Windigo Soul by Robert Brumm

ass for weeks and Sara’s father just retired. She’ll probably be in a funk for a while.”
    “Shit, that’s right. I forgot. Tell her she has my sympathies. Want me and Denise to drop by with a bottle of wine or something?”
    “Nah, thanks anyway. We should probably have some time alone.”
    They exited through the dark cover building and locked up. At the corner they paused, Carter heading a block north to the bus stop, Sanderson heading three blocks on foot to his apartment building.
    “See you tomorrow?” John asked.
    “Yeah, probably.” Carter took a step and turned. “Hey man, I’ve known you for a long time. We were in the same selection class, went through training together. You’re like my brother. You need anything, just name it.”
    “If you tell me you love me, I swear I’ll pull my piece on you.”
    Carter lunged for him and put his hands on John’s shoulders. “Come on, give your old pal a smooch.”
    Sanderson swatted Carter’s face mask off, sending it into the gutter.
    “Asshole! You know I have sensitive lungs.”
    Sanderson flipped him the bird and headed down the sidewalk.
    “Johnny!” Carter called out with a dramatic flair as he retrieved his mask. “Why won’t you let anybody love you, Johnny?”
    Sanderson shoved his hands in his pockets and chuckled, appreciating his friend’s ability to always lighten the mood no matter how lousy he felt. Despite that, the meeting with Young had left him feeling bitter and angry. It was bad enough living a double life but knowing he was always being watched, in many ways more than civilians, sometimes made him question his career. The State hired men like him to do their dirty work yet they didn’t trust him any more than the poor sap he left with half a head in that alley.
    If Sanderson ever did decide to tell Sara the truth about his job he probably wouldn’t even survive long enough to hear her reaction. He suspected his home had been bugged for years and wouldn’t have been surprised if there were a few hidden surveillance cameras tucked away as well. If he did spill the beans and try to get away, the tracking device embedded in one of his molars would make escape impossible.
    As for other ways they kept tabs on him, he didn’t even want to know. The State made sure each operator felt that level of uncertainty to help keep them in line. Silence at all costs. It applied to him as well.
    Sanderson reached the front door of his apartment building and dug in his pocket for his keys. Like Little Wall Street just a few blocks away, his neighborhood used to be a safe and upscale part of town. Now, not so much. He’d only paused at the door for a moment and already caught two bums out of the corner of his eye heading his way. It seemed like if you stopped anywhere in the city for more than a second, they flocked to you, looking for a handout.
    He got the door open and climbed the stairs to his second floor apartment. John fantasized about telling Sara right then and there when he walked in how many people he’d killed throughout his career. He knew the exact number by heart.

Chapter 8
     
     
    Hank walked past the cafeteria, nodded at a passing worker, and took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. He knew it probably would’ve been a good idea to have something for breakfast, but eating was the last thing on his mind. He barely slept a wink due to a million thoughts swirling through his head all night. He started feeling anxious about his first day of work as dawn grew closer and he got out of bed at four o’clock.
    He showered, dressed, and paced around his room until a quarter to seven, never feeling more isolated and lonely. As nervous as he was, he was a little relieved to finally have something to do. He hoped whatever his duties were would help pass the time.
    Hank paused at the door to boiler room four and held up his palm to the reader mounted on the wall. His palm was scanned and the light turned from red to green. Hank took