Standing on the pavement I move from one leg to the other, coat pulled in, collar up and hands balled tight rubbing against each other. My briefcase sits beside me delicately balanced on the footpath. The cold biting wind of winter permeating through to my every bone. I turn my head side to side looking down the road, through squinted eyes, each way, willing the taxi to arrive.

The cab eventually comes, before full blown hypothermia sets in, and as it pulls close to the curb the front wheel sends a small wave of puddle water over my shoes. I look down and see the brown liquid mud slosh over my newly polished shoes and tut to myself in disgust with a small shake of the head.

My hand reaches tentatively for the door handle, its cold chrome attempting to freeze my already blue fingers to it. I yank the door open and quickly jump inside, picking up my briefcase with the other frozen hand as I do so. The case is flung haphazardly on the seat and I flop heavily beside it. I reach out and pull the door to. It doesn’t shut. I push it open and pull it back harder. A dull thud, not the expected clunk. I look down to see the bottom edge of my coat is firmly trapped in the door. I push the door open once more and use my free hand to reach over my waist and draw the coat in before slamming the door once more, this time with a healthy clunk as it shuts. I can see that my coat now has a black mark a few inches wide and a foot long creeping along the bottom. I roll my eyes and throw the dirty end down towards the passenger footwell. My arms are pulled in tight to my sides and my shoulders remain hunched up to my neck. The warmth of the taxi barely noticeable at the moment.

Two dark bloodshot eyes stare at me from the rear view mirror, “Seat belt sir.”

I relax my arms and fumble for the belt. I drag it across my body and pass it to my other waiting hand. I hear the scraping as I try desperately to insert the end onto the fastening. It won’t go. I shuffle myself away from the end pressing my body against the cheap vinyl of the door and try once more. A click as it finds its seating. I flop back into the seat and exhale, allowing my shoulders to relax as I sink into the seat. Moments later the car moves off with a jolt. I am pressed down further into the seat and my head flies back banging on the headrest. Instinctively I pull my head forward again. My head begins to ache. I can sense the beginnings of a migraine – just what I don’t need right now. 

The heat of the taxi has now begun to permeate into my body and I can feel small salty beads forming on my forehead. My fingers are pink and the backs of my hands have lost the redness of the cold as warmer blood circulates.  I use both hands to attempt to unbutton my coat and allow the heat to escape. The seatbelt has locked preventing my fingers from prising the buttons from the button holes. My right arms tries to yank the belt forward to release the lock but it’s stuck fast. I push my body hard back into the seat to offer another inch of play and yank again. It moves. I tuck it on the outside of my crooked arm, by the elbow, and once more move my fingers towards the buttons. At last I am able to move the coat to either side of my body and I relax once more. I release the seatbelt from my bent arm and take my hand to my face to wipe away the beads of sweat. The palm of my hand touches my cheek. It can feel the rough sandpaper bristles. That’s it. In my rush I forgot to shave. I curse myself. How I hate going to work unshaven.

My hand reaches over to the briefcase and pulls it to me. I place it on my knees and open it, lid towards the seat in front of me. I glance up at the rear view mirror. The drivers eyes are on the road and not on me, just as it should be. I look down and see the barrel nestled in its protective foam, the stock beside it and underneath, nearest me the silencer and six bullets in a row, shining yellow brass casing and mottled grey lead tips. A smile manages to escape my slowly warming lips and I gently close the case once more, placing it back on the seat beside me. I reach into my jacket breast pocket and pull out a piece of paper, crisp, white and neatly folded in three. My thumbs unfold it and I can see a picture of the target – not that I need one, he is well known. It has a time and place typed below. It’s all I need. Carefully I re-fold the paper and return it to the pocket. I glance at my watch, 11.30. I still have three hours. Plenty of time to arrive, find my location and wait. In my game it pays to be early, but not too early.

There is a screech as the worn out windscreen wipers swish across the screen, smearing the dust and grime over it and obscuring the drivers vision. The second wipe solves the problem, the rain which has just started lubricating the blades sufficiently to allow the screen to clear. It appeared that life was doing its level best to embarrass me today. First the cold, then the dirty coat, the sweating, an unshaven face and now drizzle. The signs were telling me I should have refused this job and stayed at home in bed.

