Kari had spent most of her adult life in the Masaru Crime Syndicate as one of their top assassins. Although the name might have slipped under the radar for the public, the many crime bosses in the state of California had known of their exploits. Whenever there was something that needed to be done, they were the first to tasked.
She had spent more than an hour trying to get her next disguise prepared. Every time she found herself about to take on a mission, it was paramount that she did something to keep her identity secret. Today, she had breezed through getting a bald cap over her hair so the frizzy and pink wig could sit perfectly over her crown.
By the time she had managed to get the disguise and her weapons ready, she had found herself with more than enough time to spare before the job. The target would be a key figure in the local area, Hinobu Isamu. He had not been one that was known for being violent, or somebody who had rose through the ranks of a criminal underworld, but instead just another businessman with deep pockets.
A million dollars can reach a lot of people, Kari thought to herself as she had found herself moving into the city.
It was noon. She had already stashed both of her pistols—both Glock 43X 9mms with ten round magazines—on her person. One had been placed in the waist band on her blue jeans and the second in a sling under her shirt as a backup. She had chosen to wear a flannel shirt and a fedora to help mask the concealed weapons. It was extra baggy, allowing the bullet proof vest under it to remain undetected.
The choice of style would not be out of place in this part of the city—Paradiso, one of the largest suburban areas in Northern California. By now, she was already near one of the wealthier districts already seated at a bench in one of the shopping areas. Across the road, she could see that Huey Baton store was quite barren.
This was the place she was hoping to finally meet Isamu face to face before putting a bullet between his eyes. A life like this was not pretty or something she took enjoyment in. What it didn’t offer emotionally was instead rewarded with money, which was good enough. Killing people was never easy, as most things in life. She could swallow every piece of remorse and regret for the payout.
Before every job, she would find herself scoping out the target in person. It was more of a flex at this point. Something about getting to see her target face to face and intimately before the deed had made each assassination that much easier to deal with. With a stack of bodies and money behind her, she would not be one to miss this opportunity.
“May I sit here?” a woman had asked her, pulling Kari from her thoughts.
Kari looked to her left to see an older woman with her purse and a yellow striped summer dress looming over her. Just behind her was a younger man with thick black sunglasses and a similar colored vest standing in view. After a quick glance, she could see that he had a firearm in a holster around his chest—albeit not very well concealed.
“Yes, you may.” Kari replied finally as she reached over towards her purse that had been resting between them to pull it aside.
“Thanks, dear,” the woman spoke again while taking a seat. The man behind her crossed his arms to keep the weapon better hidden before closing in. “What brings you here?”
“I am just waiting on the bus.”
“You’re going to be waiting for a while, it’s not expected for another hour.”
“Is that so?” Kari muttered as she found her eyes constantly trailing over to the man behind them.
“At least you have something to cover that pretty hair,” the woman continued. She had seemed so calm and polite, yet soothing as she spoke. After leaning towards her, she continued, “what happened to it?”
“Oh,” she had felt her heart jump for a moment—not too uncommon in this field. “It’s not, I have been going through chemotherapy.”
“Oh my goodness, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Kari had tried to keep calm while the woman began to trail off. She did not know who either of these people were nor the intentions of the man continuously looking over her shoulder.
She then replied, “It’s really hard trying to keep it neat.”
“Oh honey, I didn’t mean to point it out, forgive me.”
“It’s ok, you didn’t know.”
“What’s your name?”
“Melanie.” Kari replied without hesitation.
“Well, Melanie,” the woman cracked a smile across her face and reached around for her purse. As she reached in and began to shuffle through the clutter inside, Kari clenched her own bag tight in preparation. The woman pulled out a small card she had stashed inside and said, “This is a boutique that I own downtown. You tell them Mrs. Hinobu sent you and make sure to tell them you’re the nice girl from the Baton store.”
Kari reached forward and pinched the small paper with her fingers while keeping the man in sight. Hearing her say the name “Mrs. Hinobu” was slightly concerning.
“Thank you, Mrs. Hinobu.” Kari returned softly while trying her best to smile.
“Please, my name is Patricia.” She said again.
Kari could see a genuinely sweet person behind the smile, sunglasses, and the armed guard behind her. It didn’t take her very long to realize that this had to have been the mistress. Isamu was not the man who would walk the streets and from the files, he did not appear to be in the best shape. He was the opposite of her from what she had known and not one to leave himself in the open.
