16. X

Chapter sixteen

X

THE ROAR OF THE JET'S ENGINE my ears as I stared out the window. A fresh layer of sweat replaced the blood on my hands. Mi Reina's image kept flashing through my mind, but I refused to think about her or the destruction she and her friend had caused.

Guilt has never been an emotion of mine, and I wasn't about to make it one now. She knew better than to disobey me, and she knew I didn't make idle threats.

"Ready for Iran?" Elias said as he buckled himself into the seat across from me. His eyes flickered with excitement, but mine were clouded with the thought of her.

"Let's get this job done," I muttered, barely audible over the engine noise. My body was tense, and my muscles coiled like a spring, ready for action.

"Alright." He pulled out his laptop to track our target, Dan Carmichael, a traitor who had crossed someone who clearly took themselves seriously.

The flight was long and restless, and my thoughts drifted back to Mi Reina. She deserved better than silence, but the mission demanded my focus. I couldn't let her cloud my judgment.

"X," Elias interrupted my inner turmoil, "I've got the location."

"About time," I muttered, my fingers twitching with anticipation.

I began assembling the weapons, carefully inspecting them before placing them in my duffel bag, zipping it shut, and throwing it over my shoulder.

"Be careful," Elias said, his eyes flickering with concern. "We can't afford mistakes."

"Your concern is touching," I replied dryly.

In truth, I appreciated Elias's loyalty, but I had done this a thousand times.

"Just doing my job." He shrugged.

"Fine," I conceded, feeling the gun's weight in my palm. "Where's our traitor hiding?"

"An old hotel in Tehran," Elias countered, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "Quite an entourage surrounds him."

"Perfect," I ground out between clenched teeth. "I could use some stress relief." My jaw ached from repressing the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

"You alright?" Elias asked, genuine worry lacing his voice.

"Never better," I lied through gritted teeth. "Just find me a route in."

"Sure thing." He nodded, returning to the computer screen.

As the private jet prepared for landing, I methodically mapped out the enemy forces guarding Carmichael. Each mark on the map was another obstacle between me and my target.

"Here," Elias handed me a detailed plan of the hotel. "This should give you your best shot at getting in."

"Thanks," I replied, studying the layout.

It was time to bring Dan Carmichael down.

"Good luck," Elias said, clasping my shoulder briefly before retreating to the cockpit.

"Luck's got nothing to do with it," I whispered, but I only talked to myself because Elias was already gone.

And with that, I stepped out of the jet and into the darkness. The hunt was on.

Elias's voice was a low murmur in my head. "He's on the third floor," he cautioned. I nodded, my fingers curling around the cold steel of my knife.

"Copy that." My voice was a harsh whisper, tension coiling in my chest.

The city's cacophony assaulted my senses as I moved closer to the hotel, the sounds of war and desperation echoing through the night. The smell of flesh and gunpowder filled the air, and the military presence was thick, their uniforms blending with the shadows. My pulse quickened as I calculated my approach.

Stay focused. I ordered myself, stepping silently behind the first guard. He never saw it coming. One quick motion and his lifeless body crumpled into the bush with a soft rustle.

"Amal, where'd you go?" The second guard called out, his eyes darting around, searching for his buddy.

Right here . I yanked him into the bush. My knife found its mark, twisting deep into his chest. He gasped once before the struggle was over, and he went limp.

"Two down," I muttered, adrenaline surging through me.

I leaped onto the balcony, scaling the walls with practiced ease. The third floor was my destination.

"Be careful," Elias warned, his voice strained. "Civilians are everywhere."

"I know." I climbed over the railing and pushed open the door to a dimly lit room, the scent of fear and sweat heavy in the air. A family of six stared back at me, their eyes wide with terror.

"Please," the father begged, shielding his wife and children. "We mean no harm. We are only seeking refuge from the war."

"I'm not here for you," I replied, locking eyes with each of them. They were innocent in all this, just like Lyric. My heart clenched at the thought of her, but I shook it off. Now wasn't the time.

