The day of the Jackal - Final part 10

Alex arranged his bowtie and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He noticed the creases on his face, the mark of the years passing by.  He then put both hands on the sink and ground his teeth. The last couple of months have exhausted them both. Since the death of Dylan Atwater, they left the country and sought refuge in France.  Diane was highly functioning, but she was plagued with nightmares at night, nightmares that he knew came from all of Diane's buried emotions and memories of that dreadful day. She couldn't speak about it for two months, because it always brought her to the verge of breaking down. So he didn't insist and would rather focus on things he knew she would enjoy. He would focus on her for these two months, making every day a beautiful one so Diane could heal and move on. He also took that time off to heal his own wounds and reflect on what happened. 

He kept his promise to Diane. He killed the man who hurt her, but he also witnessed her come to his rescue, fight tooth and nail against that man, and overcome her own trauma and fears. He watched her that night, stronger than ever, focused on her task at hand, and successful in saving the lives of the whole family. He saw her paralyzed as well, unable to make a move upon seeing her rapist and torturer. It was messy. Come to think of it, Alex didn't remember when a fight had been so difficult, nor did he remember being so badly injured that he had to go on a short break so he could heal and be efficient.  Months later, he had healed pretty fast, and there was almost no sign of him ever being in a fight, save for his ribs and the bruises on his sides from Dylan's "intense hug".  It didn't matter much because ultimately, he killed that son of a bitch. He killed Dylan, and he helped the woman he loved finally be vindicated.  He heard the faint footsteps of Diane as she walked into the bathroom. 

"Are you ready, Alex?" -Her voice was calm, so he quietly looked around so he could see her-

Diane was wearing her natural hair, styled in a big afro puff, tied with a red ribbon. Her dress was to die for, a lovely red sequined backless dress. At her feet were a pair of white stilettos, and the only jewels she wore were a pearl necklace with a long pearly chain on the back and a silver bracelet wrapped around her left wrist. She put some makeup on her face, and her plump lips were now adorned with a glossy chocolate lipstick. She was stunning, and Alex couldn't help but smile at her.  She tilted her head to the side and gave him a sheepish smile. 

"I just need a couple of minutes, and we'll be ready to go. Are you ready, Di?"

She nodded, her hazel eyes staring at him. He could no longer feel anger in her eyes since they killed Dylan Atwater. Instead, he felt relief. He felt her relax in a way he had not seen her do before. Her soft eyes averted from his face to his hair, and she slowly ran her fingers through his locks to put his hair in place. For Diane, things have been difficult. Killing Dylan unleashed a flurry of emotions and memories she kept buried deep inside her. She couldn't escape how she felt, the horrors she witnessed, and the pain and helplessness, too. She couldn't hide behind her mission anymore, now that they were all dead. Those ghosts she tried to ignore all those years ago resurfaced, and she saw their faces, locked in agony and fear. There was nothing left but pain and survivor's guilt she had to overcome.  In France, she visited a therapist, renowned for his work with victims of armed conflict. That man helped her face her demons and come to terms with being the only surviving member of her family. He helped her realize that what happened to her wasn't her fault and that nothing could have stopped the perpetrators of such atrocities. He helped her realize that she was a survivor, and she still carried life inside her. 

She still could participate in this life and honor the dead by channeling her pain into something positive. Unbeknownst to her therapist, she was doing it in her very own way. Killing people and taking them off the streets definitely helped their victims. Derailing criminal activities involving human traffickers, drug lords, and other people benefiting from people suffering was useful. At least, in her eyes, she was doing something good. In her eyes, she was honoring her family by saving people. Thanks to that man, she had started the difficult healing process, but she was steady on that road, and she wasn't alone. Alex was there, by her side. During their rescue mission and the fight with Dylan, she realized that she was in love with him.  She realized that she wanted to live. She wanted to build a life with him. She needed him to be alive.  It gave her the strength to face her rapist. It gave her the strength to go toe to toe with him and risk her life. She then cupped his cheek and stroked it with her thumb. He turned his head to the side and gave her a sheepish grin. She pinched her lips together and slowly brought her forehead to his in a gentle touch.

"I know it's not the ideal moment to talk about it, but I've been thinking about it for weeks now."

"Tell me, Diane. I'm all ears." -He gently grabbed her wrist and stroked it with his thumb. His blue eyes set upon her face, and she nodded slowly, as if she was gathering her strength to finally let go of the thoughts trapped in her chest-

" You told me a while ago that you had feelings for me, that you loved me. At the time, I wasn't able to say it back. I couldn't find my words because all I was thinking about was that I would die fighting Dylan Atwater. I believed that there was no future left for me once I completed my revenge, so I couldn't in good faith answer you." -She closed her eyes for a brief moment- "But I have found my voice today. During the rescue mission we did, I froze upon seeing that man. All I could think of was the pain he gave me. All I could do was remember that fateful day. I couldn't move, and that child did his best to snap me out of it. I came back because I couldn't let you fight his monster alone.  I had to save you. I had to do my best to help you survive this encounter. I realized back then that I was in love with you, Alex. I wanted to protect you out of love. I didn't say anything after the fight because I wasn't in the right mental space for that. It took a while, but here I am, ready and willing to say it. I love you, Alex. I want to live my life with you. I want...."

He didn't let her finish. Instead, he grabbed her by the back of her neck. He pressed his lips into a hard kiss and snuck an arm around her waist. He pulled her into a tight hug and pressed her body against his. He didn't expect her to voice her feelings, mostly because he knew she loved him. Yet, it was still pleasant to hear it. She loved him. It made his heart soar, and before he knew it, He had pulled her up, so she could wrap her legs around his waist and he could keep on kissing her. He took a couple of steps so she could press her back on the tiled walls of the bathroom, and she could help support her body while his tongue danced with hers. 

"I love you too, Diane. " -He managed to whisper in between their lips before he resumed kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and closed her eyes so she could savor his kiss.  Diane moaned and slowly pulled away from him so she could look at his face. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'm tempted not to go tonight."

"You know we have to. What would they say if we don't show up, mmhhh?" -She tilted her head to the side and pressed another kiss to his nose.- "I know you care a lot about your reputation, so we better be going. I just wanted to let you know that I loved you. I do. I will always." -She smiled and kissed his lips again in a soft kiss.-

He returned the kiss and slowly put her back on her feet. She was right, he cared about his reputation so much so that it kick-started the events in both Germany and Spain. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and slowly went back to the sink. Diane smiled at him and gently pecked his cheek before she walked away from the bathroom. He looked at his reflection, and a visible smile graced his features. Could it be that he was happy? Could it be that he was finally where he wanted to be in life? With someone he loves and someone who loves him? Could it be that he was finally at peace? With someone who understood what he was doing and who could share that life with him. She wouldn't judge him, and he wouldn't have to hide anything from her. For the first time since Nuria, he felt free.  He adjusted his bowtie again and left the bathroom. Tonight, they were working. They both accepted a contract that took place in the same event, which gave them an excuse to work and stunt together, looking their best. Tonight, they were on a date. Tonight he was happy. 

-The end-
 

The day of Jackal - Part 9

 // We're getting closer to the end. She's finally facing this demon of her past, but not alone. With Alex//

 

A young blonde woman was stirring a pot of soup. Her face was swollen on its left, a nasty bruise left by the fist of the man who held her family hostage. Her hair was disheveled, and her blue denim dress was worn out. Her arms were covered in cuts, caused by Dylan's thick combat knife during what he called his "rough play". Her face was messed up: Red and puffy from a slap she had just received. A trail of dried tears and mascara stuck to her unwashed face. Her lips were dry and cut after days spent in captivity. She was shaking from head to toe, barely able to focus on the task at hand. Marina was cooking. Since Dylan Atwater took her family hostage, it was one of the few moments of respite granted by him. One where she wasn't tortured or used for Dylan's sick pleasure. The woman couldn't bear the sight of that man; therefore, she made cooking last longer than it should have.  Her husband, Tomas,  a slender brunette man, was sitting against the wall. His own face had a massive bruise on his jaw, from punches he received several times at the hands of their torturer. He was sitting there, feeling pain with every breath he took, and dread since he was staring at the man responsible for this dreadful situation. He had cried so much that the tears had dried on his face, and he couldn't produce more. Why did it happen to them? They were planning their holidays and had bought tickets abroad when this man knocked on their door with a charming smile and a thinly veiled threat. How did it fucking happen?

