Killing at the Sunshine State

  I was at one of the best beaches in Florida: Miami Beach. The sun was high up in the sky, and the heavens were painted blues. If you guys are wondering if a Ghost can burn, then the answer is no. (Read Blog: Introduction) We are not vampires. We do not melt under the sun, nor do we shine like disco balls either, in case your a Twilight fan. Our only weakness if a bag of Cheetos. That's how awesome us Ghosts can be!
  I trudged along against the white sand. I wasn't here to have fun. I was here to kick some lousy butt. Which lousy butt? Do you guys remember Miles Rigger? (Please Read Blog: Mission--Possible! for more info on the guy and why I am going to kill him.)
  I heard from a source that Miles was going to be here. And that source would be Twitter. So much for being a fancy know-it-all assassin. But it's called the smarts!
  There were a million people here! I did a quick scan on my surroundings, checking if any Fears were here. Fortunately, i didn't see any Fears stationed here. But i wasn't quite sure. What if they have taken on their human forms?
  I sighed.
  I can handle myself. There is no need to be afraid. I walked out of the shade i was standing at and into the burning sunlight and stood there under the heat for a moment. The heat took away the coldness in me. Did i mention that i was sick? Not sick, as in really sick, but I've got this illness. I am an anorexic and i get easily cold. That's why I'm not fan of Fears, they make the coldness become even colder.
  I stretched up to my toes and smelled the clean fresh air. I closed everything down. I shut my mind and blocked away all my thoughts. I opened my ears up, listening to the sound of my surroundings. I gave every ounce of my concentration to my hearing skills. I opened my brain up, letting every thought sink in. Did i mention that i can actually read minds?
  I skimmed my way through the thoughts in the beach. Listening to at least fifty people per second. This is how i was going to find my way to Miles.
  These hotdogs taste great.
  Gosh, it's so hot here. 
  What was i thinking? See how he flirts with her?
  That chick is even hotter than my girlfriend!
  I think that dude was the one who stole my wallet! 
  That guy's belly looks like Mt. Everest.
  I blocked away the people who were thinking nonsense and skipped them. I gave myself a mental note on the people i passed, making sure i don't read their thoughts again. It would just take me more time to find Miles.
  This bra is so tight.
  Oh look! A fish!
  Hey, where did Sammy go?
  Martha looks ugly today. 
  I wish i could have gone with Sally instead of Margaret. She's hotter!
  I skimmed through the people's thoughts, going as fast as i could, and trying to recognize them at the same time.
  Jamie might drown if he goes too far.
  I stopped and concentrated on that one particular thought. I recognized the tone of that voice. Was it really...? I opened my eyes and turned to the direction of where that thought was coming from. I looked over the left and opened my raptor vision. I zoomed in and focused at the man standing two miles away, leaning toward the shore, a worried expression on his face.
  Miles Rigger. He was here. Standing just a few paces from me. I took in his features, memorizing them. His black hair, tousled with the wind, his frowning face, his fair skin, his hands cupped around his mouth, trying to shout something over the wildness of the ocean.
  This was the last thing he'd ever do. The last vacation he would ever go to. I smiled to myself. I opened my ears up and focused on what Miles was shouting.
  "Jamie!" he screamed. "Don't go over there! You know that water is too deep for you! Jamie! Don't! Jamie! Jamie! JAMIE!!!"
  Before i even knew it i was running as fast as i could. Leaving a million footprints on the white sand. I can run as fast as the fastest cheetah. I dodged at some vendors and people obstructing my path, but usually they were the ones who dodged out of my way. As soon as i was at the water's edge i placed my feet together, steeled myself, and made a clean dive into the water. I swam like a shark.
  I opened my mind up, listening to the thoughts of little Jamie. He was in the middle of the water, even deeper than i expected him to be in. I swam right after him, not even bothering to catch my breath. Ghosts can actually stay underwater for a long period of time, maximum was about twenty minutes. I got to Jamie faster than a normal person could. Twenty seconds, record time!
  I tugged at Jamie's shoulders, hugging him with my left arm, and pulling him to the surface. As soon as we were up, Jamie made no response to the air, he was unconscious. I swam to the shore using only my right hand and my feet. I could see Miles' worried and surprised face as i pulled up. I bet he didn't expect me to be there. Why would he?
  He ran forward, Kayla was there too. Kayla was Jamie's mother and Miles' ex-wife. I laid Jamie on the sand, while Miles and Kayla knelt down beside me. People were crowding around us now.
  "I know CPR!" a man announced and went forward.
  I pushed the man back and went back to Jamie. I pressed my hands against his chest and pushed down five centimeters deep and began pounding. After three thumps, i opened his mouth, inhaled, and pushed some air into Jamie. I did the process two more times till Jamie finally responded. He coughed out water and his face went really pale.
   Kayla stooped down and hugged him. Miles let out a sigh of relief, he looked at me and smiled thankfully. I smiled back. Assassin Rule: Keep your friends close, and your victims closer.
  The bodyguards arrived. They were late. They started pushing the crowd and hovered over Jamie. They were looking at me as if i was an angel from heaven. Did i mention that Ghosts are beautiful?

