Snippet #1422740

When Gabriel heard the thumping on the door, he initially wasn't going to answer it. He figured it would just be someone from another apartment complaining about his music. Tough luck for them. Then it dawned on him that if he wasn't careful he risked having the police called in for 'disturbing the peace', and he most certainly didn't need those ignorant fools bursting in. Not that he didn't value their job, but when it came to his line of work, they were more of a hindrance than a help. Pausing the music, he stood and strode over to the door, a half finished slice of pizza in one hand. There was a variety of clicks, bolts sliding back and chains being unhooked as he undid each of the thirteen locks he'd placed on the door (a lucky number, you will note...), in no particular hurry.

Opening up the door, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the suited figure standing before him. He wasn't exactly sure what he had been expecting, but whatever it was it wasn't this. He gauged the man to be middle aged, possibly late thirties, though he had to admit he was incredibly poor at guessing ages. He glanced up and down, taking in the man's figure, instantly assessing from the way he held himself that this was someone with military training of some sort. A couple of dozen different scenarios for escaping popped into mind, and from these he quickly decided that if he had to run he would try a quick blow to the groin and leg it. Using a gun would likely blow his cover...

It was only then that the thought cropped up that perhaps this was just a travelling salesman, or maybe somebody on another floor of the apartment block had suicided (or something similar) and he was a detective. Too many possibilities. Best to maintain cover for now. And so it was, that after a couple of seconds of silence he finally said in as laid back a voice as he could manage "Hi...Can I help you?"
He was completely ignorant of what a mess he probably looked- slice of half-eaten pizza in one hand, the other ready to slam the door shut, meanwhile his hair was particularly unstyled and all over the place, and his overcoat was only half buckled up. He probably wouldn't have looked too out of place if he was undercover as a homeless person.