Shadow War: An Electrifying Beginning

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up page 14, Post Number 332

-Hargeon Town, late evening-

Sneaking through the shadows cast by buildings with practiced ease and clad in the guild armor, Stiletto slipped into Hargeon Town without being seen by the few people walking the lamp-lighted streets of the port city. She was here on a mission to eliminate someone special and that someone was an agent of the Shadow Collective named Walter McKenzie. He was not a contract killer, but rather a support member for the collective. He was responsible for arranging transport of weapons, disguises, and anything else the contract killers needed to complete their contracts in Hargeon Town. While eliminating him would not stop the organization, it would certainly hurt their ability to operate in Hargeon Town because they would not have his intelligence on local conditions nor his logistics ability to call upon.

According to Stiletto's confidential source, the man lived in one of the seedier parts of town even though he could well afford to move somewhere that was nicer, safer, and much less likely to attract law enforcement scrutiny. Why did he stay in such a dangerous location? The apartment was cheaper than a townhouse. The man's parsimony would cost him a lot more than Jewels: it would cost him his life.

Stiletto sneaked through the shadows until she reached the harbor district, then kept going as she wound her way through the maze of empty market stalls and avoided the few town guardsmen who were patrolling the area. The source stated that Bell lived in a dingy apartment that overlooked the ocean and was close to a red-light district. Stiletto suspected that more than cost was involved in Bell's decision to live in the area... she had a feeling that he liked to patronize a local "gentlemen's club" as well.

Stiletto made it past the last of the town guardsmen and had arrived in the seedy part of the harbor district, taking shelter in an empty back alley to plot out her next course of action.

There were not many lights in the area, but she might not get anywhere by just sneaking about and hoping to stumble onto Bell's apartment. She might have to take an alternate approach to her usual approach to eliminating targets for this job. It was fortunate that she had brought her disguise ring with her because it would be invaluable for the next part of her plan.

If he was indeed a patron of establishments of ill repute, perhaps Stiletto could use that to her advantage by disguising herself as one of the ladies to ask patrons of the "club" to get information on McKenzie's whereabouts. If that part of the plan worked, she might maintain the disguise to get into his apartment and dispose of him. However, she would have to be careful of the police, who might be on patrol at this hour and might inadvertently ruin her plan by being diligent at a time she did not need them to be focused on their jobs.

Stiletto also needed to plan her disguise carefully. She did not want to stand out too much and look like she was trying to disguise herself, so something simple was in order. But what form could she assume that would get her where she needed to go? That was a good question.

[Word Count: 560]
[Total Word Count: 560/1,500]

Safely hidden from sight in the abandoned shack, Stiletto deliberated on what form she would take for her visit to the "club" that MacKenzie frequented. She needed something that was fitting so that she did not draw too much attention from patrons. She also needed something that would not draw too much attention from law enforcement either. That did not leave the mage with very many options.

Disguising herself as a homeless person would draw the wrong sort of attention, as would taking the appearance of a "working girl", but she needed to weigh her options. The former disguise would be great for walking the streets because not too many people paid attention to them, but getting into the club would be next to impossible. The latter disguise would help her get into the club without much issue, but walking about would be a lot more difficult because the police would undoubtedly pick her up and make her fail the mission. This was quite the conundrum that she was facing.

The Hidden Blades mage had an idea. Maybe she could travel the streets disguised as a maid. Such attire would undoubtedly draw attention, but she could allay suspicion with a cover story about dressing up as one for her boyfriend. People did not need to know that she did not really have a boyfriend. With no other options left to her and hearing people nearby, Stiletto turned into a silver-haired maid wearing a blue dress with a white apron over it and red half-rimmed glasses on her face. On her feet were black dress shoes.

The "maid" hid in the shack until the footsteps passed by, then stepped out with no one the wiser. She then began to walk the streets in search of the person she was supposed to eliminate. She merged with the light foot traffic on the street and followed two young couples dressed for a party. They were talking about visiting a club called The Wildcat and were discussing their plans for the evening, which included quite a bit of drinking and some other activities of an adult nature.

"Hey there, aren't you in the wrong neighborhood?" A red-haired girl in a pink tank top and blue jean short shorts with sandals asked Stiletto. The maid gave a polite answer.

"My boyfriend's really into maids, if you know what I mean." Stiletto answered. The young woman gave a knowing smile and nodded.

"Oh, so he's into that sort of thing, huh?" She asked rhetorically. Stiletto nodded in response.

"So's that MacKenzie guy just down the street. He can't get enough of them." The girl's boyfriend, a muscular guy in a black tank top and blue jeans with brown work boots, chimed in. Stiletto was interested in that and was about to ask when a few young couples turning back warned the partygoers of what was happening up ahead.

"Don't go that way. The police have raided The Wildcat!" The patrons warned the upcoming group. Stiletto was glad that she did not use the "working girl" disguise. As strange as a maid outfit was, she could explain it away a lot easier than she could any other option. Stiletto and the two young couples she was traveling with turned around and went the other way before they got caught in the police dragnet.

Stiletto's Disguise:

[Word Count: 568]
[Total Word Count: 1,128/1,500]

"Well, there went our night." The red-headed girl commented in a voice full of disappointment. It sounded like she had put all of her eggs into one basket, so to speak. Stiletto was glad that she had met up with this group because it had saved her from walking into a trap.

"That mayor's such a killjoy. He's always going on about how he's gonna bring law and order to Hargeon Town. I'm sure he's getting kickbacks from his rich buddies to do this. They're trying to gentrify the harbor district!" Her boyfriend complained. Stiletto listened in patient silence. Since she still had to get to Walter MacKenzie, she had to figure out how to get around the police dragnet around The Wildcat without getting caught.

