I slowly approached the company's main entrance. Before going in, I glanced at the front desk and cursed inwardly. Since it wasn't a busy hour, the receptionists would likely focus their full attention on me. There were two of them. One was an older woman who, although not currently dealing with visitors, kept herself strictly occupied with filing records and preparing forms, occasionally shooting fiery, disapproving looks at her coworker, who was a younger, elegant woman with long red hair, large earrings, pronounced black eyelashes, a delicate nose, and small cherry-colored lips. She was staring at her phone with a disappointed pout, constantly swiping left with a motion that suggested she was on a dating app.
I smiled, instantly determining my best approach. I unbuttoned the top few buttons of my uniform shirt and rolled up my sleeves, making sure the fabric tightened around my forearms. I walked confidently toward the young receptionist. She did not notice me at first, but as I stepped up to the desk, her work instinct kicked in. She looked up, and a small, appreciative smile tugged at her lips.
I mirrored it, flashing a bright, easy smile. "Good evening."
She was momentarily distracted before blinking and replying, "How can I help you?"
I leaned casually against the counter, extending my arms and making sure she had a clear view of my posture. "I am here to fix the issue with the HVAC system."
The older lady looked up, her eyes narrowing. "You are not the usual person who comes for that."
The red-haired receptionist rolled her eyes, shooting her coworker an irritated look.
I chuckled, keeping my attention entirely on the redhead. "Well, if I knew there were such pleasant receptionists working this desk, I would have asked to be transferred to this zone a long time ago. I am Isaac, by the way."
I slid my forged ID card across the smooth marble. Luckily, she barely glanced at it before her eyes flicked back to me, her finger almost unintentionally tracing her delicate chin.
I extended my large, calloused hand. Instead of just returning the ID, she reached out and took my hand, her grip lingering. "I am Jessica."
"It is really nice meeting you, Jessica. I am sure it would be even nicer if we did this again in much more pleasant surroundings."
The older receptionist's mouth fell open in indignation as she watched Jessica chuckle and twirl a strand of red hair around her finger. Marching closer, the senior woman squinted at me. "You look a bit young. And why are you wearing tinted glasses inside?"
I could not exactly tell her that the sleek, dark aviators, which perfectly framed my chiseled jawline, were a custom design. They emitted a continuous infrared blast, making it impossible for the older security cameras in the building to capture my face clearly. The fashionable tint simply hid the embedded hardware.
Jessica came to the rescue, shooting her coworker another offended glare.
Before the tension could build, I smoothly pulled the dark glasses off, hanging them on my shirt collar while keeping my cap angled just low enough to obscure my face from the overhead lenses. I offered the older woman a harmless grin. "I eat an apple a day, get plenty of sleep, and hit the gym. Plus, seeing Jessica here just brightened up my whole evening. The glasses are just for a wicked headache. Partied a bit too hard yesterday, you know."
Jessica laughed a bright, airy sound, while the old receptionist grunted, clearly outmatched, and walked back to her files.
I pulled a spare business card from my pocket and slid it over to Jessica, whose eyes were still firmly stuck on me. "Here is my card. Call me anytime you need anything fixed. I am nothing if not accommodating."
A tinge of red rushed to her cheeks as she finally handed back my ID.
"Hey, Jessy?" I asked, my voice dropping just a fraction. "Is it okay if I call you that?"
She nodded quickly. "I actually really like being called that."
"It suits you," I replied with a warm smile. Then, I casually shifted to business. "Can I get access to the upper floors? I usually need to check the master units up there just in case the cascade failure is coming from a cross connection. Security is always a stickler about that kind of stuff, and I would hate to have to come all the way back down and bother you again."
"You cannot just go up beyond your designated service area," the older receptionist started, her voice rising in anger.
Before she could finish, Jessica hushed her with a dismissive wave of her hand. Leaning over the desk, her face still slightly flushed, she handed me a specialized visitor access badge. She slid it toward me with a small, conspiratorial wink. "Just do not let my manager catch you wandering around up there, okay?"
"Thanks, Jessy. You are a lifesaver," I replied smoothly.
I picked up my heavy toolkit and walked purposefully toward the security gates flanking the elevators. The charming, easygoing smile vanished the second I turned my back. By the time I faced the security guards, I had already adapted to the room, seamlessly shifting into a look of sympathetic exhaustion. As I hoisted the case onto the stainless steel inspection table, I let out a weary, practiced sigh.
"Sorry for being late, guys," I said, pitching my voice to sound tired but friendly. "I know the suits upstairs must have been giving you a hard time because of the heat."
One of the guards, a heavy-set man sweating slightly into his uniform collar, let out a frustrated breath. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no management was around before leaning in. "Man, you are a sight for sore eyes. And yeah, they have been extra miserable today, and they made sure we feel the same."
He hurriedly checked my ID and stepped around the table to begin the pat-down, waving a handheld metal detector over my body.
"No worries," I replied smoothly, raising my arms. "I will get the system fixed up in no time."
