The Ultimatum

Chapter 1: The Ultimatum

A woman, sitting on the corner of the rooftop railings looked at her wristwatch and sighed. It's almost three o'clock in the afternoon. She's now all sweaty because the weather was too hot.

She couldn't remember how much she cussed in her head while wiping her head. "Damn them," she mumbled and was about to pick up her revolver when her phone suddenly rang. Her brows raised as she took her phone from her pocket.

Despite the fact that she hasn't seen the screen, she already knows who's calling. But to be sure, she waited for the caller to speak first.

"Raven, it's me," a familiar voice of a man said.

"I know. What do you want, A?" she replied calmly opposite to the irritation she was feeling towards him right now.

"You need to come to the headquarters right after you finish your mission there," he commanded and ended the call. He was never the type to make conversations over the phone longer.

"That piece of sh*t" she thought and looked at the building seventy meters away from her. That man is her boss. He's also the reason why she's standing right now under the sun at the top of a rooftop. It was as if she was being burnt alive.

The man she called 'A' didn't allow her to do her job at night this time because he wanted to give her a challenge that would test her ability. For what reason? She doesn't know why. Doing her mission in broad daylight gives her a harder time escaping compared to doing it at night which is why she has to be far from her target.

Right now, her mission is to kill a businessman who owns a clothing company. Well, this man has a lot of competitors and enemies who want him dead. One of them is so desperate to get rid of him that he asked the organization to eliminate him.

It wasn't easy planning how Raven would assassinate him. As much as possible, no one should be able to see her because that would risk the organization from being exposed. She must be careful which is why it took her weeks to finally make a concrete plan.

Now, all she has to do is wait for the right time. She can only hear her watch ticking and when the right moment came she took her gun and pointed it in front. She couldn't see her target, but she knew that her position was right and accurate.

And sighed as she felt the cold breeze in front of her. Without thinking twice, she pulled the trigger without expressing any emotion on her face.

–

On the other hand, inside the conference room of Lientell Clothing Company, the body of the CEO suddenly fell on the floor upon entering the room. Everyone was shocked about how fast things happened and approached the man. But when they realized he didn't simply fall down on the floor, they scream in horror the moment they saw the man's blood pooling on the white-tiled floor.

One of them tried to peek out the window to discover the perpetrator of the attack, but the bright sunlight obscured the direction of the gunfire, leaving them unsure of where the gunman was. At the same moment, a hidden smile grew on the man's face as what he had always dreamed of came true.

–

"Mission accomplished," she told the person on the other line and hung up. After completing her mission, she left the building unnoticed since she disguised herself as one of the workers. This kind of thing is easy for her.

Raven must go back to the headquarters to report and to hear whatever her boss has to say. "It must be another mission," she thought.

People would probably think that an illegal organization would be hidden somewhere far away but in reality, it's just inside the capital. Their headquarters is hidden in the basement of a huge mall that is always crowded by people.

Who would have thought that an illegal transaction is going down here?

Well, the mastermind behind all of this has all the connections in the world which allows him to keep on his business. And no matter how Raven hates her job, she can't do anything but follow orders. She's just a tiny pest compared to them.

Wearing her casual clothes, Raven headed in the direction where the cinema was. The movie was already playing and it seemed like there were a lot of people watching inside. She took a card inside her wallet and showed it to the guy guarding the door.

The moment he saw the black card with the embossed hidden code of the organization, he moved away and let her in. She didn't even bother to look at the guy, then entered the door. She didn't look for a seat, instead, she went to the back door of the cinema swiftly. She just wants this over with and to head home.

When she opens the door, there is another door waiting for her which has to be unlocked using her card pass. And after that is an elevator that is going to take her to the basement where the headquarters is.

The moment she came in, all eyes were on her. But something about them makes Raven feel uneasy. All of the agents inside the headquarters were sitting at their desks and not saying anything. It's as if she's going to hear something she won't like or something bad is about to happen. But this is the same feeling she felt the first time she went here. How come she can feel it again now?

The tension makes her beat faster than usual so she tried to compose herself. The headquarters' gloomy atmosphere adds to it too despite the fact that it is modern and luxurious.

She mustn't look bothered by any of this or they will be able to see a sign of weakness and that is the last thing she wants.

Raven walked towards the office of the chairman of the organization known as A. He was the person who called Raven earlier. As usual, he's sitting on his swivel chair and taking a phone call.

He speaks over the phone as if he was no murderer. Just staying in the same room as him makes Raven want to puke. Words can't explain how despicable this man is.

She hated him but now she just doesn't want to strain herself from all of the negative emotion. It's been 8 years since she was stuck here and now she's tired of all of this. Raven just accepted the life she has now.

When the chairman saw her, he ended the call and greeted her with a smile on his face. He looks just like a typical businessman who wouldn't do something illegal. Only those who knew him would recognize his horns.

"What do you need from me now?"

"Sit first down, please," he uttered and fixed the documents on the table, and set it aside.

"No need. It's been a long day, A. I hope you won't waste my time." She didn't intend to sit and just stood in front of his desk waiting for whatever he was going to say.

He chuckled as if he expected her answer and sighed.

"Don't worry, because believe me, you're going to like what I'm going to say," he uttered and plastered a grin on his face, confusing her.

"What is he up to again?" she thought

"Just tell me what it is, A, and stop beating around the bush," she spoke in annoyance.

He smiled again and said, "I know you always want to be free from the organization."

"And what of it?"

"I can give you that," he said in a serious tone to prove he was not kidding making her raise an eyebrow.

Raven knew he wouldn't do such a thing unless it would benefit him. "What do you want me to do?"

What she said made him laugh. "You know me eh," he responded.

"Of course. You won't do anything for free, so tell me," she uttered sternly. Of course, she would do anything, anything to set her and her brother away from all of this.

The chairman smiled as if he already know the ending of this conversation. He knows that he will get what he wants.

"Very well then. This is your ultimatum. Assassinate Geniere Arthur Falcon, and I will allow you and your brother to cut ties with the organization with a million dollars in your pocket. Are you gonna do it or not?"

--

End of Chapter 1