Blood Oath (Ruby Rose/Ares fan fic)

Five

Ares is staring directly at me but she keeps an inscrutable face, I have no idea what's she's thinking but probably I'm overwhelming her because I'm talking too much again. I smile kindly, nod with my head and turn around to go to my bedroom, bending over to pick up my cats that are rubbing their bodies against my legs. I've barely moved when I hear the slightly metallic-like voice of the device:

"Wouldn't it be easier if we use a traditional pen and a notebook?"

I look up to the ceiling as if I were considering her proposal before smiling and answering:

"I'd rather use technology." I leave her alone without another word, closing my bedroom door behind me. I take a deep breath while Bonny and Josie jump on my bed, I need to change my clothes but what I should wear to hang out with an assassin? Finally I choose something simple and comfortable: a pair of jeans, a blue shirt and my Vans. I take my phone and open the door, sticking my head out cautiously: she's nowhere to be seen; she's likely hanging her clothes in the closet or alphabetizing her weapons... I don't know what assassins do in their free time. Heaving a sigh I sit down on my chair and try to focus on my job: just a few seconds later I'm typing nonstop and ignoring whatever it's happening behind me.

l don't know how long I've been sitting here when finally I'm aware that there's someone standing by my side. I turn my chair slightly to find Ares looking mesmerized at my six screens, she's wearing black sweatpants and a black tank top since it's hot in here due to all these electronic equipment running. She's holding a plate in her hands, while biting the sandwich that she must've made in the kitchen, so I've been focused on my job for a while now and I didn't hear her walking through my apartment. While she seems unable to take her eyes off my screens I can't take mines off her tattoos, who would have thought that a whole world of colour was hidden under her dark clothes. It's highly probable that she hides them to make more difficult for her enemies to identify her during a job but it's a pity. Suddenly, she tilts her head to stare at me, swallows a piece of her dinner and leaves the sandwich on her plate. Then she points at the screens with a questioning look.

"Yes, of course, I'll explain you. Take that chair and sit down here, next to me. That screen shows the stock exchange listings, those're important not only because they affect the economy but because most of the Company members invest and clean their dirty money by means of legal companies so I always keep an eye on international markets. This shows airports traffic, obviously I can't control all the passengers from all the airports in the world but I follow the movements of the members of the High Table and also some 'persons of interest,' as Winston calls them. Every time they get on a plane, or they arrive to an airport or they rent a private jet, I know it. Ant this one... well, obviously it's the security camera of the Continental Hotel, I also watch the back door. And I can change the image to show you the Continental in Rome, Paris, Venice or Vienna. Those are the international news channels, I also follow them on Twitter; stay up to date is crucial in my job. I use this screen to track down the money and bank transfers, for example that light flickering on the corner tells me that Aidan Finn has received a very considerable sum of money, actually is the return of your payment for the job. And finally, this screen is focused on phone companies and call-tracking, thanks to that I know that Aidan is having problems with finding a new killer; apparently Winston has spread the word that you're here and nobody dares to accept it and fight you to kill me."

Ares smiles hearing that, it took her years to build a reputation of badass girl, with a lot of effort and wok involved, and now she's reaping the rewards. Luckily, they'll leave me alone knowing that she's with me.

"I use this laptop for general searches, whatever it's the hot topic I'm working on, and this one stores all the information I have from the Middle East and weapons dealers since that's my priority right now. And this one's for you if you want it, the charger is on that table. It stores lot of series and films, also music and books; I didn't know what you like so I chose a little bit of everything." The assassin nods, placing her hand on the laptop while she smiles and keeps eating her sandwich. I lean to the other side to open the door of the little fridge under the table and I take a bottle of water that I place next to her plate. Ares types something on the device I handed her before:

"Thank you. What's the brand of your phone?" She stares confused at the phone I'm holding in my hand.

"I made it myself with components of different brands. Essentially, it's an Android device but it's has much more capacity, speed and can do a lot of things. It can connect with my computers and the house alarms, it encodes my texts and calls, it stores all the passwords I need to hack into several institutions of the State, banks and big companies, it also receives radio communications from the police and firefighters in order to be the first one to know about a gunfire and things like that. I also make calls, read my emails, take pictures and sent texts of course. That tablet is more or less the same only bigger and less manageable, I use it when I go upstairs but want to stay online. And those screens on that side table are the security cameras of the house and the perimeters."

My guest seems to be very interested in these cameras since they're going to facilitate the task of protecting me. It takes a few minutes for me to show her where they're placed, explaining her how they cover every angle, how they can switch to night mode and that some of them can move to focus other places. The programme can be easily handled and she learns quickly to control it. Smart girl. Suddenly she frowns and points one camera towards a building located a few streets away. She types furiously her communication device:

"Can you keep a camera looking at that building?" I nod enthusiastically since that's easy for me; just because I can and I want to show off to impress her, I search for the cameras near the entrance of that building: there's one on a traffic light that covers partially the sidewalk and another one from a cash machine that gives an image of the main door. "Can you check if there's a back door with cameras? And the ones from the parking, can you hack them too?" I nod again, of course I can. My fingers fly over my keyboard and it only takes me eight minutes to give her what she wants. Ares stares at the images frowning.

"What's the matter with that building?" She looks at me in silence, lost in her thoughts, till she starts typing her answer.

"A sniper would have a clear shot from that building to your house and it's out of your security perimeters."

"From there? But it's almost a mile away!" I answer shocked.

"I could do it with a Barret M95," claims the metallic voice. I look at her astonished, I didn't know she was a sniper too, that's something I have to add to her file. "Are your windows 50-caliber bullet-proof?"

"Yes, the ones from the main floor are made with ALON. Winston screamed blue murder because it was very expensive but then he commissioned the same material for his car windows. The ones from the second floor are standard bullet-proof."

"You won't go that floor while you're under my protection." She's looking right into my eyes, deadly serious; her eyes are cold and menacing again. I swallow hard and nod vigorously to show her that I'll obey without question. I turn my chair to focus again on my screens but Ares hand on my shoulder, digging her fingertips slightly on my flesh, stops me. She shakes her head pointing at the clock on the wall and then at my bedroom door. To be honest, I usually work till my eyes close from exhaustion and I end up sleeping on this chair with my head on the table or on the couch because I'm too tired to reach my bed. My apparently my new bodyguard isn't willing to tolerate this habit of mine. All right, I guess it's time to go to bed; I'll take my phone and my tablet with me anyway and the alarms will warn me if there's something new.

"Good night," I whisper and she nods in response. I get into my bedroom leaving my door slightly open since Bonny and Josie spend the night coming and going, I can't keep it close unless I want to hear annoying meows all night long. Yawning, I take off my clothes and I put on a well-worn oversize T-shirt before getting into bed. Today has been an exciting day and I'm exhausted, it won't take long for me to fall asleep above all because I've this feeling of safety. "It's funny," I think almost asleep already, "so many alarms, so many bullet-proof windows and steel lined doors and the only thing I needed to sleep without worries was an assassin in the next room."