The sun was rising behind my back. A slight wind was coming from the north east. No weather to speak of. I took a deep breath as I looked at the park two miles away. In a few minutes my target would appear for his morning jog—the perfect window of opportunity for me to snipe him. [i]Worst birthday ever.[/i] Eighteen and my dad suddenly decided to retire, leaving me to uphold the family tradition. No questions, no consideration I had a life of my own, finals, or a boyfriend. Just a quick "Happy birthday, Vol, here's my gear. You're in charge now." In the distance, William A. entered the park. He was wearing a tasteless yellow jogging suit—vintage if you asked him, horrible if you asked anyone else—making his way to the bench. There he'd stop for about a minute to catch his breath before moving on. Poor guy had the misfortune of being my first target. The mother of a classmate of his had made the claim: fifty thousand cash, all after the deed was done. And of course, my father had only bothered to tell me an hour ago. [i]One shot, one heart.[/i] The family motto went. Of course, no one considered I wasn't a good shot. Sure, I could hit a target or two, but was nowhere as good as dad. "No pressure, sweetie," he had said while giving me the envelope. "Whatever happens, you're still my girl." William stopped. He glanced at his watch, to check his jogging stats I'm sure, then sat on the bench. The perfect moment. I held my breath. My arm moved on its own, pulling the string "gently but firmly" back. For a single instant my mind went blank, all questions and morals cast away. Then I released my arrow. There was no sound as it split the air. Traveling faster than a sniper bullet it hit my target in the chest, piercing his heart. William stood up. Resting time was over. Tapping something into his watch, he continued his jog. Thirty minutes from now he'd take a different route to get home, bumping into a friend from class. That friend will become the love of his life. With luck and under the right circumstances they might even have a wonderful life together. It was never a certainty when using single arrows. My client either was too stingy or wanted to give her daughter a way out. Not my problem. I put the bow in its case, then rushed for the staircase. I had an hour to get to class. As I went down I took my mobile and dialed my father. "Vol?" He picked up on the first ring. "Any problems?" "No problems, Dad." I removed the hairnet from my head. "That's my girl! Your mother and I are so very proud. How do you feel?" "Honestly? Quite shitty, plus I think I'll be late for class!" "That's good," he laughed. "I'll make sure your next job is after your finals." "So considerate of you." I frowned. Of course, he'd conveniently forget that I never asked for this. "Be a good girl now. And good luck in class." He hung up. Typical. I slid the phone in my pocket then went to the nearest elevator. Hopefully at school at least I'd be treated like a normal person. I'd heard that a few friends had organized a surprise party for me this evening. Nothing my father wouldn't approve, but at least it was something. [i]One shot, one heart,[/i] I thought as the elevator door slid aside. Not the way I pictured my time in college. Money was good, but I definitely was going to suffer during finals. I'd had to double my efforts, cut down in my parting a bit...maybe. Or not. I looked at my bow casing. Dad's legacy came with some perks. After all, only an idiot would have Cupid's bow and not take advantage from time to time; and I was my father's daughter.