Castling by Jack McGlynn

him, Rook sought to elaborate,
    “Guys, listen. Don’t think all this help goes unappreciated. I’m all kinds of appreciative. We get this done there may even be a congratulatory High Five in it for you.
    But t his isn’t a few hoods in Tesco that I’ll brawl out of morbid curiosity while wrestling a hangover. This isn’t some senseless juicer who I’ll permit to bounce me off the ceiling just because I’ve never had the pleasure.
    Side-note: It’s overrated.
    This very, very bad man might just be the single most dangerous, most frightening being on the entire continent. And your sadistic employer, in her infinite wisdom, has assigned me the task of making him piss his pants.
    As you can imagine, i t’s probably one of those rare instances wherein my attentions are best undivided.”
    This rationale sufficient ly allayed Sabrina’s qualms. But Molly was neither meek nor inexperienced. Nor did she have the manners to simply let the subject drop.
    “You’re not good enough. You’re out of practice.”
    “I warmed up this morning.”
    “We’ve all seen your stats.”
    “The same stats Ron is currently re-guesstimating?“
    “ He is going to kill you.”
    “Then you won’t have to come back and get me. Early night.”
    “I don’t like it.”
    “Do you like anything, Mol?”
    “Some things. Not this.”
    “Molly... ” Rook began, his voice low, kindly, “I’ll be alright.... relatively speaking.”
    “Believe it or not this right here, in this general area” She angrily gestured to the wider area of her face, her right hand keeping the chopper level as it climbed, “This is my concern-for-the-mission face. Not my worried-for-the-unfathomably-conceited-egotist face. You’re asking me to trust you with a lot here.”
    “ I’m not asking you to trust me with anything. The Boss is.”
    “That is a good point.” Molly conceded, pondering. Sabrina deemed this as good a time as any to remind her superior that,
    “ And she’s probably not asking.”
    “That is a better point! ” Molly readily agreed, calmed.
    The tension diffused, Rook reclined, scratching his elbow as he swung his feet up onto the busy console before him.
    “Well thank some assorted gods that’s settled! I was worried I’d be reduced to charming you there for a moment.”
    “I was unaware you possessed any.” A connoisseur of deception, Molly effortlessly buried her sarcasm.
    “Some, but it’s not pretty. There’s a reason I’ve not been sent to seduce Lancet.”
    “ Now there’s a mental image I could have done without.”
    As t he GPS chimed, the mounds and knolls of Edinburgh’s sprawl clawed free of the horizon’s blue.
    “Here we are. Any chance you can set us down close by.”
    “For someone as funny as you Rookie, I can drop you right here...”
    Rook cleared his throat. Being remarkably intelligent, Sabrina swiftly fastened her seatbelt.
    “ Ok, I’ve been working on this one, so be nice... Man walks into a bar. Says ouch.”
    The engines cut. The chopper plummeted.
    *
    The welcoming, unexpectedly accommodating launderette worker led them up the back stairs and toward Big Phil’s office. The middle-aged lady wished them both a wonderful day and returned to the warm, churning waft of soaked fabric and washing salts. Rook shot his accomplice a wry wink and turned the handle to the boss’ office.
    Rook smiled as he stepped inside, eyes scanning the room. They didn’t have to work es pecially hard. There was little within the office’s four corners beyond stained wall-paper and a framed inspirational poster.
    Big Phil was short and clean shaven. Suited in navy, he reclined with a cigarette. His flat-packed Ikea desk was topped with papers and miscellaneous stationary. The cramped confines hardly suggested a criminal entrepreneur who had made his fortune off the needs of an international fugitive.
    “Mr Phil. Mind if I call you Big?”
    The balding figure answered, drawing a gun from beneath the folds of