Turn to the next Paige

When a hit man needs help he reluctantly turns to his female contact that he knows is a firecracker.

It was a job in my head I knew I shouldn’t have taken alone. But that was when my ego was full of fire thinking I was one of those movie stars in Hollywood shooting it out with the bad guys, until I understood I could’ve died and that s**t was real. By that time I had gotten into shootouts but it was with four or five tops, and coming out of it without a scratch I do admit had made my head big.  Her name was Paige, she was my contact and at the time when I dealt with bullshit with my ex-wife adding the drama of the job; my best friend that moment in my life. My uncle / boss got me sucked in with the image of my own creative choices but all of the jobs had a certain way it had to go. When it came down to it, it was what I got paid well to do.  She was never meant for the cloak and dagger s**t; only to handle my contracts and to inform me on if they were feds or not. Don’t get me wrong she had talent; she was a deadly fighter and could handle a gun better than most of the thugs that surrounded me in the syndicate. She told me when she had a bad feeling about the jobs me giving the schematics all the way to where the mark stood; but this time I figured it was an underestimation. I had done difficult ones before but she could get street Intel of opposition faster than I could. But twenty thousand was hard to pass up especially when it was just a high ranked thug that thought he held a bigger place than just an underboss, his name was Miles Obadiah. Underbosses were in my past the easiest because they always in their head the next biggest thing to a boss. Egotistical, confident, and arrogant he always bossed the peons around.

Making them do all the dirty little jobs knowing they were below him. But it was when he had someone killed that put him on the hit list that ended up coming to me. She was my contact and would be the highlight of my job when I would meet her at the strip club; it’s where our business was conducted. She would hold my hand as she guided me to the dark black light lit room in the back for what others thought was just another lap dance. She would face me as she straddled my lap and begun to seductively dance for me while whispering the details in my ear.

 

“This one is twenty large but I have to say I’m not too comfortable about it.” She said staring me in the eyes as the black light turned hers a greyish green color.

“Why, what’s the deal with this one?”

“It just doesn’t feel right Chance. He isn’t going to be easy to get to like some of the others you have done.”

“Are you doubting me now?” I asked.

“No, it’s not like that. All I’m saying is that for you to go at this one alone is going to be more of a challenge than you think.”

“I’m not worried about a challenge; sometimes it makes this s**t more fun.”

“I don’t think you should take this one.” She said stopping her dance and putting both hands on my face just to make sure I was paying attention to her.

“Are the details in your car?”

“You know they are, but did you hear me Chance? Don’t take this one.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll be alright.”

“Okay if you won’t listen to my advice.  Let me come with you to watch your back. I’m afraid you won’t make it out alive.”

“No you can’t go with me; I work alone, no dead weight and no one to worry about when it’s time to make an exit.” I responded.

“Chance you know what I can do, I can help you.”

“You are helping me with what you are doing right now.”

 

I knew she could kick a*s and could shoot like a pro but if anything would’ve happened to her while with me, I would’ve been responsible because it was not her job to do the things I did. 

 

“Skip this one then, there will be others.”

“The song is over Paige; get up so I can get that info. Tell Jake it’ll be done after I do the homework.” I responded.

 

I gently pushed her off of my lap and stood up. As I left the room she followed behind and  walked out to her car with me.

 

“What are you doing? You’re going to f**k this up, go back inside.”

“Chance, listen to me. This is not one of those for you to go at by yourself. Jake doesn’t give a s**t, as long as the job gets done. I don’t want to see you hurt; I care about you.”

 

By that time I was tired of hearing her doubt of if I could accomplish it or not. I knew how she felt about me but there was money to be made; three birthdays and Christmas were coming up and I if there was anything I could do well; it was taking a life.

 

“Go back inside Paige.”

“Let me ask you a question; do you trust me?”

“What do you want from me? We both have an obligation to fulfill. You give me the information and I do the job, that’s it.  That’s all nothing more.”

“So when I tell you I think it just might be a set up and you listen not taking the contracts. But if I tell you I know you will die if you take some s**t that should be a job with at least three or more, you think that the way I feel about you is clouding my judgment.”

“Yeah that might be it.” I responded.

“F**k you. Then go do it, you are the big bad bullet proof man.”

 

I opened her car door and pulled out the manila envelope from under the passenger seat.

