FirstLineFiction beta

from Contest #8

            'I wouldn't do that if I were you,' she told me the first time we met. It seemed like ages ago when I first showed up, but flashes of the past breezed through my head. Sweat seeped from my scalp, every tiny movement could equal certain death. ‘So, what’s your next move Smith? The proverbial and literal clock is ticking.’ I playfully grimaced at her, knowing that she was ultimately right. ‘Think about it very carefully Smith. Remember your training; relive every moment and every second. This could be your last chance, your final choice. Choose wisely Smith.’ She was good at what she did.. She was commanding, authoritarian, and full of leadership. She knew what she was doing. I, on the other hand, had no idea. I was helpless, defenseless, and full of fear. Either way, I made my choice.
            A loud buzz echoed out; I saw disappointment wash over her. ‘Smith, Smith, Smith; what are we going to do with you?’ I saw discontent in those hazel eyes. She shook her head in malcontent. Her auburn pony tail bounced back and forth, shaming me for my mistakes.
            ‘I’m sorry Vivian, I mean Sergeant Sims. I just...I don’t know what happened...I...’
            ‘No excuses Smith, I don’t need those. What if this was real? What if you had set off the device? In a public place, a setup with this amount of explosives could cause massive damage. It’s your job to make sure that things like that do not happen, under any circumstances. Do you understand Smith?’
            ‘Yes Sims, I understand.’
            ‘I know this setup was different than what you've worked on before, but we’re trying to push you; I’m trying to push you. There’s no reason why you cannot excel in this field. You're one in a million, and I want to see you go far. I hope you understand.’
            ‘I do. I’m sorry.’
            ‘There’s no need to be sorry Smith. Now, let’s try this again, and again, until you get it right. Get it right on this next try, and dinner is my treat tonight.’
            She winked at me. I smiled back.
            ‘Alright Smith, the simulation will begin again. You have 59 seconds. Good luck.’
            She watched as I opened the case to reveal the explosive. I had trained on simple trip-wire pipe bombs in previous training, but this was more extensive. I had to be cautious and careful; anything could set it off. I followed each of the wires back to each source. It was a complex setup, and I only had 30 seconds left.
            The timer ticked down. Each second felt like years, but they slipped by so fast. I needed to defuse the explosive. I needed to show Sims that I could. And, having her pay for once, sounded good to me.
            The timer stood at 8 seconds when I made my choice. I snipped the wire, my final decision. I waited for the buzz to ring out, insulting my career choice and taunting me. No such buzz would come. Vivian Sims owed me dinner.

            I pulled up to the restaurant, parked my car, and headed inside. I knew that she probably called in advance to set up reservations, and I knew exactly where she would be sitting. I turned the corner, and saw her sitting in our booth. She wore a magnificent cocktail dress, and I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor.
            ‘You look lovely.'
            ‘You’re not too shabby yourself.’
            I wore some black slacks, and a dark blue button down shirt, but I looked nowhere as stunning as her.
            ‘Look at you Nathaniel, all dressed up and on time. You’ve shaped up to be a gentleman, haven’t you?’
            ‘You give me too much credit darling; I set your watch back 5 minutes this morning. You really shouldn’t leave things like that unattended.’
            She mischievously smiled at me as we took our seats.
            ‘Do you remember the last time we were here Nathaniel? It seems like ages ago, doesn’t it?’
            ‘It does, but I remember everything. Every second is crystal clear. I came over to get you at 7:00, but was a few minutes late. When I opened that door, I was shocked. You looked so gorgeous. We laughed so much that night, and nothing could take that away from us. I drove you back home, and kissed you on the cheek. If memory serves me right, you blushed.’
            ‘I think you have to check your facts on that one Nathaniel. I did nothing of the sort!’
            ‘I think you did. In fact, I know you did. We had an amazing night, and I wanted to do it again. I remember when I first met you too. I knew at that moment, that I had to get to know you. Do you remember Vivian?’
            ‘Of course. If memory serves me correct, you were acting like a jackass.’
            ‘I wouldn’t go as far as that, but I’ll give you some credit. The way I see it, is that I saw that there was a pool, so I decided to go for a swim.’
            ‘I watched as you swam back and forth, doing laps so vigorously. I was mesmerized by it, but you shouldn’t have been in there.’
            ‘You were damned to tell me too. I remember hearing your voice, but did nothing. It wasn’t until you were standing pool-side that I stopped to see who it was. There you were, and the first thing you said to me was “'I wouldn't do that if I were you.” The pool was closed, and the landlord was a dick, but I didn’t care. You cared more than I did. You still do.'
            ‘Well, someone has to care in this relationship Nathaniel! If it was your way, we’d never get anything done!’
            ‘But we’d never have any fun if we did everything your way!’
            We laughed and smiled, and enjoyed our time together.
            ‘Do you remember when I walked in on my first day Vivian? I came through that door, you raised your head to look, and for once, you were shocked. Sure, I was too, but I let you be the most taken aback. It worked. I could see the frustration in your eyes. You stuttered over your words, and tumbled over simple phrases. I enjoyed every second of it. You avoided me for the most part, hardly acknowledging me at all.’
            ‘I won’t acknowledge that either!’
            ‘Just like you didn’t acknowledge me Vivian?’
            I winked at her, as she tossed her napkin at my face. I handed it back to her, and blew her a kiss. She flipped me off. I didn’t mind.
            ‘You wouldn’t see any less of me. I’d see you most mornings when you left for work. I’d see you at the Tactical Explosives Unit. I knew you would avoid me as much as possible. It worked too, until the bosses were pleased with my work, and paired us up so you could mentor me. I think you set the whole thing up, after you saw me half-naked in that pool. You couldn’t resist me, could you?’
            ‘You’re awful Nathaniel!’ She grinned widely at me as she began to blush. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about!’
            ‘Even if you don’t acknowledge it, it’s true!’
            ‘If you say so Nathaniel! It’s getting late though; shouldn’t you be taking me home?’
            ‘If that is your wish, it is my command.’
            ‘I believe dinner is on me, so I’ll get the check, and we’ll go.’
            We drove back to the apartment complex, went past the pool, up the stairs, and right to her door.
            ‘Thank you for dinner Vivian.’
            ‘Thank you Mr. Smith. Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.’
            ‘I hope so. Goodnight Vivian.’
            ‘Goodnight Nathaniel.’
            I kissed her, and then she slipped inside. She would be next door, but she felt so far away. Either way, I would see her soon.

