The Assassin's Shadow (Temp Hiatus)

It was a cold morning in Berlin with the wind whipping the coats of those walking down the crowded street. People tightly hugged their collars with many letting their hands seek refuge in the warmth of their coat packets. From the depths of a dark alley, a solitary figure walked out and seamlessly blended in with the crowd.

At first look, the man seemed ordinary enough. A black pea coat buttoned up with a dark grey scarf wrapped around his neck. A sky blue dress shirt and a black tie in a half Windsor knot poked out from underneath. With a pair of fitted black trousers and a pair of polished, straight-laced oxfords he seemed like a normal business professional. In his left hand, he was carrying a slightly bulky black briefcase that fit in with the rest of his ensemble. Nothing about him set him apart from anyone else walking down the street.

However, if one looked closer, the man moved with purpose. His back was ramrod straight and he exuded a sense of confidence in his every step. He walked for exactly three blocks before he exited the bustling crowd as quickly as he had joined it.

Opening the door of a swanky hotel, he walked toward the concierge desk. He flashed a smile at the attractive receptionist and approached her station. Noticing the handsome man the moment he walked in, the receptionist was all smiles and greeted him with enthusiasm. "Welcome to the Grand Hyatt Berlin sir. How may I help you today?". "Hello, I'd like to check in. Reservation for Jack Devereaux", the man spoke with a charismatic and warm voice as he handed her his passport. A brief, unnoticeable glint shone in the receptionist's eyes as she smiled and said "Just wait one moment while I pull up your reservation". Saying so, she started tapping the keyboard in front of her while taking glances at the information on the passport. "Of course", Jack replied as he turned around to survey the lobby.

His eyes started from the corners by the entrance, scanning the ceiling for cameras. Having found two aimed at the entrance, he turned his gaze towards the middle of the ceiling. Finding no cameras there, his eyes made their way to right above the concierge desk and what greeted him were three cameras covering the line, the entrance to the elevators and everyone who approached the desk. Noting the positions in his head, his attention went down, looking at all the people who were milling around.

He never liked working in hotels. There were always too many people to keep track of, too many cameras for his liking and all it took was one ill-timed housekeeping call to blow the entire operation. As he was observing the people seated by the bar, he heard the receptionist calling his name. "Mr. Devereaux, you are checked in and your room will be suite number 9 on the 28th floor. Here are your keys to the room, simply insert the card into the slot above the knob and the door will open." Taking the envelope with the key cards from her hand, Jack flashed her another smile and thanked her. "Would you like me to send your bag up to your room?", she questioned, eyeing his briefcase. "No thank you, I'll take it up myself". "Have a pleasant evening and I hope you enjoy your stay with us". Thanking her again, Jack made his way towards the elevators.

He waited for a short while and soon a door opened up with a ding. Stepping inside, he noticed the card reader under the buttons. Taking out a key-card from the envelope, he swiped it and pressed 28 on the panel. The door closed and the elevator proceeded upwards. Reaching the 28th floor, he exited and followed the numerous signs down the long hallway to where his suite was. Inserting the card as he was instructed, the door gave a small beep as the locks thunked, allowing Jack to enter. Once inside, he set his case down on the bed and gave a tired sigh as he slumped into the armchair by the window.

The jet lag from his trip to the United States a couple days back was starting to affect him. However, he didn't let his tiredness affect his vigilance, as he knew that it was at these times where he could easily be caught. Him catching one small detail could potentially be the difference between life or death and his training didn't let him down. Getting up, he went over to the bed and opened up his briefcase. Removing a small black device that looked like a slim wand, he started sweeping it from one corner of the room to the opposite end. He focused particularly on the ceiling, electrical outlets and any electronic appliances such as the lamp and the phone.

Seemingly satisfied, he made his way out of the room and went through the same procedure for the living room and finally the bathroom. Having heard no reaction from the device, he switched it off and made his way back into the bedroom. Removing his jacket and scarf, he put them on a hangar and hung them inside the closet.

Opening his case, his fingers skirted the top edge and he quickly located the hidden recess. The padding on the inside smoothly slid out, revealing a foam cutout storing a custom Glock 17 with a Surefire X400 Ultra weapon light mounted on the underside rail. Taking the padding out further revealed a cutout that stored 4 fully loaded magazines and an AAC Ti-Rant 45 suppressor nestled alongside each other. Retrieving the pistol and suppressor, Jack started to slowly twist the suppressor onto the barrel. After screwing it on, he removed a magazine and inserted it into the gun. Rapidly racking the slide, he brought the pistol up to eye level and aimed at the wall, making sure both rear and front sights were visible. Bringing it down to his chest, he brought it back up again, repeating the motion until he was satisfied with his speed. Placing the pistol on top of the night stand with the grip facing him, he sat down on the bed. Unlacing his shoes and taking them off, he placed them right next to his bedside, positioning them shoulder-width apart with the tongues stretched upwards, ready to slip into quickly if required.

As he sank into the plush mattress, gazing up at the ceiling, he reviewed the mission briefing in his head. There really wasn't much to review though. As far as he was concerned, his employers had told him to get to this hotel and wait for a package to be delivered. Initially, he had raised an eyebrow at the lengths they went to to ensure secrecy. The obscene amount of money they were going to pay him was the only thing that made him turn a blind eye to their antics. However, he still had some reservations about this mission. Nobody paid that kind of money without there being a catch. In his line of work, excessive greed often lead to a bullet in the head. With a mix of cautiousness and anticipation for tomorrow, he allowed himself to drift off into a light sleep.