New beginnings

It didn't matter. Jalyn had already taken everything from him that she needed.

She turned back to look at the man laying on the bed, the sheets barely covering his body. She had enjoyed him; she couldn't deny that. It always made the job easier when the man could please her that way.

The door to the hotel room closed softly, the click of the latch silently echoing in the hall. Within seconds of leaving the room, her cell phone rang.

"Yes?" Jalyn answered.

"It is finished?" came the voice from the phone.

"Of course."

"Did you make sure?"

"Don't you trust me? This isn't my first job, you know."

"We don't want any fowl ups."

"Don't worry. He'll be dead before you can end this call." And with that, she hung up the phone.

Her high heels dug into the stiff carpet of the hall, leaving a trail of indentations as she walked. She reached the elevator and pushed the down button. It's soft green glow seemed to stand out against the beige paint on the wall. The ding of the elevator announced the arrival of the car. She looked up to see the doors open and a man inside with a gun raised at the ready.

They stood there for a second, staring at each other. Finally, she spoke.

"Matt, are you going to shoot me?"

"Hadn't planned on it," replied Matt.

"Then can you lower the gun?"

"Not just yet. Head back to the room. I'll follow."

"Really? It's going to be like this, then?"

"That's how he wants it."

She sighed and turned back down the hall. Reaching the door, she took out the key card and opened the lock. Inside, the man still laid on the bed in the same position. Nothing had moved. Matt walked around Jalyn and felt the man's pulse. Satisfied that he didn't feel anything, he opened his cell phone and hit redial.

"He's dead," he said into the phone. "Yeah, I just checked ... Ok. Got it." He hung up the phone and put away his gun.

"See?" she said. "That wasn't necessary at all."

"I trust you," said Matt, with a coy grin.

"Sure you do," she replied, matching his sarcasm. "So, may I go now? I usually don't like to hang around after the job is done."

"Of course," he said, and they walked out the door.

Back at the elevator, Matt turned to Jalyn and asked, "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Matt," she sighed. "No offense, but I don't like to mix business and pleasure."

"Really?" he smirked. "Then what do you call that back there?"

The elevator door opened and Matt entered. He turned around to see Jalyn with her gun drawn. "That was pleasure," she said. "This is business." The silencer on the gun muffled the sound of the shot, making it seem like only a cough. Matt slumped to the floor, leaving a red stain down the elevator wall.

Jalyn rushed back to the room and pulled out a small vial. She poured it into the naked man's mouth. She sat back until he coughed and sputtered. She rolled him over onto his side to help him breathe.

"Thank God," she said. "It worked."

"Of course it did," the man said. "Did he buy it?"

"I sure hope so. The call was made, but he had sent Matt to verify the kill. I didn't expect that."

"And...?"

"He's on his way down in the elevator. I'd say we have only a minute before all hell breaks loose."

"Then I'd better get dressed."

He started to get up, but she grabbed his face and embraced it with a passionate kiss. He returned it and then pulled her away before saying, "It'll work. We'll make it."

She smiled at him and got together a small duffel bag of personals while he dressed. He reached out his hand to hers and led her to the door. Just before opening it he gave her one more kiss and asked, "Ready to make history?"

"I've been ready," she said, and they left the room, headed down the back stairs and into the dark cover of night.