Chapter 3: Dirty Deeds? Done Somewhat Inexpensively

My eyes jerked open, breath quickening as adrenaline surged through me. The spoon and empty yoghurt container fell to the floor with a clatter as I took in the dark room. I ran a hand down my face, forced a few deep breaths to slow down my pounding heart, then reached into my pocket and pulled out my scroll. Turning it on showed a time of one in the morning... well then. I think he didn't notice me. Or he really likes running.

I put my scroll away before getting up. At this point it'd be better to get ready more than anything. I pulled out my goggles, along with the poison and vaporizer. I put on the goggles, pulled up my face scarf, and pulled up my hood before unscrewing the poison's lid.

Carefully, I put in the vaporizer's tip and extracted - what I hoped was - a decent amount. I then recapped the poison and put it away. Firmly - though if I was honest, gingerly - holding the vaporizer in my hand, I quietly opened the door as I kept my breath slow and steady. Though the only sound I could hear was my own heart.

Glancing down each side of the hallway revealed nothing but dark shadows, made worse by my goggles. But I didn't dare take them off. Not with that poison so close to me. My eyes would adjust, dammit. Waiting a few moments turned the dark corridor into merely a dim one… great improvement. Still, it let move on over to the master bedroom door. I went through the same process: carefully, slowly opening the door while holding my breath slow and steady. This time my heart sped up like someone going to town on a pair of bongos.

It looked much the same as earlier, with one fairly large difference: my target sleeping away in his bed.

With smooth steps I made my way to his side, careful for any sudden moves on his part. But he slept away, oblivious to me and what I was about to do. His scroll lay on the nightstand next to his bed and I quietly grabbed that and pocketed it for the moment. I then put the tip of the vaporizer right in his nose and shoved the plunger down as hard and fast as I could before stepping back, putting the murder weapon away next to the poison-filled flask.

Predictably, after getting a nose full of mist, my target shot up coughing and wheezing. He glanced around, blinking rapidly, before his gaze fell on me and he started a bit.

"Who are you?!" He barked out, the question losing some of its bite with the nasally voice he had… or maybe it was the fact he was already dead and didn't know it. Either way, I just stared at him. I made sure not to look away as the people I killed died. An acknowledgement of what I've done, and to make sure the job's done.

Stone didn't seem to like my 'thoughtful' silence though.

"I think the police will enjoy having a wor-" His words cut out with a violent wheeze, hands shooting to his mouth. The wheezing continued, getting worse as his face turned red in the low light of the room. Guess it was fast-acting.

He started clawing at the night table - probably looking for the scroll currently in my pocket - before giving up and throwing himself at me. I hopped back and watched him flop onto the floor, noticing that his neck seemed fairly plump for such a fit looking guy. He crawled a bit toward me before focusing on trying to breathe, the wheezing coming faster and shriller. As valiant as his effort was though, eventually he collapsed. The breaths were still quietly coming, but that stopped in short order.

I waited a few minutes, watching, until an unfortunately familiar stench started filling the room. I put his scroll back on the bedside table before taking out my own. Snapping a picture of the body, I sent it to Buddy with a message: 'River crossed.'

I let out a sigh as I put away my scroll. Time to head back. And while I could go out the front door, that might raise more suspicion than I'd like. Which means… another climb. Joy.

I'm having another yoghurt before I leave.

"Looking a little rough, kid."

"Rough day'll do that to ya, Buddy." I took a seat at the bar, careful to keep the sealed bag with my mission clothes close to me. But I tell you, even a change and a shower wasn't helping the weariness and aching I was feeling right now. "Found out I'm not the biggest fan of rock climbing."

Buddy got a chuckle at that. "Least you tried something new. But hey, onto better news: the lien's been wired to your account. And here are your chips."

He reached into one of suit pockets and drew out four Fate chips, putting them on the countertop in two stacks: three Pawns, and one Rook. My fingers ran over the Rook, tracing the image on it.

"Gotta love entrepreneurs." I muttered. "Hey, Buddy. Ever been to that masseuse?"

