by Wilder, L.
“No reason for you to worry about me.” I took a quick glance around the café, making sure that no one was watching as I slipped the drive in the side pocket of my jacket. “I’m doing just fine.”
“The time will come when you’ll grow tired of being alone.”
“Maybe so, but that time hasn’t happened yet.” Over the years, I’d gotten used to Charlie’s little words of wisdom. He’d been dishing them out since that first night when he’d come to proposition me with an unexpected opportunity.
I’d been living in seclusion for almost a year when my father reached out, informing me that Charlie had called the house looking for me. If it had been anyone other than my old battalion commander, I would’ve blown them off, but out of curiosity, I agreed to meet with him. We met up at a café in a small town outside of Chattanooga. It had been two years since we were in the service together, but time hadn’t changed him a bit—just a few extra gray hairs and crow’s feet around his dark brown eyes. Like me, he was still sporting his military haircut, and it was clear from the size of his biceps that he was still taking care of himself. After a few meaningless pleasantries, he finally told me why he’d ask to see me. He laid a small flash drive on the table in front of me and said, “You were one of the best scout snipers that ever came through the corp.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“The kind of skill you had just doesn’t go away.”
“What’s your point, Commander?”
“I’m not your commander anymore, Jasper.” His eyes grew narrow as he said, “I’m just Charles to you now.”
“Okay. So, what’s all this about, Charles.”
“I know the cops never found the men who killed Lainey. I know they were never punished for what they did, and that had to be hard for you to stomach.”
“It was … it still is.”
“Well, here’s your chance to rectify that.” He glanced down at the flash drive in my hand and said, “Their names and locations are right there.”
The cops had been looking for the men who broke into our apartment for over a year and hadn’t come up with a single lead, or so they said. I had no way of knowing if they’d even tried to find them. Regardless, I found it difficult to believe that he not only knew who they were but also knew exactly where they were located. “But how do you know that these are the men who killed Lainey?”
“It’s them. That’s all I can tell you.” He pulled out a thick yellow envelope and offered it to me. “Turns out you aren’t the only one who’d like to see these assholes six feet under.”
“What is this?”
“It’s five grand.” He glanced around the diner, then leaned forward as he whispered, “Use the information on that drive to take these guys out, and you’ll get another five grand, but you have to be careful. If anyone even suspects that you were the one who killed them, the deal is off.”
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me with this.”
“This is no joke, Jasper. I’m giving you a chance to get your vengeance on these guys, and not only that, I’m paying you to do it.” He studied me for a moment before saying, “This is no different than what you did overseas, Jasper. Think of the lives you saved over there … you’d be doing the same thing here, only you’d be doing it without me or anyone else breathing down your neck. It’d be on your terms … You just have to be willing to pull the trigger.”
“You’re actually serious about this?”
“You bet your ass I am.” He leaned back in his seat and sighed. “You spent years in training, and for what? One fucking tour in Iraq? That’s bullshit, man. You could use what you’ve learned to set things right. We both know you’ve thought about it … imagined what it would be like to put a bullet in their heads. Now you have your chance. You can take from them the same way they took from you, and with your skillset, they’ll never see you coming.”
It took me almost a week to open the flash drive, but once I did, there was no turning back. Not only had I seen their faces, I’d seen the long list of crimes they’d committed and all the people they’d hurt over the years. Seeing how bad these men were had triggered something inside of me, and after that, there was no walking away. I set up in an empty apartment across from their place and spent the entire day just watching them. My gut would twist into a knot every time I saw one of them laugh or even smile. After all they’d done, they didn’t deserve to take another single fucking breath. As soon as darkness fell over the neighborhood, I put down my binoculars and went over to my scope. There were three men in the apartment, the two that killed Lainey and the leader of their gang. They were all sitting in the living room watching some fight on the television, completely oblivious that their lives were about to come to an unsavory end.
I knew as soon as the first target was taken out, the other two would likely try and run, so I had to move fast. I started with the man who’d shot me. I aimed for his left temple, and as soon as I got a clear shot, I took it. Just as his head fell back, I moved to the second. He’d barely had time to register what was happening when the bullet pierced his flesh. As expected, the gang leader had gotten spooked and was racing towards the door. He was just about to reach for the doorknob when I pulled the trigger and took him out.
And just like that, they were all dead. I stood there staring through my scope for several moments just staring at their lifeless bodies sprawled out on the floor. I thought I would’ve felt guilty or at least a little remorseful, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt nothing. I was completely numb, but it was done. They’d paid the ultimate price for the hurt they’d caused, not only to me, but to all the other lives they’d ripped apart. Two days later, I met back up with Charles, showed him evidence of the kills, and received the second half of my payment. I expected that to be the end of it, but it was just the beginning. I was about to leave when Charles presented me with a second flash drive containing the name of a mob boss who’d done unspeakable things. The FBI had tried to convict him of his crimes, but he kept slipping through the cracks of our judicial system. He offered me twenty grand to take him out. I accepted his offer, and again, I felt no guilt, no remorse—nothing as I completed the job. Over the last three years, I’d agreed to take on more jobs for Charles, each of them involving criminals who were nothing but the scum of the earth.
