I had answered the test with the greatest of ease. I finished quickly, almost effortlessly, but the easiest part was when I met April. Taking advantage of an oversight on her part, I placed a GPS bug in her backpack without her detecting it.
Done, I thought as I handed my test to the teacher, who nodded and let me out of the classroom. As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw Liam sitting in his car, headphones on. I walked over to the window and he waved me in.
"How did it go?" asked Liam, showing me one of his earbuds. I took it and placed it in my ear as I settled into the passenger seat.
"The test was a piece of cake" I replied, "but putting the bug in April's backpack was even easier."
Liam nodded, looking concerned. "I haven't heard much," he admitted.
"Let's hope that changes," I said, feeling the adrenaline rush through my body at the thought of overhearing their conversations.
Some time later, I overheard April meeting with her friends and going over some food.
No sooner had Liam started the car, when I spotted April and her friends getting into a limo in the distance.
"Then we'll follow them" Liam replied determinedly, accelerating gently so as not to attract attention.
"Your performance was good," Liam commented as we drove, "a nice guy with a good heart." I appreciated his words, but I couldn't help but feel a little repulsed at the thought of what he had said next.
"April's performance was better" I thought, "a girl who looks innocent, how fucking gross".
At that moment, we began to hear a conversation through the earpiece I had placed in April's backpack. She was talking to a friend, sounding worried and scared.
"My parents beat me," April confessed, "after revealing my face on the last mission."
"We're together" consoled her friend, her voice full of empathy.
As we followed the limo, my mind wandered between revenge and compassion for April. Was it possible to feel both at the same time? The image of her fear-filled eyes and trembling voice kept popping into my mind.
"Focus," Liam reminded me, noticing my distraction. I nodded and refocused on the task at hand. Following April and discovering her plans was the most important thing at the moment.
The conversation in the earpiece changed tone. April's friend, whose voice she did not recognize, told her with conviction.
"You should feel proud despite what your parents say, April. If it wasn't for you, all of us would have died long ago. That last mission was something that shouldn't have happened, your parents should have understood, you would have died."
" Though in part I am grateful" April replied, her voice shaky but determined. "Thankful that they discovered my face, we weren't sent to murder someone else."
"Sooner or later we'll be back on missions," April's friend continued. "The best thing is to be prepared. Don't worry, the five of us will be together."
"That's true," agreed April's friend. "Gabriel and Natalia have not stopped participating in missions. They are years older than us, so it's normal for them to start moving with the professionals."
Liam gave me a concerned look, as if he could read my thoughts. He was feeling some sympathy for April and that bothered me.
April's limo pulled up in front of a fancy-looking building in the center of town. Liam and I looked at each other, wondering if we should pull over to continue watching. But just as we were about to decide, we heard April's friend's voice in the headphones.
"April, you have something in your purse," he said. The conversation abruptly cut off, leaving us with an uneasiness we couldn't ignore. Liam stepped on the gas and continued driving, leading us away from the limo and into the city streets.
Arriving at our apartment, I threw my backpack on the couch and plopped down on it, exhausted from the emotions and stresses of the day. Liam walked over to the kitchen counter and began to prepare something to eat. As he did, he reminded me of something I shouldn't forget.
"Daniel, remember that April is a killer and she's submissive," he said, as he chopped some vegetables. "If her parents ordered her to kill her friends, she wouldn't hesitate. Girls with trauma are the easiest to control."
I remained thoughtful, analyzing her words. It was true that April was a murderer, but there was also something about her that puzzled me. I knew he was right, but something inside me was reluctant to accept that stark truth.
"I know, Liam," I said finally, facing him seriously. "April's a killer, but so are we."
"The difference between us and her...is that we would never murder each other. We would kill everyone in our organization first."
I sighed, understanding his words. He knew that our loyalties were unwavering and that our moral code was different from April's.
"That's true" I admitted, as I finished preparing the food. He put a plate of eggs and beans in front of me and sat down next to me.
"By the way," Liam continued, changing the subject. "I want to tell you something about the kids who accompanied April: Ethan Blackwood and Sophie Stone. Ethan is Chris Blackwood's son, he works at the school as a PE teacher, although it's just a front, they've worked with April's parents for years. Be careful, Ethan grew up with April and if my intuition does not fail me I could say that he is in love with her, so he begins to suspect you, we will be in trouble, especially if he convinces his father that you are hiding something. On the other hand Sophie, daughter of one of the mobsters of the east of the city; is a great hacker and expert in obtaining information, so at any time will investigate you, luckily, I used my intelligence to create a fake life in a town about five hours from here, your social networks is full of beautiful and nice pictures, so they will only think you're a peasant anyone".
"How can you do so much?" I asked, amazed at his ability to find out such specific details. "If our organization finds out what we're doing, they'll have us assassinated."
"Easy," Liam replied with an enigmatic smile. "A good spy never reveals his secrets. Besides, I'm sure I can handle any situation that comes up."
I was aware of the risks, I had no choice: I had to approach April.
After we finished our meal, Liam got up and left his plate in the sink. He turned to me with a serious expression on his face.
"Daniel," she began, her piercing blue eyes meeting mine, "It's time for you to start getting ready. Now that April has discovered our bug, she'll be more alert than ever. It won't be easy to get close to her, especially since you were the only one who had direct contact with her."
I nodded, feeling the weight of her words in my chest. I knew how difficult it would be to infiltrate April's life.
"Understood," I said, trying to hide my uneasiness. "I'll do my best not to arouse suspicion."
"I trust you" stated Liam.
I decided to go to my room, I needed to rest and process everything I had experienced that day. I took off my shoes and lay down on the bed, feeling how the mattress molded to my tired body.
I thought about April and the complexity of her situation. Despite being a trained assassin and submissive to her parents' orders, something in her voice when she talked to her friends told me that she did not want to follow that path. Perhaps, deep down, she too longed for a different life, away from violence and betrayal.
"Is it possible ?" I wondered quietly, though I knew the answer was not simple. Revenge burned inside me like an unquenchable fire, but as I delved deeper into April's dark world, I realized that perhaps there was more to it than met the eye.
However, my only option was to move forward. I had to get close to her, uncover her secrets and finally confront the real enemies who had torn my life apart. And as I closed my eyes and let sleep envelop me, I made a silent promise: I would find justice for my parents, no matter the cost.