Oops, I missed a day. Sorry, I was distracted.
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
left, then took my foot off the gas. Kelly now held my phone, staring at it, waiting for the next instruction.
‘UR bng followed. Lose them,’
I checked my mirrors. Nothing. I looked left, right, up, down, and Kelly did too.
“Where?” Kelly muttered.
“Doesn’t matter,” I said, slamming the pedal to the metal. “We evade.”
The force of acceleration tossed Kelly backwards, and he landed with a grunt. I took a left, a right, sped up and slowed down. Doubled back. Everything I knew to expose a tail and nothing worked.
“What if they don’t have to follow us?” Kelly muttered as he stared out the back window.
“You mean a tracker?” I snapped. “We only stole this car a couple of hours ago, how would they...”
“Your phone?” Kelly’s voice was a whisper.
I shook my head, I’d
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
140Story - Day 48
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
‘Rdy 2 tlk? Rply 1 ltr. -M’
Kelly gave me a hard stare. If I were him I’d have been suspicious too.
“I think it’s from Michaels,” I offered, holding out the phone to him.
“We need his help,” Kelly replied, more to himself than to me. “Reply with a ‘Y.’”
I did.
Nothing happened, though I thought something would. Even Kelly looked around, as if he were expecting someone to emerge immediately from the shadows.
When the phone beeped again, it startled me so much I nearly dropped it.
‘S on Shoreline. L at second light.’
Kelly craned his neck to see. “This street is Shoreline. Don’t tell me that bastard already knows exactly where we are.”
“That’s why he makes the big bucks,” I said as I pointed the car South.
At the second light I took a
‘Rdy 2 tlk? Rply 1 ltr. -M’
Kelly gave me a hard stare. If I were him I’d have been suspicious too.
“I think it’s from Michaels,” I offered, holding out the phone to him.
“We need his help,” Kelly replied, more to himself than to me. “Reply with a ‘Y.’”
I did.
Nothing happened, though I thought something would. Even Kelly looked around, as if he were expecting someone to emerge immediately from the shadows.
When the phone beeped again, it startled me so much I nearly dropped it.
‘S on Shoreline. L at second light.’
Kelly craned his neck to see. “This street is Shoreline. Don’t tell me that bastard already knows exactly where we are.”
“That’s why he makes the big bucks,” I said as I pointed the car South.
At the second light I took a
Monday, July 14, 2014
140Story - Day 47
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
you’re never entirely certain if you’re being tracked. You can spot a person, or a car, or even a drone if you pay close attention. But if they’re tracking your cell, or monitoring your logins... the person doing the tracking doesn’t even have to be in the same country.
We ditched the stolen car once we were miles out of Downtown, and promptly stole another. When we were miles past that point we ditched it and stole a third car. That was the one we drove back into town. I hoped the entire exercise wasn’t being monitored in some operations center. Backed into an abandoned lot in the industrial district; we’d run out of places to hide.
My cell beeped, an odd warble I’d never heard before. It was a text, from a number I didn’t know. It read
you’re never entirely certain if you’re being tracked. You can spot a person, or a car, or even a drone if you pay close attention. But if they’re tracking your cell, or monitoring your logins... the person doing the tracking doesn’t even have to be in the same country.
We ditched the stolen car once we were miles out of Downtown, and promptly stole another. When we were miles past that point we ditched it and stole a third car. That was the one we drove back into town. I hoped the entire exercise wasn’t being monitored in some operations center. Backed into an abandoned lot in the industrial district; we’d run out of places to hide.
My cell beeped, an odd warble I’d never heard before. It was a text, from a number I didn’t know. It read
Sunday, July 13, 2014
140Story - Day 46
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
probably a college student, lugged bags of groceries from an open car door to his low-rent apartment. The car was still running.
In a matter of seconds I was behind the wheel and Kelly was in the passenger seat. I drove off slowly, calmly, as if we were just out for a drive instead of committing grand theft.
Kelly turned and scanned the road behind us. “No tail.”
“Not in a car or truck, no,” I said. I’d been scanning my rear-view too. “What if they’ve got eyes on the buildings? Or drones?”
He sighed and slumped in the seat. “This sucks when you don’t have back-up.”
I nodded. “You ever hear of a tech guy named Michaels?”
Kelly gave me a hard stare. “Yeah. How do you know him?”
The problem with modern electronic surveillance is
probably a college student, lugged bags of groceries from an open car door to his low-rent apartment. The car was still running.
In a matter of seconds I was behind the wheel and Kelly was in the passenger seat. I drove off slowly, calmly, as if we were just out for a drive instead of committing grand theft.
Kelly turned and scanned the road behind us. “No tail.”
“Not in a car or truck, no,” I said. I’d been scanning my rear-view too. “What if they’ve got eyes on the buildings? Or drones?”
He sighed and slumped in the seat. “This sucks when you don’t have back-up.”
I nodded. “You ever hear of a tech guy named Michaels?”
Kelly gave me a hard stare. “Yeah. How do you know him?”
The problem with modern electronic surveillance is
Saturday, July 12, 2014
140Story - Day 45
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
guys are with Telrik or Burton.”
“What if there’s no difference?” I asked. “What if Telrik is using Burton to get the money back?”
The idea took Kelly a moment to process. “I never thought of that.”
Hugging the wall, Kelly moved for the other end of the alley, pistol in hand. I followed with my own pistol drawn, scanning above and behind us. It was like the old days, me and Kelly against the world.
