{ Mia }
Seeing my mom with a gun in her hand I couldn't help but wonder .' how many times has she done this before?'
My train of thoughts was interrupted by a bullet whizzing past me with incredible speed.
I could feel beads of sweat forming on the crook of my neck . My palms slick with sweat feeling the weight of the riffle in my hand .
I glanced at my mom, noticing her focused gaze .
I quickly ran behind the kitchen counter ." Scarlett give me an idea of how close I am "
" His right behind the corner" she replied quickly.
My eyes widened in shock, I could end it right now . Quickly I turned around and hit the man's head with the tip of my riffle .
He staggered back falling as I heard a loud 'thud'.
' did I actually do that ?'
Then suddenly, I heard the sound of a bullet, looking down I realised that the man beneath me was in a pool of blood and there it was .. a hole on his forehead, caused by the gunshot.
I quickly turned around and almost lost my balance upon seeing my mom's dark eyes and expressionless face .
" Why did you do that?" I asked frustration evident in my tone .
" You will find out soon enough. Come with me " she stated firmly leaving no room for argument. Then, she called her men from her microphone ." Clean this mess up, and make sure to get rid of the bodies and all the witnesses."
" Ma'am yes ma'am."
Then, I watched in amazement as they cleared all the bodies like they've done it a thousand times.
" Mom what's going o....."
She didn't let me continue, but instead, put a finger to her lips and signaled that I'd follow her .
Hesitant but curious, I followed her , she led me towards the bookshelf .
The bookshelf creaked as it swung inward, revealing a hidden staircase. My mom descended without hesitation, the soft click of her boots echoing off the narrow stone walls. I hesitated at the top, staring into the dim light below.
"Are you coming?" she called, her voice calm but firm.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and followed her.
As I entered the room I noticed that a lot has changed since the last time I was here .
She turned on the light and I flicked, just a little, before it turned back to normal.
Acting as if it was the first time I came in her I asked innocently ." What is this place mom ?"
My mom didn't answer right away. She walked over to the screen, tapping a few buttons. A map of the city appeared, littered with red dots.
"This is where I work," she said finally, turning to face me.
My eyes widened in shock, not expecting her answer.
" What do you do exactly?" I asked my voice shaking.
She grinned."You've always been my priority, Mia. Everything I've done was to protect you. You're not ready to know the rest."
Frustrated, I banged my fist on the table." Mom, I can handle it ."
She chuckled." "You think you can handle the truth, but this isn't a game, Mia," she said, her tone sharp. "The people out there tonight, those weren't just random attackers. They've been looking for us for years."
"Us?" I repeated, my voice cracking.
Her eyes flicked to me, softening for a moment before she straightened and nodded toward the map.
"Every dot you see on this map is connected to someone dangerous. Someone who wouldn't hesitate to use you to get to me."
"Why you ?" I asked, my frustration bubbling over.
She hesitated for the first time, glancing toward the monitors. Scarlett's voice interrupted. "Apologies for the intrusion, but there's a vehicle approaching the perimeter. Five individuals. Armed."
I tensed, my hand flying to my earpiece. "Who is it?"
I could feel the confused gave of my mom on me but I didn't have time .
Scarlett replied, her tone clipped. "No identification. Movement suggests they're reconnaissance operatives. ETA: four minutes."
I froze. "Four minutes? What do we do?"
My mom's gaze sharpened, all softness gone. She grabbed a rifle from the wall, tossing a smaller weapon to me.
I gripped the gun tightly, feeling its weight in my hands.
Her eyes flickered with something was it approval? Concern? I couldn't tell.
This wasn't the first time I'd held a weapon, but it was the first time it felt like it truly mattered.
"We fight." She stated leaving no room for argument.
Scarlett's voice crackled again. "ETA three minutes. And, uh… there's something else you should know."