Chapter 3
Wolf woke up with a start. He still had dreams of the bombings and killings at times. No matter how many times one had pulled the trigger, it was always mentally taxing on the mind. Every shot taken was more money in the bank but also more blood on his hands. Wolf got dressed and finished his morning routine off with a black coffee and buttered toast. It was the early hours on a clear cold September morning. The early-risers were dressed in their typical fall clothing, heading out to work.
Wolf stepped out wearing a grey tracksuit and a beanie to cover his ears. He breathed in the chill air and felt his lungs fill up giving him a refreshing feeling. He started to jog down the side of the road making his way to the central park. He ran a few laps around the park until he felt out of breath and stopped at a large open space where a group of old Asian ladies in track suits were doing Tai Chi. Wolf watched them calmly and began to stretch himself. A few moments later he was off again this time heading towards the subway station and got on the train going towards the Expo. The train was relatively empty at this time in the morning with the majority of the commuters going the other way towards the business district. Wolf got off at the station and went up to ground level. The exit led to an empty carpark with the Expo building about a few hundred metres away. The building seemed abandoned except for the security and maintenance personnel moving within. Wolf turned away from the carpark and saw apartment buildings west of the Expo. He pulled his hood over his head and began jogging towards them.
He came to an old building painted reddish-brown with cracks running through the cement structure. He walked up to the front door and to his delight there was no security system installed - no key car, nothing required to get in. He opened the door and came to a carpeted landing with post boxes that covered the walls with all the apartment numbers inscribed on them. That would explain the lack of a security system; since the post boxes were inside the building itself, the postman would need to have free access in and out. To his left was a staircase and to the right was a lift door. Wolf walked up to the lift door and pressed the button. Wolf grew slightly impatient as the old lift took ages to come down from the 11th floor. An old lady had now joined him in waiting for the lift to come down.
The lift doors finally opened and Wolf held the door open and gestured to the old lady to enter first with a seemingly genuine smile. The old lady went in and Wolf followed. She reached up from her hunched back to press the number 6 and smiled at Wolf. Wolf smiled back and pressed the largest number on the panel - 11. Wolf got out at the 11th floor and was greeted by the scream of a cat startled by his footstep on the carpeted floor. Wolf turned towards the only natural light that came from corridor. He walked towards the open window along the corridor slowly and quietly. He heard a the clang of a metal pan followed by the crash of ceramic. Wolf checked to make sure he was not being watched as he looked around for a staircase that could give him access to the roof but to his dismay there was none.
He came to the window and grabbed the ledge tightly while he poked his head out. He squinted under the shining sun high up in the sky and looked up towards the roof. The window head jutted out slightly and the ledge of the room seemed to be just over a foot in height from there. Wolf carefully put his feet up on the window sill while grabbing the head of the window with one hand. His feet now fully on the sill, he turned around to face back into the building. He breathed in deeply and out through his mouth. With a quick movement, Wolf grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up to the roof. The roof was completely flat and barren; the cement discoloured by the weather and the elements. Wolf turned to face the Expo in the distance.
He lay down on the hot cemented roof on his front while facing the Expo. The glass panels of the building glinted in the sunlight. This would be a problem which meant he could only take the shot at noon with the sun directly above him so that the reflections of the glass panels in the building did not affect the shot. He unzipped his trouser pocket and pulled out a small black spy glass. He looked down the spy glass at the Expo building and slowly adjusted the sight until he could clearly see the inside. His breathing became slower and quieter as a guard walked past the place he was staring at. Wolf knew. He looked around the surrounding buildings before getting back down the and into the window.
He made his way back to the subway and headed home. On the walk back to his apartment, Wolf's phone rang in his trouser pocket. He pulled it out and answered.
"There were deposits in some of your accounts this morning. Just wanted to let you know..." a female voice said.
"Thanks Leah" Wolf replied.
"Wolf... You sure about this yeah?" Leah asked hesitantly.
Wolf sighed. "Yes... just stick to what I told you. It'll be fine" said Wolf as he cut the call.
Wolf unlocked the apartment door and took off his tracksuit jacket. He undressed everything but his trousers and opened his closet. He knelt down and felt around the bottom of the wooden closet until his fingers came to a notch. He pulled the bottom board of the closet which revealed a secret compartment with a rectangular black suitcase within. He pulled the suitcase out and walked back to the living room. He switched on the TV and unlocked the suitcase. The black metal glinted under the light.
"President Damian is set to make history with the signing of the treaty of solidarity. The first such President to sign such a treaty with any country says it is a step forward for all the countries involved as it seeks to ignore each one's differences and stand together against a common threat." the lady news reporter read out.
Wolf pulled out the barrel from the foam cushioning and the cloth that was within the case. He looked at the barrel and studied it carefully and began to wipe it with the cloth deliberately.