 

“You worry about the things you are supposed to worry about and let me handle my job; the quicker I do this, the quicker you get paid.”

“You think you know everything don’t you? But I keep my ear to the streets more than you do.”

“I can handle myself; I’ve been doing this way before you kid, if you decide you don’t want to do this s**t anymore you can be replaced.”

“Is that how you feel?” she asked.

“You’re f*****g right that’s how I feel. You’ve done your job now go back in there and go hug a pole or something, you have done all I need you to do for me Paige.”

 

I hurt her feeling as she stared at me for a second while walking away with an attitude, but I felt like I was protecting her. I never wanted to see her hurt and where I was going both blood and bullets were in store, I didn’t want her to be a part of it and the only way to stop her from getting involved was to be harsh and direct.

 

“Go ahead then but if… no when you find out that I was right, it’ll be too late.” She said sticking up her middle finger and cursing me under her breath.

 

I let her walk away mad but it was the right thing to do. I watched him for six days and learned that he never left the mansion; if he needed something he would send for it or if he wanted a girl he would have one his boys go pick them up and brought back to the house. He was paranoid a lot so sniping was not an option because the room he kept himself enclosed in didn’t have any windows, if I was going to do this I would have to get inside but with thirty surveillance cameras surrounding the estate I could only imagine how many he kept in his house. She was right; he did keep a lot of goons around him and this job was going to be harder than I initially thought. So with every avenue I imagined up, came to a dead end I knew what I had to do. I knocked on her door and she answered with just a long t-shirt on and a smile on her face.

 

“I need to talk to you.”

 

She didn’t respond as she stepped to the side and invited me in with just a wave of her hand.

 

“Do you want a beer?” She asked walking to the kitchen as I sat down on her couch.

 

She came out with two open bottles and sat on the couch facing me Indian style handing me one.

 

“I need to know how to get in there.” I said.

“I knew you would need my help.”

“I don’t have time for this Paige, I just need more information.”

“You have all the info that’ll get you in there for a blood bath, but I can get you in there without shooting your way in. I can’t promise the same thing for your exit.”

“Tell me what you know.” I replied.

“First, we need to get some arrangements together before we go further.”

“What arrangements?” I asked.

“For one; I will need to be on the inside to help you. Second, I want five grand for my time and another five grand for that hug a pole comment and my two grand for my initial price.” She said with a smile.

“Twelve grand Paige, f**k that.”

“Okay I’ll forfeit the two grand; I’ll settle for the ten for me getting you inside and the comment.”

“I’ll give you five for the comment in which I apologize for, and two for your information. But I still don’t want you in there.” I responded.

“Then goodbye, best of luck to you and don’t get shot in the a*s on the way out.”

“Come on, stop being like that; I have to do this.”

“But you can’t do it without me. Stop acting like I’m your little sister you’re protecting on prom night. With me you’ll get in and out, but without me you’ll have a hard time putting your toe on that estate. Eleven grand, the apology, and the opportunity for you shoot him directly in the head.”

“Is this without you in there?”

“Nope, no scenario that I am bringing to you involves me not inside Chance.”

“It’s too dangerous Paige; d****t why are you being so difficult? You are not going in there.”

“Then get the f**k out, and do the best you can without any help from me. Oh that’s right, that’s why you are sitting in my condo; you can’t do it without me.”

 

She was always determined a*s pain in my a*s but she also knew when I couldn’t do contracts without her. In essence for the first time, she had my balls in a vice grip and didn’t mind twisting it to get what she wanted.

“Okay…okay you win. I am sorry for the comment; it was inconsiderate and I was a total a*****e for saying it. Tell me what I need to know to get this done, you’ll get ten grand and…” She interrupted me.

“And I will be in there to help you finish the job.”

 

I still didn’t want her in on it, but I knew what the situation was.

 

“Alright, how are you going to get me in there?” I asked.

“First, we shake on it.” She said holding out her hand.

 

Still reluctant I shook it.

 

“He is letting a local rap group shoot a video at the mansion.” She said.

“Okay so I’ll…” She interrupted me again.

“You’ll let me tell you how I’m going to get you in there, and shut up until I’m done explaining.” She responded.

 

I let her talk as she laid out the details and after she was done I just looked at her with a smile on my face.

 

“What do you think?” She asked.

“I think this could actually work.”