His eyebrow raised at my question before nodding after a moment. "A couple times, kid. Well worth the time spent. You thinking of going?"

"Yeah. Wondering if it'll be any help relaxing."

"Go for it. Live a little. They'll do you right. My suggestion? Go for the full treatment and just relax." A smile spread across his face… which wasn't as comforting as I think he meant it to be.

Still, it brought a grin to my face. "Sounds like a plan then. Oh." I paused as I was standing, before holding up the bag with my clothes. "Incinerator?"

Buddy sighed with a roll of his eyes. "Killing me, kid. It's between Accounting and the Architect."

"Thanks. See you in a few days, Buddy. Think I'll actually take your advice this time."

"There is a god."

A chuckle escaped as I walked toward the hallway. I could already feel my body start relaxing.

I set my prey down carefully, making sure no damage had been done to it. No. The time for that would come later, in quiet, safe sanctuary. Besides, there were far too many witnesses around and I needed to make sure everything was above the board and legal.

"Do have a savings card with us, sir?"

"Ah, yes. One moment." I dug out the card, handing it over to cashier who scanned it before handing it back.

"Thank you, sir. Someone likes their yoghurt, eh?"

I shrugged. "Does the body good. Meant to get some a while ago anyway. Work just got in the way."

"Oh?" Her eyes had the obvious question in them as she added and bagged all my food. "What is it you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Personal troubleshooter. You tell me your troubles, and I shoot them." I chuckled, getting a laugh in response. "Better answer though is one-on-one consultation. I work with a client to solve personal issues they have to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately, the confidential nature of my business can be stressful, so it's always good to be healthy where I can."

Remembered smells of alcohol-stained breath reared up from the depths of my mind at that, a frown briefly crossing my face. I paid for my groceries and parted ways. And walking out of the store my scroll buzzed.

Taking it out, I saw a message from Buddy: 'Come see me at the Lethe. Have a job you might be interested in. Not a face-to-face though.' Hmm. Interesting. Well it'd been a few days. Might as well see what the offer was.

After dropping off my groceries I headed straight to the Lethe. Walking in I looked around and soon saw Buddy, playing by himself at one of the pool tables. I'd almost prefer the face-to-face. He straightened up as soon as he saw me making my way over to him, a smile on his face.

"Couldn't even dress up a little for me? I feel insulted. Dark slacks and a gray tee don't exactly scream 'class', kid."

I looked down at my clothes before looking back at him and flipping him the bird. Got a chuckle in response.

"Grab a cue, kid. We got time for a round while I explain. Gets boring playing with yourself."

I chuckled as I shook my head, grabbing a cue and powdering it up as I watched Buddy set up the balls. As he stretched out, the light flashed off his watch, today's piece being a solid white deal with dark red hands, curved in such a way they seemed to slice across the watch face. Definitely drew the eye.

"Take the first shot, Black." Buddy swept his arm over the table - a large grin on his face - before stepping off to the side.

I let my fingers run along the felt tabletop as I walked to where the cue ball was. I placed my cue in the crook of my hand and took aim at that white ball, so stark against the colors of all the rest. The crack of the cue ball connecting with the others was near piercing in the low hum of conversations, card games, and the band in the back. But as I watched the balls scatter about a smile came to my face. Because it was soothing, in its own way.

Buddy nodded. "Nice break. Looks like you're playing solids."

"Let's see how long my aim holds." Two more followed the first ball down before I ended up scratching. I waited until Buddy was set up and right about to strike before asking. "So what's the mission?"

His strike still connected, but it was just off enough he didn't sink anything. The glare I got was beautiful, especially when I let a grin spread across my face. I took my spot as he went to a nearby side table and grabbed a drink there.

"You're a right bastard, ain't ya?" He said before taking a sip. "Can't even enjoy a game of pool without getting back to work."

"You were the one who said he'd give details while we played. Time is money, Buddy. So spill."

"Yeah yeah. Though I don't think a pool game'll matter in the long run. They've been waiting three weeks already."

"Really now?" That was interesting… and distracting enough I missed my shot. "So what's the deal?"

