Killing Game

by Felicity Heaton

  “Promise me... you’ll be careful.” Lily felt her insides quivering with nerves as she locked eyes with him. For some inexplicable reason, she got the feeling that he was going to be in danger.

  “Promise, sweetheart. Get some sleep.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Night, Cain.”

  “Night, love.”

  Leaning against the doorframe, she watched him walk down the corridor and then closed the door, sighing as she put each lock back into place. Turning to look at her apartment, she wrapped her arms around herself. It suddenly looked cold and empty. Her eyes roamed it until they came to rest on something. She walked straight to the phone and picked it up, dialing a number in.

  It seemed like it was ringing for forever at the other end.

  “Hello?” a quiet female voice echoed down the line to her.

  “Sarah? It’s Lily.”

  “Lily? Oh my God! Where are you?” The girl’s voice became hysterical.

  “New York,” Lily replied calmly, holding the phone tightly to her ear.

  “Wow,” Sarah breathed quietly.

  “Sarah... you want to come and stay with me?” Her voice was small and unsure as she spoke the words, hope evident in them.

  There was a long pause.

  “Are you with Andrew?” came the cautious reply.

  “No... he... you were right about him... life’s been... insane... but in a good way, you know? There’s so much to tell you... will you?”

  Another long pause.

  “I’ll be there tomorrow. I’ve enough saved for a plane ticket. Dad’s in LA on business, he won’t know I’m gone until it’s too late. Do you want me to bring some things with me?”

  Lily sighed, her heartbeat becoming steady once more. “Yeah. Thanks, Sarah. Call me as soon as you know your flight. I’ve missed you.”

  “Missed you, too.”

  Dropping her gaze to the floor as she put the phone down, Lily heaved a long sigh and thought about her evening, the mixed emotions that had surfaced and how good it had felt to be held tight in Cain’s arms. Looking around her apartment, she hugged herself again and thought about him, and how warm her place had felt when he’d been there with her.

  “I miss you,” Lily whispered and furrowed her brows.

  * * *

  Cain unlocked his spare bedroom door and swung it open, steeling himself for a moment before reaching around the corner and flicking the light switch. As the room became brightly lit, he frowned at the sight in front of him and the conflict it evoked.

  His eyes scanned the walls. Row upon row of cabinets and drawers lined them. All of them were full of weaponry. His gaze worked around the room. He bypassed every gun until he saw his Dragunov SVD rifle—the one he’d used the night he met Lily.

  He frowned hard at it and then ran his eyes over the other guns present, from his favored Walther P99 handguns to his Galil SAR rifle, down to the MP5 SD4 and the MP5 SD5. The sight of them turned his stomach. Tonight’s release of his feelings and the memories of all the people he’d killed made the upcoming job seem like bitter poison to his soul.

  As his eyes came to rest on the case containing the weapon he’d be using on the Boston contract, he clenched his jaw, knitting his brows tightly as he struggled for control over his emotions. Standing in the middle of the room, he felt as though he was surrounded by death. They were weapons that he’d killed countless people with, killing machines that he treated like toys.

  The thought of Lily and her unceasing interest in this room made his insides swirl, his head aching at the vision it inspired—her, in this room, surrounded by all these weapons and looking mortified at him.

  Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. He could still smell Lily on him, her light perfume scenting his clothes and making him hate himself even more than he already did, if that was possible.

  “God, I miss you,” he mumbled down at the floor and then frowned, cursing himself for giving in to the feelings she aroused.

  Shaking his head, he tensed and pushed all thoughts of her out of his head as he focused on the job ahead of him.

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  “So, what do you think?” Lily held the door open and waited for her sister’s reaction to her apartment.

  “Snug.” Sarah smiled. “It really has two bedrooms? You don’t mind if I stay? I promise I won’t get under your feet.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” Lily pushed a loose strand of long brown hair behind her sister’s ear and smiled softly. “Make yourself at home.”

