Diary of a Barefoot Assassin - Nadia

"-I have no problem killing people."

By Mongoose750 (mongoose750@yahoo.com)

I=m sitting in a private room of a nice restaurant. It=s darkly lit, meant to convey a romantic atmosphere. I=m dressed appropriately for the occasion, wearing a nice red long sleeve scoop neck blouse, and a short black skirt. While I=m sitting here contemplating, I hear someone trying to contact me via the radio earpiece no larger than a standard hearing aid placed in my left ear.

ANadia? Are you free?@ The voice crackled in my ear.

AYes I=m free, Nizaara,@ I told her.

AHas the target been neutralized?@

I trace my bare right toe over the facial features of the man lying on the floor in front of me. You see, the man, who was an operative for an enemy spy organization, was my target for tonight. He thought he would get lucky with me. When he tried to kiss my neck, it was an easy matter for me to reach up and break his. He was a handsome man; unfortunately, he didn=t heed the advice given from the spy business and his mother about meeting strangers.

You see, I=m a Barefoot Assassin, an agent of the Brazilian government.

And I have no problem killing people.

I realize that sounded ghoulish as soon as I said that.

Let me explain that I=m not one of those psychopathic people who kill their own mother or pull the wings off flies and torture small animals for enjoyment. Nor do I harbor a deep-seated hatred for men or angry at the world because some slight was dealt me long ago like not having a date for the senior dance in high school. What I am saying is I believe in the cause for my uh, occupation, and I approach it the same way I approached my old career, involved, but yet separated from it.

What was my old career? Policeman, soldier, reformed criminal? No, accountant. Confused? Well it would probably be easier to start from the beginning. However it=s not just me, but the four of us, fellow coworkers who are involved in this new way of life; plain, ordinary women transformed into killing machines.

Okay, it started like this . . .

-----

My name is Nadia, and I was born to a normal family, the youngest of four, a sister and two brothers. My parents originally moved from Russia to settle here in Brazil. There were a few reasons they moved, but the main reason they give when asked was Aheat.@ The days in this country are dramatically different from Moscow or Siberia, that=s for sure. Again, we were a normal family; my father was a schoolteacher, my mother a secretary for a marketing firm. They were both very loyal to their adopted country, and I guess that=s where I picked it up, because after I graduated high school and college, my goal was to work for the government.

Now to describe myself, nothing out of the ordinary; I=m 5'6", I carry the typical pale complexion that Russian natives would typically have, and I have a slim build, not skinny, full-figured, or even flat-chested, just a normal, slim build. I have short black hair with bangs that go no further than the end of my neck, and the only distinguishing feature about myself would be my long legs. Those would prove to be my best asset later on, but I=ll get to that later. I did participate in gymnastics in school, but I later Agrew@ out of it (5'6" is a little too large for your typical gymnast). I chose accounting as a major because I actually like it. I loved making the numbers balance each other. Perhaps it was my way of bringing balance to the world, I don=t know. At least I was working for a country that actually had a budget, and not forced to forge numbers that weren=t there.

As I said earlier, I wanted to work for the government, and upon graduation I did. After starting there, I would get promoted and moved around, and eventually, I was approached for the opportunity to do my work for a new division of the government. The only clause was it was top secret, and I needed to be cleared (a fancy way of saying make sure there=s no spies in my closet or something like that). After a couple of checks, and other red tape which I won=t bore you with, I was working at my new place with a few other fellow accountants, which was located not far from the Amazon rainforest. I soon found out it was a division created for the sole purpose of eliminating enemy spies. The name was called Brazilians for an Independent Brazil, or BIB for short.

A little explanation is needed here. Once upon a time, or several years ago, the Brazilian government was saturated with spies from two organizations, COIL and DOOM. The initials stand for something, but I=ve always forgot what they were. The point was it got to the point where you couldn=t be sure if someone in the senate or your local mayor was genuine or a plant for one of the two agencies. Finally things came to a head in the town of Rio Branco, where a conflict between the two resulted in a disaster that claimed many lives, including a scientist and his daughter, who made a breakthrough discovery on a cure for AIDS. Our president at that time said enough was enough, and ordered both organizations to leave the country or be arrested. They did, or rather, most of them did to give us the appearance of them leaving. Many from both were staying behind in a more covert manner, which explains the origin of our organization. Quite simply, we find the agents and arrest them, or which has usually been the case, eliminate them.

Some may consider that a little cruel, perhaps even barbaric, but my country had suffered, and many innocent people had suffered. And when you've been pushed up against the wall for so long, you have to do something about it.

A woman who goes by the name of Bliss created BIB. One of the first things she tells people upon first meeting her when they ask was yes, Bliss is her real name. At one time, she was one of the higher-ranking agents for Brazilian intelligence. One day she went to her superiors and told them she wanted to create a separate branch with the sole purpose of removing enemy agents. She received approval, and got started on her creation, which was like any standard government agency, except for a few eccentric twists to it.

First, the headquarters were placed near the edge of the Amazon Rainforest in Northern Brazil. This was to prevent any possible infiltration from other agencies that still might have a spy among their agents. Second, it was composed almost entirely of women. The few males who work there only work in the accounting, secretarial, or technical departments. I understand there's a lot of men who send in their applications or transferals to this location every year. I believe it's because of the Aatmosphere.@ That, and our transformations, which I'll address in a moment. Bliss had a point to prove, that women could be just as good as men, and just as deadly, and not in the seductive sense, either.

Third, the women candidates would eventually be transformed into living weapons. First, each candidate underwent an intensive weight-training program. Even for those who dropped out of the program, they walked out with newly developed muscles they didn't even know they had. Along with that, they also received intense martial arts training. The candidate would have several disciplines to choose from, either at their own choice, or at Bliss' selection. As a result, the finished product would become a well‑built specimen of destruction. Not with the looks of a fashion model like you would see in spy movies, but an athletic Ahard body,@ a woman who could literally kill a human being with their bare hands. I suppose this was another reason why the men sent applications in; not because of the potential lethalness of the women, but because the training helped make them more pleasing to the eye.

This leads to the fourth point; the women were trained for assassination, almost nothing else. Their job was to go in, sanction or kill the target, and get out. No looking for top-secret documents or anything else; pure wet work is the main directive with the option of taking prisoners. The reason for the intense hand to hand training was that was how the target would be sanctioned. Because the majority of our targets were armed while we're not, this calls for craftiness and skill. The target needs to be found either unarmed or unaware, or we just find a way to disarm that target so an easier kill could be made. Bliss believed the best weapon a human being could use was he or herself, the human body. Unlike guns or knives, they always go with you, the weapon (body) can always be improved or Aupgraded,@ and almost no trace of the weapon can be found. It is easier to track down a bullet to a particular gun or rifle than it is to track down a hand or a foot that delivered a lethal strike to the throat, for instance.

