It was like a train had run over her head. She didn't know how she surviving with such a heavy pounding that threatened to blow her brains to bits. In fact, she was half sure that, at any moment, her eyes would explode under pressure or her ears would begin bleeding; anything to show just how much torture she was under. It was like an echo, the pain, ricocheting until it was all she could do not to scream out.
The hard boots clunking around on her shining wooden floor made it no better. With her ear pressed against the wood, she could hear it clearly, those horrible footsteps that walked in unison with the pain she was trying to suppress. It sounded even louder than it should have. Anna's eyes fluttered, the cloud over her senses fading slowly. The more conscious she became, the louder the pounding was.
There was talking too. This time, instead of making her want to curl up in a ball and will it all away, she felt like jumping up and punching the talker in their throat. It would definitely relieve some of her stress, although she knew the pain wouldn't diminish in the slightest. Her eyes fluttered again, opened slightly once before falling closed once more.
"... is this it..."
The voice was even louder now, as if it stood right over her head. Fighting the pain with everything she had in her, Anna forced her eyes open. Her limbs felt numb, her body laying immobile on the ground and she instantly remembered what happened. Jackie had appeared at her door with a fancy hello in the form of pass out gas. Even as the memory came flying back, Anna could feel her leg thrown haphazardly over Jessi's. Her eyes shifted downwards, even though it caused her even more pain, and she saw Jessi's calm sleeping face near her feet. Just as she did, someone else's leg came into view and Anna shut her eyes quickly.
"What the hell is this?" she heard Jackie say. Slowly, Anna reopened her eyes, cocking her ear. Jackie was close, maybe just a quick leg swipe away.
"Should I call the chief?" Jackie pondered. She paused for a moment and everything grew silent. Anna waited for her to speak again, trying to plot a plan. She put aside all the questions that came rushing forth. Why was Jackie here? Why was she doing this? Did Thomas tell her to? All those and more was set aside until she was positive they were all safe and sound.
There was more shuffling going on above her head. Anna wanted to jump to her feet and start throwing punches, but that pass out gas really did a number on her. Her brain felt woozy, and when she tried to move her hand, all that happened was a jerky shake of her fingers. Jackie was oblivious to her attempts at trying to push her recovery, so Anna kept on forcing her hand to move, until she was full capable of curling a fist.
Jackie laughed. Eyes still glued shut, Anna made no movement. "Lookie here," said Jackie tauntingly above her head. "Miss big shot knocked out by a little knock out gas. Who would have thought?"
She laughed again, this time a short sound filled with mockery. "You walk around as if you're all that and all it'll take right now is to slice your throat. One little slice and you won't be able to do anything else but die. Isn't that funny?"
More shuffling, things dropped. Anna held back the wince when something banged against her coffee table. She prayed it wasn't the tapes.
"Where's the fun in that though? Slicing your throat while you can't fight back? Doesn't that sound boring to you? I mean, I would much rather punch your nose into your skull or something else just as thrilling."
The numbness was beginning to fade, tingles spreading throughout her body. It was uncomfortable, but Anna knew she had the bare minimum necessary for full movement now.
Jackie came closer, bending at Anna's ear. Anna felt the thin sharpness of a blade run along her cheek, followed by the wet trickle. "Decisions, decisions." Suddenly, she stopped. Anna paused too in her attempt to attack her.
Jackie got to her feet. "Yes, sir? No, sir, she isn't dead yet. I'm trying to find the items you sent me for." A short pause. "Yes, sir, I think I found them. A few tapes, a book with a whole lot of gibberish written inside and a letter."
Silence followed, before Jackie stepped away from Anna. As soon as her back was turned, Anna began to move. "I was planning to secure the items first, then take care of her, sir. Yes, sir, I know she won't go down easy but right now she's immobilized. I don't think she can do anything to me just yet. Meet you at the cabin? Okay, sir, will do. I'll be right there."
Anna was never one to waste time. She moved quickly and efficiently. She never faltered in her movements, no matter how tired she felt nor how much pain she was under. It was just like Francois said; she was the perfect killing machine. A headache and knock out gas wasn't enough to keep her down. And neither was the expected shock that Thomas was in on this attack. No, instead of reeling like any normal person, Anna braced the pain and the lightheadedness to spring from the ground, whip out her knife and press it close to Jackie's neck. She had to applaud her for reacting so calmly to Anna's knife pressed against her jugular.
"I should have known," Jackie said with a coughing laugh. "A little gas won't take you down."
"Why are you here, Jackie?"
"Going straight to the point as usual, huh?" Jackie never moved, didn't even swallow. That was how close the knife was against her skin. "Not anything to show your surprise?"
"Oh no, I'm not surprised that it's you. If anyone were to jump at the chance to kill me, you would be the first one in line. What I want to know Is, why?"
"I don't feel like answering any of your questions. Especially with a knife at my neck."
"The knife is non-negotiable."
"Suit yourself then." All of a sudden, Jackie grabbed Anna's arm and hauled her over her shoulder. The coffee table splintered to pieces under the weight of Anna's fall but she didn't stay long to brush off the impact. Jackie had her own knife ready, boring down towards her face. Anna whirled out of the way and unto her feet.
