Page 10 of The Silencer

Bauer's walking toward the building now, still chattering away on his phone, oblivious to the fact that these are his last moments on Earth.

"Take the shot when you're ready," Jer says quietly.

I exhale slowly, centering the crosshairs on Bauer's chest.Time seems to slow down.I can hear my own heartbeat, steady and calm.

I squeeze the trigger.

The rifle bucks against my shoulder.Through the scope, I watch as Bauer stumbles, a look of shock on his face as blood spreads across his pristine white shirt.He crumples to the ground as panicked screams erupt from the street below.

"Good shot," Jer says approvingly."Now let's move.Quickly."

We break down the rifle with practiced efficiency and stow it in an inconspicuous gym bag.As we make our way down the fire escape, my hands are steady, my mind clear.I thought I'd feel...something.Guilt, maybe.Or regret.But all I feel is a cold satisfaction.

One less monster in the world.

We blend into the chaos on the street; just two more tourists gawking at the scene.As we round the corner, I catch sight of Cole.He gives me a subtle nod of approval.

"How do you feel?"Jer asks as we climb into our getaway car.

I consider the question for a moment."Like I did what needed to be done," I answer honestly.

Jer nods, a hint of pride in his eyes."That's the job, lad.We take out the trash, so others don't have to get their hands dirty."

As we drive away from the scene, leaving the wail of sirens behind, I think about Bauer.About the lives he destroyed, the children he hurt.And I think about my father, still sitting in a cell back in Ireland.

"You did good today, Emmanuel," Cole says from the front seat."Clean shot, quick getaway.Couldn't have asked for a better first job."

I nod, still processing what I've done."What happens now?"I ask.

"Now?"Jer chuckles."Now we celebrate a job well done.Then it's on to the next one."

As we pull up to our hotel, I realize this is my life now.No more school, no more normal teenage worries.Just moving from city to city, taking out the monsters that plague society.It should scare me, this path I've chosen.But all I feel is a sense of purpose.

"You still sure about this life?"Cole asks as we enter the hotel lobby."It's not too late to back out."

I meet his gaze steadily."I'm sure.This is who I am now."

He nods, satisfied with my answer."Alright then.Welcome to The Agency, Emmanuel.You're one of us now."

“Watch it, Cole,” Jer says, his voice tight, which is a stark contrast to the smile on his face.“Emmanuel is one of my men first and foremost.”

Cole grins as he holds his hands up.“I get it, you want to keep the boy, and I won’t take him from you.He can do what Stephen does and work for the both of us.It’ll be good to have a silencer work for us.”

Jer turns to me with a wicked smile on his face.“Didn’t take long, did it, son?We now have your moniker.The Silencer.”

As we head up to our hotel suite, the gravity of what I've just done starts to sink in.I've taken a life, ended someone's existence with the squeeze of a trigger.The fact that he was a monster doesn't change that fundamental truth.

But I don't feel guilty.If anything, I feel...powerful.Like I've finally found my purpose.

"The Silencer, huh?"I muse as we enter the room."I like it."

Jer claps me on the shoulder."It suits you, lad.Quick, clean, efficient.Just like your work."

As Jer and Cole drink the whiskey Cole bought and we discuss the finer points of the operation, I find myself thinking about my ma back home.She has no idea what I've become, what I'm capable of now.Part of me wants to tell her, to make her understand why I'm doing this.But I know I can't.This life, this work, it has to remain a secret.

"You did good today, Emmanuel," Jer says, interrupting my thoughts."But remember, this is just the beginning.Each job will test you in new ways.Are you ready for that?"

I meet his gaze steadily."I'm ready for whatever comes next."

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