You prefer corporate or government jobs.
There's usually a complete dossier.
They allow time for planning.
Planning because typically they prefer low profile.
Low profile is safer.
Low profile makes almost no ripple.
Low profile is unspectacular.
Time can become an issue.
You may have to hasten things along.
Your training lets you slow your breathing,
lets you calm your heart.
Two pounds of pressure and...
But organized crime likes a visible statement.
Let them know you were there. Send a message written in blood.
With this employer, you rarely get more than a name,
sometimes not even that.
It adds to the risk, and it adds to the fee.
But you know there's a risk in that too.
The other risk with organized crime:
It creates enemies.
Experience has taught you she won't call for help
until she's vacuumed up his cash
and has at least slipped on her panties.
It's vital that you show no urgency.
You trust your planning, your accuracy.
Two minutes until she calls the front desk.
Fifteen to 30 seconds to get the manager on duty,
some low-level schlump working the graveyard shift.
He'll call either his boss or the head of security.
Both will be home sleeping.
The phone rings once every six seconds.
Typically it will ring four times before they're conscious enough to answer.
That's another 18 seconds.
Another minute before police are dispatched.
In this part of the city, police should arrive in under three minutes.
You're a professional...
An expert devoted to timing and precision.
A virtuoso.
You keep your tools in pristine condition.
Perfection demands precision.
Precision demands perseverance.
You live off the grid as much as possible.
You leave no trace of your real self.
You're a shadow.
You keep your true identity protected.
You avoid the us postal service
and open a mailbox run by an independent company.
No hames.
No trail.
You make sure the process to engage you
is complex enough to preserve your anonymity.
You might miss out on some assignments.
You see it as the cost of doing business.
However, you set your fee to compensate.
Hmm?
You recognize the code.
(50.
You're outside established protocol.
This is a one-off.
And afterwards, we'll return to procedure.
It's a short time frame.
- How short? - Forty-eight hours.
Not much time to plan.
Is it worth it?
I'm seeing double.
Let me be clear. Crystal clear.
For this fee...
It is delicate.
Special outcome demanded by client.
- Understood. - Good.
I knew you would. We go back a long way.
Do not put me in a bad position.
Call me when it's done.
Details?
You can inquire discretely today...
At 6:32.
Six, three, two.
You need to make it look like an accident.
You don't mind the added complexity in general.
But to do it right, you need more time to plan.
And to add to it, no headlines.
Quiet.
A plan forms in your head.
You have to hit a two-inch moving target
on a car going 60-plus miles per hour from 50 yards away.
And you only get one shot.
The blown tire should pull him sharply to the right.
He'll overcorrect, which should cause him to hit this very building.
It's rushed. You know that.
You wish you had more time.
But it's a plan. It'll have to do.
You know the rules.
Do not rush.
Do not hesitate.
Hey, mom.
Mom! Here, pass!
Okay, kick it over.
Nice one, mom.
Do not get distracted.
Careful.
I got it. Don't worry. I got it.
Do not question.
I ook out!
Mom!
Mom! Mom!
- Call the police! - Oh, my god!
Somebody call 911!
Relax.
It's only me.
Your father was a good soldier.
- So you've said. - It's a fact.
And you too.
So the medals say.
It's a family business.
I figured that I might find you here since you don't answer the phone.
- I needed some time. - I understand.
Till now, you were perfect, on point.
I rushed you, I know. Couldn't be helped.
It's on me, not you.
Yeah.
Collateral damage. It happens.
You know that.
This is not amarijah.
I know what happened there.
You shouldn't let this stuff get to you, kid.
I'm not.
It's not your fault.
Did your father ever tell you about pinkville?
No. Never spoke of it.
Ah, that's not surprising.
That's where we met, you know... pinkville. Me and your old man.
We were just young kids, fresh out of boot camp.
One night, the officers told us,
"tomorrow you'll meet the enemy, a whole battalion of gooks,
viet cong, who killed your...
Friends, your relatives, who'd kill your family
and rape your sister if they could.”
So, we kids, we toked it up, and the officers, they just drank it up,
because, you know, they were...
They were preparing us, as they say.
So we were prepared and...
We woke at 3:00 A.M., jumped on those choppers and...
We took off...
To kill or be killed.
It's really simple when you think about it.