"A bit atypical for the usual fare; thieving. Here's the kicker: Client wants the target unharmed. That is non-negotiable."

A groan slipped loose, covered by the clack of Buddy's shot. "Little wonder nobody wants it. What's the payout?"

"Twenty-five kay, along with two Rooks and a Pawn."

Not a bad haul, but not necessarily worth the extra hoops. My thoughts wandered as Buddy played, soon fouling up one of his shots. Though he set me up beautifully. I grinned at his grumbling. Like a wonderful song.

"So the client leave any info, or would I be flying blind?"

"Now there's the fun part. Client left a full dossier on the target: photo, habits, daily routine, even likes and dislikes. But instead of enticing anybody…"

"It's just made them more suspicious." That much freely given info was a bit concerni- ooh. Two-in-one! Nice. "What would I be taking?"

"A pocket watch."

This time there was no clack to hide my groan, along with the roll of my eyes. There would be another watch fetishist in this world. I looked over the pool table, seeing where the balls lay. I had one left to sink: that green six ball. Only problem was it was right next to the eight ball… well, might as well go for broke.

"I'll take it." My shot hit, the two balls splitting off in different directions. I soon sighed.

"It was a nice try, kid. Though you probably should've gone the safer route and just sunk the six."

"Table's crooked. The six should've sunk long before the eight." I glowered at him a moment. "Send me the dossier. I've got some verifying to do."

"You got it, Black. It'll be to you inside half-an-hour. Care for another game in the meantime?"

I started opening my mouth to say no, before closing it. Not like I really had anything to lose killing time here as opposed to at the apartment. "Sure. Sounds good."

A grin spread across Buddy's face. "Glad to hear it. How's about a drink?"

"Sure. I'll take a water."

The speed at which his grin turned into a frown was at least a small consolation for how I bungled this game. Let's see if I can turn that luck around.

I sat at my table on a balcony overlooking the lower market, enjoying a late lunch. Grilled fish, with some weird kind of vegetab- the important thing is I had a clear view of a damn good amount of the market. Which was good. My target made his rounds here every day, in search of fresh ingredients for his restaurant.

Control freaks. Gotta micromanage everything. My hand briefly clenched around my glass. I shook my head, hoping to clear it. A few days staking this guy out hadn't left the best impression. But most of the dossier seemed to be accurate. Now it was time to come up with a plan.

Ah. There he was. Nine a.m. right on schedule. Ladd Rojo. That blond hair and pristine white suit stood out like a sore thumb in this environment. Then he goes and makes that grand gesture of pulling out his pocket watch - my target - and acting like a dick, like he's somehow been inconvenienced by the crowd. Should've gotten here earlier then, pal.

My eyes followed him, thoughts wandering. Could try to get in as one of the staff, but that exposes my face and'll make my daily life needlessly difficult. Hmm. Maybe strike a deal with him? Gotta be something I can trade that watch for. He can't be too attached to it. Or maybe I can just nick the damn thing off him like that girl down there!

My jaw dropped as I watched some young woman walk up, reach into Rojo's pocket, and take the watch before calmly walking away, all while Rojo was still deciding which stand he wanted to bother.

Shit.

I threw down a lien card - hoping it was enough to cover my bill - as I flew down the stairs of the restaurant and took to the streets. Green hair, ponytail, dark brown skin. Shouldn't be too hard to keep track of in a crowd, right?

There! I saw a flutter of green to my left, and saw my new target making her way down the street. Time to tail her. She walked a good while, zig-zagging and constantly turning. Never stopping in the crazy maze of lower Mistral. I briefly lost sight of her for a few moments before catching her again on a completely different street.

Might've been an hour or so before I followed my job thief around another corner and found myself alone with her and staring into glaring red eyes… well fuck.

"Why're you followin' me?" The question came out harshly, more than a little anger - and maybe fear - in those eyes. Diffusing time.

I slowly brought my hands up, fingers spread and palms forward. Making sure to stand a good ways away. "Not sure what you mean, miss. Just made a wrong turn here. Not too familiar with these parts-"

"Cut the bullshit. Once I lost you at that crowd, I doubled back and let you see me, wonderin' if I was just paranoid. But wouldn't ya know it? You took the bait."