  Kayla led me to the living room of their beach house. It was pretty big. There was mirrors where there should have been walls, aquariums instead of pictures, and grills instead of stoves. I'm going to suggest to Holly to actually let us live in a beach house.
  As soon as I sat down, Kayla sat beside me and took my hand in hers.
  "Natalie," she told me, her eyes getting all teary. "Thank you." She was choking back tears now. I have known Kayla for two years now. She is the reason I met Miles. Although i am not very close to her, we still talk every once and a while. She was very close to Becca and Blaine though.
  I patted her hand. "Your welcome."
  I heard Miles' soft footsteps enter the room. He knocked at the door to let us know he was there. He gestured to Kayla that he wanted to speak alone with me. Kayla got up and smiled ay me again. I smiled back. I never liked her, she was too boring and plain for me. I don't like boring and plain, but i had no choice. She was Miles' wife.
  I hesitated for a moment but then I had to look up. Miles was smiling at me. I smiled up at him too.
  Until I realized he was holding a knife in his hand.
  I jumped off the couch, instinctively and cowered at him. He had a tight smile on, like those that you usually see on a villain's face in movies. I held his gaze. I knew the effort he made into his looking into my eyes. I could feel my eyes burning right into his. It was a talent Ghosts had. We could make someone feel like we could see straight into their souls. Like we knew every single mistake, lie, and crime.
  I cocked my head to the side. "Wow, Miles. I'm impressed. Do you really think you can beat me?"
  That was when I saw a bead of sweat trail down the side of his face. I had him.
  I laughed and relaxed out of my tensed position and walked towards him.
  He backed away as I came near him, holding the knife out. It was ham slicer. What? Was he planning on cutting me with this? Wow. You couldn't worry a Ghost with that kind of weapon. What a pity. I thought Miles was smart, since he did graduate from Stanford. A tip for all those people out there who's trying to kill me: A 10 inch blade can definitely not leave a scratch on our body. Not that we are made of stone or anything like that. It's just too dumb to do it. Hey, if you're smart, you'd know not to mess with Ghosts let alone show up and hold a knife in front of their faces.
  I walked to him calmly and smoothly. He got a bit agitated and backed away. When he realized that I was cornering me he took a swipe at me with the knife. It made the loud swish sounds as the metal went through the air. Miles saw my dodge coming and as soon as I did dodge the knife, he came swiping at the place I dodged at. If we were talking basketball I would use the term rebound on what he just did.
  I was wearing strapless so it was easy for both of us to see the slice that was lodged in there. Blood was coming out so I supposed the wound was in pretty deep. I looked back and smiles as I watched Miles' face as he saw the miracle happen. The skin started connecting itself and healing itself, turning into a faint shade of pink, then dissapearing into my white skin. No trace of it happening except the blood that was still left there. Awesome right?
  Miles knew we could heal ourselves. He just never saw us do it. I took delight at the expression he showed. It lightened my mood a bit, which made me pity him. I would do him a favor and make this fast. So fast that he wouldn't feel it.
  I stepped closer and back slapped the knife from his hand. He looked at me with shock, his mouth open. I took another step and grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him up -Yeah, Ghosts are like...super strong too- and threw him in the air. He crashed on the small cabinet at the back of the room, wood burst through the room. The fall must have had a great impact on him, because his head was hanging and his tongue was rolled out. He was breathing hard.
  I walked over to him and lifted him into a standing position. I started punching him.
  "This. Is. What. You. Get. For. Cheating. On. Mystic. Peak!" I hit him real hard every time I managed to mutter out a word. His face was totally crushed now. There was blood all over his face. Blood was dripping from his nose, his mouth, and his cheeks. His left eye was starting to show signs of a black eye happening, while his right was bloody. I must have busted a vessel.
  I loved this. I loved seeing the blood drip from his bloody face. I melted in the adrenaline that swept through me, just for the thrill and excitement of it. Just looking into his dark and hateful eyes made my ego go wild. This is how I felt whenever I killed. I loved this feeling, although I am deeply ashamed of it. I was born to kill. Just like my mother.
  Well, I did promise I would kill him quickly.
   I am very dissapointed with you, Miles. I sent my thought to him, entering his mind. And you do know what happens when I'm upset. I smiled at his sweetly.
  I bent over and whispered in his ears. "Goodbye Miles!"
  I put my hands on either side of his face and smiled again. I could hear the crack of his spinal cord as I twisted his head around with my own bare hands.
  
  I left after I killed Miles. I didn't bother cleaning up. I made sure though that I left no traces of my being there, like fingerprints for example. I didn't feel like a police-trying-their-best-to-catch-me chase today. I was already on the road, driving past jogging people and bright-painted houses. It was heaven. The sun was way up, baking the people it shone it's light on.
  Even though I was miles away from the beach house I tuned in to hear the screams that Kayla made as she discovered the body of her dead husband. I laughed as I heard them. People always exaggerate on love and everything. Why would you give your entire heart to someone when it would only hurt you in the end? I love my brothers, and also my Phoenix mates but, I never loved someone in that way. What's the point with spending all your time making gooey eyes at someone? Poor Kayla. I was sorry for her. What I was doing is almost a favor for her. I was helping her out.
  My phone rang.
  "Natalie Newton-John," I said as I picked up my phone. I liked the way I answered my phone. It made me sound business like.
  "Natalie," a grave female voice said. It was pretty obvious that she's been crying. Talk about the devil!
  "Kayla!" I squealed, delighted.
  "I'm going to kill you!" she said in a dark voice. "I'm going to hunt you down and kill you."
  "Ooo!" I said, smiling as I taunted her.
  "And when I kill you, you're going back to where you came from," she said in a sure voice. As if she knew what she was talking about. "You're going back to hell, Ghost!"
  "Huh." I said with a smile in my voice. "I guess that if that time ever came, I'd see your loving and canning husband down there. Don't you think?"
  I didn't wait for an answer. I hang up and threw the phone out of the truck I was driving.
  Ah. Florida, sweet, sweet, sunny Florida. One of my favorite places to kill. Maybe I should live here.
  I smiled as I drove away. 

                          
                                                                                                       Sincerely,
                                                                                                                   Natalie Newton-John

Flashbacks and Recognitions

  It was two days after i killed Jacob. I was sitting in a chair inside a cocktail house, drinking some alcohol. I would never forget how Jacob Duncan looked at me when i killed him. He didn't look like my other victims when i killed them. When he died, his eyes squinted at me and his face went cold. It was like he recognized me just as i killed him. I gathered a thought from him.
  Alanza.
  That was my mother's name. She's a Ghost too you know? ( Read Post: Introduction) She's one of the twenty-two of us, Ghosts surviving. Although, she doesn't live with my brothers and me. She is standing as Vice President for some fancy company up there in England. She visits us every now and then, or else its us who visit. She gives us a call sometimes too.
  Before we were found by Holly, we used to live with our mom back in Manchester. She didn't want Holly to take us then, but Holly talked to her and she agreed later on. I didn't know what Holly told her, but it sure worked. I'm thankful that Holly found us though. Alanza never had time for us. She was always busy working out! Whenever she was home, she was in her laptop doing some research.
  But how did Duncan know about her anyway? Were they friends, or ex-co workers or something? I don't know why im all cooped up with this thing, but...i just....know something is wrong. I can feel it deep down in my bones.
  Wait a minute...I remember that when i opened the file of Jacob Duncan a pang of recognition hit me. I was a kid, about the age of eight, nine years younger than my age now.
  I closed my eyes.

