Bought and Souled

Chance meets back up with his mentor and is once again given some wisdom that he both needed to hear and know.

The last time he was in here was when he buried the best parts of his life but now he’s present to visit another familiar face of life that’s not under his feet. She was here because she was sent an anonymous letter telling her to be at her son’s grave site at this time and even though she had no idea what she was in for she stood in front of the marble stone with flowers in her hand with tears rolling down her face and head hung low praying. He came up quietly but she knew his presence before he reached her.

“I knew you weren’t down there.” She said not even looking at him.
“How did you know?”
“Call it mother’s intuition.”

They stood in silence for a minute staring at "Chance Montgomery" etched in grey marble with his birthday and the day he met his demise. She slowly looked up at his face but he kept staring straight ahead, he knew it would hit her hard but never could expect to feel her heart jerk realizing how real the moment was. She grabbed and hugged him tightly as she cried out loud asking if he was really there. His core is made of concrete putting emotions in a box and locking it away somewhere in the bowels of his gut, but her tears brought his eyes to a watery state. She pulled away and felt his face with every finger staring into his eyes.

"I love you." She said crying.

He told his mother he loved her as he hugged her again for the first time in six years. He let her hold him as long she wanted until she let go wiping tears from her eyes.
 
“What is your new name?” She asked.
“Depends on where I am at the time.”
"What is your name right now?"
"At the moment it's the same one you gave me when I was born."
They sat down on a nearby marble bench as she kept her arm wrapped around his afraid to lose him again.
“I’ve missed you so much.” She said kissing his cheek.

So many feelings in him were dead; living the life where he killed people for a living had morbidly crippled him, but she was his mother and his feelings always surfaced when it came to her no matter how hard of a front he kept on the exterior for others.

“I had to go mom; it wasn’t safe for me here anymore and the people I dealt with wouldn't have hesitated to hurt you to get to me.”
“I read the papers, watched the news, and got questioned by detectives. Is it true what they said you did?” She asked.

He went mad after his daughters were brutally murdered by a pedophile and his wife committed suicide. He realized how crazy he had reached when he sat at his kitchen table with a revolver, a bottle of vodka, and one bullet staring at the devil in the chair on the other side. That night he was ready to die but even until this day he doesn’t why he listened to that idea other his own self desire that made him take his professionalism to the level of becoming a serial killer taking the lives of child molesters and sexual predators.

“I facilitated a lot of already dead souls to the realization of their expiry.” He answered.

She didn’t know how to comment on his response until she remembered who had been the root of his capabilities.

“You sound like Jake.” She said.

He was her brother in law and his uncle; he also was a cold blooded man that was the boss of a crime syndicate he used to kill for. His father left when he was young and Jake took him under his wing teaching him how to do more than just shave and catch a baseball. Instead he was taught how to take that razor and slit a throat and throw that baseball square in the face of a target breaking every bone in his face causing suffocation from a crushed septum vanishing like a ghost afterwards.  

“I’m just glad I don’t think like him.” He responded looking in the distance.

He couldn’t help but to remember the look on his face when he shot him in the heart on that train because of his betrayal.

“Your father was hurt when he found out he was dead.”
“Did he cry?” Chance asked.
“I don’t think so, or at least I didn’t see him do it. But he cried when he heard you were; it broke his heart. Everything changed after the girls died and what was worse was that they were in our care. When he heard you died he grew distant then after a while I woke up and he was gone once again. He still calls me once a week but he never tells me where he is.” She said grabbing his hand.
“Don't worry about him, if you need something I'm going to give you a number to call and it'll be handled. If you need to talk to me that'll be done too, but I need to remain in this status so I need you to keep our meeting today between us for both of our safety.”
“I know and I will; I’m just happy that I am holding the hand of my baby.”

It made him smile when he remembered what he had waited so long to show her as he reached in his pocket and handed her a picture of a little boy.

“Who is this?” She asked.
“He’s your grandson.” He replied.
More tears came to her eyes.

“His name is Donovan and he is six years old,”

He told her all about him on up to how his mother had died giving birth but spared the whole shady background on how things really went down. The boy was being watched by a girl he trusted while he was here setting a stage for a new lifestyle, but he knew he had to settle his mother’s soul first. They sat and talked about trivial things for an hour while he eased her mind that he was alright.

“I want to see you again; I want to see my grandson.” She said trying not weep.
“Once I get some things established I will send for you. But in the meantime...”

He slipped an envelope in her purse with some money in it.

“I don’t need this.” She objected.
“They cut your hours at your job, your light bill is due in two days, and you don’t get paid until four days. It’s not a lot but it’s enough to help you out until I send you some more; I’ll get a hold of you like I did the first time.”

She hugged him tightly.

“Be careful son, I’ll keep you in my prayers because I know you walk amongst demons.”
“I love you mom and rest easy.”
“I’ll rest easy when I know you’re okay.”

She walked away and every time she turned to see him he stood staring with a simple smile at her until she reached the car and he had disappeared from her life once again.
A six hour train trip back gives him time to reflect on his life; his son once told him he was his hero. It made him proud but later that night he had to think of moments he was a villain. His phone rings and he sees it's friend Xavier.

"How long before your train gets here?" He asked.
"About two more hours." Chance responded
"I just got an invitation to play in a band coming up soon. I think you may want the owners name so you can talk some negotiations."

They always talked in code over the phone. It translated that their was a name of a mark that could be of great money value on the line. Xavier was one of his hitters after he retired from the life, he has another but Chance brought him up under his wing and watched his talents grow.

"We'll talk when I get there." He said and hung up.

