LITMIR.BIZ

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her position, he paused and turned all the way around, evidently looking for anyone who might be watching him. With his T-shirt tucked neatly inside the waistband of his shorts, it was obvious that he wasn’t carrying a weapon as she was.

      When she’d made out the details of his face she confirmed that she hadn’t met him before, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t trouble.

      When he moved just in front of her position, she stepped out of the shadows. “Mr. Soderbaum.”

      He gasped and whipped around to face her. Even in the dim lighting she saw his face pale. “Sheara?” He was either a very good actor or scared witless.

      Before she began her questioning, she patted him down to ensure he wasn’t wearing a wire or any other sort of listening device. With the more undetectable microfiber jobs, it wasn’t an easy task, so she took her time. She might not be in the business anymore, but she tried to keep up with the latest gadgets.

      When she’d satisfied herself that he was clean, she asked, “Is the bag for me?”

      He nodded jerkily. “Yes. Sorry.” He swung the camera case off his shoulder and offered it to her.

      Olivia accepted the case and opened it for a quick peek. Hundreds of crisp twenty-dollar bills were stacked inside, but that wasn’t her concern at the moment. She checked for tracking and listening devices and found none. Whether that was good or bad, she wasn’t precisely sure.

      “Excellent.”

      “Do you need to count it?” He glanced around nervously. “What if someone sees us?”

      “I’ll count it later.” She closed the case and slung it over her shoulder.

      He nodded. “Of course. If it’s not all there you won’t go through with the job.”

      She ignored his comment. “Before we go any further, I have a few questions for you, Mr. Soderbaum.”

      Uncertainty claimed his expression once more. “I thought I wouldn’t have to answer any questions. I just give you the money and information and the job gets done.” He wasn’t as old as she’d anticipated. Forty maybe. And right now he looked thoroughly terrified.

      “Not those kinds of questions, Mr. Soderbaum,” she assured him. “I never accept an assignment without verifying certain things, like who recommended me.”

      “I don’t know his real name. I got the recommendation in a chat room.”

      Man, this guy was stupider than he looked. “You’re lucky I’m not a federal agent, Mr. Soderbaum.”

      Taken aback and obviously startled, he asked, “Why would…oh.” Realization appeared to dawn on him then. Soliciting murder was a serious crime, usually carried a life sentence. The muscles of his throat struggled as he attempted to swallow. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

      “Fortunately for you, I’m not.” That part was definitely true. She opted to get straight to the heart of the matter before pushing for his source. If she made this guy too nervous he might balk. There were certain elements she needed to know and the identity of the target was one of them. “Why don’t we get down to business?”

      He nodded, the movement as uncoordinated as a bobble-head doll’s.

      “I’ll need the specifics on your target.”

      “Of course.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out what looked like a couple of folded sheets of paper. He hesitated before giving them to her.

      “Is there a problem, Mr. Soderbaum?”

      “You don’t look like a killer,” he commented quietly.

      She leaned closer to him, making him catch his breath all over again. “Have you ever met a killer?”

      He shook his head with enough vigor to do internal damage.

      “Perhaps you’ve met several and simply didn’t know it.”

      His eyes widened, then he blinked twice as he appeared to comprehend that a response to her statement wasn’t necessary. “How do you usually, ah—” He cleared his throat. “You know, take care of the situation?”

      “Do you have a preferred method?”

      “Not at all. I just want it done.”

      “I understand.”

      He hunched his shoulders and let them fall in a shrug of uncertainty. “How long will it take?”

      “A few days. I’ll need time to assess the target and to select the best time and method for elimination.”

      Ned Soderbaum gulped.

      Keeping a close eye out for anyone else who might attempt to advance upon their position, she let him hang on to his papers a moment longer and pressed him for the crucial details she needed. “Mr. Soderbaum, before we can seal this deal, I will need the name of your source. I don’t accept clients without verifying their source.”

      He tried to hold her gaze but couldn’t handle the pressure, so he stared at a covered rack of postcards instead. “He’s not that difficult to find. He’s always in the chat rooms. I don’t know his real name, but his screen name is Phantom.”

      A new wave of shock went through her. “You’re certain about that?” The shock abruptly started to evolve, heading toward fury. This had to be a setup, wire or no wire. Her instincts moved to a higher state of alert in anticipation of coming complications. The necklace she wore felt hot against her skin.

      Her client nodded. “I’ve talked to him several times. He said you were the best. A perfect record of kills.”

      Olivia struggled to conceal her building anger. Allowing him to take note of her out-of-control emotions would be a mistake. “Once I’ve confirmed that information I’ll set things in motion.”

      “Excellent.” Soderbaum glanced around nervously. “Here.” He held out his papers. “This is the information you’ll need.”

      She accepted the folded pages. “You understand that once this assignment has been set in motion there is no backing out. You can’t change your mind.”

      He wet his lips. “Yes, I understand. I want this done as quickly as possible.”

      “All right.” Olivia unfolded the paper and studied the full head shot of her target. What her eyes saw made her sway, but she braced herself before her client could pick up on her stunned surprise. Focusing intently to ensure her hands didn’t shake, she shuffled to the next page where the target’s name, address and other stats were listed.

      The name and address matched the face but she couldn’t analyze that right now. Her movements deliberate, she refolded the pages and slid them into her jacket pocket.

      “I’ll post a personal ad in the Chicago Tribune when the assignment is completed. The ad will contain a number for you to call for the final instructions on depositing the remainder of the fee. If you fail to make the deposit, you’ll be my next target. There won’t be any place you can hide from me.”

      Doubt clouded his expression again. “Don’t worry, I’ll make the deposit, but how will I know it’s you?”

      She eased into the shadows. “You’ll know.”

      Olivia retreated behind the surveillance deck the police used. The route she chose was dark and she was pretty damn sure her client wouldn’t attempt to follow her.

      Thankfully he didn’t.

      When she reached the parking area, she remained out of sight until Soderbaum climbed into his vehicle and drove away.

      She got into her Audi and drove back to Hollywood.

      She needed some distance…some big-time perspective.

      After three long years of evading the past, it had come back to haunt her.

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