he was beginning the job offer had less to do with his reputation and more to do with how funny someone thought annoying him was. the first note had been pinned to his door with an arrow. that's .. dramatic. the second had listed his last three aliases, two unpaid debts, and the exact amount he charged for retrieval work. now that, that was just invasive. and the third included half his fee in advance. he could work with that. so, he showed up. he wasn't intimidated -- obviously, the great j. daniel atlas didn't get intimidated by archers with too much free time and even more money. he got curious, sometimes threatened, often paid.
the estate was cold, far too large, and guarded. and yet, for the first time, he was escorted inside without a pat-down or search. by the time they left him in a study, he had counted exactly three exits, four windows, and a poorly-fixed vent. and yet, he stood in the very center of the room, hands visible.
“ alright, ” he called, knowing @ofsvnlightt was watching. “ point is made. impressive aim .. hideous furniture. ”
