The Hitman's Last Job by Max Freedom

or one of the weird goth
kids,” Anna laughed. “He was real sweet to me,” and she shoved her
hands in her pockets. “This is a real nice place,” she looked all
around her. “And it’s not as cold as Chicago. Shame we’re not here
for fun,”
    “ Don’t worry about that. Once we’re sorted and settled I’ll
take you all around the world,” Carl kissed her cheek and she
smiled.
They were
silent for a moment and all they could hear was the sound of their
own footsteps interspersed with the chirping of wild birds.
    “ I think they’re circling us,” Anna joked.
    “ I hope not,” Carl looked up into the sky.
    “ Hey… So I gotta ask you now, or I won’t ever,” Anna blurted
out quickly.
    “ Go for it,”
    “ That briefcase you carry everywhere. It’s got money in it
hasn’t it?”
    “ Yes it has,” he nodded.
    “ The money you got for killing my father?”
    “ Yeah,” he looked to the ground ashamed of himself.
    “ Well at least he’s good for something,” she grimaced at the
thought of him.
Carl was taken
aback by her attitude. “You constantly surprise me you know
that?”
    “ Why’s that?”
    “ You just take everything in your stride,”
    “ And I always will,” Anna shrugged.
They stopped
walking and stood idly in the center of the empty road. Carl
brushed his fingers through her hair and held her face. They kissed
sweetly under the midday sun. They were enjoying the moment so much
that they barely heard the sound of a car horn tooting furiously.
As they pulled themselves apart, Anna took the chance and flagged
down the car. A tremendously unhappy gentleman in an old tweed suit
was behind the wheel.
    “ What the hell were you doin’ out there? Just kissin’ were ya?
Just kissin’ in the middle of the damn road?” he raged.
    “ We’re so sorry sir. We’re very lost and well…,” she trailed
off
The man in the
car eyed them suspiciously.
    “ Where are you headin?” he asked just so he could look at Anna
for a little while longer.
    “ The plan was to get to Mexico,”
    “ Oh really?” the man was even more suspicious now. He eyed them
up again and saw their lack of belongings and their exhausted
demeanour. “Hmmmm…. How old are you?”
    “ 19,” smiled Anna.
    “ And you?” the man pointed to Carl.
    “ 32,”
And again the
man behind the wheel grew even more suspicious.
    “ Well… I can’t say Jesus would approve of your public cavorting
and your delinquent ways. But I’ll drop you a little closer – I’m
not taking you to no damn Mexican town. Get yourselves in the back
there,”
    “ Thank you so much!” Anna was delirious with joy.
As they
climbed into the back of the car they instantly felt the pain being
relieved from their limbs.
    “ Urgh… we’ve been walking for hours,”
    “ You weren’t planning on walking to Mexico were
you?”
    “ Maybe,” Carl said dryly.
    “ Well I’m goin’ as far as Austin, Texas. I can drop you
there,”
    “ That is so kind of you. Really, just so kind,” Anna gripped
the man’s shoulder.
    “ Any chance to be a Good Samaritan,” the man smiled in the rear
view mirror at Anna. “I’m Gerald by the way,”
    “ Please to meet you Gerald,” mumbled Carl before he leaned back
and fell asleep.

CHAPTER 14
Detective
Callahan felt the acid reflux rise within him as he sat at his
desk. Reaching into the top drawer he pulled out an almost empty
bottle of Pepto-Bismol and drank from it thirstily.
    “ Urgh….” he rested his head in his hands and sighed
sadly.
This was the
second time he had been asked to do dirty work for the mob and just
like the first time it scared the hell out of him. He knew they
were using him for the type of dirty work he was supposed to
prevent, but what could he do? If he said no they’d kill him, but
if he said yes and his chief found out he’d be fired and he’d
probably lose his pension too. The thought of explaining that to
his wife Cathy was painful and he could hear her nagging