Ace III

ACE
VOL 3
I DECLARE WAR






BY PRESTON LIGHT
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jace asked Michelle as he rifled through another file that had been given to him by the general. The envelope had been stamped with the letters of a major government organization. “You know I used to dream about this when I was a kid.” Michelle said as Chris scanned the area for his target. “You know I dreamed of peace and quiet when I was a kid. But obviously all dreams don’t come true.” Jace said through gritted teeth. “Do I annoy you or something?” Michelle said eyeing Jace suspiciously. “No not at all I dream of seeing you every day.” Jace said darkly. “Really” Michelle said taken aback not noticing Jaces tone. “Yes I dream of seeing you in a casket.” He said walking into a nearby Foot Locker. The worker at the store greeted Jace as soon as he entered. “How may I help you?” The light skinned African American man asked Jace. “Ya I need a new pair of shoes so I can run away from her as fast as possible.” Jace said jerking his head back at Michelle. The worker looked confused and smiled nervously. “So what type if shoe would you like?” The guy asked Jace trying to size him up. Jace smiled at this. He noticed that people always tried to categorize him. He was a tall well-built young white kid. He had straight white hair that just barely fell into his eyes. His eyes happened to be bright purple. He was extremely handsome. This came in handy when he had to manipulate people. “I think I need a new pair of Nike’s.” Jace said as he sat down. “Well we have the newest Nike air max’s that just came out.” Jace looked at the shoes. They were all dark grey with a white sole. The Nike emblem and name were in a darker grey and embroidered in red. “I’ll take them size ten.” Jace said
Jace looked up and just as he had expected his target had been following him. “Good Sharps let’s see what you can do without that sniper rifle of yours.” Jace said in his head as he paid for the shoes and left. “Here make yourself useful and hold these I have a job to do.” Jace said giving the bag to Michelle and taking off. “Hey come back here.” She said tailing behind Jace. But he had soon left her behind. “Just like always she sighed turning to signal a cab. As she looked up into the dreary Seattle sky a drop of rain splashed on her cheek. A taxi brought Michelle out of this daydream and as she got in the driver commented on the drop of rain. He said something about her crying but Michelle really wasn’t paying attention. She was absorbed in her own thoughts. She couldn’t understand it anymore. Why couldn’t she just kill Jace and get on to her next target? She thought to herself as the cab pulled up to her apartment. She just couldn’t figure out what was so special about him? He was charming and handsome of course. But she had killed far more charming and handsome men. Why was she having reservations about Jace? Michelle shook her head to clear it. Reassuring herself as she did that the only reason Jace wasn’t dead was because he had her gun. “You know it’s bad for a good girl to become wrapped up with such a bad guy.” A voice said from the shadows. Michelle jumped and reached for her gun before remembering that Jace had it. She cursed Jace under her breath. “Yup hanging with a fellow like that could get you killed, and now that would be a shame since you’re so beautiful.” The figure said as it moved out of the shadows. The figure was clad in the apparel of a ninja and had a sword on its back. Michelle was taken aback when she realized the figure was a female. “Who are you?” “Just someone that has a score to settle with your friend.” She said moving forward slowly. “Well why didn’t you go after him?” Michelle inquired as she backed up. “Well you are easier to find. Not to mention that we are all trying to be the number one ace.” This froze Michelle in her tracks. “How are you an ace when you clearly use a sword?” She asked confused. “Well if you can’t shoot me down and I kill you then I obviously win the duel.” Michelle shook her head at this. “No one’s that fast.” Michelle found the blade of the sword at her throat as she finished her sentence. “No one you say.” The ace said with a sinister grin
Downtown Seattle
Jace shook his head as he leaned against a wall. How could someone move that fast. He did have a version of the super solider serum in him after all. There should be very few people more athletic than him. He didn’t notice the pair of green eyes that followed him as he left the corner and headed down the street. It wasn’t long before Jace noticed that he was being followed. Jace ducked down an alley and drew both of his berrettas. “So just who the hell are you?” Jace asked the cloaked figure. “Aww that’s hurtful you drew your guns on me and forgot my name. I mean aren’t I your target?” “Sharps” Jace said dropping both guns but not holstering them. “Shall I suggest a change of venue?” Sharps said in a much more professional voice. “I doesn’t matter its all going to end the same.” Jace said holstering both pistols. “Try and keep up this time.” Sharps said leaving in a flash. This time Jace kept close to the man. Before