“Thank you, Patricia. That’s really sweet of you, but I don’t know if I could afford it.” Kari said while placing the card into her purse. She tucked it in further, in between some assorted bottles of perfume and one additional weapon—an UZI 9mm fully automatic.
“I said it’s your lucky day, tell them I sent you and they’ll take care of you. They know better. In fact, Ricardo,” Patricia quickly turned to the man behind her and lifted her hand to him, “Could you let them know?”
“It won’t be a problem.” The man said aloud while moving his hand towards his pocket. He had retrieved a phone from inside to swipe through his messages. Kari kept her eyes locked on the weapon under his vest as the handle began to poke out.
“I always try to give back, you know what I mean?” Patricia said after turning back to her.
“I know exactly what you mean.” Kari muttered with a smirk. The two had not come off as threatening, so she kept at ease as she planned out the next move.
“I have a little girl at home, she’s not your age, obviously, but she has special needs. We’ll take good care of you.” Ricardo said her.
I bet you will, Kari thought to herself. The real target was not her or the guard. After a few minutes of chatter and trying to think of every possible story, a limousine had started to approach them.
“You ready?” Ricardo asked her after reaching over to her.
“Oh yes,” Patricia replied before rising to her feet. She turned back to Kari and continued, “Well, Melanie, this is where we must part ways. I hope to see you at my boutique sometime!”
Kari stood to reach out and shake her hand. After glancing over towards the dark tinted windows of the vehicle, she could see a very portly man in the back on his cell phone. Her instincts wanted to kick in, and at any other moment in time she would have taken this opportunity to strike. Meeting up with her target’s wife of all things as she waited for him to pick her up was not what she had planned for.
All she would have to do was reach for the UZI in her purse, point towards the vehicle, and unload. Ricardo may have been able to retaliate, but she would dispatch him just as quick. However, after speaking to the two, she started to get cold feet about it. Of all the people she had killed, having to kill an innocent woman or a man with a daughter—a special needs one at that—did not sit well.
After the limo had stopped in front of them, Kari chose to not act now. She was not going to attempt unloading them in a crowded area. Instead, she chose to get as many details about the vehicle to try and intercept it later on.
“Melanie,” Patricia said again after stopping short. “Remember, the world can seem rough sometimes, but there are rewards. Keep your chin up and one day you will beat this.”
“Thank you.” Kari said softly.
Patricia then entered the vehicle with Ricardo, leaving Kari feeling uncomfortable. The unfamiliar feeling had been enough to make her wonder if the money was worth it this time. This would have been the seventeenth job in her spree, and the first time she had ever thought about the people she had affected.
Isamu had come into view finally. He was much larger than the others and from first glance he appeared to be in his fifties. Seeing him in person had looked different from every photo she had seen before. Watching Patricia lean over to give him a kiss only added to the anxiety.
They all had families, she thought again. This is the same as the rest.
After the limousine had pulled away and out of view, she started to make her way back towards a large parking garage just down the block. Her only lead aside from the vehicle was that she knew Isamu would be coming to this store—possibly for a pickup. Now that they were starting to make a getaway, she was going to have to be quick.
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The concrete interior of the garage had emitted an almost mildew-like smell from decades of fluid from vehicles being expelled onto the pavement. On the third floor, she had parked her motorcycle out of view for the final pursuit. The pillars inside had flown past as she found herself starting to make a dash for her vehicle. Before getting on, she had that gut wrenching feeling as if she were being watched.
Instead of mounting the motorcycle, she reached towards the pistol around her waist and pointed it over towards a van parked just a few spots down.
She finally called out, “I know you’re there.”
“You’re going to let them get away.” A woman said back.
“Kurisu,” she uttered calmly. “Why are you here?”
A young woman dressed in a school blazer had stepped out from behind the van, giving a quick wave to Kari. She was just a few inches shorter than Kari, which had been a contrast to the large rifle bag she had gripped in her right hand.
“I know this is your job, but I’m here just in case. Don’t get cold feet now.” Kurisu said as she started to walk towards her.
“You know better than to come here.” She replied.
“I have a job to do, too. I was just wondering why you let them get away, is all.”
“I’m not going to shoot in a crowded area.”
“It’s never stopped you before.”
Kari began to think of a handful of her missions that had evolved into a full-blown blood bath. She shrugged off the thought and lifted her leg up over to motorcycle to get settled in. After placing the fedora in her purse and donning the safety helmet on the side of the bike, Kurisu started to approach her.
