A bag over my head for maximum disorientation.

Rope tied tightly enough to cut off circulation to both my hands and legs.

I can hear muffled voices, but then I hear someone say, "Take the bag off her head." Before feeling someone pulling me backwards to a chair and sitting me down. I can hear the gravel crunching before the blinding light overpowers my vision.

It's just as they grab the bag, I snap my teeth.

After they finally go to take the rope off my wrists, I hear one from behind me gasp.

"She's undone them already."

I take that distraction to snap the ropes around my feet and mouth.

I grab the dagger hidden in my boot.

They rush toward me.

I flip the dagger in my hand before throwing it at the first man rushing me.

Then use my body's naturally fit shape as I kick my foot into each assassin, reaching my kicking range.

The last assassin (looks to be the head assassin) creeps toward me from the back with the stealth of a leopard.

I turn just in time to flick the dagger I still had in my hand towards the assassin.

It hits its mark.

Blood rushes out of my mouth. Right before I leave, I spit: "One star."

An amateur assassin, confused, states, "What?"

"This was a one-star kidnapping."

He straightens.

Then a dagger of his own is flying towards my head.

I dodge it swiftly

I guess they do know what they’re doing. At least a bit.

“Two stars. I stand corrected. Maybe next time don’t make the fishing wire so obvious.”

I, Adeline Rena, have been an assassin for my 19 years of living. My single father was known to be the best assassin of all Utah and taught me since I could walk.

I sorta… adapted.

Little did he know, I was out to get him since the day he killed my mother.

"Well, it was nice getting to know you, but I do have to leave now." I spin around and smash the hilt of my dagger into the window, sending shards of glass flying out into the dry air. Then I tuck my body into a ball and leap into the air outside.

I brace myself for impact, landing on the grass outside with a soft thud. Before I take off running, I hear the lead assassin calling out behind me.

"Adeline Rena, you can't hide from the Dark Guild forever!"

Well, darn. I thought California was far enough away from Dad that I could hide out here safely. But even the ritziest little LA suburbs aren't safe from the Dark Guild's grubby tentacles.

I run down the street, hearing them behind me. Something feels strange about my neck: there's a little smooth metal thing glued to it. They put a tracking device on me.

I rip the little black box off and throw it into the open window of a passing car, though it was on there tight--I feel a welt on my skin where it was attached. The assassins follow the car, giving me a moment to catch my breath in a crowded convenience store.

If the Guild is here, that means Dad knows I'm out to get him. And maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it almost seems like he's afraid of what I'll do to him once I get there.

Good. He should be.

I swipe a road atlas from the convenience store's front desk and look at it, tracing the path of Interstate 15 to Utah. My old home, where I haven't been in five years. If Dad's going to keep sending these assassins after me, there's only one option. I have to strike first.