[ WP ] You are a retired assassin . The only thing you want is to die . Keeping you from this is the fulfillment of your last contract : A celebrated performer paid you to kill him if he ever tried to make a `` comeback '' as an old man . After years in retirement , the performer announces a world tour .

*God-fucking-damnit*, I thought, staring at the advertisement playing across the television. An ominous voice called out, “ Tickets now on sale for Kevin Ward ’ s return to the stage in his World Tour, Black Magic! ” My mind spiraled. I genuinely never thought he would try to do the whole comeback thing. I mean, it ’ s not exactly an old man ’ s game – and he is older, has to be knocking on the door of 60 by now. Probably looking older than that, given all the drugs he ’ d been on when he put me on what I have lovingly come to call The Comeback Contract. No peeps from this prick since he put me on his contract and essentially funded my retirement 10 years ago. The ad continued, showing Ward escaping a set of handcuffs with his arms behind his back. *Yeah, confirmed. 60, minimum*. My eyes swung over towards the kitchen, to the pills I had been hoarding for years. Running slightly ahead of my routine check-in to decide if it would be today or another day. *Not today either, I guess. * 
 
 “ Hi, yes, my name is Jenna Vrace and I need to purchase one ticket for Kevin Ward ’ s performance at Caesar ’ s Palace in Las Vegas on November 10th. ” 
 
 “ Hi Ms. Vrace, I ’ m happy to inform you that we ’ re running a buy one, get one 50 % off on tho- “ 
 
 “ No. Just the one. Front row, please. Do you accept American Express? ” 
 
 “ Sure do, ma ’ am, let ’ s get you set up!'' 
 
 *Ugh, Vegas. * I really wish it didn ’ t have to be here. The flight was cheap as hell, though. Besides, I ’ m here to kill someone, not see the sights. The room at Caesar ’ s palace was nice, and the flight was alright. Flying restricted my options for how I could do the deed and left poison as the only palatable option. Guns were nearly always my method of choice, pre-retirement. The thought hit me like a train – I hadn ’ t actually been to this rodeo for 10 years. To think that this, killing people for money, used to be my day in, day out…whereas now, it ’ s pretty much all day in. On the couch. *Don ’ t lose your nerve. There ’ s a 1mil bonus at fulfillment of this contract. You can live on that. No killing, no outside. Back to the couch. * I steeled my nerves and dressed in the all black ensemble intended to make me fit in with his stage crew. *Now to find a badge. * 
 
 Getting in wasn ’ t hard. Same old trick I ’ ve pulled before; wander around aimlessly near the entrance, look lost, maybe a little glistening tear in my eye. Some naïve soul took pity on me and let me in. After all, I did know Ward ’ s manager ’ s name. He had helped secure my contract. Once inside, I checked in with the crew manager as “ Cathy B. ”, or so my name badge nicked from the sign in table said. In and out. No sticking around. I wandered around, looking for Ward ’ s dressing room. I noticed a kitchen and popped in, located a glass, popped out my dropper and put the tiniest bit into the glass before filling it with water. The stuff was tasteless and colorless, and would not require him to drink the full glass. It was, however, somewhat slow acting. Perfect. 
 
 After stumbling around the halls for a bit - apparently the gold star on the performer ’ s room thing is just in the movies – I located Ward ’ s room and knocked. Some pretty young thing greeted me. “ Water, for Mr. Ward, ” I said, presenting it to her. She smiled ( or was that more of a wince? ) and accepted the glass. “ He ’ s busy, I ’ ll give it to him. ” She shut the door before I could reply. *Okay, then. Let the show begin. * 
 
 The light show opener was brilliant and now we were onto the main ( or final ) act. “ Please welcome to the stage, Kevin Ward! ” boomed the announcer ’ s voice. Ward strode out onto the stage, looking older than ever and like he was being drug out by some invisible force. The assistant that had taken the glass from me followed behind. His assistant in more than one way, I supposed. 
 
 They worked through some of the opening tricks – your typical card hackery, something with a saw and the assistant in the boxes. It had been about 30 minutes and the poison should kick in anytime. Right now, they were working through some trick that involved the assistant in a locked cabinet disappearing. Ward swung the cabinet door open and raised his hands in an “ Aha! ” gesture. The assistant laid limp and lifeless inside the cupboard. *Well, shit. That was a first. Where were those pills... *
