Congratulations on Earning that Finder's Fee!

When you walk to her front door the gun will feel heavy in your hand.  This will be your fourth job this week.  They won't be getting any easier, but in this economy you'll be happy for work where you can get it.

They'll give you a first name, an address, and a photo.  No additional information.  No data on their family, marital status, occupation, interests, age, relative health.  They won't even tell you the name of the book you're there about - they'll just give you the location, the photo, the name, and say go.

When you ring the doorbell the woman you're looking for, Marybeth, will open it up.  She'll have massive bags under her eyes.  They'll be rimmed red like she's been crying.  She'll be wearing sweats.  It will be apparent that she hasn't left the house in weeks.  She'll look excited at the prospect of a visitor - possibly happy even.  She'll smile as she welcomes you.

"Hello?" she'll say unsteadily.  "Is there something..."

When she sees the gun her voice will trail off.

"Marybeth?" you'll ask.

She'll nod.  Tears will be welling in her eyes again.

"You have an overdue library book."

Her eyes will light up.

"I have it inside!  I can-"

You'll shoot her once, near the heart.  It's quicker, the man who trained you told you.  And it means they can still have an open casket funeral.  After he said that he spit on the floor of the meeting room.  That's more than they deserve, he murmured.

The rules were made clear to you: you could not accept the books in lieu of the life of the borrower.  You could not accept the books and all late fees in lieu of the borrower.  You could not negotiate a contract of any kind with the borrower.  The borrowers you're sent after are past that point.  There's only one solution: termination.  A separate group will retrieve the book and clean up the area after you've left.

Most of the borrowers are men and women like Marybeth, people with sleepless, sad eyes.  Most of the borrowers try to get the book for you.  You've never had to shoot one of them in the back, but you've had to shoot them while they weep openly, while they beg.  You've learned that it's best to get it over with quickly.

As you walk away from Marybeth's house you'll text a five digit code to the disposable cell phone the cleaners are carrying.  Then you'll remove the battery from your own disposable phone and drop it down a sewer grate next to your car.

As you drive off you'll place the gun on the floor under the seat next to you.  Then you'll tap the dashboard Jesus staring at you from just in front of the windshield.

"What a way to make a living," you'll mumble to him as you tap his head again and again and again.

Congratulations on Earning that Finder's Fee!