Hitman

I was ready to take the shot. I knew I didn't want to.

I had to.

My heart rate was a little high, not normal. Not normal at all.

Normal is dead calm, that's part of why I get the big bucks.

I took a deep breath, trying to settle down, the shot was long even for me, a good 250 yards.

I sighted again, waiting for the instant between heartbeats to squeeze. Just then she threw her head back and laughed at some unheard comment, and moved out of view behind the man she had been talking to.

I settled down, waited.

I had time.

Who am I, you might wonder?

I am a ghost, I don't exist. I am who I say I am, I am never the same person twice. You hear rumors of people like me, but you never know for sure. Even if you see me, speak to me, you will forget moments later, I am non-descript, part of the background.

I am just there and then I am gone.

Usually when a packet arrives, it is some jerk business type who has cheated someone a bit too much, or an agent for some government that has created waves.

I do my job, there is a short blurb in the news and comments about investigations, then time hides my tracks.

I do not get to say no, either. If I did, then it would be me not knowing when or where it would come from. They know they can do that and no one will notice, or likely even care. There are no dental records, no fingerprints, no DNA records, nothing.

I am a ghost.

The last packet was different, the price was very high. The photos showed a beautiful woman, I recognized her instantly. Rich, powerful, in the news.

That meant dangerous. I had heard of the marriage, no pre-nuptial agreement, over a billion dollars headed her way.

Messy stuff, husband caught with his pants down, I had a feeling I knew why I had a job to do.

But I really had no exact idea why, I had no need to know. There was only the job.

I just packed and went to work.

The first problem came when I walked into the restaurant at the hotel. I had no more than settled down, checking the menu when she walked in, a half dozen people in tow.

It was like the room lit up, there was a buzz as people noticed, a background hum of words.

Too close, way too close. I could not just get up and walk out, that might mean attention. She took the table next to me, sat down facing me. The people with her sat down, chatting and laughing.

I flustered, not good. Not good at all. She was not supposed to be here.

I heard her voice, a small laugh. Glancing up, I saw she was looking right at me. I glanced away, avoiding eye contact.

The waiter came and took my order, I sipped my coffee and tried to not see her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her keep looking my way.

It hit me that she was used to being stared at, not ignored, so I looked up at her.

She smiled, I smiled back, returned to my coffee.

The meal came, I ate in silence, trying not to hurry. I got up, walked to the cashier and paid the bill in cash. I was placing the change in my pocket, preparing my escape when I heard her voice.

"Hello."

I turned, looked at her.

"Hello."

"Are you staying here at the hotel?"

"Yes." I was curious now.

"I was wondering why you are alone?"

"Business, I leave tomorrow." I shifted my body, letting the language suggest I was ready to leave.

She was too close, dangerous. I always keep distance between myself and my work.

"OK." Then that smile I had seen a hundred times in newspapers, magazines. Her eyes looked at me, almost like she was looking right through me

I was sweating by the time I got back to my room.

Not normal, not normal at all. I was getting a bad feeling. She had noticed me, I am not supposed to be noticed.

I am supposed to be a ghost.

It was several hours later when I heard a knock on the door. I quickly put my tools away, I had been cleaning and checking my equipment.

Expecting someone from staff, I opened the door.

It was her. I stood there for a second in shock, then realized there were two very large men with her, pointedly standing in the background.

Bodyguards, I knew.

"Well, are you going to ask me in?" That smile again.

Trapped, I stepped aside.

She flowed into the room, I looked her up and down as she walked past me.

"I know who you are." She turned to face me.

"All right. Who am I?"

"You are the detective my husband has following me."

"Why would you think that?"

"I checked on you, you don't seem to be anybody."

"I'm not anybody."

"Look, I will pay you more than he will."

I hesitated, confused. She thought I was a private dick?

I made a quick decision.

"How much?"

"How much do you want?"

"A half Mil." It was what the packet was paying me.

"All right."

I blinked, I guess. She looked at me, like she knew or something.

"More, huh?"

"Like what?"

She just reached up and tugged a string, she was almost instantly naked.

"A half million, and ....this?"

I lost control at that point, her breasts were perfection, nipples upturned, the tips folded inwards. Her abdomen flowed down with a bulge over her channel, she was completely hairless, slick.

I just stared.

"Well?" She turned and walked to the bed, sat on the edge.

There was no stopping myself, I was walking towards her and stripping at the same time.

It wasn't lovemaking, it was raw sex. I climbed between her legs and went for it, her body reacted and thrust right back at me.

"God, big! Good." she mumbled deep in her throat.

It was that quick, that easy. Over in just minutes, explosive. She thrust at me almost in anger, perhaps greed.

I lay there after, my mind in a whirl.

This was insane.

"So how do you want the money?" she smiled.

I gave her a number.

"I thought so, I will handle that in the morning."

I just nodded.

I didn't get much sleep that night.

I knew she was scheduled to be at the party the next afternoon, out on the big upper deck at the hotel she stayed at.

For some reason I stopped on the way, used a kiosk to check my account.

The $500,000 was there. I just shook my head.

I climbed up on the roof of the building across from the party deck, took my position.

I waited.

I was several hours before she arrived.

I knew I still had no other choice.

I didn't want to.

I was ready to take the shot, trying to settle my heart rate. She moved, so I waited.

I had time.

She moved again, into view, I settled down, sighted on her throat. Just then she looked up.

She looked right at where I was lying.

"What the....?"

I heard a noise, looked over my shoulder. Two men stood there.

I saw one raise a pistol, tried to turn the rifle their way.

Too late. Way too late. Just the soft "phhht!" of a silencer. I felt the impact as the bullets struck me, knocking me back against the railing.

I could see her standing, looking up at me.

Smiling.