How I Met Your Mother Ch. 06

How I Met Your Mother: A Long Weekend

Dublin
Wednesday evening

Sitting in a hire car in a secluded side street, Keira realized that her latest target wasn't going to be as easy to take care of as the corporate executive she had killed in Monte Carlo less than a week ago. The office where Henry Rice worked as a one of Europe's most well versed trial lawyers were very large, so the chances of finding him alone there were very slim. She knew from the paperwork Jacob had provided her that Rice was a creature of habit; and it was his habit to stop for a drink at a particular bar on the way home from his office most evenings. Keira decided she would find the lawyer in his bar, and see if she could persuade him to leave with her. Once she had him alone, his fate would be sealed.

The bar was the typical lawyers-after-work kind of place. It was the type of place where there were lots of power meetings, judicial gossip, and high priced advice. This is where they gathered to celebrate their victories, and lick their wounds. Keira stepped into the bar, and immediately drew the attention of most of the men, and some of the women too. She scanned the crowd for Rice. He was seated at the bar, facing her, with a drink in hand. Keira favoured him with her sexiest smile as they made eye contact.

She spotted an empty booth, and casually made her way over to it. As she slid into the booth, she made sure to give him the best view of her legs, while continuing to smile at him as they exchanged eye contact. A waitress appeared and placed a drink on Keira's table.

"Compliments of the gentleman at the bar," she said. Keira thanked her, and lifting her glass, smiled and nodded in the direction of Henry Rice. That was all the encouragement he needed. He had already started to make his way over to her table, before she even put her drink down. From the file she had been provided, Keira knew that he liked to think of himself as a real ladies man and that had provided her with her inspiration as to how to get him alone.

"May I join you?" Henry asked as he finally reached the table she was sitting at. Keira smiled.

"Please do."

"I haven't seen you in here before." Henry said as he slid into the booth.

"You haven't seen me in here before because this is the first time I've been here." Keira explained. "I was at a meeting close by and decided to get a drink before I headed home for the evening." She explained.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to stop by while I was here," Rice added. "I have a very good feeling about you and I think we could be very good together." Keira cringed on the inside, thinking to herself that he couldn't be more wrong.

As they spent some time talking about his work, his house, and his car, Keira realised that she could barely contain her total distain for Henry Rice and his general demeanour. In many ways his lack of humility, coupled with an inability to listen to anything other than the sound of his own voice, mirrored that of Simon Aston.His ego is so big,she thought, it's amazing that the booth could contain all three of them!

Keira decided that she couldn't take much more of his obsequious behaviour, so she slid off one of her stiletto's and began to slide her foot up the inside of Rice's trouser leg. He couldn't restrain the knowing smile as he leaned into her.

"Would you like to go someplace quieter? Somewhere we could get to know each other...better?" The line was so cliché that Keira almost choked on her drink. She managed to nod in agreement, gathering her jacket and following Rice out of the bar.

"I'm afraid my car is being serviced at the moment," Keira said as she pulled a scarf out of her purse to shield her hair from the drops of rain that were beginning to fall. "I don't live too far from here if you don't mind driving."

"Of course not," Rice said. "My car is just around the corner." He put his arm around her and guided Keira to his vehicle – a recent model BMW with personalised license details. Once inside, she directed him to drive towards the east side of the city, explaining that she lived in one of the new developments that had recently been completed. The reality was that Keira was taking him to a location she had scouted out the previous day with a very specific purpose in mind.

As they shared small talk throughout the duration of the drive, Henry couldn't help but marvel at the ease with which he'd charmed this woman. With her auburn hair and trim figure he had to admit to himself that he'd struck the jackpot this time.

Who knows, with luck she might be more than just a one-night stand.

Fifteen minutes later, as they approached the newly built apartment blocks that dominated the skyline of the eastern part of the city. Keira directed him to park behind one of the buildings in a small service ally.

"We'll go in through the back way," Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "That way we won't be disturbed." Keira reached into her bag as she got out of the car and pulled out a set of keys. As Henry got out of his side, Keira made something of a performance of dropping the keys and contrived to kick them under the car. "I can't believe it," she said, looking over the roof of the car at Henry. "I've dropped my keys and now they're under your car!"

