CHAPTER 63: SOMEONE WHO CARES

"So you killed your competition... well, I guess somebody had more money to hire a professional to do the job, huh?" Joseph shook his head. "And they’ll ask who did it... maybe you just started a war between two families."

"Well, I wasn’t hired by a gangster or the mafia, and secondly, it would be disrespectful to you to die that way, gunned down by some pitiful gangster." He said, and something about his voice was different now.

"Oh, then who hired you?" Joseph asked, genuinely surprised by it.

The old man laughed. "Joseph, you have so many enemies that it’s unbelievable you’re still alive... and maybe that’s your power, that people first wait to see what you do, how you act, and then decide to kill you... they want to know which side you’re on." He shook his head. "But I already know that you’re on nobody’s side. You’re on your own in the jungle."

"Yeah... I do have some enemies... but who hired you?"

"Guess."

Guess, huh... who would hire a professional to kill me?

"Is it the DSA?" Joseph asked.

"Oh, that would be a good conspiracy theory." The old man laughed. "No, it wasn’t the DSA."

"Then Hibeer business partners?"

"Good guess, but no, they are still arguing with each other about what to do, just like everybody else."

"Then I give up." Joseph said, still looking calm. "I’m pretty bad at guessing, and also at scrabbles, so who was it?"

"You know, I like this about you too." The old man smirked. "Other people, Dons, leaders would have already threatened me, would have already started counter-offers, saying whatever to save their own lives... you truly think your life doesn’t matter, Joseph." The smirk faded away. "That is fantastic, because it just makes you more dangerous than everybody else I’ve ever killed or known, even more dangerous than your father. He loved his life, he was narcissistic, he could have even jerked off to himself... you’re different, and I love it. But not just that, I know the second reason you’re calm." He eyed him.

"Oh really and what is it?" Joseph asked.

"In my career, I never thought I would be the one trapped, that somebody would bait me into a trap... and you did it. I never thought a Don would have three snipers aiming at my head the moment I sat down, and I’m sure they knew from the beginning that I had a gun... they have good trigger discipline... not just that, but more than ten of your bodyguards are too ready to do what they need to do... how good a family is that? Still, the snipers... I can’t even put into words how beautiful it is."

Indeed, it was beautiful... a beautiful bait that they set up, or at least Pablo did, placing snipers on three different buildings, which they accessed via the fire ladder, and positioned themselves to see both the front and back of James... and they were only visible because of one thing.

The sun.

Well, only two of them had kill flashes on the scopes, and the third one had the sniper glint, not a big one, but it was visible.

"It is beautiful, but I’d bet a lot of money that you’d pull the trigger faster and kill me than they would." James said.

"True, but I’m not going to kill you, James." He looked deep into his eyes. "Because my story was real and I truly have cancer... I know if I shoot you, they will kill me... and I also have family, and I want my life to end in their arms."

"You got paid to kill me, came here, then killed those who were sent after me, and now you’re letting me off?" James asked, because it didn’t make any sense to him.

He was utterly confused about the whole situation... and how the fuck things ended up like this...

"I was hired twice, first to kill you, and then came the second offer to protect you. But I want a third offer... an offer that if I stand up, I will live." He looked into Joseph’s eyes, and he just looked more confused than ever. "I just want to die in peace, you know."

And of course, Joseph was confused about all of it, even shocked, surprised, that somebody had hired a hitman to protect him... but who was that person?

He was thinking about everything, but there wasn’t even one person he could remember who had been good to him... not a single one... and those he knew were all dead... and he didn’t have any friends.

"Who—"

"I can’t." The old man immediately interrupted him. "This individual paid five million to protect you... and you know money is money."

"What if I counter-offer?" Joseph asked.

"That would be good, but you know I don’t have time to speak, because I am sure that the first individual sent out watchers to see you die. I need to disappear from the country with their money. So I can’t—"

"Ten million, just say the names." Joseph said, and he was truly ready to pay that much money. And of course, he was ready.

Like how exciting it is, more exciting than death... there is somebody out there looking out for him, somebody who paid five million to protect him... how lovely is that... somebody who cares for him.

"You know, Joseph, somebody who pays five million to protect you is truly somebody who cares, somebody who wants to remain unknown to be able to protect you even more... second, I can’t give out their information." He said as he slowly stood up, now pulling out his hand from the trench coat. "I made six million today without doing anything really... how good is that?" He chuckled as he put on the beanie and grabbed the leash.

"Pretty good, but that’s it? A good talk and you just walk off?"

"Exactly, my job is done," he said, but now the smile faded from his face as he glanced once more at Joseph. "Please wear a bulletproof vest and be careful, because you matter more to this city than you will ever know, even if you’re evil, a murderer, a monster in others’ eyes." He took a few steps but stopped. "Oh, and the mayor election is coming up... I hope they will not reelect the current one...." He waved his hand and slowly walked away.

And it was enough, Joseph understood exactly who he needed to pay a visit to next, the mayor of Vienna.