For the rest of the way he thought about how ironic it was that the last person he killed was his uncle on a train with flashbacks of it until the train came to a stop.
Walking to the parking lot he saw Xavier sitting on his trunk talking on the phone. As he got closer the call ended and he got help with one of his bags. Driving away Chance lights up a cigarette and looks at Xavier.

"Let me ask you something; what do you call a hero that's also a villain too?"

Xavier doesn't know how to answer it as he thinks about it some time.

"I don't know man."
"It's called an anti-villian; it's one that pursues a noble goal, though often employs ignoble means to reach it." Chance replied.
"Where the f**k did that come from?"
"Never mind what's going on?"
"Okay you want to make me think about some s**t, how about you think about this;     Dr. Solomon Prophet's name and resume just happened to get heard while I was around some of associates."

He hadn't heard that name in years and it didn't make him think but he was curious.

"What's the situation?"
"It's looking like a week tops,"
"Is it exclusive?" Chance asked.
"Yes and from what I hear who ever has it is already around him." Xavier responded.
"Tell me everything you know thus far and take me home; I need to see my son."

It wasn't much but he gave him all the information he knew and drove him up to the door of his estate.

"What do you want to do?" Xavier asked.
"Let me clear my head a little and spend some time with Donovan. Meet me here at midnight and I'll tell how this is going to play out." Chance said and shook his protege's hand.

Walking in he heard his footsteps running through the hall upstairs before he could see his little man excited. He yelled out for Chance boisterously followed by jumping into his arms so he could be picked up. He leaves his bags at the door and carries him to the kitchen finding the babysitter putting a plate in the cabinet. She smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Hi Mr. Grey." She said cheerfully.
"Sup Stacy?"

Donovan began to talk telling him about everything he had missed in his absence and how good he was getting on his handheld game. Chance put him down and told him to go get it so he could square things away with Stacy.

"I love watching him; he is so sweet." She said smiling.
"It's all a ruse; he has a crush on you."

The girl giggled and Chance reached in his pocket pulling out an envelope then handed it to her.

"I put a little extra in it for your so you can get that car now." He said watching her face light up.
"Thank you so much."
"No, thank you for being on call to watch my boy. Listen I'm going to need you again very soon."
"I'm there for you when you need me Mr. Grey."

She gives him a hug; Her firm, petite body and appealing looks made him sometimes have that babysitter fantasy, but it was always a fleeting thought. She walked away to get her things. Donovan came back with a game in his hands telling him everything about it. Chance didn't know what he was talking about half of the conversation but entertained his son acting like he knew. He walked toward the front room seeing Stacy coming down the stairs with a backpack talking on her phone. She lived next door so he knew she would be safe getting home, but he walked her to the gate just to satisfy his own paranoia of something bad not happening to her. He watched until she got onto her porch and waving before he headed back to the house. Fresh out of high school she wanted to go to law school, he'd over heard her talking to her friends one day while getting his mail telling them she was considering stripping to pay for it and a car. Later that day he gave her a better proposition to be his son's sitter with a promise of her achieving her goal quicker without demeaning herself.  She was a pretty girl with a good heart and a genuine personality; he didn't want that world to consume her; he'd seen it before and she was better than that.
When he got back in the house he picked his little guy back up and they went back to the kitchen for ice cream. After hearing him talk for about an hour nonstop he took him to the couch where they both kicked back and watched cartoons until Donovan fell asleep in his lap. His phone went off with a text from Xavier telling him he was almost there so Chance carried his son to his room and laid him down in his bed. In the bathroom he washed his face and stared at himself in the mirror. Solomon Prophet was on his mind as he thought about how to go about the situation but he knew he had to protect him. Back when Chance was in the business his uncle would pay Prophet to inflict tortuous pain with precise and surgical methods on certain jobs; it was his specialty. He'd only heard stories about him before they met; a surgeon for the Navy he traveled the world being requested to do procedures on high ranking government officials. He studied martial arts in dojos around the world and had been rumored to know the Dim Mak; if you don't know what that is, it's a one punch kill technique. The first time Chance met him was when he was still a rookie, he was royally drunk at a bar and his ex-wife's ex-boyfriend and two of his friends jumped him in the parking lot. His uncle was a boss, so before Chance could even think about retaliating the call had already been made. He was taken to an abandoned warehouse and witnessed Solomon torture them all with surgical instruments accompanied with two females assisting. Her ex-boyfriend got to live with lifetime scars but his two friends weren't that lucky, their organs got harvested and what he couldn't sell he incinerated. Chance witnessed how precise and professional he was while he scalpeled and cut keeping them alive. When he was done he nobly greeted him and his uncle like it wasn't nothing. His time wasn't cheap and he wasn't easy to get a hold of so other bosses would come to his uncle to contact him, and he would but not without a fee of his own. After that night he didn't see him for years hearing from his uncle that Solomon went off the grid. Another point of time Chance was struck with the tragic loss of his two daughters to a petiphile and his ex-wife. He became dark and vengeful bringing a lot of unwanted attention to his uncle's syndicate. Solomon warned Chance of the trifles that were unfolding in the background but he didn't look like what he did when he had first met him. He was homeless and had dreads and Chance didn't know who he really was until his uncle put a hit out on him. When he found out who he was hired to kill he couldn't do it; Solomon Prophet had saved his life. He found out about his uncle setting him up and killed him instead disappearing in the aftermath knowing the law was upon him. He never got the chance to thank him, and that opportunity he knew he had to take. He heard the door and went down letting Xavier in seeing it was exactly twelve midnight. Going to the kitchen he grabbed them both a beer.

"Alright, I found out that he is in Grand Rapids, Michigan and owns an extended stay hotel. The hitter that got the contract is one of the tenates staying there."
"Do you know which hotel?" Chance asked.
"No, not yet but I know some people there."
"Don't bother I think I know who I can talk to to find him."
"Let me help you with this one." Xavier said.