  Dumping her bags down in the middle of the floor, Sarah immediately spread herself out on one of the couches. Lily shook her head and walked into the kitchen to get them some drinks. It felt nice having company, having her sister around again. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed her.

  She couldn’t believe how Sarah had grown in the past few weeks. She was taller than herself now, but she would always be her little sister no matter how much she towered over her. As far back as Lily could remember, Sarah had had long brown hair along with big brown eyes that seemed to be able to get her everything. Their mother had always surrendered the second Sarah had pulled out her puppy dog expression, and now that she’d perfected it through years of constant use, Lily realized that she’d probably be using it on every boyfriend she ever had.

  “Lily?” Sarah called out from the living room. “Are you smoking now?”

  “No,” Lily said flatly, a frown wrinkling her nose as she pulled two sodas from the fridge.

  “Then what’s this?”

  Walking back into the living room and placing the cans down on the table, Lily looked at the battered silver Zippo in her sister’s hand. She took it from her and ran her fingers over it, her lips twitching into a slight smile.

  “It’s Cain’s, it must have fallen out of his jacket last night.”

  Sarah raised her brows and sat up, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.

  “That’s the most interesting thing you’ve said since I arrived.” She curled up sideways on the couch and smiled wide when Lily slipped the lighter into her jeans pocket. “So, tell me more about this Cain.”

  Lily giggled. It had been too long since she’d had the opportunity to gossip with a girl and her sister was the best at it.

  “He found me in the alley outside Andrew’s place. I’d just discovered that I’d been more than naïve. It was really late, pouring down with rain and there was a loud bang, like a gun going off. I panicked, and the next thing I knew was this guy appearing from nowhere and taking me to safety.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened. “Wow, what happened... I mean, did someone get killed?”

  “Yeah. If Cain hadn’t grabbed me I really think the police would’ve suspected it was me who had killed the guy.”

  “Lucky for you Cain showed up.” Sarah wiggled her brows mischievously. “Didn’t he try to, you know... pretty girl... dark alley... all alone?”

  Lily’s frown intensified. “No. He was so sincere, and the more I told him about my situation, the more he seemed to genuinely want to help me.”

  “So, he’s like your guardian angel? Is he a cute guardian angel?”

  Lily giggled at her sister’s question.

  “Yeah.” She smiled. “He’s got like, the body of Bruce Lee, just the right side of six foot so I can rest my head against his chest perfectly.” She sighed. “When I’m with him, I feel protected, like I’m safest when I’m in his arms. Last night when he came to the club I work at... he held me so tight, Sarah, I wished he’d never let me go.”

  Sarah looked at her with a knowing smile. Lily dropped her gaze, staring blankly at her hands as she toyed with the hem of her jeans.

  “You are so totally in love with this guy, aren’t you?” Sarah said.

  Lily tried to ignore her sister’s observation and continued as though she hadn’t heard it. “Did I mention he’s British? He’s got the hottest accent, and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen... they’re just...
there are no words.”

  “Got to love an accent. He sounds pretty dreamy. When do I get to meet him?” Sarah grinned and Lily gave her a frown that said she wasn’t giving up Cain to her little sister.

  “He’s out of town tonight on business, hence the calling in sick to work. I don’t think I can face that club knowing that he isn’t around to come and see me.”

  “You’ve got it pretty bad for this guy, Lily. Even when you were dating Andrew, you didn’t go all mushy like this. Is he really that perfect?” Sarah watched her closely and Lily got the feeling that she was being scrutinized.

  “I think he’s got the purest heart that I’ve ever known. I can’t fault him.” Lily smiled dreamily as she thought about him and then giggled slightly. “He’s so saintly he’s practically worship able.”

  * * *

  Cain kicked the door to the room open and scanned it—no sign of inhabitants other than rats and cockroaches, and no sign that he was going to get interrupted.

