I
She could hear voices. Her head pounded
with the sound of her own ragged heartbeat. Her body ached. Her limbs felt
heavy with exhaustion, her body bruised from the repeated beatings.
Jessica gathered the courage to open her
eyes. Light stung them forcing a quick retreat back to the darkness. She felt a
cold draft over her skin. ThatÕs when she felt her nakedness. Without clothes,
she felt vulnerable and humiliated. She was still confused about the details of
her predicament, but the memory of it bit at the back of her mind. A sharp,
tiny pain tingled up her arm. She panicked. The tingling brought death, or so
she thought. She fought hard.
ÒSleep, Jessica. YouÕre safe now.Ó
* * *
ÒI donÕt suppose you could wear somethingÉwellÉmoreÉto
our meetings?Ó
ÒNo.Ó Marina dismissed the comment.
ÒI only come here because you pay me enough to make it
worth my while. IÕm sure, however, that your enemies overseas would be more
than happy, and would pay just as well, to have someone like me around.
However, to ensure that you remain in one piece, if you ever call me a whore
again.Ó Marina smiled. ÒIÕll bring this whole building down around your ears.Ó
It wasnÕt confidence, just fact. Her body
was one of the most powerful weapons in the world. She had been built for war
and terror. She also had been built for passion. She wore both purposes with
pride. A tattoo adorned each breast, both in Arabic. The left breast statedÒpassion,Ó
the other Òwarfare.Ó The tattoo artist had mentioned that working her skin was
like working metal.
She was short, even by female standards.
That was prearranged. She was of Middle-Eastern flavor and they wanted to keep
her unimposing. Though, with the way she moved and stood, one would never
notice. She had been attractive to begin with. Biotechnology made her nearly
perfect. Her eyes were creamy, caramel. Her hair long and dark like her laugh
could be if caught in the right moment. The look of her skin told nothing of
its incredible durability. So soft to the touch, yet stronger than most any
armor man had to offer. Her muscles were sleek and flowed like the lines of an
Italian super car. She was the most dangerous female on the planet.
Unfortunately for the Iranian government, she knew it.
Due to her enhanced ability to learn, she
had mastered several deadly arts within weeks. Military skills came to her
easily. Her physical training had become boring and pointless as she proved
repeatedly how overly well she had been built. Her superiors began to worry
that they had finally created their own demise. She knew they couldnÕt keep
her. She stayed out of curiosity about herself and her abilities. When the
thrill had gone cold, she left them. Years passed before she resurfaced as a
mercenary for hire. She was Òthe best bang for the buck.Ó
She was more expensive than many mercenary armies were. However, her execution
was as flawless as her Arabic features.
ÒNo need for any dramatics, my dear. I merely thought
that IÕd hired a professional mercenary, not a professional hooker.Ó
ÒIn either case, youÕve got the best money can buy,
yes?Ó Marina winked and gave him the middle finger. She palmed a heavy golden
apple from his desk. Her teeth sheared into the metal as if it were any other
apple. She chewed for a moment and gulped the piece down. What was left of the
apple was dropped into his lap. He examined her finger impressions along the
appleÕs surface.
ÒSorry, I was hungry.Ó She rolled her
eyes.
ÒYes, I see.Ó He eyed her. She was arrogant. He loved that about
her. Though, her arrogance wasnÕt unwarranted. His introduction to her was by
live video feed from a Mexican base housing a group of militants. There was
nothing particularly special about the target. The idea was to provide a sort
of portfolio of her ability.
He was given an overhead layout of the
base to orient himself. He hadnÕt much time to do so before he saw a shadow
streak across the long field between the wood line and the high security fence.
She stopped short and placed her hands on her hips. They swayed to one side as
her weight shifted. He didnÕt have to wonder for too long why she paused there
for. Her talents were on show in more ways than one. She was naked from head to
toe except for a shiny application of camo paint covering every inch of her
perfect skin. The perfection of her skin wasnÕt merely aesthetic, however. A
strange sound, much like leather being slapped, surprised him. Marina was an
easy, willing, and unmoving target for the guards. She seemed perfectly
comfortable under the rain of bullets not bothering at all to protect her body
or face in any manner.
Astonished, he found himself moving
closer to the screen. He had a strange smile that only widened when rocket
grenades seemed not to have any more effect than small arms. She appeared to be
enjoying herself as well while her weight would shift bringing her hips swaying
to the other side. He had been sold by then, but by no means wanted the feed to
stop. He said nothing as a very one-sided battle was fought on his flat screen.