Chance knew Xavier would be a good asset so he just shook his head in agreeance while thinking of a hundred ways this could sever some ties with a couple of clients but he didn't care.

"Yeah boy, that five hundred grand sounds good to me. I've had my eye on this new car that I want transported here from Germany, then I'm going to..." Chance interrupted him.
"Xavier we're not going to kill him."
"Then what the f**k are we going out there for?" He asked.
"We're going there so we can get rid of who ever they sent to kill him."
"Whoa...whoa...whoa, so this is non a paying gig?"
"You're more than welcome stay out of it, I can do this myself." Chance responded.
"Nah man, I wouldn't do that to you. Besides you'd probably get Camille to do it for you if I didn't." Xavier said referring to his other hitter.
"No, she would draw too much attention for this one."
"You know I got your back dog, you just tell me what time to be here and we'll hit the road."
"Be here at noon, I gotta handle some things in the morning."
"That's what's up then, I'll be here."

They shook hands and Xavier left. In his bed he couldn't sleep thinking about how to handle the situation. He had to do it delicately because an exclusive contract being held up could bring some unwanted drama and cost him a good amount of money in the future for his own. But Chance had reverence for Solomon, his level of professionalism and perspicacity inspired him when he was just a rookie. And to not only witness why but to know that he gave him insight on what was happening in the background made him want to show his gratitude. He thought until he drifted off and it only seemed like a couple of minutes when his son woke him up turning on cartoons at the foot of his bed. He looked at the time then just laid with his eyes closed until the little man crawled up his ear and whispered that he was hungry. At the table they sat across from each other both with cereal in a bowl and spoon in hand. Donovan looked at him and smiled while chewed and Chance reached over rubbed his head smiling back.

"Dad you're the best." He told him.

He loved to hear when his son told him that but it hurt at the same time because his daughters used to say the same thing, and now he had to disappoint him by telling him he had to leave again for some days when he had just returned.

"My boy," He replied with a smile first.
"Daddy has to leave for a couple of days again today." He said to him.

He saw his son's demeanor change getting sad again like every time those words were spilled out. Tears built up in the corner of his eyes.

"But while I'm gone I'm going to pick up that new game you wanted."
"Happy Town,"
"That's it, that's the one I'm going to get for you."

He watched him cheer up a little as a quote by Thomas Monson ran across his mind, he said "The principles of living greatly include the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and trial with humility." He talked to his son while they finished then got him dressed. Noon came and Xavier was at his door, when he walked in the first thing he did was shake Chance's hand then picked up Donovan joking with him. Minutes later another knock came and it was the babysitter. After giving her a general agenda on how he planned his trip to be he knew his son was in safe keeping until he returned. The little man teared up a little again and Chance kneeled down to his level rubbing his head first before assuring him that he would be back soon. The boy hugged his father tightly and Chance embraced him bringing his head to his shoulder and kissing the back of it.

"My little dude." He whispered.
"I love you daddy."

Chance stood back up.

"I love you too man, I need you to do me a big favor though while I'm gone."

The boys eyes lit up asking him what he wanted him to do.

"I want you to keep an eye on Stacy, I told her she could only have two cookies while I was gone but I think she's sneaking a couple more than that." He said.
"I'll make sure she doesn't take more than that dad, and if she does I'll tell you." Donovan replied.

Chance smiled and told him he knew he would. Walking to the car Xavier nudged him with an elbow.

"Yo, that girl is legal isn't she?" He asked.
"You're not f*****g my babysitter Xavier."
"I was just asking," He responded smiling.

On the highway they remained silent until Xavier asked him what had been on his mind all night.

"So tell me why we are not killing whose trying to kill him and cashing in on the contract ourselves."
"Because I owe that man debt I can finally pay back." Chance replied.
"Five hundred grand worth though?"
"Have you heard the saying, "When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity,"
"No I haven't heard that before."
"I'd like to think that out all of the bad s**t I've done; I still at least have that."

Xavier didn't comment on the response but trusted the words of his mentor.

"So how do you want to do this?"

Chance looked out at the scenery as it passed.

"The first thing we do is find Solomon Prophet. I think I know who I can talk to when we get there, he's a bagman but I think I get the info we need."
"Let's do this then." Xavier said sped up a little more.

The whole way there they talked about just life in general with Xavier telling him details from some of the jobs he did for him. There was a that silence for just about two minutes before he asked about what Chance was trying not to think about.

"Is he that high up in the chain to be worth that much canceled?"
"This man is unpredictable; Jake was unpredictable but Solomon is a whole different level. There was a story I heard about him calmly talking to someone and when the guy responded he slit his throat in mid-sentence with the scalpel he always keeps in his sleeve. The cold part about it was that he did it in public and it was so fast the only thing anybody around saw was his body drop in a puddle of blood. With his skills, yeah he's worth every bit of that if not more."

Then he thought about when his uncle tried to get him to do it for fifteen grand. A couple of hours past and they arrived in Benton Harbor stopping at a gas station. Xavier went in and Chance got out stretching and mentally knowing that it was game time. When Xavier returned and began pumping the gas he asked where the next stop would be, Chance called information to get the address of the body shop he knew he could find the guy to start with. His name was Travino Fastgo, a certified informant for the law and the unlawful alike until he snitched on the wrong person then packed up. The shop was secluded surrounded by a lot farm acres so when he saw them step out of the car instead of the tractor boys he was used to he wished at that moment he kissed his wife before he left that morning. The two walked up talking to each other but Chance covered his mouth,

"This b*****d can't hear worth s**t but can read lips good. He's going to know where Solomon is but he's gonna want money for it." Chance said.
"How much?"
"We'll come to a civil negotiation." He said watching Travino get paler the closer they got to him.

