Euphoria:

Chapter One

An uneasy tingle flowed down Zachary's spine as he jimmied the large glass door open on the second story balcony of a huge beige mansion. Forcing the nerves aside, he replaced his lock picking tools and slipped inside the mansion's quiet dark halls. He had a job to do and a little edginess was not going to prevent him from completing it. With Cardell and Ivy's training, he really didn't have anything to fear. Ivy was the best of the Shadow Stalkers, as she had proven when she maimed his father Christian three years ago. It was a shame she hadn't killed him, it wasn't as though Zachary cared one wit about him. He had tried to kill him after all. Even though Ivy had tried as well, Zachary felt no hatred toward his mother. In the end, Ivy had kept him alive and killed the Stalker sent after them.

Another tingle of unease fled down Zachary's spine when he reached the bedroom of the senator's daughter he was sent here to assassinate. Removing his hand from the doorknob, he turned away from the door and began scanning the darkened halls for anyone near. No one was around and nothing seemed out of place. Shaking his head to dislodge the unease, Zachary slowly turned the doorknob and and opened the door. Slipping silently inside, he began to quietly approach the bed and girl soundly asleep a top it.

Staring down at the slumbering girl, who was younger than he thought, Zachary removed his bowie knife from its sheath on his lower back. Raising the knife, he noticed an odd reflection of light shining off its blade. His eyes squinted a moment before he twisted around and caught the dagger wielding hand aiming for his kidney. Slashing downward with the knife still held above his head, Zachary slit the neck of the man holding the dagger. An intense pain erupted from his right side as the man's blood spurted across his chest and face. Fury filled Zachary as he twisted back around and wrenched the knife's hilt out of the supposed sleeping girl's hand.

Bright rays filtered in from under the door's frame as lights were turned on down the hall. Cursing vehemently, Zachary made the hardest decision of his life; he turned tail and ran from his assignment. Ripping the knife out of his side, Zachary threw it at the bedroom's window, shattering it. A few hard, choice kicks from him and he was able to leap out the window. Zachary rolled sluggishly when he hit the ground. Taking one last look up at the girl he was supposed to kill, he quickly turned away and rushed off into the darkness surrounding the large mansion.

Deep, dark red blood ran in rivulets down Zachary's right side as he leaned against a brick wall, trying desperately to gain control of his rapid breathing. He was in deep, deep shit. Not only did he fail at killing his intended target, her and her guards now knew what he looked like. Ivy was going to kill him, if the senator's guards don't catch and kill him first. Pushing away from the wall, Zachary peered down both sides of the darkened alleyway, making certain he was not being followed. Once ascertained he wasn't, he hurried down the quiet and dark streets heading for his mother's apartment. He knew he should be reporting his failure to Cardell instead, but he also knew Ivy would punish him a hell of a lot worse than the old man.