An idling muscle car sat in the alley when Lusk re-emerged into low-churning bushes. The Brant's were early.

"Shit."

Left Teeth where he was and slid down the hill before sprinting across the road. Jogged along the sidewalk and stopped at the alleyway.

Two men in brown ski masks were inside the car—windows down. A single streak of light spilled down from a lamppost. Lusk called out the watchword to them and then stepped into plain view with the Uzi pointed at the ground.

Both men nodded and exited the car. Each carried a little snub-nosed revolver and wore identical jogging suits. Both still had their medallions from their botched previous operation.

"Roger?" said Nathan.

"It's Bogdan."

Both men stared in silence before, "Roger said you weren't going to make it..."

"I turned it around on him."

"How so?" shot Sonny. Nathan glared at him.

"He's dead," said Bogdan, "I killed him. I trust that doesn't affect your dinner plans? And let me ask you something—did he come to either of you boys making wild allegations about something stupid like a finger bone?"

He hadn't. Lusk nodded. They might've been lying but the answer pleased him none the less.

"He was trying to pull something on me with that," said Lusk, "I think, anyway. He's dead now. And hey, I hate to do this to you lads—but give me five fucking minutes. I gotta take care of something. Stay stuck to the shadows here and I'll be back in ten at most and we can progress."

They agreed with some reserve, and Bogdan turned from them. Before he could cross the street his name was called.

Lusk turned carefully—hoping a shot didn't come—instead Nathan Brant held up a fun-sized vial of white powered.

"Want a hit?"

"You and your fucking coke," murmured Bogdan. "I thought you were clean."

"Special occasion." He said this dreamily before pulling out two more vials.

Sonny snatched one—his hands were shaking—he sure as shit wasn't clean. Even Nathan was starting to get a tremor when Bogdan took the proffered vial. Sonny's was gone before Lusk finished examining the contents of his. Then he tore the stocking mask down from one eye to his nose, uncapped, and snorted.

Held back a cough, let it slide, and then, "You're a fucking wizard," before continuing back to the museum as the powder began to take hold.

Dragged Teeth from his serene and idle repose up through the bushes to the museum. All the windows on the first three floors were dark and they wrapped around the side by trotting silently along a flower bed. Figured he'd leave Teeth parked on the far side of the parking lot among trees where he ought to see the lights go out.

He was about to step out and lead him to such a spot when a car shot up the road with a flash of headlights and pulled into the parking lot. Lusk dropped to his belly and Teeth followed automatically.

This car tried to slam to a halt with the others, but instead scraped hard into a blue Kia as he came in. Set the Kia rocking, but no alarm. It was then a small man sprang from out to stare at the damage, hands on head. He was wearing a bright silk sport coat over dress pant.

"Shit!" this echoed to Lusk. He wanted to yell back, Get out of the fucking way! I don't have time for this!

The man exhaled, and then left a business card under the windshield wiper before pulling out his phone when it screamed some Eastern song.

"I'm here! I'm here!" he shouted into it. "I've got the drinks... I'm sorry I was as fast as..."

"This cunt's not getting it..." murmured Bogdan.

Glanced back at the ever-still and silent form of Teeth, and said, "Hey Teeth, wait here! If in two minutes from the moment I leave you—if that man there," he jabbed a finger at the man by the cars, "Is still in the parking lot—stand up and approach him slowly from this direction! Don't you fucking dare use your pistol either."

Bogdan himself then set off, made the corner and set to worming along the rear side of the building on his belly. Shrubs and flowers hid him well enough and half way to the backdoor he paused and lifted his head over a shrub.

"No, no, don't help me..." said the man, "Get things started... Did that make-believe reporter show yet...?"

Bogdan shook his head, almost agitated. Get in-fucking-side.

"I'm sorry!" he continued. "That's what you get for putting an accountant in charge of buying the booze! Of course I went out of my way to get a good deal!"

The man wasn't looking in Bogdan's direction as he spoke—staring down at the blue Kia instead—and before the time-limit he'd given Teeth could run out Lusk was on his feet and fast-walking toward the door. The man hung-up and turned to face his car when Lusk reached it. He tried the knob—it was open.

Not a moment too soon either. Teeth stood with violent sharpness and was approaching the man with careful, quiet steps, almost gliding across the parking lot. Even with Lusk's anxious and ever-sensitive ears; he detected nothing but a subtle plopping. And this clown was too busy pulling things from the back seat of his car to notice even if there was something to hear. Bottles of booze and cases of beer. Left them stacked on the roof of his car.

