Danny sat in the dimly lit Italian restaurant. The chairs stacked atop the tables as a few servers in red vests finished cleaning the establishment. Danny waited at the bar, the bartender visibly annoyed at Danny's persistent ordering.

Fuck em Danny thought as he swirled the bourbon in the glass. Frank had called and if Frank was to keep him waiting...well in the meantime he would enjoy the good stuff.

Frank emerged from the side door by the bar. He wore an ill fitting polo that swelled around the waist due to the fat man's extensive girth. His salt and pepper hair slicked back with hands jeweled with rings.

"Danny boy", Frank said a little too gleefully for his liking.

"Frank", Danny said simply as he sipped the drink.

"You got money for that Danny?" Frank said, pointing at the glass with a scrunched expression.

He was bullshitting him, that much he knew by now after all these years.

Danny downturned his mouth and nodded his head one side to the other silently.

Frank's roar of laughter could have woken the dead as he turned purple in the face with his own joke. He clapped Danny on the back as his forehead became dotted in beads of sweat.

"Just busting your balls Danny", Frank said, sliding into the stool next to him and waving the bartender over.

The bartender no longer looked annoyed, Instead he was the face of professionalism.

The server approached with his hands behind his back and awaited further orders. "I'll get the same as Danny here, on the rocks"

"Our esteemed quest here has opted for the Macallan rare cask", The server said softly.

Frank looked like he swallowed a golf ball when he was informed of that before shooting Danny a look of daggers.

Danny just shrugged and said " It was standing there all alone, had to try it"

"Because it was the last bottle, still sealed you , Now I have to order another fucking bottle if they even still sell it", Frank said while shooting the server a thumbs up.

"Hey, it was on the shelf", Danny said, savoring the whiskey with another small nip.

"Go home for the night Max, I'll have the busboys wipe the bar down", Frank said waving the server away.

The server gave a slight nod forward and sat the whiskey glass in front of frank before walking off as though he had the world's largest stick shoved up his ass.

"what am I down too Frank", Danny said casually as he sipped his whiskey

"its still a pretty fucking big number Danny", Frank sighed

Danny nodded curtly and said "figured"

"Hey kid, If I could I wouldn't charge you a cent. But that nearly bankrupted me helping her out like that"

Danny smiled softly before saying "Just wish she was here today more than usually Franky"

Frank looked at him softly and said "Yeah kid I know. But Its my neck their breathing down, my name on the bills and all."

"Don't even have anything to show for all that", Danny said bitterly as he threw the whisky down his throat and slammed the glass on the table.

"Take it easy on the liquor kid, drinking like that is gonna kill you", Frank said like he always said these days when he saw him.

"what do you have for me tonight Frank", Danny sighed.

"You'll get filled in on the way, lets just say this is a big one Danny"

"Not the normal sort of thing?", Danny asked

"Not at all, pays more to", Frank said taking a sip off the whiskey

"How much more?"

"double"

If Danny had whiskey to sip he would have spit out at that.

"Your kidding?"

"No joke, that's your last drink. I need you sharp for this. Now get out of here kid"

Danny stared at him with eyes that asked a million questions, he didn't ask any of them though. The less you knew the better in this line of work. Plausible deniability and all that.

Danny nodded at Frank and just said "sure thing, I'll call the landline when its done"

"not with this one kid, no calls or texts. Especially not to me or this bar. You had a few drinks here that's it"

Danny nodded slowly and said "sure thing Frank, I'll be seeing you"

Frank raised his glass to Danny as Danny stood up and walked out of the place. He went to the car loaned by Frank, A blacked out Chrysler. A large squat face man In a sleek black suit opened the back door for him as Danny slid onto the leather bench seat.

It had been the same for years. He was generous enough to provide Danny with transport but It was only a professional courtesy. Ensuring the job was done on time. Nothing more, ensuring anything that could go wrong transport wise was avoided entirely.

"West Ave and 7th", Danny said to the driver.

As the Chrysler moved Danny pulled out the plastic insert of the center console and reached in to retrieve the pistol. He found it and freed it. This time it was a Berreta, Looked to be an M9. The black finish of the pistol was only scratched by the serial number which had been removed.

"Where is the other barrel?" Danny asked the driver.

"Barrel has already been swapped"

"No the Barrel for after the job. I need a second Barrel", Danny said frustrated.

"If one was not provided overturn the pistol to me on completion and I will take care of the rest"

Danny didn't like this, he changed his own barrel and he disposed of his own evidence.

Danny sighed and ejected that mag and looked at the back of it. Mag had all 15, Danny racked the slide and caught the round that exited the chamber with a flick of the wrist. Danny then took out the slide lock and hit the release as the slide slid forward off of the grip. He checked the trigger assembly for carbon. It was clean. Unfired as always. He reassembled the pistol. He racked the slide and squeezed the trigger

Click

He kept the trigger depressed and racked it again and slowly followed the trigger forward

Click

He flipped the safety and squeezed the trigger again. It didn't budge. Danny locked the slide back and inserted the mag before sending the slide forward chambering a round. He ejected the mag and inserted the extra round and re-inserted the mag before checking the hammer was back.

