PROLOGUE

She found the USB drive right where he told her she would—in the breast pocket of his coat, hanging on the coat rack in his home office.

It annoyed her that she had to be the one to rush down to his house to pick up the USB drive but she was the only person he said he could trust and besides the drive contained the presentation they had spent weeks preparing for their top investors for tonight's dinner.

As she picked it up and returned the coat to the rack, she heard someone come in through the main entrance to the house.

Who could it be, she wondered. In her haste, she had left the door unlocked and whoever it was must have taken the chance to slip in.

She dashed out of the office towards the foyer where she came across a ragged-looking fellow who was walking towards the stairs.

"Can I help you?" She called out, startling him.

When he turned, she realized he couldn't have been more than twenty-five. He was wearing a gray sweater over black faded baggy jeans. It was obvious the baggy had seen years of use and the threads were showing signs of tear. When he saw her, a look of confusion was written across his face and suddenly, he pulled out a small revolver, pointing it at her.

For a minute fear gripped her. In her haste, she had left the door open for a robber and if this went badly, it could ruin a lot for her. So she mustered up some courage and asked again, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Where is the man who owns this house?" He said in a shivering voice. For someone who held a gun, he didn't seem so sure of himself. He has probably never done this before, she thought and that gave her a little confidence.

"He isn't here… and who would you be?" she asked him.

"I-I will be the one asking the questions," he said, trying to maintain some figure of control. His gun hand was shaky as he glanced around the room nervously with dilated eyeballs. He is high, she thought. "Where is he?" He yelled this time.

"He is at a dinner party downtown… and if you are considering going to confront him, I would advise against that."

The disappointment was written all over his face. How long has he been waiting for this opportunity she wondered. Emboldened by his distress, she continued.

"By the way, if you plan to rob this house, then you wouldn't get very far before the cops pick you up. There are enough cameras in this house to put your face on every tabloid out there."

The thought didn't seem to scare him much cause all he did was shrug and say "I am not here to rob him. I came here to collect a blood debt"

A blood lusty fanatic? This should be interesting. She mused. It was at that moment an idea struck her.

"You want him dead?" She asked again just for confirmation.

"Yes, and I don't care if it's the last thing I do."

Interesting, she thought. He could prove quite useful for my plans.

"Well, what if there was a better way?" She said, watching his face closely for reactions.

"What better way?" he asked, taking the bait.

"A better way to collect your blood debt, without getting caught or losing your life… and when it's all done, I can set you up with a decent life, wherever you want."

He seemed to mull over that for a few minutes as he sized her up to decide if he could trust her. Finally, he replied "And why should I trust you or take your word for it."

"The way I see it, you can do it your way and spend the rest of your life in prison… or you can do it my way, and live a long, wealthy life." She told him. He would be a fool to refuse, she decided.

"Let's say I believe you, why would you want him dead? You are family aren't you" he asked tentatively.

"Let's just say you are not the only one who has a blood feud to settle" she answered confidently.

He considered that for a minute after which he slowly lowered the gun with resignation.

"What now?" he asked innocently.

She smiled, "Now, we do things my way."