"Stay quiet," I instructed the family as I slipped out of the room, my mind already calculating the next move. Carmichael's room was close, and with each step, the anticipation grew.

"Almost there," Elias breathed in my ear. "Don't let your guard down."

"Never," I whispered back, poised to strike. Carmichael's life was about to end, and then I could finally focus on what truly mattered: Lyric.

But first, I had a job to finish.

The baby's cry pierced the tense silence, and I locked eyes with the terrified mother. "Pick up the child," I whispered, pressing my finger to my lips as I stood in the doorway to the hall. My other hand gestured towards the room next door, urging them to stay quiet.

That's when a boy of about five caught my gaze, his eyes wide and curious. Next to him stood twin brothers around ten; their arms held the five-year-old tightly, protecting the child from the stranger before them.

The sight sent me back to when I was in those boys' shoes. The room before me dissolved, and I was now in my childhood home. The stench of alcohol and cigars filled my senses as my Pa stood before Elias and me, shielding Jose behind us while he shouted profanity at us for my little six-year-old brother breaking a glass plate.

My father was a drunk. Alcohol was an essential thing in his life. Providing for his family came in last, and loving them never came at all. He abused my mother as far back as I could remember, and when we were old enough, he started in on us.

It was Halloween night, and Elias and I were preparing for trick-or-treating. We planned to sneak out because Pa disapproved of us doing anything but chores. Ma begged us to take Jose with us because, like every other night, Pa was drinking.

"Mijo, por favor, llévate a tu hermano." She tugged his hand, following us down the hall as we returned to our room.

"Ma, no. No es divertido que tu hermano peque?o te acompa?e. Los otros ni?os se burlan de nosotros." Elias whined.

I grabbed Jose's hand and turned to Elias. "Do as you're told," I growled.

Elias sighed, crossing his arms. "Fine."

"Está bien, Ma," I told her, smiling.

I would have done anything for her. Elias and I were only eleven, but we were more mature. We had to be.

"Gracias, Mijo." She smiled her bruised lip curling, making the split in it bleed slightly. "Te amo." She kissed my forehead, then Elias on the cheek and hugged Jose, and we headed for the back door before Pa got back from town.

As we ran down the hall, I glanced back one last time with an eerie feeling. Ma smiled again, and I pushed that nagging feeling away.

Later that night, after we returned from town, we snuck back through our window only to be met with Pa sitting on my bed belt in one hand and a bottle in the other.

"Where you boys been?" Pa slurred.

"?Dónde está Ma?" I asked, and Pa stood up quickly, sending a vicious slap across my face.

"Boy, I told you not to speak Spanish!" He shouted, sending another hand toward my face, but I blocked it, which made him angry.

"You fucking mutt," he growled.

Pa always hated us. We weren't his children. Ma had us before they met, and then they had Jose after getting married. Our father died when we were only a few months old. He was a white man, and Pa despised that we were mixed and told us often that we didn't deserve to speak the Spanish language, so we weren't allowed to speak it while he was in the house.

"?Dónde está mi madre?" I repeated it, not caring what he said. I had a terrible feeling in my gut that something was wrong.

Pa's face burned red, and he rushed toward us. I pushed Jose out of the way before he tackled me to the floor and began hitting me with the belt repeatedly.

It wasn't until he heard Elias scream that he stopped and got off me.

For the first time in my life, Pa stood silently. I looked at his face and then followed his gaze. My eyes grew wide when I saw my little brother lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His head hit the bedpost, slicing a large gash across his skull.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I realized that, by trying to save my brother, I had killed him. Pa's face slowly turned back toward me, and rage filled his features.

"You little bastard!" Pa stormed toward me, and I quickly got to my feet, running out of the room. The house was dark and cold. The old floors creaked under my weight as I ran through the house with Pa on my tail.

Amidst the darkness, I tripped over something on the floor, and when I hit the hardwood, I came face to face with my mother, her beautiful brownie-like eyes lifeless. Quickly, I recoiled for a second before trying to wake her, but she was gone. Her head was bashed in by the bat sitting next to her body, covered in blood.