  Setting his heavy bags and case down, he moved silently to the window and peered down into the street below him. His position was at least seven hundred meters from the location for the hit but it didn’t worry him. The more time for escape he had, the better. Plus, he was using the kind of gun that wouldn’t be bothered by such a trifling distance. It wouldn’t be bothered by double that distance. Slipping his earpiece around his ear, he heaved a sigh to steady himself, expelling all lingering feelings of doubt and all fear. Russ was supposed to be setting up nearer the main location a few buildings down from him. He should be there by now.

  “You in position?” Cain wriggled the earpiece until it was comfortable, fitting snug inside his ear. He felt as though he was babysitting Russ as he stared down into the street.

  There was no need for him to be there. Russ had all the experience he needed to do a hit alone.

  He frowned. This was his first out of town assignment since his alleyway cock up, and he wondered if it was the reverse and Russ was babysitting him. Sometimes he wished he had chosen to go it alone and not work for an organization. Choosing his own contracts at his own pace would have been so much better.

  “Pretty much. It’s a nice view from up here, air is clear and I can see girls galore entering the hotel,” came the reply from Russ.

  Cain shook his head at how unprofessional he was.

  “Go silent. You miss, you get out of there. I’ll take second.”

  “One thing.” Russ spoke quickly, clearly hoping to grab Cain’s attention.

  It worked.

  “What?” He sighed, eyeing the street and memorizing all the possible problems—the fading evening light, the flow of traffic, witnesses, police.

  “Last night. Did you kiss her?”

  Cain closed his eyes and pictured Lily in his arms, his feelings for her coming back full force and causing him to ache inside.

  “Not really.” He found himself answering Russ.

  “Do you wish you had?” Russ’s voice was questioning, and Cain didn’t even need to think about what he’d asked before answering him.

  “Every second since I left her,” he sighed.

  “You thinking about her?”

  “Constantly.”

  “Sounds like love, man. I hope you crazy kids work it out.”

  “Go silent.” Cain pulled the earpiece out and thought about what Russ had said.

  Whenever he thought about her, he ached inside. Was that what love was, or was that guilt? Staring down at the case in front of him, he narrowed his eyes and hoped to God that Russ didn’t miss his target. He couldn’t face killing tonight, not with the feeling of her holding him tightly so fresh in his mind.

  Unbuckling the case, he shut his emotions down as he ran his fingers over the lid and pulled it open. Kneeling in front of it, he slipped his black gloves on and let his fingertips trail over the cold hard steel of his Barrett Light Fifty. Pulling it out piece-by-piece, he started setting it up, the memory of the first time he’d used it in the field coming back to him.

  It had been a rooftop job, overlooking Central Park in broad daylight. The target had been a stockbroker, middle-aged, fat and responsible for losing his company millions of dollars. A slow target to start Cain off with his new toy. The shot that had killed him had travelled over half a mile with pinpoint accuracy, killing the man as he exercised.

  Back then Cain had reveled in the power of this new machine, its speed and precision. Now the sight of it sickened him.

  Positioning it near the window, he calculated whether he would have enough time to dismantle it before he was discovered. He stared at the street below him and frowned. If Russ missed then he was running a risk of being caught in this position. Worst-case scenario, he would take the shot and dump the gun.

  Loading eight rounds into the ten round clip, he leaned back against the tattered bed, frowning as the last bullet clicked into place and then running his fingers down the clip before placing it down on the floor beside him. Pulling a cigarette out of his packet, he fumbled in his pockets for his lighter and then realized he was missing it.

  “Lily...” Cain sighed and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the sight of the weapons around him as the images of her flooded his mind.

  * * *

  Lily lit the candles on the table and then flicked the Zippo shut. She stared at it for a few seconds before slipping it back into her pocket.

  Sarah returned from disposing of the remains of their Chinese food and sat back down on the sofa next to her.

  “So, is he your boyfriend?” Sarah took a sip of her coke.

