Max stood on the hill overlooking a bleak, cold cemetery. He hung up his phone in frustration, unable to reach Aisha yet again. He had had to leave a message. He was becoming foolishly obsessed, and his business, he couldn’t afford to lose his edge, it could get him killed.
He became fully alert as he saw the figure move silently among the tombstones, and watched as she kneeled down and placed flowers on the grave, then bowed her head as if in prayer.
Looking around to be sure he wasn’t watched, he slid the small cell phone in his overcoat pocket, unbuttoned his coat, carefully reached for his shoulder holster, and withdrew the 9mm.
Slowly, he made his way to where the woman was. He was close enough to tell it was her, he could see the ’Eye of Horus’, brand on the back of her neck. He noticed other small changes though, he saw her inky hair was now cut very short, and it looked as if she had lost some weight. Her mahogany skin seemed to be dull, not vibrant like it once was. The past two years hadn’t been very kind to her.
Without turning, she said, “Max…you should be very careful when you approach. And that damn expensive cologne you wear is a real tip off, it always gives you away, won‘t you ever learn that?” the woman said with a chuckle that chilled him even in the frosty air.
Chuckling uneasily, he slowly holstered his weapon. He hated to appear paranoid, but one could never be too careful in his line of work. Besides, he should have known the minx would be well aware of his presence long before he ever got close enough to identify her. While extremely confident in his own prowess, he had never met anyone who could unnerve him the way this woman could. He looked down at the headstone, which read: Lost Angel: The Lost One that couldn’t be saved.”
“When will you move past this uecello piccolo (little bird)? Raven, this is consuming you.” he said, wanting to tell her she was too young and beautiful to let the demons of their work consume her.
She looked up at him, her dark oval face an unreadable mask. He could see years of hurt in the depths of her topaz eyes. “Some things, Max, can never be circumvented. Or avoided. If the nightmares would end, then, maybe….”
Touching the headstone once more, she finally stood, and he breathed a sigh of relief as she slid the Smith and Wesson ® 8 shot handgun back in the holster behind her back. He had no doubt she had more than just that on her person, he also knew she was as deadly as any man he’d ever known.
“You didn’t come to inquire about my health….” she said as she slipped on dark Vera Wang sunglasses.
Slowly reaching inside his coat he withdrew a thick envelope. “Payment for the last job, one hundred and ten thousand.”
She looked at him blankly, still silent.
“After reading the reports, we felt you deserve every dime, plus a little bonus.” he explained.
She gave him a small smile that made her face absolutely lovely, and it struck him that this was one of the few times he had ever seen her smile. Touching her side gingerly, she said, “No big deal, just a scratch, really. But I had to wait three damn days to get out of that hot ass, God-forsaken place.”
Max raised one eyebrow, not really believing that surviving three days in a rainforest with a potentially fatal knife wound was “no big deal,” and “just a scratch. “
Clearing his throat he said, “I have a job I need you to take care of as soon as possible.”
She took the envelope, all traces of the smile now gone. She slipped the envelope in her pea-coat jacket without bothering to check the contents, She knew that Max, of all people, knew better than to cross her.
He handed her another envelope, much smaller than the first. She opened it, unfolded the piece of paper inside, and read.
“I want him taken care of as soon as possible, he’s become a rather large…. complication for me. Name your price.”
Pulling a Zippo lighter from her pocket, she flicked it open, produced a flame, and touched it to a corner of the note.
He stood silently as he watched the thing go up in flames. When it was nearly consumed she dropped it, waited for the flames to flicker out and die, then ground the ashes underneath her boot.
“Two hundred thousand upfront, another hundred after the job’s done. Non-negotiable.” she said after a moment. Inwardly she was pleased. She had no doubt he would pay it, and such a princely sum would allow her to continue her own private hunt.
Without batting an eye he nodded in agreement. “Very well, but you must make sure it looks like an accident. He’s young, don’t use chemicals, it could be detected.”
She gave him a withering look, one that seemed to convey the message, Do your job, don’t tell me how to do mine…
He got the message.
She pulled a card from her pocket and handed it to him. “Call when you have the money ready.”
Taking the card, he glanced at it, knowing the number would only be good for one use, but it was a number that would unquestionably be answered within three rings, no matter the time of day or night.
“I’m staying at Thorn’s estate, I’ll call tomorrow night after the dinner party.” He purposely mentioned the man’s name, a name that once held sway over her very soul. If Thorn hadn’t been such a powerful and valuable contact, he would have killed him himself for the pain he had caused her. He watched her closely for a reaction, but the only visible sign was a slight ticking in her jaw.
“You still care for him?” he said, more to himself than her.
He could have sworn the air around them dropped several degrees as she said in an icy voice, “I’m no longer capable of caring for anyone, especially not him.”
Max watched her walk away, and put the card in his pocket. He looked down at the fresh bouquet of wildflowers and the new teddy bear, both leaning against the headstone.