  I am playing with a new toy my mom gave me. Jeremy is sitting on the couch, playing a video game. Chase is watching a football game next to me on the carpet. The toy I am holding is a puppy, it has white fur and two brown spots on its back. I hug it out of love and joy. Chase looks at me with disgust and rolls his eyes.
  "Grow up, Natalie! It's just a toy!" he says.
  "Oh really!" I say. I stand up and put a hand on my waist. "As if you don't play with your little old cars!"
  Chase clicks his tongue two times.
  "Cars are cool, Natalie. Stuff toys like that...are lame and out of fashion!" he raises an eyebrow. 
  I scowl at him. Why does he always have to be mean with me? This is why I like Jeremy more. Chase always has to tease me! He always has to comment about how ugly my toys are, how childish it is to be wearing pajamas, how horrid my hair looks in the morning. He also teases Jeremy, much more than he teases me! I tease Chase and Jeremy too. My mother said it's normal for us. 
  I stick my tongue out at Chase and whirl out of the room. I take the stairs, but i still hear Chase calling out to me. "Natalie and Roger sitting in a tree...k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Roger was my crush in my class. I decide not to turn around and scream at Chase. I wipe my tears and run upstairs to my mother's bedroom. 
  I open the door and crawl in. I hear her inside the bathroom, singing softly to herself. I crawl underneath the bed. I curl up into a tight ball and clutch my puppy to my chest. I always do this when i am sad or lonely. I don't know why but i like hiding underneath my mother's bed. I have been doing this for four years now. 
  I hear footsteps coming from the bathroom. It is my mother. I raise my head a bit and pushed the bed's cover so i could peek at my mother. She is beautiful. She has blonde, golden hair, as yellow as the sun. She has beautiful orange eyes that can stare right into your soul, she has the reddest lips, and a beautiful bone structure. It was very obvious that she was an English woman, but there was also a shade of Spanish blood in her. Her father was English and her mother, Spanish. My brothers and I look like her, but I resemble her the most. 
  The phone rings. I put my hand to my mouth to stifle a scream. I look at my mother, she doesn't seem to notice. She walks over to the phone and answers it on the fifth ring.
  "Hello?" she says in a high shrilly voice. It sounds like bells tinkling.
  There is a pause.
  "Jacob, how are you?"
  I don't like not knowing things. I have been practicing this with Chase for a while now. I let go of my surroundings, and concentrate on the phone in my mother's hand. I reached out, focusing on the phone as if it is going to dissapear if i look away. And then, i reach it. I can hear the other person from the phone. My brother called this a super hearing skill. Jeremy hasn't developed this skill yet. Chase checked.
  "What do you want, Jacob?"
  Why do you sound so panicky, my love? It has been a very long time since I have talked to you. Tell me now, how are the children?
  "The kids are fine. They are spectacular! Just like Adelio. And i am not your love!" 
  There is a pause. It seems like Mr. Jacob doesn't like hearing my father's name.
  Well, that's nice to hear, Alanza. Tell me, how is Caine? Is he faring well? The last time I saw him, he was still a baby. He looks just like you. 
  Caine was Chase's real name. (Read Blog: My "Family") 
  "The last time you saw him, a riot broke out!" my mothers hisses. She is almost whispering now, like she doesn't want anyone to hear. Her voice still managing to sound fierce while whispering. 
  And what a riot that was, Alanza. How is Kassandra? And Matthieu?
  This is the first time someone besides my mother who called me by my first name. Who is this man? 
   "What do you want, Jacob?" my mother groans.
  You know what i want, Alanza. We work together.
  "Used to work together," my mother corrected.
  I just need you to finish one more person off for me. 
  My mom pauses. She stands there for a moment looking at my direction. For a moment i thing she saw me underneath the bed, but when i look up and see her blank expression, i know she is just staring off into space, thinking.     
  She sighs loudly.
  "This will be the last, Jacob." she says in a firm voice. "After this person, i will not do anything more for you, you hear me? After this, you will never call me. I will not hear from you again, you understand?"
  That's my girl. There's an envelope waiting for you outside the front gate. This shall be an easy quest for you, my darling, compared to the other tasks i have given you before. 
  My mother winces at the memory. "Don't you dare remind me of the other people you sent me to kill! Don't you dare! You have no right!"
  But, darling, you enjoyed killing them. Don't you remember? You kept coming back for more, asking for more quests, more people to kill. Don't you remember that lust you had for blood? I'm willing to bet you still have the same eagerness in your eyes, the same spark- - -"
  "DON'T!" my mother starts to yell. "I was young then. I didn't know what i was doing!"
  Well, it seems to me that you knew what you were doing quite well, really.
  A tear drops down to my mother's cheek. She wiped at it furiously. "I'll finish the person off for you." she says quietly.
  Good girl, Alanza. Good girl!
  My mother hands the phone up and places it on the table. She spins around and looks at herself in the mirror, adjusting her blouse and making sure there wasn't any tears left. She gives herself an experimental smile and lets out a loud sigh. 
  She takes out something from a desk near the mirror. I can't see it well from where i am. She sighs again and puts object back. She takes two deep breaths and walks out the door, closing it behind her. 
  I wait a few seconds and hear her heals clanking its way down the staircase and i hear her shrilly voice crying out "Good morning, my darlings!" 
  I crawl out of my hiding place and stand up, clutching my puppy to my stomach. I walk over to the desk in the corner. When i was little, i was warned never to touch things that wasn't mine. I never dared opening my mother's drawers before.
  I crouch down and open the small drawer. As soon as i open it, i see a picture frame, face down on the drawer. I lift it and turn it around to face me. In it I see three people sitting beside each other at a coffee table. 
  It took me a moment to register that the two people there is my parents. They look years younger than they are now. They look like teenagers in the photo. My mother still has the same golden hair, her smile as wide as it can ever be, my father is beside her, his hair style is different. Instead of the curly wave he has now, he has tousled, spiked black hair sticking out to all sides. If there was any of us who looks more like him, it would be Jeremy. He has his arm around my mother and the third person. The third person was a man. He is lean, tall, and muscular. His hairstyle is somewhat similar to my father's. He is smiling up at the camera, eyes as wide as his mouth.

