Blackjack

TO:? UNIT 3 Chicago
FROM: DIRECTOR
IMPORTANCE: Critical
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SUBJECT:??Specimen Retrieval
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TARGET: Shadowy hunter-killer teams, ID'ed via?signature kills?worldwide. Identifiable only?by skull-spine removal from victims. No witnesses, no forensics, no particular race targeted. On rare occasions, scraps of what appear to be playing cards?found at murder sites.
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OBJECTIVE: Locate and capture any member of such teams. MUST be taken alive for study and observation.
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AUTHORIZATION APPROVED FOR USE OF OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR:?Individual ID'ed only as "Cross" and his team.?A pure mercenary outfit,?well known throughout?criminal underworld--no inside informants available.?Ruthless, undeterred by risk, rumored never to fail, but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES to be trusted.?No known political or social objective, but?has proven?treacherous when retained by government in the past.
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UPDATE: Cross and his team claim to have?identified a pattern?to the signature-kills, and?believe they?can predict a forthcoming strike.?They?are prepared to personally confront-and-capture,?but financial arrangement?alone not sufficient. What you describe as a?"Get Out of Jail Free" card is hereby APPROVED.

Andrew Vachss is a lawyer who represents children and youths exclusively. His many novels include the Burke series and two collections of short stories. His books have been translated into twenty languages, and his work has appeared in Parade, Antaeus, Esquire, Playboy, and The New York Times, among other publications. He divides his time between his native New York City and the Pacific Northwest.