“Can you still hotwire a car?” Kelly asked softly.
“Older models are better,” I said, “quicker. But, yeah, pretty much.”
Crouching, he eased one eye around the corner. Turning back, he had a smile on his face. “Suppose I found you one with the keys still in it?”
We both concealed our weapons and emerged from the alley. Not thirty feet away some kid,
guys are with Telrik or Burton.”
“What if there’s no difference?” I asked. “What if Telrik is using Burton to get the money back?”
The idea took Kelly a moment to process. “I never thought of that.”
Hugging the wall, Kelly moved for the other end of the alley, pistol in hand. I followed with my own pistol drawn, scanning above and behind us. It was like the old days, me and Kelly against the world.
“Can you still hotwire a car?” Kelly asked softly.
“Older models are better,” I said, “quicker. But, yeah, pretty much.”
Crouching, he eased one eye around the corner. Turning back, he had a smile on his face. “Suppose I found you one with the keys still in it?”
We both concealed our weapons and emerged from the alley. Not thirty feet away some kid,
Friday, July 11, 2014
140Story - Day 44
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
the ground. Kelly turned right, I turned left and kicked another agent as he flicked the switch on his radio. I jabbed two fingers into his throat and grabbed the radio. Kelly took out his second stooge with a series of incredibly vicious liver punches and an eye gouge. Kelly played to win, not to be noble.
We weren’t out of the building more than fifteen seconds and we had taken three of them out. The element of surprise was gone now, and I could feel eyes on me as I followed Kelly across the street and into an alley. He ducked behind a dumpster, breathing hard.
“No shots fired,” he said.
“You think they’re going for recovery?”
He ran a hand across his lips, his eyes darting from one end of the alley to the other. “Depends if these
the ground. Kelly turned right, I turned left and kicked another agent as he flicked the switch on his radio. I jabbed two fingers into his throat and grabbed the radio. Kelly took out his second stooge with a series of incredibly vicious liver punches and an eye gouge. Kelly played to win, not to be noble.
We weren’t out of the building more than fifteen seconds and we had taken three of them out. The element of surprise was gone now, and I could feel eyes on me as I followed Kelly across the street and into an alley. He ducked behind a dumpster, breathing hard.
“No shots fired,” he said.
“You think they’re going for recovery?”
He ran a hand across his lips, his eyes darting from one end of the alley to the other. “Depends if these
Thursday, July 10, 2014
140Story - Day 43
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
out.”
“Fire escape is too slow,” I said. “We’d be sitting ducks.”
Kelly’s eyebrows raised. “Drain pipe?”
I shrugged. “Only other option’s the front door.”
Kelly thought for a moment. “If you were them, would you expect us to use the front door?”
Kelly went first. He always went first. It wasn’t chivalry, he didn’t trust anyone else to take point, but he did trust me with his back.
The stairway was empty, but there were shadows out the building’s front door that shouldn’t have been there. Kelly tapped me twice and raised three fingers. Two. One.
Kelly tugged the door open, catching a Telrik stooge by surprise. Before the man could touch his radio or reach for his gun Kelly punched him square in the jaw. I saw the man’s eyes flutter, he was out cold before he hit
out.”
“Fire escape is too slow,” I said. “We’d be sitting ducks.”
Kelly’s eyebrows raised. “Drain pipe?”
I shrugged. “Only other option’s the front door.”
Kelly thought for a moment. “If you were them, would you expect us to use the front door?”
Kelly went first. He always went first. It wasn’t chivalry, he didn’t trust anyone else to take point, but he did trust me with his back.
The stairway was empty, but there were shadows out the building’s front door that shouldn’t have been there. Kelly tapped me twice and raised three fingers. Two. One.
Kelly tugged the door open, catching a Telrik stooge by surprise. Before the man could touch his radio or reach for his gun Kelly punched him square in the jaw. I saw the man’s eyes flutter, he was out cold before he hit
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
140Story - Day 42
I'm writing a story 140 words at a time and posting the results here
daily. Can I sustain interest? Will I lose the narrative thread? Find
out in this next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
so I’d keep quiet.”
“And you’ve never touched a penny of it?”
Kelly shook his head. He was as stubborn as they come.
“So why is Burton coming after you now?”
“His father’s dead,” Kelly explained. “A few weeks ago. Not job related, he’d been in the hospital for a few months.”
“And Burton wants your share,” I said.
Kelly nodded slowly.
There was some movement on the street, not part of the regular ebb and flow. Nothing I could put my finger on, but my interest was enough to send Kelly to the door leading to the rooftop.
“What’s going on?”
“Not sure,” I said slowly. I counted three vans. Which was three more than I had ever seen on the street before. “I think they made us.”
“Two shadows on the building across the way,” Kelly said. “Rooftop’s
so I’d keep quiet.”
“And you’ve never touched a penny of it?”
Kelly shook his head. He was as stubborn as they come.
“So why is Burton coming after you now?”
“His father’s dead,” Kelly explained. “A few weeks ago. Not job related, he’d been in the hospital for a few months.”
“And Burton wants your share,” I said.
Kelly nodded slowly.
There was some movement on the street, not part of the regular ebb and flow. Nothing I could put my finger on, but my interest was enough to send Kelly to the door leading to the rooftop.
“What’s going on?”
“Not sure,” I said slowly. I counted three vans. Which was three more than I had ever seen on the street before. “I think they made us.”
“Two shadows on the building across the way,” Kelly said. “Rooftop’s
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