The Carotid Kid

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a
profoundly sick society."  J. Krishnamurti

Ernest's psychopathy was recognized at
an early age. The local constabulary knew
of his exploits as a child; torturing animals,
stealing, getting into fights. After a  certain
number of offenses, his data was automatically
sent to Langley, where his case was reviewed
to see if he was recruitment material. He was.
At sixteen, after an  arrest for assault, two men
appeared at his parents'  front door. They
explained they could help Earnest and  integrate
him into society, and they needed his certain 

skills. The parents were only too relieved to get
him off their hands. Earnest was trained with a
few others in the arts of assassination. He took
to his work like a duck to water. He couldn't
believe his luck: he was going to be  a
government approved killer! Never mind who he
was going to kill...that was other peoples'
concern. He was given a position at one of the
major news outlets, a good  place to gather
information and be another invisible suit.  Earnest
got his "nick" name because of his ability to just

snick the carotid artery of his victims so that they
bled  internally as if they'd had an embolism. His
skill was much admired. Now only eighteen, he'd
already made his bones by offing three
whistleblowers. He enjoyed placing the  nasty
phone calls to his victims, warning and
intimidating  them. He thought  the USA was the
greatest country in the world.