The man had been forced to watch his wife get brutally raped, punched, and tortured several times a day without being able to help her. He was bound and gagged; the only grace given to him was so he could go to the restroom to take a leak or when they were allowed to eat. His child, Johann, a slim brunette like him,  was, for the time being, only slapped around by Dylan. His demise was dangled on top of his parents' heads to force them to comply. Dylan fully intended to kill them all, but he did enjoy having the least effort to make for a couple of weeks. Dylan sat there, a huge beast of a man wearing a pair of khaki pants, a Kevlar chest piece on top of a black long-sleeved top. He had scars all over his chest. He had been stabbed, shot at, and whipped even during his numerous years of service, and carried proudly the testament of his work all over his body. He had salt and pepper hair, a five o'clock beard, and bushy eyebrows. He was a fit man, even as old as he was, he still cut an impressive figure. His eyes were alight with lust and delight upon watching the suffering of his victims. For him, the hostage situation was simply a moment of fun. He didn't have to do it, as a matter of fact, he simply could have found an empty Airbnb or hotel room and stayed there for as long as he needed. His bloodlust prevented him from being quiet. He wanted to have fun and decided to pick a random family to play with. 

"Oi, Marina, maybe you should be a bit faster while cooking. I might lose my temper and hurt little Johann here."

"I'm almost done. I'm almost done! Please don't hurt my boy..." -She sobbed.- "We did everything you asked of us, why are you still hurting us?" -He laughed and shrugged his shoulders-

"I do it because I can. If I wanted, I could kill you right now, Marina,  but I'm enjoying myself very much." -She sobbed harder and kept stirring the pot, now frightened for her husband and son's lives.-

Marina believed that lunatic because he didn't hesitate to hurt her son in front of her. He severely beat her husband and herself, and she knew that he was not playing games. She prayed for her son to survive this ordeal, and despite being subjected to the worst of Dylan's torture, all she did was wonder how they could help him overcome this traumatic experience. Johann had been quiet since meeting the old man at the market yesterday. He was the only adult who treated him well since /that man/ entered their lives. He replayed the moment in his head, wondering if he could have said something to that man so he could help his family. He was exhausted, his face almost sunken by the weight of his trauma at such a young age. Johann watched his mother barely walking with the soup pot and put it on the table. Johann prayed for someone to rescue them so his mother wouldn't suffer anymore.

That was when the light went off. Immediately, Johann bolted out of the dining chair and sprinted to his bedroom. He locked the door and went to hide underneath his bed. His mother started to scream, out of surprise, but also because Dylan grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. Something exploded nearby, blowing the windows into pieces and giving enough cover for Ghost and Jackal to enter the apartment unnoticed. Quickly, the Jackal noticed the screaming and crying woman held hostage by the big burly man behind her. He pointed his gun at them, and Ghost found Tomas first. He grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet. He couldn't speak, but his agitation made her shush him down. "I'll come back for your boy." She whispered while dragging Tomas out of the room and the apartment. 

"How did you know I was here?" -Dylan asked, surprised but entertained at the idea of having a fight.- "Careful, One wrong move and I kill that bitch. Is that why you're here? For this family?"

"..." Alex didn't speak. He didn't want to. Dylan walked further into the living room. He circled the table so it put a distance between Jackal and him. Alex preferred to keep Dylan Atwater distracted and frustrated. He could tell that the big man didn't like not being answered to. Dylan glanced at Ghost, who came back after she put the father to safety and set his hands free so he could remove his own gag.  The glance was brief, but enough for him to realize there were two of them. 

"Please! My son! Please! Save him!" Marina screamed. Dylan laughed and pressed his gun to her temple. "Please! Please don't shoot me!" She screamed, terrified at the idea of dying and leaving her child behind.

"Do you really think that I give a flying fuck about this woman?" -He felt nothing about his victims now that two people wanted to kill him. He welcomed the distraction and the action, but made sure to still threaten his hostage-

"I don't care." The Jackal replied, gaze stern and focused on Dylan. His voice was sharp and dry, covering the bubbly anger that lay within Alex. He wouldn't lose his temper. He never did before and wouldn't do it now, but his tranquil fury was easy to read only for the trained eye. Dylan didn't know him, so he easily overlooked the rage that animated his opponent. He mistook him for an opportunist-

"I see. You didn't come for the hostages. Your friend did. You just went along because you wanted a piece of me. Is it a hit job?" -He asked, his voice hoarse and laced with excitement-

"It's not." -Jackal declared, his voice sharp and dry. He knew by now that they were studying each other and were both waiting for the other to make a mistake and give an opening. Dylan was thinking fast, thinking about using the partner of that mercenary against him at some point. He intended to shoot her and use the distraction to kill that young man. 

While these two were studying the other, Ghost was searching for the young boy. The father told her that he was probably hiding in the bedroom, so she went there first. She walked slowly, carefully taking one step after the other so she wouldn't scare the boy. She whispered his name, saying that his father was safe and she wanted to take him out of this room and to his father. Johann didn't respond, unsure about the true intentions of that woman.  She whispered that she came to kill the bad man who terrorised his family because he hurt her family and herself when she was Johann's age. She knelt on the floor, hands up, and described the man to him, and the way he looked when he was inflicting pain on others. She talked about his scars, especially the one he had on his chest, near the collarbones that only someone who had seen him up close would notice. The young boy crawled out of the bed and stared at this woman. She was beautiful despite the scars on her chin and mouth.  He liked her hazel eyes that stood out the most. She was sincere, he could tell by the way she was staring at him, and for the first time in a long while, Johann started to cry. He had not been able to shed a tear when Dylan hurt his parents. The young boy was too traumatized to be able to cry. This woman came and brought Hope to him again. Diane's features softened, and she wiped the tears off his face with her warm palm.  The hitwoman stood up and helped him get on his feet. They still had to leave the apartment unharmed. 

It lasted only a brief moment, but the sight of this young child, crushed by the horrors he's witnessed and the thousand-yard stare, broke her heart. It reminded her of what she went through, the shell of the child she used to be after they slaughtered her village. She couldn't undo what Dylan did to that family, but she wished to be able to save them all. Diane grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard enough for him to feel that she was really there and was going to help him. They made their way out of the room and into the living room. Just when she turned around to glance at the Jackal and the hostage situation with Dylan, she froze upon seeing the older man. She couldn't help herself, but the terror her body experienced at the hands of Dylan came back to her and forced her body to freeze. Johann noticed she was shocked and realized, upon seeing her eyes, that this man had hurt her just the same as he had hurt him. The cries of his own mother turned his blood cold, but he had to snap that woman out of it. He tried to get her attention by pulling on her arm, but Diane didn't even register it.  Dylan furrowed his brows upon seeing that woman before him, freezing like a deer in car lights.  She seemed to know him, given the shocked expression on her face. Did they have a history? He racked his brain, trying to find where he could have met her, while being convinced that she was the one who wanted to rescue the family and not the man before him. Johann managed to pull Ghost's arm hard enough to snap her out of her trance, and she scurried him out of the apartment.  It took some time, but Dylan finally remembered her. 

"I know her! I remember now!" Dylan claimed in a dark laugh. "I remember that bitch! I didn't think she'd survive after what I put her through! Yet look at her! All grown-up now! Hey, girlie, did you come back for seconds?" -His voice boomed, barely covered by the screams of his hostage.-

"Shut the fuck up!" - Alex interrupted him. He couldn't help but swear at the man. His eyes were wide open, filled with hot rage. He tried to take a step forward, but Dylan shot him in the chest. Fortunately for him, he was wearing a bulletproof vest, so the shot wasn't fatal. It forced him to take cover behind the door that led to the kitchen. 

"Aahah, this is so rich! A ghost from the past came back to me! Can you believe it, Marina, that little girl from a remote African village survived my assault and decided to come and kill me! Ahahahah Is that why you're here, pretty boy? Did you come here because of her?"

Marina squirmed and tried to wiggle her way out of Dylan's embrace, but he held her so tightly that she couldn't run away. Desperate, the blonde woman bit his hand hard enough to draw blood to her teeth, which forced him to release her and drop his gun.  She managed to run a couple of steps forward, but he grabbed her hair and yanked it back. It made the woman fall on her ass and flail her arms as she tried to catch herself. He was about to fire his gun at her when Ghost jumped on him and punched his face. He released Marina, who didn't waste any time and crawled her way out of the apartment to find her husband and son. Diane gave him a barrage of punches, some landed, others were parried with his arm. He didn't expect to see her after watching her freeze on the spot moments earlier. Diane herself didn't know if she could, but she mustered the courage to run towards danger, motivated by the desire to save Marina and help this family survive the ordeal.  He laughed, appreciating the bravado of this attack on him. She was trained, he could tell, and the few successful punches did hurt him, but he was more experienced than her. While she hit him, she left an opening in her stance, which he used to push her away. One hard hit with his fist in her solar plexus was enough to send her flying across the living room. He had cut the air out of her chest, which allowed him to crack the muscles of his neck. 

