A young woman sprints down an alleyway at full speed, her long black hair trailing behind as she runs. Her once nice business suit was now tattered and still wet with fresh blood. Her vibrant green eyes darted from object to object in the alleyway trying to avoid falling. As she ran past the homeless and less fortunate she could hear the group of men following her getting closer. She swiftly turned down another alley on her right, passing a man with a brown coat sitting on the ground. Trying to maintain the pass with her injuries was taking a toll on her. She could not keep up this cat and mouse game for much longer. But her luck had run out before her samina and as she tried to make another turn one of the men had reached her. The man shoved her into the wall with enough force that she bounced back off the wall and fell to the ground. Hitting the ground her body ached from all the bruises and cuts she had. She quickly tried to get back to her feet, but was kicked in the stomach by the man before she could even get off the ground.
"You gave it one hell of a go," The man said as he put his foot onto her back, keeping her pinned on the ground. As the man had finished talking the others had arrived, there were six in total they all wore black military uniforms without distinguishing marks. They covered their faces with masks and had on black hats and gloves. She could barely hear them as they talked. Her ears were filled with the sound of her beating heart and struggled breathing. The man took his foot off of her back and kicked her shoulder forcing her to roll onto her back. Another one kneeled down with a knife next to her.
"It would be a shame to just let you go to waste, wouldn't it Miss Godwin?" The man said sliding his knife up her stomach and ending at her neck. Miss Godwin just looked back at him knowing what he was going to do, and knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop him. As the man slowly used the Knife to cut the buttons off her top, she thought about how it came to this and about her life till now.
Stella Godwin was the only child to Mr. and Ms Godwin. She is also the only person set to inherit the company built by her family, The Godwin Corporation. The corporation was started by her grandfather and had grown into the massive company it was now, ranking third in the world. This meant Stella was born with a target on her back, for her parents controlled 68 percent of the company's shares. They had named her as the inheritor of all the shares. Her aunts and uncles had 30 percent and the last 2 were other investors. This has always put Stella on bad terms with her family members who only saw her as in their way from getting more money and power in the company.
With all the people looking to get her out of the way before she could take over the company, she was always in danger and always had security forces with her at all times. She had grown almost used to having them around. After enrolling in college she had escaped death several times with the help of her security guards. But this time was different. The men here right now are experienced ex-soldiers doing mercenary work. But they were prepared and seemed to know everything she was going to do.
She had gone out to meet up with her cousin for lunch and on her way to the meeting place she was attacked. It happened fast and without warning like they always do. Her car was hit on the right side by a truck pushing it almost into the middle divider. After the crash four masked men jumped out and started shooting into the car. One of her guards pushed her down and was shot several times. After the firing stopped he slumping over with his seatbelt stopping him from falling onto her. Stella's other guard got the door open as the second team of guards pulled up next to them. But before she could get into the getaway vehicle another truck crashed into the back of the vehicle damaging the wheels.
"Miss you need to get out of here. Move fast and get to the bank, it is only four blocks away" her guard said as he took out his pistol.
"What about you?" Stella said as the guard checked his ammo.
"Don't worry about us. Just run!" the guard yelling and pushing her in the direction of an alleyway. She ran into the alleyway but just as she got inside a third vehicle pulled up and six more men jumped out and gave chase to her in the alleyway.
Stella snapped back to the moment at hand, just as the mercenary cut off the last button.He then slid the knife under her shirt and slid it up her stomach opening it up showing her black bra she had on underneath. Stella did not move or resist, she knew that if she resisted or tried to fight too much he would just stab her. The masks covered their faces but she could tell the mercenaries were smiling, enjoying the fact that they had complete control of the situation. All she could do is try her best to hold back her tears that she could tell were welling up in her eyes. The mercenary started to laugh as he slid the knife under her bra, Stella turned her head so she did not have to look at him. The mercenary reaches up and grabs her by the mouth forcing her to look at him.
"No you don't get to look away Miss Godwin" He said as he began to lift the knife up cutting her bra in half.
"Good, That confirms my suspicions" A homeless man in a tattered brown raincoat said. He was standing behind the other mercenaries that were just watching, they did not even know he was there till he spoke up.
"Listen here buddy. Get lost unless you want to be cut up" One of the mercenaries said as he started to walk over to the homeless man, with a knife out.
"I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to let Miss Godwin go, for your own safety" The homeless man said, not showing any signs of moving. Stella had looked over but could not see the homeless man's face because like the others his face was covered. But his coverings were crude, just a set of dirty bandages covering his face and hair. She watched him, wanting to tell him to leave her and look out for himself. But deep down she wanted help, She was alone and scared but she still did not like watching anyone getting hurt because of her.