For a brief moment he felt remorse at the decisions he had made in his life, the paths his chosen profession had taken him down.
Is it too late for redemption, for someone like me? Or her?….he thought as he looked up and searched for the retreating figure of the woman. But she was nowhere to be seen, she had vanished like a ghost. A gust frosty air hit him and he shivered, suddenly wanting very badly to leave this place of sorrow far behind.
Walking briskly in the direction of the beckoning warmth of his BMW, he nearly broke out into a full sprint.
Chapter 9
***************Several weeks later**********************
Aisha came to Connell, with both pets in tow. Abby and Shawn were gone, having departed recently with their grandmother to visit her sister in Ireland, and would return in a month. Their absence had made things a little uncomfortable for her, being alone with Connell, but ever since he had kissed her she had been very careful to avoid him.
Jonus smiled and waved at her from the almost completed barn. Pushing his shoulder-length blond hair out of his face, he chuckled to himself, thinking how for the last month Aisha had hinted she wanted to cut it. She had became the big sister he never had. He had discovered just how protective she could be when his father had showed up on the farm one day out of the blue, demanding that he quit his job and return home. When he had refused, his father had become downright rude and nasty. He had sneered and shouted, “You want to stay here working for some pissant farmer? From what I hear he’s got the morals of a dog in heat! Folks say he had some whore laying up here with him before his wife even died.”
Before he had been able to reply a voice from behind him had said, “I guess I’m the whore you’re talking about.”
He had spun around and saw Aisha standing there, and his father had turned red, pointed his finger and said, “You stay out of this, missy! This is family business!”
With the grace of a predatory cat she had boldly hooked her arm through his own, and said in a quiet, defiant voice, “You’re damn right this is family business, this man is part of this family. If he doesn‘t want to go with you, leave him be.”
His own courage fortified by her presence, he had spoken up
and said, “Dad, I’m not leaving.”
His father had glared at them both. He was a wealthy, powerful man, and one who had never liked his authority challenged by anyone. And he certainly wasn’t used to any of his children standing up to him. “So, you’ve managed to turn him against his own flesh and blood, huh? Have you been fucking him too? I’ll make damn sure you pay for this young lady, believe me! And that Godless heathen you’re shacked up with!” he had growled
She had remained cool, looked at the tips of her nails on her free hand in a bored manner, and replied, “I’m sure most people who know who you are would be shaking in their shoes right about now, but I’m just not feelin’ it, to be honest. But I will tell you this, you really, really don’t want to play hardball with me. My advice to you is this: In the future, Mr. Thompson, you better find out just who it is you’re dealing with before you talk to them any which way you please. While I don’t doubt your ability to make things hard for any of us, I can make your life a living hell also, believe it. All it would take would be one phone call. One phone call, and so much shit would rain down on you it would take you three lifetimes to dig your way out of it.”
“Now listen here, you sassy black bi…….”
He had been interrupted as she dropped her hand, looked him straight in the eyes and said, “And that’s just my ex-husband I’m talking about. We’re still on friendly terms, if you’re interested. And if I’m feeling particularly bitchy about it, there are more calls I can make. Yes! I can have friends from the IRS audit your fat-cat ass for the past twenty years. I have friends abroad who work for PETA, they can check up on your horse breeding practices, and trust me, they WILL find problems, I have a gut feeling they will, I really do! What, you thought no one in this gossipy community knows anything about your personal life? Think again. Then, just to make things more interesting, I also have a friend who’s a reporter for The New York Times, she could do some investigative reporting on your coal mines. Are they safe? Have OSHA officials ever been bribed? I can’t help but wonder….Since those eight poor souls died in that cave-in last year, the one in Kentucky, it does make a person wonder, doesn’t it? It would also be a golden opportunity for Ian Witherspoon‘s mining company to attempt a hostile takeover, wouldn‘t it? From what I‘ve read, he treats his workers rather well.”
He had stared at her in silence, all the color drained from his face.
She had smiled sweetly, then finished. “But we can be friends too, it’s all up to you! Make your choice, right here, right now. You can leave Jonus here, where he’s at peace with himself for the most part, or we can go at it tooth and nail. And you WILL lose.”
Tearing his gaze away from her, he had looked past their shoulders and stammered, “Are…are you going to let this woman have a say in what’s going on with your own farm?”
They had both turned and saw Connell standing behind them, a grim look on his face. “I caught that last bit, what’s going on here.?“ he had asked Aisha.
After explaining the situation to him in great detail, he had looked at his father and said, “Get off my property, right now. Jonus is welcome here for as long as he wants to stay, and don’t you ever come back unless HE invites you. And allow me to give you a piece of advice myself: Don’t you ever fuck with or disrespect this woman again, EVER.” he had said, taking her free hand in his own. “Because if you do, I won’t be making any phone calls, I’ll be dealing with you man-to-man, you get my drift?” he had finished, holding up a fist the size of a small ham.