First came the a fake smile like he was happy to see them, he knew who they were and what they did for a living so masking his fear was his defense.

"What's up guys?" He asks walking up to them.

He looked different than the last time he had seen him; white and average height with a beer gut, but his head and face was shaved now.

"Travino...Travino how have you been you deaf b*****d?" Chance asked with a smile.
"I'm doing alright, how long has it been?"
"Not long enough."

His face dropped the smile.

"So this is how I'm going to go; I wish I would've finished dropping that engine in my T-bird. Alright can I at least sit in it when you do it?"
"Calm down snitchy, you're name hasn't been put on the Christmas list yet. I need to find someone and I know you're the right man to talk to."

His body untensed a little.

"Oh okay then yeah you came to the right person then, who are you looking for?" Travino asked.
"I'm looking Prophet."

His eyes lit up because he knew that kind of information was worth good money.

"Wow, okay you know that kind of knowledge is rare, but I'm feeling good right now because you two are not here to kill me. So i'm going to give you it for a fair price." Travino said with a smile.
"Okay we're willing to negotiate on a mutual agreement. But it's coming out of Xavier's pocket so I'll let you two come up with something." Chance said smiling at his friend.
"Oh okay so I'm paying for this one?" Xavier asked.
"Yeah I know you got the money."
"You better be glad I brought my card,"

He looked over at Travino.

"Do you have an ATM in there?" He asked him.
"I sure do follow me."

The man walked towards his shop and Xavier just stood and looked at Chance.

"Are we using the business account?" He asked him.
"Yeah we can afford that."

Chance pulled out a cigarette and lit it as Xavier walked away. Travino stood with his elbow resting on his machine with a smile on his shiesty round face, with thick glasses that intensified the greed in his beady little eyes. When he got to him Xavier already looked annoyed.

"So how much are you talking about?"
"Well that kind of info can easily fetch about twenty grand, but for you guys; I'll do it for ten." Travino said.

Xavier shook his head in agreeance pulling a card out of his back pocket watching the man tense up.

"Okay Iet me pull some out of here first then I'll grab the rest from the car."          

He looked at the ATM machine squinting and getting little closer.

"Travino, my contacts are getting dry let me see your glasses."

He forgot he couldn't hear him so he repeated himself now looking at him. Travino took them off and handed them to him. Xavier still looked at the machine like there was something wrong with it then handed the glasses back pointing and waving him closer. When Travino got close Xavier slammed his head into it quickly making him fall to the ground.

"You want to tell me again how much this is going to cost me?" Xavier asked him.

Outside Chance heard the ruckus begin as Xavier roughed him up and just pretended like it was nothing as he smoked his cigarette. By the time he dropped the butt to the ground Xavier walked out with a smile and a piece of paper.

"How much did he settle for?" Chance asked getting into the car.
"He was nice enough to tell me for free. But now that he knows you're still alive and will sell that info; shouldn't I have canceled him?"
"I know who wants him; I'll make the call tonight and you can collect on it before we leave." Chance responded and they drove away.

Chance sat in a diner drinking coffee while Xavier sat in his car talking on his phone when the waitress back to his table he ordered himself some food and told her to come back when his friend came in. Ten minutes went by before he entered with a smile and sat down across from Chance's serious face awaiting to hear what he found out.

"Well okay, Solomon runs an extended stay hotel about twenty minutes from here. When we get there we can check in and I can start finding out who we are looking for." Xavier said.
"I'm checking in and you're going to stay out of sight."
"Why,"
"Because when he sees me it's going to automatically make him wonder what's going on if he doesn't already know, but if you walk in there with me he's going to know something is up. This man is not the type that we want to spook or set off any alarms with; I'm not dieing in Michigan."

With that said Xavier took his mentor's words as knowledge, Chance had always been the type to test his own limits even when he knew the odds were against him but as a professional he always knew his limitations. The waitress came back and Xavier ordered himself some food. Chance stayed quiet from then and while they ate seeming to be somewhere else deep in thought until Xavier broke the silence.
"So the last job I did with our favorite redhead I was informed that I hesitate when take a left jab in street fight stance that's what make's me so predictable when we spar."
"That and your cadence is off; what'll work best for you is if take your favorite techniques from the arts you already know and make your own style with it, then apply it to a situation that'll fix it."   
"You've been knowing this,"
"How do you think it was so easy for me to whoop your a*s; now pay the check, I gotta go piss." Chance responded and got up from the table.

They arrive shortly at the hotel that Solomon was at and sat in the car looking at it for a minute.

"So what's the plan?" Xavier asked.
"There is no plan right now. I have to assess the atmosphere before I can say what we do, but while i'm in there I need you to do your hacking thing and find out whose all in there and the schematics. When it's time to make a move I'll let you know, but as soon as you find out who it is I wanna know so we can get out of here."

Xavier nodded his head understanding mentally already starting on it.

"I got you." He said shaking his hand before he exited the vehicle.

The two used to work together so walking away Chance had to focus on the task at hand; picking up on his vibe on initial reunion. He walked to the front desk was greeted with a smile from a pretty woman with a name tag that said "Lisa".
"How can we help you today?" She asked cheerfully.
"I need a room." He answered observing that behind her at the front desk an office door opening up and Solomon emerging.

He stepped behind her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder getting her attention with a smile on his face.

"I'll take this one Lisa, I need you to radio Jose and tell him that I need to talk to him." He said and she walked away immediately.