"The leaders of 10 countries will be meeting at the Summit to discuss strategies and to sign the treaty which will be held in a week's time at the Expo."
Wolf stared at the screen and continued wiping...
Wolf stepped out wearing a grey tracksuit and a beanie to cover his ears. He breathed in the chill air and felt his lungs fill up giving him a refreshing feeling. He started to jog down the side of the road making his way to the central park. He ran a few laps around the park until he felt out of breath and stopped at a large open space where a group of old Asian ladies in track suits were doing Tai Chi. Wolf watched them calmly and began to stretch himself. A few moments later he was off again this time heading towards the subway station and got on the train going towards the Expo. The train was relatively empty at this time in the morning with the majority of the commuters going the other way towards the business district. Wolf got off at the station and went up to ground level. The exit led to an empty carpark with the Expo building about a few hundred metres away. The building seemed abandoned except for the security and maintenance personnel moving within. Wolf turned away from the carpark and saw apartment buildings west of the Expo. He pulled his hood over his head and began jogging towards them.
He came to an old building painted reddish-brown with cracks running through the cement structure. He walked up to the front door and to his delight there was no security system installed - no key car, nothing required to get in. He opened the door and came to a carpeted landing with post boxes that covered the walls with all the apartment numbers inscribed on them. That would explain the lack of a security system; since the post boxes were inside the building itself, the postman would need to have free access in and out. To his left was a staircase and to the right was a lift door. Wolf walked up to the lift door and pressed the button. Wolf grew slightly impatient as the old lift took ages to come down from the 11th floor. An old lady had now joined him in waiting for the lift to come down.
The lift doors finally opened and Wolf held the door open and gestured to the old lady to enter first with a seemingly genuine smile. The old lady went in and Wolf followed. She reached up from her hunched back to press the number 6 and smiled at Wolf. Wolf smiled back and pressed the largest number on the panel - 11. Wolf got out at the 11th floor and was greeted by the scream of a cat startled by his footstep on the carpeted floor. Wolf turned towards the only natural light that came from corridor. He walked towards the open window along the corridor slowly and quietly. He heard a the clang of a metal pan followed by the crash of ceramic. Wolf checked to make sure he was not being watched as he looked around for a staircase that could give him access to the roof but to his dismay there was none.
He came to the window and grabbed the ledge tightly while he poked his head out. He squinted under the shining sun high up in the sky and looked up towards the roof. The window head jutted out slightly and the ledge of the room seemed to be just over a foot in height from there. Wolf carefully put his feet up on the window sill while grabbing the head of the window with one hand. His feet now fully on the sill, he turned around to face back into the building. He breathed in deeply and out through his mouth. With a quick movement, Wolf grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up to the roof. The roof was completely flat and barren; the cement discoloured by the weather and the elements. Wolf turned to face the Expo in the distance.
He lay down on the hot cemented roof on his front while facing the Expo. The glass panels of the building glinted in the sunlight. This would be a problem which meant he could only take the shot at noon with the sun directly above him so that the reflections of the glass panels in the building did not affect the shot. He unzipped his trouser pocket and pulled out a small black spy glass. He looked down the spy glass at the Expo building and slowly adjusted the sight until he could clearly see the inside. His breathing became slower and quieter as a guard walked past the place he was staring at. Wolf knew. He looked around the surrounding buildings before getting back down the and into the window.
He made his way back to the subway and headed home. On the walk back to his apartment, Wolf's phone rang in his trouser pocket. He pulled it out and answered.
"There were deposits in some of your accounts this morning. Just wanted to let you know..." a female voice said.
"Thanks Leah" Wolf replied.
"Wolf... You sure about this yeah?" Leah asked hesitantly.
Wolf sighed. "Yes... just stick to what I told you. It'll be fine" said Wolf as he cut the call.
Wolf unlocked the apartment door and took off his tracksuit jacket. He undressed everything but his trousers and opened his closet. He knelt down and felt around the bottom of the wooden closet until his fingers came to a notch. He pulled the bottom board of the closet which revealed a secret compartment with a rectangular black suitcase within. He pulled the suitcase out and walked back to the living room. He switched on the TV and unlocked the suitcase. The black metal glinted under the light.
"President Damian is set to make history with the signing of the treaty of solidarity. The first such President to sign such a treaty with any country says it is a step forward for all the countries involved as it seeks to ignore each one's differences and stand together against a common threat." the lady news reporter read out.
Wolf pulled out the barrel from the foam cushioning and the cloth that was within the case. He looked at the barrel and studied it carefully and began to wipe it with the cloth deliberately.
"The leaders of 10 countries will be meeting at the Summit to discuss strategies and to sign the treaty which will be held in a week's time at the Expo."
Wolf stared at the screen and continued wiping...
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