Alex shot him and got Dylan's leg. It wasn't enough to stop the mercenary who launched at him with a spear. Jackal dropped his weapon at the impact and hit Dylan's back with his fists to make him release his chest.  The mercenary didn't let up; he squeezed Jackal's chest harder with the intent to break it and didn't flinch when Alex pummeled his back with his fists.  Dylan was heavy, so heavy that he was starting to suffocate Alex. He squeezed harder, and  Alex stopped punching him, Instead, he looked around him and noticed that the spear had made him hit the kitchen table and throw off anything that was on top of it. A bottle of wine was within arm's reach, which motivated  Alex to try and grab it.  He squirmed underneath Dylan, who managed to crack a bone, eliciting a painful groan from the Jackal.  Alex smashed the bottle against Dylan's head.  The glass tore open the skin at the base of his skull, forcing Dylan to release Alex and the Jackal to push him off of him, roll back, and hold onto his chest.  He noticed the knife near the sink and painfully walked towards it. Dylan managed to get back on his feet, and just as  Alex grabbed the knife, he punched him on the side, right where the cracked bone was. Alex turned around and tried to hit Dylan's belly, but the mercenary blocked him with his arm. The Jackal headbutted him, grabbed his face with both hands, and pushed him against his knee, once, twice, before he pushed him forward. Dylan hit the kitchen table, but his reflexes were quick enough to help him escape a punch from Alex.

Heavily breathing and still on the floor while the battle was ongoing between the Jackal and Dylan Atwater, Ghost had managed to catch her breath.  Her hazel eyes scanned the room, and she realized that Alex and Dylan were fighting in the kitchen. She tried to rise on her feet, but they refused to move. Her body was still remembering the pain Dylan inflicted on her. It still went on flight or fight mode and left her paralyzed. She put her hand on her chest, curling her fingers into a fist, and she rubbed her chest in an attempt at self-soothing. She had to keep it moving! She had to! Alex was fighting with Dylan, and  Diane could hear the noise of broken furniture, screams, and grunts. She trusted Alex and knew he was a very strong man, but she also knew that Dylan was extremely resilient and would be extremely dangerous to the man she loved. It became clear now that she was in love with Alex.  She wanted him to survive this encounter with Dylan and live with her. She wanted... She wanted... She had to! Gathering her strength, Ghost pushed herself back on her feet. She rolled her head and stroked her neck just to ensure that everything was alright.  The commotion was louder in the kitchen, and Alex fell on his back from the door that led to the living room. 

He opened his eyes just right when Diane jumped above him, fists first. Dylan didn't expect her to recover from his hit, nor did he expect a renewal of her rage, but here she was, enraged and with renewed motivation to punch his head in. Ghost screamed, throwing another punch on his shoulder and another one at his neck. He chose not to counter them so he could stab her leg. When the blade sank into her flesh, the woman screamed, but she managed to gouge his eyes with her thumbs.  Dylan screamed.  "You fucking bitch!!!" He grabbed her wrists and managed to force her hands off his face. She quickly reacted and headbutted him, unwilling to give him an inch in this fight they were having. "You are nothing! You are no one!" Diane screamed again and gave him another headbutt. Dylan painfully groaned and tried to stop her from hitting him, but she persisted and gave him a third headbutt, more powerful than the previous ones. It was enough to force him to his knees, and it opened a wound on his forehead that bled. She was bleeding from the mouth and nose because of the violence of the hits she gave him, tears streamed down her face as she was reeling from the pain three heatbutts caused. 

She could have fractured her forehead for all she knew, but it didn't matter. Diane wanted Dylan dead. She needed him to take his attention off the Jackal so he could surprise the mercenary.  Dylan laughed, confused yet amused by the whole situation. He always knew that his time would come someday, but little did he know that he would be found out by one of his little victims. Seeing Diane, so capable and determined to take his life, shocked him. How did she survive? How could she face him? His rage renewed, the mercenary, now able to reach the knife that was stuck in her thigh, grabbed it, pulled it out of her flesh, and tried to stab her. She managed to block some of his attacks and even snuck in a right hook. He didn't drop the knife and instead managed to stab her under the collarbone. She painfully screamed and tried to push him away, but he used the last of his strength to pounce on her and squeeze her neck.  He squeezed hard, enough to make her scratch his skin to blood, enough to break blood vessels in her eyes, enough to make her suffocate.  She moved her arms and started to scratch his face. She was fighting flashbacks from her assaults, as well as fighting to stay alive. She heard the sound of a gunshot, felt something warm splatter on her face, and  Dylan released her neck, and his body fell on top of her.  

She started to scream and pushed him off her body. Diane crawled away from the corpse, sat on the floor, and removed the knife lodged in her collarbone. She managed to get on her knees, eyes wide open and focused on the corpse before her. Dylan lay there on the floor, lifeless, harmless.... She screamed her pent-up rage and pain. She walked on her knees, crossing the distance between her and Dylan, and punched his chest, shaking his body. She finally could do it, unleash her pain on him, avenging the victims he caused. She yelled at him and ended up sobbing. She sobbed and shook. Alex was still catching his breath. He had managed to grab the gun he had lost during the fight. He didn't even think twice once he saw Dylan on top of Diane. He saw he was choking her, and she was struggling to break free from him, and once he aimed at Dylan's head, he pulled the trigger and shot him dead.  He walked closer to the corpse, and after a while spent watching Diane beat the body of Dylan into a bloody pulp, he knelt next to her, put the gun down, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She cried and stopped hitting Dylan's body to sob louder. It was a soul-piercing cry that came from deep within her. The one that released all grief, all pain, and everything she kept inside. Alex could do nothing but keep her close until her sobs stopped and she looked wiped her face. They had to leave, mostly because the police were securing the perimeter, and they knew the family Dylan had taken hostage would come back to their home. She stood u,p and the two of them escaped by using the exit stairs.  Finally, the nightmare was over. 

-TBC-

The day of the Jackal - Part 8

// Eheheh, oh he said it!  He said it, and she doesn't know how to handle it. Typical of our girl Diane! //

London, Mercure Hotel, 8 months ago. 

Diane followed Alex during one of his hits. Since they met a little more than a year ago, she was in the habit of following him wherever he went, and he also went with her when she had a hit. Their relationship felt like a whirlwind. On Diane's side, it started with her fascination for him. The Jackal was infamous in the criminal world because of his flawless technique and the fact that he left no evidence behind. Word got out that he had not been paid. At first, his colleagues - more likely rivals- believed it would signal his downfall and were ready to watch like vultures. When he killed his client, in the middle of an international hunt for his head, this elicited respect and fear in the heart of his colleagues. Diane, however, wasn't surprised in the least by Jackal's reaction. She knew that he would never let it slide since reputation was the cornerstone of their job. Instead, it solidified her admiration for his work, and she decided to follow his work more closely.

She was surprised when he found her in Milan. Even more surprised when he clearly admitted to having been a fan of her work. Back then, she couldn't quite figure out if they met by accident or if he actually looked for her. Why would the very aloof Jackal be interested in the work of Ghost? She supposed that it had to do with her targets. She only went after war criminals, mercenaries who went after innocent civilians, and certified monsters. She never hurt innocent people and always managed to protect bystanders and other innocent people to the best of her abilities. That was quite unusual for hitmen to pick and choose asshole targets. Usually, they didn't care and only took the best-paid jobs, but Ghost didn't. He looked at her targets and realized that they all shared something in common. They were all soldiers, and all of them had been stationed in DCR at the same time. This detail was a lead that the Jackal decided to follow. However, he knew it was going to be a vast rabbit hole.  He wanted to see her work with his own eyes. He wanted to see what motivated her, which didn't disappoint him. Their meeting was pure luck. He had a job in Milan. A job that took place at a gala event, where his target would be. 

They worked together without her fully knowing what was going on. It all went fast. The Jackal shot a single bullet that hit the head of his target, right when she walked into the room with her own target and his bodyguard. She locked the door discreetly and pulled out a pair of twin blades. Alex watched her from afar as she waltzed around with her knives and cut tendons, wrists, and shoulders to immobilize her targets. He was mesmerized by her work, in awe of her grace as she cut through their flesh. She killed them and quickly escaped from the room by jumping out of the window. Quick. Efficient. Mesmerizing. It was what motivated him to meet her again.  He never answered her question because he wanted it to be something he kept to himself. She didn't need to know how she caught his eye. 

"Are you sure you want to come with me? You might get bored." -He teased her-

"I think I can take the risk. I want to walk in your shoes." -He stopped before her, hands still buttoning his shirt. She rolled her head and looked up to his face- "I mean it, Alex.  I want to see you work and I hope you'll see me work too, one day." -She moistened her lips and ran her hand through her braids-

"Fine. You can come with me." -He cupped both cheeks. His large fingers ran into her braids, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She put her hands on his wrists and yanked her head further back so he could kiss her lips- "But I don't want to hear any complaint from you."

