"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose."
-Dr. Seuss
*-*
It rained lightly. Nadja treads a narrow path that is similar to a long alley. The slums clearly illustrate the current condition of her beloved country. Her mouth grimaces from time to time. Nadja's left shoulder was hit by a shot, while her stomach was scratched by a missed bullet.
Her steps were staggered and unsteady. She kept walking and occasionally looked back, making sure no one was following her. The smell of sewers and garbage stung her nose, but Nadja didn't care. When she arrived at a door whose lock had been broken, she broke it down with all her strength and went inside.
An unused warehouse.
'Perfect,' she thought.
The room was dark, devoid of any light. Her hand reached for the small flashlight in her pocket, and she turned it on. The light is quite helpful to see the situation in the warehouse. Nadja was sure she had lost a lot of blood.
Even so, she avoided the hospital. All of her identities would be exposed, and she would be caught easily. After all, Nadja did not have the slightest provision to pay for medical expenses.
With a limp, the woman tried to hold on. Her gaze scanned around the spacious room filled with wooden boxes and empty cardboard boxes.
In the corner to the left, there seems to be a small room. Nadja stumbled closer and hoped to find a first aid kit. At least it was enough to find some alcohol to clean her wounds for now.
Her breath hitched and Nadja's vision began to blur. When she made it into the small room, her hands immediately fumbled to find a first aid kit, and bingo!
She drew a white box with a red cross symbol. Can't wait, she opens it and finds expired betadine as well as alcohol.
There was gauze starting to turn yellow, but she didn't care. Quickly she poured the alcohol and betadine. Nadja took her penknife and pried out the damn bullet that had lodged in her shoulder.
Her mouth bit the lump of cloth and winced in pain that was piercing to the bone. The ache when the tip of the knife scraped through her flesh created a sensation that made Nadja almost scream. She swore in Serbian, that she would kill her attackers if she had the chance!
***
Three hours before.
Jergen Petrovi is the next target on her to-do list. In the profile she received on her cell phone, Jergen is a poor politician who must be exterminated. Nadja never cared what the cause was. Being one of the assassins is a profession that she has lived in for a dozen years since childhood.
Yes, Nadja Romanov is a twenty-five-year-old woman, who becomes the killing machine of a criminal syndicate with an international network. Nadja never knew her family or her origins.
She grew up in Serbia with eleven orphans. Nadja was educated from an early age to learn various things. From using sharp weapons, and firearms to assembling bombs and mastering technology.
They also master various languages to a fluent level. The members of the syndicate are also very proficient in martial arts. From Taekwondo, Kungfu to other martial arts. Nadja is one of the best. Her work as an accomplished shooter has been poor across the board.
The woman swung her body lightly to reach the tree trunk, then landed on the back porch of the Petrovi residence. Silently she settled down and approached the back door. From the sound it sounded, everyone was gathering for dinner.
'Good, everyone is gathered!' she thought happily. Nadja was trained to turn off her feelings and not have any emotions. Killing she could do without remorse or hesitation.
"What are you doing?" A little girl's voice startled Nadja.
She quickly grabbed the body of the little girl who was about six years old. A terrified scream rang out from the mouth of the little girl who started crying as well as struggling. Nadja nimbly walked towards the dining room. Jergen's wife screamed hysterically when she saw her daughter being held, hostage!
"Wh-who are you?!" cried Jergen nervously.
"Your angel of death!" exclaimed Nadja, pointing a gun at the man.
The half-bald-haired man seemed to have guessed and didn't really ask any further let alone be afraid. Jergen's anxiety is only because his daughter is in Nadja's arms. His wife tried to restrain their eldest son who was ready to run to get his sister.
"Let go of my sister!" cried their eldest son. Nadja looked at the teenager with sharp eyes.
"Hold yourself, Zoran!" his father snapped. With his jaw clenched, the teenage boy named Zoran was forced to shut up and give up his intentions. Jergen turned to Nadja.
"If I have to die tonight, then kill me. But please, let my family go. Spare their life," said Jergen softly, his voice shaking.
"My father was a defender of Serbian society! He didn't deserve to die because his whole life was fighting for the rights of the people they deserved!" screamed the teenager without the slightest trepidation. Nadja was silent. Her lips were still frozen, while her face was expressionless.
