“I’d not think too long if I were you, this isn’t a deal I offer everyone.” The woman sat back and crossed her hands on her lap.

“Why am I so special then?” Dan asked, stalling for time.

“I don’t know,” she made a face. “Call it a whimsy. I think you’re cute. And not many people would have the balls to actually come into my office when they’d been…adjusted.”

“Adjusted?”

“I’m sure our mutual friend told you a few things when he sent you to kill me.”

“I… I don’t know what you mean.” It was all Dan could do to remain outwardly calm. “I never…”

“Oh stop your babbling. Do you really think you’re the first he’s sent? Just for once I wish he’d come himself, be the man he used to be, once.”

“You know him?”

She smiled. “We go back a long way Mr… what is your surname?”

“Desperate,” Dan muttered.

“Ha, you can laugh in spite of the fear you feel. I think I like you Daniel. Now.” She leaned forward on her desk again. “Are you going to accept my offer, or am I going to dismember your quivering corpse on my desk? I hope you agree, the blood takes ages to clean out.”

Dan suddenly made his mind up. If he was going to be jerked around by these *******s, then he may as well be jerked around by the one that had money. It’s not as if he couldn’t change his mind later. The term ‘my word is my bond’ had never meant so much as a brass farthing to him.

“Very well. I’ll work with you. But I want some cash. Up front.”

The large woman raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t offering you employment. Just a short alliance.”

“I don’t care. You can bloody your desk with my insides if you want, but you’ll have to get in line. I can’t be ****ed with this dicking about anymore. Cash, or take your offer and stuff it. Two thousand… no, two and a half. I wouldn’t mind a new suit.”

He folded his arms and glared at her, a determined look on his face and muscles tensed, ready for any defensive action that may be shortly required.

She frowned in puzzlement for a second, but then smiled and touched something behind her desk. There was a buzzing sound and the voice of the secretary through a speaker somewhere.

“Yes Ms. Rudac?”

“Elizabeth, come in here for a moment would you?”

“Yes Ms. Rudac.”

There was a pause, Dan’s heart sped up, wondering if he was going to have to fight both of them off. He readied Little Mick as the door opened and the blond entered behind him.

“Give Mr. Desperate here five thousand and go with him to Samuels, get him set up with some nice clothes. See to it yourself.”

“At once Ms. Rudac. If you would come this way sir…”

Dan didn’t move, he just looked at the woman with a baffled expression on his face.

“Why?” she asked for him. “Let’s just say when I do something, I do it well. Unlike some people I know. You want in, then you may as well go all the way. Don’t worry, it’s not a gift, you’ll earn your money you will. Go now, before I change my mind. I’ll be in touch.”

She waved a hand, and Dan decided not to hang about. He stood up and, with a final glance at her, followed the blond out of the door and up the corridor. A task that was no burden, the secretary had an ass to kill for, and she knew how to use it.

“So, where’s this Samuels’ then?” he asked her as she returned to her desk and picked a phone up.

“It’s one of our special suppliers. Yes, send a car around the front. Samuels.” She spoke to someone on the other end of the line and returned the handset to its rest. “Come on.”

Dan made a face to himself as they went out of the door, to be met by a large black car with tinted windows pulling up in front of them. The secretary, what did Rudac call her? Elizabeth. Elizabeth just stood and waited, looking at the vehicle.

A moment later and a man dressed in the classic chauffeurs uniform emerged from the drivers’ side and opened the rear door. Elizabeth climbed in. He remained where he was, startled by the driver, who was the tallest person he’d ever seen in the flesh. He reminded him of Lurch, off that old TV show. Even his face looked long and square.

“Sir?” The man was standing holding the door open.

“Oh, er. Yes.” Dan followed Elizabeth into the car, and the door closed behind him.

“Wow, nice ride.” The interior featured several leather seats arranged in a circle around a low table. A special arrangement allowed the crystal drink decanters in the center to remain stable.

“This is bigger than my bedroom,” he said jovially to the secretary, slumping down next to her. “I bet you have some laughs in this eh?”

“We don’t have a sense of humor at PG,” she replied, her face utterly devoid of emotion.

“No kidding.” Dan heaved a sigh and sat back in the extremely luxurious seat.

“Well, do you mind if I take a small sip of the good stuff? I’m new, so I still like to have a bit of a good time.” He gestured at the table.

“Go ahead.”

Dan did so, though it took him a few moments to locate the glasses, hidden away in a compartment in the base of the table. “Fancy a swig?” he asked.

She gave a very small shrug, which he took to mean yes, and pulled out two glasses.

