“These are not the terms we had agreed upon.” The man’s voice was cold.
“What do you care?” Michael asked. “It’s in your favor. Why question a good thing?”
“That’s not how it works.” His reply was sharp, like a teacher correcting a particularly troublesome student. “I cannot take that which I have not earned.”
Michael’s tongue briefly got the better of his brain. “Doesn’t stop you from taking lives.” Hopefully the man had a sense of humor. All available evidence indicated to the contrary.
“As I said, I cannot take what I have not earned.” He paused, considering something. “And this is twice what I have earned.”
“Look, I can’t take it back. They killed the last guy to try that. Take it.”
“Must I repeat myself?” A moment’s silence. “You could appropriate the remainder for yourself.”
“Yeah, because they’d never find out about that.” Michael ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay, look. How about—what if I hired you?”
“Tell me your target,” the man said.
So he did.
Tags: rough