I wanted to share a revised story I wrote a while ago. It's about a hitman on a job who realizes he's not very sociable. It's called Jumpshot. Hope you like it and let me know.
Jumpshot
By
Robert Price
I hate the Sixers. I’m listening to
the game on my digital radio, and as usual, they can’t make a freakin’ jumpshot
against a team like the Cavaliers. What the hell? And on the coldest night of
the year, I’m freezing my tail off waiting for this putz to come into my line
of sight.
In case you haven’t figured it out,
I’m a Hitman or the more politically correct term, Independent Contractor. Sounds more professional that way. I provide
quick and easy solutions to problems that go beyond the scope of negotiations.
It’s quite lucrative.
In fact, I
turn down more jobs than I accept, however, this client offered a substantial
amount than what I usually charge.
It’s not that I need the money, but
a $50,000 down-payment to silence the target and another after completion is a
nice incentive. Unfortunately, it had to be tonight.
I hate last minute jobs. I like to prepare for
my soiree’s way in advance. It’s a big deal to me, but, I’m an adaptable kind
of guy so I make the necessary adjustments.
Mr. Bartholomew, my liaison, gave
me a complete dossier on Christian Stosser: 5 feet 11 inches. Caucasian. Blue eyes.
Dark hair. Yada, yada, yada. Nice looking guy from the photo. He had
that male model look to him. Y’know the ones in those overly chic fashion
magazines that looks prettier than the awkwardly posed woman standing next to them.
I wasn’t surprised that the intel mentioned
a gay bar he would frequent on 15th and South called Bob and
Barbara’s Lounge. I would’ve been more surprised if he wasn’t gay. Not that I
really give a damn about his sexuality. I don’t judge. I just eradicate the
problem.
I had staked a claim on a piece of
rooftop real estate, across the street from the lounge. As I line up my scope, I view the patrons hopping
from bar to bar on infamous South Street searching for the ultimate thrill. I’m
pretty sure some will even walk that lonely road of despair after a few drinks.
It all looks the same to me. Empathy was never my strong suit. Besides, it’s
not a job requirement for what I do.
Perched on the pigeon stained rampart,
I think about the reason behind this hasty termination. It seems that Mr.
Stosser was having an illicit affair with our illustrious Police Commissioner Martin
Haig. I mean “married to a woman named Elise with two kids” kind of affair.
Commissioner Haig would like to run
for Mayor one day and having that piece of valuable information spring up like
an unruly weed would not look good on the resume. No matter how much he cleaned
up this city. Powerful men and their secrets
He should really stop lying to
himself and his wife and just come clean. Then, he wouldn’t need me. Hey, it’s
his money.
I take a bite out of my protein bar
that I stashed in my Dickies coveralls when I hear the swishing sound of the
rooftop door opening behind me. A slim man with oversized combat boots trudged
through like a drunken clown searching the rooftop from corner to corner.
He could hardly see out of his
half-closed eyes but managed to spot an old mattress in the corner of the roof
and totally missed my presence. Thinking he was alone, he noisily stumbled over
and plopped down on to the dilapidated mattress with a thud. I gather my rifle and equipment and rolled
over to the far corner disappearing from view.
His long skinny fingers shake
nervously as he takes a drag on the cigarette hanging loosely from his thin
lips and suddenly elation appears on his worn face.
Skinny man reaches in his military
style trench coat that looks like it belonged to a much larger person and pulls
out a syringe with a small sack of heroin.
“Shit,” was my response for this
drug addict interfering with the plan. Now, I could take him out and nobody
would notice, but I don’t kill for free. That would make me a murderer. Not a
capitalist.
In my profession, you have to stay
two steps ahead of yourself and the target. Contingency plans are the key to
staying alive and out of jail facing the death penalty.
Most superintendents and custodial
workers wear the typical light blue work shirt and navy blue work pants, or my
personal favorite, coveralls. They blend in nicely and no one ever notices the
hired help.
While my addicted intruder prepared
for the highway to heaven, I quietly break down my rifle and set it in the
stow-away section of my toolbox that I use for my cover.
He slides the needle into his vein
and his whole world disappears into a heroin fueled oblivion. I walk by him,
unnoticed, with his head leaning to the side and bouncing like a Phillies
bobblehead. I don’t think he’ll make it off this roof intact. That’s his death
wish. It won’t be by me.
I hurried down the three flights of
stairs and out the back of the old apartment building where I sat up shop. A
little annoyed about the distraction, I head to my beat-up Ford Econoline to
regroup and proceed to my next plan.
It just couldn’t be a simple job. One
to the throat severing his spine. Now I have to get up close and personal with
the mark and I’m not feeling quite sociable this evening.
I leap into the van and hastily
slip out of the coveralls thinking about shucking the whole thing and cut my
losses. But, you don’t tell a police commissioner you couldn’t get a good shot.
I’m pretty sure there will be someone out there that will get a good shot on
me. Plus, it’s a hundred grand. August Brandt does not pass up a chance for a
client to willingly pay more than his going rate.
So why do I feel like I’ll regret
this in the morning like a one night stand with a drunk chick.
Emerging from the alleyway onto the
bustling street, dressed in a brown leather jacket and jeans, I proceed to the lounge
to view my target a little closely than before.
It’s a plan I worked out in advance, but I had hoped to make this easy
from the overhead shot.
From the outside, you would think this
place is a complete dive with its black lacquer sign and martini glasses
dancing in neon. Then you step in and realize that it is. Folding chairs and cigarette
smoke occupy every square inch of the place. I felt a dull pain begin in the
back of my skull and I knew this was going to be a long night.
