Closing Time

A man sits alone in a run down bar, sipping on a brandy and casting his gaze across the room. He surveys all entrances and exits, noting possible escape routes if things get hairy. He takes another sip as he flicks his eyes from patron to patron; only 3 left other than him, an hour from closing time, this would be his best opportunity. He just had to wait for confirmation. And wait he did, nervously counting down the minutes before his window of opportunity would close for god knows how long, months had been spent getting this intel and it could all be for naught in a matter of moments. on the inside he was sweating bullets but he kept his composure, just seeming as a normal patron having his last round of the night. First one patron left, then another, until it was just him, A burly man with a beer in the corner, and the barkeep. The minutes kept ticking on, 5 minutes until closing time. At exactly 4 minutes left the burly man stands and walks towards the door, stopping briefly at the lone man sitting at the bar to say one phrase, the one that he'd been waiting anxiously on all night. "Target identity confirmed, you have the green light." And then he just kept on walking, out the door and into the night.

The man at the bar was ready, he waited just a bit longer until he heard the words He'd been anticipating. "hey buddy, closing time. ya aint gotta go home but ya cant stay here pal." barked the barkeep, polishing a glass. The man said nothing, only took the last gulp of brandy and stood up slowly, before reaching into his jacket, and in one swift motion producing a suppressed Handgun and firing one round that blew a hole right between the eyes of the barkeep, killing him instantly.

The man stood there, frozen for a few seconds; before slowly putting the gun back in his shoulder holster and zipping his coat up. He walked over to the body and stared at it for a brief moment before walking around the back of the bar and grabbing the canister of gasoline that had been stashed there earlier. As he poured it out inside the bar he thought to himself "He was a clever one. plastic surgery, different names and jobs every month, constantly moving. smart, very smart. he must've known we'd get him eventually though. We always do."

He concluded his thought as he lit a match, tossed it on the ground and walked out the back as the building went up in flames. after he was a safe distance away, and after he had ample time to revel in the fact that months of tracking and planning had finally paid off, he reached for his radio and said one thing.

"Target is KIA, Rouge sam NO.-1123/5 has been neutralized."