admin
22 December 2023
“I try not to think about it, really.”
Lisa set her cup back on the table, watching him. “Really, Duane? Do you feel that justifies what you do?”
Duane sighed, staring down into his whiskey. “No, it doesn’t. But if I start thinking about the people I kill, I tend to screw up the job. If I screw up, I don’t get paid.”
“How many jobs do you have left?”
“Three, after this one.”
“Are you going to renew your contract when it’s up?”
Duane finished his drink. “I don’t know. I don’t want to. But I don’t know of any other job I’m qualified for.”
“There has to be something else. Why don’t you quit now? Just walk away from your contract.”
“I can’t,” he replied as he stood up. Duane walked back to the bar and ordered another drink. He returned to the booth and sat back down, staring at the table.
“Why can’t you quit?” she asked, waiting for his response. Duane didn’t answer. She asked again.
After a long wait, he replied. “I had a friend named Jin Kazuya. He worked for the same cartel I do. He had a wife and a daughter in West Hollywood, and was trying to make money so he could support them. He was very good at what he did; an excellent shot and an extremely quick thinker. But somehow he was still a really nice guy. I was one of the few people he felt comfortable talking to. He told me once about his second job, a sniper assignment in Anaheim. I don’t know how he ever found this out, but it turns out that his target was the brother of the guy who worked right next to him on the line in a warehouse he worked at when he was 16. I mean, he knew his target personally; the guy’s name was Hal Cryer. I guess Jin never really got over that, because after his fifth assignment, he never met up with his contact. He tried to just walk away.”
Lisa finished her tea. She watched Duane intently, processing everything he had said, her fingers resting lightly on the lip of her cup.
Duane met her eyes, his vision unwavering. “My fourth assignment was to track down Jin for breaking his contract.” He emptied his glass.
Lisa watched him as his gaze shifted to nothing in particular, his eyes far away. “Did you kill him?” she asked.
He shut his eyes, brushing his fingertips at the corners. He looked away from her. “Better him than me.”
Duane stood up, giving her a glance, walked away and headed up the stairs and into the street.
Lisa set her cup back on the table, watching him. “Really, Duane? Do you feel that justifies what you do?”
Duane sighed, staring down into his whiskey. “No, it doesn’t. But if I start thinking about the people I kill, I tend to screw up the job. If I screw up, I don’t get paid.”
“How many jobs do you have left?”
“Three, after this one.”
“Are you going to renew your contract when it’s up?”
Duane finished his drink. “I don’t know. I don’t want to. But I don’t know of any other job I’m qualified for.”
“There has to be something else. Why don’t you quit now? Just walk away from your contract.”
“I can’t,” he replied as he stood up. Duane walked back to the bar and ordered another drink. He returned to the booth and sat back down, staring at the table.
“Why can’t you quit?” she asked, waiting for his response. Duane didn’t answer. She asked again.
After a long wait, he replied. “I had a friend named Jin Kazuya. He worked for the same cartel I do. He had a wife and a daughter in West Hollywood, and was trying to make money so he could support them. He was very good at what he did; an excellent shot and an extremely quick thinker. But somehow he was still a really nice guy. I was one of the few people he felt comfortable talking to. He told me once about his second job, a sniper assignment in Anaheim. I don’t know how he ever found this out, but it turns out that his target was the brother of the guy who worked right next to him on the line in a warehouse he worked at when he was 16. I mean, he knew his target personally; the guy’s name was Hal Cryer. I guess Jin never really got over that, because after his fifth assignment, he never met up with his contact. He tried to just walk away.”
Lisa finished her tea. She watched Duane intently, processing everything he had said, her fingers resting lightly on the lip of her cup.
Duane met her eyes, his vision unwavering. “My fourth assignment was to track down Jin for breaking his contract.” He emptied his glass.
Lisa watched him as his gaze shifted to nothing in particular, his eyes far away. “Did you kill him?” she asked.
He shut his eyes, brushing his fingertips at the corners. He looked away from her. “Better him than me.”
Duane stood up, giving her a glance, walked away and headed up the stairs and into the street.
artid
108
Old Image
4_5_gun.swf
issue
vol 4 - issue 05 (jan 2002)
section
pen_think