Contest [Issue 72] Continue The Story IV - Chapter 2

[Flexoo 6,980]

 

 

 

 

Two months back we revived our traditional writing competition and found the entry that will serve as opening chapter of a whole new story. After some mandatory rest period, we are back to find another chapter that will reveal how the story continues.

 

 

The first chapter was written by @Electron-9000 and your job is to continue where the author of this chapter left. Take a look at the story and write your own continuation.

 

 

The Chronicles of a Writer

 

Chapter 1: The Reveal

 

‘Meet me at my office at 2’ read the note. All kinds of emotions rushed through. “What does he want now?”, visibly confused, Gerald quickly glanced at the clock. “Half-an-hour left eh”. He reached out for his coffee mug. It was empty.  He moved towards the coffee machine to fill him up with some coffee. “Yo Stephanie, do you know what the boss wants to talk about today? Did he speak to you about anything?”. Stephanie just nodded a no and continued to converse on her phone.

 

This whole meeting thing was stressing Gerald out. He had never been called for a meeting before. Was he getting suspended? Even worse, fired? Gerald worked as a writer for a firm. He had been appointed to his role by his uncle, Oswald. He had done a few reports and that’s it. What the company did, or what their market was, was something Gerald has no clue about. Nevertheless, he waited for the hour to strike.

He knocked the boss’s cabin, asking permission to enter. The boss had his chair turned towards the fireplace, smoking a cigar, with his back towards Gerald. “Grab a chair young man”. His voice was cold. Gerald, not wanting to make things worse for himself, quietly pulled a chair and sat down. Every second passing seemed like an hour. At this point Gerald had begun to sweat.

 

The boss, back still turned against him, spoke: “Do you know why I called you here Gerald?” “Not really Sir!” Gerald replied. The boss turned around. He had large sunglasses on, which covered most of his face. A muffler was wrapped around his neck. He said, “Mr. Gerald, I know its been just 4 months that you have been working with us, I think now it’s time that I tell you what this company is all about” Gerald sat right up. Something wasn’t right. He could feel it. The boss let him have a few moments to sink it in.

 

Once Gerald regained his composure, the boss continued. He said, “We are a company that does ads for different clients, but we work as spies undercover for these clients. Blackmail, evidence collection, reports, etc. is all part of what we do here. And before you react or try to leave, let me tell you that once you are hired here, there is no turning back”. Gerald was shocked. Struggling to find some words to blurt out, he asked, “What.. What mm-makes you think I c-can’t run away?”. The boss smirked, and pulled out a paper which looked like the contract Gerald had once signed on. He continued, “Your uncle works for us as a talent recruitment officer. I must tell you, he does his job well, I mean look at you. Perfect talent”.

 

Gerald gulped. Memories were starting to strike back at him. Nearly 6 months ago, he had asked his uncle Oswald for a job. His uncle introduced him to this job. Even though the pay wasn’t all that good, Gerald had to take it because of his poor condition. After all, something is better than nothing right? He also remembered that in his state of desperation, he had forgotten to read the contract and just did whatever he was told at that time.

 

Back to the present, Gerald was furious. He had been played. But there was no other option at this point. With a heavy heart, Gerald asked the boss, “What do you want me to do?”. The boss laughed, and replied, “Now we talkin’, you have three objectives, each different from the other”. Saying this he threw three photographs in front of him. “The first photograph is of Joseph Carter, the second is Frank Callum, and the last one is of Kristi Elizer. Now here’s what you will be doing. Joseph Carter is an undercover spy for the G.E.N.E.X, an organization that collects ancient relics. You have to create a case against him, busting him with proof of his relation to the organization, and stuff like that… You get the point. Frank Callum, is a model who is rumored to be cheating on his wife. You have to prove this wrong, and support him with valid resources. Kristi Elizer is the daughter of the third richest man in the country. She has been missing for a few days now. You have to make a report on this event. Is that clear?”.

 

At this point, it was complete fade out for Gerald. Failure to accomplish these tasks would mean death. With no choice, Gerald picked up the three photos, and began to leave the cabin. As he left, the boss growled, “Oh yeah, one more thing, If you try to run away or call for help, my men will make sure you don’t stay alive to tell your tale”

Gerald closed the door behind him. He wasn’t hired for this. He went back home, set up his bulletin, and cleared his table. He was a different man now. His only hope and escape was if he finished these tasks. As darkness slowly took over the city, Gerald sat down, pen in hand, making notes as he surfed the internet. Progress had to made.. And Fast!

