Prologue It all started one night at bar. I was in my normal Friday routine, drinking Jack Daniels and playing Hold ‘em. The atmosphere was lax and the room buzzed with friendly conversation. The bartenders were filling up glasses everyone was having a good time. The only weird thing was the old guy passed out drunk in the corner (but even that wasn’t too out of the ordinary). I was pretty excited. I had just beaten this guy with two pairs (nines over jacks) with a strait flush (eight through queen) and busted him. This meant he went all in and lost. He must have been really drunk to have bet that much on two pairs. The dealer called for a fifteen minute break. I thought about getting more whiskey but decided against it I sauntered over to the bathroom and passed a guy in a black trench coat and hat. He slipped something into my back pocket of my khakis and kept walking. I resisted the urge to turn around. I swung open the door of the bath room and took it out. It was a playing card, the ace of diamonds. That was my signal that this guy had a job for me. Scrawled on the back of the card was out back in fifteen. When I left the restroom I scanned the room for my employer he had disappeared. This guy was a slippery figure; I patted my jacket for my gun. I knew it was there it was nice to be reassured though. I sat down and played a few rounds of poker but I simply could not focus. Finally I went out back. The man was waiting for me. I approached him with a nod and he returned it. The first thing I said was “you rang?” He grunted. What a sense of humor I thought. “I assume you have a name?” I asked. In a gruff voice he answered. That’s not important… but this is. And he gave me an envelope. I briefly glanced down at it. When I looked up the parking lot was empty. Like I said a slippery figure.