Only, finally, when we got there,
already the intelligence was bad, because usually it was.
Because there was no hostile fire. There was no fire at all, really.
There were just old men,
women and children,
sitting around fires, heating their rice, ready for breakfast.
So, the officers, they just gathered up all these...
The old men and the women and the children,
even their pigs and their dogs and their cats and...
Pushed them into ditches.
And they ordered us, me and your old man, to plug them.
So we did. Clip after clip after clip.
Like a couple of automats staring at each other, just firing and...
So we couldn't see the target,
the blood and the... carnage.
Until we stopped firing.
And then, as bad as that was,
when it was over, we started to have lunch right there near the ditches.
And, you know, maybe 10, 15 feet away from the bodies,
from the stench and the groaning.
Anyway, suddenly we hear this noise. It was a whine or a squeal or something.
Maybe it was one of their pigs.
So, we all go to the top of the ditch and we look in for the first time.
And it's...
This ain't no pig. No, sir.
It's a little boy,
two, maybe three, tough to say.
But his mother must've sheltered him with her own body.
And he was too young to know that he should've just played dead, stupid kid.
So the whole squad is watching him now,
crawling on tiny hands and feet over dead bodies,
probably his whole family.
And then, none of us is moving.
We're just watching.
Maybe just rooting for the kid.
Till he gets to the top and he starts running away towards the jungle.
The jungle.
And still none of us moves.
And then this little guy, this officer, this lieutenant,
he comes running up to us and he's still finishing his k rations.
And he sees all of us staring at the tree line,
and then he sees the kid, maybe 30 yards away, still going.
And he looks at me, and he looks at your old man, and he says, "plug him."
Pointing at the kid. "Plug him.
Shoot him."
So, I look at your old man and he looks at me, and...
I can see clear as day in his eyes, he can't, he's done.
So I look back to this lieutenant,
this heartless little motherfucking prick of a human fucking being...
And he looks at me and he smiles.
He points at the kid, he said, "plug him, goddamn it.
Shoot him."
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I was a good soldier that day.
- How could he live with that? - Huh?
How could he live with that?
How could you?
We were soldiers. It's what we do.
It's what we did.
Taking orders from our superior officers.
We followed them.
Did we regret it? Sure.
I had no guilt, because... We were not responsible for it.
That's not what we trained for.
Yeah. But I'll tell you this...
We humans, we human beings, whatever we are,
we're just homicidal killing machines.
Get it? Homicidal killing machines, that's all.
And all the military training and all that stuff,
oh, it's just finishing school.
You'd better believe it, kid.
Yeah.
God, what a beautiful day, huh?
Anyway, 25 years later, I ran into this guy,
this guy from our squad.
And I could tell straightaway by just looking at him
that he'd never forgotten.
He was all busted up inside. Do you know what I mean?
I remember he looked at me and he said to me, "you know...
Some of us will walk in those jungles
and hear those cries of anguish and horror...
For all eternity."
Yeah.
But me and your dad,
we didn't.
And I'm grateful for that.
Yep.
God, I haven't talked like that for 50 years, do you know that?
Yeah.
Next time,
answer your goddamn phone, do you get me?
- Yeah. - Good.
I'm glad.
So, you have a good day.
Yes?
So, what do you think?
You ready for this?
I would tell you to pass on this one, but...
I can see you've already decided.
Arrive early, look for every advantage,
and don't hesitate.
Call me when it's done.
You get another assignment.
Routine data. Name, employer, address.
Means it's typical.
No name, no address,
no way to confirm identity,
except a cryptic note that says they don't know much.
Therefore your quarry must be very special.
You leave your vehicle in long-term parking
and rent a nondescript sedan.
Dark colors are best, then gray.
You make precise plans.
But the biggest flaw in any plan
always comes from events you can't control.
But there's always a margin for error.
- There's no bathroom! - It's around the corner!
It's not around the corner! No, I told you, stay in the car!
That's gonna be trouble.
You got an eye for trouble?
I'm lookin" at you, ain't I?
All right, thank you.
Bitch!
- Did you see a girl around here? - I think she's around the corner.
- What are you doing? - I wasn't... aah!
Why don't you listen?
What do you not understand about staying in the car?
I had to go! Aah!
You don't go. You just wait.
Now we're late. Get in the car.
Stay!