 

To be Continued…..

 

 

To make things organized, we have a set of rules. Please read them before participating!

 

1. Each chapter should have its own title.

2. Word limit is 800 words. Slightly less or more is acceptable (+/- 100 words).

3. Note that this contest is called Continue The Story for a reason. Your plot must be interesting and have potential to

    be developed in further chapters.

4. Plagiarism is prohibited. We also won't accept entries from past installments. Come with something original, you will 

    have enough time.

5. All entries should be posted in this topic. Only participants with low rank that doesn't allow them to post in forum are 

    allowed to send their entries via Forum PM.

 

If you are stumbling in the dark, and you're unsure what to do or how to start, I advise you to check out the previous winners below;

 

[issue 30] The Grand Offensive - Completed! - Newspaper Archive - Tanki Online Forum

[issue 39] Inner Truths - Newspaper Archive - Tanki Online Forum

[issue 55] Bloodshed - Completed

 

Prizes

 

1st place:  40 000

2nd place: 30 000

3rd place:  20 000

4th place:  15 000

 

Consolation prizes for other worthy entries: 10 000

 

Deadline: 23rd February, 2018.

 

 

Good luck to all participants!

 

 

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

Good Luck all!

[I3.R.0 1,700]

The story I write now, has to be continued again right?

[Flexoo 6,980]

The story I write now, has to be continued again right?

You have to continue the chapter 1 written by @Electron-9000.

[I3.R.0 1,700]

You have to continue the chapter 1 written by @Electron-9000.

That continuation has to be written in such a way that it can be continued again? Or do I write it as the last part, the ending

That was my question

Edited February 2, 2018 by I3.R.0

[Flexoo 6,980]

That continuation has to be written in such a way that it can be continued again? Or do I write it as the last part, the ending

That was my question

it should be written as continuation that is open for another chapter. This one is not the closing chapter.

[BlueDragon_tamki 3,204]

Oof that'll be harder

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

Wait till the last chapter then :P

[I3.R.0 1,700]

I'm a bit doubtful about Stephanie's character. Is she the wife of Gerald or his sister or a colleague?. I'm sorry because I'm not able to get that

Edited February 3, 2018 by I3.R.0

[opidude 437]

The Chronicles of a Writer

 

Chapter 2: Chicken

 

Gerald decided to work on Kristi Elizer’s case first. A daughter of a rich man wouldn’t be too hard to get information about, he thought. “Disappearance”, “Mystery”, “Nowhere to be found”. He searched and searched but found nothing. It was, until he stumbled across an unusual website. The website had nothing on it but a phrase, in dark blood red. “why dId The chicKen croSs the road? to go back to the otheR sIde.” He noticed the unusual capitalization of a few letters, so he wrote down them down. “I T K S R I”. Upon deciphering, it read, “K R I S T I”.

 

Certain that he had found a clue, Gerald tried finding more from that website, but failed. He decided to read the riddle a few more times. What does it mean by the chicken going back to the other side of the road? A spark then hit him, like a battered piece of chicken getting dunked into a fryer. He opened his computer, opened the map application, and navigated to Elizer’s mansion. There, as he predicted, was a Kentucky Fried Chicken, right across the street. Gerald couldn’t hold his excitement, so he grabbed his notes, stormed out of his house and drove to that KFC.

 

The KFC seemed like any other, with normal people eating chicken normally and normal employees serving chicken normally… But Gerald knew, that this KFC was not like any other. Gerald secretly checked every nook and cranny of the place. Under the tables, in the bathroom stalls, in his piece of fried chicken… but had no luck. As he was eating his fried chicken however, he started to become dizzy. His chicken had been drugged. His sudden migraine caused him to pass out and he fell to the floor.

 

Gerald woke up in a closed room, tied to a chair, unable to move. The room had no windows, only 4 metal walls, a metal door, and another chair. He had been trapped. His head still throbbed with pain, but that wasn’t his main problem now. He had no clue where he was, and who trapped him there. Suddenly the door opened.

