I know FFdotNet has forbade and made obsolete the in-post replies to reviews, but I feel this is necessary, all things considered.
Punker88: I do love feedback, but make up your mind. Reviews as short and pointless as the ones you've been giving me say you'd rather be doing something else. Either give a decent review (what is it you like about the chapter, story, whatever), or don't bother reviewing, please. I don't mean to be harsh, but it gets irritating after a while.
DISCLAIMER: HA!
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PART THREE
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The Deal
God, please give me the courage to do whatever I have to in order to get Buck back, Chloe prayed silently before getting out of the Range Rover. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and tried not to think about how the owner of this place had gained the money to buy the enormous Gothic stone building in front of her. Despite the fact that that was exactly what she had come to him about.
She strode to the door with confidence she didn't feel, and used the doorknocker to give the door a few hearty thumps. Almost immediately it swung open. It didn't creak like she had half expected it to, even though the hinges looked as old as sin. And just as ugly, Chloe thought. The maid who had answered the door gave her a smile that showed she'd probably had surgery to plump up her lips, greeting her far too cheerfully for a place as spooky as this.
Chloe was a good fifteen minutes early for her appointment. The maid showed her to a sitting room with beautiful furniture that fit with the old Gothic theme of the mansion and looked about as comfortable as if it had been made of pins and needles. The maid left, and Chloe kept herself occupied with scanning the titles of the books on the many tall redwood bookshelves.
A voice behind her startled her just after she'd started on the second bookcase. "It was kind of you to come early, Miss."
She didn't think she could ever get used to associating such a kind, soft voice with someone so cold-hearted. "I make it a point to be punctual," Chloe said, turning to face the man.
He nodded, and replied, "As do I. So who is our man?"
Chloe dug in her purse and retrieved a photograph to show him. He whistled, raising an eyebrow. "My, but you do have high expectations, Miss." He looked her squarely in the eye, and the gentleness about the young man quickly faded. A cold, hard demeanor came over him. "I do love a challenge."
"Good. Take your time-- as much as you need to do it right. And be careful." Chloe handed the man a wad of cash, the second to the last of five payments.
The man smiled coldly, sending a shiver of fear down her spine. "An assassin is always careful."
The man with the dark, curly brown hair stepped up to the flight attendant who was taking flight tickets. He gave her a friendly smile. She smiled back, a pretty young thing who was probably not long out of high school. She pushed back her bangs, though none had fallen into her eyes, and glanced at his ticket. "Have a nice time in New Babylon, Mr. Godwin."
The dark-haired man just maintained his smile and headed for the plane. After all, he couldn't really say he would have a nice time. As good as he was at his job, he didn't necessarily like it. But, he reminded himself, it pays the bills. And that's what matters. He shuddered the slightest bit as he boarded the plane. All that matters.
The dark-haired man got off the plane as Nathaniel Godwin, and checked into a hotel not far from the Global Community building as Alex Coleman. As he entered the hotel lobby, he habitually began to mentally map out escape routes. He'd never been caught yet, but... just in case.
When that was over with, he went downtown to a specific bar he'd arranged to meet an old friend at. The kind of old friend who dealt in handguns and silencers. Then he could start making observations of the mark.
