Prologue
Growing up, Bennett Wixx never thought twice about what his parents did for a living. Contracting work sounded boring enough. He didn’t need them to go into details. They lived a modest lifestyle. He never questioned or cared where his parent’s money came from. From the outside looking in, the Wixx family was very happy. Even when tragedy struck, they still stuck together.
After his older brother’s death in an ambush, Bennett’s father took charge of his well-being. His father would take him to the shooting range multiple times a week. He taught him self-defense and combat tactics. Bennett never thought anything of it. Other than the fact that his father wanted him to know how to protect himself. Every time someone mentioned his brother, his father’s guilt was evident. He knew his father blamed himself. It wasn’t until he turned twenty-five that he questioned everything he thought he knew.
He tiredly entered his apartment after a long, boring day at work. A job that Bennett found mundane and unfulfilling. But it paid the bills, so he couldn’t complain too much. His parents had died in a car crash a couple of years earlier. Most of their money went to the funeral and any remaining bills. When all was said and done, there wasn’t much left for Bennett.
He sighed as he reached to flip on the light, the same exact thing he did every day. Only this time, the light didn’t turn on.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He tossed his keys a little harder than he meant to. He heard them slide across the kitchen table. Expecting them to hit the floor, Bennett paused when he didn’t hear anything. That’s when he finally noticed the shadow sitting at the table.
Leisurely lighting a cigarette, the man jingled the keys he caught. Bennett could see a puff of smoke fill the air before bright white teeth appeared in the darkness. An evil grin spread across the man’s face. Even in the dark, Bennett could sense the wickedness this man possessed.
“Hello, Bennett,” the man set the keys on the table and then slouched back in the chair.
“Do I know you?”
He remained strangely unafraid, for some reason. He knew how odd that was. Any normal person would be terrified of finding a strange man in their home, smoking a cigarette in the dark. The whole thing screamed danger.
“You do not, but I know you. Son of Samuel and Adeline Wixx. Younger brother to Barry. Grew up taking martial arts and wrestling. One of the best shots around, even at such a young age. Clearly, hard to rattle. No significant other or partner. Few friends. Pretty much a ghost.”
It sounded like the man was reading off an index card. Bennett squinted in the dark, but it was impossible to make out the man’s features. “What do you want?”
“I want to hire you.”
Bennett raised an eyebrow. “Interesting way to conduct an interview.”
The man’s deep laugh put him on edge. “Sarcasm. I like it.”
With the dull light shining through the windows from the moon, Bennett could see his outline as the man stood up. Not knowing what he was going to do, Bennett braced himself for a fight.
“I will not hurt you, Bennett,” the man buttoned his suit coat as the cigarette hung out of his mouth.
Despite all the movement, the man still managed to hide most of his face. It was clear he had done this before. “The instructions for the job will be on the table, along with your initial payment. Once the job is complete, you’ll receive the rest.”
“What job? I don’t know what you are talking about.” When the man didn’t respond, Bennett continued, “What if I have questions? How do I get ahold of you?”
“You don’t. I’ll find you if needed. I have a feeling you’ll do just fine.”
Before he could ask anything else, the lights flickered back on. Frantically looking around, Bennett couldn’t see anyone else in his apartment. He was alone.
I’m losing my mind.
Bennett shook his head before noticing the large envelope on the table. He glanced around one more time before walking toward it. Opening the envelope, he jiggled the contents onto the table. His eyes widened at the stack of hundred-dollar bills that spilled out. Ten thousand dollars, to be exact.
Holy shit.
Along with the money there were instructions. He had to read them multiple times to understand what exactly this job was.
Glacier Park at 11:15 p.m. on Friday. We have already placed a weapon and silencer in your bedroom. We will provide more weapons after you accept the offer. Look for an older man wearing jeans and a baseball cap. He sits on the bench facing west under a large oak tree. You’ll know what to do. Just make sure he has been taken care of; we’ll do the rest.
Once completed, you’ll receive double the initial payment. Completing this assignment is verification that you agree to join The Firm. Detailed instructions about the position will arrive the next day. With each job completed, the pay will increase. If you decide to participate, you will no longer be Bennett Wixx. Going forward, you will only be known as Reaper.
Bennett slumped into a chair. The same chair the man sat in. The man who had magically disappeared.
This was crazy. They wanted him to be a hitman?
It must be some sort of test. There was no way they would allow him to do this without seeing what he was capable of. He ran a hand down his face as he leaned back in the chair.
It wasn’t as if he had anything to live for. He couldn’t argue that the pay more than made up for it. He wasn’t worried about his abilities. He had total confidence in himself. Growing up, his father made sure of that. Like the man said, he already was a ghost. No one would know if he just vanished. It wasn’t like his job cared. They would just replace him with someone else.
This did make him wonder if his parents were really in “contracting” and if their car crash was an accident. Taking this job would be a good first step in solving the mystery of his parents’ deaths if they were murdered.
Reaper? It did sound pretty badass. Would I be able to actually kill innocent people? If they were on a hit-list, how innocent could they be?
He picked up the stack of money, fanning it through his fingers. He definitely could use the money; there was no doubt about that. He had a few days to think it over. He didn’t need that long, though. Deep down, Bennett knew exactly what he was going to do.