Lusk opened the door, made sure the hallway beyond it was empty, and then shut the door—carefully!—again before turning and stepping toward the new-comer. Held the Uzi behind his back as he did.

But the new-comer saw Teeth first. Looked up with a start and gasp as that stocking-masked man approached him, hatchet in hand. He dropped a bottle of something clear and it shattered—the smell of juniper berries prevailed—and his face contorted, "Is this a joke...?"

The new-comer grabbed his phone and turned for the museum door, eyes wild. Stopped with a gasp when he found Bogdan before him.

"Shut up and give me your phone and wallet!" hissed Lusk.

Brought the Uzi from around his back then, and simply held it pointed at the ground.

"Wait," said the accountant, "But I..."

Teeth didn't stop when Lusk did—Bogdan had never given that command. Glass crunched and with a pale shriek the new-comer dashed back as Teeth raised the hatchet.

The new-comer tried to turn, crashed his heel and calf into the side of the blue Kia, and fell backwards onto the hood. His eyes were wide and he tried to roll back off—didn't land well.

The hatchet came down at the same moment the accountant hit pavement with knees and elbows. The wedge-shaped blade truck into the small of his back; he shrieked and collapsed onto his face. Limbs splayed out and sobbing on the asphalt, already blood was dripping from beneath the silk jacket.

The Accountant tried to roll over and kick at Teeth when that masked figure withdrew the blade, but the hatchet met the thrust-out leg and knocked it aside with a crack.

Shattered his shin through pants and all that was left to him was to moan and jabber—always trying to crawl away backwards—when Teeth stepped onto his chest and a leather clad hand grabbed him by the hair, lifting his skull from the ground. Hands shot to the grabbing wrist, but could not bring enough force or leverage to prevent the hatchet coming down. It struck the man's ear—slicing completely through it and sinking deep into the side of his skull.

His eyes rolled—half closed—and his breath still came in fits when Teeth let the hair go and pulled the hatchet from his skull. Red and pink chunks followed, spilling onto the ground while his arms and legs vibrated with random spasms. Teeth tilted his head—watching—before stepping on his neck and pressing down the crack came.

The Accountant's spasm's ended.

Teeth stepped off the corpse and turned to face Lusk. Face as serene and untroubled as ever, even though blood was now spattered across a stocking clad cheek.

"Hey Teeth," said Lusk cooly, "Go stand by that tree," Lusk pointed at one on far side of the lot. "Stare at the lighted window in complete inaction and await until the signal."

Without hesitation Teeth turned and did as he was told.

Bogdan stared down at the body before him, and the with almost a panting wretch shoved the man mostly out of sight under the blue Kia. Blood and small pieces of brain remained. Dropped a case of beer overtop of the worst spot—cans split open and sprayed and made the mess almost look like vomit instead of gore.

When back he noticed that the blue Kia's glove compartment had been knocked open when the other car struck it. A yellow pill bottle was sitting there atop everything else.

"Fuck it," said Bogdan with a glance at the booze the other car contained. Smashed the Kia's window with his Uzi and grabbed the pills. Still no alarm.

Sighed irritably when he realized it was almost empty, and he glanced at the label to see what it contained. Lusk didn't recognize the jumble of syllables prescribed to one Durst, Godric. Clicked his tongue when he saw it had expired two years before and opened it up anyway. Might as well have a look at least.

A small finger bone stared out at him from the bottom. Stained and unimaginably old. He glanced at the car again—hadn't that fucker Steve said one of his problems drove a blue Kia? He reached back into the glove compartment and found an expired ID card. Godric Durst, black-haired and green-eyed.

"Well fuck me!" said Bogdan. "That's something. Roger was wrong after all—this fucker's the culprit."

Bogdan grabbed one of the bottles from the accountants car after shoving the resealed pill bottle into a pocket and took a long drink. Swallowed it, winced, and glanced at the label—cheap vodka—and then took another swig. Cast his head to the treeline on the far side of the parking lot; Teeth's stocking covered face was glowering up at the top row of windows.

"Oh-fucking-kay!" he said and threw the vodka bottle down and jogged off back towards the Brant's. The Accountant's car's clock said 7:40. Little time left, but hopefully just enough.

-------------------------

1700 words.

You know what to do.

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