Finally, there is a reason we're called ABarefoot Assassins,@ we conduct our assassinations barefoot, or at the very least in stocking feet or socks. There are actually many benefits to this; better traction, increased stealth, and sensitivity to your surroundings are a few of them. This was the one thing that others in the fellow agencies considered the strangest of all. Bliss requires for all her trainees to go without shoes for a year, twenty‑four hours a day, 365 days a year, rain or shine. This was to toughen the soles to the elements, and to get the candidates back to moving around Aas nature intended.@ She considered most women's shoes a deterrent to personal transportation, but then from Bliss, it's not a surprising viewpoint, considering that none of us fellow assassins have seen her wear shoes. She was a six‑foot large muscular woman with long blond hair in her early forties. If her fellow officers or family (she's married with two kids) have raised any objection, we never heard it. Interestingly, after that year with no shoes, most women don't switch back. Some have let their shoes get dusty with disuse, and some like myself don't even remember what size shoes they wear anymore.

-----

As I have pointed out, I was an accountant for this agency, performing assassinations were nowhere in my mind. During the course of my employment, I formed friendships with my fellow coworkers, particularly three of them. Nizaara was one of the main secretaries; she was slim, 5'9@, and had shoulder length black hair. She was rather quiet, only speaking when spoken to. She was originally from Bolivia, which at the time was undergoing some turmoil within their government. She was a very nice person when you got to know her. Lucy, a clerk in the research and archive department was the same height that I was, except she had a more petite build, with shoulder length curly hair and wire frame glasses. Lucy could do research on a rock in a neighbor's back yard, and give you more details on it than could be thought possible. She was rather modest about her knowledge, and never made a point of lording over you with it. Mia, our Agentle giant,@ in the computer services department was 6'4@, had short blond hair, and though having a big frame, was not fat, though other people in their stupidity thought that way. This prompted her to try out the latest diet craze when it came about, eating like a rabbit, and making her feel ashamed about her body. That is she used to do that, but again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

At lunchtime, we ate with our fellow officers, and even some of the assassins when they were training or in‑between assignments. The assassins, contrary to what it would seem, were nice and gracious to us, and none of them to my knowledge appeared to be a sociopath. Two of them in particular, Ming Shi, and Catalina, would even seek us out at lunchtime and participate in normal conversation with us. You would never think that those two women were the top assassins for BIB.

In the meantime, the four of us were very good at what we did in our departments, and though it gained us respect, praise from our leader, and higher raises, we were very, very bored.

One day, we were at our usual table eating lunch, and Ming Shi dropped by to say hello to us and ask how we were doing before she had to attend an important meeting. As we watched her leave, I remember saying, almost absentmindedly, AI wonder if I could do her job?@

Nizaara, our quiet one, replied, ALet's find out.@

Before we realized what we were doing, we suddenly stood up, left our table, our meals not even finished, and walked over to Bliss' office. Upon seeing us, she first thought it was some type of labor dispute.

AIs everything all right, ladies?@ She said.

Nizaara again spoke up for the group and said, AWe would like to be Barefoot Assassins.@

To this day, I'm not sure who was the most surprised, Bliss for what Nizaara just said, or the three of us for what we just committed ourselves to. Normally at that time, Bliss handpicked her assassins, primarily women who had an athletic background. Mia had played volleyball in high school and college; I've done gymnastics as I said before, and I'm not sure if either Nizaara or Lucy have ever done any type of sports before in their lives. Not that it matters much now, though.

When she realized we weren=t kidding, Bliss looked at us for what seemed like a long time, and then asked us, ASo tell me, why would I train you as a Barefoot Assassin?@

It appeared like we were at a loss for an answer, then I spoke up.

ABecause we don=t look like assassins,@ I said.

Bliss appeared confused at what I said. ADon=t look like assassins? Explain that to me, Nadia.@

AWell, when you see Ming Shi, Catalina, Kim, and some of the others, you can see from the way they look that they could be an assassin. Our >cleaning lady,= Natalya, though she=s one of your most effective killers, she has to wear an outfit that makes her bigger than she is so she doesn=t look suspicious.@

AGo on,@ Bliss said.

AYou see, with us, well there=s nothing outstanding about us. We=re - plain. A target would least expect an attack from us because we don=t look like we would attack anybody. That would make us perfect for the task.@

After I finished, I realized I was panting for breath. I blurted out what I said so quickly, I forgot to take a breath. Bliss leaned back in her chair, taking in what I said. It seemed like she sat there for another long moment before she spoke again.

AYou know, Nadia, I never thought about that. A number of our current assassins, Kim, Ming Shi, would stand out in a crowd, and Natalya, if she wasn=t on my side, she=d make me nervous if I was an agent in the same room with her. That is a very good point.@

AT-thank you,@ I said.

She suddenly leaned forward in her chair over her desk. All of us except for Nizaara jumped back a little.

ANow let me ask you this question. Do you think you would be able to take another human life?@ She asked.

It was a valid question; after all, that is what an assassin does in the strictest definition, claim the life of another human being. We paused again, then slowly we gave her our answer.

AYes,@ I said.

AYes,@ Nizaara said.

AYes I can,@ Mia said.

AYes,@ Lucy said.

I found out later if we said Ayes@ right away, we would=ve failed the preliminary test and dropped from consideration of being trained to be an assassin. It would=ve been of great concern to Bliss if we said yes without thinking or with enthusiasm. The first reason would indicate that we didn=t fully comprehend the full scope of the task we were about to take, and the second reason would mean we had the potential to be a bigger threat than the spies we hunt.

Lucy told me the United States at one time tried using psychopaths and serial killers as government assassins, and the experiment failed miserably. While you would have someone who would kill without remorse, you also had someone that you couldn=t control. The potential of a rouge Barefoot Assassin would be a scary thing indeed.

Bliss looked at us, believing the sincerity of our answers. AOkay, we=ll start your training immediately,@ she said.

We all said thank you and headed for the door. Before Mia, who was closest to the door could turn the doorknob, Bliss addressed us again.

AOf course you know what this means, don=t you?@ She said. AYou=ll need to lose the shoes for at least a year.@

We all nodded our understanding and started to turn around to the door.

APerhaps you didn=t understand me. Your training started immediately, so you=ll need to take your shoes off now. You can=t be >Barefoot Assassins= if you=re wearing shoes, can you?@

The message sunk in, and we started kicking off our shoes.

ASince some of my assassins wear hose and socks, that=s fine with me, but for the next 365 days, your feet will not even be near anything near a shoe, is that clear?@

We all said yes. The others were in their stocking feet, except for Lucy, who wore socks. I took both my shoes and my knee-high stockings off. Those new shoes were hurting my feet anyway.

AI=ll see you in here an hour before you normally go in to work to start your training. Now you=re dismissed.@

I do remember a few people giving us funny looks as we left Bliss= office carrying our shoes. Bliss told us later on that it was surprising the number of women who would say yes to being able to take a human life, but then turn around and freak out when they find out they have to take off their shoes. It=s like they don=t mind killing people, but they wanted to make sure they were able to buy the new fall wardrobe. Curious, I did ask her what about buying clothes and the latest fashions. She shrugged and said, Afeet go with everything.@ I couldn=t argue with her on that point, especially when I found out later that it made my clothes buying less complicated.

