Lia was glad Nick believed her events of the previous night without question. It made things easier. Well, to a degree.
"My flight leaves in six hours." She said as she toweled off her damp hair. Nick was still in the shower, where they were intertwined for the second time this morning. She was sore, her skin was marked with his signature bites and bruises. Although it'd only been days since their encounter at his place, she had a longing to continue the facade.
"Great! I will move my flight to come back with you." Nick practically sang from the shower.
She inhaled sharply, "There's no need. I have to get some report cards done on the flight back."
As soon as she said it she knew he wouldn't take no for an answer. The water turned off and she could hear him toweling off in a hurried manner. He slipped his jersey and jeans from the night before. After he laced his shoes, he walked over and stood before her. He grabbed her face in his hands and forced her to look up at him.
"I'm going to my room to pack my things and change my clothes. I'll be back in 30 minutes. Don't be dressed. Or else."
He kissed her lips with intensity. Once he left the room she threw on some leggings and a sports bra. A large sweater that was comfortable but also masked her frame and the marks on her skin. She put on her socks and boots before reentering the adjoining room. Her silencer was in hand.
While Nick was in the shower, she'd scrolled through the men's reports. The blond has an arrest record a mile long. He was working for some French diplomat. The dark-haired man has a family. Wife. Two girls. Two boys. Baby on the way. It seems like the French diplomat had something he was holding over the second man. She was clearly not the mark.
The door clicked shut and the men looked up. The blond was a pale and sweat slicked his hair to his face. She walked over and shot him in the head. From an angle she stood and where she positioned the gun, the blood splattered away from her. Leaving her fresh clothes unscathed.
Finally, she got what she intended. The other man's eyes were ablaze with fear. She removed the ball gag.
"Tell me what I want to know and you will live." She sighed at the look of disbelief on his face. "I know every detail about who you are and your family. The only details I'm missing are the who and the why. Who was your intended mark? Why are you working for the minister?"
"Please, don't do anything to my family. They're innocent. I just got caught up in something and I need to make it right." The man pleaded in a whisper.
"As an act of good faith, I will take off your collar. If you raise your voice, I will shoot you point blank. Whether or not you've told me what I want to know." He hesitated then nodded once. When the collar was removed he moved his neck in circles. "Now, tell me more."
"All I know, is that Nicholas Johnson was the mark. The minister wanted to hold him ransom or persuade him to join their national team. I'm not quite sure, I didn't understand the politics of everything." He sighed deeply and continued, "The minister isn't a good man. I'm in debt up to my ears from the complications my wife had with our two girls. They had lengthy hospital visits as babies and so did my wife. I was worried about our next child coming into the world and drowning in more debt. A few weeks ago, I started asking around to see how I could get cash fast. I was put in contact with the minister. The less I knew about the whole thing, the better."
I knew about the debt of course but it wasn't staggering. Maybe part of the debt had been cleared before the job and the other amount would be cleared after?
My watch indicated I had 18 minutes before Nick would return.
"You've been very helpful. When you wake up, don't tell anyone about this. You can't have Nick, but I'll make sure the minister sticks to his word." She pulled the injector from her sweater pocket. "This will only sting a little."
Once the man was out cold, she quickly cleaned up her mess.
With three minutes to spare, she washed her hands in the sink. Efficient couldn't even describe how she effortlessly cleaned and contained the other room.