"It's not a problem," Henry replied enthusiastically. "I'll get them for you." He bounced around to her side of the vehicle side and crouched down to see if he could reach them. His fingers were about 2 inches away from them, so he got onto his knees in order to extend his reach.

As he did so, Keira quickly removed her scarf from her head and stepped over Henry so she was straddling him. In the blink of an eye she slipped the scarf over Henry's head and pulled it tight against his throat. Immediately Henry tried to pull the scarf away, and when he discovered he couldn't, he tried to stand up. Keira was slightly faster though, placing her knee in the middle of his back and pushing him down against the ground, increasing the tension on the scarf around his throat.

Keira could hear a rasping gasp escaping from Henry's mouth as he struggled to breathe. In his suddenly tight, constricted world, Henry could hardly believe what was happening. He knew if he didn't find a way out of this quickly, he was dead. He tried to roll to his side to release the increasing pressure on his windpipe, Keira counted jerking his head in the opposite direction. His vision was beginning to blur and the pain in his chest was building as he felt the tension on his neck increasing. The more he tried to roll away, the further she twisted his head in the opposite direction.

Keira was impressed with the amount of fight this man had in him. It was all she could do to stop him from getting loose. She thought about breaking his neck there and then, but decided against it as she hauled back on the improvised garrotte once more, applying more pressure as she was now almost sitting on his back. The sharp tug on the scarf producing a satisfying wet, snapping sound that Keira recognised. It was just a matter of time now. The lack of oxygen was beginning to take its toll on Henry; everything was beginning to get very dark, very quickly. He struggled to remain conscious, but finally gave in to the blackness that was overtaking him. Keira felt Henry's body shudder slightly, and then sag beneath her. She knew he was either unconscious or dead.

Releasing her hold on him, Keira reached forward and felt for a pulse. Feeling none, she stood up and stepped away from Henry's body, observing with some distaste that he had been unable to control his bladder during his final few moments of life. Removing the scarf from his neck, she straightened out her outfit and made a last sweeping check that she'd left nothing behind. Walking away from the secluded ally, she dialled the telephone number of a local taxi company on her cell phone.

Once she had arranged for her pick up, Keira turned to survey the scene one more time. Her mind suddenly remembered a joke her father had told her a long time ago.

What's the best kind of lawyer? A dead one!

Keira smiled as she walked towards the far end of the street, thinking it was a fitting epitaph for the moment.

****

76 Burrow Street
Wednesday, 10:14 pm

"Don't forget that I'm taking the kids to Hayden Barlow's birthday party this Friday." The comment attempted to penetrate Andrew Hargreaves' subconscious as he stared at the blank screen on his laptop. "You're invited as well, but I told Hilary that you were busy so you probably wouldn't be able to make it." Andrew mumbled something in response.

The sound of Leah brushing her teeth from the bathroom played around Andrew's ears as his fingers he closed his eyes and tried to provide his thoughts with the space needed for them to coalesce. As the sound of his wife cleaning her teeth continued, something began to spring forth.

They scurried around the building, pausing only to pick up the scraps they found on the floor. Even in the darkness of their surroundings they moved with precision and ease, knowing the layout of the interior of the building by route. As the first few scavengers began to fan out, others burst forth from the crack in the floor, joining them from the sewers beneath in the desperate search for sustenance.

"Are those beans...?"

"This water looks okay..."

"How long do we have...?"

"I've got tinned food over here!"

"What was that noise?"

"Shine the light over here! Over here!"

They looked inside mould-filled freezers; they scoured the broken shelves; they tore into the damp, rotten cardboard boxes, desperately looking for something, anything they could use. They searched until they were exhausted, almost collapsing on the spot from a combination of malnourishment and fatigue. A palpable sense of euphoria spread amongst them as they realised they had struck the mother load.

SCRACK!

