A Little Marble Statuette

Vernon looked at the woman walking away. He could tell she was scared of him, and he didn't know how to make her trust him and feel safe in his arms.

Vernon couldn't understand why he was so captivated by her. She wasn't miss universe, and her eyes had a killing intent. One thing was for sure: he can't stop thinking about her. Everything in her was perfect, like she was made for him. Her quiet voice, sarcastic tone, lovely blonde hair, bright blue eyes, expressive face, seductive lips and sharp mind. She was truly a challenge, and he gladly accepted it. 'I will get to her and make her run after me! I'm not the only who is going to suffer!' He thought for himself as he made his way to the national museum. It was almost 8 o'clock.

According to the documents that Wanda, his sister, wrote, a man of the Paitonix organisation was supposed to go into the museum and steal an important artefact. Vernon's mission is to prevent that from happening. He must assassinate the man.

——

Andreas Mitechi looked at the little marble statuette. It was rumoured to be one of the artefacts that could possibly be a message from the future, and maybe even summon the sender of the message to Paitonix's side. As a researcher, he waited all of his life for this particular moment. To hear a message from the future, to meet one of them.

Looking at the simple statuette made Mr. Mitechi feel dizzy. He was so excited! He must mark this figurine when no one looks and signal to the operation team to go and get it.

Finally, Mr. Mitechi was alone in this section of the museum! He took out a marker and did what he was asked to do. Now, to meet the operation team. They said they will wait in a secluded area on the 3rd floor. Unfortunately, Mr. Mitechi wasn't young anymore, and there weren't any elevators in the museum. Climbing the stairs was exhausting for the old man, but the rush of adrenaline helped him fly the stairs like a young boy! Turning left and right, navigating through the maze like exhibitions, he made it to the area. The operation team was waiting for him, but in a way that Mr. Mitechi didn't expect them to wait. They were all dead. Horror befell on him as he felt sharp pain his abdomen.

"Looks like Paitonix will not get the little artefact." The man who said it turned Mr. Mitechi around. The latter understood what happened.

"You assassins... only delay your demise..." Mr. Mitechi coughed blood all over the floor. His vision was fading slowly as death engulfed him.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, dying man." The assassin's mockery would have aggravated Mr. Mitechi, but what would he do against anyone while dying?

"Paitonix will put.... an end to the foolish... assassins... they will get..... what they want.."

Andreas Mitechi let out his one last breath. His lifeless corpse was laying on the marble floor of the museum.

"How dramatic for such a minor target." Vernon placed a small figurine that resembled the artefact next to Mitechi's corpse. "So you won't miss the message."

"Chief, the artefact is secured."

"Good. Let's get out of here before anyone notices the mess here."

"Yes, chief."

Both of the assassins opened a window, and using a zip-line, they escaped the building.

——

"What have you thought for yourself when you let the girl go alone?"

"She wouldn't let me send anybody with her! Can't you tell that she doesn't trust us? The moment I told her that she is in the Devil's Underground, her face had a terrified expression!"

"I could but at least you should have made her wait till I finish reading the damned documents!"

"She wouldn't listen anyway!"

"She almost died!"

"Don't blame me for it! She wanted to go alone!" Thud! Vernon hit the wall from rage. So what if the girl wanted to go alone!? She should have made the girl wait! Even sending her to the office to sit with him and wait! Wanda could be so dense when it came to decide something that wasn't related to her work. Why Wanda couldn't understand how bad her decision was!? He hit the wall again.

"Calm down, brother! As father said, you can think clearly only when.."

"Stop bringing father into every conversation that we have! Father said this, father would do that, can't you think on your own!? Or is it that your critical thinking is only for decisions related to the brotherhood!?"

Silence grew between the siblings. Both of them knew that Vernon was right. Wanda never cared about anything that doesn't relate directly and indirectly to the brotherhood. She never understood why her brother would occasionally bring different women for the night. Whenever she asked him about it, he said it was for fun. It won't be fun if the woman appears to be a spy or a hitman from Paitonix! Fortunately, all of them were harmless. Her brother was so lucky, because if not, she would kill him herself.

Vernon went back to his room. He couldn't look at his sister anymore! He sat on his bed, massaging his temples, when he noticed a neatly folded paper. He unfolded it and saw a note with a neat handwriting. Vernon reread the note a few times and he forgot about his anger. His mood greatly improved from just a few sentences.

"So her name is Rosalyn Parker... This name suits her so well. I'm going to catch you, Rosalyn."