KILLING ME SOFTLY - Teenage Assassin - Chapter 22

                                    

                                          
CHAPTER 22:
                          
ANNABELLE'S POV:
                          
May 15th  Lima, Peru
                          
"Dammit Annie!  Quit skipping!  I don't know how you can be so happy in this humidity," Jackson grumbles at me.  I glance over at him to see him pull the collar of his shirt away from the damp skin at his neck.
                          
"Quit being such a baby, Jacks.  I don't want you here anyways.  You've been tagging along on my jobs for the past two months.  Haven't you told Simon what a totally sane job I've been doing?" I push at him playfully, but he isn't in a playful mood and just scowls at me.  Big overgrown baby.  
                          
"You have been," he concedes, "But, you forget that I was there in Paris with you two months ago.  I know that you've lost all sanity where it concerns your little boy toy."
                          
"Gabriel is not my boy toy!  He's my boyfriend.  Er, sort of."
                          
Jackson gives me a pointed look, "I think he would consider the two of you broken up.  Breaking up usually precedes murder."
                          
I let out an exasperated groan, "How many times do I have to tell you, Jacks.  Gabriel doesn't REALLY want to kill me.  He's just hurting and wants to hurt me in return."
                          
"I still don't trust him . . . or you, in any regard to him.  I know you have this idiotic plan that you two will reunite after he graduates high school in two weeks."
                          
"Two weeks," I sigh dreamily and try to hold back the bounce in my step.  That is so not skipping.
                          
Jackson gives me an odd look, "You are turning into such a girl, Annie."
                          
I roll my eyes, "I am a girl, dumbass."
                          
"No, like a real girl," he says as if that makes total sense.  
                          
"Whatever, try not to interfere with my job, Jacks.  I'm a serious assassin here."
                          
"Serious assassins don't fall in love," I hear him grumble.  I ignore it.
                          
Before we turn the corner and reach our destination, I hold out my arm to halt Jackson.  "Wait up.  This is a rare shot of this man outside of the jungles.  If I miss this opportunity, then I'm going to have to venture down the Amazon to get at him."
                          
"I know the job, Annie, and how to do it.  Try to remember who taught you everything you know," he says smugly. 
                          
"Yeah, I do remember that Simon, NOT you, taught me everything I know," I reply.  "Jeez, pretty soon, you'll be claiming to have given birth to me."
                          
"Ouch," he teases, "With your big head, I can only imagine how painful that was for mom."
                          
I stomp my foot indignantly, "My head is perfectly proportioned to the size of my body!"
                          
He pats me on the shoulder, "Of course it is.  And your ears don't stick out either."
                          
I do the only thing a sister can do in this situation.  I kick him in the shins.  At his yelp of pain, I consider my mission accomplished.  
                          
He rubs his shins and glares at me, "Let's just get this job done so that I can have a break from babysitting you."
                          
"That's what I've been trying to do.  And it's not babysitting, it's tagging along.  Watch me work and maybe you'll learn something."
                          
I turn my attention back to the job.  As I peer around the corner of the building, I see the run-down bar that my target, Arturo Martinez, is supposed to be at this evening.  Definitely not the best area of this city and not a tourist in sight.  I look ruefully down at the touristy ensemble that I've donned.  Well, at least not any real tourists.  I look so freaking gay in this outfit.  All I'm missing is a fanny pack.