0110

The stars seemed to shine brighter in the reflection on the chrome-plated 9mm than in the night sky itself. The irony was not lost on the assassin as he screwed the silencer onto the barrel, for there were dark deeds that lay ahead. Sloughing off the illusion, he continued with the plan he had devised. The mark was twenty meters ahead and soundly asleep in her bed inside the spacious Victorian. The assassin was sure of this because the soon-to-be recipient of his bullet was a creature of habit. She always arrived home from the law firm at 8pm, fixed herself a meal by 8:30, into the shower by 9:15, and finally turning in by 11:30. Now it was 12:42 and time to make a move. Quickly and quietly the assassin emerged from under the hedges bordering the well-manicured lawn of the sprawling estate. In a crouched run he covered the distance in seven seconds and was now at the french doors that led into the master suite. In a flash the glass cutting tool was put to task on one of the many panes in the door. The sound of the glass being sliced was almost imperceptable to the ear-a necessary function to be sure. Once the glass was removed it was easy to manipulate the deadbolt and gain access to his target. The bedroom was nearly pitch dark. The only hint of light came spilling in through the doorway from the half-filled moon above. The assassin didn't need much to work with anyway for he had spent the previous evening examining the layout to the bedroom while his mark was still at the office. In a matter of seconds he was over the bed and upon a split-second identification of her slumbering form he let off two rounds from his shiny gun into her chest followed by one to the forehead. Without missing a beat he was out the door, closing it behind him. Seven more seconds later the assassin was once again in the hedges and out of sight. As he was removing the silencer from his weapon he noticed something lying in the shadows on the ground before him. Picking up the item and bringing it into the moonlight the assassin noticed it was an envelope. What really took him by surprise besides the fact that an envelope was there in the first place was that the envelope had a name printed on it - his name. Puzzled, the assassin opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. Printed on the paper was a curious message: "Mission accomplished. Apply pressure to right earlobe to end this exercise." Somehow this request seemed vaguely familiar to him. The assassin squeezed his right earlobe. Immediately the world around him seemed to melt away and he found himself crouching on the ground in a large spherical room lined with reflective panels. Across the room several panels slid back to reveal a doorway. As he stood up traveling lights illuminated on the floor, motioning him towards the exit. He was used to seeing this room for he had been there many times before. The illusion he had just experienced had already faded from his mind and he was once again aware that he was still part of a training program designed to enhance his covert skills. As he moved to the exit a voice called out to him. "Congratulations, the mission was completed succesfully, and in record time." The assassin responded, "Sure, but that was too easy. Are you guys trying to jerk me around or what. This is below my abilities." After a long pause came the response, "Very well then, please adjourn to the briefing room for a full report." The assassin sighed, shook his head and left the sphere, the panels closing behind him.