The following morning, the biting wind had intensified, and the sky didn't seem to be getting any brighter. The clouds looked heavy, as if anticipating the weight of what was to come.
Kant adjusted the hood of his parka. His attention was divided between Gabriel and the details of the job.
"So, you didn't take my body, which leaves me with the guess that you're planning to bring the cult leader to your apartment," the ghost concluded. "But isn't that too risky? Also, what about Hunter? I doubt he'll just let you do that."
"Mhm."
"And what about my uncle, why are you not telling me anything about him? Whose hit did he pay for before Victor Hale?" Gabriel pressed, getting in his face.
Kant looked straight ahead, avoiding the question. If he wanted to stay focused, he shouldn't engage with the ghost.
But Gabriel was persistent. He stopped right in front of Kant with a glare. "Don't you think I have a right to know?"
Kant let out a huff, his breath misting in the frosty air. He was about to say something, but Hunter arrived before he could utter a word, dressed in his green bomber jacket, with his face twisted in determination and unease.
"Ready?" Hunter asked, his voice void of its usual snark.
Kant handed Hunter one of the two briefcases filled with cash, the weight of the task ahead settling over them like the cold.
The cult's base was away from the city, hidden behind layers of trees, security, secrecy, and fanatic devotion. But it wasn't the job gnawing at Kant—at least, not entirely.
Since they got home last night, the ghost kept asking Kant about two things: whose hit did Sam Jefferson pay for, and who ordered Gabriel's death.
It felt like Gabriel was tiptoeing around the truth, either fully rejecting the possibility of his uncle ordering his hit, or feigning obliviousness to hear it from Kant.
"You said you don't meet the clients, but you clearly know who they are," the ghost pressed, his voice rising.
Kant's steps faltered at the change of tone.
With his smirk gone and his eyebrows lowered, Gabriel's face had taken on a steely expression. As if he had reached his conclusion but wanted to hear it from Kant directly.
Hunter hailed a taxi to get them to the designated meeting place where someone from Lazarus Blessing would pick them up. Once the car pulled up, he looked at Kant with a questioning look.
"What's the hold-up?" his patronizing voice snapped Kant out of it.
"Nothing," Kant said, tearing his gaze away from the ghost.
"Fine. Don't tell me then. I won't share anything with you either." Gabriel quickly passed him and got into the car first, taking the front seat next to the driver. He got to keep his spot as Kant and Hunter settled in the back, briefcases on their knees.
The ride to the pickup point was silent, only the wet road whispering beneath the taxi's tires.
Although the ghost had gone mute, seeing as no lights flickered on their way, Kant assumed it was safe to say Gabriel wasn't on the road to villainy yet.
If he had decided to give Kant the silent treatment, the latter wouldn't complain. It would be easier to focus without questions buzzing in his ear.
As the car approached its destination, Hunter sent Kant a sideward look. "You better keep your act together. I don't need a nut-job next to me in a place that's already full of 'em."
"Does he open his mouth only to throw our a snarky remark?" Gabriel couldn't keep his quiet for too long. He sent a mocking grimace Hunter's way, but still refused to look at Kant.
The taxi slowed, stopping in front of a rundown bus stop on the side of the road by the forest. Naked tree branches and muddy tones welcomed them as the three got out of the car.
There was a lone figure waiting in the shadows, a man with dark hair and a deer-like face that clashed with the hidden predatory look in his eyes.
Both hitmen already knew his name, age, his previous occupation and position in the cult before he could open his mouth.
Joshua Price. Worked as an accountant in Everett Holdings until he was fired for embezzlement.
"Good morning, gentlemen," the man stepped out of the shadows, shaking hands with Hunter and Kant. "Pleasure to meet you. My name's Joshua, and I will be your guide today."
Without any further ado, Joshua gestured towards a forest trail leading into the woods, "This way, please."
The three silently followed their guide into the woods. Twigs crunched under their steps, and the smell of decaying leaves engulfed them like an earthy hug.
The air grew colder and stiller as they trekked deeper. The path they walked felt like a tunnel cut through dimness, the woods pressing in on all sides, blocking out the skyline. A few of the tall trees creaked on their way.
"Watch your step," Joshua warned in a monotone voice, his eyes seemingly fixed straight ahead. "There are roots that can trip you up. Today's especially dark."
He glanced back with a smile that was as inexpressive as his tone. "It might snow later. Wouldn't it be a wonderful welcome on your first day with us?"
"It would," Kant agreed, inwardly wearing a suspicious frown. He kept the casual tone, and asked, "Will the leader welcome us as well?"
Their guide turned his head, upholding the polite smile. "I'm afraid our Leader has a busy schedule. However, you will see him during the weekly Main Prayer."
"And when would that take place?" Hunter joined the conversation, putting on an act of ease that was on par with Kant's.
"After dinner, at seven o'clock sharp. You needn't worry. There will be plenty of time for you to settle in before the prayer," Joshua informed.
With the conversation on schedule, there was nothing else to say, leaving way for the silence to creep in.
Kant kept a steady pace, keeping one eye on the trail and the other on his surroundings. The trees, the air, the silence—it reeked of caution. And Gabriel's silence made it all the more eerie.
Hunter seemed to sense the strange atmosphere as well, his eyes repetitively scanning Joshua from head to toe, as if trying to see into his pockets to evaluate how much of a threat he would be in a fight.
The cult base came into view after roughly ten minutes of weaving through trees. A large, two-story structure sat in the middle of the forest, its gray tones almost blending in with the gloomy sky.
"We're here," Joshua announced.