"Why would I complain?" -She lifted her brows and puffed her cheeks- 

"Diane, have you seen yourself when you're bored? You keep talking and talking and talking because you want some action and you don't have it." -He grinned and she shook her head-

"I'm not that difficult, but I hear you. I will be silent, like a ghost, so I won't bother you. I want to see you at work, so I better not interfere with it." - She calmly said. Her eyes twinkled, and he grinned, his warm hands still on her cheeks- "I promise, baby.  Now, let me get ready."

She kept her word that day. Diane didn't make a fuss during the whole seven hours spent waiting for the target to get on his radar. She observed Alex, who was very focused on his job. It was a busy crowd, where everyone wore the same suit (or almost). He had to be focused to isolate the target among his peers and ensure that he would take a single winning shot. She watched as his breathing slowed, almost to the point of him barely breathing. His hand was steady, his gaze unwavering. Diane didn't speak, instead, she simply lay on her side and watched the Jackal. Unlike her, he was like a spider. He was calm, collected, and very precise in his moves.  He waited for his target to fall for his trap, and then, only then, would he strike. She thought he was elegant. He had grace and poise when he was putting his gun together. He was beautiful when he was focused, and his patience, oh yes, his patience, felt out of this world.  She watched him intensely in the last minutes that led to him pulling the trigger. 

It felt as if time was frozen and there was nothing and no one but the two of them. For a brief moment, she thought to herself that he was akin to an angel of death, precise, cold, and calculating. He pulled the trigger, and his target fell on the ground, but all she could see was the coldness in his eyes, both devoid of any emotion, not even the satisfaction of a job well done. He waited exactly 30 seconds, just to make sure that the target was dead, and then started to put away his gun. She quickly sat on the floor and then stood up, realizing that it was time for them to leave the place, and they both went back to their hotel.  They both showered, he first, and she followed, and when she entered the room again. She found him with just his towel wrapped around his waist and his wet hair falling flat on his eyes.  He glanced at her, calm, waiting for a word from her. 

"Why are you looking at me as if you were waiting for a review?" -She joked and smiled at him. He smirked-

"You didn't complain. I am impressed." -He teased her. Diane chuckled and threw her hair towel at him.- "I'm serious. I know you prefer to get your hands dirty when you work a job. This is quite different from what you're used to. I just wanted to know what you thought of it."

"You looked like an angel to me. You were precise, cold, and calculating. You were focused on your mission and nothing... no one could have distracted you from it. I am impressed, actually. I know how much you prepare for it, and you can do things I can't do, Alex."

"An angel? Nobody ever called me that before. Are you sure you weren't under some influence?" He teased her. It was uncomfortable. She associated something so positive with his work, and he didn't know how to react to it. 

"Well... That's what I think." -She pressed her lips to his wrist and leaned her forehead against his arm- "I know the business we do. I just think that there is some grace in the way you stay still. There is a beauty in the cold and calculating way you hit your target. You're so patient, so calm...I wonder if you find peace in moments like these."

"Peace? I don't think so. I loathe the moments where I have nothing to do until I take my shot. I'm left with my thoughts and my mind, and it's not a pleasant place to be." He then bent forward to place a kiss on top of her head- "Does it happen to you? Do you remember your past?"

"Every time. All I can see is what I've been through. I can smell the burned bodies of these children. I can hear the screams of my aunt. I can feel the pebbles scratching my back. I can... It only stops when I kill my target. It only stops when I avenge the dead." -She swallowed a lump and closed her eyes- "I became a ghost because I felt that there was nothing left for me... Now that you're here, I don't think it's true anymore." -She looked up at his face and smiled. 

"You are far more than you think you are. When I look at you, I don't see a ghost. I see a woman I --"

------

Love. When Alex woke up, he remembered the event of the day before. He remembered the stress he felt when Diane didn't respond to him. He remembered the relief and shock he felt upon seeing her in an ongoing meltdown. He couldn't shake the picture of her bloody fists, the dried tears on her face, the hollowed gaze. He couldn't shake the feeling of powerlessness that washed through him, and he certainly couldn't forget the sight of her, devoid of any will, swallowed whole by her fears and dark past. She was traumatized, and he could recognize it. Hearing the voice of her abuser forced her to relive her trauma, and the result was her being completely unresponsive to him, allowing him to touch her without even flinching. It fueled his rage. He had to kill Dylan Atwater, otherwise, Diane would never be able to move on with her life.  She slept throughout the day and only woke up the morning after.  

The bed was already empty when he opened his eyes, and he could hear some noise coming from the kitchen. She was awake and already making breakfast for the two of them.  Alex sat on the bed, his feet now flat on the floor and his arms against his lap. He was hunched a little bit, his cold gaze focused on his feet as he was still deeply into his thoughts. Once he made sure Diane was sleeping soundly, he quickly opened his laptop and searched for the pictures of the Airbnb tenants. He found the picture of the young boy with his parents, and that made him furrow his brows. They were supposed to be out of town, but if the young boy was with their target, then that meant they never left the country.  He knew where their flat was and devised a plan. The boy was alive, and there was a chance that his parents were alive too.  He had to tell Diane about his findings, and the two of them had to devise a plan to take. He heard her frantically searching through the drawers and it prompted him to leave the bedroom and join her in the kitchen. 

"Hey..."

"Morning, Alex." -Her voice was still tired, a bit hoarse from being used after she lost it the day before-

"How are you feeling?" -He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug. She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Her arms wrapped around his, and she nipped at her bottom lip- 

"Like I have been beaten up with a brick." -He planted a kiss on top of her head, and she sighed happily.-

"You won't have to talk too much until tonight. I just want to let you know what I found yesterday. I know what our next step would be." -She lifted her head, and he nodded, acknowledging that she was ready to hear his plan- "Your guess was right. This little boy, Johann, is the son of the Airbnb tenants we thought were out of town. He is holding them hostage. The good thing is that we know where he lives and we can come to him tonight.  I have checked our supplies and we have everything we need, from guns to knives and equipment. The bad news is that I don't know how many of them are in this apartment. He could be alone, or there could be a couple of mercenaries with him."

"I can go in there on my own. You could take them down from a distance with your gun?" -She managed to say, but Alex shook his head.- "Alex... You're best in long-distance combat. If you get in there with me, there's a big chance that you could get hurt."

"I am a soldier, Diane. I am as good at close combat as I am as a sniper. I can't let you go inside on your own. He would be there, and I know how terrified of him you are. If I let you go in there, there's a chance he could kill you."

"If so... then so be it." -She whispered, but he cupped her chin and gently made her turn around so they could face each other. His gaze was soft, but stern.

"Never say that again. Your death would bring sorrow. Your death would break my heart. I don't want you to die, Diane. I want you to live. I want you to live with me. I love you." 

His words hit her like a truck. She couldn't imagine in a million years that he would have uttered these words. Her heart started to beat faster, tears filled her eyes, and she started to sob uncontrollably. He loved her? He wanted her to live? For so long, she thought that there was nothing left for her in this world, no one could ever love her after her traumatic childhood. No one could ever love her because of the blood she had on her hands. Yet here he was, in love. Here he was, unwilling to let her die. She kept sobbing, and he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a gentle but tight hug. She rubbed her nose against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt safe. She was safe. She wanted to speak, but could only sob against him.  She held onto his shirt so hard that Alex knew she was feeling intensely. He would give her the space she needed to think about his words, but wished she would actually consider not killing herself. He needed her. Oh god, did he need her! 

-TBC-

The day of the Jackal - part 7

// For this chapter, there won't be a flashback to reflect her mental breakdown. They would resume in part 8.

xxxx

To find Dylan Atwater with no further information about his whereabouts proved to be a mix of luck and determination.  Diane and Alex decided to use the only lead they had, which was his presence at the Neighbourhood Sunday Market. They believed that if she met him there, he was probably shopping there, thus they concluded that he might be staying in the neighbourhood. With that said, there were still several buildings to screen in search of an alias or a clue. Alex started to comb through the buildings, but it was starting to look like a gargantuan task. Diane suggested trimming down the list by dipping into the voters' registry. This way, they could quickly isolate the places that were rented to non-citizens or by citizens who couldn't vote directly in the neighbourhood and had to drive to their designated voting area.  Alex also decided to go to the Sunday Market, disguised as an old man, in the slim chance of seeing / that man/ there. 

It took two weeks of intense research, verification on site by either or both of them, to finally isolate three addresses. Two were Airbnb's that were temporarily vacant because the renters were out of town. One was rented by a Russian couple who happened to also be out of town.  Diane was growing more and more frustrated and was starting to doubt that attending the Sunday Market was an effective tactic. This Sunday, she decided to go with Alex. She remained on the rooftops, equipped with goggles and their communication devices. As usual, Alexander was sitting on a bench, observing pigeons and people alike with a newspaper in his hand. She decided to tease him and turned on their comms. 

"I'm bored, Alex. Let's play a game."

