The Rich Man: Part Two

The Rich Man meets The Poison Seductress
By Craig Allan, Business Manager

After his mission, The Rich Man leaves the warehouse to meet the man who employed him to take out John. At least that’s what The Rich Man thinks. He has been suspicious for a while that the man he has talked to is not the one orchestrating the hits, but merely a vessel for a more shadowed figure. This does not occupy his mind though, as he has never been much concerned about the life of his employer and he rather likes the company of the surrogate. He goes by the name of Ramsey, surely a name he must have picked due to a conversation about a possible sports bet.

They are meeting for breakfast at a small hole in the wall. This place is so hidden that it is merely a take-out window. As The Rich Man walks to the location, the sun begins to rise next to the San Antonio Mountain; though it will not matter to him as this corner leads into a shady area, both literally and figuratively. A block ahead he can see Ramsey, leaning against the wall of what looks like an abandoned auto body shop. Alas, it is the breakfast speakeasy.

After they grab two breakfast sandwiches—or what can at best be called a breakfast sandwich—they walk down the street. Ramsey seems a little nervous, but The Rich Man is almost stoic in his gaze. Nothing can faze him because no one can beat him. Ramsey asks the typical questions about the hit and The Rich Man delivers. Unfortunately, Ramsey is annoyed with the fact that The Rich Man did not get him a tooth from the victim as evidence of the kill. Doing him one better, The Rich Man pulls out a finger with a ring on it. “That should help you identify the body,” The Rich Man says. And if not, his corpse is waiting in the warehouse he rented.

Ramsey’s is good company, but he can also be a bit of a nuisance. He is always pestering The Rich Man about what he wants out of life or if he has any brothers or sisters. The Rich Man could tell him, what harm would it do? but The Rich Man has been at this for too long. He knows the power of information and won’t give it up easily. Whenever Ramsey lays on the pressure, The Rich Man does have a go-to saying. “I am a nomad. I have no use for a wife or a family. My duty is to my work, and my life’s satisfaction comes from a successful execution. The continued pride that I am the best at what I do helps.”

As they walk down the street, Ramsey begins to stumble. The Rich Man knew that he would not have to deal with Ramsey’s invasive questions for long. He made sure to grab the more wrapped together sandwich of the two because he knew there was a special ingredient in one of those sandwiches. As Ramsey begins to slump to the ground, The Rich Man catches him and leans him up against the wall of a building and begins to walk down a nearby dark alley.

As he makes it halfway down this alley, a figure appears four metres away from him. It’s a tall, thin, blond woman. Covered neck to toe in tight black leather. The classic stereotype never goes out of style. He knows that she has been tracking him. He recognized her during his job in Bangkok and in a poorly disguised outfit when he was in Moldova. He always wondered why she never made a move or tried to make contact.

“Well, I guess you want a fight?” The Rich Man says. “No,” says the woman. “I just want to talk.” He doesn’t understand why she would want to talk considering she just tried to poison him with a sandwich, and thinks it not very nice of her to poison Ramsey’s. The woman points out that the sandwich was for him, a statement that does not sway The Rich Man’s mind. The Rich Man knows though that she can’t take him. He has already seen the 23 traps she has set for him. Unfortunately, he did not account for the other 140. The woman knew he was going to be hard to catch, so she filled the alley with dart guns. As poison darts riddle The Rich Man’s body he falls to the ground and begins to lose consciousness.

“Wherever you are taking me please make it nice. I don’t get many opportunities to be surprised.” The Rich Man does not know it yet, but he is about to meet one of the most challenging adversaries he has ever met. A woman with a penchant for poison and a need for order and revenge. He is about to uncover the closest thing he has found in a long time to an equal. He is about to spend time with The Poison Seductress.