A grimace blossomed on my face. I'd been made. No reason to deny it, though I still kept my hands up. "Look, lady, I'll admit that was a nice pull, but even Rojo should've noticed that. Now, you've got something I need and I'm willing to deal for-"

My words were cut off this time by a blow from the side, right into my face. I staggered back, whipping my head around to find my attacker. The only ones in the alley were me and the girl, who was still a good ten feet away from me and glaring.

Alright then.

Keeping my eyes on the girl, I reached into my chip pouch and pulled one out. Making sure it was the right one, I showed it to her. The Rook emblazoned on it glimmered in the afternoon light. "As I started to say, I'm willing to cut a deal. The watch you took for one of these."

"That's… that's an oarsman's coin."

Ooookay. She either knew how to throw her voice, or that blow scrambled my head. 'Cause I'm damn sure she didn't move her lips. 'Course, when she then vanished from view, I started leaning toward scrambled brains. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, then blinked again, but she didn't reappear.

"Shit. I fleeced an oarsman's target."

My head snapped to the sound of her voice, seeing her near the entrance of the alley. Though she was slowly backing up, her hand twitching near weapons holstered on her back. How… later, Black, later.

"Look, you know what this is, what it means. I'm willing to trade you it for that watch."

"Why?" She asked, and boy was there fear in those eyes now. "Talk to the right people, listen to the right things, you hear what goes down. Why make a deal when you could just take it and bury any witnesses?"

I sighed. "Because that feels far too..." Much like what my old man did. "Attention grabbing. Better this way. You get a chip, and I get what I need. So how about it?"

It was a long wait for a slow nod. I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Now since I doubt you'll be willing to come over here to exchange them - or let me come to you - how's about we toss them to each other on the count of three?"

This finally brought a smile - or at least a smirk - to her face. "You're right." She said. "I wouldn't have been willing. I'm countin' though. One… two… three!"

Unlike everything else today, the exchange went off without a hitch. She caught the chip and I caught the watch. Heavy thing too, silver and gold seemingly making the majority of its components. Intricate design engraved on it. Woulda got her a pretty chunk of lien at the right fence.

"Who are you?"

I looked up from inspecting to see her staring at me… well. Why not. She'd seen my face and knew about oarsmen. She does any kind of looking she'll find me.

"Mercury. What about you?" At that, she vanished again, leaving me alone in the alley with my prize. I let out a sigh as I ran a finger over the watch. "Guess that's a 'no', eh, lady?"

Welp. Time to go turn this little trinket in… as soon as I figure out where the fuck I am.

Soon enough, I managed to find my way to the Lethe, walking through and heading straight to the bar. Buddy was there - as per usual - taking care of a few regulars. I pulled up a seat and waited.

"My my, kid." Buddy said as he sauntered over. "You actually look rested for once, though a bit nettled. Take it things went well?"

I pulled the pocket watch out and let it dangle from my fingers by the chain, swinging it like a pendulum. "River crossed."

A grin spread across Buddy's face. "Excellent. Lien'll be wired to you soon and I can grab the chips in a few. Drink in the meantime? Something actually celebratory?"

My mouth thinned into a line. "... No. Just a water."

Buddy's eyebrow raised, none of his usual grumbling as he made my 'water' and placed it in front of me. "Now there's an interesting face. Got something on yer chest, kid?"

I sighed before taking a sip, the alcohol leaving a warm burn down my throat. "Just that I technically wasn't the one to nick this. And that I had to trade a Rook chip to secure it."

"Wouldn't be too harsh on yourself, kid." Buddy said with a shrug. "The job wasn't necessarily your usual fare, and it got done, right? No use crying over how it got done."

I slowly nodded before taking another sip. Guess he had a point. Couldn't really keep track of every variable.

Right?

Terra: It's honestly both interesting and worrying writing as the assassin who has to plan how to kill people and the like. Wondering if your search history will get you in trouble...