"Well, he's not gonna ruin our fun. Let's go to The Galloping Mare. They're in a more respectable district and they know a thing or two about discretion." The redhead suggested. They turned around to leave when Stiletto asked them a question.

"Do you guys know a way past The Wildcat? My boyfriend lives just past the club, but I don't want to walk right by the police to get there." Stiletto asked. The redhead smiled.

"Yeah, but it's the long way. Just go down to the harbor and follow the docks until you reach the end, then go right and follow the street until you reach the end. You'll be at a two-way street." She replied.

"Thanks." Stiletto thanked the redhead. She simply gave a thumbs up.

"Don't let The Man stand between you and your boyfriend!" Her boyfriend commented. The pair then set out for The Galloping Mare. Stiletto set out to follow their instructions to reach the street where her target lived.

-Thirty minutes later, Galleon Street-

Stiletto was glad that she had eliminated Jacob Goodnight some time ago because the docks would have been the perfect place for him to lurk. With him out of the way the biggest problem was eluding police patrols, but with her skills in stealth and other abilities gifted by her magic, it was more of a chore than a real problem. Sneaking around in a maid outfit was hard, but she had pulled it off. Now she had to find Walter MacKenzie's house.

Stiletto looked left and right for the place. She would have asked for a street address, but that would have aroused too much suspicion from the young couple. She would just have to wing it.

Stiletto went right on Galleon Street and walked along the road. She remembered the guy from earlier mentioning that Walter MacKenzie had a thing for women dressed as maids. Maybe if she walked along the road she could get his attention. It was risky, but without any other options she would take a chance on that strategy.

She had made it halfway down the street when she saw a tall, lean man with messy brown hair in a white tank top and blue jeans approach her. He looked keenly interested in her and she doubted that he was a plainclothes officer. His speech also gave him away.

"Hey there, lady. Looking for some fun?" He asked.

[Word Count: 546]
[Total Word Count: 1,674/1,500]

"You could say that." Stiletto said to the man. He looked pleased with that response.

"I'm Walter. Walter MacKenzie." He introduced himself to her. Stiletto kept a neutral face and quickly came up with a name for herself.

"I'm Agatha." Stiletto introduced herself.

"OK then. Let's go somewhere more... private." He said to her with a salacious smile. Agatha wordlessly followed along. Soon they were at his apartment, which was run-down on the outside. The paint on the outside was peeling off and the wall was looking like it was beginning to crack. The inside of the apartment would be a lot worse.

-Inside MacKenzie's apartment-

Inside his apartment was every bit as awful as the outside. The beige carpet was old and worn with all sorts of stains that the maid could not even begin to identify nor care to identify. The beige wallpaper was peeling off of the walls in strips. The apartment was a single-story one that was in dire need of renovation or at least a good cleaning. She thought that she spotted roach eggs lining the crack between the baseboards and the floor, but her attention was pulled away from the filth and towards the man who she was here to eliminate.

He had already taken his shirt off and was walking towards the bathroom, which had grungy green tiles and an old porcelain tub with more rings than a jewelry store. He put a rubber plug in the drain and turned on the water, which began to slowly fill the tub. Stiletto stole a glimpse inside and saw a small 10" television plugged into an extension cord sitting on a cart which was precariously close to the tub, giving her an idea of how to eliminate him. She quickly went back into the "living room", which was just a small area with a worn-out leather sofa and a bed that had not been made up in who knew how long.

"Once the tub's filled, the fun starts." He assured her. Stiletto kept quiet and waited for her chance to strike. She did not have much longer to wait because three minutes later the squeaking of metal and the cessation of water told her that the tub was full. She heard the sound of a belt buckle being undone and the sound of someone slipping into the water, then the television being turned on. It was almost time to set her plan into motion.

"OK, are you ready for a good time?" He asked her. Stiletto fought off the feeling of uneasiness and replied in the affirmative.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She replied with about as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"Don't be shy, sweetie. It'll be fun." Walter assured her. Stiletto involuntarily cringed as she approached the bathroom. Her ability to leave no footprints or fingerprints was active, so all she needed to do was nudge the TV in and let the lethal combination of water and electricity do the rest. Stiletto kept her face neutral as she entered the grimy bathroom.

Stiletto kept a calm face as she raised her foot and planted it on the back of the television set, then nudged it in before Walter could react. She watched as the television fell in and Walter was electrocuted. He flailed about and screamed for several seconds before going limp and sinking into the tub. Now that the kill had been made, Stiletto needed to exit quickly.

She quickly and calmly exited the apartment, leaving no prints, footprints, or other evidence to trace her.

-Outside the apartment, on Galleon Street-

Stiletto shut the door behind her and walked briskly down the deserted street without looking back. She needed to find a place to drop the maid outfit and shift back into her guild armor, then get out of town before the police began investigating. Stiletto quickly found cover in a deserted back alley near the street sign and dropped the disguise, reverting to her guild armor. With her armor back it was a trivial task to begin making her way out of Hargeon Town and back to guild headquarters.

Stiletto sneaked through the shadows of the town with no issues at all. She left town without being discovered and began making her way home with no one the wiser. She had just scored her first win against the Shadow Collective, but she had to keep winning until Mr. Gorman's plan was derailed. She would have to keep striking first and eliminating the collective's agents until they deemed the contract to be too much trouble to keep pursuing.

[Word Count: 778]
[Total Word Count: 2,452/1,500]