Chapter 2: 2. Daniel
I was on top of a building, a couple of hundred meters from Esteban's mansion. The wind was blowing hard and my heart was racing as I aimed a high-impact rifle at Esteban. Liam was next to me, sharing my same murderous intent, watching with a telescope our target. Esteban, that damned coward, had first betrayed his organization by selling information and would surely betray ours.
"Are you ready?" asked Liam in a cool but serene voice, his long dark hair waving in the wind. I nodded, knowing there was no turning back. We had planned this moment for weeks, and now it was time to act.
Just at that instant, we received the signal through our headsets to shoot. With precision and without hesitation, I pulled the trigger and saw Esteban fall to the ground. In that same second, I fired the next shot at one of the assassins, who had just been threatening Esteban with a knife. When he took off his mask, I stopped dead in my tracks. Her face showed fear and insecurity, as if she were not a killer, her face did not look like the madmen I had known. A youthful face, with black hair, brown eyes and fair skin.
"Shoot!" shouted Liam, but I couldn't do it. Something in his look told me I shouldn't kill her. She wasn't our target. I stood watching her run away, feeling a lump in my throat and a strange feeling in my chest.
The smoke grenade exploded around him, filling the air with a thick gray cloud. Liam and I looked at each other, understanding that it was time to retreat. We quickly stowed our weapons and climbed down from the building, hiding them in huge piano trunks we had brought for the purpose.
My eyes were still burning from the smoke grenade as we pulled into the parking lot where an old 1993 Volkswagen Golf was waiting for us. We climbed into the car and got out of there as quickly as possible. Silence reigned inside the vehicle, only interrupted by the sound of the engine and our disturbing thoughts.
"Why didn't you shoot?" asked Liam, breaking the silence that enveloped us. His words hit me like a punch in the stomach, making me relive the moment when I had decided not to pull the trigger.
"She was not our target" I replied in a firm voice, trying to remain calm despite the whirlwind of emotions that overwhelmed me. I clearly remembered the face of that girl when she took off her mask, a face that screamed that she was not an assassin.
"If the organization finds out, we'll die for being cowards," Liam said sternly, his concern evident in every word. I knew he was right, but something in my heart told me I had made the right decision.
"I trust you, Liam," I said, looking into his eyes. "I know you wouldn't betray me." He returned my gaze and nodded, though I could see the doubt in his eyes. Despite that, I knew he would stand by me through thick and thin, fighting together for what we believed was right.
"All right," Liam finally agreed. "But we have to be careful. We never know what's in store for us."
"I know" I replied, feeling a mixture of fear and hope in my heart.
As we reached a central part of the city, the noise of traffic and bright lights surrounded us like a swarm of mosquitoes. As I drove through the crowded streets, Liam broke the silence.
"You know, Daniel? You can't always be so good," he told me in a bitter voice. "I curse being a murderer too, but we have no way out."
His words resonated within me, reminding me of the shadowy nature of our work. I looked around, observing the people passing by, oblivious to the darkness that lurked behind two seemingly normal young men.
"If it wasn't for you, I would surely have died long ago," I replied sincerely, thanking him for taking care of me all this time. "Thank you, Liam." He cursed under his breath, unable to accept my words of thanks.
"Daniel, I need to tell you something important," Liam said to me, as his eyes filled with concern. He reminded me of how he was recruited and I closed my eyes for a moment, reliving those painful memories.
"I know, my parents were mobsters" I said in a few words. "My mother hid me in the vent entrance before she died, and when I came out of hiding safely, your organization found me and adopted me. Then you took care of me as your little brother and the rest is history."
Images of that fateful day flooded my mind, from the acrid smell of smoke to the piercing sound of gunshots that took my parents' lives. Even though my life had changed forever, Liam and his organization became my family. But sometimes I wondered if we could ever escape this life of violence and betrayal.
"Do you still remember the faces of your parents' killers?" asked Liam to me without warning.
"I could never forget them" I replied bitterly, feeling a lump form in my throat. "A black-haired woman and a man in a gray-colored suit? They took my parents' lives."
Liam nodded gravely and then blurted out a revelation that took my breath away. "I know who they are, Daniel. Susannah White and Victor White."
"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Because the girl we saw today is April White, their daughter," Liam explained cautiously. "She's following the same path as her parents."
I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. That irritation in my throat grew, and I could barely speak. "You're lying," I told him, refusing to believe what I was hearing.
"I'm sorry for hiding it, Daniel," Liam said, his eyes showing sincerity. "But I'll tell you everything when we get home."
Liam parked the old Golf in front of the apartment building where we lived. Still reeling from the revelations about April and her parents, I got out of the car and shouldered my backpack. The two of us walked silently toward the entrance, our footsteps echoing on the pavement.
When we arrived at our apartment, Liam opened the door and walked in first. I followed him in, feeling my emotions mix inside me, forming a strange feeling of emptiness and confusion. Liam headed straight for his desk, while I stood by the door, watching him.
"Daniel, come," Liam said in a calm voice. I approached him and saw that he had a folder in his hands. He opened it and showed me a photograph of April White, the girl I had seen at Esteban's mansion. I couldn't help noticing the similarity of her features with those of Susana White, one of my parents' murderers.
"Do you recognize her?" asked Liam, pointing to April's picture. I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat.
"Of course it is, it's her," I said, swallowing saliva.
Liam moved on to the next photo in the folder, which showed Susana and Victor together. As I saw their faces, images of that fateful day when I lost my parents came flooding back. The anger and pain I had repressed for so long seemed to want to surface, but I forced myself to remain calm.
"Do you regret it?" asked Liam suddenly, snapping me out of my memories. I looked at him, not knowing what to answer. regret what, not killing April?
"Your look says it all," Liam continued, as if he could read my thoughts. "You don't have to give an answer now."
I stood silently, watching as Liam flipped through April's file. He talked about the girl's academic achievements and mentioned that she would soon be entering the prestigious Zeus School.
After a moment of silence, I mustered up the courage to speak. "Help me sort this out," I said to Liam, looking him straight in the eye. I was determined to face my past and protect those who mattered.
"I'll help you" Liam promised, "but only if you're really convinced to go through with the revenge." I nodded without hesitation, I knew it was the right thing to do. However, a part of me feared the consequences of my actions. I didn't want to hurt innocent people in the process, but I was willing to take that risk for justice.
"Zeus School is a place where the rich and talented young people study" Liam began to explain as we walked through the apartment. "But it's also a front used by mobsters and assassins for their children to study and form alliances. I'll help you get in, but since we don't have any money, you'll have to show your intellectual skills."
"I understand" I replied, thinking about how I could leverage my skills to infiltrate that school. Despite being a trained assassin, I also had exceptional academic skills that would allow me to excel in that environment.
"What's the plan?" I asked, eager to know how Liam would help me get into Zeus School and get close to April White and her parents.
"First, you need to prepare for the entrance exams," said Liam, "They are extremely rigorous and only accept the best."
"I will" I promised, feeling more determined than ever. I knew the road ahead would be difficult, but I couldn't let my past continue to haunt me.
"I'm with you," Liam said, putting his hand on my shoulder, and I could see in his eyes that he was as committed as I was to this quest for justice and revenge.
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