The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 26/Breakfast

Each Assassin went down to breakfast separately. Each was followed by the other's robot to make sure they didn't pick up any weapons on the way down. What Ryder didn't know was that Zoe was wearing her poison ring all night. Zoe ordered orange juice and poisoned it. It was sneaky and underhanded, but necessary. Generally, she didn't do poison. It wasn't her 'style'. Other assassins don't feel assassination by poison was just cool enough. Some thought it practically wasn't an assassination, well not in the classic sense. Ryan had heard of her last job on Earth. Clearly, word was getting out to the assassination community. The jumping off the building to be caught by a space jumping robot was the kind of tactic which would earn you a brief nod of approval from the really cool assassins. The sort who never moved or removed their dark glasses even in the darkest night. Zoe wanted to keep the fame and go one better than 'banana girl'. First woman high assassin would do it. Ryan wasn't her target. Just an impediment. So she convinced her self something less creative, and less painful would be OK.

Ryan was, unfortunately, a few years her senior and clearly very experienced. Killing him would be a real chore. The knife fight in a lift was a draw. She needed an edge and by using poison in a ring meant she looked like she wasn't carrying any weapons was it. He wasn't expecting it and she wouldn't let him drink the poisoned orange juice until after 8 O'clock. So she kept her word to him.

She guessed he wouldn't move until eight to. Ryan did seem like a man of his word. He would probably use a bomb. Under the table would be good, but not if he was there. If he was late for breakfast she would slip to the toilets. She looked around. No clear shots. No vantage points. It was a good seat. She kept an eye on the human waiters. He would approach in uniform, then you might not recognise him approaching. After Cathy arrived killed either of them would be difficult. Ryan would prefer not to kill Cathy but

Then Ryan walked towards her followed by Jeeves. There was something about him which made her heart lift. As the elegant clock ticked in the corner the seconds drifted away in pleasant chat. She looked at Jeeves. Jeeves would normally carry a couple of doses of antidote with him. She found her self worrying the machine didn't have the injections0. While it was tempting to have something which would have 'no antidote' good assassination style dictated having a way of undoing poisoning your self or the wrong person. She found her self-wondering if she might give him the antidote anyway.

Ryan sat down and began "I was thinking on the way down. I'm not the man for you. People like me don't ... don't do this not for real. I don't do romance. I've decided we can't... meet tonight." Ryder said.

"It's not going to be any easier for me," Zoe said carefully not looking at the organic juice. "I've never felt like this before with someone."

"It's like the best and worst thing to ever happen to you?"

"yeah."

It was five minutes to eight. In three hundred seconds they would go back to killing each other.

"On the subject of real feelings will you do me a favour?" Zoe said.

"Possibly - what do you want?" Said Ryan sipping some coffee. Zoe kept her eyes off the orange juice and kept looking into his.

"It's Cathy. I know you just using her to do you your job, but she's clearly fragile. She's like ice in spring, delicate, you dating her for a long time might make her think - well she's met her one. I want you to split up with her in the nicest way."

"Well because it's you. What kind of split up are you thinking of? It's not you it's me split up, or hairs in the sink split up?" Said Ryan.

Two minutes to go until the truce was over.

Zoe "You seem to be an expert. Whatever will help with your cover, but gentle. She's as study as spiders web."

"It's not because of your jealous."