High Stakes

“Oh, and Marcus. Don’t come back until you find it.” The implied threat dripping from every syllable.

Marcus paused at the threshold just as he heard the words. His mind raced at how he was going to retrieve it. He decided the best course of action was to go to the last known spot anyone had seen it, and that was not a comforting thought.

Marcus drove to the rundown warehouse. His palms sweating and his heart beating a couple of beats faster than normal, he exited and peered down at the blood stained pavement. Mickey’s last words, laying in a pool of his own blood, bounced around in Marcus’s head -- “They took it. The Di’Fanos took it, Marcus.” He felt the .45 in his jacket, but that was little comfort against machine guns.

“Marcus. Nice ta see yas.”

The words sent a chill down his spine.

“Manny, I see you got paroled early.”

“Let’s just say I dealt my way out.” Manny twirled a toothpick in his mouth as he stood at the top of the stairs.

“I heard you took something from my boss. Something that doesn’t belong to you. He wants it back.”

“Oh, surrrrrre. We got it. But it’ll cost him. That P.I. Mickey was gracious enough to give it to us.” He glanced at the blood spot.

“Where is it? How do I know you even have it.”

Manny twitched his head and a thug emerged from the door behind him holding the briefcase.

“Look familiar?”

“Yeah.” Marcus nodded his head and machine gun fire erupted as three men let loose from behind his vehicle. Manny and the thug lay dead. Blood dripped on the blood splotched pavement.

“It does indeed.” Marcus picked up the case and tossed it in the back seat.


300 Words
Flash Story must contain the line: "Don’t come back until you find it."

EDITOR'S PICK 5/19/2010 ACTION/ADVENTURE NL