Her arms crossed over her chest. She
looked over the group of armed men smugly. They had since called in one of the
many APCs kept on tap. Its spinning barrel spitting larger caliber rounds at
her at an incredible rate that only she could see. Her soft lips curled in a
smirk. The pile of brass at her feet was becoming a mound as she allowed their
attack to continue. Shrapnel tickled her legs. She seemed just as comfortable
receiving a volley of grenades as she did the trickle of machine gun fire.
She finally dropped her hands to her side
and calmly strode to the fence. Her stride remained even and graceful. Her
smile remained arrogant. He hadnÕt actually seen her do it, but she opened her
fist to show a small handful of deformed rounds. As she walked, she flicked
them. The militants around her began to take cover. Several of their comrades
seemed to flop over like popped balloons.
She reached out to grasp the fence and
looked genuinely surprised as energy danced over her body. Her breath was
ragged as she swooned. He stirred. The entire grid discharged through her
uselessly, emergency lights all over the small compound opened. She seemed to
take a moment to catch her breath before ripping open the frail links of the
fence.
A brave soldier charged her with his
bayonet to her stomach. She raised her arms slightly providing him the open
attempt and watched the blade snap against her. His clumsy hands released his
rifle. Marina snatched it from him in a blur. With a bit of artistic flair, and
faster than his human eye could follow, she twisted the weapon into the shape
of a poodle. She passed it back into his arms. Her hand shoved him out of the
picture. Eric assumed he landed many miles away somewhere in the jungle. Many
others were tossed about in every direction. She looked like a girl picking
petals from a flower.
The APC joined them somewhere in the
skies over Mexico. The entire compound was leveled in five minutes and 37
seconds. He watched her walk from the wreckage while she dusted her hands off.
She was careful to step over the bodies that littered the battlefield. She
scanned the area for a moment. Satisfied, she winked in the direction of the
camera and leapt away over the treetops.
ÒAre
you still with me?Ó She snapped at him.
ÒUh?
Oh, yes. So youÕll do it then?Ó
ÒThe
price is right. Sounds like fun. I am at your service.Ó
ÒExcellent. Your flight leaves in the morning. YouÕll
meet with your contact where we discussed.Ó
ÒDonÕt bother with the flight.Ó
She winked. ÒIÕve been needing a good swim.Ó
They were meeting in Tokyo, but her
clients werenÕt Japanese. Not that it mattered, any more than it mattered where
the mission was taking her.
ÒIÕm shocked youÕd even ask me that question. There is
a beach near the airstrip. Tell him to meet me there. IÕll be early.Ó
* * *
ÒLike
IÕve been tortured and beaten to death,Ó Jessica dead panned.
ÒThey
worked you over pretty good. It took us awhile to find you. I only wish we
could have gotten to you sooner.Ó
ÒHonestly?
IÕm surprised IÕm still alive.Ó
Peter and the General looked at each
other. Reserved, the general replied, ÒWe did lose you there for a moment, Jessica.Ó
She attempted to raise her head. Pain
shot down her right side so she thought better of it. She looked at Peter for
answers.
ÒTake it easy.Ó Peter placed his hand on her shoulder. ÒYouÕve
been in intensive care for awhile.Ó
ÒDays.Ó The General turned to the open window. ÒWe
had to use that time to remake you. Very little of you was left, Jessie.Ó
ÒWait. What do you mean remake? WhatÕs going on?Ó
Her head spun as she tried rising again. A nurse pushed her to the bed gently.
ÒIÕll let Sergeant Crowson explain. You two catch up.Ó
The General looked at his watch. ÒWeÕll get you back on your feet in no time, Jessica.
Better than ever.Ó
The general left the room quickly before
Jessica built the strength to protest. She turned to her friend.
ÒLike the man said. You died on us. It was one of the
hardest things IÕve ever had to watch. I couldnÕt let you go out like that, so
I, we, pulled some strings.Ó He gestured toward the door. ÒYour
arms, your legs, were crushed. YouÕd been stabbed numerous times throughout
your torso. Your spine was snapped in two places. The list goes on. You passed
just as weÕd gotten to you. Geez, Jessie. You were a mess.Ó
She could see PeterÕs face tighten. She
saw the toll it had taken on him. Peter felt her hand on his.
ÒYou been given a second chance, girl. Only this time,
itÕs a better one.Ó
ÒDo you remember the experiments being held in Nevada?
We had the twelve test subjects.Ó
ÒYeah, the whole super soldier nut-roll. They all died
during testing, didnÕt they?Ó
ÒUnfortunately, yes. Their bodies were unable to cope
with the rapid change and we lost them one by one.Ó
ÒWhat, exactly does that have to do—wait, no. What have you done?Ó
Jessica
raised her eyebrows.