After we left the office and walked back to our table in the cafeteria where our now cold food was sitting, I asked the others what was their motivation for being able to kill another human being. Mine was from a friend who lost a few loved ones at Rio Branco. I saw this was a way of avenging those losses, plus a way of supporting our government. Nizaara also saw this as a way of supporting the government, and serving justice to those whom sought to ruin it. For Mia, it was more personal. When asked the question, she thought about those who made fun of her for her size and never tried to understand her. She figured these were the type of people who spied on peaceful governments, and they needed to be rid of. Lucy gave me a reply that was a little chilling.

AI wanted to try a new challenge,@ she said.

I was immediately reminded of that old saying that says to watch out for the quiet ones because they=re the most dangerous. But was that just Lucy, or was she just revealing the answer that the three of us refused to admit? I don=t know. I already knew I would approach this new Ajob@ the same way I approached my job of accounting; to be the best I can at it.

-----

To say training was rough would be an understatement. The weights training and martial arts lessons were designed to push us to our limits and beyond. Many times I have come home sore and exhausted. Changes were being made on our bodies, but at the time, I was too tired to notice them. There were changes in other ways, too.

One day we were eating lunch as usual, except this time it was after our latest workout and we were starved. The three of us got large meals to fill our appetite; we didn=t care what it was, while Mia was still insistent on eating her rabbit food. We were devouring our meals when Ming Shi came to our table and sat down with us. She was away for a few weeks on a mission on the other side of the country.

AI have heard about your decision. I don=t doubt your ability to do it, I don=t question your success, and you may be good at it. I just want to know why you=re doing it,@ she said.

We told her in so many words that we wanted to serve our country.

AA mailman, janitor, or garbage man serve their country too; they just don=t receive credit for it,@ she replied.

AIs that what you think of us, as a janitor or garbage man?@ Mia said, sounding upset.

ANot at all, I think of you as my friends,@ Ming Shi said. AI just wanted to know if you were doing this for the right reasons, and not because of some way to seek thrills or because you felt neglected. This is not just a dangerous road you=re traveling, but also a lonely one.@

ADid you know all this when you decided to become an assassin?@ Mia asked.

AYes, and no. Look, if this is what you plan to do, I=ll offer you my help whenever I can. I=ll start with what you=re eating, Mia.@

AWhat=s wrong with what I=m eating?@ Mia said, almost guarding her salad.

AYou just came from a hard workout, just like you=ve been doing for a while now. And you=re just going to eat that? You=ll burn that off before you=ll get started. Why aren=t you eating a regular meal like the rest of us?@

AI=m on a diet,@ Mia protested.

AWhy is that?@ Ming Shi questioned.

AWell, because I=m fat.@

AWho told you that you were fat, woman? I don=t see an ounce of fat on you!@

ABut I=m big!@

AOf course you=re big! You=re taller than I am, and have a large frame. That=s a good thing. If you were a stick, Bliss would see to it that you would get fattened up.@

ABut won=t I need to lose weight to, you know, be an effective, uh, killer?@

ANot a killer, an assassin. There=s a difference. And you=re going to be doing too many things for any excess weight to hang onto you anyway.@

AReally?@ Lucy said. ALike what?@

ADid you think you were just going to meet your target and fight to the death? No, there are a number of things involved. You=re going to be doing a lot of running, scaling walls, climbing trees, all that stuff,@ Ming Shi said.

When she saw our questioning looks, she went on. AYou=re going to be encountering three types of people out there when you start your missions. There will be the type who=ll think you=re a weak female who is not capable of doing the deed. It=s almost a pleasure to wipe those people off the face of the planet. The second type will fight you and fight you hard. You=ll run into them most of the time. The third type will realize your intent and run for their lives.@

I was surprised at the time. I don=t know why, but I was. ARun, from us?@ I said.

ANadia, to those spies out there whether they=re DOOM, COIL, or some new group that pops up, we are the angel of death that will take them from this plane of existence. That=s our purpose. No spy games, just pure sanctions, plain and simple. When some of your targets realize that, they=re going to run. It=s the nature of every living thing to avoid death as much and as fast as they can.@

Our table was silent for a moment as we took it in. The taking of life, we dealt with that, but being considered the right hand of the Grim Reaper with some of our targets puts things in an interesting perspective. It=s also impossible not to see the power in such a role.

ALet me tell you a funny story to break up this doom and gloom,@ Ming Shi said. AOne target I confronted had the nerve to remark on my outfit. It was an oversized gray sweatshirt and blue leggings I was wearing at the time. I just bought them too. She told me the outfit was either too sloppy or too butch, one of those terms. I told her, >I plan to kill you, and you waste your remaining moments of life commenting on my wardrobe and lack of footwear?= She then apologized hastily, and then she ran.@

ADid you catch her?@ Mia asked.

AOh yeah. She was wearing three-inch heels, so it wasn=t hard. She fell twenty feet away from where she took off. She pleaded for her life and promised to tell me everything she knew about DOOM=s operations. Helped us out in the long run.@

AWhere is she now?@ I asked.

AShe=s locked up here someplace. A model prisoner from what I understand. And she doesn=t comment on people=s fashions anymore.@

After we finished laughing, Ming Shi told Mia she was going to get her a steak and potatoes, her treat. Before Mia could refuse, she told her that after the workouts get more intense, she=ll want a whole cow. She also told us to look in the mirror some time.

I did what she said later that evening, and I was shocked. I never thought I could be so muscularly well developed, especially in my legs. The others were surprised with their reflections as well. During one workout, Mia saw the muscle tone in my legs and told me that those legs look pretty strong and she bet that I could cave someone's head in with them. I told her I could probably crack some ribs, but someone's head might be a bit much. She insisted that I could probably cave someone's skull in with those calves. I just dismissed it and said maybe someday we'll find out.

-----

After undergoing rigorous training, it was finally time for our first assignment. Since Bliss saw the four of us were a close-knit group, she sent us all on the assignment together, along with a well-seasoned teammate. She was Kim Lin-Soo, a 5'4" woman of Asian heritage. She was considered one of our "more precise killers," able to kill a target in a crowd of people without anyone knowing, or if you ask Ming Shi, one of our "more messy killers." Some methods she had of dispatching her foes were rather gruesome by regular standards, but in my mind, it got the job done.

Kim had the same body type I did, a short, compact midsection with long legs. Upon talking to her, I found out that she had some gymnastics in her background as well. She told me that she also considered her legs her best and personal favorite body part. No matter how hard she worked out, she always made sure her legs received extra attention.

"Once you've been a gymnast, some things never leave you," she said.

I had to agree. Even though I had not performed gymnastics in years, I always made sure my legs received special treatment. In fact, after I started training and working out again, I also found myself giving my legs more of a workout than anything else.