            I had just finished another day of training with Vivian, but my day was just beginning. I was stepping out of the shower in the locker room, when of all people, Vivian came storming in. She seemed flustered, but so focused at the same time. I never knew how she did it.
            ‘Whoa Vivian! You’re aware that this is a men’s locker room, right?’
            ‘I’m well aware of that Smith. You’re back on the clock, so it’s Sergeant Sims. No bullshit right now, okay? Get dressed, we’ve been called in.
            The TEU was in a frenzy. I stepped into the offices, and everyone was ablaze with emotion. They way I heard it, one bomb had been set off in a shopping center. The damage was massive, and the death toll was rising by the minute. But, there was more. It wasn’t an isolated incident. There wasn’t just one bomb.
            The note was being currently being analyzed by Federal Agents, and we could only take the back seat. However, the TEU was at the center of it all. We had been called in, and we had to heed that call.
            ‘Alright everyone, gather around. I’m Director Steele, and I’m heading up this investigation. Let's get started. As you all know, there was a tragedy at the Mesa Spring Shopping Center at approximately 4:05 P.M. There was neither warning, nor any note beforehand. However, a note was found at the scene afterward, away from the blast zone. This was no novice, and whoever orchestrated this attack knows what he or she is doing. The note reads as so: It’s time for fun in the sun. It will be fun, I promise you. I’ve placed 4 additional explosives at 4 separate shopping centers in Los Angeles. If I don’t receive a total of $40 million, $10 million for each, I will detonate them, and I’ll bring this city into a chaos unlike it has ever seen. If you attempt to evacuate any of the locations, I will blow them all. You have 12 hours to deliver my money. I suggest that you do so quickly. I’ll be in touch.
            ‘We are obviously dealing with a very dangerous individual, who massacred innocent citizens. They did nothing to him, nor did they deserve this. We need each and every person here to lend a hand in this investigation, so we can bring this individual to justice. I want every one of you to do your damndest, to stop this monster. Follow up on every lead you can find. Good luck; let’s catch this fucker.’
            The entire TEU building rumbled under the cheering from each individual, trying to add some motivation to the investigation. Sure, it worked, but I was reluctant to see how long it would last. Time would tell, and even then, we had little time.
            ‘Smith. Smith. Smith!’
            I spun around to see Vivian glaring at me. I couldn’t read whether her eyes were distressing, intuitive, or both. I scurried behind her, and into her office.
            ‘Close the door Smith. Now.’
            Distressed. They were definitely distressed.
            ‘Nathaniel, I need to confide in you. I need your help. I’ve been looking into this whole mess since the moment it happened, and I believe that I have a strong lead. That’s where I need your help. The Director and his mass of goons are ignorant, and to be frank, they’re outdated and lackluster. They don’t have the gusto or drive like you do. Their eyes are glossy and they are void of life. I need your help Nathaniel.’
            ‘Why do you need my help, and with what?’
            ‘I’ve seen your skills firsthand, and I know what you’re capable of. I wouldn’t trust any of these old bastards. I’d trust you with everything Nathaniel. That’s why you’re here, and not doing someone’s scrub work. Here’s what I know: I had an old acquaintance cross-reference employees with a military background, with anyone who filed complaints, or who were included in any incident reports at the shopping center in the last 6 months. The search yielded a decent lead, one Gregory Alva. He is 34 years of age, with sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and stands at about 5 foot 11. His military record states that he served 10 years in the Army. Guess what unit he served in?’
            ‘Artillery?’
