>"Work" is not just the taking of a life, it's quite specifically murder for
>hire. And that isn't what happens at the end of Orca.
On the contrary, that is EXACTLY what happens at the end of Orca. Once the
main storyline has played out, Vlad still needs the deed to Mother's house
and whats-his-name, the lieutenant, needs his revenge on the guy below him
who betrayed him. (I'm AFB, apologies for not supplying names. I don't
recall if Loftis was the "good cop" or the "bad cop".)
Basically, the question is "Did Vlad do something he would have done anyway
or did he do it specifically because Loftis(?) helped him out by getting the
deed and more or less agreeing to get off his back about the rest of his
activities during the story?" You can say it's a "favor for a favor" but
that's just the definition of bartering. ("I'll paint your house if you fix
my car.") The presence or absence of coin is irrelevant. There's no question
in my mind that Vlad was doing murder for hire.