Torrent of Flame
2009-04-17 22:22:20
She was silently perched on the balcony, if you could call it a balcony. It was more a small perch above an embankment, just off the road and down a small dirt track. She looked back at her vibrant blue car, ‘Strange that he provided a car of that colour when he wants me to be secretive..’ she thought. She had always analyzed everything, and it had gotten her into trouble many times before. The wind ruffled through her hazelnut brown hair, sending it billowing behind her. The cold colours of the town were sprawled before her, with the ominous glow of the city barely visible in the distance. The height of the balcony did not seem to bother her, even when the cold, harsh winds sent a shiver down her spine. The dark, muddy embankment below her was steep, running almost vertical into the river below. Another cold wind shuddered threw her body, but she did not flinch. Her eyes set on the small tavern just past the river, she waited.
2 men started walking up towards the tavern. She has spotted them and cocked her head to one side; he said no-one else would be turning up tonight. ‘Maybe they are just passing by…’ she thought, a panicked expression taking over her youthful face. She pondered about what to do now. It wasn’t every day a job like this came up, but if innocent people were to get involved, it might be the last time such a job came up too. How could a town so devoid of life still provide two unwanted targets, at such a time as this too. It seemed pointless to run these thoughts over, a hit was a hit, and as long as she was clean, this little interruption shouldn’t matter that much.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a van pulling up behind her. The black transit had faded, the decaying effects of time showing prominently, the van being more rust and grime than paint. She heard the door open, and footsteps on the gravel. Hearing the footsteps, she moved off the perch and into the undergrowth, making sure not to be seen. Maybe it was just a passerby, wondering why there was a brand new blue sports car up this high on the mountain road. Or maybe it was worse, maybe she was set up.
She had to think quickly. She slowly got up, and snagged herself on a thorn. She tried to pull her arm off, but the thorn only dug into her arm, drawing blood. She winced and staggered out of the bush clutching her arm. The tall, looming man shot a gaze at her, and moved his hand to his pocket swiftly. His hand re-emerged, clasped around a dull grey metal object. He knew that she was defenceless, and he liked it. The dusk made her seem even more defenceless, as she was unable to grab anyone’s attention, it was quiet this time of night.
With the gun now aimed at the short woman, his eyes adjusted so he could see her features. Her petite body was feminine. Her curves were prominent. Her hair now matted and tangled with thorns and twigs moved slowly as a gentle gust of wind blew past. He rubbed his unkempt beard, not taking his eyes off of the woman, who had now begun to look at the floor.
‘I promise you I will never leave your side, I will protect you until the end of time’ he said in a thick Russian accent. ‘Do you remember when you said that to me, Anya?’
‘Dmitri, it is so to see you again after all of these years. How are you, my friend’ Anya replied sarcastically, in a perfect English accent.
‘You know, Anya, I have searched for you for years. When you told me in Moscow that you would not leave me, I believed you. Then one day I wake up and you are gone, no trace. Do you know how stupid you make me feel?’
‘Well, Dmitri, it isn’t my fault that you are so trusting now is it’ Anya replied, a smile appearing across her face, ‘Now if you don’t mind, I have a job to do. That’s why I life, you know, I couldn’t leave this life. I live to kill’
‘And I now live to kill you’ Dmitri replied angrily, ‘I have had enough of these games. I have no family, no job, no money. All I have is these clothes, this truck, this gun. I have come to finish your life Anya, I have had enough of this. Do you remember when we used to be partners? Before I was kicked out of the organization? You Betrayed me Anya. And I have lost everything whilst you thrive. You have one of the best hits going, and I have what? A grimy f*cking van? What consolation is that?’
‘It isn’t my fault that you couldn’t let the past go’ Anya snapped angrily, ‘If you had listened to me in Moscow you wouldn’t have been kicked out would you? It isn’t my fault that your pride and arrogance cloud your damn mind! You have no idea what I have been through to get back on my feet. You can do to, it’s your fault that you are like this. Go find another job Dmitri, you don’t have the guts to shoot me anyway. You should have stayed in Russia instead of coming to Paris to watch me get my career back on track. Goodbye Dmitri, I have a job to do’
Dmitri felt the anger boil up inside him as he watched Anya climb back up onto the ledge. Her thick black coat bellowed out behind her as a hefty gust of wind caught it. Just as he thought he had seen the last of Anya as she jumped down off the balcony onto the embankment, he heard a gunshot and a muffled cry, ‘ANYA!’ Dmitri screamed, rushing over to where she had jumped off, his hand tightening around the barrel of the pistol, his index finger rubbing the trigger.