"Ma?" I cried, cradling her head.

I heard Pa coming down the hall, and I laid my mother's head softly on the floor and took off.

Bursting through the back door, I ran for the shed. Pa wasn't far behind, but I managed to get inside and block the door with a shovel through the door handles.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Pa shouted angrily through the door as he tried breaking it.

I grabbed the shotgun from the wall and loaded it just as the door broke open.

Pa burst in and halted as the gun barrel looked him in the eyes.

I glared at Pa and said, "I should have killed you long ago." And I pulled the trigger.

As the shotgun's fire flashed, I was back in front of those boys. The little boy mimed, zipping his lip shut, and for a moment, Jose's smiling face appeared, and something inside me softened. I allowed myself a small smile after lifting off my ski mask.

"Go to the bathroom," I instructed the mother, my voice firm but gentle. "Put all the kids in the tub and cover them with the mattress. Don't come out until you hear complete silence after the shots."

The mother nodded, herding her children towards the restroom as the father heaved the mattress from the bed.

The little boy lingered, watching me with an intensity that reminded me of Jose. Then, he disappeared behind the bathroom door.

With renewed focus, I slipped my mask back over my face and entered the dimly lit hallway. Pressing my back against the wall, I headed to a spot with a small hole, giving me a visual of Carmichael's room. Two guards stood by the door while the target lounged on a bed, glued to the TV.

"About to breach," I murmured into the earpiece, tensing my muscles.

"Copy that," Elias replied, his voice steady.

I charged at the door, smashing it open with my shoulder. The two guards scrambled for their guns, but I was quicker. The first one I placed in a headlock, and we hit the floor as I held him tightly while my knife flew toward the other, sinking between his eyes.

Gunfire erupted as the man on the bed sprang up, wildly brandishing a semi-automatic rifle. I covered myself with the guard's body, using him as a shield while scanning for any other threats.

"Got a fourth man," I growled, spotting a figure darting in from the balcony. My vision narrowed as I retrieved another knife from my boot, flinging it with deadly precision. The blade hit its mark, and the man crumpled to the floor, clutching his throat as blood squirted through his fingers and sprayed across the room.

A mother's painful cry rang out behind me, and my head snapped in her direction to see the mother cradling her child in her hands. The little boy who had smiled at me moments ago lay lifeless in his mother's arms, and it was like living Jose's death all over again.

Rage roared within me, drowning out everything but the need for vengeance.

Casting aside the dead guard, I sprang myself at Dan, slamming him to the ground. I tore the rifle from his grasp and unloaded it on him without mercy. When the clip was empty, I drew my handgun, firing round after round into his chest until there was nothing left to shoot. Panting, I stared down at the monster responsible for the child's death, my heart aching. I holstered my weapon, turning to face the sobbing mother in the hallway.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, though I knew no words could be enough. Then, like a ghost, I slipped away, leaving behind the echoes of my own guilt and grief.

On the jet, Elias pestered me for answers, but I had none to give. Wordlessly, I retreated to the back of the plane, seeking solace in solitude as my thoughts swirled around Lyric and the unbearable weight of what I had just witnessed.

The jet's hum filled my ears, a constant reminder of the distance between Lyric and me. I stared out the window at the dark sky, empty as my heart had been since our last encounter. My fingers trembled, memories of the little boy's lifeless body refusing to leave my mind.

"Hey!" Elias called from across the aisle, his voice hesitant. "You okay?"

"Fine," I muttered, my gaze never leaving the window. The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. I was far from being fine, but I always said that. There was no reason to talk about my troubles. Elias and I had lost so much in our lives. Who was I to burden him with more?

"Alright then," he replied, clearly unconvinced.

I needed Lyric - her touch, her forgiveness. But what right did I have? The blood on my hands was stained deeper than ever before. Still, my soul ached for her reassurance and for the need to be loved by her.

Glancing down at my phone, I hesitated before unlocking it. Fingers tapping against the screen, I composed a message.