Each of us was trained in a martial art, but we weren't trained in the same discipline. We did have a choice to choose one, but Bliss advised us as to which one would be the best for us to take. For me, it boiled down to a choice between Tae Kwon Do and Capoeria. Bliss told me to concentrate on Tae Kwon Do, then later start work on the other martial art. Mia chose judo, she found that the throws and chokes would be very effective, especially from one of her size. Nizaara chose karate, something nice and straightforward. As for Lucy, she chose Brazilian jiu-jitsu because she liked the idea of twisting and dislocating the limbs of your attacker. I didn't know Lucy could be capable of such sadism.

Our assignment was to invade the headquarters of one DOOM cell group, and to sanction all the personnel, of which there were six. As green as we were, I could understand why Kim was brought along; just in case we couldn't go through with sanctioning our targets. A nice failsafe in case things went wrong. I found in the assignments to come that Bliss was like what your mother would be if she were your commanding officer. She trains you hard, and then makes sure you have plenty of support and encouragement before you go on a mission. After you're finished, she makes sure you're okay and gives you time off before going on the next mission. She's a wonderful person to work for.

Before we set out, Kim rolled out the blueprints for the three-story building we would be assaulting. Kim pointed out the places of entry and possible areas of attack. We stood there taking it in until Nizaara spoke up.

"I have an idea of how we could enter the building," she said.

"Okay, what is it?" Kim replied.

Nizaara then went into a detailed plan that would forego most of the defenses, and possibly take the enemy unawares. On paper, it sounded pretty foolproof. After she was finished, Kim rubbed her chin, thinking.

"I never thought of it that way before," she said. "Let's try it."

We didn't realize it then, but that was how Nizaara started to become the field leader for our little foursome. I've heard that adage that said it was really the secretaries that ran companies and businesses, but I never thought much about it until that moment. For the four of us, she always gave instructions that were simple and well thought out. Under her leadership, we toppled a large number of DOOM strongholds. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We suited up, Nizaara and Lucy both wearing black long sleeve tops and black leggings. Mia wore the same thing, only her leggings were mid-calf. Kim wore her trademark blue tank top leotard while I wore a black (my favorite color) leotard similar to hers except it had long sleeves. It would soon become one of my favorite assassination outfits. We all wore utility belts that had tools that served a number of functions. One of them was equipment to scale the building. It came in handy for the three that would be climbing up the building on different sides while Kim and I was approaching from the bottom floor.

The bottom floor was clear, and Kim and I walked to the second floor balcony looking for a way in until we saw an interesting sight on a balcony on the third floor. There were two agents chatting with each other with their backs facing out. We seemed to hit upon the same idea at once as we found ourselves quietly grasping hold of the bars of the balcony. On the silent count of three, we lifted our legs up and wrapped them around the necks of the unsuspecting man and woman above us. Once we did so, we jerked our legs down. As we watched the two of them fall to their death, we realized they were two agents we had unaccounted for. We had to be a little more cautious for the possibility of more agents.

We scaled the balcony railing to reach the next floor, then sneaked in to encounter the next two agents. Kim was a master of a few styles of Kung Fu, and to see her in action was beautiful to watch, if only for a few seconds. It took about five of them to disable her victim with one blow, cripple her with another blow, and delivered the killing strike with the third blow. As the dead agent dropped to the floor, I realized it was my turn.

The second agent attempted to throw a punch at me, but I blocked it with my left arm, and kicked him in the knee with my right foot. This brought him down to my level for he was several inches taller than me. I then jumped and sent a jumping spin kick with my left foot across his chin. I realized that I kicked him rather hard as he dropped to the floor unconscious. Kim came over and checked the body.

AHe=s down and out, eh?@ I said.

AHe=s more than out, he=s dead,@ Kim replied. AYou broke his neck.@

AI did? I didn=t think I kicked him that hard.@

AOh you kicked him very hard. I heard his neck snap when you kicked him.@

I stood there, stunned, not at the fact that I just took someone=s life, I already did that at the balcony; but at the fact that I was able to do it with just one kick. Maybe my legs were as strong as Mia said they were.

AHow are you feeling?@ Kim asked. This was a customary question to ask assassins on their first missions.

AI=m fine,@ I said, AI just didn=t know I could kick like that.@

AIf you keep working on them and honing them down, you=ll have a very deadly weapon at your disposal.@

The others were also quite successful with their first kill. On the upper floor, Nizaara hid in an open closet and made a soft noise just loud enough to draw the nearby agent's attention. When he started to push aside the jackets, her open palm struck his nose, sending the fragments up into his brain and killing him. The commotion drew the other agent=s attention, and as she drew her gun, Lucy appeared from behind, grabbed her neck and twisted it sharply to the left, breaking it. Elsewhere, Mia=s method of execution was rather simple; she threw her victim through an open window. She saw the two bodies there earlier, so she decided to why not add one more.

We all met on the floor we picked according to Nizaara=s plans, all of us except for Mia. When we realized she was late, we grew concerned and prepared to look for her when she appeared, carrying the body of another DOOM agent over her shoulder. She flung him down on the floor as she looked at me and smiled.

ANadia, I brought you a gift,@ she said.

AA gift?@ I said. AWhat kind of gift is this?@

ARemember what we talked about in the gym that one day? Now=s your chance to find out.@

We quickly explained what was talked about that day, and asked Kim since she was our mission leader at the time if it was okay. She shrugged and said why not, the whole building was secured. She was also rather curious as well.

Sitting down on the carpet, I took and held the still groggy agent=s hands while I wrapped my legs around his head. I took a deep breath and started to squeeze. I remember Lucy was saying to the others that with sufficient leg strength, it was possible to crack a skull, but I was too busy concentrating on the task at hand to offer any comment. Nothing seemed to happen for what seemed like a while except for the muffled screams of the agent between my legs as he started to thrash around wildly. Mia sat down on his legs to help keep him still as I tried to squeeze some more. I was about to give up and resign myself to the fact that I was just giving my victim a bad headache when it happened. I suddenly felt something give. On this realization, I gave my legs one final squeeze. I felt blood on my legs and maybe some tissue, and I released them.

AYou did it!@ Kim said. AI didn=t know that was possible.@

Lucy ran to a nearby bathroom to grab a towel to wipe off my legs while the rest patted my back and congratulated me on my feat.

AI knew you could do it!@ Mia said. AI told you that you could do it.@

I sat there on the floor stunned a second time. Kim was right, I had two deadly weapons in front of me, and if I worked on them, they could be very effective.

After the mission was over, and we sent our report and received the usual time of rest after, I decided to train in any and every martial art that involved either kicking or something that involved using the legs. I even worked on breaking boards with my feet. My feet were pretty tough by this time, and the thought of even putting just sandals on them felt foreign to me. One time on an off day, I went shopping in the marketplace for some clothes (not shoes), and a few other items. In a clothing store, I was addressed by some woman who noticed my dress (I was wearing a simple black dress, some jewelry, an ankle bracelet, no shoes), who was wearing a business suit with three-inch heels.

