The Deadly King

Chapter 7

Jack paced the floor of his office, rubbing the back of his neck with growing anxiety. The door opened, and he stopped, looking at his secretary.

"There's a uh,"

Gesturing to the corridor, Leigh didn't know what to say. He didn't offer anything but a name. The way he presented himself was immaculate, but there was something peculiar that she couldn't figure out. Something dangerous.

"Says his name is Monty Greenwood. Security cleared him."

Jack wanted to point out that if he was roaming the corridors of this place, it was to be expected that he'd been cleared. He thought it was strange that no one had delivered Monty personally.

"It's alright. Send him in."

Leigh nodded and slipped away, returning with the well-dressed man. Once he was through the door, Leigh closed it and sighed. She did not know what was going on or who he was, but she was glad that he was nowhere near her.

"Monty," Jack said eagerly. "Find the place alright?"

"I charge by the hour, mister prime minister. Do you really wish to make small talk?"

"No, of course not. I have everything that you requested over here."

Jack gestured to the lounge. In front of it was a coffee table and a plain folder. Monty moved to the lounge and collected the folder before sitting down.

"The consulate for the great kingdom of Lukariah. Never heard of it."

"It is a country that does not exist but rather a group of individuals that pose as a country. It has a monarchy and quite a few citizens."

Monty turned the page over and looked at the building schematics and map of the area.

"The king and queen are staying on the top floor in a private apartment. There are a few points of ingress on the ground floor. However, the security is extensive. I welcome any deaths, but your primary target is the king."

The assassin turned to the next piece of paper, a long-range view of a slender man with a woman at his side and a large security detail around them. Jack's summation about the security was accurate.

"We have provided you with specialised bullets."

Monty lifted from the paperwork and frowned at the prime minister.

"What for?"

"The details are not to be concerned about. Just use the bullets in the briefcase and kill the king."

Putting the folder down, Monty shifted the briefcase over the table. He assumed it was his payment and did not expect it to be anything else. Lifting the lid, he saw the cash-lined bottom, which was standard. The lid, though, that was vastly different. It was lined with boxes of bullets strapped in tight.

"Planning on a war?"

"As I said, I welcome any deaths. You can destroy those who are in the building at your will. If you can take down anyone else, I will pay afterwards. The more you kill, the more I will pay. However, this payment is for the king."

Monty nodded as he placed the folder in the briefcase. His curiosity was higher than it ever had been. He wanted to know what this king, and these people, had done to annoy Jack so much that he was willing to engage a hitman to kill them.

"Do you require any form of confirmation for the king or the others?"

"I will know if you have been successful in killing the king. The others, though, would be ideal."

Locking the briefcase, Monty lifted the handle and stood.

"I will be in contact when the mission is complete."

"Wonderful. I look forward to hearing great news from you."

Jack moved to the door, opening it for Monty. As he walked through the room, Benjamin, his deputy, approached. Ben frowned slightly at the stranger, who didn't acknowledge him.

"Who was that?"

"Just an old friend that is in town for a couple of days."

"Uh-huh."

Ben shut the door, glaring at Jack.

"What are you really up to?"

"Dealing with an enemy," he said before returning to his desk.

"The vampires?"

Ben stalked across the room, standing in front of Jack.

"Are you seriously taking this path? You know what Hawthorn is like. He won't accept,"

"He will be dead," Jack interrupted. "And I don't care for your tone, Ben. If you're an ally to the enemy, then you're a traitor to this government and this country. Be careful with your words."

"I'm not an ally, you daft fool. I just know what the vampire king is like. You've spent months collecting information on him, and it clearly says that he's temperamental and vindictive. Blood will run down the streets if you take this path."

"And if it does, then the public will know that their leader has done all he can to protect them from a deadly menace."

"Deadly menace? What are you talking about? The vampires don't kill humans anymore."

"If you think that, then you have clearly not been paying attention to the reports."

"You mean the fabricated nonsense that Harvey has created for you?" Ben leaned on the desk, frowning heavily at Jack. "You're going to start a war with a dangerous creature that has done nothing wrong aside from wounding your precious ego. Stop now before it's too late."

The door opened as Leigh walked in, ending the heated conversation. Ben stood upright and straightened his jacket. As Leigh approached, he smoothed the tie under the jacket and glared at Jack again.

"I pray that you are successful, but knowing what you're going against, I doubt that you will be."

With that, Ben turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, returning to his office. The door was shut, and he quickly made his way to his desk. Reaching for the drawer, he opened it and lifted the false panel to remove the phone.

Nervously, he waited for it to turn on. His contact hadn't messaged him, but it wasn't the prearranged time for their weekly check-in. Ben quickly tapped out a message and hoped that it reached his contact in time.