Kill for Me

The First Mark

"You got a weapon?"

The hitman stared down the silhouette standing under the street lamps of the parking lot. He had told her a time and place, and finding her already waiting for him when he arrived had certainly scored her a few brownie points. At least she was demonstrating how seriously she was taking everything. But it would not account for much yet. Showing up early was a minor feat compared to what was still to come.

In answer to his question, Veronica reached behind herself and drew out a glock, holding it only a few inches in front of her so as not to wave attention to it. They were completely alone without so much as a car in the parking lot, but one could never be too careful. After she tucked it back in her pants, she adjusted her sweatshirt over it, then made her way up to him at a steady pace.

"That all you brought?" Pope asked her when she came to a stop in front of him.

"And my knife," she answered, making no move to draw it out as if she saw no need.

With a satisfied nod, he turned and began to lead the way to where he had parked his car, having tucked it away in an alley where it would hide within the shadows. The location they were headed to was a decrepit trailer park, several miles out of town. He had disclosed no details about their mark, leaving it to her to decide if she wanted to ask. It struck him as odd that so far there had been no questions from her about anything. Then again, he had not asked too many about her or her vendetta so perhaps she was simply trying to keep things even.

Truth be told, he had no idea how the night would play out. He still was not convinced this was even a good idea. All he knew was he was mighty curious to see just what exactly the cigarette smoking woman sitting in his passenger seat was capable of pulling off.

When they drew near, he reached to the dashboard and switched off his headlights, slowing the car to a crawl while taking extra care to feather the gas and make as little noise as possible. He needed to park somewhere they could make a quick getaway, but not close enough to draw attention. Veronica sat absolutely still in her seat, her eyes fixed on the road ahead of them, even after it disappeared as he pulled off into a cluster of bushes and killed the engine.

"Stick close, keep quiet, and do exactly what I tell you," he rasped in a tone just barely above a whisper. "And I better not see you pulling that gun unless I tell you to."

"I'm not stupid," she whispered back, earning a dangerous look from him. Reaching over to the door handle, he pressed a finger to his lips to once again drive home the need for silence, then popped open his door in a quiet manner which she mimicked exactly.

Their feet crunched quietly up a gravel path, the hour late enough that many of the residents had been sound asleep for hours now. The trailer he was headed for was located near the heart of the park, meaning there would be plenty of neighbors to overhear them if they made one wrong move. Not that any of them would be stupid enough to attempt to stop him. But he could only guarantee that when he was on his own. Having Veronica with him certainly changed things, and that was enough to nudge him out of his comfort zone.

When the door was in sight, he held out a hand to stop her, taking note of the outdoor lighting as well as any nearby trailers that still seemed to have residents who were very much awake. There was a path he could map out in his mind, allowing them to stick to the shadows. Unfortunately, the light to the one and only door was turned on which presented a risk. Even dressed in all black, they would both stand out and all it would take was a passing glance out the wrong window and everything could go to shit.

"New plan," he whispered to her. "I'm going in while you keep watch. Anyone sees us under that light, this is gonna go south."

"Then let's just turn it off," she whispered back.