"Why does Thomas want me dead?" she asked, circling Jackie. All she had right now was her knife, but there was a gun taped under her kitchen island. If she could only get to it...
"You should ask him yourself."
"I didn't think you'd let me out of here alive."
Jackie smirked. "I wasn't going to."
Jackie moved fast. She jumped unto the couch, boosting herself into the air and whipping around with a roundhouse kick. Anna had no other choice but to block with her forearms but, despite her size, the strength in Jackie's kick sent her careening into the wall. Jackie made a mad swipe with her knife. Anna grabbed her arm before the deadly blade could make contact, grabbed her by her unruly curls and rammed her nose into her knee. She punched Jackie in the face, just to get her off her and to create some distance but Jackie wasn't letting her go that easily. Even as she took the punch, Jackie grabbed Anna by her lapels and kicked her in the stomach, throwing her unto the couch where she came butt to face with a passed out Mina.
She had to take the fight somewhere else. But she knew Jackie wouldn't consent kindly to relocating.
Anna didn't stay down for long. She swung her legs to the side, throwing her body over the back of the couch and landing safely on her feet. Jackie came at her again with the knife. Anna curved her body inwards, dodging the dangerous swipe to her stomach, then grabbed Jackie's hand to disarm her. The knife clattered to the ground.
Jackie punched Anna, making her head snap backwards. The punch did a number on her already horrible headache and all Anna could do was stagger back. Jackie punched her again, twice in the face and once in the stomach, and all Anna could do nothing else but valiantly remain on her feet, even though each blow made her brains ready to explode and pushed her backwards towards the door. She tripped over Dan's body and landed on her butt.
Jackie was smiling over her. "What's this? I thought you would put up a better fight."
"You caught me at a wrong time," Anna spat back, wiping the blood from the side of her mouth.
"That would be my excuse too. I can't believe you are the chief's little pet."
"I can believe why you aren't. You talk a little to much."
That made Jackie angry. She gritted her pearly whites, sent the punch straight for Anna's nose, but Anna caught it just in time. She retaliated with a swift kick to Jackie's crotch, and, although it was a much more effective move on the opposite sex, Jackie's legs still buckled in pain, which gave Anna the opening that she needed. She instantly wrapped her legs around Jackie's neck, twisting around and falling back unto the ground. Anna held her hand at an impossibly painful position.
"Why did Thomas send you to kill me?"
"He ..." Jackie gasped for breath as Anna's leg tightened around her neck. "He said you were compromised."
"What made him think that?"
"I ... I don't know. I don't know!"
Compromised? Anna's mind flashed back to when she stood angrily in Thomas' office while Thomas gaped at her from his chair. He had been shocked at her obvious closeness with the target, even more so at her reaction to his decision. He thought she was compromised because of that?
Anna didn't have any more time to think on it. A sharp pain exploded in her thigh, rivaling the pain in her head, and she instantly let go of Jackie to see the woman had managed to grab ahold of her fallen knife and stab it into her thigh. Anna staggered away from her.
"I have no idea what he meant by that," Jackie panted, sweat and blood running down her face, soaking her hairline. "But I really don't care. It gave me the opportunity to get rid of you."
"You're an idiot if you think it's going to end like that."
"Ha! Look at you. Limping, bleeding, breathing as if you just ran a marathon. Save for a few cuts here and there, I'm perfectly fine."
Anna rolled her eyes, egging her on. She continued to stagger backwards, pretending she could hardly stay on her feet but was really keeping up a front. In all reality, she was inching her way towards the glock taped under the island.
"I'm more capable than you think I am, Jackie."
"Oh, I'm sure you are. I thought you were too, to be honest. But in a matter of seconds you'll be bleeding out on your nice kitchen floor and I'll be on my way to take care of that little pest."
Anna froze. "Pest?"
"Oh, you know. That Staton girl. The annoying one who wouldn't stop screaming. God," Jackie scratched the knife against her temple in annoyance. It cause a tiny cut but it didn't look like she noticed. "She was such a screamer. Honestly can't wait to cut her voice box out or something."
"Are you talking about Angela?"
"Angela! Yes, that's her name. I couldn't remember it. Yes, I think she was your target's friend or something."
Anna had to calm herself, to tamper her rage. So that was why Thomas didn't want to send her on a mission to retrieve Angela. It was because he had her himself. But why? "Why did Thomas send you to do that?"
"I don't ask questions, Annabelle, and I think it's high time you took that advice." She rolled her eyes. "And you say I talk too much."
Anna leaned heavily against the counter, her body hiding her hand as she searched for the hidden gun. Jackie came straight at her just as her hands closed over the weapon.
Suddenly, they weren't the only two persons in the kitchen. Just as Anna lifted the gun, just as she saw shock and fear register in Jackie's eyes, Jessi appeared, holding a long broken piece of wood in his hands, ready to send it straight into the back of Jackie's head. But it was too late.
Anna had already pulled the trigger. And Jackie ducked.