  Lily stared at the candles blankly, her thoughts a million miles away with Cain.

  “No.”

  “But you’d like him to be?”

  “Yeah.” Lily sighed and moved her eyes to meet her sister’s.

  Sarah smiled and looked around the apartment. Lily looked there too. It was tiny compared to their father’s home in Los Angeles, it was tiny compared to the little house that her and Sarah had lived in with their mother, but somehow it seemed more like a home than any of them.

  “Bet it’s really expensive here,” Sarah said, looking back at her.

  Lily looked awkward. “I wouldn’t know, not yet.”

  “Huh?”

  “Cain paid the deposit and first month’s rent. He found me this place,” she said quietly, her eyes falling to rest on the couch and her thoughts replaying sitting there with him the night before.

  “Uh huh... kept woman are we?”

  “No, Sarah. He only helped me because I asked him to. I didn’t want to end up in some run down motel somewhere.”

  “He must really like you.” Sarah’s voice was quiet. “I wish I had someone like Cain.”

  “What makes you say that?” Lily’s heart hammered against her chest. Her mind desperately tried to dismiss anything her sister was going to say in case her heart got the idea Cain really loved her.

  “He protects you, sets you up with a job and a place to live, tells you he won’t let anyone hurt you... you must be blind, Lily. I don’t even know the guy and I can tell he must have feelings for you.”

  “I’m not blind, Sarah.” Lily frowned at the way her heart was pounding harder, her body warming through from her sister’s observation. “I know he likes me, but there’s so much I don’t know about him. Sometimes I feel like he’s holding things back, hiding them from me. I’m not seeing the complete picture that is Cain.”

  Her look turned pensive, her thoughts weighing her down as she mulled over everything she’d said.

  “Maybe he’s protecting you from himself... or something... maybe he’s got some dark secret and he’s scared that you’ll hate him if you found it out.” Sarah giggled mischievously when Lily’s eyes grew wider and wider. “Ooh! Maybe he killed the guy in the alley.”

  “Sarah!” Lily frowned for real this time and folded her arms across her chest. “That is so not funny.”

  Sarah gave her a sheepish look and her tone turned
low and cautious. “What if he did, Lily? Would it change how you feel about him?”

  Lily toyed with her can of Coke as she thought about it. It was stupid to even be considering the possibility, but she decided to go along with her sister’s weird ideas about Cain.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so... Sarah, stop putting stupid thoughts into my head.” She curled up on the couch and pouted as her little sister giggled at her.

  “Sorry. He sounds too sweet to be a killer anyway... he’s just a black clad hunk of mystery.”

  Lily smiled and shook her head.

  “Yeah.” She sighed and turned her head to look out the window at the fading afternoon light. “A real mystery.”

  Her thoughts turned to wondering what Cain was doing, and she pictured him down a bar in Boston, a bourbon held firmly in his hand as he talked to the guy she’d seen him with last night.

  * * *

  Cain lined his sights up and blinked rapidly to clear his vision. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was nearing the time of the hit. He slipped his earpiece back in and rolled his shoulders to loosen up, trying to ease the tension in his body.

  “Five minutes,” he whispered into the piece.

  “I’m good to go,” Russ replied.

  Cain hoped he was telling the truth. This was only the fifth time that Russ had been lead man with him and each time he’d grown cockier to the extent that it now irritated him.

  Pride leads to a fall. He couldn’t help thinking it as he tapped his trigger finger against his gun, waiting patiently for the five minutes to while away.

  He hated having to work with others. Being alone on a job meant he could do things his way without worrying about anyone else. He didn’t have to baby sit someone less experienced. He swore his boss was trying to lure him into screwing up. Every time a client demanded that their expenditure was worth two people working the contract, he always paired him with Russ.

  Flexing his fingers, he took a deep breath and looked into the gun’s sight. It was trained on the hotel doors.