She asked me, AHow can you walk around like that?@ As she pointed to my bare feet.

I asked her, AHow can you walk around like that?@ As I pointed at her heels. AThose things must be like stilts.@

She paused, and realized that she didn=t have a proper response to that, so she excused herself and walked away.

When we returned to headquarters, we were congratulated on doing so well on our first assignment, however the feat I did at the end spread like wildfire. Kim was so excited, she told everyone who would listen. I told the other assassins that it was Mia=s idea, and she was curious. Apparently, everyone else became Acurious,@ and worked more on their leg strength.

Bliss called us into her office to talk to us about the mission. After we covered the fine details and such, she finally got around to asking about the leg stunt.

AHow long did it take you?@ She asked.

AI don=t know, a minute or two, I guess,@ I replied.

AAnd why did you do it?@

Mia spoke up. AIt was my idea, ma=am. I thought she would be able to do it, and since we had a spare agent left, and it was a full sanction . . .@

AYou thought, >Why not?=@ Bliss finished.

AYes.@

AWell, I would recommend using that tactic only for torture to gain information. The move would take too long under regular conditions, and quick and efficient is what we=re looking for here.@

AYes ma=am,@ we both said.

AAnd when did you start calling me >ma=am?= It=s >Bliss,= for goodness sake. I=m not your mother. So anyway, how did it feel?@

AThe mission? Well, it felt-@ I began.

ANo, I can pretty much gather how you feel about it. I=m talking about splitting a man=s head open with your legs?@

AIt felt weird and powerful; I don=t know how to describe it.@

AI knew the conditioning I put our assassins through was effective, but I didn=t realize it was that powerful. I=m impressed. That=s all.@

ACould we ask a small favor?@ Nizaara asked.

ASure, what is it?@

AWe were thinking, and we wondered if we could do most of our missions together, like a team.@

AI don=t see why not. From what I observed, and from what Kim told me, you four act great together, and you, Nizaara, make a good field leader. In fact, I=m going to have you take some lessons in that area. Being a secretary, you probably already know them, but humor me anyway. All four of you have opened my eyes as far as recruiting women who weren=t former athletes or soldiers. You may call yourselves >plain,= but not in my book. Okay, get out of here.@

AYes Bliss,@ we said excitedly.

Later, we ate lunch, that is all four of us ate a real lunch, no more rabbit food for Mia. Ming Shi came by and sat by us before she got any food. She was very excited.

ASo tell me, is it true?@ She asked.

By this time, we knew what Ait@ was, so I said, AYes, it is.@

AI always wondered if I could do that, but I wasn=t sure if it was possible. Even Natayla when she heard wasn=t sure if she could do it.@

ANatayla was an Olympic weightlifter; she should be able to do it,@ Mia said.

AIf she applied just the right pressure, it should pop,@ Lucy said.

We winched at Lucy=s use of the word, Apop,@ but we agreed.

AIt=s time consuming though. I wouldn=t recommend it on a regular mission,@ I said.

AI=ll keep that in mind. Well, I hate to eat and run, but I have another mission to run off to. Great job, ladies, and if you need someone to tag along next time, let me know, okay?@

We said okay, and said our goodbyes to her. We were rather impressed; Ming Shi doesn=t normally team up with anyone, she=s primarily and has sworn to be a solo operator. For someone like that to give you that offer, it=s rather flattering.

Although we worked as a team, Nizaara suggested that all of us should do a solo mission every once in a while to improve our edge. I=ll tell you of one of my solo missions and one of Lucy=s. Nizaara=s and Mia=s missions were more of a hit and run deal. They see the target, they track him or her down, kill him or her, then leave. Effective, but not much to talk about. Lucy=s was very impressive on the other hand, and mine? Well, it was interesting.

-----

Billy Sutherland was an American business owner who not only was a DOOM operative, but he also had ties to organized crime. As a general rule, DOOM, a spy organization, doesn=t work with organized crime, but Billy was successful with being involved in both. He=d have a few DOOM missions performed while at the same time controlled the pulse of the local mobs. He also figured his status and position of power made him rather untouchable and invulnerable. We were taught at BIB that the moment a foe thinks he or she is all-powerful or safe from harm, many times that=s when they are at their weakest.

Bliss had this man up for a full sanction, but she also told us that because of the man=s position, it would be highly dangerous. When she asked for volunteers, we were surprised when Lucy raised her hand. We were further shocked when she said she wanted to do it as a solo mission. When asked why, Lucy said, AI=ve been wanting to >do him= for some time.@ The three of us tried to talk her out of it, but we found out whenever Lucy was determined on doing something, you might as well move out of her way because she was going to do it. She had a quiet stubbornness that was as strong as steel. When we asked her if she had a plan, she winked at us and said of course.

We forgot we were talking to the research queen. Even prior to the mission, Lucy in her spare time studied the ins and outs of Billy=s company and everything available about him. When she was ready, she went to his mansion, where he ran his business and covert operations, and applied for a job as a secretary. Lucy=s resume was impressive enough for her to be hired anywhere, so it was no surprise they hired her on the spot. Within a week, she knew more of the information she needed to complete her mission.

Let me interject here that again, our primary job was being an assassin. We were not spies or undercover agents, looking for some secret information to pass on to headquarters. We were solely trained with the task of sanctioning an individual or individuals who were some way connected with spy organizations opposed to our country. We find our target, terminate our target, and leave the information up to those who were trained for that sort of thing. Since Lucy was not carrying any type of listening device, secret camera, or any fancy gadget, it was easy for her to be overlooked. Finally, after the first week was over, on Monday, she made her move.

On that day, she wore black slacks and a gray Oxford blouse with white pinstripes and a white collar and cuffs. And she wore black penny loafers. Later she told us that during that week, it was all she could do to keep from kicking those shoes off and tossing them in the nearest wastebasket. Since becoming a Barefoot Assassin, Lucy=s feet had became practically allergic to shoes. Her loafers were also two sizes too big. She carried no purse because it would be too bulky.

During the morning on one of her coffee breaks, Lucy walked to one part of the mansion, kicked off her shoes and left them there. Barefoot, she walked back to her desk, and finished her work, then asked to see her boss. When she found it was okay, she arose and walked to his office. In Billy Sutherland=s office on the first floor, he had a large desk with some large windows behind it, while the walls had bookcases against them. He also had a full time bodyguard who sat in the room with him. Lucy entered the office and closed the door behind her. When Billy asked her what she wanted to tell him, she pushed one of those bookcases on top of the guard, knocking him unconscious. She then jumped on Billy=s big desk, and slid on her knees toward him.

She pulled off his glasses, and smashed his nose with a right palm strike. Next, she grabbed his head and whispered in his ear, ABrazil dances upon the bones of her enemies.@ With that, she twisted his head hard, breaking his neck. She trotted back to the door, and locked it. She walked over to the windows to see if any of them opened on her own. When they didn=t, she pulled out a glasscutter from her shirt pocket, and cut a large sized hole for her to escape.