Reputation is the cornerstone to power, and the one he had made him both feared and revered by those who knew what he could do. It had been eight years since Chance had last seen him, and at that time he looked different than the first time he met him due to Solomon lying low from his own phase of life wearing tattered clothes and dreading his hair being homeless. His uncle once told him that he had a clothes fetish; he owned over a five hundred custom made suits from around the world with shoes and hats to match each one. Wearing a midnight purple pinned striped suit he stood across from Chance sporting a serious look as his specs slid down the bridge of his nose taking a closer look at a familiar face. The two stay silent for a minute before Solomon breaks it,

"How long do you plan on staying, a week is our minimum." He asked.
"Then put me down for a week then." Chance responded.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out his I.D then handed to him. Solomon looked at the picture of Chance then looked at the name and address which he knew were a fake.

"Is this current?" He asked.
"It is right now." Chance said with a smile.

Solomon began typing on the computer putting in his information then handed back his card. Chance paid in cash and after a few minutes he pulled out a key card and handed to him in a small envelope.
"Your room is on the fifth floor and the room number is on the envelope, we hope you enjoy your stay. I can get the bellboy to carry your bag," He said professionally.
"No thanks, I can take care of it."

Chance walked away and went to his room, he does his routine when he enters a new place checking behind doors and looking out of windows for vantage points. Afterwards he checked the bathroom behind the shower curtain then when he was satisfied he sat on the bed. Pulling out his phone he called Xavier.

"I'm in and situated, what's going on out there?" He asked.
"I'm on the laptop right now; I have to hack into the hotels wireless so I can get into their system they use for remote access so I can see who their tenants are. I'll call you when I get in."

The conversation is over and all he can do now is wait. His phone rang and he saw it was his son calling. It put a smile on his face to talk to him, he was the only thing on earth that was evidence that he ever existed. He was the best part of Chance since his daughters died and he never wanted to disappoint the little man by letting anything happen to him so he kept him close all the time except when he had to do business. He treasured him; felt like he had a second chance at what his own karma had brought back to him. He loved every morning when he could wake him up for school and get him ready before the bus would show up a block away. Every morning when Chance helps him put on his uniform he has a certain look in his eyes; that little man is happy to be alive. And it gets to him sometimes because there is going to be that time when he asks about his mother, and he isn't going to have an answer. He was a product of deception; a seed that was used as leverage. The one thing he can say about her is that she was beautiful;  and the three hours they spent talking when he laid in bed next to her, she expressed her feelings about being a better person. Beyond that she was a stranger as what it had planned to be throughout a cycle of hours. He listened to his son talk about a game he loved and before he got off of the phone said a prayer with him he would always say with his daughters before they went to sleep. He told him he loved him and hung up the phone; after that he sat in silence after taking a couple of pain pills just thinking about his next move. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, for the next two hours he paced his room until he sat down on his bed then laid down looking at the ceiling until the hotel phone rang. He answered it curiously.

"Prophet has requested your presence, there will be a knock at your door in five minutes." A female voice said and hung up.

Chance knew what it meant and expected no less; the paranoid side said he was going to slit his throat in a slick polite way, but the other half told him not to worry; the moment of caution had passed years ago. Prophet was the type that didn't let things just handle itself, he would be on it before it had time to settle. He would never leave anything to chance; his reputation was living stress free and being like Nicolas Cage, surgically cutting a face off.
Chance stood up from the bed and cocked his gun when he heard a knock coming from the door. He pressed it against the door and stood to the side before he asked who was there. A man's voice came from the other side telling him he was there for Prophet. Opening up the door a little he saw a cocky black man with dreads standing in a black suit awaiting for him to open it all the way.

"Dr. Solomon sent me to escort you to to his penthouse. There is no need for that behind the door for I come in peace and you're protected while you are here." He said.

He put his gun away slowly as he recognized him from somewhere. The man never entered his room waiting for Chance to come out slow and calm like he had no care in the world. They walked to the elevator in silent until the door opened.

"You're not going to need your gun, so I need it before you enter." The man said.

Chance removed then handed it to the man before he stepped in. He tucked it away before swiping a key card and pushing a button giving him access to the upper floor. While waiting on it to reach the floor he wondered what he was walking into until it stopped and he stepped off looking back knowing where he knew the man from.
"I saw your last fight; that was a hell of a right uppercut you landed that dude. Just to let you know you made rich men richer that night; good TKO." He said remembering him boxing.
The doors shut and he looked around at the penthouse not seeing him but hearing the sound of a bass guitar echoing through throughout the whole place. He walked slowly trying to follow the sound of a bass guitar filling the air until he found him sitting in front of his desk with one in his arms embracing and picking at the strings of an oak custom finished five string with a cross engraved on it. He stood listening and observing to the way he was in a peaceful state with his eyes closed and bobbing his head like it was nothing. Before he concluded he showboated a little then looked at Chance with a smile on his face.

"How are you sir?" Chance asked returning one and offering his hand as well.
"I'm blessed, how are you?"
"I'm living another day."

Prophet stood up and put his guitar on a stand then walked to him grabbing his hand and bringing it in for a hug. The hand shake was firm and long lasting as they both appreciated the reunion. Chance sat down on couch, and Prophet went to his desk and reclined looking at a face he hadn't seen in years.

"So, what's up?" He asked.

The man used to have the same profession; the type where after you meet, if you see each other again it's usually not to talk about life in general.

"I'm here to pay the debt I owe you,"
"Well since I've never loaned you money, I don't have to worry about you reaching in your pockets then." Prophet asked.

Chance just smiled at the comment before he responded.

"Not unless it's for my cigarettes."

They both lightly laughed before the man's demeanor went serious.

"Someone wants you silenced, and I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen." Chance said.
"And then what, are you going to stick around for when the next one comes?"
"If you need me I'll give you a contact number, but this one's on me. You put me on point when my own blood was setting me up to die. I feel like that deserves a show gratitude."

