Kill Contract

The Mission | 5

If you were one of those kids whose hearts raced whenever they played a simple game of hide and seek with their friends, then you know the paranoia and anxiety that it gives you.

For Austin, this was ten times worse.

Sneaking around the dark hallways, ears pricked and eyes darting everywhere, not knowing exactly where he was going. The green tint made everything even eerier.

The worst thing was, if anyone saw him, he couldn't even knock them out, or risk a yell that would awaken the rest of the palace.

It was simply hide...run...and don't be seen.

Light spilled out from an arch on the left, and the music got louder. If he could get a quick peek and locate the target-

A shadow fell on the ground before him, and he jumped back behind an open door, heart pounding.

A waiter holding dishes walked the other way, probably towards the kitchen.

The hallway was getting too lit for his black clothes. Austin looked both ways, and then melted into the shadows of another hall.

Tense minutes passed without much, but Austin's imagination was driving him crazy. Did that face really poke behind that door to look at him? Whose footsteps were those? Why was the music getting quieter?

Then, he saw them, and inhaled sharply.

Two guards. Strolling down the hall towards him, guns dangling on their belts.

Austin dove into the first empty room and found a cupboard to climb on, next to the door.
He took out the chloroform lotion, and spread it on his gloves.

His fingers were shaking.

Let's see that Assaulting and Silencing class in action.

The footsteps became quicker and heavier, with some Korean muttering that sounded indecipherable from such a distance. One thing was evident: they'd seen something.

The creak of a door echoed in the hallway. And then another.

...and another.

Closer...

He thought he was going to have a heart attack.

The handle of his door jerked.

Austin held his breath.

The door swiveled open, and the guards took several steps inside. But they weren't stupid. While Austin had the advantage when it was dark, the guard did what any regular person would do.

He flicked on the light.

Austin jumped on them and locked his arms around their necks, clapping his hands over their faces. They reacted with furious elbowing and struggling, making strangled sounds. Austin kicked their legs out and pinned them to the floor.

"Stop!"

Austin raised his head to find a third man at the doorway, holding a gun. Austin lifted his hands from the two guard's faces; they inhaled deeply, and passed out.

The third one fired.