X: Lyric, I'm sorry. Please know that I would do anything for you. I'll make it right. No more killing, no more punishments. Just us.

My thumb hovered over the send button, doubt gnawing at the edges of my resolve. Could I keep that promise? She deserved more than a killer and liar.

"Damn it, " I cursed under my breath as I deleted the words and typed out a new message.

X: Miss me?

The little bubbles appeared and disappeared a few times before she answered.

Lyric: How can I miss someone who killed my best friend?

X: Because I love you, Reina.

Again, my finger hovered over the button to send, but I deleted it again.

X: You will.

I shut my phone off and tried to look out the window, focusing on her stunning amber eyes to distract me from the boy's body and that mother's desperate pleas to have her son back.

Elias glanced at me again, concern etched into his face. "Whatever happened back there, you can't let it consume you."

"Yeah," I replied, focusing back on the window. We were both silent for the remainder of the flight.

The neon lights of the nightclub cast sinister shadows on the damp pavement, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest. Savannah's salty air filled my lungs as I exhaled cigarette smoke into the night. One last drag. It was time.

Revenge.

I crushed the cherry against the bench.

Travis and his pack of hyenas spilled out of the club, laughing and stumbling along the sidewalk. Lyric's abusers, the monsters who'd haunted her life. I longed for what was mine. My fists were clenched, and my knuckles were white. Tonight, they'd all pay; no more games. I wanted blood, and I wanted it all.

I stalked them through the empty streets, each step fueled by rage. They ambled onto campus, their laughter grating my nerves.

They discussed inconsequential topics. Just hours ago, a young boy lost his life, and those fuckers dared to rape Lyric and have no consequences. My fury was palpable. I wanted every one of them to plead for mercy before their lives escaped them and they choked on their own blood.

"Hey?" I called out, my voice laced with venom. Their laughter died.

Chris sauntered over, a cocky grin plastered across his face. "Yo, What's up?"

Ethan eyed me suspiciously. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who's going to make you pay," I snarled, jaw tight.

Fear flickered across their faces, with Matt stepping back. "What the fuck?"

"Run, little pigs!" I warned.

Panic erupted, and they scattered like rats, but there was no escaping me. I pulled my mask from behind my back, placed it over my face, and started the hunt with a smirk on my lips beneath my bright red, glowing face.

The chase was exhilarating, fueling my anger and sharpening my senses. I pursued them through the deserted campus, stalking them like prey. My every move was calculated and deliberate, my footfalls soft as I crept up behind Ethan.

He spun around, but I was too quick, delivering a swift blow to his temple that sent him crashing to the pavement. A sickening crack resonated through the night air. He lay there motionless as the others were already halfway across the lawn, scrambling for safety.

I should have felt satisfied, but the emptiness settled in my chest, reminding me that nothing could bring back the life lost at the hands of monsters.

Matt looked back, eyes wide in terror, as I approached him. Without hesitation, I tackled him to the ground, pinning him down with my knee on his throat. His face turned purple as he struggled to breathe, his hands flailing uselessly at my masked visage.

"Why?" I hissed. My voice was devoid of any emotion.

His eyes bulged as he gasped for air, his face turning a deeper shade of purple. "Please, I didn't do anything," he croaked out.

"You watched," I growled, pressing down harder. "You let it happen."

"I didn't know," he wheezed, his eyes flickering to the lifeless form of Ethan lying on the ground nearby.

"Nobody ever does," I snarled, punctuating each word with a sharp jab to his chest. "Until it's too late. Until you've ruined every soul crossing your path."

He gasped for air, his hands clawing at my shoulders as I continued to crush his windpipe. Finally, with a final spasm, he went lifeless beneath me, and I got off him just in time to spot Miguel running into the forest behind the campus.

