Karla parked her purple jaguar in front of the fifty floor skyscraper that served as the C Cartel headquarters. The cartel owned the entire building. Every official had an office there, including the big boss, and it was probably the most guarded place in the city, with over a hundred armed men.
Stepping out of her car, Karla stared up at the building. Her destination was the top floor, the den of the lion of the C Cartel. She'd never been there, and how she wished she would never. But wishes remain wishes.
Karla shut the car door, and took off her massive sunshades, before proceeding to the C headquarters. Passersby, who had nothing to do with the cartel, admired her as she walked. This time, Karla had on a black long sleeved turtleneck top, white leather pants, and black leather boots. She wore her long black hair straight, and didn't fail to swish it, along with her hips, as she walked.
Before the cartel, fashion hadn't been one of Karla's passion. She would have been okay with a simple sweater and jeans. But Jimmy had drummed it into her —the key to seduction was looks, so her looks always had to be appealing. After six years, a perfect outward appearance had shifted from being a necessity, to a way of life.
Two armed guards stood at the entrance of the elevator. Karla hadn't seen them before, so she assumed they were new. They had to be among the lowest ranking cartel members, for them to be stuck with guard duty. One man was blond, while the other was a redhead.
"Why hello there beautiful." The blond cooed at Karla, as she waited for the elevator. "Wanna grab a drink when heading back? My shift will be over in 30 minutes."
"Shut the fuck up you motherfucker!" The redhead whispered harshly, though loud enough for Karla to hear him clearly. "Don't you know who that is!?"
"What?"
"That's Bird you idiot. A first class hit woman. Has over a hundred successful hits."
"Shit!" The blond's face paled, obviously from fright. "So sorry mam. It ain't never gonna happen again mam."
It took substantial effort from Karla to stop herself from laughing. The blond looked like he'd seen a ghost, and maybe she was one, to those who feared her. Karla wouldn't have minded going out with the blond man however. He was a bit cute, in the way that screamed "I act tough, but I'm not" —absolutely adorable. The elevator doors finally opened, and Karla stepped in.
The top floor was lonely, and eerily quiet. Karla figured the boss liked his peace and quiet. Steadily, she made her way to the white double doors, that had a giant golden C engraved on it. Pushing the doors in, she entered a room themed white and red, with the floor rug as red and the walls, white. Beside another door was a desk, and at that desk was a secretary.
"Name?" The stern looking man on reading glasses asked.
"Karla Nightingale. I have an appointment with the boss, scheduled at two."
The secretary dialed on the telephone. "Karla Nightingale here to see you, Sir. Okay."
"Enter." The secretary motioned for her to continue to the main office.
Karla waited a second or two to open the door. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was scared. It wasn't just meeting the leader of the C Cartel that troubled her. An instinct deep within her gut was telling her that something despicable was about to begin —a tragedy that would engulf everything and everyone involved.
"Suck it up Karla." Karla muttered to herself, gathering the morale to turn the doorknob, and entering the office.
The main office was big. Very big. It had a top to bottom window that filled up an entire wall space, and had a perfect view of the city. The office gave out tropical vibes, with the many mini rainforest trees that grew in ceramic pots, and the aquarium that housed various species of fishes. The office desk was too wide to be practical, and and was made of luminous steel and polished leather. And so was the seat, but no one was in it.
Next to the aquarium, feeding the fishes, was Shiva Rishav Saheb III, the leader of the C Cartel. He was tall and well built, casually dressed in a striped shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow and half the shirt unbuttoned, revealing a hairy toned chest. His black hair was slicked back with jell, and his full beard had hints of grey hair in them. Karla couldn't help biting her lips; Shiva Rishav Saheb III was a very handsome man.
"Ah! Karla Nightingale, nicknamed Bird. We finally meet." His Indian accent was surprisedly thick, even though he'd supposedly lived in America his whole life.
"It's an honor to meet you Mr Saheb." Karla respectfully said, even though she didn't mean it.
"Please. Call me Shiva." He walked to his seat and sat down. "I take pride in my first name. My parents named me after the Trimurti Hindu god of destruction. They believed I would become just as mighty, and I did. You're into Hindu legends, aren't you?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you Sir, but I'm not."
"Oh forget it. Take a seat."
Karla obeyed and sat opposite Shiva, making eye contact with him. She watched as his eyes darken.
"I've heard many stories about you." Shiva said slowly, but seriously. "You're fierce. You're determined. And you know how to get the job done. Now that's what I like in an employee."
He intertwined his fingers and rested his chin on it. "You are probably wondering why I called you here. Well I have job for you. Jimmy suggested you to me, but I'd already decided I wanted you on the job."
Karla decided to remain silent. It didn't seem like a reply was needed anyway. Besides, the less she spoke, the more unlikely it was that she would get into trouble.
"Have you ever heard of the Valdezian Mafia?" Shiva asked.
"A strong criminal organization operating in Georgia, renowned for their trade in cocaine and ammunition." Karla confidently answered. She had a fair knowledge of notable gangs across the country.
"Well they're getting too strong, and I want them taken out." Shiva snapped.
He took out a picture from a file on his desk and presented it to Karla. Leaning back in his seat, he folded his arms, while she studied the picture. It was a sideview profile picture of a man in sunglasses, with the bustling city as the background.
"This is Raul Valdez, the leader of the Valdezian Mafia. He's a hard man to spot, and an even harder man to kill. Regular methods won't work on him. That's why I need something irregular. You." Karla stopped looking at the photograph and faced Shiva, alarmed. "He has a habit of buying women at an auction to become his mistresses. I want you to get into that auction. Get close to him. And finish him."
Karla wrapped her head around what Shiva was asking of her. She was to kill a leader of a mafia, and from the way Shiva talked, it was one that ought to be feared. It went without saying, this would be her most dangerous mission yet. If she screwed up, not only would her life be in danger, but the entire cartel as well. For Shiva to have entrusted her with such an important task, he must have had great confidence in her abilities.
"You need me." Karla said her thought aloud.
"I beg your pardon?"
Clearing her thought and feigning confidence, Karla said louder. "This mission is tricky. You need a woman with mastery of not only seduction, but murder. At the same time, this woman must be one who's not a well known cartel member, but deep enough in the cartel to possess loyalty. I'm the only one who fits these criteria. So, you need me."
At first, Shiva was stunned. But his surprise soon turned to wild laughter. It'd been long since someone had had the courage to talk to him like that.
"I know where this is heading." He said. "What do you want?"
"An out. If I complete the mission successfully, you let me leave the cartel. Alive."
Karla held her heart in her hands. Somehow, the smile Shiva had on was more terrifying than a scowl would have been. She had felt compelled to add "alive" to her demand. There was no telling, Shiva might have mistaken her asking to leave the cartel as asking for death.
"You're smart. I like it." Shiva finally spoke. "Very well. Kill Raul Valdez for me, and you're free to go. You may leave."
It wasn't yet time for a sigh of relief, Karla thought to herself, as she walked to the door. Just because Shiva had agreed to her terms, didn't mean he planned on upholding it. However, she could hope.
"Oh. And Karla." Shiva called, just as Karla was about to turn the doorknob, causing her to turn back to him. "There better not be any hiccups, or your father will pay dearly for it."
TEASER: KARLA'S SECRET IS DISCOVERED