Hi All So, I'm fast approaching the end of this latest round of edits on my Early Adopters short story anthology now. I can't wait to share these stories with you all. For that reason, I just thought I might share a little section of one of the stories, Blood on The Carpet (with very little context). Hope you enjoy! Blood on the CarpetRolento Derry couldn’t complain too much. His suite of rooms was really very nice. Time was slithering away from him a little without a watch or daylight to go on, but at his best guess, he’d been cooped up for about a month. His attempt to get in and out of The Hole, his little burglary, hadn’t exactly gone off as planned, thanks to a rather nasty bullet wound to the thigh. Still, it was healing pretty well, with his captor’s help. He’d probably always know about it now, especially on cold days, but in that respect, he’d add it to his list with the rest.
Currently, Derry was self-medicating the pain with a good brandy, sat by the roaring fireside. Savouring the taste in his mouth, he shut his eyes and listened to the crackle of the logs. The warmth did wonders for his long-punished bones and it was agreeable enough for now. Mentally he allowed it, but did his best to keep himself sharp and cold, like a well whetted knife. As much as his surroundings tried to fool him, he was still in The Hole after all and in a whole heap of trouble to boot. There were a number of ways that he thought things could play out. Some of them much less pleasant than others. He had spent much of his time here running the possibilities over in his head. Planning how best to react were any of them to occur. He bided his time. Behind him, the main door to his comfortable cell beeped. It was a sturdy. High Tech. Impenetrable with the tools at his disposal, which wasn’t much. He hadn’t had many visitors. He’d enjoyed that. Enjoyed the peace, but in the back of his mind he’d just been waiting for the hammer to cock. Maybe this would be it. Maybe now he’d find out why they had been fattening him up all this time, rather than finishing him off. He closed his eyes tighter, enjoying the final few moments of solitude. As he did so, Derry listened to the faint footfalls on the thick carpet. Closer and closer. From the sound he considered the stride and assessed it against what he knew. The possibilities. Only one he knew would match. He smiled. It gave him a chance at least. Abruptly, the approaching footsteps stopped. Without opening his eyes, Derry spoke, “Director Pitts, how nice of you to drop in. Please, take a seat.” Derry opened his eyes and was satisfied to see that his guess was right, “Thanks Derry, but I think I’ll stand. This will only be a quick visit.” Derry took up his brandy and took a healthy swig, “business then? And here I was thinking you’d dropped in to check up on my recovery.” “Recovery eh?” Pitts smiled mirthlessly. “The damage you’ve helped cause and the problems you’ve made for me, you’re lucky to be alive.” “And yet I am. I wonder why?” Derry said with a flourish he didn’t feel. He’d forgotten how draining all of this was. Company. The whole act. “Perceptive as always, Rolento. A man who knows his own worth. I like that about you. Professional too.” “The best.” “Indeed. But why all of that fuss? We’re colleagues. If you needed something from me, why didn’t you just ask?” “A loan? You wouldn’t be loaning me what I needed Pitts. Not for a job for someone else.” “Maybe, maybe not. But humour me, what on earth could you need it for?” Derry shrugged, “Sorry Pitts, no can do. Confidentiality is also one of my strong suits. A trait MiliTech have benefited from in the past.” “Yes, yes, you have a lot of positive qualities. That’s why I’m here. That’s why you’re still breathing. I’ve got a job for you.” “I already have a job. Or at least I did before everything went sideways.” “You miscalculated. The Hole isn’t a joke.” “Not a funny one, I’ll give you that.” “If you don’t want to hear my offer, that’s fine. I don’t fancy your chances with the rest though, if you carry on down this path.” “Not very subtle Pitts. Go on.” “My offer is this. You get to walk out of here, plus if you complete the assignment I’ve got for you, you get a cool one hundred million pounds. Twenty-five upfront, seventy-five on completion. You’ll need what you came here for to complete our job, but then as a little sweetener, I’ll let you use it for whatever else you’re up to. Only condition is, our job comes first. Thoughts?” For once in his life, Derry was taken aback. Pitts had surprised him. This was more than he could have hoped for. In all honesty, he’d have settled for getting out of here alive to lick his wounds in private and plan his next move. Not this red-carpet treatment and the prospect of retirement money, far and away above even his usual rate. Before he snapped the MiliTech suit’s hand off, there was only one question that remained, “well, that sounds like a fantastic offer, Pitts. A little too fantastic, if you don’t mind me saying. Who’s the target? What man do you want dead so much that you’d let me off the hook, with a contract like this to boot. Pitts smiled back like a mean alley cat, “Not a man, Derry. A God.”
0 Comments
|
BlogThis is where I will put semi regular musing about things that interest me. I cannot guarantee they will do the same for you guys Archives
May 2022
Categories |