  I took a sip out of the Martini I was drinking and looked up to see a smiling man beside me. He had a wide smile, and dimples.  
  "Hi!" the man said, smiling widely. "I'm Robert. Can I offer you a---"
  "No," I said, cutting him off. "I'd rather you not."
  "Okay, can you at least tell me your name?" he asked, being more persuasive by the hour. Did I mention how beautiful and elegant Ghosts can be? (Read Blog: Introduction)
  I reached out and touched his mind. He wasn't drunk but he wasn't strong either. I took hold of every nerve in his brain, pulling at it, tugging. Leave me alone. I ordered.
  He had a confused look in his face. He leaned back in surprise. Then he looked at me, confusion in his eyes. His eyebrows were pulled together. "I think I should leave you alone." he said, got up and left the bar.
  I looked back at the drink in front of me.
  The man in the picture, was the man I killed two days ago. The man who recognized me as my mother as soon as I killed him. The victim I shall never forget, even if i will myself to do it.
  Jacob Duncan.


                                                                                                                                      -Natalie
    
     

Killing Jacon Duncan: Part 5

  This is it. This is the moment i have been waiting for. The moment i would pat myself at the back and say "Job well done!". Wait...that was the Director's job, wasn't it?
  I was sitting down inside this stupid cramped van with my brother, Jeremy. He was trying to arrange a small listening device on my ear. His hands was shaking. He didn't go off on missions like this before. He was too young. He's sixteen now. I guess the Director thought he was old enough now.
  Jeremy wasn't an assassin like the rest of us. He was a hacker! He is very good at electronics and stuff. He could hack into a politician's heavily secured website in just seconds! That's my brother!
  Jeremy helped me out of the van and squeezed my hand tight. "Good luck!" he told me. I laughed.
  "Don't be silly, Jeremy!" I rubbed my hand on his hair. "This isn't my first time, you know?"
  "Yeah, but this is the first time i get to see u kick ass!"

  This was it. I reminded myself. I walked towards the entrance of Duncan Corporations and let myself in. It was chilly inside. What? Couldn't Washington get any colder? Why add a few more air-cons inside? You know what you should be adding, Duncan? You should be adding HEATERS!
  I walked directly to the elevator that had a sign that said PERSONNEL ONLY. The guard seemed alarmed as he saw me coming. "Personnel Only," he told me, one hand on my shoulder.
  I smiled and got the fake I.D. from my bag and held it up for him to see. "I'm new here!" I told him with a smile plastered on my face. He looked a little bit taken back. Oh, did i mention that Ghosts like me are extremely beautiful? (Check out Blog: Introduction) He took a step back and looked a little confused. I gave him one last smile and the elevator opened. Perfect Timing!
  I stepped inside and watched the doors close. As soon as it did i pressed the button that led to floor seventy-two. I unzipped my red dress and changed into some black tight, leather leggins and super tight sweater. If your wondering, then yes, i do wear this when i kill people. It's comfortable. Plus, it blends in with the shadows. Another plus: It looks sexy on me.
  As the door pinged open I leaned my back against the side wall of the elevator. Just as i expected it there was a surveillance camera directed at the elevator. Thank goodness, there was a huge leafy plant there at the wall i was hugging, which helped conceal me from the camera. I put on a ski mask. Goodbye, sexiness!
  "Jeremy," I whispered, making it loud enough for the device in my ear to detect the sound. "Be my eyes, how many cameras are there in this floor?"
  "Umm..." he mumbled. I could hear a tapping noise. He was typing in something. "There are 5 cameras there. One pointing at the elevator, two at the right, two at the left. One from both sides are directed at the door at the end of the hallway,"
  "Okay," I answered. I can do this, i told myself. 3...2...1...Showtime!
  I got a gun from my bag and pulled the trigger on the camera outside. I walked to the other side of the door and leaned on it. I made a quick peek and pulled the trigger four times. As soon as all the cameras died, i jumped up and ran to the end of the hall.
  "Ten security cameras," Jeremy told me. "Four on each side, two pointing at the entrance."
  I grabbed a red spray can from my bag. Awesome! My favorite color! Thank you Jeremy!
  I slammed my body through the doors and ran as fast as i could, while shooting at the cameras i passed. No more bullets. Great! Good thing i had my can out already. I leaped through the air and grabbed hold of the camera and sprayed it, i turned to my right and sprayed the other camera.
  I leaped off and busted through another door. Inside was a clustered dark office. I pushed the lights open. Like i said, it was clustered.
  "Jeremy, talk to me!" I whispered. Who knew? Maybe there was a bug inside. I scanned the room. No cameras.
  "Okay, i am getting a feed on the room you're at now," he said. "I just have to enter some codes."
  I started tapping my foot, impatiently. I looked at the watch on my wrist. Crap! I only had thirty minutes inside the building and now i only have twenty. "Make it fast, Jeremy!"
  "Okay, im hacked in! You are in the office of Dr. Dietrich Fruhauef and---" he bagan.
  "Dr. Dietrich Fru-Who?" I cut in. I hate German names! They are so hard to spell and pronounce.
  "Dietrich Fruhauef," he said gruffly. He hated it when other people cut him off when he's speaking. The last time someone interrupted him was two nights ago. When we were eating, Jeremy was telling a joke. As soon as he reached the punch line Marie cut him off in mid-sentence. He was so mad he hacked all her social accounts and blocked all her friends. They haven't made up yet.
  "Look to your left," he continued. "There's an elevator right there!"
  I looked to my left but all i saw was a shelf full of books.
  "Uh, Jeremy," I said. "Are you sure about that?"
  "Positive! I can see it right now in the screen! Its lodged inside a wall."
  "Uh-oh," I said. "Jeremy, there's only a book case in here!"
  "Major uh-oh!" he cried. It took a few moments to answer me back. "The only thing i know is that the thing to open the book case is somewhere in the book case itself. Its going to take me longer if I'm going to have to find the specific location of it. And no, i do not know what the opener looks like!" he said before i could even ask.
  This was harder than i thought it would be. I walked over to the shelf and started tugging at every single book. I even opened the closets and touched everything in it. Nothing. I stood there, thinking of something. What else have i not checked? I inspected it. It was dusty at the edges, full of books, there was a carpet at the bottom. Wait a minute...
  I crouched down and flashed a light from my cellphone at the bottom of the cabinet. There was a button at the corner. I leaned in and pushed it.
  There was a loud noise. It sounded like a brick falling from a hundred stories. I stood up and backed away. The cabinet separated into half and revealed a elevator with see through doors. There was a hum coming from inside. It opened and a white light burst out. How theatrical, I thought sourly.
  I jumped in. "Hello? Mr. Nerd! I'm in!" I said.
  "Okay, now, there is twelve buttons there. One of them is red. Push that!" Jeremy answered, he was in a hurry.
  I looked at the elevator buttons and saw one red button standing out from the rest. I pushed it.
  The elevator heaved. The light went out. Oh crap!
  "Jeremy!!!"
  "Okay, um, do you have that fingerprint on?"
  "Yeah!"
  "Get ready with it!"
  All of a sudden, a little blue light went off. I looked to my left. A little tablet was lodged in the elevator's side. It said: Identity Please. Whoa. What is this? The eighteenth century of spies? So lame!
  I place my thumb on it. It became fuzzy then it cleared. I took my thumb off. It showed a picture of Mr. Nerd Geek. (See Blog: Killing Jacob Duncan: Part 1)
  Identity Accepted
  "Okay, Jeremy! I'm in!"
  The elevator started to go up. It was going to Jacob Duncan. This is what i have been waiting for!

