Moonlight Warriors: A Tale of Two Hit Men Read Online Free PDF Page B

corner, Marcus Augustine spotted a truly-homeless man holding a large can as he asked persons for money.
    “This is for you, friend.”  Marcus took the forty dollars that Dennis had just given him and dropped both twenty dollar bills into the man’s can.
    “Thank you so much!” the surprised man declared.  “You are a good man.”
    Marcus laughed heartily as he continued on his way down the street.
     
    The next morning Elaine, carrying a cup of coffee, stepped out onto the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant.
    Marcus suddenly appeared in front of her, startling her so much that she almost spilled the hot coffee.
    “Damn!  How do you do that?”
    Marcus grinned.  “I can’t give away my secrets, Mrs. Sandhaven.”
    “I guess not.”  Elaine managed a smile.  “When any other person says that if he tells you his secret, he will have to kill you, he is joking.  However, I don’t suppose that you would be joking about it.”
    “I’m not much for jokes these days.”
    Elaine looked around in order to make sure that no one else was within hearing distance.  “Speaking of killing persons, I was wondering why my husband is still alive.  He left the house just a couple of minutes before I did.”
    “And your husband is going to remain alive.  I have decided not to kill him.”
    Elaine was taken aback.  “Why not?”
    “Because you lied to me.   I don’t believe that he is an abusive husband.  You heard that I only kill bad persons, so you concocted a story so that I would accept the assignment.”
    “How can you be so sure that he is not evil?” Elaine demanded. “I can show you bruises.”
    “Bruises prove nothing.  I have a bruise on my hip from bumping into a table in the dark a couple of nights ago.”
    “He beats me!” Elaine insisted.  “Why else would I want him killed?”
    Marcus looked at her intently.  “Now you have asked an interesting question.  That is a question to which I would like to know the answer.  I might know the answer, but I will admit that I am not certain.”
    She glared at him.  “What do believe the answer is?”
    “You want your husband dead because you want to inherit his company.  If you divorce him, you will get a nice settlement, perhaps almost half of his money.  However, you won’t get Sandhaven Software Solutions.  He will remain in control of the company.  This is all about money, your greed for more money.”
    “That is ridiculous,” Elaine said.
    Marcus was surprised that Elaine seemed to relax slightly.  She thought that I was going to say something else, Marcus realized.  What is going on here?  I will need to play another card or two in order to get her to reveal her hand.
    “I read the Wall Street Journal every day,” he said.  “It is my favorite newspaper.  As you might imagine, I earn good money in this profession.  I want to invest it wisely.  Yesterday I read a Wall Street Journal story that mentioned Sandhaven Software was working with a computer software computer owned by Douglas Neldt, the man who was assassinated last week.  Then a bomb destroyed most of Neldt’s company.”
    Elaine’s eyes narrowed.  “So what?”
    “So that’s quite a coincidence.  For better or for worse, the death of Neldt and the destruction of his company will have a profound effect on Sandhaven Software. Financial analysts believe that if Sandhaven Software is able to successfully complete the Intelligent Agency program, the value of the company could double or triple.”
    “You have no idea of the danger in which you are placing yourself,” Elaine hissed.  “It would be better for you if you had neglected to read your Wall Street Journal that day.”
    “Do not forgot who I am or what I do, Mrs. Sandhaven. It is not wise to threaten me.” 
    “You are a fool who has stumbled into a world unknown to you.  You are wandering into territory to which you have no map.”
    “Then enlighten me. Tell me what is going