The Bounty

Two

The office was cold and the air conditioner blew softly over me. In front of me sat Jacob Shaw, my handler.
He was the only person in this building who has ever seen my face. He gave me my targets and upon delivery I received my payment.
As Shaw looked over the photos there was an impressed look on his face. “Here,” He unlocked and opened a drawer. There was a sound of paper and he handed me an envelope and a paper. “Half a million dollar and your next assignment.”
One the paper was a picture of a middle aged woman. Maria Layman. The payment was twenty thousand dollar.
“Right.” I said and got up. “Thanks.”
He didn’t say anything else and I pulled my hood over my face and pulled the red bandana over my nose and mouth.
The other people in the building paid no attention to me as I walked out. They knew who and what I was. Everyone knew the name Blackwell and they knew that if a target was given to Blackwell they would be taken care of.
My motorcycle stood in front of the building. It was black with red claw marks on the sides.
As soon as I was on it, my blood yearned for the speed and the wind on my face.
The drive to my small apartment was short and I pulled the motorcycle into a small garage. I had to take off my bandana and hood before I entered the apartment because the tenants would be freaked out if the found out that Blackwell lived in the same building as them.
My apartment was on the seventh floor and I always took the stairs which seemed never ending. My breathing and heart rate remained constant as I climbed the fourteen flights of stairs.
I fished my keys out of my backpack as I reached my apartment.
After I was inside I locked the door behind me and switched on the kitchen light. I was greeted by my cat, Lucifer. He was a black cat with the devil’s attitude.
“Hey, Lucifer. Are you hungry?” Lucifer rubbed his back against my legs and purred softly. He made a meow sound which I took as a yes.
“Let’s see what’s for dinner.” I opened the cupboard and took out two cans of spaghetti and meatballs. “This looks good.”
I opened one can and emptied it in Lucifer’s bowl. I opened the other can and grabbed a fork and a cold beer in the fridge. This was my routine. I would grab food and beer and then I would do background checks on my targets.
I hacked into the police department’s files and searched for Maria Layman. I had to wait a little while for all the files to load.
A picture came up. It was the same middle aged woman in the previous picture. Her greying hair was tied out of her face and a faded scar was visible under her left eye.
More files popped up. Maria was charged with mass murder and she aided a terrorism group a few years back. I wondered why I was chosen to handle her. I am not the only assassin working for Shaw.
I ate my dinner hungrily while I studied my next target’s background.
Lucifer jumped on my lap and purred softly. I stroked his back and sat back in my chair.
***
The sun shone brightly through the blinds. My back and neck ached from the angle I laid on the couch. I didn’t even know when I fell asleep.
Lucifer woke up when I moved and he jumped angrily down. I got up too and put some coffee on in the kitchen. While the coffee brewed I took a quick shower. I braided my black hair tightly and brushed my teeth.
When I got dressed a fold piece of paper fell out of my closet. I opened it, already knowing what I will find.
It was a picture of me and my mom a few years ago. It was before she got sick and I became an assassin. Life was still bright back then. I never thought I would become a cold blooded killer back then.
“Oh, mom…” I murmured as I stared at the photo. My mom’s brown eyes shone brightly. My arm was around her shoulder and my similar brown eyes looked happy as I stared into the camera.
A few days after the photo was taken my mom got sick and we lost everything in debt.
All the money I made was used to pay debts and hospital bills.
My mom probably thinks I have forgotten her but I can’t see her knowing that I’ve killed so many people. She wouldn’t understand why I am doing this. I’m not even sure if I will ever be able to forgive myself for what I’m doing.
I threw the photo on my bed and left the apartment, locking the doors behind me. It was still early in the morning and the building was quiet. The cold December wind blew violently through my hair, creating a black curtain in my face.
There was a small coffee shop on the corner of the street where I lived. I spent the remaining time I had off in there, indulging myself in their famous hot chocolates.
This early in the morning the coffee shop was quiet so the service was faster. I walked up to the counter and when the small girl behind it saw me, she smiled. “An extra-large hot chocolate coming up.”
I flashed her one of my biggest smiles and took a seat at the counter. “Could I get a blueberry muffin with that, please?”
“Sure, thing.” She grabbed a muffin in a plastic container behind her. It was still warm. When she handed it to me, I opened it and took a big bite of it. I sighed as I chewed.
When my hot chocolate arrived I immediately took a sip. It was hot, but not scolding. I loved it like this.
When I was finished and satisfied, I left the money on the counter and waved at the girl. She smiled after me as I left.
I didn’t look in front of me and bumped into a wall of solid muscle. I swore and looked at my shirt which was covered in coffee. When I looked up I saw that the guy I bumped into also had a huge coffee stain on his shirt. He looked at me in disbelieve and I scowled at him. When neither of us made a move to apologize, I just walked past him. I didn’t have time to apologize to a guy who spilled coffee on me.
The city was just starting to come alive. Small snowflakes started to fall around me. I stuck my tongue out and caught one. It melted instantly on my warm tongue. I’ve always loved the winter, especially when it snowed.
A car honked in front of me and I looked at it. A woman was waiting in it and there was a young boy who was getting in.
“Hey, lady!” I heard someone yell a few steps behind me.
When I turned around I saw the man from the coffee shop waving at me. I swore and kept on walking.
He called again, but this time he was closer. I spun around violently only to find my face a few inches away from his chest. I breathed in the smell of coffee and something else, then I took a few steps back. “I’m sorry?”
“What?” I asked.
“I’m waiting for your apology for bumping into me and then I will apologize for spilling coffee on you.” He crossed his arms.
I rolled my eyes and mumbled an apology. I turned around and started walking away. He grabbed my arm before I could leave.
“To make it up to you, I would like to ask you to have some coffee with me.” He waited, still holding my arm.
“Sorry, I have work to do.” I said and shrugged my arm loose. He let go and I felt his stare as I walked away.
Stupid guy, I thought.