The Assignment

Jordan opened the door. “Good morning!”
“Morning.” He stepped inside, and looked around. “Everything going okay?”
“Sure is. I don’t think I need you anymore.” She kidded. He smiled, then said something very unlike him. “You want to go grab a coffee or something?”
“Sure! Is it okay if we wait for a few minutes though? I have a cake baking in the oven, it's for Caleb's birthday, and I can't leave it like that." He nodded, and they both sat in the comfortable living room chairs. She leaned back. "So I haven't heard too much about you. Who are you really?" Alex tilted his head. "I've already told you who I am."
"No, the real you. I know what you used to do for a living, and some of your childhood. But there's gotta be more to you that just a job gone bad and bitter memories." Alex smiled, it was true. "Well, I love comedies, though that may be hard to believe, strawberry ice cream, and I'm a big dog-person." She nodded. "Hm, I like cats myself. Do you have a dog?"
"Never had. Michael was allegic, so we could never have one as kids."
"You can have one now." He shrugged. Maybe. It just hadn't seemed right to him. Be a good boy, Spot, while I go kill people. The oven timer rang, and she jumped up. "Kay, it's done. Let me go grab my coat.” She left, and Alex walked around the vacant living room, studying everything. He went over to the mantle and looked at the pictures. Jordan and some girl friends of hers toasting at a bar, her parents, her cat, and then her and Scott sharing a kiss. “Okay, ready!” She actually startled him, and it wasn’t often he let his guard down. “Wow! You’re jumpy, I wouldn’t have expected that.”
“Let’s go.” Alex stepped out the door as she set her house alarm. “Okay, ladies’ choice. Where to?”
“I’m thinkin’ Starbucks.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”

The pair sat in a booth next to the window. The ever-busy London traffic rolled past them. “See? Starbucks isn’t that bad.” Jordan giggled as she sipped her Mocha Latte, what Alex had called a “girlie drink”. “I don’t think the server understood me when I said I just wanted a black coffee.” She shook her head. “Does flavored coffee ruin your masculinity?” She said it in a deep voice, and it caused Alex to burst out in laughter. She grinned. “You have a nice laugh. You should do it more often.” Alex smiled. There was something about this girl, he felt like he could just be himself. He didn’t have to prove anything when he was with her. “I had breakfast with my brother this morning.” Her eyes widened. “Really? Wow, how’d that go?”
“It wasn’t any of his guys that came after you. There’s another company involved.” She took this all in silently, her one green eye sparkling as the sun shone in through the window. “But I know who it is.” He said quietly, leaning forward as he slipped the paper across the table. Her eyes scanned it quickly, and then she looked up. “Who gave you this?” She asked softly. “Michael.” She leaned back, clearly not at ease. “Are you okay, Jordan?”
“I’m… familiar with this. That’s all.” Alex knew better than to question her, and knew if she wanted to tell him more she would. “I’m going to stop this, Jordan. You’ve got to trust me on that.” He noticed her hand was shaking on the table, and he put his on top of it. They sat in silence for a moment, and she finally said, “I trust you.”

Alex did another set of pull-ups before he let go of the steel bar. He was at the gym, a daily regime he always made sure to complete. After running on the treadmill for thirty minutes and lifting weights, he decided to call it a day. Removing his tight white tank in the car, he revealed his well-sculpted abs and muscular arms. His body was always something he treated like a machine- it needed to be kept up, and in the best working shape possible. His phone buzzed from within the glove box, and he flipped it open. “This is Alex.”
“Alex Statham? This is the London Police.” Alex’s muscles tightened, what was this about? “Mr. Statham, I regret to have to inform you of this… if you would come to the Covent Garden Piazza, we could talk there.”
“I’d prefer to know now what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry Alex, but your brother is dead.”

The black Porsche zoomed past traffic and braked sharply at the Piazza. Yellow police tape surrounded the glass covered marketplace, and several onlookers stood around curiously. The police chief recognized Alex immediately however, and approached him. “Alex Statham? I’m Chief Molina, please, this way.” He led him away from the news station groups that were beginning to form. Molina led him into the building, where the crime scene had taken place. Several detectives took pictures and examined what little evidence there was. Alex’s stomach lurched when he saw a faint blood mark on the floor. He put his hand against one of the marble column, unable to take it anymore. “I’m sorry to here about your loss, please, sit.” He motioned for one of the cops to bring him a seat, and Alex did reluctantly. “How- how did this happen?”
“It’s a bizarre case. Your brother was here, and out of nowhere he was shot by an unidentified person. We are investigating that now.”
“I have to see him.”
“Of course.” He got up and went outside, where an ambulance was already situated. “Someone called the hospital, but he died almost instantly, no pain involved.” There was a black body bag, and Alex looked at it warily. Molina lowered his head, and unzipped the bag. It was strange, Michael looked exactly the way he had when the pair had had breakfast together. “At least he didn’t suffer.” It was all Alex could say. Molina nodded. “Yes, that is fortunate. I suggest you rest now, the attorney will be contacting you soon, in concerns to the will and funeral.”
“Thank you.” He hastily got into his car, and zoomed home, mind swirling with thoughts of confusion and desolation.

He sat on his bed, unable to figure out exactly what he felt. All he knew was how angry he was, and how badly he wanted to hurt his brother’s murderer. But first he had to know why. The phone rang. “Alex?” It was Jordan, he was surprised at how relieved he was to hear her voice. “I heard…on the news. Alex, I’m so sorry.” He mumbled something. “Don’t move, I’ll come to you.” He didn’t object, and in no time she was knocking at his apartment door. He opened it, and she immediately pulled him into a hug. “This is so terrible. I can’t imagine how you must feel right now.” The pair sat on his couch, and gazed blankly out the window. “All I can think about is when we were younger, and we always used to stick together. He was a senior in high school when I became a freshman and he always used to swear he wouldn’t let anyone mess with his little brother. Then, this damn business… it tore us apart.” He choked on the last sentence, and Jordan put her hand on his back. “But you fixed that Alex, before it was too late.” He nodded, then put his head in his hands. “I have no one left, Jordan, my entire family is gone.”
“Oh, Alex. I know how you feel.” And for a moment they sat their in silence, each of their presences giving a certain comfort to the other. Finally Alex stood. “When I find out who did this,” his fist clenched, “I will kill them.” It was then Jordan pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “I think I know why, Alex.” It was what Michael had given him in the café, the last time he would ever see him. Obviously someone had found out, and Michael had taken the consequences. “Jordan, you said you were familiar with this information. You have to tell me who it is.” His eyes pleaded her. “Please.”
“It’s… my father’s company.” Alex sat back, not expecting it at all. “Are you saying your own father wants to kill you?”
“I don’t think so. I believe it’s his partner.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because my father is dead, Alex. Believe me when I say that you’re not alone in losing all of your family.” She stood up, turning her back to him. He stood too about to reach out to her, then stopped himself. “I’m sorry, Jordan.” She turned back to him, her face no longer showing any signs of vulnerability. “We’re going to get him, okay? We’re gonna get this guy.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “We just need to work together.” Alex wasn’t sure how long they stood beside each other, he just remembered the pain he felt when she left. It was true, he had no one now. No one except those rare friends he knew he could count on, like Ruben and this girl. Standing alone in his apartment, he made a silent vow. He would never allow anyone close to him to be hurt again, and he would be willing to die himself following through with that promise.