He loved the M9 but on one job he forgot to put the hammer back. From five feet away the pressure of the first trigger pull had caused the barrel to tilt and he missed the first shot completely. The Man had taken off running and Danny Had sent four sloppy shots into the poor bastard's back before catching up and leveling the barrel towards his head and squeezing off two more.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He called it the pink halo. The rounds would liquefy the brain and cause it to leak out the entry wound. It looked like a pink slime when this happened to some men. Other men when they took a round to the head, Blood rushes out the entry wound like a fucking fountain. Not like the movies though. Just a consistent rush of blood as they drop like dolls with the strings cut.

One man in particular, he had pumped a 45 into the side of his bald head, He had made a choking sound with his throat and his arms curled up on his chest as he fell backwards seizing. Eyes staring at nothing. The second shot turned the lights out.

Every man died differently.

Danny had an underarm holster covered by a brown leather jacket on. Used to, he would just slide the piece in his pocket. That was until he had been shot twice when he tried to jerk the pistol but it got hung on the fabric. The guy he was after saw him fighting the mistake and pulled his 38 faster. The shots had hit Danny in the stomach and in the chest before taking off. Getting shot felt strange. It burned, but as he was walking back to the car in a daze he stopped being able to breath. He had collapsed in front of the car bleeding like a stuck pig and sucking as hard as could for a breath. There was no fear though. No prayers to God for forgiveness. Just a strange acceptance and a feeling of peace.

The driver had broken every traffic law in the book to get to the doc. Danny remembered the doc cutting his clothes off of him and than a sharp pain in his side and that was it. Lights out. When He came too the doc gave him pain killers meant for larger breeds of dogs and wouldn't let him out of bed for a couple of weeks but he hadn't let him die. Even pulled the slugs out.

It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.

Danny also never left without a vest now. He spent a pretty penny on it, It was barely noticeable under a few layers and even had a front ceramic plate in the event someone decided to play with something bigger than handgun rounds.

The Chrysler rolled to a silent stop by the curb right behind another blacked out sedan. Benny emerged from the back seat and slid a smoke into his mouth.

Danny hated looking at Benny. One side of his face was a mess of scared and twisted flesh from a fire. His right ear was a nob more than anything else and his nose was barely there anymore.

And the motherfucker still smoked. Of course it wasn't smoking that did that. But they were all dead now so to Benny it probably didn't matter.

Danny emerged from the car and gave Benny a curt nod.

"Frank talk to you?" Benny said, holding a flame to the tip of the cigarette and blowing a plume of smoke in the air as he flipped the lighter shut.

Click

"No", Danny said waiting for Benny to Elaborate.

Benny nodded slowly as he took another pull of the smoke.

"Hop in Danny", Benny said opening the curb side door for him

Danny knew better. He scoffed at Benny and took a step back.

"Nah I think I'm good", Danny said as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

Benny sighed annoyed and said "Ok how about I get in your car then, that suit you, princess?"

Danny looked at Benny confused Before giving him a curt nod.

Danny opened the curbside door for the burned man who flicked the half smoked cigarette into the street and slid in and over to the far side of the seat.

Danny slid in beside him and closed the door.

"Frank said nothing?" Benny asked again.

Danny shook his head and pulled a flask from inside of his jacket and took a nip.

"The Serpicos are prepared to work hand in hand with your family against the Russians, we are paying their book manager a visit to their obshak? Fuck I dont know to say it", Benny admitted before handing Danny a baklava.

Danny looked at Benny stunned. "The Russians? Why this now?"

"That order is way over my head Danny. I do know that the Russians are undercutting us at every turn, even in dope. Where money is involved it is a ....problem", Benny said quietly.

"So we just stroll in and do him?, Benny there is no way he is unguarded", Danny scoffed in disbelief.

"He is tonight, the house guards were...convinced to take a smoke break. A long smoke break", Benny grinned slyly.

"yeah but why the accountant? I mean I don't get it", Danny asked getting frustrated.

"I honestly don't know, but you don't do a guy for just doing the books up if you know what I mean", Benny said with a strange little grin on his face. The twisted burned flesh pulled tight on his face. "whatever the case they need him taken care of, so here we are"

Danny shook his head annoyed. Frank had him thinking their target was john wick and here they were icing a fucking accountant. He pulled the baklava over his head and said. "Fine, In and out. Tap him twice and leave like our asses are on fire"

Benny nodded wordlessly and told the driver to flash his bights..

A button man emerged from the Sedan wearing a sleek cream colored suit with a rifle in each hand. AR-15's

He passed the rifles through Benny's window, Benny handed Danny one. He checked the dust cover and saw the bolt was locked to the rear and the chamber was clear. The rifle had no magazine, but the one Benny was handed did.

