Kates sat in the back row of the church, watching her target as a storm raged inside of her. Candles ran along the walls of the church, but the one nearest to her had blown out and left her in darkness, with the echoes of the sermon bouncing around her. She'd killed more than a dozen men since she'd first arrived in Detroit as a fresh faced eighteen year old Civilian, fleeing from her father's death, and ten years later she was a Don. Though sometimes, she didn't feel like it. Kates clutched to the letter she'd received from her well placed source in the Detroit Police and glanced down at it again through the darkness.

As you asked, I've tracked down the person who's been killing the Wise Guys downtown. Maria Rentinelli - 731 West Pine Road. Only leaves her apartment to kill and attend daily mass, 9 PM, Saint Michael's. You may remember the name from that business 3 months ago. His wife. - P

She remembered the name. Joe Rentinelli had run the docks for Marietta, until he worked with another family to plan to take her out. The assassination attempt had been uncovered- Rentinelli's body was found floating next to the pier he used to run. Kates never knew he had a wife. She stood, smoothed her black dress down to her knees, and slowly exited the church. The service was ending.

Kates waited in the shadows outside of the church. There'd only been a dozen people inside, and as a small figure in a shawl emerged and head towards West Pine Road she silently detached herself from the wall and trailed her in the darkness. Kates clung her thin grey trenchoat around her as a cold wind cut through the silk black dress. The dim alleys and sidewalks blended together as she kept just far enough away from her target not to arouse suspicion. As Rentinelli tiredly climbed the four steps to her door she dug her keys out of her purse. When the lock clicked, so did the safety on the gun pressed into her back. Kates pushed her inside and grabbed the purse, tucking Rentinelli's gun in her pocket as she dropped the purse to the ground and kicked the door shut.

The two women faced each other in the dimly lit hallway, with Kates pointing the gun at the hip towards Rentinelli. The other woman looked at her as Kates felt the storm return to her head. There was no anger in Rentinelli's eyes. No begging, like there'd been for some. Not even the cool professionalism she'd seen in a few. There was nothing.

"I know who sends you, and your business. Do it- I care nothing."

Kates said nothing, but there must have been a wavering in her eyes. She asked with a soft, breaking voice.

"Are you Maria Rentinelli?" "I am. Why do you hesitate? Is it because you are afraid?"

Maria leaned back against the wall with her eyes closed, accepting the inevitability, and not caring in the slightest. Kates's arm felt heavy, perhaps from the blade she kept attached to it. Perhaps not.

"I... I've never killed a woman before."

Maria's eyes opened and locked onto Kates's, as steady brown meant swirling green.

"But you have killed many men. You and your "family"... I had a family once. He was a bad man, but I loved him with all my heart. He was all that I had."

Her voice grew furiously in power and speed as she continued to speak.

"He was everything, and now he's gone. You bastards and your business! How many men have you buried? How many families have you destroyed?! And for what? For money?! For your honor?! I hate you. I hate you! I HA-"

As she lunged towards Kates, a single shot rang out and she dropped to her knees. Rentinelli gasped for breath and fell forward, kneeling in front of Kates and rasping up to her.

"You are damned... you are damned..."

The woman's body fell over and, as a puddle of blood seeped out around her, Kates stared at her for a long time. It was only when she heard the first siren that she was startled into movement. She quickly retraced her steps back to the church, reeling the whole way before collapsing into a pew.

She sat there for a long time, her eyes closed and the world spinning around her. And she cried. She cried for an hour. No one else was in the church- her muffled sobs echoed against the dim walls as the minutes crawled by. Soon the silence became overbearing and she fled the church, finding no solace there and diving into the nearest bar. Six shots later she stumbled out, slamming her left fist against the brick wall of the brick wall of the alley until she couldn't feel it anymore.

As a police officer shined a light in her eye she took off quickly, not needing or wanting any interaction. The lights of windows and cars passed by in a blur as she sprinted in the general direction of her HQ on Belle Isle. Collapsing on the beach, she grabbed at her jacket and threw her gun into the river, hearing it splash and sink to the peaceful depths. On her hands and knees in the sand, with her dark hair falling in strands around her face, she raised her head and stared out at the water, with the lights of the Renaissance HQ shining in the distance. Kates ripped off her trenchcoat and waded into the river, swimming arm over arm towards the lights of the headquarters.

The water was cold and, with the adrenaline, it seemed to lower the effects of the alcohol, but the croaking, dry, deathly"you are damned... you are damned..." echoed in her head with every deliberate stroke through the water. She swam from her past, swam from the growing truth that she felt the chasm between herself and the rest of humanity widening every time she pulled the trigger. Until she was too tired to think, and finally crawled from the water onto Belle Isle. She lay on the beach, her black dress clinging to her and her short blade weighing heavily against her right arm, and looked up at the stars until sleep began to claim her.

Did she have a soul? She had a mother, brother, and sister that loved her. She had Detroit, and she had her Family. That would have to be enough.

Absolutely capivating. The emotional depth of this account is unparalleled.

It's outstanding. the attention to detail made this piece so close to perfection.

very good Don Kates, great story as always.

One of the best stories i've read so far

Damn that was a good story.

All your stories are great!

Damn, that was LONG, but that's how i like my Stories (Probably Saved my own ass for the Last part)

well done i like the story especially the ending.....

Very nice.

Another great read, thank you Kates i love all your stories this one is great aswell

Great story and i look forward to reading others

Very nice. I enjoyed it.

You've made it very well Don Kates, very very well.. A great story! , make more of this great stories of yours please.. ciaossu.. ;)

REALLY enjoyed that!! Thanks! ;)

interesting really.

O_O Amazing visuals.

excellent story :)

Equal in life and in death.  Out Godmothers have proven the worth of women in this thing of ours

It's hard to find words describing how good this story actually was. If you would write a book I would read it for sure. It's amazingly good! I hope you are proud of making us envy you, I do envy your writing skills ;)