Page 23 of Triple Threat

I would find Roan for that tour probably in the morning.

I turned back to look at the door to the room I resided in and realized, he hadn’t even shut it this time.

Chapter Ten

Lachlan…

Le Jeffersonwas an old restaurant in DC. One of those places that had lasted longer than some political parties. The walls were whitewashed brick, and the bar running the length of the rear of the dining room was supposedly made from wood slated for ships for the Continental Navy. The dining room was buzzing with a half a hundred conversations, and there were several suits posted outside of the private Lafayette Room. That meant that there were some snollygosters inside. That was one of Roan’s phrases; snollygosters were politicians who were politicians for the sake of their own importance and wealth. In fewer words, they were the worst sort.

The restaurant had been catering to those back-room vipers. Half the regulars there were the subject of deranged internet conspiracies. More than one was accused of being a reptile or something. Not cold like a reptile, but an actual lizard person wearing a human suit. I couldn’t vouch for any of them being lizards, but they were all cold sons of bitches. They keptLe Jeffersonin business, shilling bottles of wine that cost as much as cars, imported wagyu and Kobe beef steaks, and a fun little game where nothing on the menu had a price next to it. The lobbyists had rules they had to abide by and the restaurant knew how to dance around them.

It was fitting to be meetingle Generale’slieutenants in the regular dining room. They thought they had arrived before me, arriving almost half an hour before our scheduled meeting time. The joke was on them. I had been in DC a day early, and at the restaurant before it technically opened. What sort of hitman could I be if I couldn’t even talk my way past busboys and sous chefs?

There were three of them sitting at the table, sharing an appetizer of raw shucked oysters. The tallest was Ajahi Jaarsveld, a black South African ex-pat. To his left sat a blue-eyed blond man who looked like he should be throwing a football or wearing a Nazi uniform. That was Gustaf Malmaison. They had been working for the general for some time. Jaarsveld had been part of some militia group before leaving Johannesburg, something involving AKs, hyenas on leashes, and some pretty unsavory rumors. Malmaison, with his Hitler youth haircut, was a German ex-pat with a file as thick as a dictionary.

They did manage a surprise; I didn’t recognize their third. She had blond hair, highly precise makeup, and my first instinct was that she was Japanese. It would fit the general’s international composition; he certainly liked his people to come from every corner of the world. I approached, one ofLe Jefferson’sbleeding edge Aviator cocktails in hand.

“I see you are a man of culture,” Malmaison said.

I offered a curt western bow at the table.

“Your reputations precede you,” I replied and took the fourth seat. “Or at least two of you do. My apologies,” I offered. “Perhaps an introduction is in order?”

“Our companion is Gwendolyn Kaijin, formerly of Japan,” Malmaison said. “She knows who you are.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” I said.

“Enough,” Ajahi said. “This is not a social club.”

“Fair enough. Did you already order, I know you were here early?” I asked.

“Only drinks, and these,” Kaijin said, offering me one of the remaining oysters. “How did you know we were early?”

“I was earlier than you,” I said.

“Heisgood,” Kaijin said, approvingly.

“He is arrogant,” Ajahi said.

“Arrogance has to be earned,” I said. “And I have earned it. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here talking.”

“Your rate—” Malmaison started.

“Is non-negotiable,” I finished for him. “I have a one hundred percent completion record. There is not a single person who has escaped me, and I have fulfilled every contract above and beyond. If you’re looking to save a buck, you should probably get up and leave now.” I took a sip of my Aviator. The cool violet flavor was exquisite.

“If you deliver as well as you dress, I don’t think we will have any problems. What Iamconcerned about is your conscience.” Kaijin was undressing me with her eyes, a twist of a smile on her face.

“I’ve never been accused of having one,” I said.

“That is precisely what we are counting on,” she said.

“Since you know who we are, do you know whole Generaleis, what business he is in?” Ajahi asked.

“International business,” I said. “And that’s all that matters. So, how about we talk about the job, and not what you and your boss do?”

“You understand our concern,” Ajahi said, fixing me with his glare. “There are many men who claim they are killers, but when it is time to spill blood, they become like children.”

“You tell me who you want taken care of, and they’ll be taken care of,” I said. The waiter came by and nodded as I gestured for a second aviator.

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