the envelope slid across the table. i stopped it, by smacking my palm on it, looking up to the person on the other side.

"the money's inside - you get half now, half after the job." the man in a slick suit told me. i could work with that.

without sparing a word i nodded and the guy took that as a sign to stand up and leave through the only door in this small room, back into the nightclub. i stayed seated for a while, my hand still resting on the envelope. then i finally took it into my hands and opened it; inside i found a few pictures, a few stacks of money and a paper with some details. i spread everything out on the table in front of me, grabbing the paper sheet first.

NAME: Erwin Smith

HEIGHT: 188cm

ADDRESS: Rose-Wall-Street 13

OCCUPATION: Photographer

DEATH: Kidnap him, torture him some, take some pictures and then kill him. As painful as you can.

i scrunched my eyebrows and looked at the picture. of course i asked myself the same question, as i always do. why the fuck would anyone wanna have this dude dead? i sighed. they never do include any explanations. whatever. then i looked over to the money stacks and they seemed to be the right amount. well, money is money, i guess.

i neatly put the sheet and the pictures back into the envelope, before taking it with the money to the front room; a flashy and loud nightclub. i squeezed my way through the sweaty bodies of dancing people toward the bar, where my friends were working. it was zoes shift at the moment, and she smiled when she saw me.

"here" i threw her the money.

"niiice." she smiled, before stowing it away. "i see you're doing your part."

"yeah." a moment of silence. "i gotta go." and before she could add anything to our wonderful conversation, i had turned around and vanished into the mass of drunk human bodies.

i didn't loose any time and made my way to the guys address. no wait, not guys - targets. i made my way to my targets address. yeah.

thank fuck it wasn't one of these new fancy tall apartment buildings, but a rustic small house with wide windows. and no curtains. it's like the guy wanted to be spied on.

i sat down on a bench across the street and pretended to look at my phone, but i was watching the targets house.

as if on cue, a car pulled up and the target got out of the back, heading towards the door. he went inside and i followed him with my gaze as he took off his jacket and shoes. the guy did pretty mundane stuff, to be honest. get some leftover dinner, watch some TV, but then, he went up to his bedroom, which also didn't have any fucking curtains. who was this fucking clown.

then, the target started taking off his clothes and as much as i wanted, i couldn't peel my eyes off him. i creepily watched as he undressed himself fully, before heading to what i assumed was his bathroom, but it was on the other side of the house so i wasn't sure. from what i was able to see, the guy was pretty ripped. shit i mean the target.

fuck i'm acting as if this was my first contract, was i maybe tired?

i decided, that this had to be it; i was simply tired. but i wasn't gonna leave my position, so i rang up zoe.

"hey get to rose-wall-street 13 now, please. by car." i told her as soon as she picked up.

"sure?" she sounded confused, but i didn't really care to explain further.

about twenty minutes later, she pulled up in her rather spacious car and grinned at me through an open window.

"hey there, short stuff!"

"shut up." i grumbled, before adding, "i need your car. for like the next day or so."

her smile disappeared. "why?" a bit of concern soaked through her voice.

"well, i gotta follow this guy for a bit." i simply stated. yet when she just stayed quiet, i promised her, that i wouldn't damage her car and that i'll be careful with it. honestly, her concern was valid, since i wasn't the best at driving, but i needed it.

zoe finally agreed. "but you owe me one, aight? we'll go drinking." although that idea was by far one of my worst nightmares, i didn't object, leading her to happily throw me her car keys over, before exiting the vehicle and happily skipping away, probably toward a metro station.

i got into the drivers seat and closed the car door behind me. closing my eyes, i almost instantly drifted away, into somewhat calm dreams.

disoriented i looked around and remembered where i was and what i was doing. with a quick look at the targets house, i determined, that he was still sleeping. it was now almost six in the morning. grumpily i stared at the windows until there was movement. he was very hectic, throwing on clothing and rushing downstairs to the kitchen, while texting on the phone.

not long after, a car pulled up and the target stepped out of the house and into the car. i of course, started the engine of the car i was in, remembering to take it slow. unsuspiciously i followed the other car, until it stopped in front of a big office tower, into which the target rushed inside.

i decided to take my chances and head in after him. luckily for me, it was chaotic inside and i managed to slip inside, nobody paying attention to me. i even managed to get into the same elevator as the target, but it turned out to be only the two of us.

we awkwardly stood there, going up till the 22nd floor of this office. i could feel him stressing and checking his watch, which gave me a chance to fully look at the man.

he was tall, dirty blonde hair that looked like he just woke up (which he did when i thought about it). his blue eyes filled with stress and i could tell, that he didn't sleep all that well. maybe he could tell that he was being watched? when i looked at him like this, i couldn't shake the feeling that i had met him somewhere. the stranger looked familiar, i was sure of that. his eyes, his hair... something about his hands... but no. he was a stranger. a target. MY target. why couldn't i just concentrate.

the elevator pinged and we both stepped out. to the left side, was a door, that led to a divorce lawyers office, to the right a photography studio. the target went right, as i had suspected and i pretended to go left, to avoid suspicion. now, that i knew exactly where he worked, i left the building, getting to a small coffeeshop near the building. i pulled out my phone and typed in, his studios name.

surprised, i read that he was working with some big names and that he was pretty good at his job, the pictures on the page as proof. yet when i read, that he was also available for photo shootings with anyone, i clicked on the linked number to the office.

"hello? monochrome pictures here, how can i help?" a friendly sounding secretary answered almost immediately.

"yes, hello, i'd like to make an appointment - you do make photoshoots, right?"

she laughed slightly, before saying warmly "of course. how about tomorrow in the afternoon?"

"perfect."

"could i also maybe get your name?" shit. i couldn't obviously give her my real one.

"Le- e." i quickly looked around and my eyes fixated on a tree in front of me. "Lee Wood."

"Alright, Mr. Wood, see you tomorrow!" and before i could say anything more she hung up.

i stayed in that cafe, looking out the window for quite some time, before i got bored and drove back to rose-wall-street, managing to keep zoes car in one piece.

i'm unsure if this is written in the same tone as the previous chapter, but i hd fun writing this. :))