I chased after him, my breaths coming fast and heavy. The trees flashed past as I weaved through them, focusing solely on catching him. My mask slipped, sweat clinging to my face in the humid air. I heard a branch snap to my right. Immediately, I veered in that direction and saw Miguel's silhouette ducking behind a tree. I sped up, my senses on high alert, as I closed in on him. He must have heard my footsteps, for he bolted out from behind the tree, his feet thudding loudly against the ground. He was fast, but I was faster. I tackled him to the ground, his head bouncing off the dirt path.

"Please," he groaned, dazed. His eyes widened with fear as I pinned him down. "It was a mistake. I'm sorry."

I let out a fierce snarl. "Not good enough." And I revealed my butterfly knife from my pocket. I twirled it in the air with deft movements before plunging it into his forehead.

His screams echoed through the forest, but they did little to soothe the pain in my heart. I pulled the knife out, reveling in the sound of his blood gushing from the wound and staining the earth around us. He twitched and convulsed beneath me as I watched the light in his eyes slowly extinguish.

The last two guys screamed for help somewhere in the distance, but I remained unmoved. This was a necessary evil; I was the reaper, harvesting those who deserved to die.

Chris's hastened retreat caught my eye, so I started chasing him. I wasn't about to let any of them escape.

Suddenly, he tumbled face down onto the ground for no visible reason.

What an idiot!

When he heard me coming, he attempted to stand up quickly. But I got to him fast. I reached out and grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him toward me. I wrapped my arm around his neck firmly.

"You... you're not gonna kill me, too, right?" Chris gasped, his body trembling in my grasp.

"That depends," I growled, tightening my grip. "Did you touch my Reina?"

"No! No, I swear," he pleaded, trying to free himself. "I didn't do anything to her."

"Then why were you there?" I demanded, my fingers digging into his skin. "Why didn't you stop them?"

"I tried," he whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "But they were bigger than me. There was nothing I could do."

"Bullshit!" I spat, not believing his lies. I held his throat tighter, my anger boiling over. "I watched the video and no one even flinched at what was happening."

"I didn't! I swear I didn't..." His plea was cut off as I snapped his neck; the sound was like a dry twig breaking.

I let his limp body drop to the ground, feeling both satisfied and hollow inside.

I stood tall, wiping the moisture away from my forehead, before searching around the college grounds for Travis. He would probably return to the frat house, so I headed there.

After several minutes of searching, I finally caught sight of him a few blocks away from the same frat house where I killed Kathleen. Without hesitation, I sprinted after him, determined to complete what I had set out to do. As I ran, my feet pounded against the pavement, and my gaze remained fixed on his back.

Closing in on him, I could see the panic in his movements and how he kept looking over his shoulder. He knew I was coming for him and what was in store. I let out a low growl, relishing the fear in his eyes as I tackled him to the ground. He landed with a thud, groaning. I yanked him off the ground.

"Please," he begged, his voice shaking. "I don't even know you. This is a mistake."

"You know exactly why I'm here," I spat, my voice dripping with venom. "You raped her, and now you're going to pay the price."

"I didn't--" His excuse was cut off as I swung my elbow into his face, breaking his nose. Blood gushed from his nostrils as he cried out in pain.

"Enough with the lies," I growled, grabbing his hair and pulling his head back. "You know what you did."

He gulped, tears streaming down his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, pressing my butterfly knife against his throat. My voice was low and dangerous. "Good luck in hell, fuckface."

He remained still, eyes wide in terror. Knowing there was no escape, his body trembled. I felt a cold chill run down my spine as my blade slashed his neck, slicing through skin and bone. His body shuddered as the life drained from him, the same way Lyric's life had been taken away from her.

Clenching my jaw, I let his body fall to the ground.

My heart was heavy with a mixture of sorrow and rage. I let out a deep breath, my eyes flickering from Travis's lifeless body to the campus, where four more bodies lay. Guilt tugged at my chest, but I quickly pushed it away. I was never one to feel the guilt of killing. It was almost as if I was hard-wired to do it.

Turning away, I removed my mask and walked away into the night.

Justice had been served. They were all dead, every one of them, and now my Reina could be free, and we could continue the hunt for all evil bastards.