Incompatible Means (Completed)

Chapter 2

          After dropping off Robert's head to an employee of the Cortez family, luckily not the family itself, I made it to Jack's office in Spindale by mid-morning. If you could call the cluttered back room in the back of a historical movie theatre an office. My debriefing was supposed to start half an hour ago, so I left the door to the office open, watching the interior of the dust-ridden theatre. There was a stage off the far wall of the auditorium covered in opulent velvet curtains, now tattered with age. The walls were unnecessarily intricate with moldings and faux windows lit by decrepit chandeliers.

          Chewing my bottom lip, I paced the small office moving things around just to piss off the old man. Jack didn't usually make me wait around for him. Considering the previous night I wasn't in the best of moods to wait. I was sure I could get this new job done quick, maybe a daylight slaying, and be on the hunt for the mystery vamp later tonight.

          What seemed like forever Jack strolled into the office at a leisurely pace, not bothering to acknowledge my obvious irritation. He carried a file folder in his hand, stacking it on top of others littering his desk. Expertly he avoided the clusters of teacups, filled with varying amounts of liquid, in search of a pen. How he kept the fresh tea separate from the spoiled tea, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. The few grey hairs in his ash blond hair glimmered when the air kicked on, shifting his meticulous haircut.

          "All right, Ace?" he asked with the barest hint of English accent.

          Arching my brow I simply nodded. The crows feet at his eyes became pronounced as he carefully perused my body, concern shown in the tightness of his lips. Despite my raging emotions, I smiled at him, it was nice to have someone care if you made it back ok from a job. Even if it was an infuriating, emotionally stunted prick like Jack. Obviously satisfied with what he saw he refocused on my face as he spoke.

          "We received payment from Cortez, it has been divided up. Your portion should already be in your accounts. Anything else to report?" he asked in an off-handed way that had my shoulders tensing. He must have noticed for he quickly added, "Other than the additional vampire?"

          Clenching my teeth I gave a terse shake of my head, not wanting to start a screaming match or possibly throw one of those ridiculous teacups in his face. Instead, I pushed the conversation forward, "So what's this new job you've got lined up that is so important?"

          To the untrained eye, Jack probably looked relaxed with his hand resting on his chin as if in thought. His rigid spine and tense shoulders could just be the symptoms of twenty years as an assassin and the ten or so working as a handler for death dealers like myself. He took care of finding me jobs while keeping me hidden from the monsters I hunted, in return, I paid him 15% of my earnings. But my appreciation was wearing thin as he waved away my question and instead asked me one of his own.

          "So how you been? What have you been doing in your downtime? You have a bloke you fancy, perhaps?" he rapid fired the questions in an effort to sound casual but failed miserably.

          "What?" I sputtered. Sure, Jack and I would occasionally shoot the shit. But talking about my sex life? Or lack of one, I should say. What in the hell has gotten into him? "What's going on? Are you worried about me old man?"

          When he didn't answer we sat in silence staring at one another, until I relented.

          "The usual. I'm keeping up my research, not getting very far, I feel like I'm constantly running into dead ends. I try to read a book here and there. And no there isn't a bloke I fancy." The last bit said a bit sarcastically.