Walking on the mansion=s grounds toward her car, she could overhear the other secretaries knocking on the door of the office, asking if everything was all right. She had the valet retrieve her car, and as he went to get it, Lucy checked her watch. She looked at the time, and at a remote button she had put on the wristband. She pushed it, and a section of the mansion exploded. When the horrified valet returned with her car, she said she=ll go get help, and drove off.

It turned out that the toes of Lucy=s shoes were packed with a combination of C4 explosives mixed with napalm. And the place where she left her shoes was the main room for the surveillance cameras. What recorded tapes weren=t destroyed in the initial explosion was soon to be taken care of by the fast spreading flame. The bookcase Lucy knocked over also knocked one of the hidden cameras askew, and the man watching the cameras may have seen Lucy calmly walking off the grounds, but it possibly was the last sight he saw. The wall and ceiling of the surveillance room caved in when Lucy=s shoe bomb exploded, killing a few of the surveillance staff, and delivering third degree burns to the survivors.

While in the car, Lucy turned on the radio and tuned to one of the news stations to hear the news. She drove back to headquarters where she greeted the three of us who were in shock. She promptly typed her report, and placed on Bliss= desk, where she also was surprised that she completed her mission so soon (she heard the news over the television). COIL agents, other intelligence agencies, and the police had tried to nab Billy for a few years, and this woman who some might think as mousy, walked in his office one Monday morning and killed him. As far as who was given credit for Billy=s demise, blame was thrown everywhere. The spies thought COIL did it, the crooks thought a rival mob did it, and people who didn=t know any better about the true Billy thought that was an awful thing to happen to a human being.

As far as Lucy was concerned, it was no big deal. As a matter of fact, after she handed her report to Bliss, she asked her, ASo when=s my next assignment?@

-----

For my first solo assignment, I was to sanction a DOOM courier. This man hand delivered important plans and documents from one end of Brazil to the other, along with some of the adjoining countries. Taking him out would put a big cramp in the organization=s correspondence.

Now in a day where we use cell phones and email along with other sorts of electronic media to deliver messages and documents, the idea of using an actual person seemed rather absurd and outdated. After I asked why this was, I was told two basic facts about DOOM. The first was they were very paranoid. That sounded rather humorous and ironic; an organization out to rule the world was always looking over its shoulder because it was afraid someone was out to get them. I guess since they and COIL were longtime foes, the tendency to jump at shadows was natural. Regardless, their paranoid drove them to the second fact: they indulge in overkill. If something was worth doing, it was worth doing more than twice, or more like three or four times. In other words, DOOM had probably already sent an email of what their plans were, and communicated to each other via phone and other means, but in case hackers or double agents from COIL intercept the message and/or disturb it, that=s where the courier came in. That person would also carry personal addendums to what was already been said and written. This brought up the question of why do I need to sanction someone carrying plans when those plans were already sent. The answer (as far as they could determine) was when the plans were hand delivered to the particular location, that made it official. The effort of trying to make sense of this bureaucratic mess made my head hurt, so I planned to stick to performing my part of the mission, take him out, and return home. The only thing that did make sense to me was that DOOM=s technology wasn=t at their greatest in this country, mainly because they=re not supposed to be here in the first place. After all, if any DOOM or COIL agent were discovered anywhere in the country, they would be arrested on charges of being a threat to national security. Anything more serious would constitute a much harsher penalty, which is of course where we come in. The other intelligence agencies are capable of carrying out the sentence, it=s just that with us, it=s the very reason we were created; hunt them down and eliminate them.

According to intelligence reports, this courier would always take the train with his personal bodyguard to his assigned city or a suitable stop where he could rent a car to reach his destination. He would be at his most vulnerable when he=s on the train, so the tricky part would be to find out what train he=s riding on, find out how long the trip would be, then figuring out the best way to sanction him, and his bodyguard if necessary, before the train reaches its destination.

As far as one felt the night before a mission, I felt excited. I mapped out all the possible scenarios I could think of, and then to relax, I watched a movie before I went to bed. It was one of those westerns from the US that ironically had a train robbery in it. I dozed off, and then I woke up and staggered off to bed.

We were taught that a major part of planning for a Barefoot Assassin involved flexibility because things do not always go as planned. This reality was never more true to me than that morning, when I overslept. As I rushed around, jumping in the shower and everything else, I was thankful I had the foresight to buy my tickets in advance, and I already packed what I needed in a one strap backpack, those types that could also double as a purse. Putting on my clothes didn=t take too much time either. I wore a black sports bra and black bikini bottoms with black fishnet tights and a long sleeve black fishnet cover up. Then I put on a short black skirt to make the outfit a little less daring.

My outfit received quite a few compliments, but more questions and remarks. Mia wondered if I was going to sleep with him or kill him. Ming Shi said the outfit reminded her of how COIL and DOOM agents try to seduce each other to death; other than that, she thought it would make a good stealth outfit at night. Nizaara said it should work in getting his attention, but it may attract some unwanted attention as well. Kim and Lucy both liked it, seeing the practical purposes the outfit provided. Bliss and Catalina just looked at each other and giggled; I don=t know what that meant.

My basic plan was to meet the courier, draw his attention (one purpose of the outfit), and then as soon as we were alone, kill him. The other practical purposes for my outfit were I could swim in it if I needed to make an unscheduled dive from the train if we happened to be traveling over any bodies of water, plus it would help keep me cool and free from sunburn, for it was supposed to be real hot that day.

But as I speeded toward the train station, it looked like all those plans would go up in smoke. The door just closed as soon as I got there. I had no idea where the courier was headed, or how he would reach his destination; all I know was I had to get on that train. Suddenly I had an idea. I ran to the back of the train, where no one saw me, then I got on the car, and managed to climb on top of it just as the train was leaving. I laid myself flat so no one would see this unusual sight.

Before the train started to get moving, I managed to undo my skirt and put it in my backpack. My outfit helped to keep me cool; then again, considering the high speed of the train, that wasn=t a problem. I kept wondering if my headband was going to fly off. Another thing I brought with me were a pair of black leather fingerless gloves, which were rather helpful for hanging on for dear life.

While the train was in motion, I slowly crawled forward like a sloth climbing a tree. I had no idea what I was doing, crawling atop a speeding train while my target sat inside, nice and comfortable. I stopped for a moment and considered my options. I saw at the moment only two ways to get in the train. The first would be to wait for the train to reach its next stop, then get off the car and board normally like nothing had happened. Climbing off the top of a car in broad daylight would be a sure way to attract attention. The second would be to get on the side of the car and enter through a window. Thinking of the considerable alarm it would cause a passenger was enough for me to put it aside, along with the degree of difficulty. I appeared to be stuck. To make matters worse, this commuter train was an express, either to travel to the other side of the country or to enter another one. It looked like we were headed for either the Peruvian or Bolivian border.

I neglected to give you the timetable when all this happened. I watched that movie in the middle of the night (I couldn=t sleep). When I woke up, it was late morning. The train was scheduled to leave around noon. I clung to that dream for a long time.