"You're not very patient, Di, aren't you?" -He asked in a bemused tone. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed-

"It depends on what I'm supposed to be patient with. I could never do what you do. Stay still for hours or days, waiting for my target to fall into my visor like you do? It's not for me!"

"I'm a sniper. I was trained to do this. I was made to do this." -He chuckled- "You are brash, you like getting your hands dirty. I saw you at work."

" Oh, come on! You make it sound like I'm a toddler throwing tantrums. I can be very patient when it comes to it. I do prefer a proper fight, not because I like to get my hands dirty, but because it keeps me grounded. It stops me from becoming numb to what I do."

"What are you saying? Are you saying that the people you killed didn't deserve it?" -She scoffed at his suggestion-

"No! That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that I know the weight of the life I'm snuffing. They were people. They had souls, and no matter how foul they were, they were humans. I am not a monster killer; I kill humans. I kill people who were capable of everything, of pure hatred, of love, even redemption. I kill people whose lives left a scar on other people's lives. It's not collateral damage or a name I scrap off my list."

"And do you regret what you're doing? With the way you view things, there is a big chance that you're going to get hurt. It's going to take a toll on your soul."

"And didn't it take a toll on your soul when you were a soldier, Alex? What's different from the job we're doing? Don't give me that crap about being fine about it. War gives PTSD. To soldiers, to civilians, and to the land itself."

She had a point. He bit his tongue and clenched his jaw because he didn't want her to feel that her words made him upset. She twisted his own reasoning for taking his first job into a weapon, and for a brief moment, Alex was pondering her words. Did he suffer from PTSD? No matter how hard he wanted to deny it, the truth was that he did. Curiously enough, it wasn't the countless bastards his team snuffed out that plagued his nights. No. It was the innocent lives his team took. A wedding took place, and while their one target attended the wedding and could have been taken out expertly, his team decided to decimate everyone. They spared no one, not even the children and the sight of their corpses was burned into his skull. He couldn't get away with it. 

"Alex....I didn't mean to insult you, okay? I'm not judging your methods. At the end of the day, we both are killers. We both take lives. One way isn't superior to the other, but just the way that works best for me and the one that works best for you."

Alex didn't answer this time, which prompted her to grab her goggles and search for him. He was alert, looking in a certain direction. She furrowed her brows and followed his gaze, only to find what he was truly looking at. Dylan Atwater was in the market. He was with a child who didn't look like him.  Because of the child's presence, the Jackal simply observed/that man/. He watched as the pair walked past him and deeper into the market. He stood up and started to follow them. Was it Dylan's child? Was it a pawn? The little boy seemed stiff, terrified even as he walked closely to the older man, and Diane's heart started to race. She couldn't possibly exclude the fact that this kid was his. After all, Dy--/That man/ had walked the Earth for a long time. Having a child out of wedlock would not be a reach. He sincerely could have had a kid at any point in his life, whether with a willing participant or not. Alex followed them into the market and opened the comms with Diane. 

"Diane. He's here."

"I know. I noticed you weren't answering me. He's with a boy. I don't have a great view from where I am. Do they seem nervous or are they comfortable?"

He walked faster, following the duo as they walked further into the market. Alex observed them and noticed that the little boy was tense and tried his best not to shake. He then looked at the hand on his shoulder belonging to Dylan Atwater. What seemed like a loving touch quickly turned into a more sinister one. He was squeezing that boy's shoulder so hard that it felt as if he was going to break it. Alex knew by then that this little boy wasn't the son of Dylan Atwater. He was a hostage.

"No. It's his hostage. You said he was a sadist, right? Could it be that he is holding the whole family hostage and is toying with them?"

"Yes. It could be. Can you take a look at the boy? I want to see something."

Alex understood what she meant. While combing through the city registry, they found that one of the couple of renters was actually a family of four. One child was still a baby, while the other was a young boy roughly the same age as the hostage. Alex could feel his heartbeat increase as he grew closer to the duo. He had to take a look at the child to confirm his suspicions without being clocked by their target. He pretended to be clumsy and pushed the boy.  The child yelped and turned around to face the older man, who fell to his knees. The man held onto the boy's shoulders and muttered an apology for pushing him around. Dylan Atwater furrowed his brows and violently pushed the older man off the young boy. 

"Watch your step, old bones!" -He groaned, while being dismissive of that old man that fell on his butt-

"I'm sorry! I didn't see the young lad. Are you okay?" -He asked the boy, who nervously nodded before Dylan grabbed his arm and pushed him behind him.-

"He is okay. He could have been hurt by you dumbass!" -He scolded him and then shrugged his shoulders- "Anyway, what's done is done. Keep on moving, Johann!" 

He ordered the boy, who nodded and walked away from the scene. A young woman came closer to Alex and offered her help so he could stand back up. Still pretending to be an old man, he agreed and found himself back on his feet after a little while. He thanked her and resumed walking, this time in the opposite direction from where the duo had gone. Diane heard everything, and her knees gave up. She recognised the voice of /that man/. She heard the way he spoke to the child, and the sound made by Alex when he fell on his butt.  She ran her hand through her hair and held a fistful of her hair. She rocked her body back and forth in an attempt to soothe herself, but it didn't help. She couldn't calm down. Hearing that man's voice was even worse than seeing him. She ended up hitting her chest with her fist, forcing her body to feel the pain she still had trapped within her. She screamed, oblivious to the fact that Alex could hear her. 

He tried to get her attention. He called her once, twice, but it didn't work, so instead he decided to walk towards the building where she was stationed. His heart sank in the pit of his stomach as he heard her gut-wrenching screams. She was always so collected, poised and in control of herself that seeing her this vulnerable was disturbing him. His hatred of /that man/ grew even more intense as he vowed to himself to personally put a bullet to his head. He wanted to make him suffer and to make him feel even worse than what she went through. It wasn't anger he was feeling anymore. It was /rage/! He was filled with rage by now and determination to get rid of that asshole for the sake of the woman he loved. 

Loved? The thought crossed his mind, but he couldn't stop himself. He was in love with Diane, and he wanted to protect her more than anything else.  He cursed under his breath because it took too long to get there, but he didn't stop until finally he pushed open the door of the rooftop.  As soon as he found her, he slowed down and knelt before her.  He found her with blood on her hands as she kept pounding into her chest and bruising herself so hard she cut her skin open. She stopped hitting her chest and gave him a thousand-yard stare. 

"I'm here. I'm here now... I'm here, Diana." -He whispered and pulled her into a hug-

-TBC-

The day of the jackal- part 6

A/N: Finally, the smut! Trust that they will gear up and start focusing on Dylan Atwater.

----

Diane's hazel eyes stared at Alexander's baby blues. He looked at her intensely, searching for answers to questions he didn't ask. Diane grabbed his jaw with her shaking fingers. She pushed his head back, forcing him to stare at her face. She was confident, in control... Back to being the woman he used to know. She kissed him hungrily, licking his lips with her tongue to seek entrance, and Alex wrapped his powerful arm around her slender waist.  In moments like this, Alex and Diane weren't very talkative. Alex was on the verge of losing his mind. He growled and broke their kiss, forcing himself to stop so he could ask her if she was ready for them to have sex. He needed to know. 

"Are you sure about this, Di?" -Diana shrugged, her lips still shaking-

"I'm sure about this... I need this." -She pecked his lips, and he forced himself to pull away from her-

"I need to make sure..." -He groaned, still wanting to make sure that his partner wanted to have sex with him.- 

She had been very vulnerable lately, and he needed to know if he could proceed without causing her a meltdown. Diane sighed, hands still holding onto his jaw. Her hips swayed, and she pressed herself harder against his bulge. Alex groaned again and allowed his hands to stroke her back.  There was no trace of hesitation on her face, no doubt, no desire to stop what they were starting, which convinced him that everything was fine and that she genuinely wanted to have sex with him. The Jackal relaxed and held onto her ass. Diane kissed his lips while she resumed rocking her hips. It distracted him enough for him to slide his large hand up her black hair. He closed his fists into her hair and drew her closer for another searing kiss.  She needed him. That was a true fact. He could smell it all over her body and the small noises she made, desperate little grunts, were only confirming his first impression.

The young woman grabbed her shirt and removed it from her body, and he followed, revealing his broad chest. Diane's eyes were gleaming in this lusty light Alex recognized, and she scratched his torso, slowly drawing blood from the cuts. He could feel it, her eagerness that spoke louder than words ever could. She was relieved, angry, and horny. He could see that she got herself together and was now animated by revenge. She wanted that man's head, and he wanted to give it to her on a silver platter. Alex licked his lips when she removed her shirt and revealed her large breasts to his hungry eyes. He paused for a second, admiring her beautiful curves before his head moved forward, and he nibbled on the tender skin of her neck. In one fluid motion, he shifted position on the couch, pushed her on her back, and helped her to remove her shorts and underwear. Her full naked body was just lying under him, and her sweet scent hit his nostrils. He wanted her; the bulge in his pants could testify to it.

