Example Three

On the following day, the assassins decided to put their ‘cleaning’ business on hold. With the new found knowledge that they were actively being hunted themselves, it would have been suicide to try and fulfill contracts as usual.

“So, you think ol’ Clarry will be able to help?” Karen tilted her head towards Trevor as they rode the elevator up.

“It’s our best bet. I’m just not sure if he’s going to actually want to help us.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“Well… when is the last time we’ve seen him? It must be almost a year by now. How would you feel if someone just dropped by to see you for one little thing, and then didn’t speak to you for months? I’m sure he must think we’re using him or something.”

“Aren’t we though?”

Trevor ignored her. He didn’t want to think he was doing something so cold as simply using such a trusted and valued friend. One of the only friends he had in fact, as he didn’t quite count Karen as a ‘friend’. The life of an assassin just proved too tough to accommodate socialising on top of everything else, so very rarely did he have time to drop by to see Clarence. And most of the time when he did drop by, it would be because he needed something of his gifted friend.

Clarence was a self taught ‘computer specialist’. In short, a hacker. Much like Trevor and Karen took on various contracts to kill off people, Clarence made a living by taking on various requests from third-party companies to infiltrate systems, hack accounts, and sometimes just perform petty attacks on websites. It was apparently quite a lucrative business, not that Trevor understood much about the technological side of the world.

The elevator doors clattered open and the pair stepped out into a corridor, greeted by rows of apartment doors that lined up across both sides.

“Don’t worry, if Clarry gives us any trouble, I’ll work him over with my feminine charms.” Karen fluttered her eyes, clasping her hands together in her best attempt to look attractive. To Trevor though, it looked more like she was experiencing a seizure of some sort.

“You don’t have a single feminine bone in your body.”

“Aw, we both know that’s a lie! I bet you cry yourself to sleep every night because you know you’ll never be with someone as pretty as me!” She skipped ahead of him and began walking backwards as she obstructed his view, all the while doing all manner of poses and gestures that she must have thought looked enticing or alluring. Although in reality they looked more like she had a knot in her back she was attempting to straighten out.

“Shut up.” Trevor put her down bluntly, trying his best to pay no attention to the clown of a girl before him, hoping that she might eventually trip from skipping backwards. Never in his life had he ever even considered being with her like that. The thought had never even graced his mind, not even for one maddening moment. Especially not after the things he had witnessed her do. It was just impossible to ever see her in that light. Ever.

“Reject me all you want Trevs, but I think we both know what your heart really wants.”

“What it wants, is for you to stop goofing around and to be serious for once in your life.”

“Huh, demanding thing, isn’t it?”

After what seemed like an eternity to Trevor, the pair finally arrived at the door they were looking for. Door 513. It was a stout red door with little more to it than the faded white numbers and a rusty metal handle. It didn’t give off the most welcoming of impressions.

Trevor wrapped thrice on the door and before too long, it creaked open slightly, just a crack, enough for a pair of curious bespectacled eyes to poke out. And then the door slammed shut again.

“Well gee, that wasn’t too friendly of him was it? After we came out all the way here too. Do you want me to just kick down the door?” Karen danced on her feet, cracking her knuckles. A dangerous gleam shone off of her eyes. She was serious.

“No! Just… no breaking things, okay? Do you think you can manage that?” Trevor brought the surface of his palm to his face as he tried to keep calm. Why exactly had he bring her along again? He struggled to remember. If there ever was a reason.

“Fine. I’ll try.” Her shoulders slumped as she let all the built-up energy drain out of her. “So what’s your plan then?”

“We knock. Again. You can solve some situations by just talking things through with people, you know.”

“Sounds pretty boring to me. But whatever, we’ll do it your way then.” Karen thumped her fist on the door several times, the hinges creaking in agony as they struggled to keep the door standing against her might. “Yoo-hoo, Clarry!”

Amazingly enough, against all of Trevor’s expectations, the door opened for a second time. He made sure to step in front of Karen before she had a chance to interact with the understandably peeved Clarence. There was still a chance to salvage this mess after all.

“What?” The eyes behind the glasses glared.

“We need to talk. It’s important.”

“Is it important for me, or is just another one of your selfish requests, Trevor? Did you just suddenly remember I exist again when you conveniently need something?”

“Look, I know you’re upset——and we’ll get to that——but can we come inside? Otherwise I don’t think your door is going to be on its hinges for much longer.” Trevor motioned with his head back to the blonde girl who waved energetically back to them.

After some careful deliberation, Clarence sighed. “Fine, come in then. …Why did you bring that psycho along with you anyway? I still haven’t managed to fix the ceiling from the last time she was here.” He mumbled to himself, finally swinging the red door open and inviting them in to his nest of a home.