Skarlet Parker: The Twisted Snakes

Skarlet made her way to Paisley, her knives accompanying her; oh like she'd ever leave them. They sat snug in her boots, shall we say it was for insurance. For the first time she could remember, her heart was pounding, eyes wandering, hands shaking and her palms showed visible moisture. Her nerves were getting the better of this situation, this was the first time she had been called and approached such a stranger alone, on a complete whim. Yet, this could be the way to seek the revenge her gut told her she needed.
The Twisted Snakes.
That name rang deep, it stuck into her painfully, like a knife in the heart, in the lung, in the throat. The name alone made it harder for her to breath. This damn amnesia, why did it effect her so? She needed to know more, who were they and what had they done? All the time she thought of that name one other came to mind.
Michael McDonough.
How were they associated?
She stepped off the train, her feet tapping the concrete of the train station in Paisley, somewhere she had avoided, for good reason. More dessert and not even a half of the development which could be found in Lakeview. A highly republican area, a place that with that fact alone would give Mike a heart attack, he'd then say something about another republican town.
The Twisted Snakes...
The names were tying together, associated, how?
She searched for 'the old train station' a pointless venture which ended in her doing the female thing; she asked for directions. Entering a truly originally named 'The Lake Coffee House' (whoever made that name should be given a medal...) the café was fairly quiet, she was hardly surprised when one considered how severely outdated the place was - in need of total make over. She tolerated the awful design and walked to the counter speaking to a woman, late forties, short and fat with ginger hair greying at the roots. The woman spoke with an accent, probably Texan. “Can I help you ma'am?”
“Yeah, you can. I was wondering if you knew where the old train station was?”
The woman offered her a cautious 'are you being serious' glance, convinced Skarlet was she nodded.
“Sure do, just up the road, make the second left, just up from there.”
“Thanks.” She was about to leave when the woman spoke again.
“Why you want it?”
A question to which Skarlets answer would usually have been something along the line of thats none of your business. However the woman had been helpful and so divulging a small amount of information could not harm now could it? “I'm meeting a friend.”
“Okay, have a nice day.” They exchanged smiles and Skarlet left quickly, following the directions the woman had given her. The area was fenced off, not a worry as she hopped over the fence with little issue. This place was creepy, desolate and clearly had been for many years. She felt a shudder down her spine. Yeah, creepy.
The roof was caving and the windows were smashed, graffiti of the offence sort was at no shortage and weeds grew from every visible crevice. She walked, quickly, trying not to be sick as her gut was ordering her to, the stench to ripe to stomach. The smell of urine was powerful, she questioned as she walked, wading through the piles of trash, if this had been the den of several homeless people at some point. Her thought trail was killed, as it often was.
“Miss Skarlet, over here!” The voice was clearly W, she'd worked out what the man would sound like three pitches higher than one the phone. She headed in the direction of the voice, tripping occasionally over various discarded objects and trying harder and harder not to puke at the vile smell. She wanted to ask the man why he chose this place? Why he knew it existed even, she didn't, that wasn’t her concern.
She checked for her knives and continued into a small room, smelling a little better and even hosted a centrepiece – a metal table and chairs which had probably once belonged to a café or coffee shop. A dark figure sat in one of the chairs, a hand extended indicating to a chair opposite. “Sit Miss Skarlet, I insist.”
She sat, composed herself, checked her boot again and looked up. “Okay, so why did you get me here?”
“Well..” the man hesitated, Skarlet sighed, she disliked hesitating, so very much. She put her feet up on the table receiving a disapproving cough, she removed her feet and smiled to the figure who nodded and continued. “As I was saying, I believe we can make a mutually beneficial agreement concerning The Twisted Snakes.”
Her mind interrupted the conversation with a name: Mike...
She pushed it to the side switching back to the figure. “I want them out of the way and I believe they have an unpaid debt to you.” She didn't recall but nodded. He probably knew more of her past than she did, besides her gut telling her she wanted revenge over these people was enough. The figure stood and paced. “I chose you because you have a motive. They're the reason my boy's dead, the reason I need them-”
“But, question.” the figure sighed impatiently as she interupted his emotional lecture. “How am I supposed to kill people I have no idea who they are.”
“Of course, I thought that would be the case.” The figure reached for something, slipping a piece of paper over the table, it showed an illustration, one which made Skarlet freeze and look up at the man with ice eyes. “I thought that might job your memory.”
It did.
“I'm in, so where do I start?”
“$10,000 for every kill, but first. Heather Vaughn.”
He needn't say anymore she simply nodded and stood leaving the foul place as fast as she could, she was over the fence and heading toward the new train station and on the train before she called Mike. She resisted her ultimate question and pushed aside the anger of his name being associated with those sick bastards, maybe she had it wrong, she couldtn't be sure, she'd keep an eye on him. He answered after the first ring. “Hey babe.”
“Don’t call me that.” he didn't respond, waited for her to continue. “I need you to pick me up from the train station.”
“No can do.”
“What?” This was the first time he had said he couldn't pick her up. “You're on summer, no work-”
“I'm with Eva.” She heard giggling in the background, no question what they were doing. Fury was in her mind, she hid it well – so she thought. “Then ditch her, I need you.”
“What's happened? Are you okay?” She heard the genuine worry in his voice, even heard him ask the lovely Eva to leave, apparently he had a change of plan.
“I'm fine Mike.”
“Skarlet don't lie to me.” She heard the flat door close, the jingling of keys. “Skarlet!”
“Mike, I'm fine, just pick me up.”
“What the hell has happened?”
“I'll tell you on the way home.”
Click, she disconnected.