Ava's POV
"Are you sure you know how to work this thing?” Mina asks as the helicopter wobbles a little in the air.
“You wanna steer it instead?” I snap. I readjust the controls and balance us out until we're flying smoothly.
Mina huffs as we fly above New York City. The Hudson River glistens in the distance as the busy, night traffic bustles beneath us. The whole land is lit up in bright lights. No matter how many times I've flown above this city, it never ceases to amaze me. Even though the pollution is terrible and the streets overflow with daily crimes, trashy people, and gian rats.
“So…” Mina glances at me. “You care about Jennie, don't you?”
I exhale sharply..“I don't see how that's any of your business.”
“Well, I've shared about myself, no? I think it's only fair for you to tell me what your stance is with my best friend.”
My grip on the controls tightens as I grit my teeth. “Why do you want to even know?”
“Because I don't understand why YOU, a cold ass murderer of little girls, spared a woman's life AND is going against her own organization for her.”
I suck in a breath. “What are you–”
“It's not hard to piece everything together. The killings in New York City, the newspapers and media dubbing the person as the ‘Shadow Killer’... you are behind them, and so is your organization. KCD or whatever.”
“It's KSD,” I grumble.
“You shot a five-year old girl in the freaking head! And you spare Jennie's life? My question is, why?”
“You should be grateful that I haven't killed her.”
“And I am! But I want to know why. Especially if we're going to work together to save Jennie.”
A few seconds of silence consumes the stuffy interior. How can I answer her question when I don't have a clear answer to it myself? Why am I doing this?
As we fly over the city lights shimmering below us, I ruminate on the question for a couple more seconds. I've killed Lena, Serena, Fox, and Yuko for Jennie. My sisters, the people I've fought alongside and grew up with. I've broken all the five rules that Eve has beaten into our heads.
I slowly inhale. “I've spent years of my life enacting revenge on whoever my mentor ordered me. I've never questioned the contracts. As long as she told me that they were bad men who hurt women like my mother…” I draw in a shaky breath. “It was enough for me to kill them. To carry out Karma. I was like… a mindless machine.
“Did I have my fuck ups? Yes, but I never hesitated to kill a target. To comply with orders. Until I met Jennie in that alley. She… disarmed me with one look, like she pressed an off switch button on me. When I met her again in the café, she brought out a side of me that has been long dead.”
When Mina doesn't reply in a few seconds, I glance briefly at her. She's looking straight ahead, her eyes blinking rapidly as her shoulders roll back. I return my gaze to the front.
“So you love her…” Mina softly says without looking at me.
“Something like that.” I lower the helicopter a little.
“Has she—?”
“Said anything? Yeah, before you came barging in back at the disgusting fireplace.” I shift in my seat.
“And what–”
“We're here,” I interrupt. The top of the Montague-Court building appears into view. As we approach closer, my expectations are confirmed. It's not empty, but instead lit up with dim lights on all sides.
YOU ARE READING
The Lethal Encounter | ONC2024 Longlister
RomanceA cold-hearted assassin must choose between loyalty to her organization or love after falling for her charming target. Ava became a KSD assassin at only sixteen years old. Fueled by anger, hate, and the hunger for revenge, Ava has forgotten what com...
