The sweat on his brow glistens in the soft moonlight streaming in through an overhead window.
“Where was your family when you were in Washington?”
His eyes widen. “What?”
“Where were they? Were they sound in their bed, thinking their daddy was working to pay their way? Does your family know the blood on your hands?”
“Does yours?” he asks, his mood shifting as he realizes why I’m here.
“You and I are different, Noah. I have no family to speak of. No ties. Family makes you weak. Family makes you stupid.”
He puts on a brave face, but his lower lip shaking gives away his fear. “Please, man. I’ll disappear.”
“Should’ve thought about that before.”
While I don’t know what he did because the files I receive are always redacted, I don’t care. I’ve always thirsted for blood; my employer only cashed in on that fact.
He opens his mouth to beg more, and I pull the trigger.
Shock ripples through his eyes before he falls onto the toilet, slumping over. Then, they’re devoid, lifeless as a death rattle purls through the air.
Crouching before him, I place my gun on the ground to free my hands enough to find his wallet.
Working it out of his jeans from this angle is hard, but I finally get it free.
I remove his license to confirm the kill.
Noah Bradshaw.
Placing it on his chest, I lift his head, his fearful eyes wide as I lean him back to get his face in the shot.
I open the camera on my phone and snap some pics, one close-up of the license, and then send them off for confirmation.
Photo Message
Case 34856 closed.
Code name?
Death Hawk
Kill accepted—Standby for next target.
Closing my phone and pocketing it, I remove the silencer from my gun and shove it in my pocket. Replacing my shirt over my weapon at my waistband, I wash my hands and check myself in the mirror.
The music outside the bathroom has gotten louder to accommodate the raucous crowd, and I take a deep breath before stepping out into the onslaught.
A man is standing outside the bathroom door.
He gives me a nod as I hand over the key. As usual, the bathroom and Noah will be cleaned. His existence will be scrubbed from every database.
I’ll go about my business like the kill never happened.
Because of Greer.
Typically, I’m offered the option of splaying them open for the world to see, making it look like something it’s not.
Not tonight.