ÒJump to conclusions? Did it work?Ó
She became visibly excited, even through the gauze and bandaging.
ÒHuh? Okay, thatÕs not quite the reaction I was
expecting.Ó
ÒTalk.Ó She looked anxiously at Peter.
ÒIt worked.Ó Peter paused for her. ÒThe process
worked, Jess. Your body took to the enhancement. Of course, we donÕt know to
what degree, itÕs all still experimental, but it seemed to work.Ó
Jessica closed her eyes. When sheÕd heard
of the program, she had been one of the first to volunteer. Peter never knew
that. After the disaster it had been, it was probably best they refused her. It
was amazing to watch those women work. They were so fast and powerful. They
seemed unstoppable.
ÒYou just rest up. WeÕll put you through your paces
when you recover. I promise you wonÕt be disappointed.Ó
ÒI hope not.Ó She smiled.
* * *
Marina rose high over the ocean water
like a dolphin. Her feet touched the sandy beach thirty meters from the shore.
Her wet hair matted against her naked skin. She bent her head over, squeezing
the water from her long mane.
Roland spotted her rooster tail out in
the water long before she arrived. He watched as she dived under and then leapt
from the foam onto the beach. She acted as though it was the most natural
thing. ÒÉSwam the whole Pacific? God, sheÕs incredible.Ó
She waved at
him. He replied the same.
Marina hopped into the air and crossed
the distance landing behind him. He never heard it.
ÒBoo.Ó
Surprised, he reacted by pulling his pistol on her.
She quickly pinched the barrel off, dropping the end of it to the sand.
ÒYouÕre too on edge, Roland.Ó
Marina smirked. ÒYou need to get laid.Ó
ÒAnd you fucked my gun up!Ó
He looked down at the lost inch of his barrel. Marina slipped the gun from his
hand and turned it over in her hand in examination. She rolled her eyes. He
watched defeated as his gun tore into the sky like a comet.
ÒYou
know how I feel about guns.Ó
ÒHow
convenient it is, then, that you donÕt need one. Of course, the rest of us who arenÕt
bulletproofÉÓ
ÒYou actually going to wear any? IÕm
shocked.Ó He presented a small outfit and shoulder bag to her.
The outfit was little more than a string.
ÒNotÉatÉall.Ó He watched as she slipped the final three inches
over her right nipple.
She liked Roland. He was one of the few
who still believed in honor among thieves. He was the tough guy all girls
dreamed about. She was never shy about her body, but she enjoyed teasing
Roland. Tough as he was, he was always a gentleman.
He was a laid back guy, but when he was
on, he was on. HeÕd proven himself during their short partnership. Of
course, sheÕd made it clear daily how little help sheÕd
needed from him. HeÕd kept up well, however.
ÒHow do I look?Ó She twirled about on her toes.
ÒAmazing, as usual.Ó She kissed his
cheek.
ÒThanks. WeÕll be seeing you, stud.Ó Marina blasted
down the beach on foot. Roland dusted the sand from her rooster tail off of his
leather jacket. It had been a cold morning even by Californian standards. He
watched as she took to the freeway, darting between the cars well over the
posted speed limit.
ÒHow does she keep such a low profile?Ó
He shook his head.
* * *
Jessie pressed up on the Olympic barbell
counting off her thirteenth repetition. With perfect control and form she
lowered it to her chest. Peter stood over her to help if the need arose.
ÒYou know, youÕre not going to be much help if I canÕt
get this up.Ó She pressed the bar up once more. Peter looked at
each end doing some mental math.
ÒMoral
support.Ó He smiled.
ÒI
knew I kept you around for something!Ó She pressed the bar up once more then set it in the
cradles.
ÒYou know, I was hoping things would be moving along
faster than this. IÕve been working at this for two weeks now. I was
hoping to be taking on small armies by now.Ó Jessica pouted.
ÒShut up,Ó she snapped half jokingly.
Peter couldnÕt
help but laugh. ÒItÕs not that simple, Jess. Your brain is still wired
for the old JessÕs body. ItÕs going to take it some time to get super Jess out of
you. Once we break that plateau, then weÕll really see what you can do.Ó
ÒI know, I know. IÕm just restless,
I guess. Hey, doc!Ó Peter started looking around not ever hearing anyone
come in.
ÒVery good, Jessica.Ó He emerged from
the doorway. ÒI see youÕre becoming more aware. ThatÕs
good.Ó
ÒThanks. I just wish I could do more.Ó
ÒNeeds to Ôre-wireÕ itself. So I keep hearing.Ó
She slumped. ÒI need a shower. See you at chow, Pete?Ó
ÒIÕm
buying!Ó
ÒCute.Ó
She glared. ÒDoc? You need anything from me?Ó
ÒJust
wanted to get some vitals, but it can wait.Ó
ÒOkay, boys. IÕm off.Ó Both men watched as Jessica walked off to the locker
rooms.
