-One-
I was taught to have no emotions. No fear. No anger. No happiness. I was taught to feel nothing. No mercy. No remorse. No compassion. I was taught to be ruthless. I was taught to obey. I was taught to use what I have. I was taught to survive. I was taught to feel no pain.
I was taught how to be the ultimate assassin.

5 degrees north. 17.5 degrees west. I cannot miss. I cannot fail.
I see the target. His head is in sight. I pull the lever back on that Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle. Clear shot. I exhale. I pull the trigger.
Panic around the fallen target. Shot right in between the eyes.
I quickly and easily case the gun and walk away from the perch on top of the federal bank. I swing the case over my shoulder and scaled down the back of the bank. I left the rope dangling from the side of the building and walked away.
Two miles away I had parked my car. I walked to it and placed my sniper in the back seat. I get into the front seat and drive.
I got back to the hotel and calmly walk up to the elevator.
“Do you need some help with that Ma’am?” a young man asked me.
I turned my head and looked at him. But I kept going, not saying a word. I press the up button on the elevator and wait. The elevator comes down and three women get out.
“Pardon us.” the oldest says as she passes.
She smells faintly of rum and coke. So do her friends.
I don’t make eye contact. I don’t respond.
I get into the elevator and press the fifth floor button.
“Wait!” a young boy calls out. “Hold the elevator!”
I hesitate. I am not sure if I should. But, for some reason, I do.
The young boy, about seven, runs towards the elevator with an older man behind him.
The boy had dark blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and was tall for his age. He was wearing a blue t-shirt, light, blue jean jacket, and blue jeans.
The older man had similar characteristics. The hair and eyes were the same. He was mid to late twenties and was built well. He was wearing blue jeans, a black button up, and a worn out leather jacket.
He was obviously the young one’s father.
He smiled as he walked into the elevator. “Thanks.” his voice was deep and raspy. While his boy’s was clear and song like.
I nodded in acknowledgement.
“You saved us from climbing like a million stairs.” the boy said. He turned and looked at me. He smiled. “I’m Keith. What is your name?”
I didn’t have a name, but there were many I used in this situation. The name I was using for the hotel would work. “My name is Maria.” I smiled. I may not feel emotion, but I knew how to look like I did.
“Really? That is a pretty name!” the boy exclaimed.
The father put his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “I am sorry, he is really friendly.” he smiled again. “I’m Noah.” he held out his hand to me.
I shook it. “Nice to meet you.” I smiled again.
“Hey, Dad, she is on the same floor as us.” the boy pulled on his father’s shirt. “You should ask her over for dinner.” Keith whispered.
Noah looked down at his son. “Keith, I don’t think that is a good idea.”
They talked as if I wasn’t there.
“Come on Dad. It wouldn’t hurt!” the boy looked over at me. “You should come over for dinner.”
I knew that someone else would be amused by this child’s actions, so I chuckled.
He looked back at his father. “See.”
His father smiled down at him, then looked back up at me. “Would you like to come over for dinner?”
I felt an urge to say yes. I did not know why. But I shook my head and smiled. “I’m sorry, but I already have plans.”
“Really? That sucks.” the boy looked at the case hanging across my shoulder. “What is in there?” he pointed to it.
I smiled and crouched down. “I have a sniper.” I winked at him. “Don’t tell anyone.”
The boy’s eyes widened and he smiled even bigger. “Really?”
Noah laughed. “Keith, she was just joking.”
Keith didn’t seem to notice his father talking. He just stared at me.
“You promise you won’t tell anyone?” I smiled at him.
He nodded. “I promise.” he whispered.
I stood up and looked at Noah.
He shook his head. “You seem to be great with kids. Filling up there imaginations.” he said.
I shrugged.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened.
“Bye Maria. I will keep my promise!” Keith yelled as he ran to his room.
Noah had stayed in front of the elevator with me. “All night I will be hearing theories about how you are a spy or something.” he chuckled.
I shook my head. “Not a spy. An assassin.” I smiled and then walked down the hall towards my room. “It was nice to meet you.” I called over my shoulder.
“Yeah. Nice to meet you too.” Noah called back.
I opened my door and walked in. I set the case down on the couch and then opened my laptop.
“Pass code.” a female robotic voice said.
“Pass code 390289375.”
“Welcome 593.”
The screen lit up and information started filling up the page. All of the stuff I had left open the last time I was on it.
“Contact head of the corporation.” I said as I was closing some of the programs.
“Head of the corporation on line.” the robotic voice said, then a screen popped up and the head of the corporation was on it.
“Assignment completed. Target eliminated.” I said to the webcam.
“Excellent. The client will be most pleased. Now I have another assignment for you.” his voice was robotic, yet human.
“Who is the target?” I asked. I watched him.
He didn’t say anything and he seemed to have tensed.
