“And you’re sure this isn’t a job that Miller or Terry could handle?”
“Neither Miller or Terry will be able to get through those doors. I need the best on this one. I told you he laid out Michaels and Baker. And get this, he was handcuffed at the time. Had I not come out the room when I did, he would have snapped Tom’s neck. There’s not a man around that can resist that pretty, innocent face of yours. It causes them to let down their guard and then like a black widow, you strike, which makes you perfect for this job. Just look at it this way, you get in, you get out. You’ll be home, wherever that is in no time.”
“So, if things get out of hand with this civilian, can I kill him?”
“You have no idea how much I want to say yes to that. But alas, he’s my lady’s brother and she loves him. She’ll be crushed if anything happens to him and I can’t stand seeing her hurt. But hey, the quicker you gather my information, the quicker you can be done with it.”
I grunted eyeing the man that was approaching my car with a spray bottle and a windshield squeegee that looked as if he’d borrowed it from the nearest gas station. Reaching in my briefcase, I pulled out a five-dollar bill before letting my window down.
“Wash your windows for you, beautiful lady?” He asked smiling, showing off his rotting teeth. The smell of alcohol and unwashed flesh singed my nose.
“I’ll give you five dollars if you don’t.” He grinned as I handed him the money.
“Generous as well as beautiful. Have a blessed day.” I rolled my window back up.
“Fine, but this is my last assignment.” I said into the receiver. “I’m too old for this sh*t. I’m retiring.” He chuckled again.
“Get out of here, you can’t retire at thirty-four. I need you to have my back. I’ll feel naked without you.”
Dammit Jo… he knew he had my loyalty for life. He knew that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. The man had saved my life on more than one occasion. He and I went way back to the days of being two green eared Seaman Recruits. All the way up through becoming the only two minorities in our SEAL unit.
It wasn’t easy and several times I wanted to quit, but Jo never let me. He pushed me until I became the soldier that my father never was. My father who left home because I was just a stupid girl and not the boy he wanted, had tried several times to become a SEAL, but could never make it through BUD school. Not only did I make it through, I became a decorated soldier in my own right.
When Jo left the military for the Bureau, he took me with him. Again, pushing me to be more than I thought I could. Yes, I was loyal to him, unquestionably, but I was tired and he needed to know that.
“I can and I will. I’m thirty-four, but I feel sixty-four. You remember what happened last month in Libya?”
“Yeah.”
“I still hear ringing in my ear from that sh*t. I don’t think I will ever get my hearing back on my right side.”
“You got too close to the fireworks.”
“It’s just the way it played out. Anyway, I said all that to say I quit after this Jo, I’m serious. The agency already fired me, why won’t you just leave me the hell alone?” He chuckled, the charming bastard.
“Because you’re the best man I got in the field. I won’t be able to run for office unless I know you have my back.” He repeated for the second time, knowing what those words did to me. I bit down on my teeth determined to stand my ground.
“Yeah well, I’m done after this.”
“Nak, on a serious note…” He said, brushing off my words.
Sh*t!
“Be careful with this one. I took this kid for granted and he surprised the hell out of me. He’s smarter than you can imagine. He doesn’t look it, but he is. And he’s dangerous. My sources tell me he’s responsible for many a stiff found floating belly up in Lake Michigan. You’re on his turf, everybody within twenty city miles either way is loyal to him till the death. Keep your eyes open, and whatever you do, don’t take this kid lightly.”
I eyeballed the hustlers standing outside of the building and farther down on the corner. It was nothing about them that appeared spectacular, just your everyday average thugs. However, Jo was the most skilled soldier I knew, so if he told me not to let down my guard, then I won’t.
“Alright, I’ll be in touch.” Hanging up the phone I slid it back in my briefcase.
For just a moment, I sat enjoying the silence of my rental car. I had no time to rest from my last assignment for Jo, well, for his father really. The mission like most of my missions called for me to get close to a man and then kill him.
Pablo Consuela, an Argentinian drug lord had thought to blackmail the senator with some compromising photos to try and get him to vote to pass some legislation that would make it easier for him to move his product in The Gulf. I didn’t know all the details, it wasn’t my job to. My job was to retrieve the photos and erase them from any hard drive they may be on, and then put old Pablo out of his misery.
A job I had done flawlessly until I got too messy making my escape and ended up with a bullet wound in my side. I shook my head, this was just another sign signaling that it was time for me to walk away from this life. Jo didn’t believe me, but I was going to show him, this was my last