long they had arrived at an abandoned warehouse. Shall we begin Sharps said as he released his cloak revealing a sniper rifle. Jace immediately created room by slipping off to the right. “Bad move I would have stayed close.” Sharps said firing a shot that missed Jace by an inch. Shit this guy’s actually good Jace thought slipping from behind the pillar. He drew his pistols and squeezed off two rounds. But there was no one on the floor anymore. A shot zipped past Jaces ear from behind him. Jace barely leaned out of the way of the next shot but was knocked over the handrail of the second floor by a kick. Jace landed gracefully and squeezed off two rounds. The first blocked Sharps next bullet and the second missed Sharps head by inches. Sharps smiled to himself the kid was good but he knew exactly what the kids next move would be. He just didn’t see how it was physically possible. Jace planted and launched to the second floor letting off three more shots. One missed clean. But the others were unavoidable. Damn I can’t dodge them not at this range. Sharps thought quickly analyzing the situation; He somehow positioned himself so that the bullets only hit him in his arm and side. Both went clean through. Jace rolled and sprung up only to be hit by something that burned like a raging wildfire and hurt almost as much as his procedure. Shit he got me Jace said clutching his left arm. The bullet had broken the bone. Jace saw Sharps rise with a triumphant smile on his face. His anger boiled up in him. But he didn’t attack, He knew he had got the worse of the exchange and had to play more carefully. Sharps raised his rifle steading it on his injured arm.
He knew Jace would wait until he fired before making his next move. But Jace surprised him rushing him before he was set. This threw his shot off and the next shot grazed Jace in the side of his already broken arm. But Jace still managed to grab Sharps with the broken arm and pin him to the ground. He fired two shots close range one pierced Sharps just missing his lung Sharps in shock managed to throw Jace off of him and the next shot missed by inches. Jace fell to the first floor again. He managed to land on his feet. And spring back to the second floor. This time he got hit in the right shoulder. He noticed that Sharps had made it to the highest floor of the factory even though he had been almost shot through the lung. Jace quickly followed dodging bullets left and right.
Sharps still couldn’t figure out what made this kid so good. He had been able to dodge the majority of his shots. Not even his mentor when he was still in training had hailed him as being this good. But this kid was moving on the level of a highly trained solider that had enhancements. So the kid had hid his skills while he was tailing him. Sharps readied himself for combat again meeting Jaces newest barrage head on, both men managed to dodge each other’s volley of bullets at such close range. Jace holstered and drew his other berretta Sharps drew his pistol. “Well who burns out first the shooter or the sharpshooter? You know what they say when a shooter burns out he’s done. But a sharpshooter always has something to lay back on.” Jace grinned at this. “Shut the fuck up we aren’t either of those and you know that. We’re aces and we supersede a shooter or a sharpshooter. Sharps smiled at this. “It’s too bad you are correct. You are the best I’ve ever fought. But there is no such thing as two aces. So regrettably one of us has to die.” Jace nodded at this statement.
“JACE!!!.” A voice screamed from bellow. Both men looked down. It was Michelle. “Friend of yours?” Sharps said giving Jace a searching look.” “In a way.” Jace said through gritted teeth. “You know how this ends if you lose. You’re fighting for two lives now.” Sharps said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Jace nodded he understood that even though Michelle was an elite gunfighter she couldn’t take down Sharps. He wasn’t even sure he could at the moment. “A moment of doubt leads to an eternity of regret” Sharps said pulling the trigger. Jace shot the bullet down and jumped up on the banister firing. This forced Sharps into a corner. Just as Jace had the shot he wanted Sharps lunged forward and swept his legs out from under him sending him falling six flights to the floor. Jace tried to right himself only to feel a bullet tear through his stomach. Jace squeezed off one final shot which hit Sharps and sent him sprawling. Jace landed on his feet only to fall over into Michelle’s arms. The blood started to leak out of Jace like a river. Michelle quickly turned Jace over in her lap and tried to stop the bleeding. “You better not die on me I’m the only one who can kill you” She said in an extremely hoarse voice. Jace just managed a weak grin before losing consciousness.
Sharps sat on the floor his right hand over his eye as the blood leaked from the wound that had nearly blinded him. He got up and made his way out of the warehouse. He was certain Jace was alive and that he would fight him again. He just wasn’t sure if he would survive next time. He didn’t even know for certain if he would win.




THE END
VOL 4
Crazy Solo