hard drugs’ which often caused major side effects like Organ damage.

  They had called the hit on Morgan, besides being the only thing that mattered in my life, he was also a dope distributor and this had cost him his life. These guys had ordered 3000kg of stuff and had made payments upfront but Morgan had gotten the wrong guys to help pull a clean deal, he got swindled and got low grade stuff which couldn’t be delivered. The deadline for delivery passed and the company had gotten scared Morgan had played them and was going to sell them out so they ordered a hit on him. He had told me it was his last job and that we were going to get clean and live a normal life after that one job which he never got to come out of.


  “Get me directions to Hot Tub Spa” I ordered, putting the file away neatly.

  “Hot Tub Spa is a 1hour 19 minute drive from here.” Coordinates popped up on the screen. I checked my watch, I didn’t have much time. According to the file, Gutiérrez Pablo checked into the Spa for an hour by 11 am every Friday and it was already 10:28.

  “I don’t have that much time; I need to be there in 27 minutes max.” I said to my assistant as I overtook a trailer, I could see the angry face of the driver as he cursed at me from the side mirror. The coordinates on the screen changed.

  “That’s the quickest route. Risk: 54%. Efficiency: 83%. Speed: 140Km/hr.”

  “Thanks” I replied hitting the pedals to 140 Km/hr. It sure was pretty risky due to the sharp turns I had to make into the alleys that most likely had people in them. It was only a matter of time before the cops were on my tail. Their sirens blared from behind signaling for me to stop; they weren’t getting a chance at this. I reduced my speed as I approached another turn; I noticed the police car slowed down too as it drove towards the sidewalk, it was all camouflage as I sped up the moment they fell for it, I bumped into trash as I sped through the alley, there was a crash behind me and I was sure it had to be their car had crashed into one of the large metal bins.

  Ten minutes after I arrived, two SUVs parked a distance away, the plate number of one of them matching Mr. Pablo’s. A thick-set white man emerged from one of them and an entourage followed him into the building. This was it; I placed a Glock 17 into my bag, just in case, although there was no doubt that the only security I had to worry about was Mr. Pablo’s guards. I entered the building paying attention to the activities around me as I walked over to the goofy receptionist.

  “I’d like a Steam bath and massage” I said not really sure of which one Gutiérrez Pablo came for.

  “Follow this lady to the changing room. Do have a wonderful time here.” She replied with a weird smile that was enough to have customers have a change of mind. I simply smiled back and followed the Asian Masseuse as she led the way.

  “Kěwǒshàngcèsuǒ?[Chinese: Can I use the toilet?]” I mumbled to her after I was sure this was a Chinese place. She led me to the bathroom and a few minutes later, I emerged in a masseuse’s smock with the lady tied down in the bathroom. All eyes fell on me as I entered the massage room, no sooner had I taken in my environment than I noticed the entourage that followed the thick-set man.

  “VIP room 6” the thick-set said to a masseuse. I walked gracefully to the VIP section at the other end of the room as soon as the other lady left, perhaps to get her kit. He had already stripped and was lying on the bed by the time I got in, he cast a lustful eye on me and it was quite obvious he had a thing for ladies.

  “I’d like to feel those hands on my body” he said giving me a terrifying smile as he went back to the position he had been earlier. My hands ran through his body, it was as though he hadn’t any bones in him. He let out a sigh as I worked my way up his body again. “You seem new here” he mumbled.

  “Yes, it’ll be my first time doing this. How do you like it?” I replied, running my hands over his back.

  “It’s perfect, Tómalo con calma[Spanish]” he replied with his head buried in the pillow. I stopped massaging, he turned over to me looking confused, “What now?” he asked. I pulled my hair stick letting loose my braid. “You’re one bad girl” he said as I pulled off my smock, stripping to my underwear. He turned over as I got closer, mounting him. His hands wrapped my waist, reaching below to my butt and a smile of pleasure spread across his face.

  “I’m not as bad as you people who kill” I replied, “Remember Project Black Hole?” He gasped; I could see disbelief in his eye, Black hole referred to the negative impact Morgan’s wrong deal caused the company and it was something only insiders knew. He jerked on the massage bed in an attempt to escape but it was no use as I pinned him back, pushing him into the bed with force.

  “Who are you?” He asked, stuttering inaudibly as I had stuffed his mouth with a towel. I lunged the pointy sharp edge of my hair stick in a flash into his neck and there was another thrust, then another and another.

