Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Everything else belongs to Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, J.K. Rowling, their publishing companies, and the creators of Charmed, Angel, and Elektra.
Rating: PG-13
The streets were crowded with people coming and going, not knowing that death walks among them. They were always in a hurry to get somewhere and they didn�t take time out of their busy schedules to be with family and friends. The sun shown brightly along the sky and there was a slight breeze to make walking in the August heat bearable. Silverfire made her way through the crowds watching them all, trying to figure out which one of these poor souls will be her next target. She had only made one stop since leaving the flophouse and that was to get a cup of coffee from the Starbucks a few blocks back. Silverfire had made it to 4th and Broadway with five minutes to spare and found the bus stop empty. There was a bench sitting in front of a flower garden and when she looked closer saw the gleam of metal. Smiling to herself, she made her way over to the bench and sat down. Glancing around to make sure no one saw her she bent down and pulled the briefcase out from under the bench.
Silverfire put the briefcase on her lap and went to work on the combination locks. The Hand never leaves anything in the open without it having some kind of trap. If an unknown person found the briefcase and tried to open it, there wouldn�t be anything left of the person for the cops to identify. It only took her a few seconds to get it unlocked then she opened the lid to find a large manila envelope. On top of it was a letter from The Hand and it read:
Dear Silverfire,
If you are reading this, then you made the time limit. As instructed on the phone last night your newest assignment is in the large manila envelope. Remove it and replace it with the amulet. Once it�s secure leave it and someone will pick it up after you leave the area. As usual you are to call us to confirm that the job is done. You�ll have three days to complete your mission. I wish you the best of luck and remember come back victorious or your life will be forfeit.
Sincerely,
The Hand
Silverfire came to the end of the note and wrinkled her nose. It�s always the same with The Hand, but she owes them her life and loyalty. Picking up the envelope, she weighed the contents in her hands. It was heavier than it should be for a job and slowly opened the flap. She looked inside and whistled out loud. Not only did she have her next job, but fifty grand for the last job. Grabbing her backpack she shoved the envelope in and pulled out the wrapped amulet and put it in the briefcase. Silverfire closed the lid, replaced the briefcase back under the bench and got up leaving the site without a backwards glance.
No one noticed her or what she was doing and for the most part completely ignored her. St. Louis was a big city and there were loads of different kinds of people. She knew most everyone�s past held a deep dark secret. St. Louis didn�t have a clue that there was a cold-hearted killer in their mist. She spent the last two years in The Balkan Mountains trying to get her life back. Silverfire had woken up in a private hospital not knowing who she was or where she was. She had lost her life and was trying to get it back, but there were things that she couldn�t remember, things about her past that didn�t make sense.
The Hand took her in and trained her to be the best assassin they had ever trained. Silverfire had ask them once where she came from and they told her that they found her on the side of the road. She was nearly at death�s doors and there was no I.D as to who she was. It looked like something had ripped her to shreds and she had lost a lot of blood. Her face was bruised and swollen from someone hitting her and they continued down to her chest. The arms and legs looked had claw marks running shoulder to elbow and from the thigh to the knees. Her ribs were broken and bruised and more rips were made on both sides of her ribs to run down and met at the navel. Her clothes were completely gone from the thing that tried to kill her. Silverfire�s knuckles were raw and bruised from what looked to The Hand as her way of fighting back, even her fingernails were bloody from her trying to fight the thing off. The high elder of The Hand was on his way home, when he say something laying along the side of the road that goes up into the Balkan Mountains. Thinking she was a deer, got out to take a look discovered Silverfire was a human female whose been mawed by something or someone. The man had called for assistance and she was taken to a nearby private hospital. It took nearly three months before she was completely healed of her injuries. Silverfire believed what they told her and let it go.
The past was just that, the past. Nothing good ever comes out of digging up stuff that should be left buried. Silverfire was in her own little world and wasn�t watching where she was going when she ran into someone coming out of a small caf� named The Wolf�s Den. The figure was cursing through clenched teeth. She had accidentally caused him to spill his coffee onto his suit.
�I�m so sorry. Are you ok?� she said trying to be nice even though she could have cared less if he was hurt or not.
The man was dabbing the coffee off with a napkin as he looked at her and stopped. Silverfire caught his look and became very uncomfortable so she turned around and hauled ass. Something about him scared her and unfamiliar memories started flashing before her eyes. It was something that hit her quickly and she couldn�t stop it. The guy just stood there staring after her like he�s just seen a ghost. He shook his head and mumbled to himself, �It can�t be her. She�s dead.�
Silverfire ran four blocks before she stopped, trying to get herself together wondering what had caused the flashes. Was it because she had contact with him or was he someone from her past? The look on his face told her that he had recognized her. Silverfire had never seen or met him before today. Something weird was happening and she needed answers. It was too late to call her mentor now, so she opted for trying to find a bank to deposit her money. It�s not good business to walk around a city like St. Louis with fifty grand in your purse. She also needed some breathing room to clear her head and what better way to do it then to get ready for work.