Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
Lucius-42
"Getting too emotional gets you killed."
It's weird, I've never been this annoyed in life. I would leave them here if I wouldn't look like a total buffoon to upper management. It's not like they do anything out of the normal. They're just teenagers and everything that comes with that kills me. We're currently sitting at a diner, and the boy eats for two grown men and the girl always has an attitude. I've never spent this much time other human beings. When it was work, we did our jobs and go our separate ways, I've never stayed in one place to have a girlfriend and sex workers leave once their job is done. I liked it that way. I may have gotten way over my head with this one and it's only been a month. It hasn't been easy to set ground rules with these kids. There's pushback or a snappy remark. It's my first job back and I'm nervous. I don't know how this will go.
"Alright guys, this is our first mission, I need you all to pay attention and look alive. This assignment has three targets. This needs to made look like an accident understand?" CniDaria never looks towards me but nods her head, Thylonius just keeps eating not really paying me any attention either. "Before we deal with the targets, we need to obtain what they know so Thylonius you'll be going to search for any available information. CniDaria you'll be distracting the targets with me so we can buy time." They keep doing the same, so I just took that as an affirmative. I got up from my seat and headed back towards the car. They got up and followed me. Their attitude, distrust, and animosity towards me doesn't make for the best student, teacher relationship. It may be best to treat them like soldiers, if they have misplaced anger towards me better to make use of it than waste time in dispelling it. I shouldn't have been nice in the first place; they're here for my benefit only. I need to treat them as such.
When we got to the car I looked around and saw that no one around so I decided to change the temperature of our relationship.
"CniDaria what's your responsibility?" She looked at me and took her time responding.
"Distraction." I paused for a moment. Then using the back of my hand I slapped her, and she fell to her knees.
"HEY!" Thylonius comes to the aid of his sister and tries to grab my arm with force. He's too weak and my arm is unmoving.
"When I ask a question, I expect it to be answered immediately and with respect. Thylonius what is your job?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YO-!" I bring my arm back down and give him an open palm smack and he also falls to his knees.
"Mr. Nice-Guy has left the building; you are my soldiers, its time you start acting as such. No matter what the topic it is, when I speak to you, I want eye contact. I want immediate responses. I want respect in those responses, enough of the teen melodramatic crap. This line of work is serious, you will die if you are not on point. If this cannot be done, I will have to cut my losses and show you what 'not on point' is. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Sir!" Now they want to be fast learners. They were both glaring at me with eyes of hatred, but I didn't care as long as the job got done.
"CniDaria, since you are the eldest, I'll tell you this. In this line of business being emotional gets you killed, being overly emotional gets the people around you killed. Try to keep this in mind for your brother's sake as well as your brother. Try to survive." Guilt replaced hatred on her face and with another 'yes sir' she got in the car. Thylonius followed with his anger still present on his face. Hopefully we can get this done more efficiently now. I check my phone to see where each target is. One at the mall, one at his residence and another on route to that residence; let's see we can get to the residence and kill two birds with one stone.
The car ride there was quiet, Cnidaria stayed focus with her eyes straight ahead despite Thylonius attempts to catch her eye. I must have struck a chord with the older one, which is fine because the other one will fall in line. This past month has been about expanding their natural talents. Thylonius has a knack for technology, very book smart, with a very analytical mindset. He's not a people person though, so having him focus on cyber war and long-range warfare was best. CniDaria was the opposite to him, she didn't really like to fool around with technology, but she was really into her health. She never failed to work out and exercise, I didn't believe she was a people person either, but she was great at faking it. She communicates effectively and very observant. Making her study body language and various cultures will make her a beast with her situational awareness. All of that is just theory though, how you perform in the field is what counts. If they can't adapt, I'll just have to dispose of the tools.
When we pulled up to the side of the residence, like the intel suggested our target was doing yardwork in his front yard. He kept looking around, as if waiting for someone.
"Thylonius as soon as the targets responds to me or CniDaria's questions you hop the fence and get into that house. You have 15 minutes to find, extract, and get back in the car understood?"
"Yes, sir" You could tell he was still upset but his sister wasn't very receptive, so he just started to prepare himself.
"Let's go." With a blank face CniDaria nodded and we got out the car. I tried to act like I was looking around lost. Anticipating that the man would clock us as soon as we got out the car. The plan was to ask for directions and strike up a conversation that way. After I was done with my act, I turned to head towards our target, but CniDaria was already in his face with a smile.
"Good morning! My father is too prideful to ask but can you help us out?" She put on a voice that you would hear from any female teen pop star. She was going for cuteness; I acknowledge the forwardness but he's a grown man no way he would fall for that. As I got closer to the target, I could see him getting redder and nervous as he looked at the 15-year-old girl. I was proven wrong.
"Help? R-right I can help you with tha- Wait did you mention father?" He turned and finally noticed me. He tried to straighten up after that, but he had a look of confusion on his face. Obviously, me and CniDaria looked nothing alike. I was a rugged and greying Eastern European man with dark green eyes. CniDaria had pure milk chocolate skin with oval deep brown eyes. We looked like we should never be in the same room. I decided to step in. "Sorry about this buddy, I'm new here and don't really know my way around here. My stepdaughter was sure that locals around here would help. Always believes in good people, just like her mother. Haha." I put on the air of being embarrassed and it seemed to put his guard down. Smiling he started talking to both of us.
"Yes, there's good people around here where are y'all trying to get to?" At that moment another car pulled up and a heavy-set white man exited the car. CniDaria pushed to continue our conversation.
"We were on our way to see the Space Needle but wanted to stop by some places to sight see before we sat down and ate there. Do you have any recommendations? Could you help us too mister." As our next target entered the conversation, she expertly moved closer to the first targets side where you could see his phone in his pocket. She faced the new target so he would have to split his attention to all three of us. The first target got more nervous, more likely because this little got closer to him.
"Well, it depends on what you want to do, there's a lot going on down there. Personally, I like going to that Boeing IMAX movie theater, what about you Jim?" Jim now focuses on our first target and the phone has been picked.
"You know I'm more of a museum guy myself. There are a few in the area." Phone copied.
"Yea like the children's museum ehm- I mean the Pop Culture Museum." Oh, this guys a real freak. Phone copied.
"There's also a Science Center down their Bob, that shouldn't be disregarded." Phone returned. My eyes glanced at the house, and I saw no signs of Thylonius in there. I should buy more time.
"Are there any-"
"Thank you, fine gentleman, for your suggestions, that should give us plenty to go off of." She brushes the targets arms and starts walking towards the car. This idiot. We still need to give your brother time to search. RAARRRGGHH!! I hear our car horn go off, I relax more and take my que.
"Seems my son is getting impatient sitting in the car; with that I like to thank you for your advice." I shake both of their hands and head back to the car with CniDaria. When we get there Thylonius hands me a USB apparently, he extracted what he needed to. That was fast. I heard a ping, and all the information gathered from the targets phone was sent to me. They were efficient. Just skimming through, it doesn't seem like we need to touch the third target he's a dead man marked by his own partners.
"So, when are we eliminating them." Thylonius still had some annoyance in his voice but I'll let it slide they proved themselves competent. I just put my hand up to show the substance of discoloration and they got the picture.
"They're already dead."