You got something to say?
No point. None of my business, is it?
That's right. None of your business.
My hero.
Ride?
I'd better not.
I won't ask again.
It'll just make things worse later.
Maybe it's just time to get away, hmm?
Just leave.
I wish, mister. But I got nowhere else to go.
Yeah.
You make quick note of the players in the game.
Lone man. Back to the wall, view of the entrance,
coat still on, bulge indicating a shoulder holster.
A couple. The guy also sitting where he can observe the entrance.
He sits forward, tense. Maybe pistol tucked in back.
Small world.
You can say that again.
Please take a seat anywhere.
You pick a seat that lets you keep an eye on both men
but leaves your back vulnerable.
Can I get you something to drink?
Coffee. Black.
It was pricey, but you secure an illegal app that scans the dmv database.
Was I right?
About the girl at the gas station.
Yes, you were right.
She'll figure it out, or she won't. That's quite a gift you have there.
Sometimes it's a curse.
Anything else?
Yes.
Would you know an area around here called white rivers?
There's rivers and... white water rafting.
Does that help?
Thank you. Leave the pot.
You check the results of the license plates and look for clues.
You try to match the players to the cars.
You know the Jeep out back belongs to the waitress,
but there are three other cars in the parking lot.
The man with the gun in his jacket probably drives the gray Ford.
Could be law enforcement, or he just may be white rivers.
The couple, the guy whose position is second best,
probably arrived after the loner.
Can't keep his eyes off the door.
Two more vehicles in the parking lot
suggest they have not been a couple for long,
or that they aren't a couple at all.
You classify him as an amateur,
but amateurs can still be dangerous.
Another player. Local law enforcement.
Deputy Myers.
- How you doing? - Oh, fine.
Rosie?
Rosie went home sick, but lucky I'm here.
Hmm.
- Pastry? - Maybe one for the road, then.
What about two? One for here, one for the road.
I won't tell anyone.
You read my mind.
That's what I do.
Would you like something to drink with that?
- How about a glass of milk? - Sure.
Bit of a rush, I see.
We'll survive.
The game should begin,
but... the deputy has thrown a wrench in the plan.
The first piece to any plan is your escape.
You want it clean, unobserved, anonymous.
It also adds a hew element.
Which one?
But the deputy's arrival muddies your plan.
You quickly reassess.
Without the deputy, you could complete the assignment.
The outcome would look like a robbery gone wrong.
But now...
Thank you.
Which one?
Something's not right.
You decide to give it some more time.
If nothing changes, you'll leave and revise the plan.
You don't need another rush job.
You gonna lick that clean?
I was thinking about it.
So...
Dixy.
Yeah, like the cup, but...
Most people, they say "Dee."
What do you want me to say?
You don't have to say anything.
And why's that?
Because I can divine your thoughts.
- Divine? - Try me.
White rivers.
I know what you want.
And what's that?
Maybe something to eat instead.
Actually...
Is there another motel other than the one I saw on my way into town?
No, that's the only one.
There's a couple of b&bs, but they're closed.
Too early in the season.
Well, how late are you open?
Usually shut at 9:00, but if it's slow, we shut at 8:00.
Maybe I'll stop in later for a little something.
Okay. If the lights are out, just... tap on the door.
I'll open it for you.
You wait for the players to come out.
The couple.
Both the car and the house are in the woman's name.
You figure that either, one, they're a long term couple
and have put everything under her name,
or two, the guy may have recently entered her life.
If two is true, it's a good cover.
The lone man with the gun in his jacket...
He's the most likely target.
Wouldn't be going out on a limb to guess the loner is heading to the motel.
Probably first burned well before noon.
Now it's completely charred.
I can make some fresh for you, if you want.
Not necessary.
Sorry if I kept you waiting,
I was studying. I didn't even hear you come in.
There's a college in this area?
No.
Oh, I'm studying to get my ged.
Oh. Well, it's never too late, huh?
Yeah. That's what my grandpa always says.
Well, before he died.
You need a room, or...
Can't get anything past you, can I?
Something quiet. How about the room at the end?
Yeah. Yeah, it's empty.
But there's a guest in the room right next door.
Let me see if I have something with empties on both sides.
Is the room next to the one at the end
occupied by a couple who plan to go at it all night?
No. No, it's just some old guy.
