Lodging and Lingering

Alex sat down at the bar for a meeting with his newest client. He was used to some unusual people after all of his time in MI6 and Scorpia. The bar was nearly empty. Alex watched as a man silently glided over the floor. More than a few people stepped away. Alex felt his hair stand on end as the man sat down next to him. It was one of the palest people he'd ever met. The man lowered his sunglasses and Alex saw red irises. "I have, as they say, a condition."

The man's accent seemed a little off from the standard Italian one. Alex was used to southern Italy, so it was likely a regional difference. "Best of luck?"

The man's teeth gleamed oddly under the light. Alex reminded himself that he did not have to like his clients as long as they paid on time. "Quite alright. To business."

Alex gave him a look. It was fairly direct. "It is rare that I must contract out of my own organization, however, this requires delicacy and skill that my agents tend to…lack."

Alec nodded along. He was well used to the self-justifying rambles by now. Hopefully this wouldn't get messy, since it seemed to be a mob hit of some sort. Alex rather liked Italy and didn't want to have to leave for a few more years if he could help it. That said, the fee for killing a politician would make it worth his while. That he enjoyed murdering civil servants would just be a bonus. Alex blamed Alan Blunt for that. Besides, stabbing the man's friends and supporters in the government to death had been far too enjoyable. Scorpia had made him justify it with perhaps the longest mission report in the history of the organization but it had been worth all hundred and fifty pages of bureaucratic bullshit. "What do I call you?"

Alex causally raised his phone at the man. He settled back in his chair, rather like a cat shifting around. The red eyes glinted in the low light. Alex wondered if he could get blinded by the sun reflecting off of the man's skin. He answered after a pause. "I am Caius."

Alex nodded and handed him the phone. Caius typed his name in at a speed that even Alex would be hard pressed to match. Honestly, Alex was just relieved that there was nothing hysterically bad at this point. If he heard one more street name that sounded like king, emperor, or number one, he was going to start laughing one of these days. That would have been unfortunate. Most people did not share the same sense of humor as he did in black ops. Especially not people who wanted to hire him. Alex could smell the man next to him. He wondered what sort of cologne it was. Caius leaned in a little bit closer. "Would you like dinner or a drink?"

Alex knew better than to take food from anyone who offered. He answered truthfully. "I'm afraid I already had dinner and I don't drink on the job."

Caius shrugged. The man made no move to pick up the menu either. "My dietary restrictions do not permit me to eat here."

Alex nodded. Wheat allergies were probably a bitch in Italy. No pasta. No grain alcohols. Alex gently place a hand on the table. "So, my fees?"

Caius gave a singular nod. Alex looked at his clothes. All custom. All designer labels. All perfectly tailored to the man's frame. "We will pay whatever it costs. Do you require any unusual forms of currency? In addition to euros, dollars, and pounds sterling, we also offer many other options. One mercenary even wanted Spanish doubloons."

Alex nearly rolled his eyes at the mention of The Pirate. He gave mercenaries everywhere a bad name. "Euros sound fantastic, thank you."

Caius seemed a little more perky at that. Alex could imagine that those stupid little coins were hideously difficult to source. That said, he wondered vaguely what they needed a world class hacker for. None of his business, of course. "Excellent. You will receive half today and half on completion as is the standard in our organization."

Alex figured as much. This was pretty much how all the crime groups in the area worked for hits. Caius sniffed him. "Tell me a bit about yourself. Do you enjoy your job?"

Alex blinked. Was Caius…hitting on him? "Sometimes. It can get boring while you wait for the right angles or the right time, though."

Alex nearly flinched as Caius lay a cold finger on him. He blinked. "You like a challenge, then."

Alex shivered at the now ravenous look in the man's eyes. Oh, goody. The last time he'd gotten that look was when he'd made the mistake of actually asking Doctor Three about his new research project. Alex had genuinely thought it was a dumb one-off question. It had not been. Three had made a special paper just for him. Well, and himself, but who was counting? "You could say that."

Caius looked delighted. Alex was hoping that this was not a segue into some long bloody stories. He was here to sign pieces of paper, discover who he was shooting, and get his money. This was not a friendship meetup. "Tell me, are you familiar with Ancient Rome?"

Alec actually wasn't. Ian had him focus on more recent history and learning Latin. "Not really."

Caius let out a sigh. Alex had a sinking suspicion that he was about to be gifted a book or something. The man pulled out an illuminated manuscript. Alex was pretty sure it was a real one. Made of vellum and inks by monks. "Here, I think you will enjoy this. It contains obscure stories of the hunt."

Alex stared at the book for a second before putting on some gloves and tucking it into his jacket. It felt like desecrating a monument. "Thank you. Are you going to want it back?"

Caius looked amused. Alex wondered what the joke was. He probably wasn't going to know for a bit. "No. It is a gift. Your target is inside in an envelope. Non-acidic paper."

Alex nodded. He'd been given expensive gifts before by clients. This was a whole other level of expensive. "Thank you."

Caius didn't react at all. Alex hoped the man had heard him. They both rose from the table. Caius offered his hand. Alex shook it. "Until next time."

Alex raised a hand. The man glinted slightly as he passed the sunset. "Until next time."

Alex wondered if the man was trying to recruit him more permanently. He would just have to wait and see. The contest was in his email and the funds had already gone through. Alex opened the envelope to a name. Ah, well, he'd killed women before. Time to hunt.

Fin

Written for Prompt #74 by Zyzyax. This is the 31st work in the Winds of Change 2022 Alex Rider Prompt event, where a new prompt (plus a short 1-3K work) is posted every day. For more details, see the AO3 collection :) Want to discuss? Leave a comment beneath, or join the discord (Link on AO3 Fics or just PM me, lol).