My lungs screamed in protest at being deprived oxygen for such an extended period of time, my muscles ached from the exertion but nonetheless I pushed myself to keep going. The silence was deafening, but at the same time was the sound I craved so strongly. There was no dull whizz of the cars passing you on the street, nor the sound of mindless chatter among the people you often found yourself surrounded by. Everything was still, with light in small portions surrounding me, keeping me from being completely emerged in darkness. My hand outstretched in front of me slowly, looking almost foreign as I touched the light with my fingertips. Keep going, I reminded myself and once again willed myself forward once again. By now the burning in my lungs had become too much to ignore, and finally I looked up.
Breaking through the surface of the water, I gasped for the oxygen I had long denied myself and opened my eyes. My ears immediately adjusted to sound of the crashing waves against a cliff side nearby as I slicked my hair back, looking at the gloomy sky above me and feeling the brisk air dance across my wet cheeks. Breathing deeply and smelling nothing but the salt of the ocean, I sighed and began to make my way back to the shore. Feeling the sand between my toes, and the water droplets roll down my toned stomach, I bent down to grab my black shirt that I had discarded earlier. As I slipped it over my head and ran a hand through my unruly hair I forced my eyes closed again to listen to the roar of the ocean. The hair on the back of my neck rose as I felt in my bones that I was no longer alone, but yet I remained still.
"You trying to break a record or something? Once I saw you go down I didn't think I was going to see you come back up." An unfamiliar voice called out, the person was still walking toward me. As they got closer I could hear the sand crunching beneath their shoes.
"You were watching me?" I asked, turning towards the stranger only to be met by a girl with dirty blonde hair tied up in a bun and brown eyes that were a few shades lighter than my own. My own voice sounded hoarse and I cringed at the sound of it, clearing my throat.
"Not intentionally. I run here every morning, it's not very often I see someone trying to drown themselves at sunrise." The girl eyed my suspiciously, silently asking me if that was what I was attempting to do.
"I was not trying to drown myself, I just was going for a swim." I shook my head and snorted in disbelief at the ridiculous assumption. I crossed my arms defensively, subconsciously standing up straighter to look more threatening; although I still was standing in my bathing suit bottoms.
"Yeah o-kay. Remind me to never challenge you to a swim off then, if that's even a thing. I'm Jamie, and you are?" The girl took a step closer to me, pushing her hands into her shorts pockets as I bent over and gathered my belongings. Something about the stranger seemed familiar, looked familiar even. It was unsettling, and I had decided that it was definitely time to go.
"Just leaving actually." I said in an unfriendly tone as I turned away from Jamie, stalking towards the direction of my parked car, cursing myself as I heard the girl behind me stumble and jog to catch up with me, shocked at my cold exterior.
"Hey wait Aqua-woman!" Jamie called out, causing me to halt immediately at the unfavorable nickname. I turned around and narrowed my eyes, causing her to stop as well and look me up and down.
"What did you just call me?" My voice raised but held its sharp edge as I crossed my arms again.
The girl fidgeted uncomfortably and I finally noticed the height difference as she stood a few inches taller than me. My eyes danced across her cheekbones, and noticed the small freckles that rested upon the bridge of her nose. She smiled shyly and shrugged, as I felt my clenched muscles loosen and scrunched my nose up.
"I never got your name, had to make up my own nickname for you." Jamie fiddled with her fingers and looked down slightly, as if to avoid eye contact with me. I didn't blame her though as most people wouldn't look me in the eye directly.
"That's because I didn't give you it, and don't call me that." I shook my head and watched Jamie bite her bottom lip nervously and nod at my hard voice. My eyes, and tone, softened as I felt guilty for being so rude to the friendly girl. An annoying force of habit I suppose.
Jamie cleared her throat and again put her hands back in her pockets. "Right then, well It was nice meeting you." As she began to turn around, my voice sounded out before I could stop it.
"Quinn."
"What?" Jamie faced me again incredulously, as my behavior now was the complete opposite from how I had acted just moments ago.
"My name, it's Quinn." I stated blankly, my hand clenching around my phone in my hand as I kicked myself for even entertaining this conversation. Something in my stomach ached at the thought of letting this girl leave.
"Quinn," A small smile rose to Jamie's face at the small victory which was getting me to tell her my name as she tested it out. "well it's nice to meet you." I shook my head, ignoring how much I enjoyed hearing her use my name. I couldn't remember a time where I had felt such heat rush into my cheeks, was I nervous?
I shivered at the cool air and the paranoid feeling in the back of my head had reappeared, reminding me that it still was time for me to leave. I opened my mouth but closed it again, Jamie laughed at the tense feeling between us as neither person knew what to say next. "Alright well, now that I know your name I guess I can let you leave now." She joked and a small smirk played at the corner of my lips and I scoffed, as if she would've been able to stop me. "I hope I see you around, Quinn." Jamie pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, that had assumably fallen out of her bun during her run and I felt my fingertips tingle. Ignoring the feeling in my chest that tried to keep me rooted in place and talking to Jamie, I once again turned around to make my way back to my car without looking at her again. I threw my pants, and phone in the passenger side as I settled into the drivers seat and thought about the strange interaction I had just had. Running a hand through my hair I audibly sighed and began the drive back to my house, with my only thought being what just happened?
xxx-xxx-xxxx
Three days had passed since seeing Jamie and I felt a gnawing feeling in my stomach as I thought about the girl. I had seen her before but just couldn't place it, and it was eating me alive not knowing. My phone buzzed at I chewed on my thumbnail deep in thought, I sighed and picked it up knowing all too well that it was already Benji.
"Mykel wants an update."
My muscles tensed at the mention and I tossed my phone, running my hands down my face. I stalked towards the pile of files that Benji had left me with, new jobs. I numbly flipped the pages and tossed folders aside, how was I to decide which lives I was going to end? As if I was flipping through something as simple as a shoes catalog? None of them really caught my interest, but then again in this case what would? Picking up another folder and grazing over the details my stomach dropped at the sight of the familiar face upon the page.
Jamie Wright.
My stomach curled as I once again read through the information, paying more attention now than before. Just like the rest of the cases, there was no listed reason as to why someone would want to get rid of her, much less who. In my line of work no one was really concerned about the technicalities, besides things like her height, eye color and more for me to identify her. I shook my head and carried the file to my dining table, walking towards my window where the ocean could be seen in the distance. Dialing Benji's number, he picked up on the first ring as he always did.
"Quinn! How nice of you to give me a call-" Benji started but I quickly cut him off.
"The Jamie Wright file, I need more details. Seems like there's too many unknowns." I stated professionally, but my reasons for knowing more about the girl were anything but. "Don't make it personal, don't make it personal!" my subconscious argued with my peaked interest.
"Details? Since when? You've never asked for more information than what's been listed in the files before." Benji questioned, shocked at my request. I paused and bit my tongue thinking of something I could say but we both knew this was out of the ordinary for me. I had never taken an interest in any other jobs like this other than carrying them out.
"Just get me more okay? Tell Mykel that." I snapped and hung up, holding my phone in my hand, still looking out the window.
I settled back on the couch with the file in hand, staring at her photo. The same face that had smiled at me just days ago, was pictured with sunglasses on and her hair down, oblivious to the fact that someone had been watching her. I ran my thumb over her face and glanced back to the file, that in big red letters read 'TERMINATE' across the top.
"Fuck." I groaned out and tossed the picture aside again.
Jamie Wright, just what were you wrapped up in? I wondered to myself, closing my eyes. And more importantly, who was out to get you?