"Fuck... me!" She whispered in a determined but high-pitched voice. 

It was all he needed to put his doubts to rest. He grabbed her plump breasts, and she nipped at her bottom lip, her eyes hooded with lust as the hitwoman wanted more. She started to roll her hips, silently pleading with him to keep going. Right now, she needed a connection. She needed to feel his hands on her; she needed to hear him feel good and to watch his face contort with pleasure. Sex, right now, was a way for her to express feelings she wasn't able to voice just yet.  Did she want him? She was wet. he could see it as her neither lips were covered with her slick. Did she love him? She did. She had never acknowledged her feelings until she met with /that man/ again, and now, she wanted to scream these words at him, but they were stuck in the back of her throat. Her body was starting to feel hot, and she moaned when he slid his hand between her legs. He started to rub the little sensitive nub of nerves, and her hips bucked so she could meet his hand. She wanted to feel him inside her, just like the good old times. She needed to set herself free.

Alex didn't waste his time. He knelt on the couch, unzipped his pants, and pulled out his already hard length. He didn't even say a word and, in one swift motion, slid into the young woman. The tall mutant grunted at the warmth and tightness and slid as much of his cock as he could inside of her. The young woman eye-rolled and wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands scratching his arms, enough to draw blood. He was heavily breathing but quickly started to ram inside of her in long, deep, and hard thrusts. His hands were on each side of her face, and his nails were clawing the sheets so he didn't harm her. 

Diane moaned with each of his thrusts, her left hand rested on his waist and her right was cupping his cheek. She could feel him stretching her like never before and reminding her of places she forgot she had inside. He leaned over her for a kiss. Their tongues were dueling with each other, and he played with her right breast. The Jackal's grunts were filling the room as he was taking Diane and was quickly working some sweat on his body.  The sweet and spicy aroma of hers was filling his nostrils. Her scent. It always drove him mad because she smelled like vanilla. Maybe that was why I was missing Diane so much. Her scent was relaxing and arousing at the same time. But right now, he was more motivated by her wet inner walls and her sexy body than by /feelings/! He kept stretching her tight hole, filling her with his huge cock and made her scream. She wasn't much of a screamer, but whenever her voice reached the high notes, he knew she was completely unleashed. She was saying insanities... insanities that he loved to hear.

"Ahh... Baby... It's so good!  You're stretching me so good!!" -Diane was screaming his new pet name,  the one she recently gave him, and it made Alex feel something inside.- 

He loved it when she called him baby. It spurred him on and encouraged him to keep going.  Quickly enough, other words fell from her lips. "Keep going", "I want to feel you more!" and others fueled his own desire, and he went harder. They had not been together for a while, and both knew that they wouldn't last long.  She kept scratching his chest and arms, and he started to pump harder into her. 

He decided to change a bit. He shifted position with her to take his favorite one. She was put on her knees, and Alex held a fist of pink hair. His other hand was placed on her hip, and he smacked his waist against her plump bottom. From there he could see her back, the sensual curves of her butt and sometimes her breasts bouncing everywhere. He could also see that she was holding onto the cushions with her hands, using anything near her to satisfy her urge to hold something.  He loved her body. He loved that she was supple but taut, and her skin was smooth despite her many scars. Fuck! He loved that woman! She looked at him from the corner of her eyes while he was going deeper and harder inside of her.

"Fuck! Diane! you’re  so tight!" - The Jackal groaned this time- 

Both of his hands were holding her waist as he went harder, knowing she would take him no matter how hard he went. He wouldn’t break her. He wouldn’t hurt her. Her voice cracked, and all she could say were now pure insanities. Diane was feeling so good that she spread her legs further to give him better access and nearly tore open the cushions with her hands as he was stroking all the right places inside her.  The feeling was overwhelming, a bliss like she had never felt before. Her screams filled the room, carelessly so, as Diane didn't care about who or what could hear them. She didn't care. She felt safe in this room with Alex. She felt safe in this room with the man she had fallen in love with. She felt safe in this room, making love with the love of her life. 

Alex wanted to see her face once again, so while his hips kept pistoning into her, he used his arms to grab hers and pull her against his chest.  He crashed his lips into a searing kiss and kneaded her breasts with his strong hands.  Diane could feel her warm body, now covered in a thick layer of sweat. She was close, so close to her climax now, and so was he.  Alex moved his right hand down her belly and once he reached her folds, he started to rub her clit. His hips never faltered, and soon enough, she came around him in a scream. He didn't stop thrusting into her, now that he wanted to untie the knot in the pit of his stomach. Alex kept thrusting into her, her moans pushed him over the edge and he ended up cumming inside her.  Diane groaned and shut her eyes tight. 

"Fuck...Baby!" -She moaned softly and put her hands against his-  "Fuck... That felt so good."

Alex held onto her as tight as he could before he planted a kiss on the nape of her neck and slowly pulled away from her. Diane gathered herself and slowly pushed his hands off of her so he could sit back on the couch and she could sit next to him too. Both bodies were covered in a thick layer of sweat. Their hair stuck to their skins. As Diane caught her breath, she put her hands on her belly and leaned into the cushions. 

"Do you feel better?" -He asked. She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders- 

"What do you think, baby?" -She asked, tilting her head to the side so she could look at him. "

"I think that you do feel much better!" -He grinned and traced the curve of her arm with his forefinger- " I'll grab a shower, and you tell me what you found?"

"Mmhhhh or I could tell you now, and you grab a shower later?"

"Do you want to spoil me?" -She nodded and let her hand stroke his thigh- "Okay... I'm listening."

" Alright.  He killed the journalist. Here, in Budapest. He made him watch the torture of his family and tried to stage it like a murder suicide. I think he's still here. Now, stand up, go grab a shower, and we'll plan our next move!" -She planted a kiss on his lips and then leaned back into the cushions-

Alex stood up, nodded, and pulled his pants back on.  She sighed, her gaze set on the ceiling, and she smiled to herself. She felt happy... She was happy and now determined, more than ever, to find the man and watch him die. 

-----

Carton House, Dublin, the afternoon, a year ago. 

"You came back to me, Charles. If you're not careful, I could think that you actually like me."

"Perhaps I do like you, Enora."

He couldn't help but smile at her. They were both lying on their front sides. Alex watched as she looked divine under the moonlight. He ran his hand through her coily hair and cupped her cheek with his large hand.  Diane closed her eyes for a moment and allowed the fingers of her left hand to draw arabesques on  Alex's torso. She curbed her lips into a grin. 

"You shouldn't like me, Charles." -He couldn't help but smile harder. Her voice was now a purr, and it was still stirring something in his loins-

"And why is that, Enora?" -He repeated, bemused. He held onto her cheek a little more, and his thumb started to stroke her soft skin.-

"I will break your heart." -She whispered, her eyes averted his face to look at his chest-

"It's alright. I don't have a heart." -He mused before he realized she was genuine. He furrowed his brows and moved her head so she would look at his face again- "We both wear invisible scars, Enora. I am sure that I could tell you the very same thing because that's also what I do. That's what I did with Nuria. That is something I could do to you as well."

"I don't think you understand... I'm not talking about fighting you, betraying you, or anything you can expect from dating a hitman like you. No. I'm not talking about that."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"I will die, and it will break your heart. I don't intend to survive one my mission is completed." -She bluntly said-

"I wouldn't have pegged you as one with a deathwish." -His voice was stern but warm.  Alex leaned his forehead against hers. Alex planted a kiss on top of her head-

"It's going to be very difficult for me to find a reason to live once that man is dead. He took everything from me. Sometimes I even think that he took my humanity." -She bitterly laughed and chewed at her bottom lip- "I have nothing left to give, Charles.....So, once I get my revenge, the world would be better if I die."

"I think it's nonsense, Enora. I think.. There is still something to do in this life. There is still a monster to kill. There is still another life to save. I like you, I like this.... I'd like this to last a little longer....Please. Reconsider." -She blinked and looked into his blue eyes. He stroked her face and pressed a kiss to her lips-

"I will think about it. I can... I can do that." -She leaned into his touch and gently snuggled against him-

-TBC-

The Day of the Jackal part 3

A/N: This is quite a terrible part as it explains some of Diane's past. It's quite gruesome and, unfortunately, a reality for so many people. There, you can see why her business became something personal to the Jackal. He is determined to find their enemy and put a bullet in his head. 

---------------

When Diane woke up, she found Alex fully dressed in linen khaki pants and a blue cotton shirt with a plunging neck. He had taken a shower and was ready for the day, which made her question about her own situation. It took her a minute, but she realized that she had fallen asleep right there and couldn't help but sheepishly smile. Wasn't she supposed to help him with her research? He didn't seem upset when he turned around and set his icy blue gaze upon her. 