In the rear view mirror I could see flashes of blue. I turned my head to see a police car, full lights on speeding toward us. I face forward, looking straight at the back of the drivers head. The taxi slows and pulls to the side of the road as the police car races past without pausing. Through the steady rain on the screen I watched the lights disappear into the distance. I was careful enough so as not to be worried by this. I had always been extremely careful. The driver returned to his central position on the road and continued with a steady pace on towards our destination. I knew the route he would take better than he did. It had taken months of planning. 

As we drove on I kept one eye on the road ahead but also watched the people in the town going about their business. Due to the coldness of the weather, it was not particularly busy. A few dog walkers, now with unfurled umbrellas, hands buried deep in pockets and hunched shoulders, shuffling their beloved pets for exercise I doubt they actually wanted. I felt sure that pet and owner would far rather be curled up at home in the warm. There were others, hoods up and heads down walking briskly to get whatever was so important done as quickly as possible so they too could return to the comfort of their own homes.

The rain intensified and I was starting to become anxious. The forecast was crisp and cold, not wet and freezing!  This job was becoming harder by the minute. What next, a tornado perhaps? My reputation was such that I could not pull out or postpone, who knows when the next opportunity would present itself. Also my ego would never allow me to back out. This job was accepted and must be done today as planned and paid for.

The traffic was starting to build up and our progress was beginning to slow. A red light held us for a few minutes at a cross roads and the traffic ahead was queuing. The driver pulled up into the queue. We were stationary at the back of the queue. I looked ahead and could see little but it seemed like a long queue ahead. This would put us back and we would need to make up some time at the very least. 

The cab sauntered slowly forward, inch by inch, yard by yard, wasting precious time. The traffic was virtually static. A voice came over the cab radio, “All drivers, there has been an accident and it is blocking Main Street at the junction of North Street. You may want to avoid this area for the next few hours. It’s messy.” We were on North Street and now in the midst of the traffic with apparent carnage awaiting us ahead.

“If I take the next left and head towards Marshall Road we can get round it before the rest of the city cottons on. It will add about 20 minutes to the time though. Is that ok?” Those bloodshot eyes were back in the rear view mirror waiting impatiently for my response.  I knew the diversion he was considering and realised it was the most sensible solution. I nodded my confirmation to him. Time was soon going to be a problem. The planning had not catered for a road closure slap bang in the middle of my journey. Those 20 minutes added to the already lost time would mean I would need to work fast when we arrived.

It took a full ten minutes of intermittent moving and waiting to get to the junction, but eventually we got there and the cab turned left. The traffic was lighter but progress was still not good. I could feel tension starting to build up inside me. This day was not getting any better. My chest was tight and my arms were becoming tense. My legs were starting to get restless and I could feel them twitching. I looked out of the cab window to try to relax. The rain appeared to be easing now and the windows were becoming clearer. I rubbed the window with the back of my hand to clear the fogging that was spreading along it. I reached down and pressed the button to wind the window down half an inch to allow some cooler air in. I inhaled a deep breath of the crisp cold air, held it in my lungs for several seconds before allowing the air to gently escape. I could sense my heart rate beginning to reduce and my levels of anxiety diminished. 

As I looked out of the window, I could see we had progressed to an area of town that I was not familiar with. My research and planning for the route have never taken me this far away from the main roads. Why would it? North Street was a main artery and there would never be any need to leave it. It was always flowing and in the right direction. Now we were heading west. The buildings either side of the road were becoming shabby. Rusted shutters secured the doorways behind them. Paint scraped through or vandalised by graffiti. The owners of these buildings long since departed, one way or another.