  Jeremy warned me that there was ten men standing guard seconds before the elevator opened. I didn't care! I was already attached to the ceiling of the elevator. I waited in silence for the elevator doors to open. When it did i saw a couple of men approach it. When they got close enough i got my gun out and shot the two of them.
  The others snapped their heads up and ran to where their dead comrades were. Bad move, I thought and shot the two of them. Four down, six to go.
  The six other guys shot their guns at the elevator. They targeted the top of the elevator so that they could hit me. Just so you know, all elevators are made out of thick metal. You couldn't puncture a really fast and strong bullet through it. Silly guards. You think they know everything.
  As soon as the bullets stopped, i waited for the guards to approach. When they were three feet from the elevator i swung out and heard my feet hit their chests. The three other guards didn't have any more bullets so they swung their fists at me. I dodged one, grabbed his arms, pulled him in, and gave him a knee jerk to the stomach.
  The two other men surrounded me, one at my front, one at the back. The guy at my front took a swing on me but i dodged and he hit the guy at my back. I kicked his back so he fell and landed on the second guy. The guy i gave a knee jerk to, was up again but not so enthusiastic as before. He was angry.
  He cried out and ran over to where i was. I dodged aside and he walked right past me, i kicked him on his back and he landed again. I walked over to him and grabbed his arm. I pulled it, twisting it. I heard a crack! This guy, is going to be handicapped forever. I felt a deep pain somewhere in my back. One of the guys from the elevator was up again and has punched me on my tie. I stood up and gave him a roundhouse kick in the face. I heard a crack from his skull. I must have broken his nose. I gave him another kick and hit him square on the forehead. He stumbled back and fell.
  I walked over to him. He was wheezing. I turned him around with my boot. I put my foot on his neck and pushed down hard until i heard a loud crack. Alive and howling a second ago, dead now.
  The other dude from the elevator was up and walking too. He walked a few feet forward and raised his gun. He smiled sweetly. "Goodbye, sugar!"
  The gun made a click! sound.
  I laughed to myself and strode over to him. He was backing away, pulling the trigger but getting no bullets out. I clenched my hand on his neck and held him high at the air. His nails were clawing at my hand. I laughed even more. I saw red everywhere. As soon as his jerking has stopped I threw his body to the wall and he crashed against it.
  I strode over to the others and pulled my trigger on them. I watched as their faces began to relax, as if their enjoying it.
  I heard a voice from the door at the end of the hall.
  "Hello, Ghost!" the voice said. "Welcome! Do join me!"
  Jacob Duncan.
  I strode over to the door and went inside. A warm breeze hit me. Their was a bonfire burning in the side. It was a nice and cozy office. It had a black on mahogany theme. The sofas and chairs were all black, the carpet, the wood, the desks were all mahogany. Style.
  There was a man, sitting in the front desk, smiling up at me. He looked just like he did in the photos. He was lean, and had golden specks of hair on his head, sticking out to form a spiky edge. Although in the dark, it looked like his roots were black. His face was thin, it looked as if he was biting his cheeks from the inside. He was handsome, but, unfortunately, he wasn't my type.
  He leaned back on his seat, put his arms on his head.
  "You must be here to kill me!" he smiled and looked at me coolly.
  I decided to play along. "You guessed right!" I said, wagging my eyebrows at him.
  He laughed and leaned forward.
  "Just by looking at your face, i know that you're a Ghost. Did anyone ever tell you how oddly beautiful you look?" he asked, smiling.
  "A few hundred times," I answered, pursing my lips and smiling at the same time.
  I reached into his mind. Trying to scan it. What was he thinking? His thoughts were loud and clear, but...as soon as i touched it, it became more alert. As if Duncan knew i was in his head, scanning for information.
  I see you're a very skilled mind reader, too.
  I stepped back, shocked. Nobody has ever known i was reading their minds, only The Phoenix knows when im in their mind. (Read Blog: Introduction)
  I felt angry at myself for showing emotion on my face. I stepped forward again, composing my expressions. I must not let him get to me. I knew that this wasn't going to be easy.
  If you're here to kill me. Make it fast. Just make sure you kill me before i kill you!
  I smiled wryly at him. My pleasure! I thought back to him.
  Duncan stood up as i ran towards his desk. I jumped up, landed on his desk and jumped toward him again. He dodged, but even so, i fell lightly to my feet, like a cat. I swung my fists at him, but he just dodged it. On my fifth swing, he caught it and smiled at me. Dang it! He was good!
  I pulled my fist away from him and gave him a roundhouse kick, but he caught my foot and smiled, before he karate chopped my knee.
  I staggered back, clutching at my knee. Ouch!
  Is that all you got, Ghost? I expected them to have sent someone better and...more experienced.
  Okay, now im pissed! I ran to him, pushing my weight unto him. He fell down, landing on his back. I jumped on his stomach and started flinging my fists. He tried to dodge my punches and squirm underneath me, but i locked my legs around him.
  He pulled at my hair, flinging my head back. I let out a shriek. He pulled me up so that he could stand. As soon as he was in standing position he tugged at my hair harder and slapped me hard on the face. He kicked me square on my stomach which sent me flying to the desk behind me.
  My legs crumpled from underneath me. He walked over and flung my head back so that it could hit the desk. Ow! My teeth chattered from the intensity of the blow. He began kicking me, hard, on the legs, and on my stomach. I could feel something wet on the side of my face. Blood.
  No! I can't give up! I wouldn't! The bonfire from the back of the desk was blazing, right in front of my eyes! I reached my hand out, grabbed hold of a few embers, -which was blazing hot, by the way- and threw it at Jacob's stupid face. He cried, staggering back, wiping at his face.
  I leap up to my feet, shakily, and ran to him. I gave him a kick at the stomach and two punched to the face. Surprisingly, i didn't hear a crack from either his ribs or his face. That's a first. I gave him a uppercut punch and it hit his chin, real hard!
  Duncan gave me a counter punch. The blow was so hard i backed away two feet. But i regained myself. I started jabbing at him, i even managed to kick him in his upper thigh.
  Who are you calling inexperienced now, jackass! I sent that thought to him.
  He blocked another jab and gave me a huge blow in my stomach. I felt blood come out of my mouth. He grabbed hold of my shirt and threw me up in the air, he kicked me as i was close to landing. I flew back, hitting a wall, way high. I slid down and moaned. I could hear Duncan making his way to me. I heard him open a drawer and pull something out. I heard a loud click!
  He had a gun.
  Goodbye, Ghost! he thought as he aimed his gun at me.
  I flung my foot out and hit the gun, it went off with a bang but it slithered away from its owner. The bullet hit the wall beside me. One more inch and it could have hit my arm. I leap up on my feet and gave Duncan a surprised roundhouse kick. He flew backward, landing again on his back. I picked up the gun and pointed it at him. I walked a few feet towards him.
  I wiped my bloody nose with my now filthy shirt.
  "No," i told him, answered his thought from a while ago.
  Goodbye Duncan! I said and pressed the trigger on him.

