CHAPTER 6
Travis
I sat in my apartment, deep in thought. I’d managed to prepare everything for the impending trip, but still had nagging doubts gnawing in the back of my mind.
It’s normal. Stop worrying about pointless shit and get on with it, I tried to tell myself.
Thing was, if I had doubts, they were usually about something specific. But this time, I just had a bad feeling I couldn't place. And I fucking hated bad feelings. They gave me indigestion.
I’d also been watching Scarlett’s house the last few nights, making sure there wasn’t anyone else eyeing the place up for a late-night visit. There were a few things I’d learned I was damn good at when working as a gun for hire. One, I was patient; I had to be when waiting for a suspect to show themselves or make a mistake. Two, I was quick for a big guy and surprisingly good at not being noticed; I seemed to blend into the background, my nonchalant demeanor disarming all but the most intense scrutiny.
I was also good at was noticing things. I’d learned to go into an almost meditative state where I wasn’t distracted by conscious thought and could keep an eye on the telltale signs that painted a much clearer picture of the world compared to the casual or distracted viewer.
Even so, I hadn’t noticed anything at all unusual around Scarlett’s house. No cars parked suspiciously or driving past more than once. No lone figures walking past the fence or gate. No sign at all of any attempted entry.
Not a fucking peep.
I checked my gear for the trip for the umpteenth time.
My guess was that since they knew where she lived, they wouldn’t need to keep an eye on it. They’d probably already worked out that she’d booked on a flight by now. Hell, they probably even knew what seat she’d be in and what she would order for dinner.
I just hoped that the seat booked for Travis James in business-class had passed under the radar. I’d spoken to her dad the day before to discuss a few final details like location and transport—discussing the risks, basically.
We had agreed it would be good for me to avoid suspicion by sitting in business-class. Firstly, if anyone had access to the flight records, the first place they’d look were the seats around Scarlett. Secondly, people who could afford first-class wouldn’t be looking to extort money out of their wealthy co-passengers. Finally, I’d be at the front of business and only a quick run from where they’d be sitting.
I was distracted from mindlessly re-checking my gear when my cell phone rang in my pocket. I guessed it was probably Scarlett since I couldn’t remember anyone else having the new number.
“Hey, miss,” I said, holding the cheap little cell phone to my ear. I held it gingerly with my thumb and forefinger. I’d learned over the years that big hands weren’t useful for most practical things. They were good for fighting though. Plus, women seemed to like them...
“Hey there, mister,” she said. “I’m all ready for you. Or I should say, we’re all ready for you!”
I heard her what sounded like two other girls in the background, pretty sure they were all a little tipsy.
“Good stuff, doll. Just tell me when and I’ll be there. Oh, and you’ll like the transport, for sure. Something me and your dad got, special like.”
“Can’t wait!” Scarlett squealed.
I heard a few comments from her friends in the background, but couldn’t make out what they’d said, which was probably for the best.
“Be at mine in two days. That’s Thursday. We’ll need to be leaving for the ai...” she hesitated, “for the destination at about four p.m. Get here at about two if you can.” She sounded pleased with her correction of her potential slip-up. “I’m guessing my dad filled you in with the details. You know where we’re going, right?”
I half heard a crude, muffled comment from one of the girls in the background about me filling in Scarlett, who in turn gasped in embarrassment.
“Right,” I said, needing to wrap up the call quickly. I could hear a slight echo from her end of the phone, meaning either it was a bad line or her phone was tapped. I didn’t know if it was possible for my location to be discovered from a tap on her phone, but I didn’t want to risk finding out. “I’ll be there. See ya,” I said and hung up.
I sat there for a moment, feeling a little disturbed with myself. It was a damn shame that I felt like I could listen to that girl talk all day.
I glanced down at the watch on my left wrist. It was half past three.
I debated checking over my gear again, but quickly changed my mind.
Stop worrying like a goddamn old woman, Travis, I chastised myself.
I needed a drink or two to take my mind off things.