I expected my latest target to be just like the others. Charles looked down at his watch then said, “The building across from the target’s apartment is empty. You should be able to use it to set up the hit. As far as the rest, you know the routine. Be at the airport by six tomorrow night. The private jet will be waiting for you.”
“I’ll be there.”
“I should probably warn you … This mark is a little different.”
“Really? How so?”
“You’ll see.” He stood as he continued, “Just trust me … There’s been no mistake. This hit needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.”
I got up and placed a twenty on the table as I assured him, “I’ll take care of it.”
“I know you will.”
I followed him out to the parking lot, and just as I was about to head over to my car, he called out to me. “Hey … I forgot to ask you about your uncle.”
“What about him?”
“I got a call from my contact a few weeks back. Did you know he decided to get out of the business?”
It had been weeks since I’d been in touch with anyone back home, so I replied, “News to me.”
“Guess gun trafficking isn’t for everyone.”
“No, it’s not.” My uncle Dan had fallen on hard times when his wife had gotten cancer. The family had gone into debt trying to save her and was about to lose the farm. My uncle was willing to do anything to keep that from happening, even if that meant delving into my world. I made a call to Charles, and he got my uncle his start in gun trafficking. He not only made enough money to keep from going under, but he was able to purchase a high-dollar breeding stallion for their farm. “He h
ad a good run, though.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Thanks for helping him out.”
“No need to thank me.” He shrugged. “I just supplied the name. Your uncle did the rest.”
With that, we both got in our cars and left. On my three-hour drive back to my cabin, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Charles had said. I racked my brain trying to think about how this particular mark could be different. Over the years, they’d all been fairly similar—bad men who’d done horrific things and not given a shit about the laws they broke or how many people they hurt as long as they made a buck. When I pulled up in my driveway, Nanook, my three-year-old Alaskan malamute and best friend, was waiting for me on the front porch. As soon as I got out of the car, he came bounding towards me. When he jumped up on my torso, I ran my hand over his big head and smiled. “Hey, buddy.”
I gave him a good scratch behind his ear and a quick pat on the head. “Come on. I’ve got some work to do.”
He trailed behind me as I went up the front steps, and once I’d unlocked the front door, he followed me inside. As I was turning off the house alarm, I took a quick glance around and was pleased to see that it was exactly the way I’d left it. While it wasn’t much—just your basic two-bedroom log cabin up on a mountainside—it was plenty for me and Nanook. After I started a fire, I reached into my pocket for the flash drive Charles had given me and carried it over to my computer. Once I’d logged on, I inserted the drive and pulled up the information on my latest target. As soon as I saw the name, I knew why Charles mentioned that this hit was different. In the years I’d been working for him, I’d never been hired to kill a woman … until now.
Madison Brooks, daughter of Thomas and Sylvia Brooks, was twenty-four years old with brown hair and blue eyes. Her father was a professor at one of the local colleges in Ohio, and her mother was a librarian for one of the elementary schools near their home. She had an older brother, Henry, who owned a landscaping company in South Carolina. Madison was five foot nine, a hundred and forty-five pounds, and a graduate of New York’s Art Academy. She lived in Manhattan, near Greenwich Village, and worked as an assistant at Endless Arts, one of the larger art galleries in the area. I searched through every single document on that drive and found no criminal record or the slightest sign of illegal activity. Hell, she hadn’t had so much as a parking ticket over the past five years. I pulled up her passport picture and became even more puzzled. She was a young, beautiful woman—nothing like the marks I’d had in the past—and I couldn’t help but wonder why the hell someone would want her dead. I was tempted to reach out to Charlie and ask if there had been a mistake but decided against it. He’d been spot on with all the marks in the past, and I didn’t see any reason why this time would be any different. I just had to stick to the plan I always used and get the job done. After I made notes of everything I needed, I removed the flash drive and closed down my computer.
It was already getting dark, so I packed a few things in a bag and got in touch with Floyd to let him know I’d need him to feed Nanook for me while I was gone. He was one of my neighbors, if you could call him that. His cabin was about five driving-miles down the mountain, and I wouldn’t have even known he was there if Nanook hadn’t wandered down to his place when he was a pup. While he was there, Floyd took a real liking to him, which turned out to be a good thing for me. Any time I went out of town, Floyd would come up and check on Nanook, feeding him and letting him out a couple of times a day. Once I was done making preparations, I made a bite to eat and called it a night. Day one was complete.
After a few hours of sleep, I pulled myself out of bed and made myself a cup of coffee. The sun was shining bright, so I decided to take Nanook out for a hike through the woods. We took our usual path down to the small stream, and as soon as he saw the water, he jumped in and started chasing minnows and small-mouthed bass as they skirted around the rocks. I let him mess around for a while before I called out, “Nook! Time to go.”
As usual, he carried on for a second longer before bounding out of the water and rushing over to me. He gave himself a good shake, spraying water all over me. “Thanks, buddy.”