 

A very fat man, wearing a white cape over his entire body walked in. His footsteps sounded very inhuman-like; almost like a walking duck. He closed the door and sat on the chair. In a deep, coarse voice, the man began to speak, “What are ye here for, ya lost chicken?”. “Wh-wh-wh-who are you? Why am I here?”, Gerald screamed. “ANSWER ME QUESTION. WHAT ARE YE HERE FOR?” the man screamed back. “I’m here to find Kristi. She’s been missing for days… because you guys took her.” “No, no, no. You’re the wrong one here. We didn’t take Kristi… she came here by herself. Didn’t you see our clue? Why did the chicken cross the road? To get back to the other side. Kristi came back, to our side.”

 

Gerald was lost for words. The man then lifted his cape, revealing his true form. He was a chicken. A big chicken body, 2 feathered wings, 2 chicken legs. A bona fide chicken. “You want to see Kristi? I’ll show you Kristi.” He shouted, “Come in Kris, you have a visitor.” The door swung open and another chicken walked in. This chicken had a more woman-like figure and a higher-pitched voice. It spoke, “I am Kristi. I have been infiltrating into the Elizer family for 20 years, and my mission is now complete. I stole all the information about their chicken farming company. They’ve been slaughtering our brothers and sisters for 59 years now. But soon, we’re going to end it.” Gerald’s jaw dropped. Kristi Elizer was a chicken all along? What were they going to do about Gerald?

 

A third chicken came in and gave Kristi an unusual looking device. It was a flat board mounted on a handle. Kristi then went up to Gerald and pointed the device at Gerald. It was a mirror. Looking into the mirror, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He had turned into a chicken. “What happened? How? Why am I a chicken? Turn me back!” he yelled. A smirk formed on the chickens’ faces. “You’re going to experience what we have been going through for 59 whole years. You tortured, killed, and ate us. So what is a more fitting death for you than this? Good bye you lost chicken, you shouldn’t have joined Elizer, nor should you have messed with us.” The chickens left the room, leaving Gerald alone once again. Suddenly, the walls of the room disappeared like magic. A bright light caused him to close his eyes, but when he slowly opened them, what he saw was a dark nightmare.

 

Gerald the chicken was inside Elizer’s chicken farm.

 

To Be Continued...

 

 

804 Words

Edited February 22, 2018 by opidude

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

^ KFC = Evil

[Magenta 5,165]

^ KFC = Evil

Kremlin Fspy Corporation

[TheAceRabbit 16]

The Chronicles of a Writer

Chapter 2: Mr. Carter

 

   

 

     Gerald wrapped string tightly around the crimson thumbtack. After two long, sleepless nights, he wasn't able to gather information about Mr. Carter. So far he had only gathered two headlines involving G.E.N.E.X, and only one of them seemed remotely promising. He fell back in his office chair, resting his jaw on joined hands. Looking down with tired eyes, he breathed out nervously. Why did I start with the spy?

     Papers laid in a clumsy heap atop his desk. He rocked his chair side to side, from the bulletin board to the desk. His brain was running loops in a tangled mess; he couldn't think straight. Not only was the spy filling his mind, but the other two photographs smiled at him menacingly. How would he finish these jobs? He had been chugging down coffee all night and still had not the slightest clue about Joseph Carter, much less how to connect his actions to G.E.N.E.X.

     He fidgeted with his pen restlessly before brushing a few papers aside from his desk. He took hold of his notebook and browsed the phone numbers he had jotted down. He'd highlighted the number to G.E.N.E.X. HQ for future reference, but had not figured out the story he was going to compose yet. Simply asking, “Hey, I heard you guys got an undercover spy by the name of Joseph Carter, can you confirm?” would probably get him killed within the hour.

     He eyed the note he just pinned on the bulletin board. It was comprised of details about one of the company's latest relics collected, a stone chiseled into an elaborate compass with unknown symbols carved along the edges. One of their affiliates allegedly got lucky and dug it up by accident, but there wasn't much subject matter on it. This led Gerald to believe there was something going on behind the scenes of this find, which would hopefully lead to evidence of Mr. Carter's involvement with them and end his first case early.