                                                                                                                                              -Natalie 
   
  
 

 
   
 
  
 
 
 

Killing Jacob Duncan: Part 4

  This is the third day. Tomorrow, i would kill him. But today, i am spying outside his house. It's called "Keeping your enemies close and your victims closer". It's around eight minutes past midnight and Duncan hasn't slept yet. Okay, let me fill you in with the details. I arrived around noon. No one in the house except for a Spanish old woman, who was his made and who's name was Gonzalo. Duncan lives in a big massive white house with a red roof, ten balconies, huge garage with nine cars in it, two Mercedes, three Fords, three Porches, and one huge truck. His three children were in school and their mom is on a vacation in Hawaii. The kid's names are: Patricia, 10, Liana, 7, and little Howard, 3.
  Duncan came in at about eight p.m. Ordered some McDonald's which he ate while typing in his touch screen laptop. He hasn't moved for four hours! What's he doing anyway?
  If you're wondering why i can't make my move and kill him now...well...i may have not mentioned the eighty guards around the house. Or the surveillance cameras that was planted around the roof and sprinkled on the garden. And...well...did i mention that his kids were home from school and were sleeping only a room away from where their dad was working.
  I know, i know! I am a Ghost, an assassin. I was born to kill! But...those kids are very young. I know i may look hard as a stone on the outside, but i do have my limits. Plus, Howard looked a lot like my brother, Jeremy. I wasn't going to kill Jacob Duncan yet. Even though i could fight my way through those useless guards and be invincible to the camera easily, i wasn't going to do it. Not with those kids in there.Wondering why? I had a...experience...when i was a child.
  Anyway! I changed gear and headed towards HQ. It's going to be a looong day tomorrow.

  I was on the main road when i noticed something strange. There was a white car that was trailing behind me. I took a right turn and it followed me. I took two left turns, one right, and another left, the car still trailed behind me.
  I headed towards McDonald's which was open 24 hours. I parked on one of the many empty slots in front of the store. The white car hesitated on the road. Being careful, i guess. I got out of my car and walked into the store. It was cold inside. There was only two people serving, and one of them was asleep, the other one had his eyes closed halfway.
  As i was walking towards the counter, i heard guns exploding off bullets and glass breaking. I dropped down on the floor and shielded my head from the glass. I crawled towards the back of the counter. The two counter people were dead. Both were hit on the face. I groaned. There was a throbbing pain on my left leg. I looked down and i saw a bullet lodged inside the flesh. Thank goodness, i didnt listen to Holly when she told me to cut my nails! I held on tight to the bullet and took it out quickly. Ugh! That hurts soo bad!!
  The wound started healing quickly. Hello? Im a freaking Ghost! (See Blog: Introduction)
  I peeked out at the corner of the counter. The car was gone. Who were those people anyway? Does Jacob Duncan know that i'm after him? Or were those Fears?