“Are you sure you can do this?” Kurisu asked, showing some concern. Kari knew this was just a front. The two had been a part of the same crime syndicate for years. The rivalry and tension between the two had been present since day one. Kurisu had always seemed to fall short and often found big jobs like this gliding past her.
“If I couldn’t, I don’t think they would have chosen you.” Kari snapped back.
“Oh,” Kurisu snickered and pointed off into the distance. “If you botch this one, I don’t think you’ll be getting any more assignments like this.”
“Then stay the hell out of my way.”
She placed the key into the motorcycle’s ignition and very casually started up the engine. A roar had echoed through the garage before Kari began to crank the throttle. Again, the inside rumbled while she started to drive the vehicle down towards the street. Seeing Kurisu there had not been enough to cause concern. It was quite common for one of the others to shadow her in case something had happened. If this had gone south, Kurisu would not be one to go headfirst into the battle to try and bail her out.
She had continued off into the afternoon traffic and began to make her way up town. Sometime in the next hour, she would expect Isamu to be heading near the Hinobu Castle—another one of his many estates. There would be security, so her best bet would be trying to cut them off before.
Many things were going to her head while she started to speed her way through the large volume of cars already on the road. Her head and sight were clear enough to keep her focused while on the pursuit.
A few miles down the road, she had spotted the limousine already stuck at an intersection. She had tried to keep a few cars apart to not get any attention. From here, she could barely make out the target sitting inside. Ricardo could be seen sitting across from Patricia while Isamu began waving his hands around.
Inside of the limo, there were four people seated in the back while the front seat appeared to have two men posted—one driver, and possibly another hired gun. She thought again of her conversation and kept hearing Ricardo mentioning his daughter at home.
They all had family, Kari began to ponder. It was all she could do to cope with what she had to do. There was a lot of money on the line. Her contractor had offered one million in assets for this one job. Being able to succeed here would open a new door for further investments—in fact, it would open up a vacuum.
There were dozens of establishments in Paradiso that had been owned by the Hinobu family. She couldn’t begin to imagine the potential this would give to the Masaru Crime Syndicate.
Don’t get cold feet now, damn it. She could not walk away just yet. The light above had turned green, allowing the limousine to make a left turn toward the interstate. Before it could get too far, she had given the throttle a quick turn and guided the motorcycle around the turn. The two vehicles continued up ahead and towards the ramp.
Don’t get cold feet now, she repeated the words in her head. While the limo began to make its way up towards the interstate, Kari started to think of how she was going to do this. The UZI would spray dozens of rounds into the vehicle, hitting Isamu and most likely striking Patricia and Ricardo. Again, she shrugged it off while starting to close in.
The interstate had less traffic than usual for a Thursday afternoon. Trying to attack now would mean she would have to travel a few miles ahead towards the next exit. She wanted to get this done efficiently and to hopefully minimize unnecessary casualties. The two vehicles would soon continue down the highway.
Isamu had been on his phone for the last twenty minutes while his wife had continued to chatter away with Ricardo and the other guard in the back. She had been very excited about the events that had happened and was also eager for the coming meal. Her constant chatter had caused Isamu to become slightly perturbed as he tried to drown her out.
“Excuse me, baby,” Isamu said, finally pulling the phone away from his ear. “I really need to take this.”
“You’re always talking business!” Patricia exclaimed playfully, giving him a nudge. The gesture had caused him to smile.
“I have to make sure we keep food on the table somehow.”
“I second that!” Ricardo spoke up, causing Isamu and Patricia to laugh.
“I know, just give me a moment,” Isamu replied, “this is a big pick-up that I need to make.”
He pressed the phone against his face again, not taking any notice to Kari’s motorcycle following behind. While the limo started to go ahead towards the next exit, the man sitting to Isamu’s right had continued to look back towards the bike.
“Everything alright?” Ricardo asked after taking notice.
“That bike,” the man started to speak. “It’s been following us.”
Patricia’s smile had started to turn into concern upon seeing Ricardo and the man motioning towards their weapons. Isamu had overheard them and took a moment to look over his shoulder. He could barely make out the rider, but after seeing the flannel shirt and blue jeans, he felt a chill.
“You guys weren’t followed, were you?” Isamu asked.
“No, I would have said something.” Ricardo said again. He had pulled his pistol from out of his holster, alarming Patricia.
“Please don’t pull that out.” She said to him, feeling her heart beginning to sink.
Isamu lowered his phone before reaching out to him and saying, “There’s no need for that. Nobody has tried anything like this.”
