next to him.
He gently examined her ankle. It wasn't as tender, which
was a good sign.
“It looks like it's healing well,” he stated. “In a few
more days, you probably won't even need a bandage. Let me get you wrapped up.”
He retrieved the bandage from the bathroom and wrapped her
ankle once again. They then finished the leftover Chinese and watched a few
hours of TV before going to bed.
Chapter 9
The alarm clock read 3:59 a.m. The room was dark except for
a sliver of light shining through a gap in the curtains. The dead silence
broke at 4:00 a.m. as the alarm clock blared an ungodly sound that could drive
one to the brink of insanity if they were forced to listen to it for more than thirty
seconds.
A hand emerged from the bed and slammed down on the clock.
The horrible noise ceased. A groan came from under the covers and a body rose
from under the mass of sheets and blankets. It was Morgan. He swung his feet
off the side of the bed and sat rubbing his eyes.
“It's too early,” whined a female voice from the other side
of the bed.
“Tell me about it,” he replied. Why did he always want
to meet so early? he asked himself.
He sleepily walked into the bathroom, turned on the light
and shut the door. Within a few minutes, the shower could be heard. He
dressed in a plain gray suit, white shirt, and a horrendously bland red striped
tie. He slipped on his black shoes and grabbed his keys as he stepped out the
door.
The one good thing about driving in D.C. at this time of day
was that traffic was light. Everyone's still in bed, he thought as he
wished he was. He drove to a local park he had been to many times. He parked
the car and looked around. It was still dark. He looked at his watch. It was
almost 5:00 a.m. He grabbed a large yellow envelope from the passenger seat
and walked down to a bench overlooking a small pond. The air was chilly. He
hated these meetings. He looked to his right and slowly panned the park. He
saw a shadow out of the corner of his left eye and was startled to see someone
sitting next to him on the bench.
“Jesus Christ! Do you always have to do that?” he
exclaimed.
The man didn't say a word, just looked straight ahead. He
appeared to be in his forties, average height with green eyes and a full head
of light brown hair. It had to be plugs , thought Morgan. What guy
still has that much hair in his forties? A tinge of jealousy no doubt
affected his opinion. He looked like an average guy, unassuming, harmless
even. Yet he was far from that. He did things not many humans could stomach.
And he did them almost gleefully. Money was what spoke to him. He didn't care
what had to be done as long as it paid. Women and children weren't even off
limits. He had taken out whole families without blinking. Morgan had a
healthy fear of him.
“Here's all the information you need along with the wire
transfer receipt.” He handed the envelope to the mystery man. “I called you
because there can't be any more mistakes. This thing has been botched to hell
and I need someone who can get the job done right.”
“I always come through,” the man said.
“Yes, you do. We need it to be a positive ID. There can't
be any doubt.”
“I got it,” the man said, indignant at the insinuation that
he might make a mistake.
“You have one week.”
“I only need three days.”
“I always liked your attitude, Evan,” said Morgan.
“I always liked your money, Ed.” Evan stood up and
disappeared in the darkness.
Morgan shuddered. He didn't know if it was the chill from
the air or the eerie presence of the man who had just left.
Chapter 10
Michael opened his eyes, greeted by the smell of coffee. He
strolled to the doorway and looked down on the futon. Jessica was lying curled
up under the covers, her coffee sitting on the stand next to her.
“How long you been up?” he asked.
“About a half
He gently examined her ankle. It wasn't as tender, which
was a good sign.
“It looks like it's healing well,” he stated. “In a few
more days, you probably won't even need a bandage. Let me get you wrapped up.”
He retrieved the bandage from the bathroom and wrapped her
ankle once again. They then finished the leftover Chinese and watched a few
hours of TV before going to bed.
Chapter 9
The alarm clock read 3:59 a.m. The room was dark except for
a sliver of light shining through a gap in the curtains. The dead silence
broke at 4:00 a.m. as the alarm clock blared an ungodly sound that could drive
one to the brink of insanity if they were forced to listen to it for more than thirty
seconds.
A hand emerged from the bed and slammed down on the clock.
The horrible noise ceased. A groan came from under the covers and a body rose
from under the mass of sheets and blankets. It was Morgan. He swung his feet
off the side of the bed and sat rubbing his eyes.
“It's too early,” whined a female voice from the other side
of the bed.
“Tell me about it,” he replied. Why did he always want
to meet so early? he asked himself.
He sleepily walked into the bathroom, turned on the light
and shut the door. Within a few minutes, the shower could be heard. He
dressed in a plain gray suit, white shirt, and a horrendously bland red striped
tie. He slipped on his black shoes and grabbed his keys as he stepped out the
door.
The one good thing about driving in D.C. at this time of day
was that traffic was light. Everyone's still in bed, he thought as he
wished he was. He drove to a local park he had been to many times. He parked
the car and looked around. It was still dark. He looked at his watch. It was
almost 5:00 a.m. He grabbed a large yellow envelope from the passenger seat
and walked down to a bench overlooking a small pond. The air was chilly. He
hated these meetings. He looked to his right and slowly panned the park. He
saw a shadow out of the corner of his left eye and was startled to see someone
sitting next to him on the bench.
“Jesus Christ! Do you always have to do that?” he
exclaimed.
The man didn't say a word, just looked straight ahead. He
appeared to be in his forties, average height with green eyes and a full head
of light brown hair. It had to be plugs , thought Morgan. What guy
still has that much hair in his forties? A tinge of jealousy no doubt
affected his opinion. He looked like an average guy, unassuming, harmless
even. Yet he was far from that. He did things not many humans could stomach.
And he did them almost gleefully. Money was what spoke to him. He didn't care
what had to be done as long as it paid. Women and children weren't even off
limits. He had taken out whole families without blinking. Morgan had a
healthy fear of him.
“Here's all the information you need along with the wire
transfer receipt.” He handed the envelope to the mystery man. “I called you
because there can't be any more mistakes. This thing has been botched to hell
and I need someone who can get the job done right.”
“I always come through,” the man said.
“Yes, you do. We need it to be a positive ID. There can't
be any doubt.”
“I got it,” the man said, indignant at the insinuation that
he might make a mistake.
“You have one week.”
“I only need three days.”
“I always liked your attitude, Evan,” said Morgan.
“I always liked your money, Ed.” Evan stood up and
disappeared in the darkness.
Morgan shuddered. He didn't know if it was the chill from
the air or the eerie presence of the man who had just left.
Chapter 10
Michael opened his eyes, greeted by the smell of coffee. He
strolled to the doorway and looked down on the futon. Jessica was lying curled
up under the covers, her coffee sitting on the stand next to her.
“How long you been up?” he asked.
“About a half
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