Razor´s Smile

Asami's circle of acquaintances was not very wide, but she had some contacts with whom she often collaborated when she was assigned some tasks. In her world, trust was a luxury that could not be abused, since death lurked around every corner, and betrayals were common, but even a lone wolf like her sometimes required the help of others to carry out her work.

Of all those contacts, the one she trusted more was Margaret, and elderly British woman who owned a veterinary clinic in Brixton to whom Asami turned every time one of her assignments becomes more complicated than expected to heal her wounds.

Margaret had been a medic in armed conflicts, until she managed to establish herself in London, founding a clinic where she could dedicate herself to what she truly liked, caring for animals. She firmly believed that animals were more reliable than human beings, and with that belief she had retired, dedicating her life to them.

After the incident with Ibtissam´s family, Asami felt that it was the only place where she could go to.

Margaret suspected what the girl might be up to, but she never pestered her with uncomfortable questions, she simply limited herself to healing her wounds, offering her some affection every time they met.

The woman was used to treating her stab wounds, or the occasional bruise after a fight, but that morning, she was alarmed to see her arrive in such a deplorable state, with her beautiful face bruised because of the blows, and the wounds from her fall from the second floor of her bedroom.

“What they did to you, sweet thing?”

Margaret immediately led her to the room where she had her office to treat her wounds. Luckily, it was Sunday, and the clinic was closed, so she was able to spend all the time her wounds required, although she did not stop advising her that she should be treated in a hospital.

"No, please, I can´t go to a hospital. I only trust you."

After treating her wounds, Margaret led her to one of the rooms in her apartment on the top floor of the clinic, where Asami was able to rest fully in a bed, while she kept repeating in her sleep:

"Ibtissam, Ibtissam, Ibtissam;"

Even in her serious condition, her greatest concern was that angel she had met the night before. She felt that she must be suffering after having dishonored her family, that she must possibly be shouting her name while being punished for her actions, and she was not wrong, upon her return home, Ibtissam was severely punished by her father and brothers, who feared that Abdellah might cancel their marriage. This union was vital for her family, since Ibtissam's father's business had not been working out recently, and the union with Abdellah's family, a prosperous Arab family established in the United Kingdom, could save them from ruin. Fortunately for them, Abdellah had an obsessive fixation on Ibtissam and was not going to let her escape for that disobedience. Perhaps in his mind at that moment, the only way to let her go would have been to kill her, but Ibtissam had been chosen for a more important mission in her life, and that was to provide him with heirs.

Margaret cared for Asami as if she were her own daughter, from the first time she had meet her, she had felt compassion for her soul, she reminded her of her missing daughter, who had tragically died in a car accident at the age of 24, and although she knew that she should not interfere in her affairs, she had once suggested that she stay with her working at the clinic as an assistant, but Asami never gave in to those proposals of a mundane life, she felt that she would not be up to the task of reciprocating someone's sincere love, she had thought that way all her life until the previous night, until she had met Ibtissam.  At that moment, there was only one thing on her mind, and she was not going to stop until she got it, in her heart, she only longed to rescue Ibtissam from her suffering.

But Asami felt at peace with that woman. She has vague memories of her mother, but none of them were pleasant. Her mother was a difficult woman given over to a life of vices who was never prepared to have a daughter.

 She had taken her to the United Kingdom in search of a new life, getting rid of her by selling her to a prostitution network. Her mother had been the root of all her evils and for that she hated her to death. She had wanted to meet her again with the desire to be able to kill her with her hands. However, with Margaret everything was different. She felt safe, protected, and what scared her the most, loved. A filial love very different from the passionate love she had felt with Ibtissam. For the first time in her life, she clung to love. It was a strange feeling, new to her, but it gave her hope.

Asami spent a few days bedridden recovering from her injuries under Margaret's supervision. The woman sat by her side every day, healing her, feeding her, and talking to her about any subject even though Asami was sparing with words.

“Margaret, sorry for the trouble.” -Asami told her while Margaret was feeding her.

“Come on, sweetheart, you know you´re not troubling me.”

“You´ll be compensated for your help, I promise.”

“There´s only one way you can compensate me. Stay here, leave behind that thing that led you to be on this state and I´ll feel more than compensated.”

“I can´t do that.” -She sighed with remorse. “There´s something I got to do, if I don´t come out alive, there is a bank account in my name that I wish to bequeath to you. It will help you with the clinic.

Margaret put down the soup she was feeding her on the table, disgusted by his words.

“Don´t talk about death under my roof! You know I´d never got into your affairs, but whatever you´re doing you got to stop!”

“I´m doomed since birth. Don´t worry, as soon as I heal I´ll leave.”

“I´m not asking you to leave, I´m asking you to stay, you can be my assistant at the clinic, I told you many times. I want you to choose life over death.” -Margaret begged her holding her hands while a tear shed from her eyes.

“You´re a good woman, Margaret. I should stay away from you.”

Margaret burst into tears as she hugged the girl. She was moved and stroked the woman's head, knowing that she could never be the daughter she had lost. A few days later, Asami disappeared from the clinic without warning. Although she was not yet fully recovered, she needed to organize herself to save her beloved. During those days, she took refuge in a rundown motel on the outskirts of the city. She had been presumed dead by her enemies and that gave her an advantage in operating without being discovered. Using her contacts, she investigated the ins and outs of Ibtissam's family. She discovered that one of her older brothers had been murdered a few months ago, that her father's company was in the red, and that Ibtissam was her greatest asset to recover. She had been engaged to Abdellah with the intention of merging both families; the Abdellah family's company was in a buoyant situation. Both families were under investigation for illicit activities, and had been enemies in the past, the link between Ibtissam and Abdellah would seal the peace.

Ibtissam was still imprisoned in her parents' mansion, punished for her actions. Asami had been informed that the couple's marriage would be announced at the New Year's Eve party that Abdellah's family had organized in a pub they owned in Berhnal Green. Asami chose that date for her attack, it would be the right date to rescue Ibtissam.