“Anybody with a brain would think twice about fucking with a Hinobu.” The man said firmly while brandishing his own weapon.
“Are we in danger?” Patricia asked again.
Isamu signaled for the driver to speed up while Ricardo reached over towards Patricia. He had pressed his hand into her shoulder and guided her into the leather seat. Once the limo had started to speed up, Ricardo and the other guard had become alarmed seeing the motorcycle starting to close in.
In the blink of an eye, Kari had drawn the pistol from her waist band and took aim towards Isamu. At the same time, the driver had noticed and quickly jerked the wheel to the left, causing the Limo to swerve towards the motorcycle. The quick action caused Kari to squeeze the trigger, sending a round through the rear passenger side window. The glass had exploded and caused the four to shield themselves.
Ricardo took aim and began to unload on the threat while the vehicles continued to speed off. The bullets had flown past Kari’s face, only causing her to apply the brakes and try to avoid the barrage. While the motorcycle started to turn around the right side of the limo, the other gunman had poked his weapon out of the car to try and get a few shots off.
Kari instinctively began to fire back. As the exchange began to heat up, she had managed to send a shot through the back towards the man. One of her bullets managed to crash into the gunmen’s head, causing blood and brain to spray through the back. Patricia screamed in terror as the clamor of gunshots and squealing tires began to fill the area.
Ricardo lifted his arm to try and clear the gore from his face. He had only caught a glimpse of Kari’s flannel shirt as she sped past them and towards the front of the vehicle. The driver responded by trying to steer the limo into her motorcycle. Once again, she hit the brakes with one hand while using the other to try and land a few more shots into the front seat.
Another one of her bullets had struck the gunman in the passenger seat, dispatching him before he could retaliate. The limo had swerved into a busy lane before colliding with an SUV. There was a loud crash followed by more screeching rubber. Kari swerved around to the left to try and avoid the two vehicles as they lost control. Ricardo had finally got a clear view of Kari’s motorcycle and began to press against the trigger as many times as possible.
One round had managed to strike her chest, causing her to lose control of the bike. Despite having worn a bulletproof vest, the high velocity had felt like a hammer being launched out of a cannon. Out of instinct, she tried a few blind shots while the motorcycle tipped over.
Upon hitting the pavement, she had slid several feet across the road and towards another busy lane. Her clothing had been left in tatters while the asphalt had left scrapes all over her body. Down the road behind her, a large semi-truck began to advance—giving her no time to react. She had barely managed to remain conscious after the impact, but she was too battered to make a quick evasion. At the last possible moment, the truck had jerked to the right to avoid splattering her across the grill.
It continued ahead towards the railing on the opposite side of the road and smashed through, diving off the edge and towards the traffic on a street below. The casualties were an afterthought. Kari struggled to get to her feet while traffic started to grind to a halt. Up ahead, the limo had collided with the railing on the left-hand side of the road. The driver up front had become mangled in the wreckage, leaving Kari an opportunity to try and finish the job.
Her body screamed in agony while try to reach for her purse—which had miraculously stayed around her torso even after all the commotion. She tried to pull the zipper open to retrieve the UZI from inside. It was beyond the point of trying to make a precise kill. There were too many casualties.
I’m ending this, the words echoed in her head. Just before she could sight in, Ricardo had emerged from the back of the limousine with his gun to his side. Battered and covered with blood, he had barely any energy to return fire. This would prove fatal as Kari had sighted in on him and squeezed the trigger of the UZI. A volley of rounds soared up ahead, striking him and the back of the limo. All at once, his body had dropped to the pavement.
Once the metal slide on the top of the gun had locked into place, Kari found herself finally coming to lucidity. To her right, the semi-truck from earlier had erupted into a ball of fire, causing the road to be bathed in the inferno. While the sound of cars smashing into each other started to ring on, she had been pulled away upon seeing Ricardo on the ground, lifeless.
She looked further to see a blood-soaked, yellow-striped dress in the limo behind him. The feeling of regret swept through upon seeing Patricia’s lifeless body sprawled across the seat. Across from her, Isamu had started to come back to life. He had been hit by one of the bullets, but upon seeing his wife lying dead, his adrenaline began to take over.
Kari’s heart sank upon seeing him reaching towards her. The sight only brought her disgust as she began to recall every single person she had killed before. As the chaos continued, she took a moment to look down at the smoking barrel in her hand. The sound of Isamu in distress had nearly brought a tear to her eye. She then released the weapon, letting it crash into the pavement before trying to make her escape.