Picking up the coffee cup from his desk Sonny drains the rest of it’s contents as his eyes scan the report. So it’s happening again huh… A man found dead in his own home, autopsy revealing that he was heavily pregnant at the time with something that definitely was not human. A woman in critical condition after miscarrying something that looked more like a science experiment than a foetus. A thread on social media of someone claiming she's sure that the man she had sex with was an alien that’s gone viral from how outlandish it sounds. There’s no stopping him, he can’t be trusted to live among humans. No matter how much Ren might promise to stop this, it's like telling someone with lifelong asthma to just breathe better, or someone with autism to just stop being autistic.

Starting to weigh up his options he can think of only two options that the he could order action to be taken on. One is to lock Ren up in a secure facility and have scientists study him for anything they don’t already know about his kind. The other is to use lethal force, and then let scientists study his corpse. Either would be a shame because asides from the fact that his instincts are to replace humanity with disgusting hybrid creatures hellbent on taking over the planet, Sonny actually likes the guy. The first option does seem more appealing but he knows the likelihood of Ren managing to escape is high. What the scientists will do to him is far worse than forcing him to suck his cock in an interrogation room.

Staring down at the takeaway cup in his hand, he contemplates getting another coffee. There are nightmares and then there’s whatever this is, maybe if he drinks enough caffeine he’ll wake up from this weird dream. Or, if he acknowledges it’s a dream, he might start to be able to control what’s happening in it. On the other hand maybe if he drinks enough he might just have a heart attack and die himself and that doesn’t sound like an awful option either right now.

Closing his laptop he watches his screens go black before standing and having a quick stretch. Maybe the short walk to visit his go-to spot will help him reset his thoughts and decide on the course of action he should take. It’s definitely not going to be no action at all, Ren had his chance and he blew it.

Cool air conditioned air hits him immediately as the door slides open and despite everything relief hits him as he sees who’s out the front manning the coffee machine rather than in the office taking care of invoices or ordering supplies.

“Sonny! Hi!” Putting down his own cup of coffee quickly, Alban already has the grinder running before Sonny even has a chance to respond. He knows his order well, all the staff here do, but Alban makes it the best.

“Alban! What are you doing out the front at this time of day man? I thought you’d be in the office or something.” Walking up to where Alban’s wiping out the handle he leans one arm on the counter and watches him work.

“Yeah well, I should be.” He just shrugs and picks up a jug to pour milk into. ”Sara who opened and was on this morning alone before I came in had to go home sick and the only other person on shift is uh, let’s just say they’re out back right now.”

Sonny rolls his eyes. Ren might be a literal monster and require action being taken against him but not every criminal, current or prior, in the city ends up behind bars, even when Sonny’s fully aware of their actions. The man making his coffee for him might look innocent but as an ex-thief who withholds his employees pay while running an unlicensed brothel using those same employees, Alban could easily be put away. Lucky for him he makes great coffee and he’s cute. Much like the notorious Boss of the majority of organized crime within the city. He’s laundering money, calling hits on rivals and taking bribes from businesses but he keeps out gangs with more nefarious intentions and passes intel along to Sonny, plus as weird as it sounds Sonny thinks of him as a little brother. Then there’s the ex-hitman who may have left that life behind him but back when he was active, his actions helped the police more than hindered it, plus Sonny has a soft spot for the guy so he’s allowed to walk free and play at being a hero for the time being.

Basically there are two requirements to being able to live as a free man if you’re a criminal in this city. Be useful and be someone Sonny’s fond of. Sonny might be pretty fond of Ren despite everything but he’s the absolute opposite of useful. That’s why, as Sonny takes his coffee from Alban, his mind is made up.

He has a call to make to convince someone out of retirement.

Closing the door of the meeting room behind him, he pulls his personal phone from his pocket and begins to scroll through numbers. Hopefully the number he eventually finds is the correct one, Sonny isn’t about to go through official channels for this. Just quietly take Ren out in the background, doctor any evidence that points to the incidents being related to aliens in official statements that do go out to the public and they can pretend the whole thing never happened. Sonny might lose someone he would have loved to keep around if things had been different but he knows others who’ve lost much more in their lives.

