LITOST

“Interesting… very interesting.”

He listened intently about the ins and outs of paid murder. Or being a hitman. Whichever term works. He wouldn’t give a verbal reaction to the money situation, but his face showed envy. Then, a small smile grew upon his face. Oh, he had an idea.

“Do you happen to have any conditions about your… business?”

“I’m either paid all up front or half and half. That bit is non negotiable.” Fern eyed the man before her, if he was hinting at something it was most intriguing. “My terms aren’t complicated and most fatal if attempts are made to skirt around them.”

“Ah… a-ha. That’s really funny. You think this is my first time around the block? Oh please.”

He faked a laugh in the beginning, and was still grinning evilly. But by the end of his say, he was almost taken aback. Didn’t she know that she was in good hands?

“Trust me. There’s not a thing to worry about. Now, do you want to get caught by holding me up like this? Or do you want to get the hell out?”

Only idiots trusted other people.

“In case you forgot I have to re-connect the wires.” In all the excitement Fern had almost forgotten this bit of the plan, only the electricians tape around the knife hilt reminded her. Not that she’d ever admit it. They had decided on taking the tape from the roll before entering the museum. Navigating through lasers with a roll of tape was slightly more difficult than a pair of wire cutters.

“Unless you want the guard to notice the lack of lasers. It is kind of a tip off that something is wrong and needs investigating.” Fern wasn’t rattled by his mocking tone, she adopted one of her own.

“Got it.”

A twisted grinned formed as he popped in the glass with a gloved finger, and his covered hand got a hold of the artifact. He lifted it out, and studied it for a little. How it gleamed, why, he almost took a minute to marvel at its greatness. Almost. Thus, as swiftly and quietly as he could, he ran back over to Fern.

Fern had rounded on her partner pointing the knife at him a sadistic grin on her face, it wasn’t some drawn out moment but a quick little reminder before getting on their way. 

“So help me, I will!”

For once, the man was ready to get into a fight. He glared a most nasty and awful look at the woman. Ottoman didn’t even think about the consequences.  

 It wasn’t even that Fern was particularly mad at Dewey, quite the contrary, but the lack of anyone else to take it out on left them both in this predicament. She hadn’t yet drawn a weapon which was a good thing but the venom in her voice could have curdled milk.

“Six figures? You’re kidding.”

He was jealous at the mention of that much money for murder. Perhaps it was per murder, which made him even more jealous. Or it was her “salary” of sorts?

“Is that for one murder or what?”

“Not much of a fish person I’m going to assume. Well we got sharks and stingrays.–I mean they’re fish too, but people usually find them more interesting than the other fish.”

Fern would be the first to admit fish were not on her list of favorite animals. She began to wonder if her brother had sent her here as a joke or something, so far this entire town had felt pretty normal. At least as far as college towns went.