     Pulling forth his laptop, he hesitantly searched incognito for clues pertaining to the compass relic. There was almost nothing noted. Browsing through the hour, he stumbled upon something he hadn't yet. Small print titled, G.E.N.E.X. affiliates. There were only six names in the small list, so he went through one by one to find records of the affiliates. Only one of them stood out in his mind, and that was Jacob Caldwell. Not only did the page lack information about him, but he shared the same initials as Mr. Carter. Perhaps this was a lucky find.

     Gerald rubbed his eyes softly. He picked up his coffee mug only to find he was out again. He'd just used the last bit of the cannister fifteen minutes ago. Sighing wistfully, he shut the laptop and stuffed it into the backpack next to his desk. His eyes pleaded for sleep but he wouldn't deliver. Not yet. He swung shut his sedan's door, threw aside the backpack on the passenger seat, and began making his way toward a local cafe. The dashboard read 8:30, a perfect time to pretend he slept the night and get a refreshing morning coffee.

     Clouds filled the horizon. Thunder rolled in the distance. The newscaster on the radio had briefly mentioned a morning thunderstorm rolling in. The cafe Gerald was headed to was fully indoors, so it didn't bother him. They also offered free wifi, which was much needed at a time like this. Gerald threw on his backpack and made his way inside after parking around back.

     “What'll it be?” asked the barista. He browsed the menu with drained eyes before ordering a regular espresso. After fumbling with the change in his wallet, he paid for it and sat at a small table next to the front window. Reaching down, he pulled out his laptop and set it down next to his coffee. He looked around hesitantly before opening it and connecting to the wifi. A sip of espresso warmed his taste buds and tickled his brain for more energy. He had also packed his notebook in case he needed more information.

     Jacob Caldwell. There were plenty of profiles matching that name across different social media platforms, but none of them matched even remotely with Joseph Carter. He browsed the next half-an-hour, sipping his coffee periodically. The photograph of Mr. Carter partly hidden beneath his notebook stared blankly at him. He wasn't expecting to find anything close browsing public profiles for an undercover spy, but it was the first step he could take.

     Rain began pattering lightly on the street outside as thunder rumbled in the distance. He stared intently at the profile he'd just loaded. Under the bio read: Happy father of two, avid outdoor lover. Sea-shell collector. He squinted at the pic after opening it up, glancing back and forth between it and his own photograph. The facial features were very comparative with Joseph Carter, to the extent that Gerald questioned a use of photoshop. The eyes matched closely; all that was different was the color of them.

     Just then, his cell buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to see some unknown number. At the moment, his phone was silenced. He debated for a second before answering.

     “Hello?” he asked.

     “Hello.”

     “Who is this?”

     The stranger paused before responding.

     “Mr. Carter.”

 

       To be continued ...

 

 

 

886 words (via WordCounter)

[Sliced 819]

lol two people talking in the same paragraph won the prize? Damn, competition is weak.

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

lol two people talking in the same paragraph won the prize? Damn, competition is weak.

The entries were actually quite strong.

 

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=367566&do=findComment&comment=6413971

[Sliced 819]

The entries were actually quite strong.

 

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=367566&do=findComment&comment=6413971

I doubt that if this is what won.

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

I doubt that if this is what won.

The story that won is good anyway. You can place dialogue in the middle of paragraphs based on the context. Every bit of speech does not need its own paragraph. There is no rule. It's just a writing style.

[Sliced 819]

The story that won is good anyway. You can place dialogue in the middle of paragraphs based on the context. Every bit of speech does not need its own paragraph. There is no rule. It's just a writing style.

You cant have TWO PEOPLE talking in the same paragraph. One person can talk as much as they want in one paragraph but not two.

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

You cant have TWO PEOPLE talking in the same paragraph. One person can talk as much as they want in one paragraph but not two.

I agree it doesn't look good and I wouldn't do it either. The important thing is that your readers know who the dialogue is from. As long as it's clear who's saying what, it's ultimately up to the writer.

 

But again it's a little unorthodox and few writers do it- but that does not mean you're forbidden from doing so.

[a__Star 76]

GL all

[cosmicdestructor 41]

The Spy's Secret

 

Gerald took the first picture in his hands. He was afraid, this was his first task as an agent, and he was up against another spy who had been in this profession for so long. With shaking hands and a beating heart, he got up, determined to finish his task as soon as possible.

