He tried to quiet the
sound of his breathing. The last thing he wanted was to alert Klement that he
was nearby. It was no mean feat. The panic he felt escaped his nostrils in
small puffs before disappearing into the night air. A car door slammed in the
distance and two cats battled it out in their alley. His good eye was trained
on the doorway above the fire escape. The instructions he received told him
that at exactly three minutes after the hour, Stuttgart, Hollander and their
kingpin Klement would appear before meeting their driver in the unmarked taxi
below. His back tensed; his safety catch was off and in forty-five seconds, all
would be revealed. It surprised him when he had to dab his brow despite the
chill.
