The Ultimate Assassin

5

Despite Sara’s gentle, quiet demeanour, she was every bit as stubborn as Xavier. Once she made her mind up, shifting her was like trying to move a mountain. Unable to talk her round, Xavier finally relented and left her to look after Dad. The old man’s injuries were stable, which put his mind at ease. The priority now was finding the jumped-up, nouveau riche bastard who had put him in that hospital bed and extracting a pound of flesh.

He had plenty more to say to Dad, but there was no rush. Xavier was back in the country for good; they had all the time in the world. Bidding the old man farewell, Xavier slipped out of the ward.

He had been away for eight years. His old contacts were long gone. Trying to track down a bloke he’d only seen twice in passing wasn't going to be a walk in the park. But Xavier was no longer the impulsive, hot-headed teenager who had fled the country. Eight brutal years as a mercenary had taught him a thing or two.

Heading home, he took a quick shower. Drawing on his razor-sharp memory, he grabbed a pen and quickly sketched a portrait of the fat bloke in the bespoke suit. He scrutinised the drawing for a moment, satisfied it was a dead ringer, and slipped the folded paper into his jacket.

If you wanted information, your best bet was either the coppers or the local underworld. The police were a dead end for someone with Xavier's background, leaving only the street thugs. Throw enough cash around, and finding a single person wouldn't be too much of an ask.

At around ten o'clock, dressed in casual gear, Xavier hailed a cab and headed to a nearby pub. Bars were a melting pot of chaos, the natural habitat for local gangsters. Teeming with all sorts of characters, it was the perfect place to buy a bit of intel.

Shortly after, the taxi pulled up outside a bar called ‘Intoxicated’. Xavier gave the place a quick once-over. It wasn't massive, but it was absolutely heaving. The place was packed to the rafters, deafening bass thumping through the floorboards as men and women writhed wildly on the neon-lit dancefloor.

Xavier took a seat at the bar and ordered a pint. His eyes swept the room, taking in the young lads with their dyed hair and cheap tattoos. It cast his mind back to his own youth. He used to be just like them, wasting his days in dodgy pubs. He hadn't dyed his hair or covered himself in ink, but he had spent his time drinking and brawling. He had given Dad so much grief back then. A twinge of guilt hit him; he had been a reckless, arrogant little shite.

The bartender was a young woman, perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six. She had a striking, pale face, and her phoenix-like eyes were liquid and captivating, practically oozing charm. Her low-cut top did a miserable job of containing her ample, heaving cleavage. Since Xavier had walked in, she hadn’t taken her eyes off him. In her two or three years working there, she had never seen a bloke with such raw, masculine gravity. Those eyes of his were as deep and unfathomable as the night sky; a girl could easily get lost in them.

"First time, handsome? Haven't seen you around here before," the bartender purred, tossing him a flirtatious wink. She deliberately leaned forward against the sticky bar top, letting her assets jiggle enticingly.

Xavier knew the score. A bartender might not be a mob boss, but she rubbed shoulders with every crook and hustler in the postcode. If he wanted to find someone, she was exactly the sort of middleman he needed. He was out of touch with the local underworld; even if he found the right people, they might not take his money. Since she was initiating, he wasn't going to turn her down. Plus, Xavier was no saint. Giving her a subtle nod, he replied, "Yeah, just got back in town today. The place is doing well for itself. Though I imagine half the punters are just here to look at you. I've been to a lot of pubs, but I've never met a bartender with quite as much... charm." He didn't miss a beat, a roguish smirk playing on his lips.

The bartender beamed, eating up the flattery. "You're a smooth talker, aren't you? This is Tayne’s turf. No one dares start any trouble here, so business is naturally good."

Xavier didn't know who Tayne was, but anyone running a joint like this was either in the mob or firmly in their pocket. Xavier flashed a warm smile. "Tell me, gorgeous, can I ask you to keep an ear to the ground for me?"

"Sure thing. Who are you looking for? When it comes to intel, I’ve got more connections than you'd think," she replied with a grin.

Pulling the sketch from his jacket, Xavier slid it across the bar. "I want to find this bloke."

She picked it up and gave it a glance. "Got a name?"

"Haven't a clue. All I know is he flew into the city yesterday, and beat up an old scavenger outside the airport. What do you reckon? Can it be done?"

She went quiet for a moment, assessing the drawing. "No problem, but it might take a bit of time. Leave your number, and I'll ring you when I've got something."

"Done," Xavier agreed easily. He took the pen she offered and quickly scribbled his mobile number on a scrap of paper.

"Going rate is two grand, but this one's a bit tricky without a name. Three grand total. Half upfront as a deposit. If we don't find him, the deposit is non-refundable," she rattled off smoothly. She wasn't a gangster, but she was under Tayne's umbrella. Passing a simple tracking job to the local lads was easy money. She'd get a ten percent cut, too. She fancied Xavier, sure, but business was business. Rules were rules.

Xavier didn't bother haggling. He smoothly pulled out two thousand Won in cash and handed it over. "Keep the extra five hundred. Buy yourself a drink."

She didn't put on an act, happily pocketing the cash. "Cheers, boss. Wait for my call."

Xavier gave a curt nod, muttered a quick "See ya," and stood up to leave.

"Hey, boss! My name's Lita!" she called out after him.

Xavier paused, a breathless laugh escaping his lips. He threw a glance over his shoulder. "I'll remember that," he said, shaking his head with a smirk as he walked out into the night. Lita was supposed to be a legendary wuxia fairy of absolute, untouchable purity. He couldn't think of a single thing this busty bartender had in common with the mythical maiden except, perhaps, that neither of them were virgins anymore.