Page 73 of Erase Me
“What does Vaughn want?”Avalie asked.
“Money and power, I assume.It fits with his personality.”
“Don’t you guys pay well enough?”
“He gets paid plenty.Trust me.More than you and I make.”
I thought of Del Volpe’s wealth, and it struck me that if I were to disappear, those financial assets might just magically find their way into Vaughn’s accounts.In our business, a lot had to operate on trust, especially with handlers.It wasn’t like we had auditors going around checking books.Unless I raised a complaint or tagged him as a potential problem, dishonesty could become his new favorite pastime.He could skim what he wanted or take it all.Trust in our world was a bit like leaving your wallet on the table and hoping the cat didn’t develop a taste for leather.
“Then why is he doing this?What’s motivating him?”
“My guess is that he wants a little extra, extra, extra cash.Or a side gig working as an evil mastermind.”
“That explains everything,” she said, coming to stand next to me.
“Are you considering a career change into the lucrative world of villainy?”
“Why not?Obviously, it pays well.And I can have my own army of minions and fancy cars.”She smiled.“By the way, who are Mr.and Mrs.Smith?”
“A couple living up the road.They’re hustlers who work the business of lawn mowing.”
She elbowed me in the chest.“Can’t you give me a straight answer?”
“You seriously don’t know who they are?”
“Would I ask if I knew?”
“You’ve been doing this…let’s see, since Sunday?So, you knew nothing about the era before coming here.”
“Hey, give it up.I did what I had to do.”
She brought her face close to mine, and I found myself staring at her lips.For a split second, I almost gave in to the urge to kiss her.How quickly I was forgetting what she’d done to me.
“Come on.Who are they?”she asked again.
“It’s a movie.They’re a married couple who live in a normal neighborhood while juggling covert spy missions with domestic bliss.They don’t even know their partner is an assassin.Somehow, they manage to keep their garden weeded and their impressive stash of weapons hidden.”
“Move over, James Bond.The real action’s happening in suburbia.”
“And you know who James Bond is?”
“Of course, I do.At least, I’ve heard his name.”
“But nothing more of the social or cultural history of this decade,” I commented.
“No need to be critical,” Avalie grumbled, casting me a sidelong glance.“I had Payam to fill me in with that info.”
“Oh, your hacked assistant.A real prize.”
“Huh!At least, I have an excuse.I was working with an AI entity.How about you and your handler—the underpaid, evil Mr.Vaughn.”
“I didn’t choose him,” I reminded her.“He was assigned to me.”
“Excuses, excuses.”She perched herself on the edge of the bed and sifted through the items I’d taken out of my bag.
Seeing her there triggered the memory from this past Sunday.That day, neither of us were thinking of weapons or kicking ass.Sex was the only thing going on in my mind, and it was hot.I hurriedly pushed the memory away, forcing my brain to switch off the flashback urge.
Focus on the weapons, I told myself.Avalie had only a couple of immobilizers.Obviously, she believed in quality over quantity.Meanwhile, my collection was a gadget lover’s dream.With this, I was prepared for any situation that might rival a high-stakes, sci-fi battle.