"Morning, sunshine."

"MMhhhh... I'm sorry I fell as--"

"Don't mention it. Yesterday was quite heavy on you. You needed that sleep. Today, you're well-rested, so you're sharp again. You should tackle that mission with a clear mind and a belly full."

"I have worked under worse conditions, you know?" -She pointed out- "But you're right, I needed to sleep it off. I'm determined to catch that bastard. I also acknowledge that there is no talking you out of helping me." -he smirked and nodded. She was right about it. He wouldn't be talked out of helping her ever again-

----

1 year ago, in London, air B'n'B: 

"I want to see you, Enora.  All of you.- " The Jackal said, almost pleading with her-

"You won't like what you see, Charles..." she sternly claimed. "Nobody can stomach it, not even me."

"Try me!" -He said in a stern voice. 

The Jackal's tone startled  Ghost, who blinked several times. Why did he insist on seeing her naked body in the light? She thought he would be satisfied with having sex in the dark, but apparently, it wasn't enough for him, at least that was what she thought-

"Sit on the bed, then. I'll stand up and turn on the light. I swear to God, Charles, if you ever make me feel like a monster, I'll kill you." -She warned.- 

He couldn't see her but could hear her voice tremble. He knew she was about to cry, and he felt a pang in his heart. He hated the panic in her voice, the quickness with which she stood, and the fact that she was preparing herself to be rejected. Why would he reject her?  She was shaking from head to toe but resolved herself to remain pro-active. She swallowed a lump and turned on the light. He watched her, a side he was familiar with. Her thick legs came first, with a few scars on them. He noticed one on her knee, a deep cut caused by a sharp object. He noticed the other scars on her legs. Bullet wounds on the top of her left thigh. They seemed more recent than the one on her knee. 

He noticed her taut belly,  also bearing scars: a mix of knife and bullet wounds. He could tell that these were recent and almost faded. He then noticed her face. She was defiant, but he could see her shaking. Her lips were still trembling, and she swallowed a lump. His own gaze softened up as he wanted to encourage her to turn around. She took a deep breath, then another, and he watched the scar on her upper lip. He never asked about it, but it became obvious that something sharp cut through her lip, and he wondered when she got that cut. Was it when she was young, or was it the business that caused that scar?   She lowered her head and swiftly turned around. She rested her forehead against the wall and bit at her bottom lip, hard, enough to draw blood to her teeth.

The sight made his heart skip several beats. Her back was covered with scars.  He could tell they were old, given how they blended well with her skin. Something sharp gave her deep cuts; a knife? Maybe something bigger. He could figure out a couple of gunshot wounds, one on her shoulder and the other on her lower back. He also noticed the type of scar that only a body trailed over rubble could do. Had she been trailed over when she was younger? He couldn't quite figure out what had happened to her, but one thing he was certain of was that someone did it to her. Anger, cold-blooded anger, overwhelmed him, and he rose to his feet. He quietly walked towards her and put his hand over one of hers. She was still shivering, and he could feel she was barely standing, so he wrapped his powerful arm around her waist and leaned his chin against her shoulder. 

"I am sorry for what happened to you. All I see is that you've been hurt, and all I feel is anger towards those who hurt you. I am not leaving you, Enora. I am /not/ leaving you." -he kissed her neck and nuzzled at the crook of her neck. The more he was giving her affection, the less she could hold it together, so she leaned into him and slowly slid down the wall so they ended up sitting on the floor.- "I have one question."

"Shoot." -She faintly said. He still didn't let go of her hand, nor did he stop holding onto her waist, which surprised Ghost-

"Are the ones responsible for this dead? If not, I will find the ones who are still alive, and I will kill them myself."

Ghost pinched her lips together, unwilling at first to speak about what she went through. The weight she carried on her shoulders ended up becoming too heavy for her, so the young woman sighed deeply and stopped fighting. The Jackal was the first person to actually stay after they saw her scars. He was the first person to actually hold her and the first to ask about those who were responsible for them. She felt that she could trust him with her burden and share her pain with him. It wouldn't change what happened to her, but she knew she wouldn't be judged if she spoke about it. She could trust him. Couldn't she? 

"I was 8 years old when that happened. I used to live in a very small city, almost a village, in the DRC Congo. I had good parents and a very fun and loving younger brother. I thought that my life would always be good because I was born into a good family. They sent me to school and on Friday, I was allowed to help my aunt at the orphanage she was running. I would do some chores, I would help with the babies... It was a good life. One day, a couple of weeks before I turned 9, our city was attacked. I was at the orphanage with my aunt, so I couldn't figure out what was happening at the time. My aunt tried her best to protect the youngest of the orphans. She hid us in the church's basement, but they found us. When they took us out, I saw the carnage, all the older orphans have been killed, and raped. my aunt was still alive, gravely injured and bound so she could watch her precious children die one after the other. The babies were killed swiftly. The children... Well, some were killed instantly, others were beaten and tortured, and I... I caught the eye of one of them."

She shook harder and started to cry. Jackal's heart twisted in rage. He knew what was to come, and he hated that it had happened to her. Ghost moistened her lips and wiped the snot and tears off her face with the back of her hand. She had to continue telling her story, even if she sounded very stoic and distant from the events she was describing. She had to keep going.  The Jackal remained silent, as he wanted her to keep talking until she couldn't before he said something. He couldn't take the risk to stop her as she was telling the story.

"I tried my best to fight him off, but he was just so strong. He grabbed my arm and took me to the unfinished side of the church. Some of his buddies followed him because they wanted to watch what he was going to do to me. I felt helpless, and I was so shocked, I couldn't even call my parents. I couldn't speak.  He tore my clothes off of me, pushed me on the rubbles on the floor, and raped me. Once I realized he wouldn't listen to my pleas and that my pain was arousing him, I stopped fighting.  I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me in pain anymore, so I remained there, lifeless. That angered him. It angered the other men with him. So he took his knife and he slashed my face. The scar above my lip that goes into my cheek? That was him.  He thought I would give in to him again and that I would scream, but I couldn't. I didn't want to. I cried still, but I made no noise. So he took me harder. He hurt me, but at this point, I was hurting so badly that I didn't care about how rough he was. I wanted to die."

How could he blame her for wanting to die? Anyone would want to if they were in her shoes.  He knew that the story she would tell him would make his blood boil, and it really did. He had a code of some sort; he only killed bad people. He only killed adults. He loathed those who killed, tortured, or assaulted innocent people. Heck, he even killed his own squad for killing innocent wedding-goers! He held onto her tighter and pressed his lips to the top of her head. It gave her some warmth, and she found the strength to keep talking. 

"I prayed that I would just die, but then I realized that my aunt was there and she saw me. She saw the blood between my legs; she saw my naked body violated by this monster. She heard them laugh at me, calling me names, and she couldn't take it, so she managed to grab one of the guns within her reach. They had tied her hands in front of her, which gave her an edge, I guess. She grabbed the gun, shot at the man she took it from, and killed him. That angered the rest of them and the man who was raping me. I watched as they killed my aunt, whose only crime was trying o try and protect me. That sent me into a rage. I wanted to kill them all instead of dying; I wanted them to die. So I looked at their faces, looked at what they were wearing. I wanted to remember everything just in case I survived."

Ghost couldn't stop crying as she told her story. She realized that after keeping her story for so long, speaking the truth felt like taking her first deep breath. In this room, with the jackal, she was at her most vulnerable, but she also felt the safest. 

"And the man who raped me? Well, he couldn't finish if he wasn't killing me, so he turned me around. He took me from behind while he slashed my back with his machete. He cut deep and I felt him cum inside of me as he tore my skin apart with his blade. There was blood everywhere on him.  When he grew tired of slashing me, he withdrew from me and stood up. He grabbed his gun and shot twice at me, just to make sure that I was dead. I didn't move because I needed him to believe I was dead. He didn't even bother to check my face. He simply left.  I waited until  I heard the noise of their truck to painfully stand up and walk my way to the window so I could see the type of truck they drove."

  

The jackal gritted his teeth as she kept talking. His mind was racing since he was trying to keep the details of her story in his mind. He already made a mental note to ask her about the man who assaulted her. He needed to get his name and whatever he could possibly use to track him down. He needed to know what she knew about him in detail so he could help and could kill that man himself. For her. For his selfish desire to see him gone from this planet. 

"It was a military jeep. They were wearing tactical gear, calling each other with military ranks... These guys were, or at least had been, in the military.  I walked to my parents' house, but they were all dead already. I remember I cried and passed out, and only after a couple hours, was I found, still breathing, by the survivors... those who fled to the forest and later came back. I survived by sheer luck and determination. That day, all I wanted was to find these men and kill them. I still had an uncle, the one who found me. He treated me well, made me go back to school, and gave me to his British friends so they could take me to the UK and give me a proper education." 

