Jack Kursed
did care
about.
    He dropped the gun to the
floor. The last three hours, as fun as they were, would cost him a
small fortune. The police would need to be bribed, as well as the
bank and the media. The bank's cameras would have to be destroyed.
Witnesses would have to be taken care of.
    He sighed. There
definitely wasn't a chance of him ending up in Nikki's bed. Of
course, not caring whether she lived or died probably didn't help
his case with her.
    He wouldn't have to change
his identity, but a move from Chicago was definitely in order, as
well as a mini-retirement. Jack owned houses all over the country.
Maybe he'd move back east, close to the ocean.
    He held up his hands as a swat team
stormed through the bank entrance.
    "A little late, guys."

CHAPTER 4
     
    Jack smiled as he inhaled
the scent of saltwater. A sign on the highway told him he had
entered Parkville, Delaware. Parkville was a small town on the
border of Delaware and Maryland, very close to the Atlantic Ocean.
Goosebumps danced across his bare arms as the excitement of moving
still held him.
    He had moved many times
over his long life. Some moves were by choice, while others were
forced upon him. He learned over the years when it was time to
simply move on. A glance from that long-tenured store clerk. A
remark from an acquaintance of how he doesn't seem to get any
older.
    Killing three people in a bank was
also a sure sign of having to move on.
    It was difficult, but he
managed to shut down the circus that tried to consume him in
Chicago. Twenty years ago he could walk into a bar, kill anyone
with his bare hands, and disappear, never to be heard from again.
That wasn't an easy task now. Cameras on every corner and in every
phone, the Internet, a desire for news to be instant.
    The incident at Chicago
cost him nearly a million dollars. It was a small amount, compared
to what he was worth, but still a headache. Nearly forty people had
to be bribed, along with the creation of fake hospital bills. A
doctor at the hospital decided to be difficult, and ask for more
money. Jack had to dig into the doctor's past and weed out every
little dirty secret. The doctor was much more cooperative after
that. Blackmail was a wonderful thing.
    Even though he never saw
her again, Jack paid for Nikki's massage classes. He wasn't even
sure himself why. Maybe it was because she had nice
legs.
    That was all behind him now. He hadn't
visited his house in Parkville in two years. A married couple
rented the house until six months ago, but it had been empty since
they moved to Florida.
    A new house one block away
from the beach, a new town, new places to eat, a new atmosphere. It
was exactly what Jack needed.
    He drove past the beach
before heading toward his new home. Kids played volleyball and
enjoyed themselves in the water. Women lay out under the sun. The
scent of pizza and hot dogs was in the air. Jack wasn't fond of
people, but it was certainly a nice sight.
    He parked by the curb and
admired his house as he climbed out of his truck. It was a single
family home, with four bedrooms that he would never use, and a full
bathroom on each floor. The people he hired to clean up the house
did a great job. The lawn was freshly cut, the windows were clean,
the bushes near the house trimmed.
    The inside was left
exactly as he'd instructed. He paid good money to have his house
fully furnished, but everything was still in boxes and plastic. The
furniture, dining set, kitchenware, entertainment, was all brand
new, still sealed up. There was no need to pay someone to unpack
his stuff when he didn't sleep, or even rest. It was a great joy to
set up a new home, and he wouldn't let movers ruin that.
    Navigating around boxes
and furniture, he walked through the house to the back door in the
kitchen. He stepped on the deck and couldn't stop the smile from
spreading across his face. The backyard was perfect, with a privacy
fence, and enough room to engage in one of his favorite passions. A
vegetable

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