At the table, the second guard had popped the latches on my toolkit. He let out a low whistle, eyeing the modified industrial nail gun resting alongside the wrenches and gauges. "Some serious hardware you got in here."
I offered a casual, self-deprecating shrug. "I actually had to pay out of pocket for most of that. But hey, it helps me get the job done twice as fast. Saves me enough time to grab a drink or two before heading home."
The first guard chuckled, lowering the handheld metal detector. "I hear that. These wands give false positives half the time anyway." He stepped aside, waving me through the checkpoint. "You are all good, man."
"Thanks," I replied with an easy, genuine-looking smile, grabbing the handle of my toolkit. "Get ready to hear the good news from upstairs. And hey, if we ever run into each other at a pub, which is a pretty high chance, the first round is on me."
The guards laughed, their posture completely relaxed as I walked past the turnstiles. I offered them a two-finger salute over my shoulder.
But the moment I stepped into the empty elevator and the polished steel doors slid shut, the friendly contractor vanished. I stared at my reflection in the metal, my eyes returning to a cold, dead focus.
I reached my target's floor using the specialized access card Jessica had given me. Glancing around, I quickly located the restrooms and slipped into an empty stall. I opened my toolkit and pulled out a thin, clear raincoat, fastening it tightly over my uniform. I attached a long barrel to my weapon, specifically designed to accommodate the modified aerodynamic spikes. Taking a deep breath, I lit a cigarette, burning through most of it in quick, heavy drags. I stood on the toilet seat and blew a massive, concentrated plume of thick smoke directly into the smoke detector.
The deafening shriek of the fire alarm instantly pierced the air.
I stepped out of the restroom to find the floor in complete chaos. Employees were confused. Some looked annoyed, while others hastily abandoned their desks. I slipped seamlessly into the rushing crowd as the automated security voice urged everyone to evacuate in a prompt but orderly manner.
I walked slowly against the current of people, heading straight toward the target's corner office.
As the hallway finally emptied out, I set my toolkit down and gripped the heavy, modified nail gun. It was fully prepped. The contact safety tip had been completely stripped away. Powered by a high-voltage battery and a pressurized gas cylinder, the custom tool utilized a heavy-duty industrial spring to violently strike the valve. It was designed to dump the gas pressure instantly, launching custom, aerodynamically designed steel spikes with devastating kinetic force.
Closing my eyes, I let the focused rage run through me. The blare of the alarms faded, replaced by the phantom sound of my own screaming and weeping as I tried to identify what was left of my sister's body. When I opened my eyes, a dark shadow overwhelmed them. I focused completely on my task, using that darkness as fuel for what was to come.
I rounded the corner, keeping the heavy weapon pointed at the floor and hidden behind my leg. The two security guards stationed at the door, waiting for their boss to emerge, spotted me immediately. I maintained my pace, doing my best to close the distance. The first man opened his mouth, raising a hand to question my presence or intercept me.
He never got the chance.
I snapped my arm up. The weapon kicked in my grip. A subsonic, hardened steel spike punched deep into the guard's throat, lodging heavily in his spine. With nowhere for the projectile to exit, the raw kinetic impact dumped straight into his body, slamming him violently against the wall. His eyes went wide in shock as he desperately grasped at his ruined windpipe.
The second guard panicked and reached for his holster. I shifted my aim, firing a spike straight into his right eye. The heavy projectile buried itself in his skull, the mechanical thwack completely masked by the screaming sirens. Before his knees could even buckle, I launched another round into his throat.
I stepped forward, moving with practiced, ruthless efficiency. The first guard was sliding down the wall, looking up at me as if begging for his life.
"You were not involved in my sister's death, so you will die fast," I whispered, pressing the muzzle toward his forehead. "You have no idea how much self-control this takes. I am perfectly, wonderfully calm right now." I pulled the trigger with a smile, burying a spike deep into his brain. His eyes rolled back, and his legs twitched before going still. Without breaking stride, I turned the gun to the side and fired a final shot into the second guard's temple. The heavy subsonic round shattered his skull with a sickening crunch, instantly dropping his lifeless body to the floor.
The entire sequence took only a few seconds. All my training, all the hours spent mastering the range and recoil and customizing the weapon to perfectly fit the task, culminated in a perfect, brutal execution.
Suddenly, the heavy office door ripped open, breaking an acoustic seal that worked flawlessly in both directions. A sudden blast of heated shouting spilled into the hallway, and my prey stepped out, completely oblivious to the executions that had just taken place inches from his boots. His face was twisted in anger, a massive, bald bodyguard looming right beside him.
He froze. "What the fuck?"
The dark rage boiling inside me finally surfaced, twisting my lips into a predatory smile. I raised the nail gun, driving two spikes straight through the heart of the bodyguard, who was already reaching for his gun. I instantly followed them with a third directly between his eyes. As the massive man crumbled, my free hand shot forward like a viper. I grabbed my shocked prey by the throat in an iron grip, violently shoving him backward into the office. The impact cut off his scream before it could even begin.