Freestyle Friday 10-2020
Nick sat staring through his bay window. His mind had drifted off while his wife, Natalie griped about yet another thing he didn’t care about. Sitting quietly, he focused on the neighbor across the street tooling around in his flower bed.
“Are you listening?”
“Yes, I hear you.”
She droned on about the block club know-it-all but Nick hadn’t actually heard one word.
“Honey, I don’t know why you let her upset you.”
He threw the phrase out there just to double down on the façade that he actually cared. Nick couldn’t wait to get out of there. He looked at his watch.
“Oh darling, I have to go,” he said as he stood from the loveseat.
Natalie watched as he strolled over, kissed her cheek then scurried out the door. Once Nick made it to the car he waved as he backed out the driveway, the fake smile on his face beamed. A block away, if Natalie had seen him, you’d think he was a different person, menacing. Nick drove just a few blocks away, he hit the button on the garage door then parked his sedan.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Terry, his partner, said.
“Look, you know I have to play my roll. I got here as fast as I could, you think I wanted to be there any longer?”
“Sorry dude. You drew the short straw.”
“Whatever!”
“There she goes,” Terry said pointing at the monitor.
They watched the live surveillance as their subject entered the basement office.
“I’ll be glad when this shit is over,” Nick stated.
“Looks like your prayers are answered.”
“They listened to the call that was being made.”
“Yes, dad I CAN’T wait to see you either,” the subject said excitedly.
“YES!” Nick exclaimed.
Nick and Terry had been surveilling this subject for years. They’d both taken the assignment thinking it wouldn’t be a long road but give them both the experience and notches under the proverbial belt they need at the bureau. But they were far from on point. They were into year 4 but finally there was a light. This tunnel was coming to an end.
Nick sat there reminiscing. He’d ‘bumped’ into Natalie at a local coffee shop, they exchanged words and then laughter. After that, he’d woo’d her into being his. Here they were 3 yrs later, she’d been trying to have a baby. He felt for her every month when she’d sink into a sadness whenever she saw her period actually show up. Nick sat thinking of all the hiding, secrets, surveilling he’d FINALLY be able to leave behind once they got their target.
“It’s a go,” Terry said as he’d just reported to their superiors and gotten instructions.
“I’m all set. This calls for a drink,” Nick opened the desk drawer and poured them both a healthy dose of Vodka.
He finished out his night then returned home as he did every morning seemingly from his midnight shift supervisory job at the oil refinery.
That next evening………..
“I’m so excited,” Natalie stated as the doorbell rang and she headed to open it.
“Dinner will be amazing, honey.”
Natalie greeted their dinner guest and them brought them into the living room where Nick was standing.
“Nick, I’ve waited so long for this. This is my dad; dad this is Nick your son-in-law.”
Nick extended his hand.
“Nice to finally meet you Mr. Rump.”
“Same here son,”
“Please have a seat. Let me get you a drink. Natalie told me how you like your scotch. I got a great one for you.”
“I like you already, son. I’ll take that, neat. Rocks are for sissies.”
“Coming right up.”
Nick made his way to the bar, poured a drink, returned to his father-in-law seated on the couch. He watched intently as Mr. Rump savored his beverage.
“Daddy, tell me all about your trip,” Natalie said full of glee.
Just as her dad began to speak, it seemed the words caught in his throat. He began to gasp.
“Daddy, what’s wrong? Nick call 9-1-1.”
Nick stood still. He was dazed.
“NICK”
He scurried to find his cell phone.
When he entered the other room he said to himself, “That poison worked faster than I thought.”