Then the room at the end will do.
Okay.
I just need a credit card and license.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Do you give a discount to government employees?
Yeah, I don't... I don't think so.
No one's ever...
I could call the manager at home and find out.
No, don't bother.
Are you sure you don't want me to make a fresh pot?
I just gotta go in the back and get a new...
If it isn't too much trouble.
No, not at all. Not at all.
Yeah, I just...
Viagra.
And Nitroglycerin.
The combination causes blood pressure to drop and can be fatal.
Add some sumatriptan, which results in chest pain that mimics a heart attack.
The threat of death from torture or a bullet
is not nearly as effective as actually feeling death is imminent.
I wouldn't.
You want to finish that?
What do you want?
Why are you packing?
- I'm a federal marshal. - Hmm.
Pretty chintzy room discount for government employees, don't you think?
Are you a fed?
No.
And neither are you.
But nice try. I've used that line myself.
I had to try.
So, what do you want?
White rivers.
What?
White rivers.
I don't know what you're asking.
"Warning:
Do not use with prescribed heart medication."
Well, unfortunately you just chugged it down with two different heart drugs.
- You don't understand. - You're having a heart attack.
- Call 911. - I would, but out here in the wastelands,
who knows how long it would take.
For god's sake, just call them.
- White rivers. - Please!
White rivers.
I don't... I don't...
The heart beats two and a half billion times during the average lifetime,
but there's only one beat that really matters.
The next one.
You were careful.
You studied weight-based dosing.
The amount you administered should have just mimicked a heart attack,
giving you ample time to get the information you needed
for confirmation of kill.
Just his luck. He had a heart condition.
He was already on borrowed time.
You search for clues on white rivers.
If the authorities find multiple identities on this guy,
that could get them delving more deeply into his background and death.
You need to have them think he's just some schmuck
whose weakened heart finally seized.
Oh, hey, you're back. Is everything okay?
Yeah, I found this on the ground near my room.
Thought the guy in the room next to mine might've dropped it. Jonathan Ford?
Yeah, sounds familiar.
Let me just double-check here.
Yep, that's him.
You know what? I'll just give it back to him on my way back.
But not until I get that cup of Joe, huh?
Oh. Thanks, mister.
I'll get that... Yeah, I'll just get that for you.
Jonathan Ford.
Dead.
Of natural causes.
But he's not white rivers.
You need to look into the couple.
Threat.
Kill.
Everything else.
The woman lives in a farmhouse a few miles away.
The best time to visit is between midnight and 4:00 A.M.
You have a hard rule: Eat when you can.
You never know when the chance will come up again.
Good timing. I was just about to turn off the stove.
Sure this isn't any trouble?
A man's gotta eat.
Got any specials?
Everything around here is special.
Just as long as you order burgers and fries.
Cheeseburger.
Are you gonna be hard to please?
If that's what you want.
Oh, so it's about what I want.
Isn't it always?
Mostly. I'll just be a few minutes.
Need any company?
Sure, just give me a few seconds.
Do you mind if I join you?
I'd prefer it if you do.
Want yours toasted?
Sure.
You ever work in a kitchen?
Not as an employee.
"Not as an employee."
What does that even mean?
Have you worked in many kitchens?
Ah, you know, girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
Sometimes we all do.
Yeah, I guess.
Are these gonna be okay? It just saves me a lot of time cleaning up.
Sure.
You want the works?
Hold the onions.
Oh. An optimist.
What about beer? There's a couple in the fridge.
Sure.
I'm conflicted.
Conflicted?
Yeah, there's... there's a part of me
that wants to ask you all the usual questions.
What's your name? Where are you from? What do you do?
Are you just passing through?
However?
However, you'll be gone in the morning and I'll never see you again.
So I can either be left with the memory
of having dinner with a man that I got to know.
Or...
Or?
Or I can be left with a fantasy.
A fantasy that I can shape and change...
However I want.
So?
I think I'm gonna leave those questions unasked.
Can we talk about you?
What is it you want?
You mean now”?
Like in the next few hours, or next few years?
Whichever one you're clear about.
Now.
I want to finish my burger,
and then I want to spend the night in a warm embrace,
the kind that you only get after great sex.
In the next few years, then.
Over the next few years, I...
I want to... triumph.
- Over what? - What do you got?
