Chapter 7 - The Fixers
Vanessa believed that money could solve any problem in the world.
She didn't care about Naomi's tactical training or her dangerous past.
She just believed Naomi hadn't met the right kind of physical intimidation yet.
Vanessa contacted a group of underground "fixers" that her father occasionally used to scare off rival businessmen.
They were three massive, heavily muscled thugs who specialized in breaking bones and sending silent messages.
Vanessa paid them fifty thousand dollars to wait outside Naomi's small apartment building.
"I don't want her dead," Vanessa instructed them over a burner phone.
"I just want her face ruined so Ethan never wants to look at her again."
It was a Tuesday night, and it was raining heavily in the city.
Naomi walked home from the grocery store, carrying a single brown paper bag in her arms.
She wore a simple dark raincoat, keeping her head down against the biting wind.
She turned into the dark, narrow alleyway that led to the back entrance of her building.
The three massive thugs stepped out from the shadows, blocking her only path forward.
One of them pulled out a heavy metal pipe, slapping it menacingly against his palm.
"You must be Naomi," the leader grunted, his face scarred and ugly.
Naomi stopped walking.
She didn't drop her groceries.
She didn't scream for help.
She just let out a very long, tired sigh.
"Vanessa sent you," Naomi said quietly, staring straight through them.
The leader laughed, stepping dangerously close to her.
"Doesn't matter who sent us, sweetheart," he sneered.
"We're just here to break that pretty face of yours."
He lunged forward, swinging the heavy metal pipe directly at her head.
Naomi didn't just dodge the swing; she stepped inside his guard with terrifying speed.
She dropped the groceries, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it sharply until a loud crack echoed in the alley.
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The huge man screamed in agony, dropping the metal pipe onto the wet pavement.
The fight was over before the other two men even realized it had started.