"Just leave," Stella said out loud to the surprise of mercenaries.
"See. The lady does not want your help, Mr. hero" The closest mercenary said as he moved his finger across the knife he had in his hand.
"Well I am not a hero" the homeless man said as he disarmed the mercenary and slit his throat in one swift clean motion. As the knife left the throat of the mercenaries, his body went limp and fell down. As the body hit the floor blood sprayed out from the cut painting the homeless man's shoes in blood. Shocked, the other mercenaries hesitated to pull out their weapons. Giving the homeless man an opening, he dashes at the closest mercenary.
The movements were fast but precise, he inserted the knife in the armpit of the man. Before the mercenary could react to being stabbed the man rotating the blade bringing it around the arm up to the top, after making the movement he stabben it into the cavity he had opened up. The arm of the man was left dangling off his back as he fell to the ground coughing up blood from his punchered lung. But this time the others were ready.
One closed in and took a swing with a knife at the homeless man. His attack is easily avoided and then he gets hit in the neck. As the full force of the hit lands on the man's neck, a sharp and loud crack can be heard. With only three left, two of them leapt forward at the homeless man. One tries to tackle him to the ground by smashing his shoulder into his abs, as the other tries to cut his face.
The homeless man stops the knife attack with his knife and lets the other man hit his abs. The tackle was ineffective and he did not even move back one step, instead he used his free arm to grab the one that tried to tackle him into a guillotine choke hold. After establishing his choke hold he pivots and kicks the other one that is still standing.
The kick forces the man backwards several steps, and with the new opening he swiftly stabs the neck of the man in the guillotine hold. The man's body goes limp and he lets him fall to the ground. The man that was kicked rushes forward swinging wildly, But the homeless man kicks his lower leg. This forces him onto one knee and right onto the knife the homeless man had in his hand. The blade stabbed right up into the man's head from below the jawline. He then twisted the knife and kicked the twitching body off the blade.
The body lands in front of the last mercenary standing, as he keeped Stella pinned down. Stella was surprised, she was not expecting the random man to be able to help at all. But his movements were refined and he took down the trained mercenaries as if they were common street thugs. She could tell that the last man keeping her pinned was scared, the pressure keeping her down was getting less and less as each person was killed.
"If you are going to run, now is the time" The homeless man said as he cleaned the blood off the knife he was using. As he finished wiping the blade down the mercenary turned and started to run. He made it about three steps before getting hit in the center of the back with a knife. The homeless man had thrown the knife. Landing a solid hit in the man's back inbedding the full length of the blade. The mercenary's momentum forced him to fall onto the ground face first and scream out in pain.
With the man no longer pinning Stella down she moved over near the wall and held her shirt close with her hands. The homeless man slowly walked over, passing Stella and putting his foot onto the knife in the mercenary's back. When he stepped on the knife it stopped the man from crawling away. He then puts his knee on the man's back and leaned down.
"Remember, I am not a hero. But I did ask you to leave first" The homeless man said as he put his hands on the mercenary's head. Timing the ending of his words as he snapped the man's neck. The sound echoed in the now silent alleyway, only followed by the sound of the dead mercenary's head hitting the floor. For some reason she was more scared now then before, at least with the other men she had an idea of what they were going to do. But not this man, she did not know why he did this or what his motives could be. There were too many unknowns and she could not see a solution.
"Are you ok?" He asked as he walked closer to Stella. When he got close he reached out his hand to her. Involitarly she moved away from his hand trying to keep him as far away as she could. When she makes this move he stops moving closer and stands up. He takes a minute and removes his brown coat and covers Stella up with it.
He has on a black tight fitting shirt and brown cargo pants. Around his neck is a set of military ID tags, But there is also a black pendant hanging with the tags. Stella looks at the pendant and recognises it as one she had given to a soldier during her first year of collage. Thinking of this she stops trembling and looks at the pendant.
"Where did you get that pendant?" Stella asked moving closer to see the pendant better.
"It seems that you remember this pendant" The man said as he reached up and held it in his hand.
"You did not answer me" Stella said standing up, but she fell because her body was too fatigued. However she was surprised that her fall was stopped by the homeless man.
"Are you ok?" He asks, as he helps her get onto her feet.
"I am fine. But please tell me where you got the pendant" Stella said standing up strat.
"You don't remember? You gave this to me, when you visited the frontlines" He said, bringing back a flood of memories that Stella had almost forgotten.
"Ward? Is it really you?" Stella asked, almost tearing up with relief.