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
slices of my purchasing history. Nothing I did was secret, I knew that. At least nothing I did in a legit way, like a regular person. But if I were to take myself off the grid, like Kelly, or at least dip my toe in the midnight current that ran alongside the daylight path...
The first thing would be to ditch my phone. Metaphorically speaking, of course. If I got rid of it entirely they’d know something wasn’t right. Everyone had a phone these days, even kindergarteners. A grown businesswoman without a cell phone? I might as well have e-mailed them my entire plan. No, this was going to take some effort. But Kelly was worth it.
A few months back I’d met a guy at Scully’s place. No, it wasn’t like that, I met him in a business
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Saturday, June 7, 2014
140Story - Day 10
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
envelope again. “Instructions are there. Along with half your fee.”
I didn’t touch the envelope, and I wouldn’t until Burton was long gone. “Half? Telrik usually starts at ten percent.”
He tried to smile again, but it came across as a smirk. “We’re fairly certain you’ll make the effort.”
He was right, of course. Telrik knew everything about their people, including their weaknesses. A good glass of whiskey was one of mine. Kelly was the other.
If I hadn’t been a paranoid wreck before, I became one after I left Marcy’s. Check your six, always. And now my three o’clock, and nine, and up, and down, and sideways. Telrik was watching, they always were, but their methods had to have improved in the years since I worked for them. There were drones now, and GPS tracking devices, and big data
envelope again. “Instructions are there. Along with half your fee.”
I didn’t touch the envelope, and I wouldn’t until Burton was long gone. “Half? Telrik usually starts at ten percent.”
He tried to smile again, but it came across as a smirk. “We’re fairly certain you’ll make the effort.”
He was right, of course. Telrik knew everything about their people, including their weaknesses. A good glass of whiskey was one of mine. Kelly was the other.
If I hadn’t been a paranoid wreck before, I became one after I left Marcy’s. Check your six, always. And now my three o’clock, and nine, and up, and down, and sideways. Telrik was watching, they always were, but their methods had to have improved in the years since I worked for them. There were drones now, and GPS tracking devices, and big data
Friday, June 6, 2014
140Story - Day 9
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
couldn’t close my mouth. He was here? In the city?
“Yeah, we were surprised too,” Burton admitted. “We’d been hearing rumors but nothing solid. Then we got a semi-reliable tip and sent a scout. Decent kid, fresh out of training. Never heard from him again.”
I nodded, slowly regaining my composure. That was how Kelly worked. If he didn’t want to be found, you weren’t going find him. I could make him want to be found, though.
“So instead of risking another asset, you thought you’d get me to flush him out?”
Burton shrugged. “You and Kelly go back. That’s something he respects.”
‘Go back.’ That was a very corporate way of describing our relationship. Kelly had been... everything to me. Once upon a time.
“When I find him,” I refused to say ‘if’, “then what?”
Burton tapped the
couldn’t close my mouth. He was here? In the city?
“Yeah, we were surprised too,” Burton admitted. “We’d been hearing rumors but nothing solid. Then we got a semi-reliable tip and sent a scout. Decent kid, fresh out of training. Never heard from him again.”
I nodded, slowly regaining my composure. That was how Kelly worked. If he didn’t want to be found, you weren’t going find him. I could make him want to be found, though.
“So instead of risking another asset, you thought you’d get me to flush him out?”
Burton shrugged. “You and Kelly go back. That’s something he respects.”
‘Go back.’ That was a very corporate way of describing our relationship. Kelly had been... everything to me. Once upon a time.
“When I find him,” I refused to say ‘if’, “then what?”
Burton tapped the
Thursday, June 5, 2014
140Story - Day 8
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
sat in a booth at Marcy’s across from Burton. He’d come alone like I asked, no doubt leaving Crewcut Douchebag Number Two to monitor our conversation from the car. That’s how Telrik did things.
Burton sipped his coffee - black - and slid a manilla envelope across the table. “This should get you started.”
“You need to tell me more.” I wasn’t eating or drinking anything. Not with Telrik around.
“It’s all in there.” Burton tried to smile but it never quite got to his eyes. Yes, he was young, but he was dangerous. The kind of person Telrik liked to hire, and then twist into something horrible.
“Where is he?” I expected the answer to be somewhere you needed a passport to get to, and maybe an armed escort.
Burton tapped the envelope. “South of Downtown. We’re pretty sure.”
Shocked, I
sat in a booth at Marcy’s across from Burton. He’d come alone like I asked, no doubt leaving Crewcut Douchebag Number Two to monitor our conversation from the car. That’s how Telrik did things.
Burton sipped his coffee - black - and slid a manilla envelope across the table. “This should get you started.”
“You need to tell me more.” I wasn’t eating or drinking anything. Not with Telrik around.
“It’s all in there.” Burton tried to smile but it never quite got to his eyes. Yes, he was young, but he was dangerous. The kind of person Telrik liked to hire, and then twist into something horrible.
“Where is he?” I expected the answer to be somewhere you needed a passport to get to, and maybe an armed escort.
Burton tapped the envelope. “South of Downtown. We’re pretty sure.”
Shocked, I
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
140Story - Day 7
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
I missed and it upended, spilling everything onto the floor. Including the business card from Crewcut Douchebag.