Nanook followed me back up to the front porch and watched patiently as I poured him a bowl of food. While he ate, I went to take a hot shower. After I was dressed, I tended to a few things around the cabin. By the time I was done, it was time to go. I put Nanook in his pen, then grabbed my bag and headed to the airport. Two and a half hours later, I was landing in New York, and as usual, there was a car waiting for me. When I finally arrived, it was after dark which made it easier for me to check the addresses at both the gallery where Madison Brooks worked and her apartment. I pulled them up on my GPS and was pleased to see that they were within a few blocks of each other. It was well after ten p.m. by the time I made it to the Endless Arts gallery, and as expected, it was closed. Even though I had no intention of taking her out at the gallery, I decided to briefly check the access points and back alleys. As soon as I was done there, I drove over to her apartment complex to take a look around.
When I pulled up, I noticed there was very little security, just a gate at the front entrance and a few random cameras that didn’t appear to be working. I parked in the rear and used the back stairwell to get to the third floor where her apartment was located. I quickly learned that safety wasn’t a priority for the owners of the building. There was very little lighting and none of the outer doors were locked, making it way too easy for me to gain access to her floor. Once I found the right apartment, I went back downstairs and over to the building across from hers. As always, Charles was right. The building was abandoned. It took me a few minutes to find a window with a clear view of her apartment, but after searching several floors, I finally found the one. I took a minute to check for any movement in Brooks’ apartment, but there was none. I assumed she wasn’t home and headed back down to my car. From there, I went straight to my hotel. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a double bed with a small side table and a bathroom, but the bed was comfortable, and it was quiet. That was all I needed to get a decent night’s sleep. Day two was done.
When the sun rose the next morning, I got up, took a hot shower, and headed over to Endless Arts to find Madison. Normally, I wouldn’t make contact with one of my marks, but after going over the file once again, my gut told me to take that extra step. I needed to see firsthand why she was put on Charlie’s list. So, I parked the car and headed up to the door, figuring I’d pretend to be an interested customer. I stepped inside and entered a large gallery with stained concrete floors and stark-white walls. Various pieces of artwork hung throughout the room; some were modern, while others looked almost ancient, but each one brought its own comfortable feel to the place. Several sculptures, some ranging from as small as a teacup to as tall as me, were randomly placed throughout each area. It was easy to see why this gallery was one of the most popular in the city.
I hadn’t been standing there long when I found myself walking over to a large painting of a young girl standing in the rain with a red umbrella. At first, I didn’t know why I was intrigued by it, but then I remembered that Lainey had painted a similar scene just weeks before she was killed. I was focused on the way the couple was standing arm in arm like they were in a world of their own, and I hadn’t realized that someone had approached me until I heard, “It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?”
When I looked to my side, I found Madison standing there, and the sight of her took my breath away. I’d traveled the world, been in the company of more beautiful women than I could count, but none of them held a candle this woman. She was wearing an off-white pantsuit that hugged her curves, and her dark hair was pulled back into a loose bun, revealing crystal-blue eyes. Madison’s skin had a light olive tone, like she’d spent a few days at the beach, and her perfume smelled familiar, almost like honeysuckle. “Are you interested in purchasing, or are you just admiring today?”
Needing to respond, I forced myself to answer, “Just a
dmiring.”
“Well, you chose an excellent painting to admire.” A soft smile spread across her face as she extended her hand and said, “I’m Madison Brooks.”
“Hi, Madison.” Then I shook her soft, delicate hand. “Jasper Nichols.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Nichols.” She glanced back over to the painting as she said, “James Paul is one of my favorite local artists who we work with. The way he balances his light and dark not only with color but also with imagery amazes me. It’s like he’s telling a story with each stroke of his brush.”
“It’s really something.”
“He has several pieces with umbrellas. There are people who say they symbolize—”
“The canopy of the heavens … providing protection from one’s disappointments or uncertainty.”
“That’s exactly right. I’m impressed. You really know your art.”
“Not exactly.” Trying to play it cool, I took a quick glance around and asked, “Do you carry a lot of local artists?”
“Sadly, no. We just don’t have the space.” She studied me for a moment, then asked, “Are you in the city for work, or pleasure?”
“Work.”
“That’s too bad. At least you were able to get out and do a little sightseeing.” With a hopeful look, she started, “If you’re into art, there are several—”
Cutting her off, I replied, “I don’t have the time for any more sightseeing.”
“Oh, of course. I guess duty calls and all that.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“I understand.” She smiled. “I won’t keep you. If you need any help with anything, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Ms. Brooks.”
“Anytime, Mr. Nichols.”
Madison smiled and turned to leave. As she walked to the back of the building and started to talk to one of her coworkers, I stood there and watched her for a moment. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fathom why she was chosen as my next mark. It simply didn’t make sense. She clearly wasn’t some mob boss or gang leader. I found it highly unlikely that she’d ever killed a fly, much less harmed a human being. Unfortunately, that didn’t change the fact that I had a job to do. I was hired to kill Madison Brooks, and I’d never failed to complete a mission. Day three was here, and it was time to get my head in the game.
