**
Hong Kong. 9 pm.
The peacock green taxi stopped by the roadside, and the golden Buddha pendant hanging from the rearview mirror swayed with inertia. The chubby Buddha chuckled contentedly, carefree and worry-free, while the orange streetlights cast a layer of golden light on its body.
The meter read an auspicious number: "$27.7."
Jacques looked up and glanced at the rearview mirror. The girl in the back seat was tidying up her neat short hair under a black duckbill cap. Her face was mostly covered by a black mask, leaving only a pair of dark agate-like eyes hidden in the shadow of the brim.
"Did you check your gun?" Jacques asked.
His vocal cords were damaged, and his voice sounded like that of a science experiment monster living in a basement.
Yamilet widened her almond-shaped eyes and replied with amusement, "Jack, do you still think I'm a kid?"
"Just to be safe."
He was always reticent but would only speak more words with Yamilet around.
"I did check it, and I probably won't need it tonight," Yamilet said as she pulled out her black pistol from her right hip. Under Jacques's gaze, she reluctantly checked it again before tucking it back into her waistband holster.
Jacques unlocked the car door and warned her: "Yamilet, be careful."
Whether the mission was difficult or easy, he always reminded her like how parents would remind their children to be careful when going to school.
"I know," Yamilet smiled and got out of the car.
Wearing all black, she quickly disappeared from Jacques's sight, into the darkness of the street.
The reflection of Jacques's scarred face appeared on the window glass; it was quite long - extending from his left eye corner down to his jawline - crookedly resembling a centipede that could scare little children away.
He picked up Hong Kong Evening News from the passenger seat and flipped through some advertisements first; numerous small ads, black and red, overlapped each other like matchboxes:
"Missing Person Notice - Name: Zhang Li; Gender: Female; Age: 15; Disappeared on June 15th …"
"Black Whale Pest Control Company - Specializes in exterminating pests & ants as well as mice; extensive experience and remarkable efficiency…"
Then he turned to current affairs:
"...City Committee Secretary Zhou is suspected of serious legal violations and disciplinary issues, currently under investigation by government disciplinary committees…"
"Hong Kong has been experiencing yellow high temperatures for multiple days; one male runner died suddenly during night jogging due to heart disease. According to cardiologists…"
"Yesterday in Wan Chai District, due to electrical aging leading circuits leakage causing two people (a man & woman) electrocuted resulting in death..."
His thick eyebrows couldn't help but raise slightly. With so many fatalities, it looks like the company has been doing a lot of business lately.
***
Butch knew he had to run. The City Committee Secretary, Zhou, had been arrested and many of his followers were implicated. If Qin's family didn't handle the situation properly, they couldn't avoid getting involved.
He had already pushed his subordinate to take the fall for him, but the criminal police would find him soon enough. Clyde had arranged a car and a contact person for him. He needed to leave tonight.
During this sensitive period, "Tang's Club" had been closed for several days. The once luxurious club was now deserted with no lights on.
Butch entered through the security door behind the club and made his way up in the dark.
His office was at the end of a long, dimly lit corridor that seemed like an endless snake belly. His hurried footsteps echoed in the abyss.
The stagnant air in his office smelled musty from not being aired out for days.
The moment he switched on the light on the wall, he sensed something amiss amidst the murky atmosphere. But it was too late; as soon as the light turned on, he squinted slightly as a cold gun barrel pressed against his temple.
Impossible!
He had double-checked the surveillance videos before returning to make sure there wasn't even a single mouse inside! How could someone have come in undetected without setting off any alarms?!
...Could it be...?!
The situation escalated too quickly, and fear didn't have time to engulf his whole body. He hadn't even had a chance to ask if it was Qin's family silencing him before the bullet pierced through his head. Red blood mixed with black brain matter splattered out from the other end of his temple.
He collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, falling limply to the ground. His head hit the floor a couple of times before coming to rest.
It was as if a sack full of potatoes had torn open, and the potatoes covered in blood spilled out one by one from the hole.
After a brief gunshot, the empty office fell silent.
Then came an ill-timed crisp whistle- each note fell into the lifeless air without creating any ripples.
Yamilet hummed "13 jours en France" under her breath, relaxed and carefree as she crouched beside the corpse of Butch. It was as if she had just killed a disgusting bug instead of a living human being.
She checked Butch's vital signs and confirmed that he was dead. Then she placed her gun in his left hand - Butch was left-handed - and pressed his fingerprints on its handle. Finally, she tossed it in front of his corpse: Sig Sauer P226R, Butch's favorite handgun.
Before tonight, Yamilet wasn't sure whether Butch had transferred his weapons or not, so she brought another identical gun just in case. Fortunately, when he hadn't arrived yet, she opened up the locked drawer in his office and found this gun inside.
Yamilet checked the barrel and safety catch while sneering at Jacques internally: See? Today I'm extra careful and saved myself one bullet.
Humming her song again, she pulled out an old-fashioned Nokia phone from her pocket. Sliding its cover open, Yamilet took some pictures of Butch's still-warm body before sending them via SMS to a long-memorized number.
The whistle abruptly stopped, and Yamilet darted out of the dark corridor. When the office door closed behind her, the world plunged into total darkness. However, it didn't affect her withdrawal at all.
Her military boots landed on the ground lightly and silently. She moved like a nimble black cat hiding in the night, leaving no trace or shadow behind.
As she left through the concealed emergency exit, Yamilet raised an eyebrow and glanced at a night vision surveillance camera hidden in the shadows. Her slender index finger, covered by black leather gloves, drew a circle in the air. The camera made a hissing sound as it shut down. By the time it restarted several seconds later, Yamilet had already disappeared into a back alley without leaving any traces behind.
***
The taxi was still parked by the roadside. Its peacock green body gleamed in the light, and the LED screen on its roof scrolled red advertising slogans: "Need to get rid of termites? Need to get rid of cockroaches? Choose Black Whale Pest Control Company, citywide chain, 24x7 door-to-door service..."
A passerby approached the car and tried to pull open the door but found it locked. He belched alcohol and stumbled over to tap on the driver's window: "Hey, buddy! Will you go to Causeway Bay or not?"
Jacques waved his hand without taking his eyes off his newspaper. He pointed at the meter on the dashboard where red numbers were ticking away: I'm waiting for someone.
The drunk man was helped by a friend to hail another taxi. Jacques checked his watch and thought it should be almost time. He folded up his newspaper and left it on the passenger seat, then unlocked the doors.
In a flash, a black figure darted past his rearview mirror.
The door opened and closed.
Jacques released the handbrake and turned the steering wheel, before driving into dense traffic.