Danny knew all to well that had anything happened to benny, that the car they were in would have been mag dumped.

Benny tapped Danny on the shoulder and he looked over to see Benny was handing him two magazines of green tips. Penetrators.

Danny took the mags and slid one into the inside of his jacket where his flask sat, replacing it and tossing the flask on the bench before inserting the other and hitting the buttstock of the rifle, sending the bolt forward.

Shlick

Danny closed the dust cover and verified the weapon was on safe before grunting thanks to Benny.

"I thought it was one guy", Danny said as the Chrysler rolled. The driver fucking knew before he did?

"Just in case", Benny said as he loaded his own rifle.

Danny looked at the optic that was mounted, A simple red dot CCO. He turned the optic on and adjusted the dial until he could barely see the dot.

"Fancy toys, feel like an army man tonight", Danny joked

"mmhmm", Benny grunted curtly. not big on small talk, that guy.

..............................................

The sedan rolled to a silent stop In a neighborhood that screamed 'fuck you money' two story houses and freshly clipped lawns. Mercedes and Audi's in the drive of most houses.

Danny hopped out of his side and Benny Hopped out of his as the Chrysler rolled away as soon as the door were closed.

Benny and Danny slid silently through the black night across the lawn to the front door as Benny produced a small case of thin tools. Picks.

"The alarm?", Danny protested.

"They seem to have forgotten about it tonight", Benny said as he slid two thin tools into the lock and in 10 seconds flat the lock gave a soft click . Benny Moved to the Dead lock and popped it even faster before lightly opening the door until he could see the chain.

He produced a small set of wire snips and cut the chain.

Danny was impressed.

60 seconds flat and this man was through two locks and a chain.

Benny crept in silently and Danny followed suit. There was a carpeted staircase to the left of the front door. Benny leveled his rifle upward checking the top of the stairs as he moved up, Danny moved up glancing to the rear. They made it to the top of the stairs to find 4 doors to the left and one on the right of a wide hallway. Benny went to the farthest door on the left and set up on the door nob side.

Danny took the hinge side.

Benny lightly rotated the door nob.

Nothing happened.

Danny looked at the nob and saw there was no outside lock.

Benny shrugged and kicked the door right below the door nob.

The door frame splintered as the door crashed inwards. Benny punched straight into the room and Danny followed suit. In the darkness he saw the bed and chose a side.

Danny's rifle screamed as he flicked the safety down and went to work.

BRACK! BRACK! BRACK ! BRACK! BRACK!

Benny fired his own rifle into the bed. Once the firing stopped. Danny looked for the light switch, finding it by the door and flipped it up.

The white comforter was riddled with splotches of red that were actively growing but nothing moved underneath. Danny yanked the comforter back.

Fuck they did the broad to.

Danny leveled the rifle to the short bald man head. His chest wasn't rising and his torso had taken all five shots Danny had fired. But nevertheless Danny held the Barrel inches from the mans hand and squeezed.

BRACK!

The man's skull sank inwards as the round punched through the thin bones of the face and a soft rush of blood came forth like a ground spring, saturating the sheets in blood.

BRACK!

Danny followed his policy and fired again. The man's skull collapsed making the face look like some kind of carny mask hanging on a hook. The pinkness of the man's liquid brain mixing with the rush of red blood surrounded the man's head and the dead wife with a soft sheen.

"Mama?", Soft voice said from the door. Danny turned to see a girl no older than 10 standing in the doorway. She looked past Danny and at the dead lovers.

The little girl let out a scream that made the hair on Danny's arms stand up.

MAMA!

MAAMAA!

Her voice was full of shock. Full of disbelief. Full of pain, panic. All the things in a tone that wrenches the soul. Danny looked at the blonde haired girl and thought of Abby.

Benny however pointed his rifle at the girl.

Danny slapped the Barrel away and the round went into the wall.

BRACK!

Benny Head butted Danny and sent him reeling back into the wall.

The blue lights clouded his vision as he saw Benny level the rifle at the little girl again.

Danny shoved the girl as the round caught Danny square in the vest.

BRACK!

Danny Jerked the pistol free, His rifle nowhere to be seen. Danny wasn't aiming for the chest.

POP!

Benny collapsed instantly, His strings cut. The soft rush of blood leaking out of his forehead.

"WHAT THE FUCK BENNY!" Danny yelled at his corpse . "WE DON'T DO KIDS'

Danny looked at the chaos, three bodies and a little girl in shock as she stood there with eyes that stared at the bed. Through the bed. Glazed over.

Danny looked at the little girl and felt sorry for her, but he had no time. He ran past her, down the stairs and into the night street.

The Chrysler had finished circling the block and stopped at the curb as Danny dived in the back seat.

"Mr. Benjamin?'

"FUCKING DRIVE"

The driver gave a curt nod and drove the blacked out sedan down the road.

Danny's nose was bleeding.

His DNA was on scene.

fuck.