 

He started searching the internet. Nothing, his cover was just too good. Then just as he was getting frustrated, he saw today’s newspaper on the table. A brilliant idea struck him. That evening, he spent in the library, looking at unexplained mysteries of the area. He found many different occurrences, the most recent being the mysterious disappearance of a supposedly cursed watch from the museum.

 

He had to start somewhere, so he went to the museum. There were no footprints, the robbery had taken place at night, and the guards never saw anyone. Then he went to the museum records office and asked for the list of all the workers to have worked there, pretending to be a writer writing a book on the historical background of the museum. The office allowed him to have a copy, which he brought home in utter secrecy. He started to have a look at the profiles of all the workers. The entry that provoked his curiosity was about a person named Carter Lipmann, who was a security administrator. Upon further investigation, he found out that the man had died, a day after the night of the theft. From his research, he concluded that Joseph Carter was the son of the man, and had committed the crime through his father. What he couldn’t make out was how he died the very next day. He was feeling a bit hungry, so he called it a day. He went to a local restaurant for dinner. When he had eaten the waiter brought him the bill. Along with the bill was a note. It said:

 

“You still have time. Turn back.”

 

This got him the chills of his life, he felt scared and helpless. There was a mountain in front of him and a fall behind him. He couldn’t sleep that night. He knew now that it had to be a battle of wits, with the other spy also desperate for his own survival. He wrote down his will, and now, ready to accept death if it was his destiny, he went to find proof against his adversary. The next day, he was strolling through the suburbs of the city, trying to find some gangsters to do the rough work. Luckily, he found a gang for hire. The price was steep, but it was what he had to pay for survival. After all, if he won he would get the money back, and if he lost, the money would be of no use to him in grave. He told the gang to find anything affiliated with Joseph Carter. The gangsters were a bit afraid of who they were going against, but two of them, took the job. He spent the night in fear. Even though he was trying to sleep, he was far from it. The next day the two gangsters brought him something rather interesting piece of news. Carter Lippmann was alive, and currently held captive by his son. This was a little too complicated for him, but he took the lead. His case was essentially done, but there were a lot of points that needed finishing before it could be presented in court. He still had to explain how the crime was committed, and why was Carter pronounced dead. He set out to find the answers to these question at once. He marched forward in the dead of the night, towards the place where Carter was being held captive. He went to the house of a neighbor. An elderly man opened the door. He told him he was a detective, trying to uncover the mystery of the stolen artifact. As he peeked into the house of the spy, he saw that there was no one there. Suddenly it all made sense to him. The father and son were both involved in the theft, and the house he was peeking in was not theirs. The house of the convicts was the one he was standing on the roof of! He looked behind him and found the elderly man and one of the two gangsters standing there, armed with sticks."So you didn't act on the advice, eh?" He said.

Gerald was desperate, so he jumped off the roof. Joseph hadn’t anticipated this, and had made no preparation for it either. He fell on a bed, and ran outside the house straight to the local police station. He could see the convicts following him. He was not sure whether he could make it or not, but luckily, he came across a police officer. The officer rode him to the police station on his bike, where he told them the story, with a little bit tweaking to hide his identity. A case was filed against Joseph Carter and his father. Gerald presented the case in front of the jury. Joseph Carter and his father were caught, and Gerald had succeeded in his first case without revealing his own identity.

Words : 878

Edited February 16, 2018 by cosmicdestructor

[GrandExecutioner 1,403]

This is my entry. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Betrayal

 

Gerald lifted his head up from the table where he had fallen asleep. He wiped his groggy eyes, letting out a loud yawn simultaneously. Eyes widening when he glanced at the clock, Gerald got up abruptly, causing his chair to fly back and clatter against the wall. It was 11.30am already! Gerald's natural body clock ensured he never slept in and was always up at 6.00am sharp- whether he liked it or not.

 

He peeled off a post-it note from his cheek, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he read the content. Scribbled on were 3 names: Joseph Carter, Frank Callum, and Kristi Elizer. That's when yesterday's events hit him. The company! The tasks! Panic-stricken, Gerald gazed over the assortment of documents spread out on the table- finally taking it all in. Pictures, newspaper articles, biographies- everything to do with these 3 people- were scattered across the table covering the entire surface. Gerald recalled the hours of research he put in last night, finding out anything he could about his targets.