His father had stormed off without answering, and from that point on, he knew he had two friends who would have his back no matter what.
Snapping back to the present, he watched as she waved back while stepping inside the unfinished structure. From her demeanor, it appeared as if something had put her in a very good mood. She ran up to Connell, waved a handful papers in his direction and screeched, “Connell, LOOK! I just got this in the mail! I won Photojournalist Of The Year!!! For my pictures in the New York Times! And remember I told you I had a publisher friend look at Jenny’s mostly-complete manuscript for her book? Well….HE WANTS TO MEET WITH US!!! Please, PLEASE, can we go??? To New York I mean! We….we can pay Jonus extra to handle things here by himself while we’re gone! Maybe pay Ben to help out a little too. That be alright with you?” she asked as she turned towards him.
“Hey, not a problem. I can throw some pretty wild parties while you two are away.” he joked.
“Oh, Connell, please please pleeeeeeze come with me…” she begged. Caught up in the moment, she suddenly stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down, then peppered his surprised face with tiny kisses. “We’ll have a great time, I promise! We‘ll even go to a Yankee‘s game while we‘re there, my treat.”
She then stood back, took both his huge hands in hers, and gave him a doe-eyed look that would have melted Attila The Hun.
While Connell had never cared for the hustle and bustle of the big cities, and he detested crowds in general, he couldn’t resist the pleading look in her eyes, one that made him feel like he was having tiny little heart attacks. Not only that, but he knew how much it had meant to Jenny to have her book published some day. It seemed the least they could do for all the love and devotion she had showered them with in her tragically short life. “Well, alright.” Turning to face Jonus, he asked, “Can you handle things here? I’ll talk to Ben, too. And I’m sure Helen will shower you with home-cooked meals while we’re away, she’s like a mother hen if she even thinks someone she cares about is doing without.”
“Sure, stay as long as you like. I’ll be alright, got the routine down to where I can do everything that has to be done blindfolded.”
Aisha giggled like a schoolgirl, and began playing with the front of Connell’s shirt while she babbled excitedly. “First, we need to get you a tux. For the award ceremony. I need to find the perfect dress, we should coordinate. Oh, I need to call Mike, a friend of mine. He’s absolutely the best designer for men’s fashion, he’ll fix you right up. Hmmm, your hair still looks good, we‘re Ok on that count.” she said as she reached up, tousled his hair, then turned around and began walking back to the house, mumbling. “And I haven‘t had a New York pizza in soooooo long.”
When she disappeared from sight Connell sighed, shook his head, then looked at Jonus and said, “Never a dull moment with her around.”
********************************************************
New Beginnings
The award ceremony had ended, and Connell stood off to the side, decked out in his black tuxedo, watching all the activity at the party afterwards. His eyes followed Aisha’s every movement, and at the moment she was smiling and working her way through the crowd, stopping occasionally to speak to someone. The long silver dress clung to her body, and he watched as several men gave her appraising looks. Who am I kidding? It’s lust….he thought. The dress was low cut in the front, showcasing her ample cleavage, a bit more than he cared for other men to see. Of course the back of the dress wasn’t much better, it was open, and showed off her lovely skin all the way down to just right above her firm, lovely rump. She wore her locks piled high on her head.
“Excuse me, would you like to dance?” a feminine voice called.
Startled, he looked down to see a lovely petite brunette looking up at him, her golden eyes twinkling mischievously. “Uh, what was that?” he asked as he leaned down, unable to make out what she had said over the noise.
As Aisha made her way through the crowed room accepting congratulations and accolades from several of her colleagues, she glanced in Connell’s direction and froze, the smile on her lips faltering. She saw Mona Harris standing there with him, talking, while he was leaning over her, listening. She saw the woman giggle and place her tiny, manicured hand against his chest lightly, and felt a stab of jealousy so acute it surprised her with its intensity. While he was a good-looking man under any circumstances, he was even more so decked out in his black
tux. Several women had asked her about him, but none had had the nerve to approach him until now. She had never expected she would actually feel this jealous.
“Would you care for a drink, lovely lady?” a voice distracted her.
Trying to focus, she turned her attention to a rather nice looking older gentleman who stood there, waiting for a reply. “Thank you, I worked really hard for the honor….even the miserable heat of the jungle was worth it.” she replied absently, and began making her way through the crowd once more, her eyes never leaving Connell.
With a puzzled expression on his face, the gentleman watched her walk away and thought, Oh, a little too much champagne already…
Growing more paranoid by the minute, Aisha thought, Of all people, why did it have to be HER? They were not only colleagues, but rivals as well. On the personal side of things, she knew the woman had a well-deserved reputation for her ability to wrap men around her finger, and usually succeeded. She saw Connell smiling down at her hated rival, and in a sudden panic thought, Damn, did I push him away one too many times? She watched as the man-eater laughed innocently, or seemingly innocent, knowing her, then set her drink down and brush her breasts lightly against his arm as she caressed it.
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