Code Name Orchid

Chapter 11

      Hannah sat at her dining table and read through the information on John Alvarez. It stated that although he did most of his business from his heavily guarded downtown penthouse, he had an office at a warehouse he owned in the industrial area near the river.

She logged on to the internet and found more information on her target, as well as looking at Google satellite photos of the warehouse. This might be the best place to get him, she thought, but some lengthy reconnaissance would be necessary to determine his routine and when he visited his warehouse office.

*****

Chantelle was deep in thought as she made herself a coffee before leaving for work. It had been two months since she last saw Hannah. Hallie Reynolds was of course missing from work. She had apparently called the club and resigned the day after the murder. 

Chantelle wondered if she would ever see Hannah again, but then yesterday when she had arrived at work one of the staff handed her an envelope with her name written on it. "Someone left this at the bar for you this afternoon," he said.

She walked around to the staff room which was empty and opened the envelope. It contained a single small pink sheet of paper.
FBI are watching you. Be careful. I'll see you when it is safe. H. x

It was nice to know Hannah hadn't forgotten about her, but it was worrying to know the FBI were following her around. She picked up her phone and called Michael.
When he answered she told him she suspected the FBI were watching her. She couldn't tell him how she had really found out of course.

"Doesn't surprise me," he said, "They came to see me a few weeks back and wanted to know why I was talking to you outside your apartment building that night."

"What did you tell them?"

"I just said I bumped into you and remembered you from when you served us a drink at the Fairmont in Vancouver. They pretended to be satisfied with that explanation but I don't think they were. I think they're watching me now too."

"I'm sure they think I'm in league with your wife and I'll eventually lead them to her."

"They're clutching at straws, Chantelle. They have no leads, and the pressure is on them to find Hannah before she takes out her next target."

"It's been two months since she killed Glen Evans."

"That's what worries me. I'm certain she's working for The Organization again. When she worked for them before it was always one hit every month. I'm worried she's building up to something big, like maybe some high profile politician, and she is taking her time preparing for the hit. By the way I think the FBI will take their surveillance off you any day now. They can't spare the manpower for an operation which is giving them no results."

*****
It was a warm night in Washington along the riverfront, In the industrial area stood a number of bleak looking warehouses, some of them with lights on inside, some were dark.

On the second floor of one of the larger buildings a man sat at a large office desk scrolling through lines of numbers on a large computer screen. 

"We've been doing all right this month," he said to no one in particular, "Although we could be doing a bit better from the casino."

The only other person in the room was a heavy set man sitting in a chair by the door.

John Alvarez's phone chimed. He tore his eyes away from the computer screen and pressed the accept button. "What is it?" he snapped.

"Mr Alvarez, it's Doug here. I just heard some disturbing news from one of our contacts in the mob.

"Well, what is it?"

"He heard it that a hit order has been taken out on you."

Alvarez smiled, "Well that wouldn't be the first time. Who's behind it?" 

"They didn't know, but they said you'll want to be careful. The hit 'man' is a woman, goes by the name Orchid, and she's supposed to be good. Never fails to take out her target."

"She'll never get to me," Alvarez said, "She would have to get through ten of my men first."
But then a worrying thought struck him. Tonight at the warehouse he had only taken three of his bodyguards with him since he was planning to make it a quick trip.

He disconnected his call from Doug, and placed a call to one of his contacts on his payroll in the Washington police. "Phil, what do you know about a hit woman called Orchid?"

There was a pause for a couple of seconds then the man said, "John, Orchid is big news around here at the moment. She's done three hits here in DC in the last three months. Two businessmen and a crime family head along with two of his bodyguards. She's good, as professional as they come. She took out at least six targets in Vancouver recently, and before that eighteen months ago she was working in LA. Why do you want to know?"

"Someone has taken a hit order out on me, and this Orchid is their hit man."

"Fuck! You could be in real danger, John. Where are you now, in your apartment?"

"No, I'm at the warehouse. I've got three of my guys with me."

"If she comes after you tonight that may not be enough. I'll grab Dennis and Lou, and we'll get down there. Don't leave the warehouse. Sit tight till we get there."

The other man in the room stood up. "Don't worry, Mr Alvarez. I'll radio Jack and Pete downstairs and tell them to be on the alert, and I'll be right outside the door here. This woman won't get past me."

"Yeah thanks, Vince," Alvarez mumbled.

As Vince left the room Alvarez entered a login password on his computer. Now he was looking at the dark web. He typed in the words 'assassin' and 'Orchid'.

A photo of an attractive young woman with long dark hair appeared with a caption which read 'Hannah Richards, Codename Orchid. Professional assassin.'
Further text outlined her history in Los Angeles, Vancouver and more recently in Washington DC. At least eighteen kills were attributed to her.
Someone had added the line 'Orchid always kills with a single bullet to the head at close range. She makes you look at her in the last seconds of your life.'
The article then finished with an ominous warning: 'If you are on Orchid's hit list you are already dead!'


There is plenty of action in the next chapter.
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