 

He was jolted out of his thoughts by someone banging on his front door. He quickly moved to the windows to check who it was. An audible sigh of relief escaped from his mouth when he realised it was the mailman.

 

“G'day mate!” As soon as he opened the door, Gerald was greeted with a thick Aussie accent.

 

“Hello, how can I help you?” Gerald spoke warily.

 

“I'm here to talk about some changes to the terms and conditions of your subscription to Girlz Fashion Monthly. Can I come in?” It took a while for Gerald to decipher what he was saying due to his accent.

 

“Err...but I'm not subscribed to-” Gerald was cut-off mid-sentence as the man barged in swiftly shutting the door.

 

“Right, I don't have much time so listen carefully.” To Gerald's surprise, the man had dropped his thick accent and started talking normally.

 

“Who are you? What do you want?” Gerald had started to back away.

 

“I know about the company you work for. I know about the jobs.” Gerald froze. He could remember his boss making it very clear that if he so much breathed about what the company did, he wouldn't live to see the next day.

 

“W-who are you? Do you work for the company?” Gerald asked slowly.

 

“Yes...no. It's a long story. The point is I used to be in your shoes. I can help but I don't have much time. I've disabled the bugs they've put inside your house so they can't watch or listen to you but it's only good for 2 minutes.” The man started talking rapidly.

 

“You used to be in my... hang on, they're watching me?” Gerald's tone was one of shock and fear.

 

“That doesn't matter now. Do you want to stay alive or not?” After some time, Gerald nodded.

 

“Then listen carefully. They're framing you. Your 3 targets. The company is an organisation who are hired to kill people for clients. But they need someone to take the fall for each assassination. They've got you doing useless research because when an investigation is made of these murders, they'll need someone to blame. Someone who has recently been fixated on all 3 of these people. Someone who can close the case by going to prison in order for the organisation to remain hidden. ” The man stopped to take a breath. “...Someone like you.”

 

Gerald's jaw dropped and he could only gape at the supposed mailman as the news washed over him.

 

“2 minutes are up. I need to go.”

 

“Wait! Stop! What should I do?” Gerald was finally able to get words out of his mouth.

 

The man stopped, his hand on the door handle. “Find Kristi Elizer. If you find the person who kidnapped her, you might be able to get some answers and get out of this hole...before it's too late.”
With that, he was gone and Gerald was left wondering whether he even existed.

 

 

 

It took 3 hours after the mailman's visit before Gerald knew what he had to do. He needed to pay the man who had gotten him this job a visit. His uncle.

 

After a short drive of constantly checking his mirror for the fear of being followed, Gerald found himself before his uncle Oswald's front door. Despite some very loud banging, nobody answered. It seemed to him that either nobody was in, or nobody wanted to answer. Gerald made his way round to the back of the house and climbed over the fence to find the shed door open. Puzzled he walked in, his nerves on edge.

 

Gerald gasped. Slumped on the floor in the far corner was a young woman who was unconscious. Her arms and legs were tied and duct tape was placed on her mouth. Gerald had never met this woman before in his life, but he instantly recognised her. Kristi Elizer. The kidnapped daughter.

 

“It's a shame you found her.” Gerald spun around to come face to face with the person that spoke. His uncle Oswald.

 

“B-but...wha-why...” Gerald for the second time that day was at a loss for words.

 

He only glimpsed the swing of the baseball bat before he felt it smash against the side of his head with the force of a wrecking ball. Darkness invaded Gerald's vision long before he hit the ground.

 

 

 

 

Words: 899

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Chapter 2: In Deeper Waters

 
 

 
    Gerald stirred as sunlight streamed through the crooked blinds of his apartment onto his desk, where his old laptop was still running. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and squinted at his screen. He'd finished the report on Kristi Elizer - it hadn't been any harder than writing a newspaper report. The other two tasks, however, were proving far more difficult. He'd been unable to find anything connecting Joseph Carter with G.E.N.E.X. - in fact, he'd found next to nothing about G.E.N.E.X. itself. Frustrated, Gerald ran his hands through his hair. "This is ridiculous," he grumbled to himself. "How am I supposed to prove anything without information, without facts?"
    He walked into the kitchen area, and fixed himself a cup of coffee. More awake now, he sat and pondered his options. I can't just walk away - the boss made that clear enough. I've got to finish these tasks, but I need more information. Wait... I bet this company has plenty of resources - I'll talk to the boss about it, maybe I can get access to what I need.
 