 

I was impressed by what she had thought up; I could tell she had been thinking about the job. The next day I stood outside of a grocery store in the parking lot where we agreed to meet. I sat on the hood of my car smoking a cigarette when she pulled up in a van that had the name of the media production company on it. She jumped out dressed in low rise cargo pants, a tight fitting halter top with the company name on it, a baseball cap with goggles on top, and a scenery scope around her neck. I have to admit in my mind while looking at her with a blasé smile; I knew the girl had it in her to be like me.

 

“Okay, I stand corrected; I thought you wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Never doubt me. There is a jump suit and a hat in the van, I need you to play my assistant; things kind of changed.” She said.

“What has changed since last night?”

“I’ll fill you in on the details as we drive.” She responded.

“No, f**k that I’m about to call Jake and tell him this s**t is off.”

“This will work; I just need you to trust me.” She replied walking closer.

 

The more I thought about it, the more I thought I should’ve taken her advice in the beginning.

 

“Honey, I see you stressing over this. Sometimes you don’t have control over what happens, while you slept last night I fixed the problem of bullshit that came to me while I thought everything was ready. I don’t and will never let you down; I have plan B and it is a whole lot better than plan C.” She added.

“Plan C?”

“Doing s**t terrorist style; take everything out including us.”

“What is plan B?” I asked.

“Put on the clothes that’s in the van, get behind the wheel and I’ll tell you how we are going to do this.” She responded.

“I don’t like changes Paige.”

“You know how to improvise don’t you?”

“This is not one of those times.”

“Trust me; this is one of those times you should trust that I got this.” She said with a smile.

 

We argued our points the whole way as I drove to the mansion and when we arrived I still didn’t see it her way but it was too late as she announced their arrival when I pushed the intercom button and waited for the gates to open.

 

“Paige, we’re going to do this the way you planned but when s**t starts I want you to get out of there. Don’t make me regret this more than I am right now.”

“You worry too much.” She responded as I drove to the front door and greeted four armed men protecting the estate walking to the van.

She showed them an I.D. and they allowed us to get out. I stopped her before she got out first.   

“I’m serious, once I’m in get out of…” I was interrupted by her.

“The only thing that can f**k this up right now is you honey.” She whispered firmly.

 

So I shut up reluctantly.

 

“I’ve got this part; all you have to do is go inside and take him out.”

 

It’s said you are never too old to learn and wisdom assists more than strength. She helped me learn perseverance on many occasions but this was the first time I ever understood how much of an asset she was to my job. I looked at her and knew she had already figured out in her head how the whole plan was going work out; her only problem was if I was going to be professional enough to get us both out alive without my ego getting in the way. She got out with a clip board under her arm and a phone to her ear pretending to be talking on it. As one of his boys walked up to talk she instantly silenced him with her index finger going to the back of the van. I walked to the back of the van opening up the back doors looking at lights and wires having no idea on how to hook up any of it. She kept talking for a minute and hung up, before the man could talk she had beat him to it.

 

“I’m Nicole Hanover the scene producer. Steve, Baby Pimpin, and his entourage will be here in about two hours, they missed their flight due to a wild night in Vegas. My assistant and I will be setting up the lights, wires and the props. If your guys are worth anything, you would have them help us out and bring out this list of cars from the garage.”

 

She ripped the paper off of the pad and handed to the nearest peon standing next to us. Without looking at me she began snapping her fingers and giving me orders.

 

“Boy, I need those three quarter cameras hooked up to by the pool and the sound system input to be able to reach out to the front gates.” She commanded.

 

I obeyed, grabbing out spools of wire and pulling out speakers.

 

“Can you show me where some outlets are?” I asked the nearest man with a gun on his hip.

 

“First of all we need to check you two and this van before you just roaming around here Miss Hanover.” The big guy said taking control of the situation.

 

She threw up her arms and freely let him check her; one of his boys and looked at me, slammed me against the van, then roughly began checking me looking in my face with a vile face.

 

“Okay now that’s over with you can check the van as your boys unload it. I need to talk to Mr. Obadiah so he can sign some papers for me.” Paige said.

“I’ll be taking care of all the paper for him.” The man replied.

“Let me ask you something; is the payment for this video coming out of your bank account to reimburse my company for its services?”

“No but…” She interrupts him quickly.

“Better yet, is your name on this estate?”

