I walked back home, my mind racing with thoughts about the mission Mark had just assigned me. Kill Elio Fontana, the future heir to the Italian Mafia Fontana, without any clear reason or evidence of wrongdoing. It didn't sit well with me. As an assassin, I had always taken pride in eliminating targets who posed a threat to society. But this... this felt different.
As I entered my home, I found Esther sitting on the couch, surrounded by books and paper freckles, laying almost lifelessly by her side. She looked up at me with a smile.
"Hey, how was the mission?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
I sighed, flopping down beside her on the couch. "It was... complicated."
Esther's eyes widened. "Complicated? What happened?"
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But Esther was my best friend, and I knew I could trust her.
"Mark gave me a new mission," I said, "to kill Elio Fontana. But there's no clear reason why. He's never committed any crimes, as far as I know. They even threatened to cut me off if i didn't complete the mission. "
Esther's expression turned thoughtful. "That's interesting. I've been studying the Fontana Clan, and they're known for their ruthless tactics. Maybe there's more to Elio than meets the eye?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You're studying the Fontana Clan?"
Esther nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'm writing a paper on organized crime, and the Fontana Clan is one of my case studies. I've been reading everything I can find on them."
I smiled, impressed. "You're such a nerd, Esther."
Esther grinned. "Hey, someone's got to keep you informed about the world you're operating in."
I chuckled. "Fair point. But back to Elio... I don't know much about him. What's your take on him?"
Esther leaned forward, her eyes shining with excitement. "From what I've gathered, Elio is currently abroad. No one knows why. Depending on whether my intel is right, he might be coming back soon. They will be a huge banquet to acknowledge his return. A masquerade party."
I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds... intriguing. Why does HQ want him dead, though?"
Esther's expression turned serious. "I don't know, Camille. But you have to think about what this means. If you're ordered to kill someone without a clear reason, it could be a test. Or worse, it could be a sign that something's going wrong within the organization."
"If they are threatening to cut you out, the latter might be the case."
I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. "You're right, Esther. I need to dig deeper. See if I can find out why HQ wants Elio dead."
Esther smiled. "I've got some contacts who might be able to help. Let me make a few calls."
As Esther pulled out her phone and started dialling, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. This mission didn't feel right, and I knew I had to be careful. But with Esther's help, I might just uncover the truth behind Elio Fontana's fate.
"Okay, I've got someone who might be willing to talk," Esther said, hanging up her phone. "Let's go meet them and see what we can find out."
I stood up, my mind already racing with possibilities. "Let's go."
We arrived at the café, a small, quaint place in the heart of the city. Esther spotted our contact, a tall, slender man with a messy beard, sitting in the corner. We approached him, and he looked up, nodding at us.
"Thanks for coming," he said, his voice low. "I'm Alessandro. I've heard a lot about you, Camille."
I raised an eyebrow. "What have you heard?"
Alessandro smiled. "That you're one of the best assassins out there. But I also heard you're not afraid to question orders."
I leaned forward, my eyes locked on his. "What do you know about Elio Fontana?"
Alessandro leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Not much Elio was kept hidden he was rarely spotted, and when he was, he was surrounded by bodyguards. But... there's rumours that the Fontana Clan is in trouble. Internal power struggles, rival clans trying to take them down... it's a mess."
Esther nodded, her eyes shining with interest. "That makes sense. Knowing the Fontana clan, it would be odd if there were no power struggle."
Alessandro nodded. " But... there's something else. The reason Elio was sent abroad."
Esther leaned forward. From the look she was giving, i could tell she was interested in whatever he was going to say. "What is it?"
Alessandro glanced around the café, making sure no one was listening. "Elio..."
"How do you know so much?" I asked, cutting him off he turned to look at me smilled. Somehow, I felt creeper out by that smile.
"I don't think that's important now, princespesa," he replied that eerie smile still on his lips.
"Esther, let's go," I said, standing up whilst pulling the still confused Esther.
"Camille, what's wrong? we can trust him. I called him remember," she said as we headed outside.
"That doesn't mean he is trustworthy. I don't think just anybody will be able to know the inner workings of the Fontana clan. It's either one of two things he either works for the Fontana clan or works for a rival clan, " I replied to her, making her go quiet.
"You're thinking it's the latter, aren't you?" She asked, but I said nothing. There was nothing more to say.
The drive back home was quiet, and both of us lost in our own thoughts. It took us about ten minutes to get back home and another two to walk into the house.
When we got in, we found Freckles at the door she has probably been waiting for us for a long time.
"What are you going to do now?" I head Esther say as we walked into the living room. I just shrugged. What was there to do? I have to complete my mission.
"Do you know when this party will hold?" Esther shook her head.
"That's an information I can't get a hold on. Maybe you should ask HQ," she replied, and I nodded.
"Are you thinking of going to the party?" She asked and gave a curt nod.
"Have you forgotten it's a masquerade party? How do you plan on finding out who Elio is? And please don't tell me through your intuition, " she said. I just turned to look at her blankly.
It was at times like this that I hated her sarcasm.
"I'll think of something before then," I replied. All I got in return was a scoff from her.
"Good luck then. I guess I will be taking care of Freckles again, " she replied, and I just sighed.
"Sorry." Was all I could say.
"It's okay. I enjoy my time with her," she replied, patting Freckles, who was snuggled up in my arms.
I know I am probably being selfish by leaving her with Freckles she also has work. But she was the only one I could trust.
One of these days, I'll prepare something for as a way of saying thank you.