    Gerald pushed through the doors of the building where he worked, more disquieted than ever. On his car’s dash he’d found a note – See me in my office at 10:00 A.M. Don’t be late. As he walked up the stairs he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all some giant prank. The menace in the man’s voice, however, had been all too real. As he paced outside the door, waiting for the boss to call him in, he heard a muffled voice from within that he did not recognize.
    “I don’t like this. Why can’t you have an experienced operative do it?”
    “I told you, they’re too close. We can’t risk getting caught red-handed. He’s a new name, with no…
...shady ties. He’s harder to track, and can be sacrificed if necessary.”
    “And has he any idea of what he’s involved in?”
    “No. In fact, I’ve called him in today to make sure he doesn’t say anything to any of the other employees.”
    “Excellent. I need that man out of the way as soon as possible. Don’t let me down.”
    The door swung open, and a man wrapped up in a heavy coat, with an odd mask on his face, swept past Gerald and down the stairs.
    “Ah, Gerald. I see you’re early.”
    “Yes, sir. I-”
    “You probably don’t know why I called you in here.”
    “No, sir.”
    “All the better. I want you to focus on the Joseph Carter report first – the other tasks can wait.”
    “Sir, I’ve finished the Kristi Elizer report.”
    “Perfect,” said the Boss, although he sounded slightly surprised. “Well then, you know what to do, right?”
    “Um, well, that’s the thing,” Gerald said, clearing his throat. “I haven’t been able to find anything out about G.E.N.E.X.”
    “That’s not an issue. My agents will drop off a little package at your apartment tonight.”
    “A p-package?!”
    “Calm down already,” growled the Boss. “Not that kind of package. One more thing – don’t tell anyone about your task. Not family, not friends, not coworkers. Nobody.”
    Gerald nodded and turned to go, his mind racing with everything he’d heard. The Boss’s sarcastic voice stopped him.
    “You can have tonight off, enjoy it.”
 
    Later that afternoon, Gerald pulled up into his uncle Oswald’s driveway. Walking up to the entryway, he knocked on the door. Loudly.
    “All right, all right already! What do you want?” Oswald opened the door. “Ah, Gerald, perfect. Come on in, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. How are you?”
    “I’ve been better,” said Gerald, stepping inside. “You knew, didn’t you?”
    “Knew what?” Oswald gave him a look of mock misunderstanding.
    “You know exactly what I’m talking about! This is not what I wanted! Danger, threats, secrecy...”
    “Look,” said Oswald, “You needed a job. It’s not my fault you took it.”
    Gerald sat down heavily in an armchair. “Why’d you do it?”
    Oswald opened his mouth, then closed it. He walked over to the windows, looked out, and then drew the curtains. He walked back into the living room and sat down opposite Gerald. Leaning forward, he spoke in a quiet voice. “I’m an undercover FBI agent. I’ve been trying to bust these guys for years, but I’ve never been able to get anywhere. Their leader doesn’t know, but he knows they’re after him. I can’t make a move. I needed an inside man, and when you came and asked me to help you find a job I saw my opportunity.”
    “To dupe me.”
    “I wouldn’t put it like that.”
    Gerald snorted. “Well how would you put it?”
    “Look, I just need you to keep your eyes open, and report anything criminal to me. I’ll need evidence to act though. You’ll come out fine, and I’ll get my promotion.”
    Gerald stood up angrily. “Fine. I’ll take all the risk while you sit around. Good luck on your promotion.”
He walked out of the house, shutting the door behind him with more force than strictly necessary.
 
    Gerald arrived at his house after dark. After he’d calmed down, he’d realized how dangerous visiting Oswald had been. What if the Boss found out and thought he’d spilled the beans? Thus, he’d taken a long, winding route to avoid being followed. When he stepped out of his car, he saw a small box on his doorstep...
 

 

 

Word count: 896 

Edited February 22, 2018 by DragonOfStorms

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Oh my. It seems we were thinking along very similar lines - and both near the end of the deadline :P

 

​Well, best of luck. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your entry.

[LOLKILLERTOTHEDEATH 1,921]

Can I submit my story in the next hour or so Flexoo? Please?