| "A Piece of the Puzzle" | ||
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The Golden Goose May 23, 2008, 2112 hours Lima Time It was a pub like any other in London: made of stone, a sign outside, hanging from a steel pole dug deep into the wall, dirty from the years of exposure to exhaust by-products and dust, whipped-up by the strong winds that plague the area. The interior was different though; traditional tones played off against modern lines. The effect worked well, much to his surprise. He walked over to the bar, assessing the patrons and bar staff in turn, finding no immediate threats. He sat down on one of the bar stools and ordered a coke. There wasn't any point in adding variables at this stage. His position allowed him to watch the door in the security mirror above the bar. This meant that he could keep his gaze disguised from those around him, and therefore minimise any suspicion. All the while he nursed the coke, not wanting fill himself up with the gas-filled liquid. If he had to move fast he didn't want to be compromised by a dodgy stomach. That thought stayed in his head until he remembered the newspaper report from yesterday. His eyes narrowed as the words formed sentences in his mind, the report building up like an intricate pattern, woven by thoughts of revenge. A young Asian man was today found dead at his home. Sondi Singh, 19, was the victim of a brutal attack which left him with horrific injuries. His battered and bruised body was found by friends in his modest home on the outskirts of the city. The police have revealed that a knife had been recovered from the scene, and several leaks have stated that the knife was dug deep into Mr Singh's back, a hallmark reminiscent of another attack in the area a year and a half ago. The victim then was David Holland, a local man whose death is still a mystery to this day. The knife found in Mr Holland's back was seen by some as the mark of a revenge attack, and the parallels that have been drawn with today's murder have caused fear amongst the local community. He had vowed revenge once he had finished reading, and had made a foray into the forgotten parts of London that night. Luck had been on his side. The pimp he had targeted had had a loose tongue, and the sight of the silenced pistol caused the tongue to loosen further. The information he had parted with had been most interesting, not least because it contained the name and location of a hit-man who had just got back from a job out of the capitol. He hadn't expected to be able to tie up that loose end so quickly, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity; it was a chance to find out who had sent him, though he was sure he already knew the answer. The minutes passed slowly, time taking it easy, the hands on the clock not rushing to their destinations, instead moving at a leisurely pace almost as if they were trying to conserve energy for later in the night. None of the other people in the bar seemed to notice it, only him. He was still getting used to the waiting, something which had annoyed Sergei when they first started working together, but he had soon taken his mentor's hints on bored and learned to keep himself focused when there was nothing to do. It was a skill which he hadn't mastered, as his current impatience more than demonstrated, but it was something that he was working on, and now was as good a time as any for the practise. He had, after all, managed it when reconnoitring the Odds household. With that thought his demon returned. There was no warning, nothing to suggest He had been waiting there. Out of the blue, or black if he was going to be correct. He managed not to spit his drink back into the glass. What the fuck do you want? he asked in his mind. Fuck off. His demon ignored the words. In his mind he saw the demon attack Yelena, pushing her down on the ground before plunging a clawed hand between her legs and removing her baby, his baby, their baby. When she had told him, soon after their arrival in St Petersburg, that she was expecting his child he found himself crying with happiness. It hadn't been planned, of course, but for some reason it felt right, as if something had finally happened that would affect their lives positively. The support that Sergei and Anastasiya had promised to provide had further elated him. For the first time since his relationship with Yelena had taken that first big step he felt content with his life. He was going to be a farther. They were going to be parents. It was something he had always thought about, but for much of his life he didn't think it would happen, didn't think that he would ever find someone who loved him, and when he met Yelena and fell in love with her he had vowed that he would never let anyone or anything destroy their happiness. That now extended to include his unborn child, and for that reason his demon would die. Mr Odds, he thought, your time is up. This time the tactics were different. Instead of an elaborate stalk he had simply followed the crew-cut man for a few hundred meters then bundled him down a dark alley. A couple of hard punches had prevented the man from trying to escape, and the production of a serrated knife all but killed of any thoughts he had of escaping. Once bound the man was moved further down the alley and out of sight of passers by on the road. There was no need to tell him to be quiet; that message got through loud and clear. It was now time to get some answers. "You did a job yesterday. Did it go well?" "Er, yeah," was the confused reply. "Congratulations. I'm sure Mr Odds will be pleased." "Yeah, he was ple�" Crew-cut started to stay before he caught himself, but already he knew he had said too much. "He pay you a lot?" he asked him, for the first time allowing some anger into his voice. Crew-cut must have sensed the anger. "It was a job man. You've done jobs before. Its business man, nothing personal." "I'm afraid you're wrong. You see, Mr Odds and me have a little score to settle, and he has decided to up the stakes. Unfortunately he has used you to do that. If you tell me where he is then I can settle the score, and I will forget your part in the matter." "I don't know where he lives. We met in Club Desire. That's all I know," he explained. "I hope for your sake that the information is accurate," he replied, then placed two bullets in Crew-cut's head. Return |
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