The sound of the roof of the building being torn open drowned out the screams of the small party within. Metal I-beams were wrenched from their housings, sending sofa-sized chunks of steel into the open space. The scavengers watched in horror as the protective covering was peeled back by oversized mechanical fingers; powerful spotlights flooded the room, blinding everyone temporarily.

"Humans!" The grating mechanical voice echoed around the confined space, prompting several of the scavengers to flee. The tortured rending of metal finally gave way as the last segments of the steel roof were torn asunder, sending lethal fragments falling to the floor. "I told you they would be here Sinistaur!" The spotlights faded away, being replaced by two sets of blood-red optics looking down at the scurrying figures. The figure on the left appeared more angular in construction to its counterpart. Although still basically anthropoid in appearance, two large wing-shaped panels attached to its back flanked each arm and its head was almost triangular in appearance. The figure to the right was squatter and bulky in design, with tank tracks evident attached to the back of the mechanical beast.

"Neokhan, your ability to think like one of them is both repulsive and impressive," Sinistaur replied. "So, what should we do with them?"

"Just as Minister Craven decreed." Neokhan answered, lifting his arm to display a weapons array bristling with energy. "Eradicate them!"

The Scavengers screamed as the cannon fired, vaporising several of them before they could react. As they scattered there was the sound of gears clunking and metal grinding against metal. Moments later, the south wall of the building collapsed as the hulking alternative mode of Sinistaur smashed through, dispensing concentrated blasts of photon energy at every figure it could target.

Through the night air they could hear the screams gradually fading away between the constant zinging noises of the energy weapon discharges. After a few more minutes these fell silent too, leaving the two mechanoids standing there, almost motionless as they observed their work. They turned their attention to the horizon, doubtless scanning for any scavengers they had missed.

"Will we ever be rid of these vermin?" Sinistaur asked. Neokhan shook his head.

"One day we will be triumphant; Minister Craven has decreed it." He gestured to Sinistaur. "Come, there is another food depository in the next population centre."

Once they were certain the two mechanoids had left, three figures slowly emerged from the tree line located a few hundred yards from the smouldering ruins of what had once been a Wal-Mart. Dressed in what looked like heavy duty wetsuits, they cautiously approached the building.

"Jesus...I'm glad that's one party we decided to pass on." Tyrone said as Michelle poked her head above one of the broken windows.

"Oh god..." she muttered, struggling to contain the sensation rising in her stomach that threatened to eject the military rations she had consumed earlier that evening. "I can't go in there."

"That's okay." Evan said as he handed her a small black box. "You can be on lookout duty..."

"Whatcha working on?" Leah asked as she wandered back into the bedroom, dressed in an oversized grey t-shirt with Mickey Mouse on the front. Andrew shrugged his shoulders.

"Could be something, could be nothing." He sounded non-committal. "Just thought I should get something down on paper as I've had some free time lately."

"You've hit the wall again haven't you?" Andrew nodded and grunted as she pulled the covers back. "The kids want a kitten." The words popped out of Leah's mouth as she climbed into bed. Andrew's fingers hovered over the keys of his laptop, momentarily halted by her statement.

"Really?"

"One of the mom's in Cassie's ballet class has a cat that's just given birth to a litter. She's looking to give them away to good homes – she's promised Cassie one if we say yes." Leah replied as she shuffled across the bed.

"What about a puppy?"

"I'm not really a dog person." Leah replied. "But I know you're allergic to cats so I haven't said anything yet..."

"It's nothing that anti-histamines can't counter, right?" Andrew replied, shutting down the laptop and placing it on the small nightstand next to his side of the bed. He could feel Leah moulding herself against his body, wrapping her arms around him as she pressed up against him. Andrew positioned his arm under her head, allowing Leah to rest her head on his chest. "As long as it doesn't get into the cellar then everything will be fine." He felt the light peck of her lips against his skin as his wife kissed him. Andrew reached over and flicked the lamp off at the side of the bed.

"Great, because Cassie has already decided on a name for it."

"Really?" Andrew asked. Leah nodded.

"Oliver."

"Oliver?" Andrew could feel his eyelids getting heavy. "What if the cat is female?"