I scour the area looking for the
mark in a sea of boas and sequin laced gowns on six foot tall men. Drag Queen
Night at the lounge and me without my camera.
It was a mix of ultra chic,
business types and weirdness all mingling and conversing in banality. The house
DJ was playing “It’s Raining Men” and at that moment I knew I needed a drink. I
heard a Heineken call me and I followed. I’m not the type to leave liquor
waiting.
The beer went down cold and smooth,
enough to take that annoyed edge off. I sat on a red leather barstool taking it
all in and letting my patience guide me to the prey.
It wasn’t a big place, but big
enough to get its fair share of business. I searched for Mr. Stosser, from the
comfort of my stool, in every corner and for the life of me couldn’t get a
glimpse of him. I begin to wonder if the client gave Bartholomew the wrong info.
It wouldn’t be the first time nor the last.
I take another belt from the Heiny
and out of the corner of my eye a nicely dressed gentleman, who looked a lot
like Christian Stosser, appeared on the barstool next to mine. We exchanged
pleasantries while I downed another beer and he ordered a mojito.
Another chink in the plan. He got a
look at me. This night is not going well. I keep my head forward so he doesn’t
study my face, but he starts talking to me. Damn.
“Sorry to bother you, but, um,
would you happen to know the score of the Sixers game? I left my phone at work
so I can’t go through Bleacher Report” asked the mark with a smile on his face.
I don’t want to answer him, but
people remember douches just as much as they remember non-douches so I give him
the info.
“Last I heard it was 77 to 82.
Sixers losing in the third quarter, as usual,” I said with downcast eyes.
“I’m not surprised. They can’t make
a jump shot worth a damn.”
I had to agree with him. They do
suck sometimes.
The bartender passed him his drink
and he turned to me again and introduced himself. What the hell?
“Hi, my name is Chris” he said
I shake his hand and said my name
is Steven. No sense in giving him my real name just on the off chance he
survives, which, when I think about that would not be in my best interest. Definitely
double check when done.
“I’ve never seen you in here
before. First time?” asked Chris.
“Yeah,” I said. “I needed a beer.
This was the closest place.”
“Well you definitely picked an
interesting night to stop in. I usually come on Fridays, but tonight I wanted
to drown my sorrows, y’know?” he said.
“Relationship issues?” I blurt out
and immediately thought, “Why did I ask that?”
Before he could answer, music
started blaring from the back of the lounge with the queens performing “I’m Too
Sexy” which made my eye jump along to the monotonous beat.
Stosser saw my reaction and stated,
“I take it you’re not a fan of the song?”
“I hope you’re not. It’s the
crappiest song ever made. I don’t want to have to lose respect for you.”
“No, I agree. It’s a shitty song.
But then looking at big strapping men in drag singing it does give it a bit of
poetic justice. Don’t you think?”
I had to laugh at the observation.
The man is as sarcastic as I am.
We converse for a while and we find
that we have a lot in common. Big sports fans. Love to read anything we get our
hands on. Huge movie buffs. I swear if I was gay, I’d probably date him.
For a moment, I felt a connection.
It was two guys talking about nothing and everything at the same time. I don’t
seek relationships. I can pathetically say that Mr. Bartholomew is the closest
thing I have to an actual friend. Somewhat. It’s complicated. Anyway, after an hour of conversation, I had a
very subtle question asked of me, “I don’t want to assume” he said, “But are
you family?”
That’s when reality began kicking
my ass back into the game and the lofty thoughts of a “bromance” recessed back
into my consciousness. I pause before giving him my answer to make it more
dramatic. I watch his face sag at the possibility that he might have wasted his
time.
“Of course,” I said, as I lay my
hand on top of his.
I start to count my money.
A light snow starts to fall upon
Philadelphia, sticking to the concrete and macadam, but not halting the revelry
of its citizens. We exit the lounge and I glance up at the rooftop across the
street. Not two hours ago, I was waiting to execute him with a single shot. Now,
I’m walking beside him and talking about getting a bite to eat at a diner not
far from here.
Our hands entwine and I look his
way to instill confidence about my intentions. He laughs nervously like people
do when they like someone. I almost felt bad.
Count the money. Count the money.
We head
west on South and cut left on 17th Street wandering down a
neighborhood of row houses. No one’s out in this inclement weather and this is
a better chance than any.
There’s a narrow alleyway between
two sections of row houses where garbage is piled towards the backyards. I
ushered him into the alley and placed my back against the wall out of the glare
of the street light. Stosser smiles approvingly with his perfectly capped teeth.
I take his face in my hands and
stare into his eyes until I see comfort wash over him. He closes his eyes and
leans in to kiss me. Before his lips touch mine, I twist his neck half way
around his body. Quick and easy. He slumps in my arms just as a passerby pounds
across the alley entrance. If that person did see anything, they were too much
in a hurry to acknowledge it.
I quickly drag the body to the
backyard and strip him of his ID and money. The snow is coming down harder now
and by the time I leave from here; my tracks will be covered along with his. But for safety’s sake, I pile garbage bags on
top of the corpse. It’ll take a while before anyone finds the body. I check his
pulse one more time. Double checked.
A day later, I’m at my townhouse in
Boca Raton, Florida washing my car in the driveway and drinking a Heineken. My cell
phone rings and Mr. Bartholomew is on the line. He informs me that the deposit
has been made and his usual fee has been deducted from the final payment. I
hang up and sit down in my lawn chair next to the vehicle.
A neighbor walks by with her big
German Shepherd waving and saying “Hi” to me. I wave back and showed a faint
smile. She kept walking but she turns back, smiles again and heads to a house
two doors down.
I’ve never seen her before, but
then again, I don’t know any of my neighbors. Maybe it’s time I do.
