THE MOMENT
"Hi, my name is Cadence and I'm calling from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I'd like to discuss-,"
"Wrong number," Thorne hung up the phone with a shrug. After a few moments, it began to ring again and he hesitated.
"Answer the phone, Thorne," a soft female voice whispered in his mind.
"Who said that!?" He looked around the dim, cramped office expecting to find someone else; but, he was still the only person there. That was a good thing, his office was little more than a janitor's closet. The Society was quite wealthy and they could afford a better office for him if they so chose. They also could have afforded a proper answering service but Thorne begged to be given a job. Any job. The phone continued to ring while he waited for an answer.
"Who do you think, dolt?" the voice replied again. "Surely you have a guess. You're dumb; but, you're not stupid."
"Gaia...," Thorne whispered the name. He was terrified of being right. If he was, the volume of his answer didn't matter; she could hear his thoughts. Gaia was the most feared Supervillain in the world; the spirit of the Earth gone bad.
"See? You're a clever cookie. Now, be a good boy and answer the phone. Give Cadence anything she asks for."
"But... we're assassins...," he protested.
"You're almost frightened enough to wet yourself...," Gaia laughed in his mind. The constant ringing of the phone only added to his anxiousness. "...so, I'll excuse your assumption that I don't know that already. And, to save you from further embarrassment; obviously, I'm the one that gave Cadence the number to contact you. Now, answer the phone. My patience is fleeting."
"He-hello...?" Thorne answered the phone again.
"Hi, I think we got cut off," Cadence giggled on the other end. "But, I'd like to discuss some arrangements. I'm sure you're aware of what we do here at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. One of our children has a special request that your group can help with," she said.
"I.. I don't think we should get any kids involved...," Thorne tried to protest. But, the moment he did, the potted cactus on his desk shriveled up and died. It shed its needles and crumbled into green-brown dust. The warning was clear, he just wished it wasn't his only decoration; his only friend for that matter. Thorne had the unique ability to talk to cactuses and understand when they spoke back.
They weren't very smart and he considered them below goldfish as far as companionship went. But, it was sometimes nice to hear a different, friendly voice. He didn't consider it a loss; but, it made a point and he sat up more attentively.
"How can I help?" he asked.
"I want to book the best sniper you have," Cadence replied. "Preferably as soon as possible; when is he available?" she asked.
"Not for quite some time, I'm afraid...," Thorne said; he was very afraid. "He's booked solid for three months, including the downtime between jobs. And,...," he continued. "... I mean, no offense. But, I know Make-A-Wish is a charitable organization; but...,"
"So, how does Tuesday sound?" Cadence asked.
"Huh?"
"Oh dear, maybe I was wrong...," Gaia's voice entered his mind again. "You ARE stupid," she giggled. "Make the appointment for Tuesday," she added.
"But..,"
"But what?" Gaia asked.
"It's one thing to threaten me..," he shook his head. "But, I can't make him show up even if I write it in...,"
"Of course you can't," Gaia laughed. "Obviously, I"ll handle the details; it's what I'm doing now. Make the appointment," she said.
"Oh, okay...," he nodded. "Tuesday is good," he spoke into the phone again. "I'll mark it down. I need to know about the job," he said. Thorne was glad to not have to think anymore. Gaia had said to give the woman anything she wanted and that was easy enough once he knew Gaia would foot the bill so to speak. But now, he started to wonder what exactly a child wanted a hitman for; and, a sniper specifically. He knew the Make-A-Wish Foundation did some pretty unexpected things in their goal to help children. He never imagined murder was one of those things. And, beyond that, he started to wonder about the target. There had to be some sort of approval process in place. Who exactly did the Foundation consider worth murdering to make a child's wish come true?
"Oh, also, it's a ride-along," Cadence said. "You all do that, right?" she asked in a way that told him they absolutely did now.
"I'm not saying we don't; but, just so I understand. You're saying the child wants to go along when the sniper does the job and eliminates the target?"
"Yes," Cadence replied curtly. "Multiple targets," she added.
"I...," Thorne hesitated and looked up at the single bulb in the room. "You'll protect me, right? You threatening me is scary enough; but, at this point the Society...,"
"Stay on my good side, and we'll see..," Gaia giggled in his mind.
"Sure, sure..," Thorne nodded. "Ride along and multiple targets, might as well make it an all-day trip," he chuckled out of nervousness.
"That's a perfect idea! Thank you!" Cadence replied.
"So, what can you tell me about these targets?" Thorne sighed as he buried himself deeper into a situation he wanted no part of.
"Oh, I don't know," Cadence replied. "They'll likely be random."
"Of course," Thorne was genuinely amused by that answer; his mind had given up its grip on sanity. It made perfect sense. Why wouldn't the Make-A-Wish Foundation take a child on a shooting spree?
"Very well, I have you booked with our top sniper all day on Tuesday for a ride along to murder an unknown number of unknown targets. ...," Thorne was amazed at the words coming out of his mouth. "Is there anything else our sniper should know for the job?"
"Oh, yes. He should be wearing bright colors; a high-vis vest if he has one; we don't want any accidents."
"I...," Thorne's mind faltered. "...what?"
"Thank you! Bye!" Cadence hung up the phone.
"There, that wasn't difficult at all, was it?" Gaia asked in his mind. A faint sound caught his attention and he looked over to see a small cactus bud poke out of the soil in his pot.
"What the hell did I just book...?" he asked aloud.
"You poor dummy...," Gaia replied with a soft, almost gentle tone. "The child in question lost his father; all he wants to do is go hunting before he dies. Why shouldn't he get the best marksman available?"