Dangerous Woman

Waiting

Liam sat in the hotel room, reciting the information that had been given to him once again, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He took off the gold band around his finger, twisting it so that it caught the light of the lamp, as he considered what he was about to do. After a short time, he stood up, then placed the band in the small zippered pouch of his computer bag. He paced around the small room, checking the black bag to make sure all that he would need was within; once he was satisfied, he slid it between the bed and the nightstand for easier access later.

This was his first solo assignment, and he was going to prove that he was perfectly capable of doing something like this on his own. He wanted to show that he didn't need assistance from anyone. The only help he needed was to make sure someone had eyes and ears on his target before he intercepted them.

Liam looked around the room once more, verifying that no papers were left out, and checked himself once in the mirror. His dark brown hair was slightly messy from how many times he had run his hands through it today, so he tried flattening it as best as he could. Once he was satisfied with the way the room was set, he took the room key and shoved it into his back pocket, grabbed his coat, walked out the door, and headed toward the bar across the street.

Just as the double doors slid open to the entrance of the hotel, the frosty evening air hitting him full force, he heard his cell phone chirp. He pulled the phone out of his coat pocket and read the brief message: 'Target is en route. ETA 20 minutes.' He nodded to himself, his jaw clenching as he crossed the street quickly, placing the phone back in his pocket. Liam entered the bar, scanning the area to confirm it was clear.

He saw a small table in the corner that had a good view of the door as well as the bar. The place was considered one of the higher end bars in the area, already decorated for Christmas with lights that hung tastefully in the plants around the tables, giving off an elegant but homey feeling.

He strode over to the small table, took his coat off, and sat down. The door opened with a gust of wind accompanying it, and he looked up. Two older women walked in, bundled against the chill, and spotted a table on the opposite side of the bar where two more women sat, smiling and waving at the newcomers. Liam relaxed when he realized none of them were his target.

He had memorized every detail that was given to him in the manila envelope that had arrived just this morning. According to the instructions, he was to seduce the young redhead, whose grainy picture was within, take her back across the street, and then somehow extract the information his agency so desperately needed. If his target refused to talk, he was to kill her and let the clean-up crew handle the mess. It would be a long time before he'd ever be given a new target if he failed this mission; at least that's what his gut told him.

A waitress with blonde hair, a slender figure, and light eyes approached him, asking for his order. He glanced at the small selection of microbrews the establishment had to offer. He settled on a stout that he thought sounded decent, but didn't order anything to accompany it so he could maneuver himself if he had to. The waitress walked off to fill his order, and he leaned back in the chair, his brown eyes flitting toward the door every time it opened. After his beer arrived, he checked the time on his phone, noting that his target should be here any second.

His nerves began to rise slightly as the minutes ticked by and there was still no sign of the young redhead anywhere. So much was riding on the information this woman had. In fact, the next phase of the operation wouldn't be able to continue without it.

The volume of chatter in the bar began to rise as a large crowd came in; from the look of their attire and happy faces, they appeared to be celebrating some occasion. Liam's eyes scanned the group quickly, but still there was no sign of his target. He was just at the point of leaving, thinking he'd been played, when suddenly the door opened and a petite redhead walked in.