The Vanguard Vixen

Deception I

Vivian, Hayley and a whimpering Vincent had taken a place in one of the larger offices of the bank. Or rather Vivian sat by the window, head laid on her wrist, staring at something outside while Hayley tried to stop Vincent from bleeding to death.

"Did you have to shoot him?"

"I told him I would if he tried to run," Vivian replied calmly, not looking away from the window. "It went right through his side. I didn't aim for any major organs."

Hayley had managed to locate a First Aid box and was patching up the wounds on Vincent's midriff. He had almost screamed his lungs out when she began with the antiseptic, so Vivian had gagged him with a roll of bandages, in addition to having bound him with some zip locks she had found. Hayley had wanted to object, but the other woman seemed not to be in the best of moods.

"Where did you find him?" Hayley asked Vivian.

"Someone wanted to kill him. He called me."

Hayley stared down at Vincent, and rapped her knuckles on his forehead. Vincent's muffled complaints did nothing to help.

"That's for calling an assassin where you would need a bodyguard."

Hayley removed the gag from his mouth and immediately Vincent spat out the words, "She's both!"

Hayley knocked Vincent's forehead once more.
'That's for testing a killer's word. You could have died."

"What do you care?" Vincent snapped.

"You have something of mine," Hayley told him.

Vincent's eyed opened in bewilderment.
"I don't even know who you are!"

Hayley lowered her voice.
"Well it's not really mine," she laughed. "There's this person who says they know you."

"Who?" Vincent pressed, obviously agitated with the suspense.

Hayley pushed the bandage roll back into his mouth before speaking.
"Athena."

Vincent gasped and tried to pull himself away from Hayley, but he was in a corner, and there was nowhere to run to. Hayley pressed her thumb firmly onto his wound, making him squirm and moan in pain.

"Quiet, both of you."

You could hear a pin drop across the hall at the moment. It had been a simple request, but felt more of a command to Hayley. She found that she was holding her breath, and she only released it a few seconds later when Vivian lowered her hand. Her focus on the outside had been peaked, and it was clear something was wrong. She waved Hayley towards her.

"Come see this."

Hayley stood in front of the glass and peered outside, but saw nothing out of the original.
"I don't see-"

Vivian banged Hayley's head on the glass, leaving a spherical web of cracks there. Hayley crumpled to the floor in an undignified heap as Vivian pulled a shocked Vincent to his feet. She undid the bindings around his hands and feet, and then yanked the gag from his mouth.

"Who was that?" He glared at Vivian.

Vivian explained as she dragged him towards the door.
"Seems like the bounty on your head is bigger than even mine. She was going to kill you. It doesn't matter who she is."

"She knew you, and you know her."

Vivian hurried Vincent down deserted halls and corridors, and stopped to pick a few of the guns she had taken from the guards. She had left them laid out on different tables, disassembled just in case any of the security got free. As far as she knew, no ordinary bank guard could assemble even a pistol. She got to putting them back together, quickly snapping the pieces in their places and lining up the complete weapons on the side.

"She said she worked for Athena," Vincent said. Vivian heard the tremor in his voice without a doubt.

"I know."

"You couldn't have-" Vincent began, but Vivian raised her left hand. The watch. He shook his head in disbelief and reached out to touch it. He received a warning look for his efforts.

"She was in communication with three or four other people. She relayed the info that she had seen you, and later the order came from Athena." Vivian paused to twist and turn a sleek sharp edged knife with both hands. She then added it to the rapidly growing arsenal on the side. "She would kill you as soon as she got those lists."

"Why does everyone want those now? There's a perfectly good deposit of digital accounts right there." Vincent pointed back where they had come from.

Vivian sighed as she went on to the next table, with Vincent hot on her heels.

"What?" Vincent shrugged. "I always though I'd die in some failed robbery or something like that. Never did I think someone would want anything but my money from me."

"You're very rich Vincent," Vivian began. "The money gives you power. However information gives more power than even money."

Vivian did something with her watch and produced a tiny blue chip. Vincent tried to grab it but was awfully slow.
"That's mine."

"It's no ones," Vivian said. "This much power would be too much for the world to handle. Now, only the Vanguard and Mainstream are aware of its existence. One group too many, thanks to your security incompetence."

"You turned down a full time job Vivian," Vincent countered. "I had to work with what I had."

"And Haraka? He eventually tried to kill you."

Vincent lightly tapped his side where a crimson stain had formed.
"So did you."

Vivian rolled her eyes and ignored him.
"I have this one though, and that makes it extremely difficult to get. So everyone goes on to the next best thing. The chip can blackmail entire territories, whereas your lists have details that would hold those on it ransom."

Vincent nodded in understanding.
"Victoria has the lists. She stole them, right under my nose!"

"I figured."

Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"It was you. You shot my Director of Arms."

"She would have been killed by Haraka anyway. Victoria successfully duped the both of us. She now holds the entire Mainstream, and the lists."

"All the power and money," Vincent added. "We might as well make her president."

Vivian wagged a finger at Vincent as walked backwards. The silver main doors of the bank gleamed behind her. She stopped at the large receptionist desk, doing the same as before with the weapons.

"Not exactly the brightest thing to do, but you just might be onto something."

"What does that even mean?" Vincent asked.

Vivian held a gun out for him. He looked at it as though it was some repulsive killing machine.
"What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Pretend," Vivian told him. "It's not loaded, but it will help me if our attackers think it is."

"Our attackers?"

With a mighty heave, Vivian turned the massive table on its side. The guns and magazines poured over, forming a pile on the floor. She pushed Vincent down behind the table, and he realised just how many guns he had allowed his personnel. The bank alone could provide an arsenal for a small army.

"This is our first stand. We'll eventually have to move but once we surprise them here, they won't be able to revive in time."

She loaded the assault rifle in her hands just as the door ahead was blown off it's hinges.
"Keep your head down. When I ask for something, you pass it."

"I don't even know-"

"You'll get the hang of it," Vivian interrupted and crouched behind the table.

"Today you know the closest thing to what war feels like."

*****
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