Call of Revenge: Hitman in the City

Ch-5 : Secret Meeting

Unexpectedly finding the name 'Robert Wendell' on the dark web, Jack's interest piqued. He clicked on the message to find out how much the job posting was offering.

But a frown immediately appeared on his face when he saw the actual amount. A hundred thousand fricking dollars!

"$100,000 to take out a car wash owner?" he muttered to himself, baffled by the price quoted by the person posting the bid.

The life of a man who, on the surface, appeared to be nothing more than an average car wash owner, now carried a price tag that didn't make any sense.

Jack couldn't fathom why anyone would be willing to pay such a hefty sum to murder someone so insignificant?!

Jack typed away on his keyboard, trying to figure out the motives behind this mystery… did anyone else have a personal grudge against him? Or did that snake have any other dark secrets?

Although he had left this job long ago, he was still familiar with how things worked. And his experience had taught him that this industry operated on a different scale– a few thousand dollars were enough to seal a deal if the person hired to kill was a punk.

Moreover, the target's profile typically dictated the price. And a car wash owner didn't exactly align with the usual high-profile hits.

The mystery deepened as he noticed the payment method, which was listed as "Cash in Person." Even this was quite unusual, as the clients often opted for non- traceable methods like crypto currency and tended to avoid any unnecessary interactions.

None of these things seemed to add up, which triggered an urge to meet the commissioner.

After some thinking, Jack quickly typed out a text message, and sent it using an anonymous account instead of his own.

"I am interested in your offer. Let's meet and discuss this in person?"

A few minutes later, the screen flickered and a message appeared.

"Come to the abandoned car park near the Hawk's mall, at 7 o'clock."

Jack was getting more confused, as it was an odd choice this person. This person either knew too much about this world, or nothing at all.

He asked;

"How will I recognize you?"

"Don't worry, you'll find me."

_____

The abandoned car park was completely silent on the moonless night, mostly illuminated by the light from neighboring buildings.

Jack walked forward with calculated steps, his eyes and ears on alert as he was searching for the person who had called him here.

The air was musty and the smell of petrol was ingrained into every corner of the large parking garage.

As Jack emerged from the shadows, he noticed the presence of two other figures, standing at a distance.

The first one had an imposing silhouette, and his bulging muscles were evident, even through his well-worn leather jacket.

While the first one seemed like a seasoned killer, the other man seemed like an unlikely competitor. Just his physical appearance showed a distinct lack of professionalism.

The awkward bulging at the ankles and the frumpy, ill- fitted trouser waist was a clear contradiction to the intimidating and composed aura expected of a veteran in the trade.

On the contrary, there was an array of weapons in the holster around his waist, which gleamed ominously as the light reflected from the metal.

But in spite of carrying all these weapons, the nervous energy radiating from his body language could not be hidden. Anyone would be able to tell that he was a novice, and seemed to be quite uneasy with stepping into these murky waters.

As Jack assessed the situation, a wave of caution washed over him. Why had the commissioner invited not one, but two additional players? The disparity in their profiles made the situation even more intriguing.

The tense stillness of the abandoned car park was abruptly disrupted as a masked woman emerged from the shadows, draped in a long black coat that billowed out behind her in the night breeze.

Her face was covered by a black mask, which only heightened the atmosphere of secrecy. Her hair was secured in a tight bun, but she seemed to be somewhat young.

"Oh, all three of you are here. Good." Her voice filtered through the mask, as she continued.

"I want all of you to work together and make sure that the target is killed. After this job is done, the three of you will split the prize money amongst yourselves," she declared, her masked gaze shifting between the trio of killers.

Jack couldn't help but notice the paradox of the situation. He observed the woman closely, and despite her efforts to conceal her identity, it was clear that she had a great figure.

Although she seemed to be composed on the surface, but her voice betrayed a slight tremble… he understood that she was actually quite afraid of being in the vicinity of killers, and interacting with them.

It was clear that the girl didn't trust them, but it wasn't even her fault… right? Their profession was such that it made it hard to trust any human who was capable of killing another person, regardless of who they were– just for the sake of money…

While Jack was lost in his thoughts, a sudden harsh voice pulled him back into the immediate reality.

"Hey, you!"

The killer with an arsenal of weapons had turned his attention toward Jack, and looked at him from top to toe with a judgemental glance before he asked.

"What have you brought to prepare for this mission?"

A subtle edge of suspicion was present in his words, and Jack was caught off guard by the direct question.

He met the man's gaze and responded honestly, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal,

"I've got nothing, mate! I'm broke, so I didn't prepare anything."

A flicker of displeasure crossed the man's face, which was not hidden from anyone.

To him, Jack's lack of preparation seemed unprofessional.

At least the other guy had his burly physique and it looked like he could easily take down another person by his force alone. But this loser? He was neither fit to look at, nor was he carrying any weapons!

In his eyes, Jack was completely unworthy of standing next to him. He had expected to be meeting hardened killers, and someone as feeble as a streetwalker couldn't possibly be his competitor.

He didn't say anything and just scoffed, but the meaning was clear: why should he share the money with someone who didn't even have a gun?

The other killer remained silent for now, but his eyes betrayed an attitude of acquiescence. It was as if he quietly agreed with the criticism of this third man, who was greedily demanding their share of the money without having any skills or strength.

The client had initially decided to seek the assistance of three individuals, each harboring their own deadly skills, so that they would work together and hence, increase the probability of success.

*****