He reclined back reaching for his cigarettes off the desk, Chance grabbed his from the  inside pocket of his jacket the same side of where his empty holster rested. Prophet eyed it and smiled as they both lit up.

"I thought to you retired from the business," He asked.
"I took up consulting."
"Less drama for you?"
"You would think that."
"No I wouldn't because I know better." Prophet replied.

Chance just shrugged his shoulders motioning like it was what it was.

"Your name is not in circulation anymore so when I heard it eight years later it made me wonder how you were."
"Since I've found the Holy Spirit I've been better than I've ever been in my whole life."
"That's good, you look better than when I last saw you." Chance said.
"What you don't know is I was doing good then; out of everything I schooled you on in that time era, what was the one thing I made sure you understood?"

A lot had happened since then and he didn't remember the whole quote but remembered enough to make him wiser along with he would reap what he sowed.

"It is not much good being wise among fools and sane among lunatics. He who poses as a fool is not always a fool. The best way to be well received by all is to clothe yourself in the skin of the dumbest of brutes. And that was by..."
Chance tried to think real quick while Prophet smiled waiting.
"Baltasar Gracian." He answered when it came to him.
"Good at least you didn't forget some of the things I tried to put you on."
"Nah, I remembered a lot of it." Chance responded.
"You just didn't digest the most important thing." Prophet replied laughing.
"What's that suppose to mean?"

Chance didn't take offense but was more interested to know what he didn't receive out what he considered to be a walking hell cracking his neck seeing Prophet cringe at the sound.

"It means you didn't use the wisdom that I gave you to leave this kind of life. You had a chance at a normal one and you chose to stay on the dark path you were trying to escape. What is insanity other than doing the same thing over and over expecting something different to happen,"
"Old habits die hard; but I've kept my promise." Chance said.

That vow was to not take another life after he took his uncles.

"How long has it been?" Prophet asked.
"It's been about nine years and I don't miss it."
"Yes you do or you wouldn't be orchestrating those that still do it." Prophet replied.
"I remember seeing you take that guys liver out. You proceeded to take out other organs with such precision, then had him wheeled by those cute assistants to that plastic covered room where you cut his body in the famous five." Chance said.
"And he felt all of pain with me keeping him alive for three days," Prophet remembered.
"But that's not me anymore. Where I used to serve the Devil because he paid me well; I found the Lord pays a whole lot better and his retirement plan is better than a 401k plan."

Chance looked at him without saying a word for a second. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pill bottle and took a couple of pain pills.

"You've really changed haven't you, I knew you had the last time I saw you and you helped me out of my situation but you are nothing like the man I once heard about and saw in a ruthless kind of way now."
"The last time you saw me after that I left and visited Terra Sancta, It's a Holy Land between Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. There I learned about the Lord and it really hit me that I was going about life in the wrong way. Then before I came here I went Eridu; that's where I found my father and he showed me how I was supposed to live. I was sent here and since then I've been in his hands."

Chance envied that when he heard it, he wished he would've found himself like that instead having to go through what he had to endure and still hadn't found a higher power. His neck tensed again and he cracked it one more time. Prophet got annoyed.

"If you do that one more time, I'm going to slit your damn throat."

Chance looked down at his hand and saw he had slid his scalpel from his sleeve. He couldn't do nothing but smile at him knowing he could have already been dead. He raised his arms and apologized for the disrespect he brought before his mentor. They talked for another half an hour before Chance's phone got sent a text from Xavier telling him he had the information. Chance pulled out a picture of his son and handed it to Prophet. He told him the story on how he came about.

"He's another reason why I can't go back to that life." He said taking the picture back looking at it and smiling.
"Well enjoy him before he dies like your two daughters and wife."

Chance got offended by the comment.

"What the hell does that supposed mean?" He asked.
"You're not out of the that life Chance, just because you have others doing your dirty work doesn't take any of the blood off of your hands. See we were in the Humanism religion; that's self-development and self realization without the assistance, or governance of God. We in essence make ourselves our own God. And as far as my comment young man it's in the bible under Isaiah chapter 47, verse 9. It states: But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments." Prophet responded.

Chance couldn't reply for he just found out the real reason they were taken from him. As much as he told himself and others said it wasn't his fault, the facts were now staring him in the face. He lowered his head and shook it; the man that always had a quick come back to everything that is said to him was now speechless.

"It's not too late though, there is always time to get right with your own soul. He will forgive us of all sins, all we have to do is come to him." Prophet added observing how hard his words just hit Chance.
"You mean to tell me with all of the people we killed he'll just forgive us like that?"
"If you are true in your heart when asking him and not continuing to do the same things then yeah he'll forgive you."
"You can attest to this; there used to be an art to what we did, it was like a primal satisfaction or some kind of pride until I realized it was all bullshit. It was just self delusion but it was so hard to tell at the time. All the faces and all the places just to know it was always the same old s**t. To me there was little challenge to what I did, I spent so much time wiping away the fact that I existed all for money. Don't get me wrong it was fun and a whole lot more interesting than sitting in a cubicle typing away my life but I lost my world doing it. And for that I wish I would've sold insurance or something instead of planning on how I could help some spoiled b***h collect on her husband's life insurance."
"We live and we learn, the most important thing is that we learn from what we live through." Prophet said.
"You're right sir and again in life you have taught me something that I need apply to make myself better."
"If you really want to learn something then be at this address on Sunday at eleven o'clock and I guarantee you if you don't learn anything from it then you just weren't paying attention." Prophet said handing him a business card with an address on it.

Chance took it and put it in his pocket and stood up shaking Prophet's hand.

"I have some business to attend to but I will talk to you again before I leave. Thank you for talking with me and sharing your wisdom once again sir."
"Anytime Chance, but humor me for a minute and show me how much I'm worth to another individual."

