Haut watched the girl's face shift through confusion, disbelief, and finally a cold, trembling anger. She looked ready to lunge at him with her empty pistol anyway, logic be damned.
"Killing him was a contract from the Shadow Sect," Haut continued, his voice flat. "But who knows if he's truly dead after the attack? Bodies have a way of disappearing."
"Hmph." Haut looked down at her, she was clearly still shaken, but the rage was gaining ground.
"You're ambitious," he said. "But you have no clue how the world actually works. If you want someone to surrender without a fight, make sure you don't have weaknesses they can use. Otherwise, you submit to circumstance, or you just come off as a desperate nuisance."
He stepped closer, bringing his face close to hers. She flinched but didn't retreat.
"If you want to intimidate someone into emptying their pockets, pick someone who actually looks vulnerable."
She tried to back up, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. He leaned in until his face was inches from hers. Then he smiled, slow, sharp teeth.
"Now look at me closely and tell me, who do you think would win in a fight between us?"
Her whole body trembled. She swallowed hard. "You."
"Good. At least you have some sense. Keep that in mind as you decide how to proceed."
He released her wrist.
"Your people are being held captive by the Shadow Sect. I'm not a member, I work independently. No restrictions."
She said nothing, but her eyes flickered with recognition. She'd heard of him.
He smirked. "Look how desperate you are now because of your squadron. What benefits has it earned you? You're no threat to me. Once the Shadow Sect knows you're spying, they'll lock you up for years. Torture. And your sect will go on living peacefully whether you give them anything or not. Who's going to risk a full-scale war over a spy with a few secrets?"
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Good luck out there. But if you want to live in peace, actually live, listen to me. There's a corpse and a bounty. We both benefit."
The girl, Selini, though Haut didn't know her name yet, stared at him for a long moment. Then she nodded, almost imperceptibly.
Haut pulled a folded paper from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Read this on the way. Then swallow it."
She took it without a word and disappeared into the night.
It was nearly midnight. Haut sat on a rooftop terrace, feet dangling over the edge, staring at the stars. The cool night breeze brushed his skin. He let his mind wander, the universe, his place in it, the smallness of everything.
A tap on his shoulder.
He turned. A figure in black stood behind him, face hidden in shadow.
"Who are you?" Haut's voice was cold, unconcerned.
The figure paused, then spoke in a deep, raspy voice. "Someone who's been watching you. I have a message."
Haut raised an eyebrow.
"I've heard you're bored. Same old schemes, same predictable outcomes. No fun anymore, is it? You even got information about the squadron spies, yet you couldn't complete the Shadow Sect's task."
Haut said nothing.
"I have an opportunity. Something to spice things up. Interested?"
Haut's eyes flickered with interest, or rather, he allowed them to. "Go on."
"Someone needs to be taken care of. Not a simple job, a very important target. A woman who's a danger to both the Shadow Sect and the Elite Squadron. Neither can kill her yet. You'll have to plan, execute, make it perfect. A real challenge. Interested?"
Haut considered. A challenge. A formidable opponent. Tempting.
"Tell me more."
The man nodded. "A young girl. Unpredictable in a way that makes her dangerous. But you can handle her. Details are here." He handed over a folded paper.
Haut skimmed it, name, appearance, location, routine. Everything.
"I see." He tucked the paper away. "And the reward?"
The shadowed face smiled wide. "Beyond your wildest fantasies. All your previous exploits will look like child's play. Risky, but the stakes are high. The rewards could change your life. What do you say?"
Haut chuckled. "You had me at 'fun.' I don't back down from a challenge. Consider it done. Just don't interfere before I'm finished. And add my name to your code, I don't want to be mistakenly targeted."
The man nodded. "No questions about how you do it. Just clean. No traces. Fail…"
The man leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "It wouldn't end well for you."
"Understood."
The man melted into the shadows.
Haut sat there a moment longer, then unfolded the paper again. The target's face stared back at him. The same girl from the street.
He smiled to himself. Interesting.