IMITATION ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT FLATTERY   The Voice had been monitoring the police bands to hear some of the details of his last job. He pulled it off in haste, but he knew it was done. It took a little longer than he had anticipated, but officers Jason Lewis and Bruce Finney reported they had found a trail of blood leading from the alley to the street. The trail had ended at a parking spot and there were fresh tire marks indicating whomever it was had been in a hurry. Their assumption of the victim heading to the hospital was probably accurate, but with the amount of blood loss would prevent him from getting there in time. “He didn’t seem to be wearing a vest; there wasn’t the slightest bit of bulk, so I must not have hit anything vital.” Voice commented aloud for his protégé’s benefit. “Still, massive trauma and blood loss would do him in.” Echo had been conditioned to respond when Voice spoke his thoughts. Sometimes he thought the ‘Pavlov’s Dog’ response wasn’t to let Voice know he had been heard, but instead to allow himself to believe he wasn’t talking to himself. Before his conditioning kicked in they were both interrupted; which was good for Echo. If Voice hadn’t been diverted he may have been tempted to smack him. Echo learned from experience, if you are going to get hit by someone, you don’t want it to be an assassin. “One minute.” They both said in unison, as they attended to their respective diversions. If Voice had been anymore into what the police radio was transmitting he would have become one with the equipment. It was like they knew what he wanted to hear when they reported a badge was found at the scene along with some spent forty-five shell casings. He couldn’t have more pleased with himself knowing that the job was going as planned, save for Burn Boy’s body not being on scene. He couldn’t keep himself from moving closer to the speaker, and speaking at it like his favorite football team had just made the winning touchdown. “It was sloppy, but we pulled it off! Burn Boy’s luck ran out quicker than he bled out, the badge was found at the scene along with the shell casings. Even if his body is never found, Sloan will be implicated in the shooting.” Echo had felt his phone vibrate prior to the time his mentor leaned forward to his informative device. Only one other person other than Voice had the number, so Echo answered fully expecting to hear Jenkins on the other end of the line. “Yeah.” He said in his best impersonation of his master. “The boss wants both of you at the docks this evening.” The person on the other end of the line began, and without pause for questions or a rebuttal he continued speaking. “The tin-man may show and we want to be ready, in case we have to drop the axe. Also, how did the deal go?” Being that Echo was fairly gifted when it came to impersonations; he was also able to pick up on the fact that this wasn’t Jenkins on the phone. That and Jenkins didn’t refer to himself in the third person. The man on the other end didn’t know what Voice sounded like to begin with, so he was at a distinct disadvantage. For a personal challenge Echo had stepped closer to his mentor for his vocalizations to be heard over the phone. Jenkins’ second in charge overheard his comments on the report of Burn Boy broadcasted over radio. “That sounds good, but a body would have been better.” Was the only response from the other end of the line. “Look!” Echo whirled around and demanded while still keeping up his Voice act. “Your boss hired us to do a job and we did it! Just because his goons couldn’t handle the little druggie doesn’t give anyone the right to berate how we took care of business! Got it? If not then maybe the next job will be free…and someone you know if you catch my meaning.” “You’re only going to get your own shoes wet if you want a pissing contest. I know my position in life and its right next to the boss. If you don’t show at the docks…Well, I shouldn’t have to tell you how high you’d have to look up from your position to see me.” He drove his response home by hanging up on the person he believed to be Voice. Traffic across the police radio had turned to the mundane and Voice turned his attention to Echo’s conversation on the phone. He didn’t quite catch what was said, but he did see the expression on his trainee’s face. “What’s has you so cross? Did Jenkins ride you for not handing the phone to me? You are aware that I am the one in charge here; hence I am the one that talks to clients?” Voice stated with firmness. “Jenkins is lucky I took it upon myself to answer instead of passing it to you.” Echo was obviously feeling his Wheaties when he voiced his displeasure as a reply. “Well, look who’s all grown up! Who would figure you had to get snipped to grow a pair? I am impressed.” The mentor quipped. “Now just why is he lucky?” “It wasn’t Jenkins on the line.” He answered grimly. “Some goon called to tell us we are needed at the docks this evening.” “HE WHAT!? Whatever happened to Boss to Boss? Now it’s the help calling! Jenkins must be thinking very high of himself lately!” Echo could tell what wheels were starting to turn in his mentor’s head. It may have been the couple of years he had spent learning the trade of killing or it may have been recent events that had given Echo a clearer insight into his teacher. He began to realize his confidence and how to manipulate Voice to a small degree. It made him feel almost as good as he did when he had bought his suppressor. The girl behind the counter was very cute. If it hadn’t been for Sloan then he wouldn’t have had that experience. ‘If it hadn’t been for Sloan.’ Echo thought to himself. “I hate to bring it up Voice, but he had also mentioned it would have been better to have a body in the alley instead of half a blood trail.” “Oh, and his help is talking down about my work!?” Voice visually reddened as he forced the words out through clenched teeth. “I am going to have to remind him about the order of things!” The flustered hitman was pacing about and muttering to himself about how to teach Jenkins of his oversight. All the while Echo watched patiently for the proper moment to interject some helpful advice. This was one of those moments that would take longer in feel than in actual time, but the pot finally did boil over. “Why not take Mister Jenkins’ business for yourself? Then you could show everyone how it should really be done…Boss.” Echo offered during a pause in the pacing. The master hitman stood staring at his protégé for a long minute. The look on his face was between blank and awe. To Echo it seemed as if someone had just cracked Voice over the head with a cast iron skillet. His eyes weren’t blinking and his mouth was partially open. He had seen that look before when his mentor had him observe a hit he made. It was early in his teachings, but it was the kind of thing that stuck with you. Back in the first few months of training Echo was not allowed to take part in a hit, he could only observe and this one in particular proved worth watching. The target was at home in his kitchen, but he wasn’t alone. Voice and Echo had showed up long before and went over the best ways to carry out the contract. Voice settled on the frying pan. He said it was poetic. When the target entered his house through the kitchen door he looked straight at Echo and before he could react Voice clocked him across his cranium. The gong sound was almost as comical as the expression on the man’s face…right up to the point he dropped dead from the impact that split his head open. This was the look Voice had on his face at the moment. “I knew I kept you around for a reason!” Voice stated once he regained his composure. “We’d better get down there before everyone else to set up.” “But I thought no one is ever to see your face and live. That is why you are called ‘Voice’, right?” Echo asked. “Certainly, and that’s why everyone will have to die.” Voice’s comment left a twisted smile on his face giving Echo a very uneasy feeling.