"I beg you ... let them live," said Jergen back slowly and hopefully.
Nadja glanced at the dishes on the table. Very simple dishes and she wasn't sure all the food was enough for the four of them.
"What have you been doing all this time? Why did they make you a target?" asked Nadja.
Somehow this time she wanted to hear it. One thing she had never done before. There was something that tickled her soul when she saw the dinner dish. In the past, Nadja and the other children had to be content with eating clear, tasteless soup and a piece of hard bread. Their food ration is only once a day.
"I-I have found evidence that government allowances for retired soldiers were corrupted by certain parties, including hospital subsidies for the lower classes," replied Jergen with slow steps and carefully taking a paper document not far from the dining table.
He stepped back slowly and put it next to Nadja. The woman quickly turned over and analyzed the document. She let the little girl get away from her hand. Grateful words poured in from her mother and brother. Jergen looked relieved.
Maybe it's time to stop. Nadja's conscience keeps screaming to forgive and let them live. She was tired of living the cursed life of a murderer! Nadja wants to be free from the guilt and nightmares of all her victims.
"Tell me the most appropriate reason for me to spare your family's life," Nadja said later after skimming the document. Jergen shook his head wearily.
"Maybe my excuses do not sound very great. I just want our country to be as successful as it used to be, prosperous, and not shackled by dirty politics. Our children deserve a better future," answered Jergen with resignation. If the answer does not satisfy Nadja, then the next second is his death.
While considering, Nadja imagined mass death if there was a rebellion and also the fate of the children who would be ejected, like herself. Several countries in Russia have separated themselves but ended up falling. The year 2001 was the worst crisis period for Serbia.
"I have to quell the conflicts of the poor and be a fighter for them to get rid of leaders who don't deserve to be in office," Jergen continued, trying to convince Nadja.
The inner turmoil that took place within the woman. Calls to end her role as a murderer keeps pushing and urges Nadja to decide immediately.
Unexpectedly, Nadja kept her gun back. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Jergen's wife wept bitterly and hugged her two children with prayers that would not stop.
"You don't have much time before another assassin arrives and confirms your death. I'm going to burn this house down and you guys have to leave as soon as possible. Ten minutes from now!" exclaimed Nadja.
The man thanked her and took everything important and evacuated immediately. Nadja doused the entire house with gasoline until evenly distributed. Then quickly, walked out while throwing a lit matchstick and prepared to leave the place. The fire spread quickly. Nadja walked out and over the fence.
"Since when did you become a guardian angel, Romanoff?!"
Nadja turned and saw Katya, a fellow assassin, standing in the distance.
"None of your business!" replied Nadja. She turned away leaving Katya who immediately chased and hit Nadja heavily.
The woman fell. Katya is known for her speed.
"I'm tired of being their puppet, Katya!" shouted Nadja.
"You and I have no choice! No one gets to choose, you know that!" Katya snapped with a bright red face. Nadja got up and wiped her bloody lips.
"I'll keep going and running, Kat."
"They will send me and the rest of the army to kill you."
"I do not care. The important thing is that I'm free."
"Stupid! There is no freedom in running, Nadja!"
"Katya, let me go."
"Forgive me." Katya kept her gun and pulled the trigger.
Katya miscalculated! If she is agile in running, Nadja is agile and uses weapons. With one beautiful jump, Nadja fires a bullet and deliberately shoots it just to paralyze Katya.
As soon as the bullets exploded, suddenly several people wearing black-covered clothes appeared and showered Nadja with a barrage of shots. The woman had bolted away, while Katya lay with a shot in the stomach.
"Keep running, Nadja! Or I'll chase you down!" Katya muttered quietly.
Her eyes are glassy.
Katya is not good at hiding her feelings. They both live together and comfort each other in silence. Katya is like a sister to Nadja. She always sang discordant songs every night and hugged her after receiving punishment for their mistakes. There was an emotional bond between them, and Katya couldn't help but reminisce about it bitterly.
***
Currently ….
Nadja wrapped the wound with gauze. After that, she decided to continue her run. The train was only five minutes away from where she was now. If she managed to enter one of the carriages, then at two in the morning the train would depart, and she would be able to leave this cursed place forever.
With strong determination, Nadja started running and forgot the pain in her shoulders and stomach. Her thigh muscles screamed but she had to fight for her freedom!