As I picked up the card Telrik’s logo stared back at me, the same one I had once proudly and naively worn like a badge. The name read ‘T. Burton.’ The guy was such a pompous tool he thought he only needed an initial instead of a first name. Asshole. I was about to crumple it up and throw it in the toilet when, for some reason, I turned it over.
‘Kelly.’
One word. A name. The only name that mattered. That’s all it took, and I was in. No matter how terrible Telrik was, no matter what kind of betrayal they undoubtedly had planned, no matter what danger I would face, I was going to take that job.
The next day I
I missed and it upended, spilling everything onto the floor. Including the business card from Crewcut Douchebag.
As I picked up the card Telrik’s logo stared back at me, the same one I had once proudly and naively worn like a badge. The name read ‘T. Burton.’ The guy was such a pompous tool he thought he only needed an initial instead of a first name. Asshole. I was about to crumple it up and throw it in the toilet when, for some reason, I turned it over.
‘Kelly.’
One word. A name. The only name that mattered. That’s all it took, and I was in. No matter how terrible Telrik was, no matter what kind of betrayal they undoubtedly had planned, no matter what danger I would face, I was going to take that job.
The next day I
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
140Story - Day 6
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
wiping and moving bottles around.
I tapped my empty glass on the bar. “You think there’s another round left in that fifty?”
Later, glad I decided to wear flats, I climbed the stairs to my apartment. Which was also my office. I had a separate office six months ago but my finances dictated I choose between the two. My office had the faster internet connection, but my apartment had a working shower, so there really was no choice. I’ll take clean hair over cat videos any day of the week.
Weaving slightly I got undressed, already feeling the fuzz of a hangover developing on my tongue. Not for the first time I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I cut out drinking I might have enough money for other things.
I tried to drop my handbag on the dresser, but
wiping and moving bottles around.
I tapped my empty glass on the bar. “You think there’s another round left in that fifty?”
Later, glad I decided to wear flats, I climbed the stairs to my apartment. Which was also my office. I had a separate office six months ago but my finances dictated I choose between the two. My office had the faster internet connection, but my apartment had a working shower, so there really was no choice. I’ll take clean hair over cat videos any day of the week.
Weaving slightly I got undressed, already feeling the fuzz of a hangover developing on my tongue. Not for the first time I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I cut out drinking I might have enough money for other things.
I tried to drop my handbag on the dresser, but
Monday, June 2, 2014
140Story - Day 5
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 the next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
and a fifty onto the bar and waved Crewcut Douchebag Number Two to the door.
“Lily,” Burton called across the room, “the offer’s on the table for twenty-four hours. After that we’re moving on.”
I nodded and waved my free drink at him as they left.
Scully had already scooped up the fifty, and his other hand hovered over the business card. “What do you want me to do with this?”
‘Throw it in the garbage’ was on my lips. I swear it was. But I hesitated, just that one moment. A lifetime of regret is built from moments like that.
“I’ll take it,” I said, shoving it into my handbag. “You know. Just in case.”
Scully frowned. He knew my past. He knew my present too. Shaking his head he went back to his bartender business, cleaning and
and a fifty onto the bar and waved Crewcut Douchebag Number Two to the door.
“Lily,” Burton called across the room, “the offer’s on the table for twenty-four hours. After that we’re moving on.”
I nodded and waved my free drink at him as they left.
Scully had already scooped up the fifty, and his other hand hovered over the business card. “What do you want me to do with this?”
‘Throw it in the garbage’ was on my lips. I swear it was. But I hesitated, just that one moment. A lifetime of regret is built from moments like that.
“I’ll take it,” I said, shoving it into my handbag. “You know. Just in case.”
Scully frowned. He knew my past. He knew my present too. Shaking his head he went back to his bartender business, cleaning and
Sunday, June 1, 2014
140Story - Day 4
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 the next installment of Bullets Ain't Cheap
was with Telrik he already knew my address, my credit score, and my blood type. Knowing my name wasn’t impressive or scary.
“Still not interested.”
He sat, uninvited. Three easy ways to cripple him flashed through my brain.
“We’re not trying to get you back on the team,” he said, with an oily smile that made me think of a fourth way. “We have a job. Freelance. No strings.”
There were always strings with Telrik. Always.
I smiled sweetly, blinked my mascara-less eyelashes slowly, and shook my head so my auburn braid ended up trailing down my neck. Just in case things were going to get ugly.
“One last time. No. Thank you.”
A flash of anger took over his face for a moment, then he covered it. “Fair enough. We have other resources.”
He flipped a business card
was with Telrik he already knew my address, my credit score, and my blood type. Knowing my name wasn’t impressive or scary.
“Still not interested.”
He sat, uninvited. Three easy ways to cripple him flashed through my brain.
“We’re not trying to get you back on the team,” he said, with an oily smile that made me think of a fourth way. “We have a job. Freelance. No strings.”
There were always strings with Telrik. Always.
I smiled sweetly, blinked my mascara-less eyelashes slowly, and shook my head so my auburn braid ended up trailing down my neck. Just in case things were going to get ugly.
“One last time. No. Thank you.”
A flash of anger took over his face for a moment, then he covered it. “Fair enough. We have other resources.”
He flipped a business card
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