Page 16 of Bullet Unleashed

When I lift the lid, the screen flicks to light demanding I input my password. If it’s not entered within a limited amount of time, the hard drive will self-destruct, erasing the data contained within, and physically destroying the chips inside. If the satellite signal goes quiet for too long, the drive will destroy itself. Removing the hard drive from the device, having a low battery level, and of course, inputting the wrong password in too many times will all cause the device to be erased. It’s all very spymaster-ish, and all very necessary to prevent any record of our activities from ever coming to light. My world lives in the shadows. We see everything, but are seen by nothing.

I connect my earpiece and input the desired code. It’s a two-part verification process to ensure I am who I say I am. The first code to get me past the initial encryption is my B Corp identification mark. Each assassin has their own identifying code. The second code is specific to the mission at hand, and was assigned previously when I informed them I would accept the next mission. We’re on call, twenty-four-hours-a-day if we agree to work, because we never know when it’s time to move.

“You can swallow me, but I can consume you too. What am I?” The question comes from a robotic voice through the console into my earpiece.

“Pride,” I answer in a quiet tone, and lift my eyes towards the two bodies lying in the room. Satisfied of no change in the environment, I return my attention to the screen.

“Hold for confirmation.”

A moment later, an eleven-digit code flashes across the screen. It’s the confirmation code indicating my deposit fee has been paid and transferred into one of my preferred bank accounts.

Assassins working for B Corp go through a multi-layer process. Recruitment can be at any age, though bringing children onboard is generally frowned upon. Despite what the movies show, children don’t make great assassins. Children often lack the potential strength, motor control, and mental strength of adults. An exorbitant amount of time and money would have to be spent on their training before they could even become halfway capable of pulling off a complex hit. Even then, there’s the risk of them developing PTSD and then they’d be ruined for any future engagements. Also, there’s the rebellion factor. How many kids grow up to be what their parents want them to be? Training a kid to be an assassin is a needless waste of resources when an adult, or teenager close to adulthood, would be a lot faster and more suitable for the payoff.

The next screen shows me the name of my assignment, and my heart stops beating in my chest.

Hope Moore. The girl with the dangerous curves and equally sexy smile.

There are two rules that govern the world of the elite assassins working for B Corp.

Never leave witnesses, and never make it personal.

B Corp knows everything about the people they employ. They leave nothing to chance when they decide who lives and who dies, so Hope’s name as my next target is no accident.

They just broke rule number two. It’s time I introduce them to a third rule.

Don't miss.

TO BE CONTINUED...