What about you?
You got any dreams, solitary man?
Mom! [Ook out!
You all right there, partner?
No.
No dreams.
Before, when you were asking me about white rivers...
What is that?
I'm not sure. Just wanted to know what it was.
Well, I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.
I know what it's like to want something.
Okay.
I have some things to do. Thank you.
I'm staying at the motel.
You mean the only one in town?
One minute.
Maybe I'm a little rusty.
That's some strange foreplay you got going on there.
What do you want?
I thought that was obvious.
Hey.
Who sent you?
Okay, this is getting weird now.
Wow.
I guess I misread the signals back there.
My bag?
Tell me...
About white rivers.
Again with this white rivers.
Just my luck.
The first time I meet an interesting man in a while,
and look what happens.
No weapons.
What was your plan?
Can we just agree that this is a mistake and just let me go?
I promise I won't call the cops.
- Why didn't you know the deputy? - What?
Back at the diner, the deputy, you didn't know him.
How is that possible in this town?
Rosie, she's my aunt, she's the owner.
She's not well. It's...
It's cancer, if you really must know.
So I thought I'd come up here to this godforsaken town
to help out, do a good deed. Look what I get.
Besides, something was off about the deputy anyways.
What do you mean?
I'm not sure.
Just a feeling.
His badge didn't look real. Isn't it supposed to have numbers on it?
I'm not going to hurt you.
I had to be sure.
Okay.
Whatever you say.
Why don't I just...
Why don't I just leave and we'll forget the whole thing?
Hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
Well, that was something.
Fuck me.
Okay. Now I'll probably get killed in a car accident
trying to find my aunt's house. This is great.
Wait.
What now?
Come back inside.
I don't think so.
Had my fair share of excitement for the night.
I'm just gonna take my chances.
Just... just until the snow stops.
Please.
Okay.
No funny stuff.
Your first concern on a night assault is dogs.
The fact that it's been quiet so far can be misleading.
On nights like this, only the most cruel of owners leave their dogs out.
Experience has taught you that homes this remote are often unlocked.
It's possible the front door may be locked.
But unlikely all of them are.
Most owners feed their dogs in the kitchen.
You search for a water dish.
You know things don't always go as planned.
Best to minimize access to potential weapons.
If things go awry, you gain a few seconds while your quarry is confused.
Collateral damage. It happens.
You know that.
Do not... rush.
Do not... hesitate.
Do not get distracted.
Do not question.
This is interesting.
No white rivers.
You've been taught that, in this situation,
it's best to appear like a burglary gone bad.
You take cash, credit cards,
even a few things of minimal value, and ransack the place.
If this is the real deputy Myers,
then who's in the house?
You can't risk starting the car.
Plumes from the tailpipe will act just like a smoke-filled beacon.
No bars.
You hope the same is true for the impostor.
You hope that he leaves the scene quickly.
But if he doesn't leave soon, you're going to have to risk it.
Got a bit of a problem here.
Yeah, I can see that. Did you call for help?
Well, my radio, I think it went out when I went off the road.
Tried my cell. No signal.
Huh.
Just my cell.
Yeah. Me, too. No signal.
Where you coming from?
Fast.
You know anything about a burglary few miles back?
Burglary? Can't say that I do.
You see, I got a 911 call, which by itself is unusual in this town.
It's the home of a local woman.
Even more unusual, at the scene,
there's a man shot dead in one of the bedrooms.
And it looks like the woman was there, possibly wounded.
But there's no sign of her now.
I saw you at the diner.
Wow, you are extremely observant.
Well, I go to Rosie's earlier.
There's nothing but friendly faces.
And this time, it's all different.
It's unusual to see so many unfamiliar faces in these parts.
So you go to Rosie's for dinner every night at 5:00?
You gonna make some kind of smart remark about that, too?
Sorry. Can I ask you a question?
White rivers... are you familiar with it?
White rivers? Yeah.
I know it.
I just had to be certain.
I've been racking my brain.
What does it mean?
You calm your heart, quiet your breath.
You take in every sound.
You've completed your mission.
Not a complete success, due to the collateral damage,
but in the long run, it makes no difference.
Seven billion people on the planet,
and even with medical advances, the odds are,
in only 130 years, maybe less,
every single person currently alive will be dead.
Seven billion.