ÒHot just doesnÕt say it.Ó Peter spoke.
ÒThe results are spectacular, to say the least.Ó
The doctor replied.
In the locker room, Jessica was looking
at herself in the mirror again. So much had changed over two weeks. She was 36,
but she was looking at a 19-year-old. The years of athletics that had affected
her body were gone, and the injuries from torture had disappeared. Long
sensuous lines of muscle raced over her frame. She had always been solid, but
never like this. Yet despite the hard muscle, she had all the feminine curves a
perfect woman would have. She allowed her body to air-dry, as she looked
herself over once more. Even her teeth had evened out. Her emerald green eyes
seemed brighter. Her skin was healthy and smooth. Her breasts sat high on her
chest and her stomach was defined with soft ridges of muscle. She turned
looking at her apple-shaped rear while admiring the dimples above her thigh.
ÒWell, you look the part.Ó
She told herself. ÒSo whatÕs keeping you?Ó
Jessica turned to look busy dressing when
another woman entered the locker room. It was bad enough that jealousy was
running rampant, she didnÕt need one of the other female operatives catching
her checking herself out in the mirror.
Jessica slipped on her jeans. She crossed
her arm over her chest and waved. ÒHey.Ó
ÒYouÕre looking great. Been hitting the gym hard, huh?Ó
She chided.
ÒGotta keep up with the rest of you girls!Ó
Jessica buttoned her jeans, slipped on her spaghetti tank, and tied her Nikes.
She smiled half-heartedly at her female counterpart before gathering her things
and leaving. Jessica heard her snide comment at the door, ignored it, and went
to her dinner date with Peter.
* * *
Marina approached the high wall of a
large estate. She allowed herself a smile while she looked up to the top of the
twenty-meter high obstacle. Her slight bikini dropped to the ground. Being
invulnerable had its uses. One of those was that she needed no protection from
the world around her. Sometime during a stint in Asia she had picked up the
nickname ÒNaked Assassin.Ó She had a habit wearing nothing more than body
paint, only if stealth was called for, however. SheÕd
made good time getting there, despite being on foot, so there was no hurry.
Applying the body paint would take time, so she took it.
Her earpiece buzzed to life. ÒAre
you on site, yet.Ó
ÒAbout
twenty minutes ago.Ó
ÒYou
made good time then.Ó
ÒI
stuck to the roads for the most part.Ó Marina smiled to herself and continued smearing
black paint over her hip.
ÒThis is an in and out, Marina. No show boating. If
they connect you to me, then our dealings are over.Ó
ÒYes,
of course.Ó
ÒI
need those files. I want the XX program.Ó
ÒAnything
for you, love. Well, for a load of cash, at least.Ó
ÒWhen have I ever needed your help?Ó
She finished by covering her face. ÒWhat is this XX program anyway?Ó
ÒI donÕt pay you to ask questions, Marina. Just get
the files.Ó
* * *
Jessica
poked at her food. Peter could see she was frustrated.
ÒYouÕve got to be patient, Jessie.Ó
Peter set is fork down. ÒItÕs just like any other kind of training.Ó
ÒI know, I know. ItÕs not really
that. I mean, IÕm anxious, but thatÕs not what is
really bugging me.Ó She paused, waiting for the question.
ÒTalk
to me.Ó Peter continued eating.
ÒHave
you noticed the looks IÕve been getting from the other girls?
I feel like I should be ashamed or something.Ó
ÒOh, they talk.Ó Peter laughed. JessicaÕs frown deepened.
ÒIÕm sorry. Listen, theyÕll get over it.
TheyÕre a bit jealous, thatÕs all. You think
youÕre the only one whoÕd love the kind
of strength and speed youÕll have?Ó
ÒThereÕs no guess about it. Some of these operatives have been
doing this for years. You are still a bit green, even at your age. Sure, we
almost lost you, but they gotta be wondering if the same would have been done
for them. To them, itÕs a bit unfair.Ó
ÒItÕs not like I asked for it.Ó
ÒThatÕs not the point. Those doctors are saying that when
you reach your full potential, youÕre gonna be a worldwide bully! CanÕt
say that IÕm not a bit jealous myself!Ó
He winked at her. ÒYou just need to gain their respect. Show them that
youÕre in there with them. TheyÕll
come around.Ó
Jessica smiled. ÒThanks,
Petey. And I promise I wonÕt pick on you too much.Ó
TO BE CONTINUED