The Disguised Assassin

Chloe woke up in her room. She opened her eyes slowly as they tried adjusting to the bright light seeping through her window from the sun. She looked around her as she tried recalling all that had happened.

“What freaking happened?” Chloe muttered as she slowly sat up on her bed. Her leg ached surprisingly and she raised the duvet from her body. Her lap was bandaged and it hurt badly. It was then everything came back to her. The mission, the gun shot, the cake, the vodka.

Chloe groaned as she felt a light headache. She held her head as the room began to spin. “Maybe I should just lie back down for a little bit,” she said to herself as she laid her head back on her pillow. Suddenly, she heard her mom calling her name.

“Chloe,” she called out. “Are you awake?” Chloe groaned in response.

‘What does she want now?’ she thought. ‘I’m sick and she’s still after me.’

“What do you want us to do with this painting?” her mother shouted from downstairs.

‘Freckles,’ Chloe muttered. She had totally forgotten about the painting.

“Bring it up here for me,” she shouted in response. “I’m gonna hang it on my wall.” Soon after, Chloe heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and before long, her mother arrived at her door with the painting in one hand, a cup of coffee on the other and a large smile on her face.

“Care for some coffee,” her mother said as she approached Chloe. She dropped the painting on the ground and placed the coffee on her bed. “How are you feeling now?”

“A little sore,” Chloe croaked. “But it’s nothing I can handle it.”

Her mother chuckled and said, “yeah, I know.” She held Chloes cheeks and smiled as she said, “you’ve always proven that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chloe muttered. “Now stop the whole motherly stuff. You know how I feel around all these.”

Her mother laughed and said, “I also know that deep beneath all these show of hard core and demonstrations of no emotions, there’s a little girl down there. One who is full of love.” Chloe looked at her mother with her brow raised.

“You do know who you’re talking about, right?” Chloe asked and Diana chuckled.

“Oh, I know,” she said as she smiled. “I am your mother and I trained you to be hard core but that doesn’t mean there is no love down there.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Chloe muttered. “Where’s dad?” she asked as the last time she saw him was before she had passed out.

“He’s downstairs going through the documents you brought,” Diana answered.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s in those documents anyways?” Chloe asked and Dianas mood suddenly changed.

Chloe didn’t seem to notice it as she said, “you guys told me before the mission that I shouldn’t look inside it. What’s so important that it is kept a secret?”

“Nothing, Chloe,” Diana answered quickly. Chloe looked at her and noticed the now serious look she had on. “There is no secret, alright? Just take your mind off of it.”

“But I just–”

“Just nothing, Chloe. I don’t want you ever speaking of that again,” Diana said sternly with all manner of seriousness. Chloe looked at her and raised her hands in defeat.

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered as she brought her raised hands down. “I won’t talk about it anymore. Just that I want to in on this secret stuff. I mean, you guys never keep anything away from me and–” Diana looked at her sternly and Chloe moved her hands across her lips as if zipping it. “My lips are sealed.”

“That’s good,” Diana muttered as her large smile immediately returned. “When you’re strong enough to move, your father would like to speak to you downstairs,” Diana said as she got off the bed. She then picked the coffee and placed it on Chloe’s body gently.

“You know, you’re actually much more scary than I am,” Chloe muttered as she picked the coffee and sipped it.

“Well, I am your mother, aren’t I?” Diana said as she winked at her and began exiting the room.

“Yup,” Chloe muttered as she took another sip of her coffee. “Definitely much more scarier than me.” She looked at her coffee and smiled. “Mmmm. Black.”

*********

Chloe limped down the stairs into the living room. As she arrived, the smile on her face with which she came down with suddenly disappeared.

“Jake motherfucking Henshaw,” she muttered.

“Hello, Chlo,” Jake said as he grinned. “Heard you got shot last night. How are you healing up?”

“My name isn’t freaking Chlo, Jake. I know you’re too lazy to add the ‘e’ at the end but it’s Chloe,” Chloe muttered as she resumed her limping down the stairs. “And I’m healing up just fine. As you can see, I’m not dead.”

“Surprisingly, yes,” Jake said as he chuckled. “Was expecting last nights mission to be your last but you just made it your freaking nine hundredth.” Jakes smile suddenly disappeared. “You always do not meet my expectations.”

“Oh, I’m sorry that I’m just too good at what I do,” Chloe said as she grinned widely. “You on the other hand,” Chloe tskked, “you are just… you.”

“Oh, you wanna go head on?” Jake shouted as he walked up to Chloe, his eyes red with anger. “You wanna try me?”

“Oh, I can take you on with my eyes closed,” Chloe replied as she limped towards him.

“No fighting in my house,” Dennis shouted as he walked into the living room, just in time to break up the fight that was about to ensue between them. “You two better behave yourselves.”

“Why don’t you tell that to Ms. Bulletthigh here?” Jake shouted angrily.

“Ms. Bulletthigh?” Chloe muttered. “Well, thank you, Sir Fucksalot.”

“Why, you,” Jake said between clenched teeth as he rushed towards Chloe. Dennis rushed and held Jake just as he was about punching Chloe.

“Don’t you touch my daughter, Jake,” Dennis said. “You lay your hand on her and I fucking kill you.” Jake stared into Dennis’ red eyes before pulling his hand from his grip.

“You tell her to shut her big mouth then,” he muttered as he walked to a couch and sat on it. Dennis sighed and turned to Chloe who shrugged.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Come sit down,” he muttered as he turned and walked to the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.” He paused just as he was about entering the kitchen and said, “and don’t freaking spoil my furniture if you guys fight,” and then he walked into the kitchen.

Chloe stumbled to the couch opposite Jake and sat down on it, maintaining eye contact with him all the way. Chloe was about saying something to Jake when Dennis walked into the room with Diana following closely behind her.

“You guys didn’t break anything?” Diana said as she and her husband sat on the three sitter on the left side of Chloe’s couch. “That’s one miracle today.”

“Well, I threatened them,” Dennis said as he adjusted himself on the seat. “They break anything and I throw them out of the house.”

“Like you would,” Diana muttered and Dennis sighed.

“Let’s just get down to business, shall we?” Dennis said as he brought out a file from a bag that was sitted on the ground beside him and dropped it on the table opposite them. “Jake, why don’t you tell everyone what you told me today?”

“Alright,” Jake said as he grabbed the documents from the table. “I did some research after last night as you told me too and I found some shocking discoveries.”

“Which are?” Chloe asked impatiently.

“I’m getting there, goddammit,” Jake shouted. He then recollected himself and continued, “I found out that we have a freaking mole in the gang.”