Your work doesn't even equate to a rounding error.
You don't even understand why you care.
But you do hope they make it to the woman in time.
You all right?
Yeah.
(Guess so.
Just finished.
So everything went okay?
It's good to hear from you.
Thanks.
There was one slight hitch.
Another civilian.
Not like the last one.
So everything was cleaned up?
You'd better get back here as quick as you can.
I will.
Just need some rest.
And one last loose end.
I oose end?
Something personal.
Oh, yeah?
Something on your mind?
It's just...
I keep seeing them burning.
Yeah, I know.
Sorry, kid.
Get back as soon as you can.
I'll be waiting.
Did you go out?
- Just checked the roads. - For me? Heh.
That's so sweet.
I can't believe I... I actually slept.
Considering.
I mean, you could've done all kinds of unspeakable things to me, but you didn't.
Maybe you're not a bad guy after all.
What do you say, cowboy?
Life's short.
You check out today?
Most likely.
I can't wait to get out of this town.
It's that bad?
Why? You planning on moving here?
Thought not.
Where would you go?
Anywhere.
Anywhere?
I don't know.
Florida, maybe.
You ask anywhere...
And then you pick Florida?
Okay, Italy.
Southern Italy.
It shows in Rome.
Hmm.
It must be beautiful when it does.
Do you speak Italian?
I studied Spanish in school.
It's kind of the same thing, right?
There are...
Some good things here.
Name one.
I'm just gonna go freshen up, okay?
White rivers.
Small world. Please sit wherever you want.
- Dixy. - Yeah, like the cup.
Most people, they see "Dee."
Rosie, she's my aunt. She's the owner.
She's not well. It's cancer, if you really must know.
- Why didn't you know the deputy? - What?
Back at the diner, the deputy, you didn't know him.
How is that possible in this town?
Deputy Myers.
- Fake. - Mostly.
Yours?
Mostly.
Did you kill them all?
Yes.
(Go on.
The coroner's report will show a heart attack.
- Nitro and... - Viagra.
Ah. That's always a fun combination.
The others?
Burglary gone bad.
It'll look like the deputy pulled over the bad guys leaving the scene.
And each one of them... Gunning for you.
Not for me.
I got there early.
Watched you all saunter in.
That was my plan.
Except I stopped to...
Ride?
It goes that way sometimes.
I had to kill the cook.
And aunt Rosie.
I didn't know there was a cook.
Well, he's in the basement now.
Which one showed up first?
First was an innocent.
Local girl, she'd just finished work.
Came in for a bite.
I thought they might've been a couple.
Ah, no.
Handsome Johnnie came strolling on in,
instantly started wooing the girl.
Now, what is a beautiful woman like you doing eating alone?
Coming from this town,
I think she... thought her prayers had been answered.
It's just her bad luck.
The loner?
Came in right after the gigolo.
Saft, waited for you.
For me?
Now you're just catching on.
I can tell you I wasn't thrilled to see him there.
What about the deputy?
I wasn't sure at first.
Then I was.
I wouldn't go over there now.
That guy on the end, I think he has a gun.
Keeps asking about a white rivers.
I ain't never seen him around here before.
You're getting too old for this kind of work.
Finish your coffee and leave him to me.
Have a nice big tip for you.
I'll bet you do.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
I never saw you coming.
You see what you want to see.
Look inside the passport.
You read your own name.
Contact me when it's done.
And here I was thinking that I screwed up.
Had to eliminate them all just to be sure.
No.
You were right.
Except...
About you.
What about...
What about just now?
The old man cares about you.
Something on your mind?
I keep seeing them burning.
Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry, kid.
- White rivers? - He never lied to you.
He wanted you to be content.
Happy, almost.
How?
Well, that was my choice.
Are you happy?
It's just...
At my cabin.
Just...
Check the trunk of my car, all right?
The choice is yours.
I know.
It's done.
Feliz navidad.
You've really come to hate mob jobs.
They're just too messy.
And sometimes the other side takes it personally.
You decide from now on, you'll only take corporate or government work.
The intel is better. It's thorough, it's complete.
Allows time for planning, time to mitigate problems, prepare contingencies.
But rules are important and need to be followed.
And a promise needs to be kept.
After all, you're an Ace, an expert.
A professional.
Some might even say... a virtuoso.