Bad Company (Harris Lacroix)

Kevin looked over the file that had been given to him by his temporary boss; his eyes flicking through the information slowly.

"Y'see, that Bastard Barrett is infringing on my territory and word has it that has his own assassin out fer mah head. I want you ta find him and kill 'im."

"What's in it for me?"

"I live you live after the job is done."

The cold voice matched the icy stare of the man sitting before him. Mark Calaway was a name amongst names in Nash's circle but he'd never come across him before this night and he was pretty sure that didn't want to run across him again. The man was a cold hearted monster that even kept his younger brother chained at his feet for his sick pleasure. The welts and scars that marked the nearly naked man spoke more about the auburn haired man than even eyes and words could ever hope to do.

"So do you accept?"

"I'd be a fool to turn it down." Kevin retorted as he looked directly into the frozen emerald eyes. "Besides, if I said no I wouldn't be leaving this room."

"Ahh, finally someone who understands business." A smile flitted across the pale lips and Kevin shivered hard.

"Mama didn't raise any fools. So this man...Harris Lacroix; have you heard of him before?"

"I have, he's good. But I've retained someone better...right?"

The last word was hardly the question it was posed as and Kevin swallowed hard. He'd be insane to say he was the best assassin in the world but at 52 he was still around, so that had to speak for something about his abilities. As he looked back down at the file he scouted the room; noting the multitude of weapon laden men at the doors; apparently Calaway had more enemies than allies in this city.

"Of course you have Mr. Calaway. I wouldn't have returned your call if I was some half-assed assassin."

"Good. Now, I'll pay you have in advance like we agreed over the phone and the rest when you bring me Lacroix's head."

Kevin nodded and stood; tucking the file under his arm and after shaking Mark's hand was lead from the spacious den. The man he followed was silent the entire way and Kevin wondered if it was because he had nothing to say or if the cold bastard had cut out the man's tongue. Once he was clear of the building he shook his head; Mark Calaway was nuts and personally he felt that the crazy s.o.b needed to be taken down a notch or two.

Killing another assassin; though a direct way to take one up a couple of notches in the underworld made one a marked man; and Kevin didn't want to be a notch in another assassin's gun belt. With a huff he tossed the file into the back seat and pulled away from the mansion; heading home to ready himself for the battle that was to come. If Lacroix was a good as the file led him to believe then the man was more than a worthy opponent and Kevin found himself looking towards the hunt with a slight excitement roiling in his gut.

"Nash? Yer sendin' me after Nash?" Harris Lacroix asked as he sat in the plush office of Wade Barrett. The mob boss, though younger than he was, outranked him. He was one of the only men in the city who he would actually listen to and take orders from. Usually he avoided New York City for a number of reasons but this job was just to good to pass up.

"Why not? Do you have a better idea?" smirked Wade as he handed him the file of the assassin that she had heard about only as a legend. "He's working for an old enemy of mine and I need you to make sure that he doesn't do his job."

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up Brit," frowned Harris. "Yeh know this much but don't know how to get a hold of him to kill him yerself?"

"Oh I know where he is. But since my engagement, I haven't been one to go out and get my hands dirty myself," nodded Wade. "Do this job and I will pay you better than I've ever killed anyone."

Harris stood up, clutching the file. "Fine, fine." he walked out of the office, throwing the file in the bed of his truck before driving off to a seedy little bar in the bad part of New York. it was a place that a man could get a stiff drink before doing a big job.

Kevin spent most of the night looking over the file and scowling at the steadily emptying bottle. From all the reports that he'd found, Harris Lacroix was a a legend down below the Mason Dixon line. The pictures of the man spoke of a wily man that had made his living dodging everything that was thrown at him and one that was not afraid to get his hands dirty.

"I think Calaway has lost his mind. There's no way that Lacroix is going to be taken down easily." Nash murmured as he got up and refilled his glass.

He looked over the file as he drained the glass before closing the manilla folder and heading out to stand on his porch; things were going to hit the fan when they ran into one another because if Lacroix was as good as his file outlined and the information that he'd managed to get from other informants then it was going to be one hell of a fight.