His foot taps on the ground as the phone rings once, twice, three times, four.

“Hello?”

The number was correct, even if the person on the other end of the line sounds confused.

“Is that Yu Q Wilson?”

“Speaking…. Wait Officer Brisko?”

“Also speaking.”

Sonny can just imagine the cogs turning in Wilson’s mind as he tries to figure out why Sonny is contacting him on this number and not through A.S.H. official channels. He had a feeling Wilson would have ditched his old number he used while working solely as a gun for hire but he seems to have forgotten that he’d passed this one along to Sonny too after he started to view him on a more friendly level than just being a client who’s putting a value on someone’s life.

“So I um, I totally forgot you had this number dude. I’m so sorry, what’s up?”

When he speaks it’s hard to believe this is someone who’s taken so many lives he lost count. It’s like with Alban, or the Mafia Boss, Luca. None of them seem capable of the deeds they commit or have committed just by looking at them or striking up a conversation.

“Do you still take requests?”

Sonny can hear footsteps moving quickly before hears a door slam shut.

“You uh, do know that I’m a hero right?” Wilson laughs nervously as he speaks, having understood Sonny’s question without him needing to explain further. “Requests should be reported through the A.S.H. reporting line.”

“The thing about this request is that while it is a heroic dead, I don’t want a big deal made of things.” He thought it might come down to this, Wilson likes to deny his past heavily even to those aware of what he used to do. “I’ll adjust your old fee for inflation and it all goes directly to you, no cuts taken from A.S.H. or anyone.”

There’s a pause from Wilson, the money has him interested.

“You’re not going to break me Mr Officer Brisko, no way.” Despite his words Sonny can tell he’s starting to crack.

“And I’ll throw in a 20% tip on top of it since I’m inconveniencing you like this.”

That should do it

“So, uh, tell me a little bit more about this request first then, maybe?” It was far too easy in the end. “I mean not cause I’m going to accept it but I’m curious, why don’t the police want to do their own dirty work or if it’s too much for you to handle, why haven’t you called us?”

Sonny isn’t about to come out and give too much detail. Everyone knows Ren, his disappearance when he dies will cause him to be missed by many including Wilson. He could have used the services of someone else but few people have the track record that Wilson does and none of them Sonny’s used the services of. Luca has men sure, but they’re not as clean or discreet. Mafia kills are usually done to send a message around here and he doesn’t know that anyone used to the style of killing done by the Kaneshiro Family would be able to pull it off.

“I can’t give too many details to someone who hasn’t taken the job.” Now to figure out how to skirt around things. “There’s someone who’s been a constant nuisance to the police, people dead, others left in critical condition, and it’s a situation where we keep having to gloss over things to keep it out of public eye due to the circumstances. I need him gone.”

Sonny avoids mentioning the word pregnancy. They still haven’t been able to figure out how Ren’s kind are capable of impregnating men, not even Sonny could give any insight despite his own experience with it, but pregnancy is a topic Sonny knows better than to bring up around Wilson if he doesn’t want to completely derail things.

“O...kay… so… it’s supernatural then huh? That’s why you’re keeping it a secret.” Wilson puts as much together as he can with the context he’s been given. “And because they’re supernatural the police can’t handle it? Or you’re the only person who knows what really happened?”

“We have a small team who know the true nature of the incidents.” Sonny confirms it. “No one I’d trust with this like I trust you though.”

The existence of those who aren’t human walking among them is thought of as a conspiracy theory to most people. Aliens however are something that the entire world wants to know more about, if it got out then it wouldn’t just be local news that they caught the person responsible for the mysterious deaths and close calls. The entire globe would be on it, it would trend on every social media platform and Ren would end up becoming some kind of super star for his crimes.