"Have you ever tried to argue with the logic of a seven-year-old?" Leah muttered as she nuzzled her head against his chest before closing her eyes.

****

Dublin Airport

Wednesday, 11:35pm

Pacing around the room like a caged tiger, Verity Ward was an extremely unhappy woman. Checking the door handle for what seemed like the umpteenth time she found it was still just as secure as it had been on her previous attempts to open it. Verity sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair on one side of the table and closed her eyes for a moment, reflecting on how the events of the evening had taken a turn for the worst.

As she had checked in for her short flight back to London she had been detained by two rather burly looking security personnel due to some "irregularities" regarding her passport. She knew instantly that this a lie and quietly applauded whoever had set it up for detaining her in plain sight of the other passengers, thus limiting her options to evade detention. Now all she could do was continue to wait until her "host" revealed themselves.

As it transpired, after an hour of being left on her own, her wait was almost over. The door to the claustrophobic room opened and the two burly security guards entered, accompanied by a third figure. This stranger was a medium built man with greying hair and narrow framed glasses perched on his angular nose. His eyes looked almost black in the strained lighting of the room and his demeanour was anything but sunny. The door was secured by one of the security personnel as her passport was thrown back onto the table.

"I must admit that your photograph doesn't do you justice." The Third Man said as he pulled out the chair across from Keira and sat down. "You're far more attractive in the flesh." Verity continued to study him in silence. "Of course, I'm sure Mr Rice discovered that this evening to his cost."

"I don't know what you're talking..."

"Let's just cut the bullshit shall we, Miss Ward?" The Third Man interrupted her. Verity's heart rate increased for a moment upon his use of her name – her real name that was. "I know that you are Verity Ward, rather than Donna Sampson as your passport alludes to, and you are also the contract killer known as Keira." They exchanged looks for a moment before Verity looked at the ground. "And I know this because I was the person who arranged the hit on Mr Rice this evening through your associate Jacob, along with a few other jobs throughout your career."

Verity could feel her stomach flip as she realised that she was completely exposed. As the illusion of anonymity slipped from her fingers, Verity came to the stark realisation that she was now being backed into a corner from which she couldn't fight her way out.

"What do you want?" Her question made The Third Man smile.

"I have a few...loose ends that need to be taken care of," He explained. "Currently, I'm not in a position to deal with them personally and I could use someone with your skills to act on my behalf. I'm prepared to give you access to intelligence and ordnance in order to resolve the matter in exchange to turning a blind eye to your recent activities within the borders of the United Kingdom, but it has to be taken care of by Monday morning."

"Why so soon?" Verity asked, looking up at the two guards by the door.

"I find that a pressing deadline focuses the mind." The Third Man replied. "My associates here will ensure that you are on the next flight to London. I will contact you in the morning with the details of the task at hand."

"What if I say no?" Verity asked as the Third Man got up from his chair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you must be mistaken; this isn't a negotiable request." He said. "If you enjoy the concept of your own personal freedom and the health and well being of your father, your brother and your nephew, you'll do exactly as I say, when I say." Verity seethed as the Third Man made to exit the room. "I'll be in touch Miss Ward. Enjoy your flight."

****

As the Aer Lingus flight achieved enough velocity to break free of the shackles of gravity, he watched it from the departure lounge. Tracking the vehicle as it disappeared into the dark night sky, a blonde woman dressed in a black trouser suit approached him.

"Mr Blevins," She said. "Your flight will be ready to board shortly."

"Thank you Susan." He said as he drew his attention away from the window. "Did you send that information to the Interpol office in Brussels and the Justice Department in New York?"

"Yes sir. I sent all the files relating to Verity Ward and her recent actions as you requested." Susan replied. He nodded.

"Excellent." James Blevins took one final look into the inky black sky before he allowed a satisfied smile to drift over his face.

****

Thursday

10:44 am

Slowly moving through the city centre morning traffic, the black BMW appeared to be just one of the many thousands of cars that travelled along the roads of the metropolis of London each day. However, inside the vehicle, the occupants were engaged in radically different business to their fellow commuters.