When evening fell, it was getting dark, and getting cooler, so I moved forward so I could at least find a place to keep the wind from freezing me. It was there that I found the answer to my dilemma.

The passenger cars have skylights, windows where the passengers can see the sky if they want to. I crawled over and cautiously took a peek. The car was deserted. Either the train was not that full or the passengers retired to their private cars, I wasn=t sure. The important thing was I had a chance to board this train and ride it like a normal passenger. I tried to see if I could somehow open the window with my fingers or if I needed to use my glasscutter. To my delight, I found a latch that opened the window. I wiggled through the opening, managing to somehow close the window behind me, and then I dropped to the floor of the car, landing on the balls of my feet in the aisle between seats. I located the washroom and took care of the necessary things, and then I looked in the mirror to see how bad I looked. After brushing my hair and washing my face, I did some stretching exercises to get the kinks out. I put my skirt back on and made my way to the overnight cars.

After peeking through numerous doors, I finally found my target. He was laying in bed with the sheets pulled up lecturing loudly to his bodyguard, who didn=t seem too pleased to be there. After all the trouble I=ve went through, I didn=t care. I just wanted to complete my sanction and go home, wherever that was.

Quietly opening the door, my stocking feet felt shag carpet, great for stealth. I was feeling chilled before, but now the rush of adrenaline pumped hot blood through my veins. Forgoing stealth, I charged forward to engage the bodyguard. He turned and saw me, his hand quickly reaching for the gun in his shoulder holster. I however was faster as I executed a flying roundhouse kick. As my right foot struck his jaw, I realized my kick wasn=t enough to break his neck, but it was enough to knock him out before he hit the wall. I landed on my toes, and launched myself on the courier=s bed, my knees pinning the sheets down, keeping him from moving his arms. I delivered a remark that said in so many words that spies were not welcome in Brazil. I couldn=t decide whether to use a knife hand blow to the throat, a palm heel thrust to the nose, or a fist to the temple, so I did all three with both hands real fast. I=m not sure which blow did it, but he was surely finished when I was done.

I walked back to the bodyguard and bound him with some clothes from the courier=s suitcase (he wouldn=t be needing them anymore). He came to, straining at his bonds, looking at the body of his charge, and then looking at me who was crouched beside him.

AOne question,@ I said, before he spoke. AYour services, are they DOOM or freelance?@

He paused, looking at me for a moment. AFreelance,@ he said.

AThen I will not harm you. Since you are an independent party, I would highly recommend that as soon as you are free, that you flee the premises. Now that your charge is dead, you are now a liability to DOOM, and they don=t like loose ends.@

A practice that DOOM had started doing was hiring independent bodyguards for many of their officers. They were professional, effective, and when the need arose, expendable. In cases like this one, the bodyguard is secretly executed when either the person they=re guarding is killed or if the principal feels they know too much.

AWho are you?@ He asked.

AI=m with the Brazilian government, and let=s leave it at that. Now I=m afraid I must gag you, you understand. Before I leave, I will provide a way for you to loosen your bonds, but until then, I must leave you bound.@

If he had any comment, he kept them to himself as I gagged him. I took an extra pillow and placed it under his head. I tucked him in with an extra sheet. After I took care of him, I pulled the covers over the courier=s face, and then I pulled down the second bed from the wall, climbed on top of it, and called Nizaara.

ANadia, where have you been? We=ve been worried sick,@ Nizaara said over the cell phone. AI=ve been trying to contact you.@

AYou did?@ I asked.

AYes, didn=t you hear your phone?@

I quickly checked my phone for incoming messages. There were several attempts to contact me. My phone has a loud ring (which I would=ve turned off before I made my sanction, of course), but when you have the wind blowing in your ears for a few hours, I hardly heard a thing.

ANo, I guess I didn=t,@ I said.

ADid you reach your target?@ She asked.

AYes, he=s neutralized. Right now, I=d like to know when this train will stop so I can go home.@

AYou=re still on the train? What=s the route number?@

I gave her the route number and waited while she looked it up.

ANadia, your train goes straight to Bolivia. The next train out leaves at the same time the one you took left, around noon.@

I groaned.

ABut before the train gets going on its way to Bolivia, it makes two quick stops before it makes that long trek in two towns about thirty miles from each other. You wasn=t able to get to him before then?@

I was going to ask her what was she talking about when the realization of what I did shocked me. You see, when I was lying on top of that train car, I secured myself very well. Having wrapped my arms around what was there on the roof, it would have been rather hard to loosen me. The heat from the sun plus the coolness of the speeding air made for a nice combination. And while I was there on that car, I . . .fell asleep.

How long? At least for about sixty miles.

ANadia?@

ANo, I wasn=t able to get to him before then,@ I blurted out hastily. ASo how do I get home?@

AWhen you see the man who took your tickets, ask him that question, and he=ll give you more details,@ Nizaara said.

That presented another problem. I didn=t use my tickets because I was too late, and I boarded the train illegally.

AI - I can=t do that,@ I said. AThere must be another way.@

I heard a sigh on the other end of the phone. After a long moment, Nizaara spoke again.

ALucky for you I used to live in Bolivia. Tell you what, we=ll meet you at the train station in the morning to take you home.@

ACould you park your truck near the back of the train?@

AYes, I guess. Why?@

AIt=ll make it easier to leave.@

AOkay, I will.@

AThank you very much.@

ANadia, are you sure you=re all right?@

AYes, I suddenly got very sleepy, that=s all.@

AWell have a good night=s sleep, and we=ll see you in the morning.@

AGood night.@

As I hung up the phone, I saw that the events of the day had finally caught up with me. I ran a mental checklist of two things; that I locked the door when I first snuck in, and that my captive was securely bound. Seeing that he managed to roll over on his side and doze off, that apparently answered that question. I fell back on the bed, barely having enough presence of mind to undo my skirt and pull up the covers before I fell asleep.

When I awoke, it looked like it was going to be a pleasant morning from what I could see out the train window. I stretched, grabbed my skirt and backpack, and dropped down to the floor. My captive was awake too, and I gave him a brief nod before staggering to the washroom. I was glad this room had a private washroom, because I wouldn=t want for even my enemies to see me in the morning when I got up. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, did my hair, then put on my fresh outfit, which was a repeat of my previous outfit, except the sports bra and bikini bottoms were red (I love wearing fishnet).

I walked over to the late courier=s suitcase, and I pulled out a packet that looked important, so I stuffed it in my backpack. I found a laptop computer with a carrying case, and a PDA, that I also placed in my backpack. Finally I found what I was looking for - a shaving kit complete with razors. I walked over to my hostage, ungagged him, and placed the razor near his hands.

AHere, I did as I promised, provided you with a way to set yourself free. After you cut yourself loose, you need to depart from here before DOOM catches you, do you understand?@ I said.

AYes,@ he said. AYou are from the government?@

AYes I am. DOOM and COIL agents are forbidden in Brazil. My job is to eliminate them. We may never see each other again, but I wish you well.@

He was about to say something, but we were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was the porter telling us that breakfast was being served.