The buildings that were actually in use housed takeaway establishments, kebabs and pizza mostly and not the sort that most would venture into. Inside were mismatch tables and chairs occupied by down and outs or drug dealers hiding from the rain, which by now was no more than a weak drizzle. At least that was something going in my favour for the moment. From inside one of these outlets a man noticed me looking in. His eyes were angry and wide. Without looking away he reached down to his waistband and removed a very shiny 8 inch blade, pointing the tip towards me in a menacing way. This was clearly his turf and he didn’t appreciate a stranger looking in on him. I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. This type of street thug was of no concern to me. If he only knew how many leagues separated us then he would have pulled his forelock in deference to me. I smile crept onto my face, probably the last one of the day and I gave a little silent chuckle at his ignorance. By the end of the day he would know my capabilities but not that it was me, of course. My work would be splashed on every news channel, again, and I would be the invisible cause celebre once more.

The driver continued to make his way along Marshall Road and at the end turned left. He was going in the wrong direction, but given the gridlock he faced had he turned right I don’t suppose he had much choice. We drove freely alongside a park area, still deserted. The rain had stopped and I could see clearly into the park itself. Bounded by stout railings in peeling green paint it was mostly a grassed area. Much of the grass had receded and was really just mud. Hopefully the spring would revive it. Bare trees of varying age stood alongside the tarmac footpath guarding its route like sentinels. I wondered to myself how often my target might have walked in the park, arm in arm with his wife or mistress and maybe with the spaniel pulling on the lead desperate to run and chase the squirrels. The park itself though was eerily unoccupied today. All of a sudden I caught the glimpse of a man, just out of the corner of my eye. He was partially hidden behind a stout trunk. He was tall and well dressed with a long black coat. A multi-coloured bright scarf round his neck and a trilby hat on his head. I think I noticed him simply because he looked so out of place and probably as there was no other soul to be seen. It was presumably the way he turned his body away from the cab as it drove by, as though he didn’t want to be seen. I thought it strange but, as this was not the planned route, I paid no heed to him. Had this happened on North Street then I may have paid more attention.

We turned right at the end of the park and once more were tracking Main Street. The other side of the road was the home of flats and apartments. Not the best looking buildings, tired, smog staining the outside. Many of the widows had nets or blinds up, all closed, keeping out prying eyes, but equally preventing the occupants from taking in the wonderful view of the park from their windows. Such a shame to see how the dregs of society had spoiled the ability of occupants to admire the vista from their windows. 

We took the next right once more and were now heading up towards Main Street. Hopefully the traffic had moved on and would allow us to cross into the north side of town and resume our journey in the right direction. I lifted my arm and used the other hand to draw back my coat sleeve. I glanced down at my watch. We were certainly losing precious minutes and could not afford to lose many more. I was willing the driver to get to the other side of Main Street. At least once there the quality of the houses and shops would improve making my journey more pleasant.

As luck would have it, the cabby seemed to have judged the queue almost to perfection. It was indeed the end of the traffic jam and we quickly crossed over Main Street and found ourselves driving along a far more desirable neighbourhood. What was it that made the difference? Why was one area virtually derelict yet the next street over was affluent. It made little sense, but did cause a welcome distraction for a few moments while I pondered the issue. The air creeping in from the window seemed sweeter from this side of town. It must have been my imagination but the air seemed less dense, less polluted and altogether a more pleasant experience inhaling it.

Without warning a bright light invaded to cab through the windscreen. The driver hit the anchors and reached up with his left arm to pull down the sun visor. The brakes caused me to fall forwards with sufficient force for the seatbelt lock to come into play trapping me in mid fall with a six inch gap between me and the seat. I felt a searing pain in my right shoulder as it pressed hard against the static belt keeping me safe. My briefcase left the seat beside my and bounced off the seat in front before cascading into the abyss of a footwell. A loud thump accompanied it as it came to rest on the cab floor. The driver said nothing and replaced his foot on the accelerator as we got ourselves back up to speed.  So now the sun was out so maybe we were actually going to see crisp and cold and for a change the weather report might come up trumps.

My back fell against the seat once more so I leant forward, reaching for the case in the footwell. The belt jammed once more and so I was forced, again, to go through the rigmarole of going back and forth with my body and now sore right arm in order to free it. Gripping the belt in the palm of my hand I was gently prising it back and forth until it eventually gave up the struggle and became free. Tentatively I leaned over to grasp the case with my left hand, wrapping my fingers tightly round the handle and raising it onto my lap. I examined it externally before flicking the clasps to release the locks. Once open I looked down once more. Everything remained in place and the case was closed and returned to the seat beside me.