            ‘Exactly. He spent 10 years in the artillery unit, but was dishonorably discharged after an incident with another soldier. The other individual, one Brad Yanter, was killed in what Gregory claimed was an accident, but he was still dishonorably discharged. There were no other witnesses to the event listed. Gregory then went off of the radar for a few years, but was reportedly living with his mother. It wasn’t until last year that he showed back up, when he was hired at a fast food restaurant in the food court. Want to guess where the epicenter of the explosion was?’
            ‘The food court perhaps?’
            ‘Right again. He worked at “Sammy’s Cafe” for a short-lived month, when he was fired for repeated brutalization towards customers and employees. Other employees who worked with him stated that he was clearly unstable, but there was nothing that they could do about it. In all honesty, I’m sure he’s our guy Nathaniel. Our next lead took him to the Wood Oaks Shopping Center, where he landed a job at “Rob’s Foot Care”, where he was once again fired. Our best bet is to go in quietly, search the area, find the bomb, or find Gregory. Can I depend on you Nathaniel?’
            ‘Of course.’
            ‘Well then, let’s go.’
            She drove like a renegade missile, but she was sure of the target. I could see it in her eyes. We arrived, got out of the car, and she led me to her trunk.
            ‘Here Smith, suit up, and arm yourself.’
            She handed me a bulletproof vest, along with a 9mm pistol.
            ‘You don’t know what he’s capable of, so you have to be on your toes. Expect nothing, and suspect everything. Do you understand me? Am I clear?’
            ‘Yes ma’am.’
            We located “Rob’s Foot Care” and headed there as quickly as possible. We streamlined to the location, trying to drawing little to no attention. We played it off, held hands, and laughed like an everyday couple. We acted normally, but on the inside, we were deathly afraid. More than anything, I was deathly afraid. This was real life, not some simulation. That single fact scared the living hell out of me.
            We rapidly approached the location, and it was finally in sight. Our eyes darted every which way, searching for the explosives, or better yet, Gregory Alva himself.
            ‘I’ll play lookout out here Smith, so I want you to search the store. Locate the explosives at all cost, but be sure to pay attention to each individual in there. Do you understand me Smith?’
            ‘Completely, Sergeant Sims.’
            I entered the store, trying to hide my nervous eyes. I treaded up and down each aisle, appearing to be browsing for a pair of shoes. I searched for anything out of place, even the simplest or tiniest thing. I came up with nothing. That’s when I heard her scream.
            ‘Smith! Smith! He’s running!’
            I darted out of the store and saw him run past the storefront. His face flashed in front of mine, and was burned into my memory. Vivian had her gun drawn, but there were too many civilians to take a clear shot.
            ‘Smith! I caught him dropping this case off underneath a bench, but before I knew it he was taking off. I’ll stay here and defuse this, but I’m not sure if I have enough time. If he has it remotely rigged, he could detonate it at any moment. I need you to get him Smith. Go. Now!’
            I drew my gun and took off after him, dodging person after person. I knew that I had to have better conditioning then him, and that’s when I saw him just ahead of the crowd.
            ‘Alva! Alva, you bastard!’
            He turned back for a split second, and grinned. I had to speed up. I had to get him before he did something brash. With every step I gained ground on him, until he was no more than 10 yards ahead of me. He knew I was close, and getting closer. I saw him reaching into his coat pocket as he turned towards me. I tackled him with every ounce of strength I had, sending him and the detonator to the floor. I swore that I could smell the sickness on him. We wrestled on the ground, but he managed to overpower me and throw the gun from my hand as he threw me back into a wall. He took that opportunity to run. I jumped to my feet, and ran to the detonator first. No…no…I looked at it; it had already been triggered. I picked my gun up and lined Alva up in my sight. I had the shot. That’s when I heard the explosion.

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