Friday morning

  My apartment:

  It's been a week since my visit to the Viscontini household, contrary to my previous impression, and in accordance with the huge bank transfer receipt in my email, they are, in fact, not nearing bankruptcy. The previous week had mostly been about gathering intel--not only regarding my undertaking but also about my employers.

  There are currently three living members of the Viscontini family. Vittore from the main branch and his distant cousins Elda and Leonard. They were the two people I saw at casa-de-viscontini.

  Apart from them, all blood relatives have been killed, the most recent death not having taken place more than five months ago. According to my sources, it was Elda and Leonard's father's.

  My train of thought was broken when A ping sounded on my phone and the screen lit up.

  From :

  Movements:

  2st January

  Mysterious death of twelve influencial opposition members in.....

  16th January

  Amanda kryfort, chancellor of.......found dead in her apartment.

  15th February

  Two members of the.......militia missing, last sighting: Christmas parade.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  etc........

  Just then, a knock sounded on the hardwood door. Grabbing the penknife in my pocket I made for it with caution.

  I opened it a creak. No one...

  A hazey black apparition landed with a thump on the paved flooring in front of me as I felt the tip of something cold against my forehead. Huhh..amateurs.

  The next action sequence lasted approximately three seconds.

  My right hand shot out to grab the barrel, twisting the attacker's arm upwards ,left hand securing the other arm, twisting their torso. Once their back faced me, left knee to the popliteal fossa. AND DONE.

  'i keep forgetting you're ambidextrous... relax, it's a fake.' groaned the man who I had pinned, half-kneeling, against the floor.

  'You really are out looking for death with those lanky moves aren't you, Alven or should i say Cyprus? And I know it's a fake' I said, easing my grasp.

  'Woah, this place sure does look uninhabited. Are you actually planning to elope or something?' He commented, seeing himself in.

  'I don't believe in having more furniture than necessary,' I answered, closing the door behind me.

  Alvin, the sender of the email, my rather inefficient information source, walked straight in and occupied himself with the wall clock. He had on a black overcoat, his blonde hair tied back. This man looked quite different from the cowering underground rookie i had in my memory.

  'So, what's all this about?' he asked without removing his attention from the clock.

  'I'll need more information on the Axi...'

  'Not that, I'm asking about that pretty boy whose family you asked me to look up' Alvin averted his gaze from his preoccupation to throw me a sidewise glance.

  'Who do you think put me up to this?' I said, folding my arms

  'What?' You're working for him? You? Black frost? Working for someone? other than yourself?' Alvin mocked between bouts of unkind laughter.

  'I have my reasons,' I said in a low voice.

  'Either he has something on you or....you're actually in love?' I almost heard concern in his voice as he spoke that last part. .

  'Go on assuming things and I'll make sure you no longer retain the mental capacity to assume ever again' I said,

  *sigh*

  'Look outside...tsk Don't make it too obvious, beside the green building,' I said, redirecting his attention to the living room window.

  Outside, on the street opposite to mine, there was a figure wearing a grey hoodie. Upon closer observation one would notice a similar coloured mask on his face. He wore black glasses and held a walking stick.

  'The visually impared guy?' Alvin asked.

  'No visually impared person would be able to avoid potholes without his stick having touched it' I replied.

  'Many like him have been on my trail since the past few weeks'

  'And they are working fo....'

  I cut him mid sentence

  'The Axis, I know it's them'

  'They're not only after the pretty boy but also after you?' The wall clock could no longer retain his attention as he turned away from it to pace across my rabbit hole of a living room.'You think this is a coincidence?' He said after some thought (and some franctic pacing).

  'I dont believe in coincidences'

  'But then how-- wait, you speak as if you were expecting them?' He looked straight at me as he spoke, eyes full of apprehension.

  'So the rumors are true, you were involved with the Axis'