Page 7 of Burn for Me

Yet, the buzzing didn't stop, and curiosity got the better of me.

Clicking the green symbol, I hauled off my helmet and pressed the phone to my ear.

‘Is that… Phoenix?’ A man’s voice said on the other end of the line, his words slow and hesitant.

I waited. If he knew who I was, he wouldn’t truly expect an answer.

‘I’ve got an urgent job that needs taking care of. In Manchester. Entire house needs to go up and fast. Four bodies with gun-shot wounds. I’m more than happy to pay your going rate.’

Closing my eyes, I inhaled through my nose. Every part of my body screamed to say no, to curl up in bed. I didn’t need the money, and I’d already had my fix of destruction.

But there was a kernel of burning need awakening deep in my soul. A need to please. A need to be useful. A need to not be alone again.

So many days stretched out, filled with nothing but me and the expanse of the ocean.

What was one more job?

I promptly hung up and ignored the call that had rung almost immediately after.

Pulling up a text, I set out my terms.

I need the address. How much time has elapsed since the incident?

A light rain kicked up, sending a sheen of tiny raindrops scattering over my phone screen.

Twenty minutes. Oak Grange Manor. I’ll send a pin that should get you directly to it.

£100K

The reply bubbles danced for a few minutes as I waited.

That’s double the fee I was told.

You can take it or leave it. I was about to head home.

Another full minute of waiting.

Fine. But make sure it’s thorough.

I’ll need a name, and for the wire to clear by the time I get there.

Why do you need my name?

Insurance. Just in case anything should happen to me.

Working for someone new who could afford my services and had a habit of killing people was always a risk. Being implicated on either side of a war could prove positively fatal. I wanted to keep breathing, despite my better judgement.

Being dead might well be better than the life I lived.

I’d been cheating death for longer than I deserved. Some day, he’d catch up.

The game was how long I could outrun him.

My phone buzzed once more.

Massimo Ricci

The wire transfer for one hundred thousand pounds arrived as I fitted my helmet back over my mask. Good thing I always travelled with extra supplies.

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