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  Kenneth Lawson
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September 12th, 2021

9/12/2021

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​I watched the comings and goings from my vantage point outside of the city, never daring to enter until now. The trek took longer as I avoided the security cameras around the city. The skills they taught me to keep the country safe served me well to keep myself out of the kind of jail they denied exists.

I had decided that I couldn’t do the work anymore. One does not retire from this job and disappears completely, but that is what I did. My former employers had issued “shoot to kill” orders, but I had to come. 

 The people who wanted me dead retained LeAnn Talbot because they suspected she knew where I was. LeAnn had helped me disappear but did not know where I had ended up. 

They held her in a black ops house that I knew well, and I was familiar with Russell Long, the agent in charge. I’d worked with him in the “Good Ole Days” when it was fun to be a spy. As I neared the house, I realized this was my last chance to back out, but I couldn’t. I owed her.

Russell opened the door as I stepped on the porch. “I never expected to see you again.” 

“You wouldn’t now, would you? I heard you had LeAnn and plan on transferring her to a federal prison tomorrow. A prison she will never walk out of, will she? 

 He scoffed. “You can’t stop it. Besides, we have what we want now—you.” 

“Not going to happen, Russell, because LeAnn and I are walking out of here right now.”

Russell pulled his gun from its holster and aimed it at me. “You know I can’t let you do that.”

I smiled. “Yes, you can, and you will.” I pulled a manila envelope from inside my jacket. 

“In here are the details of the Russian mission ten years ago—pictures, names, dates, and video of what happened when the general’s daughter died. It proves you raped and strangled her. We all know the official version and that they bought it. Barely. This will put you where you want to send LeAnn.” 

“I can just shoot you.” He stuck the gun barrel against my chest.

“Within five minutes of my death, a copy of this report will go to your superiors and every major news outlet in the world, starting with the Russian press. How long do you think you’d last?”

He started to respond, but I dangled the package in front of him. He crossed the room and unlocked a door. “Get out here.”

LeAnn timidly entered the room and ran to me. “Thank you. I hoped you would come.” 

Russell was still holding the gun on me. “Give me the file.”

“Sure.” I raised my arm as if to toss it to him, but instead, in one quick move, I sent an uppercut to his jaw, and he was out cold. 

I dropped the envelope onto his body and grabbed LeAnne’s hand. As we hurried from the house, she asked why I had given Russell the information. 

“No, only blank paper in the envelope. I mailed the real report to his superiors. Russell will pay for what he did.”

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September 05th, 2021

9/5/2021

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​Jason muttered, “It was a dark and stormy night,” as he turned onto the wet street. Jason only hoped that this evening didn’t turn into a lousy dime store novel.

She was right where she said she’d be, wearing a red parka, on the corner of Third and Main. He pulled over and got out, walking toward her.

 “Laura?” 

“Yes, You’re Jason?”

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“He’s still following me!”

“Who’s following you? Where?”  Jason looked around the empty street, but there was no one in sight. Glancing around nervously, Laura pointed over her shoulder. “There”

Jason looked in the direction she indicated—nothing but blackness.

“There’s no one there.” 

“He’s there. I saw him!” Laura was near hysteria.

“Ma’am, you called me out here at this ungodly hour to tell me you think someone is following you, but there’s no one there. No Sale.” He turned to leave.

“There’s this too.” She reached into a pocket of her parka. “I found this today on my dresser.” 

He stopped in his tracks and reluctantly faced her again. 

Laura held an envelope in her hand. Jason took it.

The ripped envelop held a single sheet of white paper, with three words typed in old typeface—I’m watching you.

Handing it back to her. “You found this when and where?”

“This morning on my bedroom dresser. He’d been in my house, In my Room.” Laura’s hand holding the letter shook, and she was pale as if she was about to faint.

“I understand.” 

He tried to sound sincere, but a nagging doubt floated in the back of his mind. He hated when that happened. It never ended well. 

He thought about his next move as he looked around the street more carefully. 

“Tell you what, you leave. I’ll lag behind a bit. Then I’ll shadow you and see if anyone is following you. Give me your address. I’ll meet you there in a bit.” She handed him a paper with her name and address on it.

Jason glanced at it. She lived in the “High Rent District,” which indicated his research was correct. She could afford him. As she started to walk away, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Laura pushed him away in surprise. “What?”

“That was for anyone watching. We’re lovers, planning a meet later.”  He patted her ass as she turned to leave, and she jumped slightly at his pat. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned visibly pink in the dim streetlight revealing her embarrassment. 

 He stifled a smile and had to admit he enjoyed the play.

As Laura disappeared down the street, Jason pretended to head back in the other direction. At the corner, he faded into the blackness and waited. 

He didn’t wait long.

An equally shadowy figure slipped out of the black and waked toward him. “Damn, she was right. There is someone following her.”

Jason grinned as he hugged her. “She bought it. Hook Line and sinker. She swears she’s being stalked.”

“She is. Now.” 

Together they followed Laura for several blocks until she reached her townhome. The woman grabbed his arm. “Well, lover boy, time for you to do what you are so good at, make her fall in love with you.”

Jason kissed the woman. “No worries, love. Within a week, I’ll convince her to sign all her asse
ts to me.”

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    Picture


    500 Words
      The idea is to write a short story  about 500 max short based on a picture and an opening line.  
    ​From there one can go ANYWHERE..
    ​
    Please note: the images used are free-use images and do not require attribution.

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