Chapter Two

There was only one interesting story in the newspaper the next day: LOCAL BUSINESSMAN KILLED IN FIRE. I was losing my edge, though. A fire is a very etchy way to cover up a hit, and if the ME is thourough then he may have already discovered the wound.
My cellphone rang. I picked it up and pressed the "Secrua-Send" button. I was greeted with a fine blare of high-frequency noise. It was the Shop's way of confirming that I was the one on the other side of the phoneline. I have an implant in my ear that will respond to the high-frequency noise with a certain low-frequency noise. The noise I emit it is unique and is inscripteed only for me.
"DZ? I've got another job. Washington D.C." A hard and computer like voice said.
"Whatever happened to my vacation?" I replied.
"This one is supposedly urgent, it has a payment level triple the standard rate." The standard going rate for a hit is 100,000 American dollars.
"Am I riding in a plane"
"Yes. Locker 257 at Francis International contains a plane ticket, five-hundred dollars, and the key to locker 752 at D.C. National. We'll call you when you reach D.C. Out." Another high-frequency burst of noise, then silence.

I arrived at the Francis International and got out of the taxi. I paid the driver and walked up a small hill into the terminal. I saw that immeadiatly after i picked up my ticket i would have to go throught the metal detector. I quickly walked up to the locker, took out my cellphone, and inserted the anntenna into the key-hole. There was a slight electronic buzz and I took out the anntenna. I opened the locker with ease and pulled out the duffel bag which it contained.
The duffel bag was heavy, and that made me nervous. There was a small rule I knew: if the bag is light, there will be no problem at the detector, but if it was heavy, problems are likely to arise.
Hesitently I put the bag on the small coveyer belt and let it be pulled into the small hole where it would be scanned for weapons and bombs. I walked through the metal detector after putting my cellphone on a steel tray to be scanned. I expected to hear an alarm, and that the bag contained a gun or a knife, or even a bomb, but I walked through and grabbed my cellphone and bag without even raising the slightest alarm.
The plane wasnt crowded, in fact it was probably the emptiest plane i had ever been in. There were maybe thirty people in my cabin, which, to my surprise, was first class. That was another call sign that something bad was going to go down.
Contrary to my yeildings, the plane ride was smooth, the only turbulance was on take-off. I exited the plane when we reached D.C. and I went through the metal detectors again, and again there were no problems.
My cellphone rang; that would no doubt be The Shop. I took it out of the inside pocket of my denim jacket and, after pressing the button, brought it to my ear, and waited for the noise. After it cleared i spoke. "Stanton, I've arived in D.C."