“Who is the target?” I repeated.
“This assignment does not have a target in the way you are thinking. You are not going to kill him. We just need information.” he said.
I nodded. “Affirmative. Who is the informant?”
He smiled. “Very good. His name is Terrance Bringod. He is a notorious drug lord. But lately he has gotten into smuggling in stolen artifacts and weaponry from the third world countries. We want to know why and for whom.”
“I know this man. He is sleazy, corrupt, and injudicious.” no emotion.
He laughed. “Yes. Do you except this assignment?”
“Yes. Send me the rest of the file.” I closed the laptop and walked into the bedroom.
I walked over to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top. I changed into them and looked at myself in the mirror.
I have long black hair, bright amber eyes, and a body that was fit and perfect. 6’1”, medium sized breasts, bigger hips, and a relatively big butt. I was stronger than I looked. A lot stronger.
I turned my right arm so I could see my wrist in the mirror.
593.
That is the number they gave me. I was the 593rd one trained. Out of all of us, 600, I am the only female. There were others tested before and after me, but I am the only successful female assassin the corporation made.
I was the third best assassin out of all 600.
I turned away from the mirror and then lifted my hair. I turned and looked at the back of my neck in the mirror.
8-26-86.
That was the day I was born. The day they found me was exactly eight years after I was born.
I don’t remember my family. Or if I even had one. I don’t remember my name. I don’t remember his name either. The name of the boy I have nightmares about.
The scientists that made sure I didn’t feel emotions told me that it was impossible for me to have nightmares. For that would mean I felt fear. I do not feel. But I know the difference between dream and nightmare, and this is a nightmare.
They also told me that I shouldn’t be able to remember anyone from before they took me. They believed that I was making it up. So they drugged me.
The head of the corporation didn’t like that. So he automatically got rid of them. Well, I got to get rid of them.
They told me I wouldn’t remember people from what little past I had before them, but that is the problem. I don’t remember him. I just see him.
In the nightmare the boy is yelling at me. He is surrounded by fire. He is yelling at me, telling me to run. So I would get away from the men that are surrounding us.
Then I see the bullet go through him. Right through his chest. I watched him fall in front of me. I walk over to his dead body and I kneel beside him and I feel… I don’t feel. I think I feel something, but I don’t. Maybe, if this nightmare happened before I was taken, I did feel something. Maybe I felt something for the boy.
The boy. The boy I met earlier, Keith, he reminded me of the boy I dream about.
I looked into the mirror again and saw a little girl. It was me when I was younger. She looked over at the bedside table and then disappeared so I could see present me.
I walked over to the bedside table and opened the drawer. Inside was two (insert) and pills. I grabbed the pills and looked at them.
They were the pills that helped me forget. Forget my memories, my feelings. Everything that the corporation doesn’t want me to remember.
I was supposed to take one now. But I didn’t. I wanted to know more about the boy. Maybe not taking the pill tonight would help.
I put the pills back in the drawer. I picked up one of the (insert)s and brought it with me over to my computer.
I opened my computer and began to read the file that the head of the corporation had given me.
I wasn’t really reading it though. I knew most of this information already. I was skimming trying to find something I didn’t know.
There was a knock at the door.
I grabbed my gun instinctively. I clicked on the camera icon on my computer. I had placed a microscopic camera on the eyehole, so I would know who was coming at all times.
It was Noah.
I closed the laptop and shoved the gun into my waistband at the small of my back and went to the door. I opened it and smiled. “Noah?”
He smiled. “Hey, I just wanted to ask you something.”
I opened the door farther and stepped out of the way. “Of course. Come in. Where is Keith?” I closed the door behind him.
He turned and looked at me, the smile still bright. “He is waiting for me in our room.”
“Would you like to sit down?” I asked. I hated being polite. It was weird. I wasn’t used to it.
He shook his head. “I will only be a second. I was just wondering if we have met before? You seem so familiar.” he looked at me more intently.
I thought about it. Maybe I had. On a different mission. But I didn’t remember.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Though it is possible.” I shrugged.
He shook his head. “I swear it is so weird. When I first saw you…” he shook his head again. His hand went to his chest. I didn’t know why.
“You reminded me of someone I knew when I was a kid I guess.” he seemed to be saddened by this.
I reached out my hand and placed it on his shoulder, I am not sure why. To comfort him?
“I am sorry. I don’t remember my childhood. So it is very possible that you did know me and I just don’t know.” I dropped my hand.
He smiled lightly. “Yeah, well I guess it was a long shot. You don’t have the same name as her anyway.” he shrugged and walked towards the door.
I followed him. “I am sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” I smiled.
He shook his head. “It is fine.” he started to walk away.
“Noah.” I called.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“What was her name?” I asked.
He smiled. “Ari.” he seemed to almost choke on the word.