The Royal Contract

"What happened to your plan?" The man sitting in the barely lit office behind the massive oak table asked as he smoked his cigarette. 

There was no trace of emotion in his voice. He was neither thrilled nor disappointed. He remained calm despite the rage building up inside him.

The thick puff of white haze lingered in the air, creating an eerie atmosphere in the darkened room. Indistinct noises came from a distance, but the room remained still as nothing moved except the two of them.

His face remained obscured from view from the visitor who entered his private space. The only sound that resounded on the walls was his erratic heart beating and uneven breathing. It was clear his fury was slightly getting to him.

"I know this incident had created a minor setback, but my men are already working on a new plan." The unknown man would not let this influential man intimidate him. He would remain in control of his emotion despite the circumstance.

He had worked for far more dangerous men than him before, but he had never cowered in fear to them. Something happened that went beyond his control, but it did not mean that he had already failed in his mission.

He stood on the other side of the desk, watched, and waited in silence for his reaction. He could anticipate two responses from him. One would be a sly remark. Then, another chance to redeem himself.

Otherwise, it would be a more bloody comeback, where death would be the only option, either him or the man behind the desk. He would prefer the first one because he wanted to get paid.

"I have no use for your head as much as I want to have it in a silver platter. But can I still trust you to accomplish to finish the job that you promise?" The man hiding in the shadows declared with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. 

He was not laughing at his joke, but he would like to see the humor in this situation. He was not ready to accept defeat. He wanted a solution to this oversight.

He chose this man to do this job because they said he was the best. He wondered if gambling with him would be the better bet. But finding another one would surely be riskier.

"Talking to me instead of blowing my brains out means that you already made the decision. You still believe that I am a better choice to do this job." The man kept his ground, not showing a visible sign of fear.

But only a fool believed that he was invincible. Only a stupid man did not fear anything, especially death. He was neither one of those. 

He had accepted that he was only human, mortal, and capable of making many mistakes. He feared many things in life, but the only difference. He never allowed them to cripple him.

He had prepared to fight the inevitable, prolonging his life as much as he could by challenging everything that stood his way. He had reached the peak of his success, not because he was brave. Quite the contrary, he had survived to live this long in his line of work because of his fears.

"You are quite a confident man. Something I admire about you." This time, the unknown man laughed and clapped his hands. 

He found the other man amusing, not expecting such an answer. He was already ready to order his man to shoot him if he so much made the wrong move. But funnily, he was a quick wit.

"I will take that as a compliment." The man for hire said with a forced smile. He did not see it as praise but rather an insult to him. "I am only here to finish the job so I can get my payment." 

He was not here for a fucking medal. Although he would like absolution for his failure. He would take another chance to redeem himself because his reputation was everything to him.

He eased his hands away from his hidden weapon, knowing that he would not be using it tonight. There was no need to prolong this meeting. He already knew what to do next.

"Then, I would not stand in your way. But I expect results next time we meet again." His voice had a hint of a warning.

Next time, he would not be as forgiving. He did not like to tolerate losing. He never usually gave second chances. He believed failing the first time meant not being cut for the job. 

But he did make several exceptions for those who were exceptional. He thought that it would be a thrill to see them succeed. Besides, the fewer people were involved, the less mess he had to clean up.

His reputation and position in high society could not be tainted with dirt and blood in his hands. Once people learned of his illegal activities, it would ruin him and his chances for a higher power.

"I assure you this time that I will not fail. You will have what you wanted in the palm of your hands." He never promised something that he could not deliver.

He had always meticulously planned his strategies, making an almost perfect execution that led to favorable results. He tried to see all the possible angles, leading to lesser mistakes.

His last quest was purely bad luck. Fate was acting up against him when it sided on the other team. But this time, he was not taking anything out of consideration. 

"Then, I guess we have nothing more to discuss." He finally pressed the burning ember in the ashtray on the top of his desk, killing what remained of its fire. 

Then, he puffed out of his mouth the last smoke he inhaled in his lungs, giving him the satisfaction of releasing the tension out of his body.

He watched the man leave the room, thinking if he had done enough. Should he trust one man who already failed him once? He turned around in the darkness and gazed at the moon outside.

She survived. 

He guessed that was all that mattered as his mind strategized for another plan. He realized he was also given another chance to right his mistake. Not everyone got a second chance.