Hitman 4

“Have they got anything, Charlie. I’m going nuts couped up in here.”  Here was a top floor of a penthouse high rise. He had a garden and a small swimming pool.  Theatre.  Gym.  Guest rooms. He’d had lots of escorts up here. The bar and fridge were always stocked. All the staff were vetted by his people.

It was day 3.

“No boss,” said Charlie, putting his cell phone back in his vest pocket. “ I spoke with our friend and the investigation is a dead end. They can’t even find where the shot came from. Think it was the top of a building. No evidence. Nothing suspicious apparently on the cameras. “ he said. 

‘They’re not just giving up!” The boss whined.  Charlie didn’t like that tone. It wasn’t manly.  He didn’t like when the boss wasn’t boss like.  But the waiting got to everyone.  Serges were like that. 

“No, they’re going back over everything, slower, with a fine tooth comb.  That takes time. They might find something but it doesn’t help us now.”

“What about our own assets?’ The boss asked.”  Anything on the street? Do our lawyers or accountants have any ideas?  Any of our businesses have a clue?.”

“Nothing new.” Charlie said.  “Everyone’s on alert normally but immediately after everyone went to high alert and everyone is back checking. They know the stakes.  No one wants you gone because you’re the goose that lays the golden egg.  It’s got to be competition. But which competition.  And who can afford a first rate sniper.  “

“Who? Which prick would do this.  It’s not business. This is personal. Whose the asshole who did this?”  Again that whining tone. At least there was more anger in it. 

“ You know there’s always a risk but nothing points to anyone for sure.  We have suspects and we’ve got our own people and the police watching those more carefully. But nothing.’ Charlie said.

“I don’t want to stay couped up in here. Makes me look like a coward.” The boss said pouring himself another shot from the crystal decanter on the mahogany sideboard,

“But its a sniper, Charlie . What’s the defence against a sniper?” Charlie noticed he stayed far back from the windows though there wasn’t any rifle that could hit them here, besides the glass was bullet proof. 

“If you go out you’re have to wear the flack jacket. We have the new one from the Frazer Valley, light weight porcelain. “ Charlie said, standing inside the doorway.

“But it won’t’ stop a sniper bullet.”

‘Probably not completely. It’s the best, might slow it down. Reduce the damage.”

“I don’t want any damage.” The Boss screamed.

“I know.” Said Charlie.  “We all wore helmuts overseas. The trouble here would be they’d make you more of a target.  We can cover you to the car if you want to go out.  Parking garages are the only answer. We can sweep them.   If we know where you want to go we can check the destination, have men on site.  It’s all going to improve the odds.” 

“I don’t want any odds. I want the fucker dead. So get on finding out who it is.  Call Elaine. She can distract me too.  You can do that still, right Charlie. Call Elaine.”

Charlie didn’t answer but made the call.  He liked Elaine.  She cost a fortune but made her money with a guy like the boss. At least he wasn’t mean like some of the men Charlie had  worked for. Some dead bodies he’d had to have removed. He didn’t like to think of those.  A lot of twisted kinky shit in this business.  Elaine had her work cut out for her. The boss could be an asshole but at least he wasn’t a real shit.  He’d like to see Elaine again. It had been a while. The Boss had had a thing for the teen twins recently. Hardly old enough to be professional. At times like this he was glad the boss was sticking with the pros.