                               
                                                                                                                                              -Natalie
                                                              

Killing Jacob Duncan: Part 3

  I entered the hallway of our Headquarters calmly. I didn't tell anybody about my encounter with the Fear from last night. (Read Blog: Killing Jacob Duncan: Part 2) Sssh! Don't tell the others. I hope their not reading my blogs. Holly would kill me and dance the Chicken Dance on my grave! Not kidding.
  I turned another corner and went inside the Training Room. I opened the lights and it looked the same as always. There was nothing in the room. It was blank. It was just a wide space with nothing in it. But i knew better. This was a room designed specially for the training of us, Ghosts.
  I took a step forward and, as expected, i immediately dropped to the floor. A strong blast of flame shot above me, right where my head was supposed to be. Just then the ground started heating up, i jumped twenty feet in the air and grabbed on to the fire source. Apparently, it looked like a big, large canon that was connected to a long wire. When i jumped on it, it started acting crazy. It was spinning, trying to throw me backwards. It was like riding a bull, you know? Piece of cake.
  As soon as i got bored, i got my knife from my boot and thrust it at the side of the device, hearing some sounds from inside the engine. It fell to the floor and made me crash down beside it. The floor wasn't burning hot anymore. I stood up, and guess what, a group of maniac robots appeared. This was new, and also...another 1/4 Piece of cake.
  I ran to one of them and smashed my fist right into its freaking robotic face. Ouch. Not him! My fist! Ugh! I ran into another and gave him a square kick on the stomach, as if he had any. It made him go crashing right down. I knocked down two others with a real swift kick. After that two-at-a-time kick, i saw three other robots heading towards me, from three different sides. This was my favorite move. I jumped high in the air at the right moment, and BOOM! They all exploded as they landed and fell on each other. I felt a deep punch at my back which gained a cry out of me. I fell to the floor, landing on my stomach. I turned around to face that stupid, relentless robot and...wait...Instead of a robot I saw Emmanuel's cute, round, french face looking down at me, smiling. That jerk!
  I pushed up with my two hands and kicked him with my two feet and before i landed on top of him, spun him around so he landed face down on the floor. I pinned his two arms with my own.
  "Pick someone your own size," I said, leaning in on his ear so he could hear me.
  "Your not my size," he said in his heavily accented English. "but your just my equal in fighting!"    
  He ripped his arms free from mine and elbowed me in the stomach. He jumped right out of me and kicked me on my face. I went down in a moment. Oof! That hurt! I felt something wet in my face. I touched my nose. It was bleeding.
  Okay, now i was really mad! I jumped up and tried to punch him. He dodged and gave me a counter punch at the face and another punch at my stomach. I went down on my knees. My head hurt. No! I was not going to let Emmanuel win this time. And if your wondering if he ever beat me...well...what do you think?
  I put out my foot and swiped it under his, making him fall over me. Wow, he was heavy. I kicked him off and pushed myself up into a standing position. I gave him two punches and a square kick on the chest which sent him flying. Did i tell you how hard i could kick? I could send a soccer ball flying a hundred miles per hour. Not kidding.
  I ran to give Emmanuel another rib-cracking kick when he grabbed my leg which was making its way to his face. He twisted it only a little a smiled at me. He ducked and hugged me at my stomach and threw me over his shoulder. It was the kind of move you saw in wrestling. I crashed on the floor. Ugh! I think he broke my spinal cord.
  I decided to use my secret weapon.
  "Ugh!" I cried, a tear popping out of my eye. "I think you broke something!"
  One thing Emmanuel can't stand: It's to see a woman crying.
  "Are you okay?" He leaned down next to me, hovering over me.
  I struck my fist out, smashing it hard against his face. I heard a crack! Maybe he broke his nose. I don't care. I stood up, lightning fast, and did a double punch on his stomach and gave another fist to his face. I smashed my foot deep inside the pit of his stomach and watched him fly up to the air. I took two quick steps and rose too. I grabbed him in the air, turned him around, and we both fell hard on the floor, with Emmanuel crashing face first, and me sitting on his back.
  "I am perfectly fine!" I told him. "Never been better! I guess i win!"
  He groaned.
  This was the feeling of victory. The tight little knot inside my stomach knew. I felt happy and light hearted. This is how im going to feel once i kill Jacob Duncan.


                                                                                                                                            -Natalie

Killing Jacob Duncan: Part 2

I sat back in my red Mercedes, sponsored by...you guessed right, the Director. I am typing this entry as i am watching the Duncan Corporations. I took a huge gulp out of my Starbucks coffee and started opening the file the Director gave me. (See Blog: Mission--Possible!) I sifted through the pages of Jacob Duncan. So, he was forty-two years old, lives in Seattle with his wife and three kids.Worked for Johnson & Co. a.k.a. Mystic Peak for five years. (F.Y.I. Johnson & Co. is the assassin business I am currently working in) There were some photos attached in the file, showing Duncan in the deserts in Dubai, meeting up with the Russian diplomat he worked with. He was found 'innocent' in three murder cases. It also said that Duncan killed at least twenty-eight people, all in secret. The murder cases he was found innocent in were with Lily Reeves, John Smith, and Micky Gopher. The Reeves, Smiths, and Gophers were found dead in their houses two months after the trial. After that, no one dared approaching Duncan.
  Huh.
  I finished my coffee and threw the cup out the window. I shifted gear and headed towards a dark alley place near the building. Jeremy needed to plant a few cameras. I got out the car and went inside a deep, dark alley. There was a pipe at a corner. I tucked my sleeves in and started climbing the pipe, leading to the roof. Up there, i could see the sun setting. It was a beautiful scene. If you haven't seen a sunset yet, i highly recommend it. I watched in awe for a few moments, until it finally went dark. I walked to the edge of the roof and planted a small camera at the edge of the roof, which would give a perfect view of the building. It's called surveillance, people.
  As soon as the device was planted, i went back to the pipe again, and slide down. Ow. My hands were burning and the sides of my legs were too. But that's okay. I was created to withstand a car crashing down on me.
  As i headed back towards the car i felt something cold brush against my side. I stopped dead cold. This was a feeling i would never get used to. Coldness started creeping in my veins. I felt cold inside and out. It was like a cancer. It started somewhere in the middle of my stomach, and started spreading...slowly. It was like falling a thousand feet from a bridge and plunging into deep, cold, frosty water.
  I spun around, knowing that a Fear (See Blog: Introduction) was somewhere behind me. No. There was nothing behind me. None. Nothing. Nada. 
  I let out a short sigh of relief. I scanned the back of the alley. Nothing. I turned around and...WHAM! I fell back on my lovingly bottom. You guessed right, there was a freaking Fear in front of me. I pushed my legs up and jumped, landing on my feet. It was the kind of move you saw Jackie Chan doing in the movies.
  I couldn't get used to the sight of a Fear. It was horrifying. But still...this is a 'do or fight' scenario. I kicked the Fear on his chest and he landed, square on his back. I ran to him and sat on top of his stomach and started punching him. Advice: Punching someone on the face hurts. Real bad. It feels like punching steel metal. Ouch. I know. I'm the one feeling it. But always remember: A Ghost was created to outlast almost everything and was made to heal quickly.
  "You...leave...me..a...lone!" I screeched, between punches. The Fear tried to push me off his stomach, he was wheezing and couldn't breath. I locked my legs tight around his back. Suddenly the Fear yanked my hair back and squirmed his legs out of me and gave me a really good kick on my stomach. I landed on the wall behind me. My back hurt really bad, and i think i hit my head. The Fear stood up and strode towards me. He pulled the hood of his cloak back. He was coming into full view, making his normal looking transparent self into his colored normal human version.
  The Fear was handsome. All of them are. He had white skin, as white as chalk, his hair was dark as it could ever be and his lips were red like the rose. He was a boy version of Snow White. And his eyes, hit cold, dark, handsome eyes, were...going closer to me. No! I must not look at his eyes! But his eyes were beautiful! No! I will feel pain! Just a peek, maybe! No! Don't look Natalie! Natalie, dont look...dont...you guessed right...I looked.
  As soon as i locked my gaze on his, his eyes changed. It turned red, then his face dissapeared. Everything else was dissapearing, changing into black. The only thing i could see instead of the blackness, was the red orb in front of me.   
  I stood up. The blackness below me felt solid. I walked towards the orb, not thinking, mesmerized by it. Just as i touched it, a brightness came out, forming into Holly.
  "Holly?" I asked, stalking nearer to her. She cocked her head to an angle and her face changed. It was Chase standing before me. My favorite, hair-brained brother. He smiled awkwardly, and took a step closer to me, reaching out his hand. I took it. I would always take his hand. He was my brother, and i loved him. I loved him and Jeremy. Nothing else was important to me but my family. They were all i had left. I would protect them at all costs.
  As I took a step closer to Chase, i noticed his clothes. He was wearing a white, ragged cloak. He was becoming transparent with every second. I looked at the hand I was holding. It looked like...his...bones...were...bursting...out of his...skin. I looked up and saw my brother looking down on me. He turned into a Fear.
  "NO!" I shrieked and woke up from that nightmare. I slapped the Fear with the back of my hand, helping me break free from his gaze. I looked down at my hands. There were black wounds there. The Fear must have been feeding on me while i was in that nightmare.
  I punched the Fear with all my strength and he staggered two feet back. I gave him a blasted kick on his chest and sent him flying. I jumped up and gave him another kick. He crashed on the wall just like i did, but he landed with a great BOOM!. I walked towards him. His head hung limp from the crash. I felt his neck. No pulse. I broke his spinal cord. Excellent.
  I watched the Fear as he started fading. See, when a Fear dies, his body starts to fade, turning into dust. Its like your watching someone incriminating from the inside out. That happens to us, Ghosts, too. When we die, we turn into dust. Simple as that.
  I walked away from the Fear as the last of the dust was blown away with the wind.

