Tales of a Dead God

Chapter Three: The Time to Kill Me isn't Now

The morning after dinner in the tavern was full of preparations. Noah and Theo went through their belongings and then made a list of supplies they would need. Noah made a very tight budget and only made sure that it was essential supplies as Theo liked to sometimes throw in a thing or two not needed. However, Annabeth was ten steps ahead of them and had a full pack ready for them along with extra money. Noah tried refusing the money but lost the battle severely.

"There aren't many places that are as helpful as we are. You take this money and use it to get your asses to safety." Annabeth shoved the small bag into Noah's chest and held it there until he begrudgingly took it.

They placed everything in a nice hiding spot in case anything did happen. The paranoia was very real right now.

About a block away the day started on quite a sour note for some of the locals. A poor lady going to the market for her groceries was the one that found the victim of the previous night's assassination. Word spread like wildfire and the police were already on the case of finding suspects. Gabriel of course heard the whisperings. He wasn't sure that now the man he made the deal with would keep his mouth shut. So, he went to find those two boys he idiotically made this deal with.

The market was buzzing with life like usual. Of course, everyone was on high alert this morning with the news of the murder passing through, but this didn't stop the movement of the market.

Gabriel kept a low profile as he made his way through the town to find those two boys. It was ironic he was the cause of all the fright when he had told those two not to cause trouble. Then again, these situations were bound to happen in this line of work. As he made his way through the crowded market, Gabriel spotted the all too shiny and familiar armor of the northern soldiers. Two to be exact and a rather snooty-looking royal official. Gabriel looked for a way around but as he tried to make his getaway he was spotted. The two soldiers were grabbing his arms before he could realize they had moved.

"Hey, you've got the wrong guy." Gabriel struggled against the tight grasp as he was being dragged through the crowd. Some looked at him with funny expressions and some whispered. No one dared try to help him though. There were deadly consequences for meddling in the business of the northern officials.

The snooty man all dressed in the finest robes one could buy stood off to the side. He very much stood out from the rest of the crowd, but they always did. "Many say that you have a set of skills that we could benefit from."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gabriel lied through his teeth.

"Ah right." The man moved aside and opened the door he was standing in front of. There was a staircase that led up to an apartment that Gabriel was dragged to.

He was finally let go once in the main living room. Gabriel rubbed the sore spots on his arms and watched the door close behind the official as he stepped in.

"Have a seat."

"I'd rather not get comfortable," Gabriel shot back.

The official nodded. "Then I'll make this quick." He sank into the warm couch and looked up to Gabriel who was on guard and ready to bolt. "Is it true that you are a man for hire?"

Gabriel smirked. "You've got to be a bit more specific." He knew exactly what he was being asked but why miss the opportunity to mess with an official?

The official's face turned bright red. "What I mean is, are you the one we go to when we need people gone."

"Depends on the price." Gabriel folded his arms. His heart was pounding against his chest as he tried to keep his breath even.

"I can promise you that we pay handsomely." The man sat tall trying to look respectable. You can't get much lower than hiring an assassin though.