The nearest decanter was full of brown liquid which, he confirmed with a sniff, was full of very, very expensive smelling brandy. He poured two large ones and handed the glass to his silent companion.

“Good times!” He raised his drink in salute.

She gave him another blank stare, and then downed her drink in one swift go.

“Like that is it?” Dan said happily, and emulated her action, choking as the alcohol burned its way down his throat.

“Woo! That is the good stuff,” he exclaimed, eyes watering as the drink settled in his empty stomach.

He poured another two draughts and then settled back to enjoy the ride, sipping the brandy to savor the taste as Lurch threaded the car through the traffic.

“So,” he said as they inched forward into the main shopping district, which was full of people. It had started to rain, and the streets were awash with umbrellas. “How long have you worked for old Rudac then? What is that name anyway? French?”

“I believe it’s eastern European,” she replied. “And I’ve been with Ms. Rudac for about two centuries now.”

“Oh. I see.” Dan raised an eyebrow and tried to think of something witty to say in response, but the brandy was making itself felt on his empty system, and he merely grunted.

The car turned off down a small street, nearly running down several irate pedestrians in the process.

“Nearly had two points there!” Dan said cheerfully to Lurch as he watched some old biddy shout abuse after the car. He waved at her, but she didn’t see him through the tinted windows.

“Indeed sir,” the driver replied in a dry voice.

“Sheesh, you guys need to liven up a bit, live a little.”

“We have our ways of relaxing sir,” Lurch replied. “No doubt you will become acquainted with them soon enough.”

That sounded ominous to Dan, but before he could query the man any more, the car pulled up.

“We’re here,” Elizabeth said needlessly.

“Smashing.” Dan downed the rest of his glass and fumbled with the door, which failed to move until the chauffer opened it for him, whereupon he fell out, helped by the brandy.

“Thanks my good man,” he said, regaining his feet with some difficulty as the other two looked at him impartially. “Wait here, we’ll be right back.” He waved his hand imperiously.

“Come back in two hours,” Elizabeth commanded the driver, who nodded. Taking Dan’s arm she guided him towards a discrete looking shop just ahead of them. The windows were filled with expensive looking suits.

“Ah, Samuel’s!” he exclaimed. “My favorite tailors.”

“You’re drunk,” she said.

“You think? Shocking.” Dan smiled cheerfully, totally unrepentant. “I plan on being more drunk later too. Maybe you and me…”

“Don’t even think it,” she cut in, opening the door to the store. “Now sit there and shut up.”

“I don’t think…”

“If you shut up I’ll get you an ale, or whatever you peasants drink.”

“Peasants? Ale?” Dan squinted at her, through increasingly blurred vision. “Well, why not. Please do my princess.” He attempted to bow and fell over again.

The fitting was a haze to Dan, who drank throughout the whole procedure as Elizabeth and several other gentlemen, presumably the tailors, manhandled him and measured him up.

He babbled on, drinking the beer they supplied happily, and was totally ignored. Eventually, as he thought he heard someone say ‘we’re done’, he passed out.

“Oh **** me.”

For the second time he woke up in his bed wanting to vomit. This time he made it to the toilet before heaving, an act made all the more horrible because of his empty stomach.

Once the worst of it had passed, he slumped down over the bowl and groaned, clutching at his head.

“Jesus,” he moaned. “What hit me?”

Staggering upright he washed his face, looking in the mirror, which showed a skinny visage in turn. He studied his features. The face was thin, with stubble adorning the chin. A receding hairline only emphasized the high forehead and thin eyebrows. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and his skin was pale. The face of a person who’d lived a hard life, and was aging prematurely.

“Good morning sunshine,” he said to his reflection, and splashed water over himself.

Brushing his teeth helped get the taste of shit out of his mouth, and he staggered back into his squalid room, only then noticing the pile of boxes marked ‘Samuels’, and the new clothing draped over the sparse furnishings.

There was an envelope on the table. A thick envelope. He staggered over and opened it.

Inside was the thickest wad of cash he’d every seen.

A hammering on the door interrupted him rudely.

“You in there you scroat? I want my money! You’re late, unless you have thee thousand, it’s going to be your last evening on this earth.”

“Evening?” Dan squinted outside. Indeed, he’d slept through yet another day. He looked at the money in his hand and then at the door, which at any moment would no doubt be bursting open, to reveal Snake and several of his large friends.

He looked at the money in his hand, and then dived for his bed, pushing the envelope under the pillow just as the door, as predicted, burst open.

Also as predicted, two burly fellows squeezed inside, their stares unfriendly to say the least.

Snake followed them in. Dan could see at least two more bodyguards behind him, waiting in the corridor.

“Times’ up,” Snake said.