  “I’m Val, Valerina Barkov” I replied, watching life leave him. Blood gurgled from his mouth as he tried saying something, his hands and towel soiled in bright crimson. I turned away from him, walking to the shower to wash off the blood that had stained my hands. It was only a matter of time now before his dead body showed up in the news. I used the backdoor out after I picked up my bag and slid into a coat I borrowed from the bathroom. The florist across the road caught my attention; I crossed over to get a bouquet which took quite some time as the florist bundled it up.

  “Excuse me ma’am” I was mute for a split second as I turned to see a cop. “Do you know who parked the car across the street?” I looked in the direction he was pointing; it was my car he referred to.

  “I’m sorry Officer…” I drew the title, catching a quick look at his name “Fredrick. I’m leaving already.” He nodded with a warm smile as I tried keeping my gesture in check.

  “It’s fine, just wouldn’t want to be giving a ticket to some pretty lady.” He replied, I simply smiled back and made for the car before things started getting heated up.

  It was early noon when I arrived at the company, the Nervana Group HQ. It was magnificent in itself, located in the most elite part of downtown. A huge glass building that overlooked the entire area. I pulled out the file again; Jian Li, their Chinese associate spent most of his time at the company and was more like the Face of Nervana. My heart thumped a bit faster than normal, it was fear getting a better of me because surely, this could turn out one disaster considering the level of security this place was bound to have. The words of Sharon came to my mind again: Fear is only an excuse and excuses are the stepping stone to the beginning of a miserable end. The heart is one very vulnerable weapon, always keep it in check. Be your heart’s master, master yourself.

  There was a ding as the elevator from the parking lot reached the ground level. It took a split second before the doors opened revealing a large business environment. The bouquet of flowers in my hands seemed to catch the receptionist’s attention.

  “Those are beautiful” she blurted with a bright smile.

  “They’re for Mr. Li” I replied, cashing in on her warm welcome. At least she had created a loophole for me to evade absurd questions which I wasn’t ready to answer.

  “Give me a moment” she said, clicking a speed dial on the phone. I took a moment to fully take in my environment as she spoke with someone on the phone. The building was heavily guarded with security men at almost every exit, there were CCTV cameras at various corners and I noticed the security cards most workers wore, it was obvious every movement was being monitored. “He’s in a meeting now. Would you like to drop a message?”

  “No, I’d rather wait” I replied, I noticed her eye thinning as though trying to figure out something fishy.

  “4th floor” she replied, gesturing at the elevators. I raised my head to take a look at the 4th floor, it was just before the penthouse and its position was quite equivalent to the 10th floor of a residential complex. I caught a security man stealing a glance at me and for a moment there, I wasn’t sure if was a suspicious look or just another random guy staring in admiration. Getting to the 4th floor took some time, there was soft music playing in the background which brought back memories of Morgan- it used to be one song he often hummed in the bathroom.

  “Are those for Ms. Davies? I think she’d love them.” A thin time worn voice snapped me out of my daydream. I turned to see a hunched old lady with a trolley of snacks standing next to me wearing a fragile smile. Ms. Davies, the name definitely rang a bell and I didn’t have to think much to remember. She had been the lawyer that stood for me during trial and I never expected her to be associated with the Nervana Company. “Everyone’s been talking about her Campaign that’ll hold at The Civic Center later today.”

 
“These are for you” I replied handing over the bouquet to her as we almost approached the 4th floor. She gasped at the news as her hands feebly held on.

  “Welcome, how may-” I walked past the receptionist, ignoring her welcome greeting as I headed towards the conference room on that floor. “Ma’am, Ma’am…” She sprouted from her seat but still, I moved forward. I barged into the conference room and there was an expression of shock, surprise and confusion on the faces of everyone there.

  “Everyone out, now” I ordered as I fixed a stern gaze on Jian Li who sat across the hall from me. At first there was a moment of hesitation from the people seated, like I had just said something that was impossible and for a moment there, I wished I had smuggled in the Glock 17- security was just too heavy for me, perhaps it would’ve been no problem for Sharon. “I said, Everyone out.” I held the door open this time.

  I walked towards a terrified Mr. Li as everyone else scrambled out of the room. The look on his face revealed that he didn’t expect this, or at least not yet.

  “You’ll go to jail for this, I pro-” I interrupted his speech with one hard slap, it wasn’t like I had much time to listen to poppycock talk right now. The expression on his face changed from fear to fury as his pale face reddened but that really didn’t matter now.