I sat back in the seat and my shoulder began to tighten. I took my left arm and placed my hand inside my coat and jacket placing it around my shoulder. I did not need a shoulder injury today of all days. I gently massaged the shoulder with my fingers, kneading deep to get the blood flowing round and checking for any more serious damage. I closed my eyes and felt my fingers working their magic on the shoulder, poking, prodding and kneading, far into the gap between collar and shoulder bones pushing hard, then massaging the outside squeezing as you would an orange. 

Once more my thoughts turned to calling the job off. This was a single shot contract and so I must not miss. If my shoulder even gave the slightest twinge it could affect my aim and that would be fatal to the job if not the target. In all my years I had never missed, sure I had been close sometimes but in the end my experience, skill and professionalism had sealed the day. Today would be the same and as the adrenaline rush came as I took aim my senses would block out everything else as I would complete another successful contract. In addition the weather was improving and the sun would make life so much more simple for me given my chosen vantage point. I opened my eyes and removed my hand from the shoulder. I looked out of the window and had no idea where we were, this route was far from my research route. My head darted left and right checking all the angles to see if I could see a landmark I knew to give me some idea of time, but nothing. 

There, on the corner, I saw him. Another trilby clad soul trying desperately to look inconspicuous. I saw him watching as the cab drove steadily down the road. Trying not to be seen, he was glancing up at the house numbers as though he were trying to find a house. It was the way he glanced back towards the road and traffic that was the give away. I continued to watch him as we approached. He must have been fairly new to the game, for as we got level I saw his left arm bend at the elbow as his wrist came in front of his mouth. He was passing on information that his target had been spotted and giving details of direction, speed, traffic, car and passengers to his colleagues. They were clearly tracking someone who was near to me. Who and why I had no idea. Just for a moment I thought it might be me. But that was absurd. Firstly, I was far too careful and second, we were travelling on a route that could not be predicted given the accident on North and Main. No, it couldn’t be me. But at this point I would be foolish not to take further precautions. My senses immediately sharpened and I reached for my case. Carefully I opened it up. Making sure the lid remained my cover from the driver’s eyes I removed the pistol, dropped out the clip and loaded into it all the six bullets. One by one they slid gracefully and silently into it. I pushed the clip skilfully back into the weapon giving a cough when I felt the tension lock. Loud enough to cover the click but not so loud as to alert the driver. The gun was placed back into the case which, when shut, was placed back on the seat beside me. This time though, I kept my left hand on the handle. This case was going nowhere for the time being.

My eyes continued to dart left, right and forward. Now though I was concentrating on the two cars directly ahead of us and any person who was out on the pavement. The cars in front looked incredibly normal and surely not of interest to the police or secret service. The nearest one was ten years old and appeared to be being driven by a sole occupant who I judged to be elderly given his driving position and flat cap. Middle of the road and well below the speed limit with a good distance from the car in front of him. That one was harder to judge, a newer and bigger car but I could not see how many occupants it held. It too drove more towards the middle of the road and carefully. I was not convinced either of those would be of interest to them. I glanced up at the rear view mirror and moved my head so I could see behind. The car directly behind could be the one. New and driven by a sole occupant, mid thirties, male, sun glasses and sufficient distance back to have a means of escape should we cause a blockage to his passage, wherever that may be. But then why announce him to your colleagues before he has past you? He really must be a total rookie.

My driver turned right. The two cars ahead carried straight on as did the car behind me. So now all possible targets for the authorities were out of my space. I could relax once more. My grip on the case of the handle loosened and I felt my heart rate ease. What were the chances, me being that close to someone else the police wanted to track. That would have caused a problem I could well have done without. I relaxed back into the seat and once more checked my watch. Time had moved on a pace and I really needed to be out of this cab in the next thirty minutes to make sure I was ready and safe in my vantage point. Any longer and there would be to many others floating about, police, private security. It would give them the chance to spot me.

“How much longer?” I questioned. The first words I had spoken to the driver.

