The Modern Scheherazade

Day, Mother, Thorn

Hello again,
This story will be the first out of three, or maybe four. I haven't really decided yet. It's about a girl who strives to be the best, her team and a boy in the middle of a mess he doesn't even know exists.

I really hope you enjoy it. That's why I tell stories, to make people forget their troubles for a little bit.

The thing Martina Guerrero Chavez feared most as a child was being one of the people her Padre ranted about to her Mama.

"¡Incompetencia!" (Incompetence!) he would exclaim. Slamming his fist on the table. And that would be the start to a long evening.

She figured that one day, when she was little, he left for work and never came home. Not really.
Sure his body was there with them, but his mind never left his office.

He still found enough emotion to rant though.

At first the yelling scared little Martina, but it didn't take long to get used to.

Then after a while her Padre didn't come home at five o'clock like he used too.

Or six,

Or seven.

He came home at eight everyday.

Martina realized she liked this better, she felt less scared. Then she felt ashamed. She was scared of her own padre!

That's what drove her to not have to be scared of anything. To be the most dangerous thing out there.

She didn't realize at the time that was what not being scared of anything meant.

Martina drove herself to be the most competent, at least, more competent than her Padre. To be able to do or understand almost anything.

And that didn't shape her personality the way you would think.

She realized that being sweet and caring would get you farther than being intimidating. People would trust you more and give you more information, be more willing to do things for you.

Despite this, Martina had a fire in her that couldn't be stopped. And that's what attracted the attention of the AIO, or the American Intelligence Organization.

The American Intelligence Organization was an organization so secret even the Vice President didn't know about it. They'd watch children from a young age then recruited them when they turn sixteen.

Some to be analysts or hackers, others to be assassins.

Martina was chosen to be an assassin and needless to say, she decided she would be the best.

There were were consequences of course.

Guilt. Nightmares.

All apart of the job.

She found a way to work past it and her hard work paid off. By the time she was nineteen Martina was the best and known throughout the Intelligence community as The Angel of Death. Which she found both amusing and cliché.

Being the best did have it's perks, such as being able to be picky about her assignments.

The Angel of Death was only a threat to the deserving.

Martina made it quite clear that the only people she would kill only the people's who's actions hurt others, not someone who's death would only be good for the AIO.

That's why she was suspicious when she was assigned to assassinate Jackson Loyd. Jackson Loyd was the estranged son of the extremely wealthy CEO, Thomas Loyd.

Martina wasn't sure if Thomas Loyd was deserving or not and even less sure that his son, estranged son no less, was either. But, she agreed to the assignment anyways. She of all people knew never to judge a book by it's cover. So she and her team got ready.

Each team at the AIO was made up of three different people, the assassin, the hacker and the analysts. And if you asked Martina she would swear up and down that her team was the best.

First was Samar Tawfeek, her hacker. Martina would swear that girl was magic. In her early days at the AIO most questioned Samar's loyalty because of her religion (Muslim) and her Shaudi Arabian background. She quickly showed the pettiness of that belief. Her sense of humor was more on the insulting side, which earned her enemies. But her honesty gained her respect none the less.

Then there was her analyst, Enola Kituah. Martina thought she had what it took to make a great assassin, but with just one look at her target and she could tell you things about them that they didn't know themselves. So it was obvious the majority of her talent was in analysis. She may seem like a stiff, rule abiding, no-nonsense type of person, but she had a definite rebellious streak. For example, The AIO was big on uniforms, but that never stopped her from wearing the traditional moccasins her grandmother made her.

The beginning of the assignment is critical, arguably the most delicate part. You have to make an impression, a strong one at that. But you can't seem like you're trying.

So Enola had the brilliant plan to move into the empty apartment next to his, Which had just become free because of...reasons. That way Martina taking an interest in Jackson will be anything but suspicious.

She "moved in" soon after.

Jackson greeted her as she was moving her stuff from the trucks to her new apartment and immediately offered to help. That didn't seem like someone worthy of her interference.

She accepted the help gratefully and introduced herself as Constanza Avila. As they worked started to talk more and more. After a while they were doing more talking than moving.

It took ages for them to get finished, but once they did, they sat in Martina's new kitchen and finished their conversation.

Jackson was very passionate she noticed. And when he got excited he would talk with his hands. Once he accidentally hit himself in the face and Martina couldn't stop giggling.

He seemed to know exactly what to say to make her laugh and what stories would keep her engrossed the longest.

It was simple psychology, but she was still impressed.

He finally went back to his apartment around Dinnertime. Right before he left he is invited her out to dinner that Saturday.

Martina was surprised by this, it was going faster than she thought it would. She said yes, gave him a flirty yet sweet smile and slipped back into her apartment.

He was making this too easy.