“Encrypt and send through the details.” Wilson responds, suddenly a lot more conviction in his voice. “You’ve got yourself a deal Officer Brisko.”

The line goes dead and Sonny lets out a laugh at Wilson’s behaviour before stopping abruptly. He may have convinced Wilson but it’s all very bittersweet, not to mention the price he has to pay out of his own pocket to put an end to the life of a man that in a different life he might consider a close friend. One that he’d once in this one considered a lover even.

Another person dies, this time in hospital between the phone call and the day of the hit. Wilson has enough information to take Ren out but not enough to know that it is Ren. He’s hoping he doesn’t notice at all but it’s going to be difficult so at the very least he hopes Wilson doesn’t realise until it’s too late. Hitmen have to be able to compartmentalise their emotions, as long as Wilson hasn’t softened too much he’ll be able to lock away the guilt from what he’s done.

“I’m starting the camera now, let me know if it’s coming through at a decent quality and if it’s lagging.” There’s a rustling noise as Wilson adjusts something before a rooftop view of a residential street lit by street lights takes up his screen. “I’m going to hold up fingers, tell me as soon as I do how many."

"One, three, none, four, two.” Sonny counts along in time. “The quality is good too.”

"No lag then."

Wilson in hitman mode is very different from Wilson in casual mode. He’s all business and has his mind clearly set on his goal.

Sonny watches the view as the camera lowers and he hears a series off clicking and sliding sounds as Wilson begins to set things up. CCTV footage from around the area had tipped him off and with a little bit of self-investigation, Sonny managed to figure out that Ren is currently seeing someone in this area. Someone who is not going to become another casualty. Wilson’s been ordered to aim just in front of the door and on Sonny’s order, take the shot. In a car just around the corner Sonny will then be able to drive by, grab the body and leave before anyone figures out what’s gone on.

Given what’s about to happen to him, Sonny doesn’t want to think too hard about why he knows Ren’s habits when he’s seeing someone in such depth. This creature almost killed him due to his carelessness after all, no matter how nice he may be, how warm his smile is and how if he were human he'd have no issue blending into society and having relationships with humans, there is a monster hidden behind that distinct laugh of his.

Part of Wilson’s rifle comes into view as Sonny checks the time. He shouldn’t have to be there much more than 30 minutes. Within the hour this nightmare will be over and Sonny can go back to dealing with regular crimes like murders and robberies and other normal day to day things.

Time passes slowly, not a single word leaves Wilson and if it weren’t for the occasional passing car on the feed Sonny’s watching, he might think it had frozen. Just like it’s second nature Wilson’s fallen back into his hitman ways. While Sonny can’t see his face he can imagine it, eyes sharp, mouth in a flat serious line and finger steady as he waits for the moment when it will be time to move his finger to the trigger and fire.

A light switches on in the entrance area by the front door and Sonny readies himself to make the call. He can just make out the figures through the frosted glass, likely sharing a goodnight kiss before Ren heads off. The door handle goes down and Sonny watches keenly, less than a minute left, he needs to make sure Wilson’s bullet isn’t going to run straight through Ren’s skull, through the door behind him and into his date.

A tall figure steps out, the door closes. Turning on the car, Sonny gives it five more seconds, waiting for the light to switch off before he makes a call.

“On one. Three, two, one.”

What Sonny expects to see is the figure crumpling too the ground and blood splattering the door and wall behind him. What he really sees is much different. Slowly the camera changes position, away from the rifle.

“Um… Sonny?” Wilson’s voice sounds shaky as he asks, uncertain.

“Yeah? What’s up, you didn’t shoot?” There’s still time, as long as Ren’s not back in his car, Wilson can still take him out.

“Why are you having me assassinate Ren? Cause um, as nice as the money from this kind of thing is, I’d really rather keep him around you know?”

Fuck.

Edit

Pub: 11 Jul 2024 05:29 UTC

Edit: 11 Jul 2024 05:56 UTC

Views: 110