The bloodshot eyes came back into view in the rear view mirror, “About twenty minutes I would think.”

Twenty minutes, that’s close. Far closer than I had ever been before. I was not happy, but at least I still had a clear ten minutes on my schedule. It always paid to build in slack even if it meant you were waiting at the other end for longer than you would like. I still had no visual signs outside to give me any clue as to where we were. I scanned the outside, used the shadows cast by the buildings to predict our direction of travel in comparison to where the sun should now be. I really had no clue as to our location in the city. I did not like it one bit.

The cab turned left once more and we found ourselves driving south along the river. A big wide expanse of water used by container ships and cruisers to bring goods and tourists into the port. There it was up ahead, the entrance to the port. But that meant only one thing. We were miles away from our intended destination and worse than that were were going in the wrong direction. 

“Hey, driver, there is no way we will get there, you are going the wrong way and we are miles away from my destination.”

“Sorry wrong turn, I will just turn us round.”

The driver pulled the car into a parking space at right angles to the road. As soon as he stopped he jumped from the car, taking the keys with him and slamming his door shut. Just as quickly he pressed the fob locking the car, with me in it.

My hand immediately grabbed the case and yanked it to my lap. I opened it and removed my pistol, discarding the case into the footwell, leaving the silencer inside. My other hand shot to the door handle and tried to open it. Locked. I tried the button for the windows, nothing. I watched as the driver ran a good hundred yards before falling hard onto the pavement and placing a concrete waste bin between me and him. I could see he had rolled onto his stomach and was watching the car.

From virtually every direction there were sirens and blue lights. I looked around frantically trying to find an escape route from the cab. I attempted to release the rear seats to gain access to the boot. The buttons on the top of the seats had been disabled, useless. I used the butt of the pistol against the rear windscreen. Pounding as hard as I could. It wouldn’t give.

It took less than a minute until I found the car surrounded by five police cars. The authorities decamped and hid behind their cars, guns drawn, waiting. I looked round desperate to find a means of getting away, I could see none. This was it. I was either going out breathing or not. My heart pounded, palms damp with sweat and that bloody headache was returning. I try to get out of the seat. The belt prevented me. I tugged it and it locked. My hand pressed the release button and it came free. At least I now had some movement. 

In my jacket breast pocket I felt a vibration. My phone was ringing. I sat back and took it out. A withheld number, but I knew who it was. I pressed connect.

“Good morning Sir. Sorry about this but we really would like to speak to you. It has taken us a while to find you, several years in fact. There are a number of matters that seem to have your hallmark and today would have been another one if we hadn’t spent some months putting this fictitious job together.  We would love to do this the easy way, but you will be killed if you don’t comply.”

“Look, I am trapped in this cab, surrounded by you, I am not sure that I hold much by way of bargaining chips.”

“True, but we know you are armed and we really don’t want anyone hurt today. There has been enough killing don’t you think?”

“Ok, so what do you suggest we do?”

A man appeared long black coat, multi coloured scarf, trilby and a phone against his ear. He walked to the front of the cab, keeping a fairly safe distance.

“Nice uniform they are giving these days, I spotted one of you at the park.”

“That was me. Now I suggest we unlock the car, you open the door no more than four inches and drop that pistol onto the road, shut the door once more. We will lock you in again until we have recovered the weapon, than we will let you out and arrest you. How does that sound?”

What choice did I have?  There was no other way out of the cab and my six bullets would get me nowhere. “Seems like I have little choice. Let’s get it over with.”

Trilby nodded and the door locks went click. I slowly opened the door and dropped the pistol. As I shut the door there was a clunk as they locked once more. Trilby walked round and picked up my weapon with a latex gloved hand, dropping it deftly into a clear bag. He nodded once more and the doors gave another click.

His free hand reached out and he opened the door. We were within three feet of each other and nothing between us. I could have fought, grabbed, struggled but to what end? Instead I turned my head towards him. I looked him straight in the eyes.

“Well it seems you have put quite some effort into this. But what I don’t know is how you could know my route and final destination? The accident changed the planned route, even I didn’t know where we were.”

Trilby looked at me and smiled, “What accident?”