"Scorpio. Hello? Earth to Scorpio!"
"I can hear you, Oscar. There's no need to talk my ear off", I say.
"But you weren't looking at me!" he whines.
"I don't have to look at you to hear you. Besides, I'm sure the whole building heard you", I say with an eye roll. "Really? Was I talking that loud?", he asked sheepishly. He wasn't loud but I needed some silence. I was tired.
"Yeah, so keep it down unless you want Michael to hear your plan", I said, staring at the wall in front of me. There was a bit of silence after that, but it didn't last long as Oscar asked, "So, what do you think?'
I sigh and say, " I think it's a stupid idea".
"What? Why?"
"You can't propose to the love of your life while you both are haunting your next target to kill", I explained. "Doesn't really say romantic."
"But Michael loves it when things get bloody, and I need him to be in a good mood when I ask him", he pouts.
"And besides," he continues, " You and I both know he isn't a romantic type".
And he was right, Michael wasn't a romantic man. If anything he was the 'kill first, ask questions' kind of guy. And after knowing this, it always surprised me how him and Oscar were together.
They were polar opposites in everyway, Michael was built like a giant, standing 6'6", he had muscles on every part of his body. He was the definition of tall, dark and brutal. Like me, he was always in dark clothes that complimented his mocha skin. He had a shaved head that was covered in tattoos, and from what I've seen, they continued down to his ankles.
Although he was tall, his height was not his most intimidating feature. It was his eyes, in total contrast to his skin, they were light blue. I thought they resembled the colour of the sky, and they were always in scowl. To describe Michael's personality was to describe a tornado; he was unpredictable in every aspect and he hated everything and everyone. Well, everyone except Oscar.
Though not as tall as his partner, Oscar was still standing at 6'2", two inches taller than me. He was a redhead and even though he had no tattoos, his skin was kissed by mother nature herself. His face and arms were covered in freckles and like me, he had dark eyes, the colour of chocolate. In a building filled with assassins, spies, thieves, hitmen and women, Oscar was the sweetest one. Unlike the people in here, he was all smiles. Sometimes, he reminded me of a puppy; so innocent and trusting.
And if I hadn't seen him once fire a M4A1 gun during a heist, I would think he couldn't hurt a fly, even if it bugged him the entire day.
Michael was a hitman and has partnered with me before for numerous operations. I always enjoyed working with him because he was efficient, clear-minded and most of all, quiet. Unlike his boyfriend.
Don't get me wrong. I love Oscar and he was one of the two people I trusted the most with my life. He was the first one, other than the Chief, who spoke to me the night I came here.
I was covered in mud from head to toe and was shaking like a leaf, and he had said, "hey, you got a little something on your hair", he reached over and picked out a twig, and said. "there, all pretty now".
I always loved being in his company because I loved the way he spoke, like we weren't in a training facility for murderers. But today was not the day to talk. I was exhausted and angry from how my mission went an hour ago. And if Oscar wasn't in distress about how to propose to his man, he would have noticed my mood.
I was assigned to kill a group of human traffickers in India that had taken one of their governor's daughter three days ago. I managed to locate them in one of their waiting points for more girls before they continued on their route to where they would sell the girls in south Asia, and planned out how I was going to attack them.
I struck them this morning as they were still asleep. I managed to get the governor's daughter, along with the other girls safe, except for one girl. She had been grabbed by one of the men involved and was used as a human shield on his way to escape as the gunshots started. I was able to kill him but I couldn't save her, she had died by the time I got to them.
She looked young, sixteen perhaps. And unlike her companions in the bus, she wasn't going to see her parents and have a future.
What if she didn't have parents though? Maybe she was an orphan. Maybe she didn't deserve a future, like me.
But she did deserve a future, she did.
I was interrupted from my thought by Oscar. "Sorry, what did you ask?"
"I asked if you knew why the Chief wanted to see us", he said.
"No." I answer, "Do you?"
"If I did Scorpio, I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?."
I was about to responded back with something crude, when office door next to me open. "You can come in now, Scorpio and Oscar", said the Chief.
Both Oscar and I stood up and headed into the familiar room, known as the Chief's office.
As I enter I hear an excited hum from beside me, I looked up in time to see Oscar speed walk into the room, and towards...
Ah, Michael. That's why he's acting more puppy than usual.
Michael was standing up, facing the floor to ceiling windows of the office, his back turned to us with his arms crossed. He turns around the moment he senses Oscar walking towards him.
The moment Michael's light blue eyes connect with Oscar's dark brown ones, his whole focus is one the smaller man approaching him. Many people might never notice the change in Michael whenever he glances at Oscar but I do. His muscles that seem to always tense up, relaxed. His eyes let go of their scowling position just a little bit.
Only those that have ever been in love can point out these changes.
As they meet each other, my eyes sweep the room for the only other person I trust, other than Oscar. My eyes meet the honey coloured ones of the Chief. At the age of fifty-three, the Chief of the Red Note Organization was a very good-looking man.
He wore a grey tailored suit that fitted his tall frame, his dark blonde hair was styled in a way that kept it away from his face. There was no jewellery on him except for a wedding ban that adorned his left ring finger. And as usual, he had on his thick red-rimmed glasses.
When his eyes met mine, he didn't smile, but gave me a small nod in greeting. I returned it and moved to sit on the only couch in the room. We both kept quiet as we tried to give the couple in the room some privacy.
Michael had returned early this morning from a mission in Australia and the lovers had not seen each other for a week. I knew they missed each other a lot, especially Oscar. He only spoke about Michael that long with me only if he was missing the guy. And I was sure the bigger man didn't hear our conversation in the waiting area because the Chief's office was soundproof.
The sound of Oscar's voice notified the Chief and I, that they were done as he asked, "So, what's up Chief?"
The older man got right to the point. "I have a new assignment for the three of you."
"The three of us?" I ask, shocked.
It wasn't impossible to have three people on a mission, it was just uncommon. If an assignment required the three of us, it had to be top priority.
I took a look at the other two men and noticed who exactly I was in the room with. We had Michael, the strongest fighter and gun man in the organization. Oscar, the smartest computer genius and tracker I had ever seen, and then me, the top assassin and spy in the continent.
None of us had ever failed a mission, ever. We always delivered.
If the Chief needed all three of us, he wanted this assignment to be successful without a doubt.
"Yes", he answered. "This mission is top priority for you three. No mistakes"
"Who is it?" asked Oscar.
"Ella Darwin"
I try to recall if I've heard that name before, but nothing comes to mind.
"A nobody?". He nods.
For the first time tonight, Michael speaks, "And why are we killing a nobody?"
"Simple. You will not be killing Ms. Darwin, you will be rescuing her"