"This is a bad idea."
"You always say that."
"Well this time I really mean it, Ian!"
Ian couldn't help but laugh at that. "It's not like we're being sent to kill someone, Mike." He turned away from the passenger side window. "Take a left up here."
"No, but we might have to! You heard how this Vlad gets! What if he decides to just kill us and take the guns?"
Ian looked down at the pistol in his hand, sighing. Mike wasn't wrong; from what he heard, this Vlad character sounded insane. He shook his head, loading his weapon. "It's a simple job, Mike. Give Vlad the stash, take the money, give that money to that weird little hooded guy, and get a nice little portion for ourselves." That is, that's how he hoped it would all play out. Jobs like this never went down that easy. Nevertheless, he tried his best to give his a friend a convincing smile.
"Who is this guy we're moving these for, anyway? How do you know him?"
Ian cocked the pistol, shaking his head again. "I don't. Never asked his name." He ignored Mike's frustrated snort. "But I do know he can pay-Stop! Turn here, this is it."
The car slowly turned into the alley. Sure enough, Ian saw a large, bearded man in a cheap suit approaching the car. He was accompanied by a tall, muscular figure. The guard eyed the car suspiciously, gripping the sub machine gun in his hand. Ian nodded to Mike, and they both got out to greet them.
"Ian Carlyle!" Vlad's deep, booming voice echoed off the alley walls. "Our city's back alley businessman! I was wondering when I'd finally get to meet you!"
Ian adopted a charming grin, shaking the man's hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Yetrov! I have the guns for you, as promised."
"Good, good!" Vlad responded, slapping a fat hand on Ian's back. Ian lead him towards the back of the car, turning his head to chat him up. "So, looking for some more firepower to deal wi-"
"Who is this man?"
Ian turned around. Vlad has stopped, glaring in Mike's direction. "Oh, him. That's just my associate, Michael. He's helping m-"
"You do not trust me?!" Vlad suddenly exclaimed, turning on Ian. "You bring along a 'buddy' to get the jump on Vlad, eh?" Before Ian had a chance to talk him down, Vlad barked an order to his guard in some other, eastern European-sounding language. The guard quickly advanced on Michael, shoving the sub machine gun in his face.
Ian had to move quickly. He drew his pistol, charging towards Vlad to grab him from behind and placing the gun against the fat man's temple. "Easy."
The guard looked between Vlad and Michael, shifting his gun back and forth between them. Ian gave a sigh of relief; he had stopped him from pulling the trigger, for now. "Put the gun down, or Vlad's suit's going to have some pretty rough stains."
The four of them stood in tense silence for a moment, each of them waiting for someone to make a move. For what seemed like an hour, the alley was quiet. Finally, Vlad broke the silence. It started with a small chuckle, before turning into a booming laugh. The guard, unsure of what to, nervously began to laugh along with him.
"I like you, Carlyle!" Vlad said through his heaving laughter, shaking so much it was hard for Ian to keep hold of him. Ian stared for a moment, then gave what he hoped was a convincing laugh. He shot Michael a look, prompting him to join in on the impromptu laughter.
Vlad spoke in the strange language again and the guard dropped the gun, retreating out of sight. Ian slowly exhaled, letting go of Vlad and holstering his pistol. Vlad turned to face him, dusting off his suit. "Show me these guns, Carlyle."
Ian took him to the back of the car, opening the trunk to reveal a number of AK-47's. Vlad let out a whistle as he picked one up, examining it. Soon, the guard was with them. He shoved a briefcase into Ian's arms, and helped Vlad unload the rifles.
"There's your money. Pleasure doing business with you!" And with that, the two walked out of sight.
Ian stood there, not saying a word. He was part in shock, and part relieved that there wasn't any blood on the pavement. He looked over to Mike, who had just got back into the car.
"I told you it was a bad idea."
"You always say that."
"Well this time I really mean it, Ian!"
Ian couldn't help but laugh at that. "It's not like we're being sent to kill someone, Mike." He turned away from the passenger side window. "Take a left up here."
"No, but we might have to! You heard how this Vlad gets! What if he decides to just kill us and take the guns?"
Ian looked down at the pistol in his hand, sighing. Mike wasn't wrong; from what he heard, this Vlad character sounded insane. He shook his head, loading his weapon. "It's a simple job, Mike. Give Vlad the stash, take the money, give that money to that weird little hooded guy, and get a nice little portion for ourselves." That is, that's how he hoped it would all play out. Jobs like this never went down that easy. Nevertheless, he tried his best to give his a friend a convincing smile.
"Who is this guy we're moving these for, anyway? How do you know him?"
Ian cocked the pistol, shaking his head again. "I don't. Never asked his name." He ignored Mike's frustrated snort. "But I do know he can pay-Stop! Turn here, this is it."
The car slowly turned into the alley. Sure enough, Ian saw a large, bearded man in a cheap suit approaching the car. He was accompanied by a tall, muscular figure. The guard eyed the car suspiciously, gripping the sub machine gun in his hand. Ian nodded to Mike, and they both got out to greet them.
"Ian Carlyle!" Vlad's deep, booming voice echoed off the alley walls. "Our city's back alley businessman! I was wondering when I'd finally get to meet you!"
Ian adopted a charming grin, shaking the man's hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Yetrov! I have the guns for you, as promised."
"Good, good!" Vlad responded, slapping a fat hand on Ian's back. Ian lead him towards the back of the car, turning his head to chat him up. "So, looking for some more firepower to deal wi-"
"Who is this man?"
Ian turned around. Vlad has stopped, glaring in Mike's direction. "Oh, him. That's just my associate, Michael. He's helping m-"
"You do not trust me?!" Vlad suddenly exclaimed, turning on Ian. "You bring along a 'buddy' to get the jump on Vlad, eh?" Before Ian had a chance to talk him down, Vlad barked an order to his guard in some other, eastern European-sounding language. The guard quickly advanced on Michael, shoving the sub machine gun in his face.
Ian had to move quickly. He drew his pistol, charging towards Vlad to grab him from behind and placing the gun against the fat man's temple. "Easy."
The guard looked between Vlad and Michael, shifting his gun back and forth between them. Ian gave a sigh of relief; he had stopped him from pulling the trigger, for now. "Put the gun down, or Vlad's suit's going to have some pretty rough stains."
The four of them stood in tense silence for a moment, each of them waiting for someone to make a move. For what seemed like an hour, the alley was quiet. Finally, Vlad broke the silence. It started with a small chuckle, before turning into a booming laugh. The guard, unsure of what to, nervously began to laugh along with him.
"I like you, Carlyle!" Vlad said through his heaving laughter, shaking so much it was hard for Ian to keep hold of him. Ian stared for a moment, then gave what he hoped was a convincing laugh. He shot Michael a look, prompting him to join in on the impromptu laughter.
Vlad spoke in the strange language again and the guard dropped the gun, retreating out of sight. Ian slowly exhaled, letting go of Vlad and holstering his pistol. Vlad turned to face him, dusting off his suit. "Show me these guns, Carlyle."
Ian took him to the back of the car, opening the trunk to reveal a number of AK-47's. Vlad let out a whistle as he picked one up, examining it. Soon, the guard was with them. He shoved a briefcase into Ian's arms, and helped Vlad unload the rifles.
"There's your money. Pleasure doing business with you!" And with that, the two walked out of sight.
Ian stood there, not saying a word. He was part in shock, and part relieved that there wasn't any blood on the pavement. He looked over to Mike, who had just got back into the car.
"I told you it was a bad idea."