AI=ll get that,@ I said as I rose and brought my backpack and laptop with me. I remembered that I hadn=t put my skirt back on yet, and that gave me an idea.

I slowly opened the door, fastening my skirt as I did so, and gave the porter a naughty grin. The porter just grinned back, tipped his hat, and walked away to knock on the next door.

I dropped by the dining car to grab a quick bite for breakfast, then I quickly made my way to the empty passenger car where I literally Adropped in.@ With some difficulty with the laptop case hanging from my shoulder, I climbed out through the skylight back onto the top of the car. The sudden breeze was a good way of waking you up in the morning. I flattened myself on the car, but I didn=t have long to wait as we pulled in at the train stop on the Bolivian border. I saw Nizaara=s sport pickup parked near where my car would be. It was only a glance, but I thought I saw Mia and Lucy with her as well. After talking to me, Nizaara must=ve called and woke up the other two, and brought them on the long drive to the station. I guess I didn=t sound too convincing on the phone last night.

The train grinded to a stop, and I quickly scrambled down a side of the car where no one could see me, then I ran to Nizaara=s pickup and jumped in the back. The three ladies were startled by the sudden Athump,@ behind them, and when they turned, I made motions with my hand to get out of there. Nizaara put the truck in gear, and sped out of the train depot.

The back of the pickup was less comfortable than the top of the car, especially when the truck went over some bumps; but at least the wind wasn=t constantly blowing in my face. After we rode for a while, Nizaara stopped at a caf#, and we ate a late breakfast (a little more like brunch for me). Other than a few questions about my current well-being, no one said anything about my mission while we ate. It was Nizaara=s treat.

We finished eating, and we walked back to the truck. My things were left in the back while Nizaara offered me a seat beside Mia. The opportunity of traveling sitting upright at this point sounded great. Nizaara started the pickup, then turned off the radio, and said, ANow Nadia, we=re going to hear all about your mission.@

ANot much to tell,@ I said, AI completed it, and got stuck on the train, that=s all.@

AThat=s fine, we have a long trip ahead of us, so you can tell us everything. Every detail.@

With that, everyone looked at me. I had hoped after I returned to headquarters, I could write an abridged version of what happened in my report, leaving out the details of oversleeping and missing the train, but my friends and comrades-in-arms weren=t going to let me off so easy. I gulped.

AAnytime you=re ready, Nadia.@

At that point, I wished Bliss chewed me out. Painfully, I gave them the whole story. I kept wishing I would be interrupted by a calamity, but that didn=t happen. After I finished, the truck was silent for a moment, and then Lucy and Mia broke out laughing while Nizaara just shook her head.

AYou know, you could=ve easily beat the train by driving thirty miles up the road to reach the next stop,@ Lucy remarked.

AShe could=ve, but she wouldn=t have as long a nap as she did,@ Mia said, laughing.

AIt was a nice gesture, sparing the bodyguard,@ Nizaara said.

AThank you,@ I said.

AOf course, now you may have him framed for murder.@

I sunk in my seat.

I did hear news of my hit, but from what the television reports said, it looked more like an accident. Apparently the bodyguard saw the flaw in my reasoning, arranged the body differently, and fled the area, taking care to erase all evidence of his existence. Bliss and Catalina gave me the same reaction Nizaara did; they just shook their heads. Bliss later gave me a present B an alarm clock. At lunch, Ming Shi dropped by and gave me an apologetic look.

AI=m sorry about what I said about your outfit, Nadia, it really is more practical,@ she said. AThe next time I decide to take a nap on top of a moving train car, I=ll look you up.@

I=ve never heard Ming Shi laugh before. Turns out nobody has ever heard her laugh. It looked like I=ve done the impossible in that regard, which thankfully took the heat off my wacky mission.

Despite all that, I=ve gone on other solo missions, all of them much more successful than this one. I now run my prior plans through my three colleagues (actually, they insisted that I should), and I make sure I get plenty of rest before I start one. No trains please.

As a quartet, we, the ANerd Patrol@ we call ourselves, have been so successful with our missions, Bliss gave us a long-term assignment that has been going pretty well for us. There were a few DOOM safehouses and hideouts located near the Peruvian border, some of them masquerading as businesses. Our mission is simple; we wipe out the strongholds and the DOOM agents one by one, which brings me back to this man I just sanctioned in this restaurant. He was running a smuggling operation of DOOM supplies, technical gadgets, and the like. Killing him was relatively simple. I met him during lunch, wooed him enough to have him invite me to dinner at a nice restaurant, lured him to a private room, and snap his neck. DOOM supplies should be delayed indefinitely now, especially since Nizaara, Lucy, and Mia took care of his main crew and reported the contraband supplies and remaining crew to local authorities, anonymously, of course. I walked out of the restaurant as casually as I came, only one of the waiters noticing that I wasn=t wearing shoes. I just looked at him and said, AFeet hurt.@ I almost thought of saying that the man in the private room was in more pain than I was, but that=s not true, because now he=s feeling no pain, or much of anything else either.

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One might ask me the question on how becoming a government assassin had affected my social life. Well I=ve told you about my friends who do this with me; of course my friends outside of work don=t know about it. My family still thinks I=m still an accountant. How would you tell your parents and siblings that you now kill enemy spies for a living? I also have a boyfriend, a fellow accountant, back at headquarters. At least I don=t have to hide this from him. Now about that luring in of my targets I=ve talked about, rest assured that no one touches my lips but his. It=s just that people don=t just stand there and let you break their neck. Before I started seeing him, and was dating around, I would have to say becoming an assassin have increased my confidence, and self-respect. I guess having the power to kill a human being with your bare hands (or with me in most cases, my bare feet), gives you a new way of looking at life. You also know that nobody will fool around with you. So long as I don=t confuse my work with my off duty activities, I should have no problem. Let=s just say, I haven=t killed anyone for cutting me off in traffic - yet.

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I=ve said earlier that I have no problem with taking a life and that I enjoy my work. Tell me, being a soldier or policeman sometimes involves the taking of a life in many situations. Are they considered a monster because they like their job? They also do not drool in the anticipation of killing someone on their next assignment.

Perhaps the question to ask is why a soldier, policeman, or we Barefoot Assassins like our job. It=s because it serves a purpose. The soldier=s purpose is to serve their country by preserving or enforcing the peace by whatever is necessary. Policemen are to serve and protect a town or city by whatever is necessary within the letter of the law, which sometimes involves killing. A Barefoot Assassin serves and protects the country of Brazil by following the law, which tells us that the country is to be rid of enemy influences by covert agencies. And like a soldier, we do that by whatever means is necessary; and in the case of enemy spies, that employs following the final solution.

To put it another way, wiping a spy, be it DOOM, COIL, or any other enemy organization from earthly existence helps us Brazilians to sleep better at night.

And I like that.

Any comments, suggestions, or story ideas can be sent to shrewsberry@juno.com.