This novel isn't just a novel. It's also for the October Prep Challenge too. |
Jessica Strong Plot Background – “Meeting Secret Location” Carl is pacing around his living room. “Where is she?” Just then the front doorbell rings. Carl answers it. “Oh good, it’s you.” Thirteen-year-old Misty enters that house. “I’m sorry that I’m late. My mom got home from work late. She said something about a traffic jam slowing her down.” “That’s okay, Misty,” says Carl as he follows Misty into the living room. He sits on the couch next to the chair she sits in. “I’m just glad that it’s you and not Social Services.” “Social Services said they would be here sometime today, but they haven’t gotten here yet. You do know what to do if they show up before I get back?” Misty smiles. “Of course, I do. This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened.” “I’m sure you do. Jessica knows what to do too. I just want to make sure.” “I shouldn’t be gone to long. Wouldn’t have even called you tonight if it wasn’t for Social Services.” Just then seven-year-old Jessica comes running in. Suddenly she stops and looks at Misty, then at her dad. “Are you going somewhere? You said you wouldn’t do that anymore.” “Yes, I’m going somewhere, but it’s not what you think. I’m not going to be gone that long. I promised you I wouldn’t be doing any more assignments, and I meant it.” “That’s why I’m going out tonight. I’m going to tell them personally that I’m no longer working for them.” Carl gets on one knee and hugs Jessica. She hugs him back. “I won’t be gone too long.” After reminding Misty about no boys, no drinking, and no parties, etc. Carl leaves. Carl drives to a large empty building and goes into it with his guns out. Before he goes into that building, Carl checks out the outside of it very carefully. He slowly scans it inch by inch. Carl counts seven Professional Killers outside that building. “They are going to need a lot more than that if they want to kill me.” Carl says as he gets out of his car. He slowly walks toward that building. Constantly pointing his guns at each of the killers as he walks across the open area between his car and that building. None of them don’t even try to kill him. Carl enters that almost completely dark empty warehouse. He keeps to the shadows to keep himself from being seen just yet. For the next few minutes, Carl uses those shadows to walk around that dark empty warehouse. Carl walks around those shadows three times. Stopping every few seconds. Suddenly Carl stops. He looks at the single light in the center of it that shows Carl a small circle of light. Just then Kevin and Olivia step into the circle of light. It’s Kevin who speaks first, though. He speaks up to be heard. “Carl, we know you are here. Come out into the open so that we can talk to you.” “I’m not ready to be killed just yet.” Every word that Carl speaks comes from a different part of that warehouse. “We aren’t here to kill you,” yells Olivia. “We’re only here to talk to you? Carl’s smile can’t be seen in the shadows, but that doesn’t mean he’s not doing it. “Then why have you brought at least seven Professional Killers with you?” “You know us,” says Kevin. “We don’t go anywhere without someone to protect us.” “Why do you want to talk to us?” Olivia asks. Carl starts walking around the shadows as he continues to speak from all around it. “You know why we are here. I’m here to get you to stop trying to contact me for assignments. I told you about eight months ago I wouldn’t be doing any more of them.” “We know what you told us about future assignments,” says Kevin. Like Olivia, Kevin looks in the direction of where Carl is speaking from. “You know you can’t just leave Secret Location like that.” “I never said that I was quitting Secret Location. Just that I would no longer be doing any more assignments.” Kevin and Olivia look at each other. It’s Olivia who speaks first. “That’s what we don’t understand. Why do you no longer want to do what you do best for us.” “It’s nothing personal,” say Carl. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.” “I’ve made more than enough money to live very comfortably. I don’t need to do it anymore,” continues Carl. Kevin starts slowly scanning that warehouse. “You know we can’t just let you quit. No matter what you call it, that is what you are doing.” “Once you join Secret Location you are a part of it until you die,” continues Olivia. “Which will it be? Continue working for us or die?” “I choose neither,” says Carl. “I’ve got the right to refuse any assignment that you send me. You can contact me all that you want, but I’m not going to except any of them. So, you might as well just stop trying to do it.” Kevin and Olivia look at each other, but it’s Kevin who speaks first. “Carl, you give us no choice. Since you don’t want to work for us there is no other choice, you must be killed.” A lot of shots can be heard. Only they aren’t coming from the Professional Killers. They are coming from the shadows all around that warehouse. Carl must not have just planted devices so his voice could appear anywhere. He must have planted weapons too. Those shots are aimed at Kevin and Olivia. Only instead of killing them they just bound off something as soon as they hit the circle of light. “Did you really think we would let you kill us so easily?” Olivia asks. “No, I didn’t. That was just a warning about what I will do to you if you don’t stop trying to contact me. I know who you are, and where you are. Don’t make me come after you because you know that I will.” Before Kevin or Olivia can respond to what Carl has just said, they see a light from outside as a door is opened. They also hear it slam shut too. Carl has left the building. As he heads for his car he takes out the seven Professional Killers one at a time. They all try to kill him first, but they miss. He doesn’t. A few come close, but not close enough to hit him. Carl dodges them one way or another. He takes out the last two from behind his car. Shaking his head sadly Carl drives away from there in his bullet-ridden car that can bare move. Word Count = 1,121 |