It's always been a rule that a price on another is never to be spoken out loud with the target, so when Prophet slid the pen and a piece of paper to him he smiled before he wrote on it then slid it back. Seeing the five hundred thousand he could only smile before he took a butane torch lighter and burnt it putting it in his ashtray.

"Interesting." He replied simply.
"More than I was once offered." Chance said.  

Prophet walked him to the elevator and they shook hands again before the doors closed. Back downstairs Chance got his gun back before heading straight to Xavier's car and seeing a smile on his face.

"I got everything we need." He said.
"What do you have?"
"Where do you want me to start? I have who was hired for the hit, access to the camera surveillance inside the hotel, what name he checked in as, when and how it's supposed to be done and when I can make my move."

Chance stared at the hotel as thoughts went through his brain on all him and Prophet talked about and what he had come here for.

"Slow down; first what's the name?"
"He's a Russian named Sergey Valconivich checked in as Stanton Vanolow."
"When and how," Chance asked looking out the window rubbing his beard.
"Good old double tap baby; nice and quiet. The deadline is in two days and from his resume he can do both."   
"Who ordered the hit?"
"I haven't rooted that part yet. I need about another hour or two for that, but I can go in tonight and take care of it." Xavier replied with a smile on his face.
"No, just lay low for a little bit and I'll let you know when and how to take care of this. But right now I'm hungry let's get something to eat."

They found a diner and sat inside and Xavier lowly talked about how he could do the job. Chance remained quiet until he was done eating then told Xavier to calm down and wait for his word. But back in the car he was ordered to get a clean up crew on deck and to find out where the contract originated. He had him go back to the hotel and back to the place in the distance he hid in.
"Just watch his moves tonight and we'll handle things as they come." Chance said.
"Okay but I'm going to do what I do best so you might see me but I won't make a move until you say so. I'm not getting paid for this job but you did mention I could get a piece of that other pie."  Xavier said pulling out his laptop.
"Like I said, be cool until I tell you to make any moves." Chance said opening up the car door exiting.

Xavier was an adrenaline junky and always ready for some kind of gun play or a reason to fight. While with Chance he knew how low key he would have to be; they had worked together in the past. Walking back he pulled out his phone and called an old friend.

"Buck; Travino told me to tell you hello." He said when he answered.
"Really; I'm going to send you my home number and I want you to give it to him so we can catch up."

Chance hung up and before he could walk in the door of the hotel his other phone received a text message. It looked like a phone number; Buck and Chance had a system for hiding a conversation and he decoded fifteen thousand dollars out of a ten digit phone number. He went to his room and lightly slept in a chair next to his bed with his gun on it just in case.
He beat the the sun up taking a shower and dressing in all black getting ready for whatever the day would bring. Prophet gave him an invite and he wasn't going to turn it down, but he had to handle his situation first. Getting inside the car Xavier kept typing on the laptop.

"How do you want to do this?" He asked not even looking at Chance.

The car was silent for a minute before Chance broke it.

"You are going to drop me off where I tell you to then you're going to take out the Russian.
"How do you want it done?" Xavier asked.
"3Q." Chance responded.
        
That meant quiet, quaint, and quick.

"What about Travino?"
"Take him out first before you get the Russian."
"And what about that one?" Xavier asked.
"I don't know, drop a car on him for all I care just have the proof."
"And the payment,"
"It's standard payment."
"So your standard percentage," Xavier asked with a smile.
"You know it."
"I read up on the Russian's past jobs and he is good; trained by elite that were just recently busted by the CIA for being sleepers in the US. I followed him to a close bar where he sat drinking vodka for a couple of hours by himself. Then he left walking back here but not before helping a woman being smacked around by her boyfriend in the parking lot. Even after a whole bottle he put down the guy and four of his friends like it was nothing, he even talked her into coming back here with him before the cops even showed up."
"Can you handle him?" Chance asked.
"No doubt."
"Then that's all I care about then."

In his mind he just wanted in and out like he was used to; the way the job was always called for, but this was more personal for him. Solomon Prophet was to him like if his father was a professional; his uncle raised him and brought him into the game along with tidbits of surviving but until he met Prophet did he really realize how to apply wisdom and experience at the same time. Being saved by him he respected his advice and wisdom and would never see another hurt him just like he did him on key points in his life.
"I hacked into the hotel's servellience cameras and I can watch his every move now so he won't make a move without us knowing." Xavier said smiling.
"That eleven year old girl showed you some stuff." Chance said knowing how he was taught to hack.
"If she was older I would've married her." He replied and they both laughed about it.

After smiling it off he got back to seriousness as he took a deep breath.

"I'm going to call Remy tonight and he'll have his cleaners here before noon. Just finish him and they'll do they rest." Chance said.
"It'll be done." Xavier assured him.

Xavier pulled up the camera and they talked about how much of a genius the little girl was as they did that adventure.  They talked about different jobs that they did between the two until they saw him moving again and watched.

"If you watch his movements he has eyes on Prophet's movements from his room. He doesn't leave his room until he comes down to the desk then he comes and asks for something as simple as toilet paper. He wants to kill him but he can't because the guy with dreads will be on him before he can do anything. He has protection already why are we here Chance?"
"Because it's when you've lost everything, when you can gain everything Xavier."

His protege can't understand it but he just goes by the words that's just been given and takes it as actual factual.  Chance sits out in the car with Xavier talking about life and helping him watch the surveillance on the laptop.

"That little girl taught me a lot about hacking." Xavier said smiling and typing some more.
"I had someone set up for you already and chose an eleven year old girl."
"I know but that girl is a genius."