She didn't have to tell him how she came about becoming Ghost but he acknowledged that she felt the need to tell her story to him. He acknowledged the trust she had in him and planted another kiss on top of her head, mind-absently so.  Unlike him, her past shaped her decision to become a hitman. She got blood on her hands out of revenge and a need to punish the bad guys. Somehow, for someone who claimed she didn't have any humanity, he found out that she was, in fact, far more humane than he thought. 

"I researched, fine-tuned my skills, and learned to become an efficient killer. Once I was ready, I went to see my uncle on his deathbed and promised that those who came to our home and destroyed it would pay for it. He gave me his blessings, and I went to work. One after the other, I found them all. Ex-military turned mercenaries; That's who attacked us.  They first worked for Wagner and then left because they wanted to make more money. One by one, I killed them, and I made sure they knew it was the little girl in that small Congolese town who was cutting their throat. The only one I was able to find but couldn't kill was my rapist. He... Every time I see his face, I just freeze, and I can't shoot. I can't stab... I can't get close to him, so he's been eluding me for years now. I need to find him, and I need to kill him so I can finish what I started, and I can make him pay. Why aren't you disgusted by my scars? Charles? Why are you still here? Why did you want to know?" She ended up sobbing, unable to contain her tears any longer-

"Why would I leave you, Enora? Why would I be disgusted by your scars? I was in the military, and I've been to war. I know the horrors of war. If anything, this is familiar to me. What I want right now, is to find the bastard who did it to you and put a fucking bullet in between his eyes. He would pay for what he did to you and to countless others. He will pay. I swear!" 

He then gently cupped her chin and lifted her head so she could stare at him. She couldn't believe her ears, but she could see that he was genuine. So she nodded and sobbed harder. That night, she wouldn't be able to speak more about what happened to her. She wouldn't be able to talk about /that man/. But she promised him that he would know soon enough. When she's ready to talk again. He put her back to bed and turned off the light to help her fall asleep again. As they found each other under the sheets again, this time Ghost knew that she was safe and the Jackal felt that there was no turning back from then. 

"Alex. My name is Alexander Duggan." -He admitted  as he wrapped his arm around her frame and pulled her into a tight hug.-

"Diane... My real name is Diane."

Indeed... There was no turning back from this.

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The day of the Jackal part 2

A/N: I really took a liking to these characters and this storyline. As you can see, the story isn't linear as I jump from the present to the Past. In this chapter, I'll explore why seeing that man is a big deal for Diane and how it impacts the Jackal.

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"You should get some rest, Diane.  We'll talk about it tomorrow."

" I won't be able to sleep. Let's get some coffee instead." -She yanked her head back and pinched her nose bridge-

The Jackal stood up and walked towards the kitchen. There was no point in arguing with her because she needed to be active. Diane couldn't sleep, and now that he told her that he wanted to kill the man she crossed paths with, they would need to talk about it in detail. He went to the cabinets and took two cups of coffee. He rummaged through the cabinets and realized they lacked coffee, capsules, ground coffee, or even beans. There was some tea, so he turned on the water heater to face Diane. She had followed him and was standing in the middle of the kitchen. Her frame was barely covered by a short grey t-shirt and a pair of black underwear, but he didn't let it distract him. Instead, he watched as she put both hands on her sides. 

"You have to walk me through that encounter. What did you notice?"

"Alex..." she whimpered, biting her bottom lip hard enough to bruise her skin. It's a little foggy right now. I don't have all the details."

"I need to know if he lives here..."

"Alex..."

"I need to make sure he hasn't figured you out." - He was growing impatient and 

"ALEX!" She shouted. Both hands held onto her skin tighter and she shook her head- "Please!... For the love of God, stop!" She then covered her mouth with her warm palm and shook her head. He could see she was still shaking, and he felt his body stiffen at the sight. He hated to see her vulnerable like this. It was unlike her. It was... like a knife being twisted in his guts. He hated it but he didn't move closer to her. She didn't want him to.-

"Fine." That was all he said as he placed the cups on the table and returned to the water heater to pour some into a teapot. As he prepared the tea, Diane pulled a chair toward her and sat on it. The Jackal brought the teapot to the table, and he pulled the chair opposite her and sat on it. "We're running out of coffee, but there's some tea."

"I'm fine with it, " she replied in a soft voice. Leaning her arms on the table, she rolled her head to the side to look at him. He remained silent and observant, waiting for the teapot to be ready so he could pour some into their cups.- "I'm sorry for my outburst. I'm a nervous wreck..." -She admitted and chewed at her bottom lip-

"I know. It's okay."-His blue eyes softened upon staring at her. Diane shrugged and  started to scratch her  cheek- 

"I think he was here for a short time. He wasn't relaxed and kept looking at his watch. I noticed he took a phone call and then left the supermarket." -She then pinched the bridge of her nose with her left hand- "I would look into the files I have on him."

"When was the last time you updated it?"

"Two years ago... A short while after we met in Milan." -She confessed, scratching her cheek again- 

"Why is that?"

"I was... distracted...I was feeling good for a while, and I thought.... I thought I didn't need to enact my revenge. I could hold onto something better."

"What are you saying?" 

"I'm saying /you/ made me feel good. I felt good for the first time in such a long time. I was so happy I thought I could put my past behind me, Alex! That's what I'm saying!" She stared at him and chewed at her bottom lip. His heart skipped a beat as he hadn't expected her to speak about her feelings so clearly. He could feel his heart fluster and his cheeks turn red, but he didn't flinch. She kept talking to refocus their conversation- "So... I haven't updated the file for this long, but I'm sure we can find his whereabouts if we pick up where I left it."

"What was he up to?" -She leaned further into her  chair- 

"Last time I found him, he was in South Africa. He was cozying up with the leader of the far-right party there. I knew because I was working a job in South Africa and after a couple years of absence, he resurfaced in the country.  He always goes on a hiatus after his jobs to cover his tracks and cut all the loose ends of his last jobs. He never gets satisfied with just giving advice... He always liked to get his hands dirty that was one of the ways I could track him. I know his work."

"How would you proceed if you were tracking him down?" -he asked, trying to make her focus on something practical. She furrowed her brows for a moment; the little crease on her forehead suggested she was genuinely thinking about his question. How would she do it if she was alone?-

" Now that I know he's in the country, I would first search for him in South Africa. See what his job was there. See if I can find him in pictures like I did last time. Is he still buddies with the president of that far-right party, or was that man his target? Then, from there, if he's left South Africa for good, I would look into the big cases of the last years. I know his work; I would recognize it anywhere. I'll look into suspicious deaths or perhaps massacres. I'll look at the victim profiles and then search for testimonies. He never works alone. He is a mercenary, but he has a squad of faithful men who would follow him anywhere, including hell." -She took a deep breath and tilted her head to the side- "I'll also look into Budapest's recent crimes. Perhaps he came here for a job."

"It may be fruitless, but at least this is a start. I need to have access to your files Diane." -She pinched her lips together and nodded- " I'll look into South Africa. You can check for any recent crime here."

He outstretched his hand, waiting for Diane to give him her files. She always kept it around her neck, in a makeshift necklace of some sort. Her hazel eyes stared at him, and she pulled on her USB key and broke her necklace. She handed the USB key to him, and the Jackal nodded quietly. He knew it was asking a lot from her, and it was a testament to her trust in him. She pinched her lips together, and once he took the USB key, she slouched back into her seat.  There was relief on her face, he could tell. It was as if she was breathing for the first time in a long time. 

He left the kitchen for a moment and allowed Diane some space for herself. She covered her mouth with her warm palm and cried into it. Her body moved back and forth as she was furiously trying to keep the Jackal from seeing her in such a vulnerable state. Heck! She didn't want to feel vulnerable like that again, but meeting that man still made her react the same way. She froze and was unable to do anything but watch that man as he went about his day. She felt as helpless as she had been all those years ago, and panic mixed with anguish and disgust took over her. She cried into her hand, and despite her best efforts, Alex could hear her. He knew what was going on but he also knew it was best not to intervene and let Diane cry it out. What it did, however, was cover his skin with goosebumps and make him angry. 

Yes, he was angry. Angry at the man for what he did to Diane. Angry at the horrors she and countless other children were forced to endure at the hands of adults. He was angry but also determined to find that man and put a bullet in his head himself. He would do it for Diane. he would do it for himself as well. Her enemy was now his, and he would stop at nothing until he was sure that man was dead.  He started his research and after a while, as the sun had risen, he heard no more noise coming from the kitchen. He decided to check in on Diane, and upon entering the kitchen again, he saw her sleeping body. She fell asleep there, her head resting comfortably between her arms. So, he decided against waking her up and went to the bathroom to grab a bathrobe he could wrap around her frame. They would talk about what he found when she woke up. 

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-TBC-