He looked down and saw what he did not want to see. Anya had a single bullet wound in the centre of her forehead. Dmitri looked down at the gun in his hand. ‘This is who I am!’ he cried, ‘I will avenge you Anya! I now know my true identity, my true cause.’
———-
Got Me an A*, what do you think of it?
2 men started walking up towards the tavern. She has spotted them and cocked her head to one side; he said no-one else would be turning up tonight. ‘Maybe they are just passing by…’ she thought, a panicked expression taking over her youthful face. She pondered about what to do now. It wasn’t every day a job like this came up, but if innocent people were to get involved, it might be the last time such a job came up too. How could a town so devoid of life still provide two unwanted targets, at such a time as this too. It seemed pointless to run these thoughts over, a hit was a hit, and as long as she was clean, this little interruption shouldn’t matter that much.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a van pulling up behind her. The black transit had faded, the decaying effects of time showing prominently, the van being more rust and grime than paint. She heard the door open, and footsteps on the gravel. Hearing the footsteps, she moved off the perch and into the undergrowth, making sure not to be seen. Maybe it was just a passerby, wondering why there was a brand new blue sports car up this high on the mountain road. Or maybe it was worse, maybe she was set up.
She had to think quickly. She slowly got up, and snagged herself on a thorn. She tried to pull her arm off, but the thorn only dug into her arm, drawing blood. She winced and staggered out of the bush clutching her arm. The tall, looming man shot a gaze at her, and moved his hand to his pocket swiftly. His hand re-emerged, clasped around a dull grey metal object. He knew that she was defenceless, and he liked it. The dusk made her seem even more defenceless, as she was unable to grab anyone’s attention, it was quiet this time of night.
With the gun now aimed at the short woman, his eyes adjusted so he could see her features. Her petite body was feminine. Her curves were prominent. Her hair now matted and tangled with thorns and twigs moved slowly as a gentle gust of wind blew past. He rubbed his unkempt beard, not taking his eyes off of the woman, who had now begun to look at the floor.
‘I promise you I will never leave your side, I will protect you until the end of time’ he said in a thick Russian accent. ‘Do you remember when you said that to me, Anya?’
‘Dmitri, it is so to see you again after all of these years. How are you, my friend’ Anya replied sarcastically, in a perfect English accent.
‘You know, Anya, I have searched for you for years. When you told me in Moscow that you would not leave me, I believed you. Then one day I wake up and you are gone, no trace. Do you know how stupid you make me feel?’
‘Well, Dmitri, it isn’t my fault that you are so trusting now is it’ Anya replied, a smile appearing across her face, ‘Now if you don’t mind, I have a job to do. That’s why I life, you know, I couldn’t leave this life. I live to kill’
‘And I now live to kill you’ Dmitri replied angrily, ‘I have had enough of these games. I have no family, no job, no money. All I have is these clothes, this truck, this gun. I have come to finish your life Anya, I have had enough of this. Do you remember when we used to be partners? Before I was kicked out of the organization? You Betrayed me Anya. And I have lost everything whilst you thrive. You have one of the best hits going, and I have what? A grimy f*cking van? What consolation is that?’
‘It isn’t my fault that you couldn’t let the past go’ Anya snapped angrily, ‘If you had listened to me in Moscow you wouldn’t have been kicked out would you? It isn’t my fault that your pride and arrogance cloud your damn mind! You have no idea what I have been through to get back on my feet. You can do to, it’s your fault that you are like this. Go find another job Dmitri, you don’t have the guts to shoot me anyway. You should have stayed in Russia instead of coming to Paris to watch me get my career back on track. Goodbye Dmitri, I have a job to do’
Dmitri felt the anger boil up inside him as he watched Anya climb back up onto the ledge. Her thick black coat bellowed out behind her as a hefty gust of wind caught it. Just as he thought he had seen the last of Anya as she jumped down off the balcony onto the embankment, he heard a gunshot and a muffled cry, ‘ANYA!’ Dmitri screamed, rushing over to where she had jumped off, his hand tightening around the barrel of the pistol, his index finger rubbing the trigger.
He looked down and saw what he did not want to see. Anya had a single bullet wound in the centre of her forehead. Dmitri looked down at the gun in his hand. ‘This is who I am!’ he cried, ‘I will avenge you Anya! I now know my true identity, my true cause.’
———-
Got Me an A*, what do you think of it?