                                                                                                                                            -Natalie

   

Killing Jacob Duncan: Part 1

I was waiting inside the van while Jeremy walked up to the building with a pizza in his hand. He was disguised as a pizza guy too. He walked up to the building with his faggy beard on. And if your wondering who dress him, well, your right. That would be me! He was dressed in a blue jumpsuit wearing a blue cap and also wearing a reddish-orange beard. I know. I love this job!!!
  I pressed a button on the laptop that made me see through the small, tiny camera that was pinched on his blue collar. Jeremy opened the door and made his way to the customer's service.
  "Delivery," he said, making a gesture to the pizza in his hands. The woman at the desk looked up and nodded. She made a thumbs up to the security by the elevator designed only for personnel. Jeremy pressed the button leading to the eight floor. In a few moments, the elevator opened with a bling!
  He made his way through the place and made his delivery to a group of pizza-sucking-freaks who looked like real computer nerds. Wow, i bet Jeremy was wondering if he was related to any of them. But, i did know these people were one of the company's most important personnel. That stinky guy over there, yeah, the guy with the glasses was the company's best hackers. And that fat dude over there. I was going to need it sooner or later.
  One of the nerd geeks signed with a pen. This was going to be fun.

Okay, so it's already twelve hours since i typed my other entry. (See above). Anyway right now, i was scanning the video for more information. I deleted the end part of the video when Jeremy asked the Information Girl for her number. I backtracked the video and scanned for important details. Inside the elevator, i noticed a small covered panel on the wall of buttons. It had a lock in it, the ones we see in doorknobs. MEANING: I needed a key to open the panel. Okaaay, so another MEANING: It was a really important panel. If your wondering what's inside it: There's a button in it. It can lead to goodness-knows-what floors. I also noticed the camera inside the elevator. An important lesson when your a spy: Keep track of the surveillance around you.
  I fast forwarded the video and paused when Jeremy was entering the hall leading to the office of the Geeky Nerds. Six cameras, three on each side. One guarding the entrance of the elevator. The other guarding the entrance of the girl's and boy's bathroom. Gross!
 The other cameras were guarding the four other entrances to different offices. Okay, so that would mean, this building was covered and sprinkled with a lot of cameras. Great, just great. Just looking at this little piece of information means a lot. More SPY ADVICE: Consider every worst case scenarios you can imagine. It would make you less surprised of what will happen later on.
  So since all the entrances were guarded by cameras in this floor, what about all the other entrances? I mean, the bathrooms had a freaking camera guarding it. Why not the other entrances around the company. So, lets consider every single entrances a death ray of cameras. Okaaay....i've gone through worst.
  I fast forwarded it to the part when the dude was signing the paper Jeremy handed him. Wait a minute! These guys had PRIVATE PERSONNEL ID's snapped on their collars and breast pockets. The Information Girl also had that. Okay, that meant that i was gonna need it. I zoomed in on the guy's collar and made the picture a few times more clearer. I snapped the video shot. I opened a program and edited the picture. I deleted the Nerdy Geek's face from the small ID photo holder, and replaced it with my own, breathtaking picture and hit 'Print'.
  I grabbed the plastic that held the pen that the Nerd Geek used. I held it up to the light in the room. It definitely held his fingerprint. I cannot say what i put on it, F.Y.I, its classified information. Anyway, i put this type of liquid on the pen, using a Q-Tip, and whoever touched that sticky goo, will have his fingerprint on it.   
  I put the plastic inside a freezer to freeze the fingerprint inside the liquid. After an hour, you can take the frozen liquid out. It's going to look transparent...something similar to a scotch tape. Don't worry its nothing close to sticky, so you can touch the fingerprint without worrying about your own fingerprints sticking to it.
  After that i pressed the fingerprint to a pad on my super-enhanced-only-for-awesome-spies laptop. The fingertip appeared on the screen. I hit "Imprint" and placed my thumb on another pad. After a few seconds, i lifted my thumb and, well, you guessed right, my fingerprint changed and formed into the Nerd Geek's own.
  If your worrying about my hand or something, well, then...dont! I can always Imprint my fingerprint back to its original form. Cool stuff huh?

                                                                                                                               -Natalie

P.S.
      PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT. If you have any questions, please email me at         
      natalienewtonjohn@yahoo.com

P.P.S.
        I shall answer you questions, or comments on one of my next blogs. Thank you for supporting The  
       Phoenix.