“No but I’ve been instructed to…”

“To what forge a signature?”

“Hold on little mama; you are doing too much.” The man said getting a little upset.

“No, I’m doing my job. And the more you waste time talking to me, more money is coming out of this Mr. Obadiah’s. You know what, I’m about to call Little Pimpin’s manager because he told me I would have no problems getting s**t set up for them. I have another video shoot later on tonight, and you are wasting my time. I’m going to get him on the phone, you’re going to get ahold of Mr. Obadiah, and that man over there that I’m paying fifty dollars an hour for is going to start hooking things up.” She said messing with her phone and walking away.

 

I picked up a spool cords when she stopped me again snapping her fingers.

 

“I want camera five in the pool area; I want you to start there first.” She added.

 

I looked at her and our eyes connected giving just a simple nod, and I knew just where the tools were. Grabbing it to and went to a man standing closest to me asking him to show me where to go. She did her thing distracting the main ones while it was up to me to finish the job. The guy took me to the pool area and showed me where to plug up the equipment. He directed me to the large back yard where the patio was and to the outlets.  

 

“I have to unpack the camera and I’m going to have to use a converter for this plug. Can you do me a favor and get it for me from the glove box in the van?” I asked the man.

 

He obliged and I was glad it went that simple because if not I would’ve had to kill him. When he left I picked up the camera case and took it to a blind spot away from surveillance cameras. Taking out the video camera I opened it up finding it hollowed out with my gun, a silencer, and a magazine in it. I put on my rubber gloves, looked around as I slid the clip in, screwed on the silencer, and chambered a bullet. Then sneaking into the house through an unlocked back patio door, I entered a huge kitchen going deeper into the house. I reached the large living room and stopped when I heard voices backing into a shadowed corner near another room. Miles stormed down yelling at someone, so I listened just in case they came my way.

 

“What the f**k am I paying you for; I told you I didn’t want to be bothered with this s**t. I said you are to sign any paper work for this bullshit!”

“I know boss but she said she needed your signature for the legal s**t.” The big man that he saw earlier said as he peaked around the corner.

“She; I thought the producer was a man. I talked to a man on the phone and he didn’t say anything about a woman.” Miles said.

“Well, she’s out there and her assistant is hooking up the equipment by the pool.”

“I said no shots by my pool! Go find that a*****e and stop him while I go talk to this b***h.”

 

The man ran through the kitchen so fast that he past me ducked off in the corner. I came out and went to where the mark stood by the door looking out before exiting. Making him slightly jump I made my presence known.

 

“Can you tell me where the bathroom is?” I asked as he turned around startled.

“Who the f**k are you, and what the f**k are you doing in my house?” He asked mad.

 “I’m doing my job.” I answered.

 

With no hesitation I raised my gun and sent two bullets into his forehead and one to his heart watching him drop to the floor. I walked up to him pulling out my camera for the confirmation of the kill when I heard the big man’s voice coming from the kitchen area.

 

“Boss, I couldn’t find that guy he must…” He paused in shock when he saw me standing over the dead body.

“Be in the house? Yeah that’s where I was.” I replied.

 

He panicked and reached for his gun at his waist but I shot him four times and he fell to the marble floor bleeding and screaming in pain. To end his suffering one to the head was sufficient, and then walked to Mile’s body snapping the picture. Wasting no time I exited through the front door trying to get back to Paige, but looking around I didn’t see her figuring she had already made an exit, all I had to do was get out as well and everything would be done. But as I reached the steps to leave I heard gun shots coming from back inside and got a sick feeling in my stomach that it was her in there. I ran back in and went up the stairs cautiously with my gun out. At the top two men stood looking down the hall with their guns drew, I was able to get close enough before I surprised them and shot both of them before they could react. I looked down the long hallway and I saw Paige coming out of a room.

 

“What the hell?” I asked her now paranoid about his other men or the law that could be closing in.