  “We’ll make this quick, if you want to.” I said, reaching for the TV’s remote control. It wasn’t a big surprise for me that the first thing that showed up was a report coming from Hot Tub Spa with Ambulance buses in the background. I changed the T.V station, still the same story and I changed it again, watching the expression on Jian Li’s face before I finally turned it off and turned to him.

  “I heard you were once an Auditor.” I started, taking a seat close to him “How much loss did the Company suffer that year?”

  “I don’t know what this is all about” he replied furiously, his Chinese accent coming on and off.

  “Morgan Sanchez, remember the name?” I retorted, his denial flaring my emotions. He gasped; I watched his hands tremble like the name had cast a spell on him.

  “We never thought it would come to this, you were never part of it.” He sniveled, knowing fully well what was coming. The footsteps just outside the door were getting wild.

  “I know” I replied, nodding my head “but you ended up dragging me into this.” Beads of sweat formed about his cheeks, rolling to his collar as he stared in fear of what was going to happen next. I walked to the huge glass window that overlooked the ground floor, there was no way I was going to make down if I jumped. “Get up” I said, tugging at his coat. He rose from his seat and followed with trembling footsteps. The door was forced open, armed men made their way through pointing barrels at me-no, at Jian who was now at the mercy of my hair stick.

  “We’re going to walk out of here without any obstructions. It’s that simple” I ordered with a smile carved on my lips, the security men seemed to move their gaze to Jian Li “Spare yourself a few more minutes, it’s inevitable you know” I whispered to him in his traditional Mandarin language, I felt his head twitch in surprise at the fact that I spoke Mandarin too, well, eleven years with a Chinese cell mate and master was no small joke, there had to be something to show for it. We made our way through after he had signaled in approval to my command-he really didn’t have any choice, did he. I smashed the camera once we stepped into the lift; I could feel his heart race as I reached into his coat for his security card and cell phone.

  “Just do this now, end it already” He urged, definitely, he had been enveloped in tension. I shook my head, fixing a sinister look at him. We were almost approaching the ground floor now, next stop was the second floor and I still wasn’t sure which move I was going to make, there sure was going to be a lot of security down there and I was already bored playing with this Chinese filth. “You’re not making it out alive, you that right?”

  “There’s only one way to find out” I replied, reaching inside my coat for a body spray.

  “What are you doing now?” I answered that question by spraying the content of the body spray on him till there was nothing left in the container. The lift gave a slight jerk after I had pushed a button before stopping at the second floor. “You- You’re not going to kill me?” he asked as I walked out of the elevator which now had a strong sweet smell.

  “Don’t thank me yet” I said, the door starting to close up. I reached into my pocket and brought out a lighter, flicked it on and tossed it into the now very narrow gap between the elevator’s door and no sooner had the lighter entered than the elevator room burst into flames, fire being ignited by the concentrated Methane gas I had sprayed on him.

  There were loud thuds from the stairs as security made their way to the second floor, I hurried through the many terrified staff that remained gape as the blazing elevator exploded open as soon as it hit the ground floor making water sprinkle from above.

  “Don’t move!!” The order came rather too loudly and with so much energy that the staffs on that floor gave a loud murmur of terror. I turned slowly to see a group of about 6 men all pointing their guns at me.

  “Fine” I said, taking a cursory look at my prosecutors and the frightened audience that were present to watch this execution service.

  “Now put your hands above your head” came another loud, energetic order. I complied, raising my hands above my head and then dropping it behind my head until I could feel my hairpin. The entire floor was enveloped in tension as I gave a stern look at the security guards pointing barrels at me. “Can I see your hands!” he thundered as he made a move towards me, “I said can I-”

  Four pins spun out of my hands in a flash, finding their way into the skin of four of the guards, their groans causing a distraction as they held on to their neck. The security guy turned around in a flash and I took that split second window to make for the emergency exit at the other end of the floor.

  “She’s on the run” I heard the guy who had given the order say into his earpiece. The light turned green as Jian Li’s card which I had taken swiped through the security pass. I dragged the door open and raced through the flight of stairs skipping as many stairs as I could. The exit led to the parking lot which was dimly lit and loosely secured.

  “I swear, I’ll shoot if you move one more inch” the guard at the parking lot ordered.

  “How about I moved two steps?” I answered, running into a line of cars. I heard his footstep race towards my direction as he called for extra backup. I sprang up, kicking the gun out of his hands and banging his head on the bonnet of one of the cars before running off to where the car was parked. I busted through the barrier at the gates, the security guards at the gate yelled, calling for reinforcements but too late, I had followed the wind before they even got anywhere close.