Chance laughed a little shaking his head when his phone rang and him seeing it was his son. He told Xavier to stay on the Russian saying if he leaves his room he wanted him in that lobby as he exited the car walking back to the hotel happy to hear from the little man. He went back to his room and talked to him for a little bit before just lying in the bed thinking about his life until he fell asleep.
Sunday morning he came and he sat drinking coffee while Xavier drove him to the destination. When they pulled up it was in front of a church.

"You're going to church?" Xavier asked.
"I guess I am. Go take care of Travino then take out the Sergey, I'll get back to the hotel and then we get out out of this place." Chance said opening the door.
"When is the last time you were in a church, aren't you afraid of burning as soon as you walk in there?"
"It's been a while and afraid, no I have feeling I'll be alright. You just make sure the Russian doesn't kill your a*s; I need a way back home."

Xavier looked at him with a smile like he was being underestimated. Chance walked in the and received a program as soon as he entered. He sat in the back row and a lady walked by asking him if he had a bible, when he told he didn't she handed him one.
Prophet walked out in a white and red pastoral robe and their eyes connected as he passed him smiling happy to see him, Chance nodded returning the greeting. He walked to the front where he stood behind a podium and everyone rose to their feet. He opened with a prayer before telling everyone how happy he was to see them. He went and sat down and his choir began to sing with a little girl doing a solo so beautiful that it sent chills down Chance's spine and he could feel chill bumps travel down his body. Afterwards random people from the congregation stood up and gave testimonies on how God effected their lives for that week and just in life period. Chance sat and listened until Solomon Prophet got back up to the the podium and stood in silence with his head down for just a second before he started talking.

"Nothing but the truth..." He started.

He began to tell the whole church about his past and Chance couldn't believe his ears hearing how he explained how he used to take lives for a profit in a professional way. He couldn't believe what he was hearing as he held nothing back and quoted scriptures from the bible not fearing any word that came from his heart passing his lips. As he looked around no one judged him and hung on to every word like if they dropped them they would shatter like glass on a marble floor.

"When I found Jesus he told me that he had been waiting on me for a long time and my heart dropped when I fell to my knees in front of him." Prophet said.

Chance leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and put both hands on his head lost in translation.

"These are the last days so you better cherish every minute that he gives you..."

Time stops for the man sitting in the back and when he looks around he is all alone in the church and Solomon is talking to him by himself,

"Proverbs says... How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! Only fools refuse to be taught. For you have closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to trust the Lord turning your back on him spurning his advice. That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way, and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen. For you turned away from him it shall destroy you."

Chance rubbed his face to come back to reality but when he took his hands away from his face he was still alone but now was sitting in the front row by himself.

"For their feet run to evil, and they haste to shed blood. But they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secrectly for their own lives. My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of the heart."

Chance sat back in the pew now putting his right hand on the right side of his face and rubbing over the right eye while the other closed just as tight. When he looked around again Prophet still spoke but now he was back staring at the back of heads again. He stood up and exited the building pulling out his phone walking away. Xavier answered quickly.

"What, I'm right down the hall from his room?" He said quick and low being broke from his concentration.
"Leave it alone and come pick me up, I'll be walking that way." Chance replied.
"Man I'm there, this dude is waiting on him to get back before he does his job. Let me go ahead and finish this while I'm in the motion... you know it's my pet peeve to leave things undone."
"Shut up and listen, leave it and meet me now." He said and just hung up.

He walked back toward the hotel until Xavier pulled up beside him then got in the car.

"What happened," He asked.
"Just go back so I can check out, no questions just go." He cracking the window lighting a cigarette.

His son called his phone and looked out the window for a second before he answered still lost in thought knowing he had to come down now.

"What's up buddy..." He answered.

He talked to him until he got back and told Xavier as he exited to hold on with just his index finger. He went and grabbed his things and realized he left his gun on the bed without even thinking about it. Going to the front desk he turned in his card key when the boxer stopped him.

"Prophet requests your presence before you leave."
"Lead the way then champ." He responded.

It was the same escort and but when he got off the elevater Prophet waited on him with his arms behind him and a smile on his face. The doors shut behind him before any words are spoken.

"Dr. Solomon Prophet sir,"
"Mr. Chance Montgomery." Offering his hand they shook at greeting.

He began to walk and Chance dropped his bags before he followed.

"I saw you leave early; did you learn anything before you walked out?" He asked.
"Yeah, that I need to get some affairs in order."

Prophet just knodded his head and they walked back toward the elevator where it opened and he now noticed the arrow pointing down was ironically red.

"Good then heed to this last warning before we part; If I see you again it better be because you are seeking the Lord or you have found him. I don't him to punish you like he's going to punish Russian." He said in a serious tone but still with a smile on his face.
"Yes sir." Chance responded with his on.

They shook one more time and brought it in for a hug before he reentered with the boxer. He looked at him then stopped the doors right before they closed opening them back up.

"Wait a minute; Is it true you know the Dim Mak?" He asked him.
"You don't have to leave right now; there's a ring we can spar in on my ceiling."

Remembering the last time he saw him spar he hit the guys every pressure point with each strike he took.

"I'll be ready for it time; my shoulder is hurting right now." He responded and watched as Prophet laughed as the door shut again.

In the car Xavier drove away.

"Just to let you know I finished that first job." He said.
"Then you'll be compensated." Chance replied looking out the window again back in deep thought.
"We heading home now?"
"Yeah, but first I need to stop and pick my boy up his game." Chance responded.

In his mind he thought it was a scripture Prophet always dropped on him; You reap what you sow. Then he remember what else he taught him; it was a saying in Japan that went, "Tada yori takai mono wa nai," Meaning: "Nothing is more costly than something given free of charge." And at the end of the night it is your soul.       
            

                -Desmond Hooten
      

Author's Note

My character Solomon Prophet is based off of my mentor and friend Dr. William "Doc" Robinson.