The Quietess (Short Story)
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The leaky pipes echoed throughout the abandoned warehouse as if reaffirming how dead the building was – like the town itself. An ominous silence weighed heavily in the air as men in suits and thugs in street clothes stared each other down on either side. There was a single light fixture illuminating the area, but it was just enough for the men to see.
“You had one job!” a man standing in front of the other suits said. “Flood the streets with drugs to make it docile enough for our people to conduct experiments without raising suspicion.”
“My man,” the lead of the gang said. “Don’t be comin’ up in my face with that higher authority bull!” He took a few steps up to the man in the suit, planted his feet and cocked his head to the side. “Check the facts. It’s y’all’s fault you gotta loose end runnin’ around.”
“Excuse me!”
The men in suits took out silencers from their inner coat pockets, holding it at their side as a warning. The mob of gangsters took out hand guns and AK-47s. The leader of men in suits raised a hand to put them at ease. The head gangster did the same by motioning with his head.
“There’s no need for this. If you gotta problem, you can use the discreteness of our resources to take it out. Deal?”
The thuggish man stared down at the suited man’s hand as he reached out for a handshake. He pondered for a second and then nodded his head, returning the handshake.
Pew!
The sound of a gunshot whizzed in the air and hit the only light fixture. Sparks flew in all directions, causing the bulb to blink in and out. The men darted eyes at each other, guns drawn, thinking either side did it.
Ahhh!
Suddenly, a thug shouted out in pain and was pulled back by a force behind him into the dark corridors of the room. A quick snap of what sounded like a broken bone cut the man’s agonizing screams short. Both sides started shooting at the dark where the man was taken. Silence took control of the room again as they ceased fire. Just when they dropped their guards, a figure dropped down in the middle between them. The flickering light allowed the lead suited man to catch glimpses of this person for a split second.
His jaw dropped as the figure was dressed head to toe in black. The attire was mostly concealing but the curves revealed the likelihood of a woman’s body. The figure turned her head to his direction. The infamous ninja-like black mask covered her face as he mouthed, “Quietess?”
Shots sprayed across either side of the room. Quietess instinctively rolled out and away from the middle; back to the shadows. Her tactic caused men from both sides to inadvertently fire at each other while trying to take her out. Their numbers dwindled. She activated a device in her hand, causing the remaining men’s guns to jam. The lead suited man was caught in the crossfire. He attempted to crawl to safety while he heard the echoes of his remaining allies being picked off one by one.
Pleads of mercy, cries of pain, and little resistance resounded within the walls. A body plopped right in front of him, halting his escape. He raised two fingers and placed it on the body’s neck. A pulse could still be felt. He sensed her behind him as he turned on his back to face his reaper.
The flickering light behind her became dim, giving her an eerie, almost supernatural vibe to her presence like death. She took off her mask, revealing the distinguished short, silky black hair and light brown eyes which were piercing straight through him. She continued to observe him as his pupils were widened with fear, but his teeth were gritting in anger.
“If you’re out for blood, why keep them alive, huh?!”
“That look,” she said.
He looked back, confused.
“It must have been the same look my kids had when the order was given.”
“What the hell are you talking ab -”
Boom!
The sound of the shot ricocheted throughout the dead warehouse. She continued to stare at the fear frozen on his face. Sirens could be heard at a distance. Putting her mask back on, she fled the scene.
Reginald andah 