 

She just sported a grin running and covering her ears while running in my direction. I didn’t think about why she was covering them until it was too late and the room she ran from exploded. The blast shook the house so hard that I fell down a couple of steps, but it didn’t stop her as she kept running past and grabbing my wrist pulling me with her while my ears were ringing. By the time we reached the main floor I was getting my head back together looking behind with gun in hand as she moved her way towards the front. Adrenaline coursed thr01ough my veins rapidly and I could feel every beat of my heart ready for anything. I felt a tug and looked at her reading her lips telling me that we were clear to leave through the front door. I ran to the van’s driver side but she kept running towards the gates waving her arm for me to follow, I looked back at the mansion and it looked like a hornet’s nest that got hit with a rock. People with guns were pouring out and heading our way, I followed suit and ran for the gates firing off a couple of shots making them pause so we could get closer to the exit. I hadn’t started smoking cigarettes yet so I was in peak performance as I caught up to her making it out of the iron gates to the entrance when a van pulled up quickly screeching it tires as it stopped. I pointed my gun at it picturing a goon squad jumping out with guns that would’ve turned us both to bullet ridden bloody corpses. But I was ready for it; I had six bullets left which meant six of them would have been done as soon as the door opened. Paige pushed my arm down and grabbed my shirt pulling me toward it as the side door opened and two females telling us to hurry. When I got in she jumped in and left the door open as it began pulling off while she hung out of it with a smile on her face. Suddenly in the distance I heard another faint explosion and she began to laugh hard before shutting the door. I laid against the wall of the van trying to catch up with everything that had went on watching her hugging her girlfriends and still high off of the adrenaline rush. She looked at me and with my ears still kind of plugged read her lips saying:

“Good s**t.”

Breathing hard she could hardly contain a smile from coming to her face. They dropped me off at my uncle’s jazz club where I would meet him after jobs. The bartender knew me for years and was his best friend so he just poured me a shot pointing me to the dark corner table he always sat in. I sat down feeling exhausted.

 

“You have something for me?” He asked.

 

I pulled out a small plastic bag with the memory chip from the camera in it and slid it across the table.

 

“So do you have a new partner?” He asked sarcastically.

“F**k that.” I answered finally getting some hearing back.

 

He laughed a little and slid me an envelope. I put it in my pocket and slid my chair back ready to leave before he spoke again.

 

“What the f**k happened?” He asked.

 

After I thought about it for a second I really couldn’t answer. I did my job and I know she did hers but it was so much chaos that wasn’t planned and it all happened so fast that I needed a little more time to contemplate it myself.

 

“The job got done; that’s what happened.” I replied and left the dark corner.

 

I walked out of the bar to an empty parking lot sun gleaming in my eyes while wondering how I was going to get home. Paige pulled up in her purple old school Impala revving the loud engine.

 

“You need a ride to your car?” She yelled out to me.  

 

I stared at her before I walked to the car putting my hood over my head as I got in.  She pulled off and I sat in silence for a moment before I finally spoke.

 

“What the f**k was that?” I asked.

“That was a job well done.” She responded.

“That’s not what I had in mind when I asked you for help.”

“I didn’t expect things to go that way either, but when I improvised I’m glad you were on the same page.”

“I wasn’t on the same page!” I said getting a little upset.

 

She just gave a little giggle and looked at me smiling.

 

“What were you in the house for?” I asked.

“He made me follow to the the mark and I dipped off into the camera room when he wasn’t looking.”

“Was that the first explosion?”

“Yes it was; there is no evidence of us being there.”

“And the second one was from where?” I asked.

“That was the van; I tried to wait until they got around it before I blew it up but I had to kind of guess about that part.”

 

I knew she was a hand full since the day I first met her, but I didn’t know she was nuts until that day.

 

“Where is the real camera crew?”

“Don’t worry about that; my girls slipped something in their drinks last night. They were out until about an hour ago and the only thing they know is that they missed the video shoot. As far as Little Pimpin, my girls out in Vegas took care of him too. We’re in the clear and with all those kilos of blow in his house it’s automatically considered a drug related case.”

I shook my head like I was still upset, but inside I knew she was the only way I could’ve gotten the job done. She drove me back to the parking lot and before I got out I gave her the share of money I promised her.

“Thank you for all of your help.”

“So does this mean I’ll get to do another one with you soon?” She asked.

 

I looked at her before I answered with a smile on my face this time.

 

“No; it means I’ll turn down the next job you think I can’t do myself.” I responded and shut the door.

 

After that she never went on another job with me and I took her advice more into consideration when she suggested for me to just let it go.  

Author's Note

I wanted to bring Paige back so i wrote this because it was a story in my head. I sat on it for awhile before i put this on here but here it is. Let me know if you like it.