Predator

George Natsioulis

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Nadia stood on the platform and waited for the 10:25 to arrive. She was aware of the presence behind her, and felt the eyes taking in her every move.

I just need to keep calm, she thought to herself. Don’t let on that you know you’re being watched.

The 10:05 arrived and an elderly couple disembarked and made their way to the car park.

She gave a sideways glance in that direction as their headlights disappeared into the night. Now the car park was empty, and she knew she was truly alone exept for the watcher.

There was the sound of a throat being cleared in the dark, and while she tensed slightly, she didn’t start. In fact, she did her best to give the impression that she hadn’t heard it.

As the 10:15 express sped past the small station, she reached into her bag and took out a mint which she placed into her mouth and she slowly sucked it allowing its sweet cooling taste to calm her.

At 10:22 she heard the approaching foot steps.

This is it, I guess, she thought as she turned on her heels and bared her fangs.

It was often a challenge being a vampire, but sometimes some of these town boys made getting a meal just a little too easy.

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Padre

Photo Challenge #371

A Rose is a Rose

Daniels thought it was hard to believe it was even the same galaxy as Earth.  The laws of physics were intact, that was a relief, but nothing else on Senian Four seemed to make sense.  Okay, the main elements on the planet were still oxygen and silicon, but copper rather than iron and aluminium seemed to be metallic substance, giving the soil a strange greenish blue colour; and if that wasn’t odd enough, the vegetation was primarily red.  She stared quizzically at an inversed rose with its red foliage and green blooms.

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Padre

Weekend Writing Prompt #213 – Galaxy in 92 words

The Objective

eberhard 🖐 grossgasteiger

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“Okay, that’s the objective. There are going to be several high value assets attending the conference there and we need to pull this off without any hiccups,” Baxter explained.

The team looked at the lakeside retreat and nodded.

“Pettersen you will be in first, and be sure you head straight to the head of security. It’s vital for our success for you to get that done,” Baxter emphasised.

Pettersen gave a thumbs-up.

“Twinner, you and Porter will be next in, you need to head to the kitchen area, and prepare to make your entrance to the main dining room at precisely 1300, the delegates will all be in there by then. I will follow. Turner, you will enter from the far side and make sure that you take care of any delegates that haven’t made it to the main room.”

The team nodded.

“I have it as 1237,” Baxter said checking her watch.

The others followed suit and there were several nods and thumbs-up. This would be the biggest operation that Baxter’s Catering had undertaken to date, and there could be no mess ups.

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Padre

Heroes United

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It was a typical night in the metropolis. People went about their business, often unaware of the dangers that lurked just out of their view. But help was always at hand as the Heroes United patrolled the mean streets. Well on most nights anyway, the citizens had the protective oversight of the Heroes. Tonight, however, the duty roster took an unfortunate turn as Afraid of Heights Man and Scared of the Dark Girl clung to each other in terror on a rooftop and prayed for morning.

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Padre

Tuesday Writing Prompt

Treasure

Pixabay

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The crew of the Red Vengence were a bit surprised when Captain Skull returned to the vessel accompanied by a sailor named Jon Farthing. It was the captain’s usual practice to kill all those that had gone ashore to bury his plunder. But this time there was a survivor that might lead others to the booty.

Three months later, Skull was arrested by officers from a French frigate while ashore to procure provisions. At that, first mate, Hal Scallion decided the buccaneering life was becoming to precarious with British, Dutch, and French navies now patrolling the Caribbean. He ordered to Vengence to the atoll where Skull had last buried loot and told Farthing to accompany him ashore.

As they left the dinghy, Scallion handed Farthing a shovel and told him to recover the chests. Farthing scanned the beach and did some mental calculations and the proceed to a point in the sand and began to dig. After over an hour, and with nothing had been revealed, Scallion shouted, “Farthing are you a dullard? Have you forgotten where you buriied the booty?”

“No Captain,” the youth replied. “T’was ten paces from the seal on the right. I am sure of it, I am. Captain Skull telled me that I was to burn it in me mind, and if ye asked, I were to tell ye just that.”

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Padre

The Rat Race

Pixabay

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The rat ran and he chased. If keeping up with the Jones was a struggle, and keeping up with the Kardashians only a dream, then keeping up with William Ratiker was an impossibility. This guy was unreal. He had one of those waterproof, bullet-proof lives, and he succeeded in all that he did. The problem was that “the rat,” came about most everything immorally, if not down right illegally.

Ben Willis had been an officer in the “Fraud Squad” for eight years, and for most of that time he had been trying to nail Ratiker. But, the Rat always seemed a step ahead. Ben was hoping that today was going to be different. He had finally found a hole in one of Ratiker’s alibis. Ben wasn’t going to merely chase this time, he was going to let the Rat run a maze of Willis’ creation. He would just wait for him to incriminate himself, and then he would have him.

It only took a couple of phone calls, and a little disinformation as to what Willis knew already to get Ratiker to go straight to the safe deposit box where the evidence Ben needed would be found. When Ratiker arrived Willis was waiting for him, warrant in hand. The rat indeed ran, but this time Ben was waiting for him.

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Padre

First Line Friday

Terror Night

Jakob Owens at Unsplash

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“Who are you and where did you get this number?” Nina challenged.

“They call me the Reaper,” the deep-breathing man said malevalently.

“Well you don’t scare me,” Nina said without the slightest hint of alarm.

“And why is that? Surely you know my reputation, and whether you believe it or not, I am right outside your door.”

“So?” Nina queried.

“So – you are my next plaything,” the Reaper snarled.

“I don’t think so,” Nina countered bravely just before the phoneline went dead.

Suddenly the backdoor of her house burst open and a black-clad man in a ski-mask stood before her brandishing a machete.

“So are still confident?” the Reaper sneared.

“Yes, most definitely,” Nina said with out the least hint of distress.

Confused, the Reaper ran his thumb along the blade and said, “We’ll just have to see about that.”

“Yes we will,” Nina said defiantly.

“What?” the assailant said with dismay.

“Yes, we will see,” she retorted. “Didn’t they tell you?”

“Tell me what?” the Reaper asked even more confused.

“Didn’t they tell you that I signed a three film contract?”

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Padre

Miranda

Image by Pedro Miranda at Unsplash

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Miranda’s profile on the escort site was constructed in every detail to get the attention of Big Hank McCloud the head of the local syndicate.  Weeks of research, and a knowledge of his “tastes” assured that the call would come. 

Miranda arrived at the hotel attired in a revealing black dress and some stilettos that were to die for.  When she was frisked by the bodyguard, she let out a little moan just to play up the persona.

Once alone in the room with the boss, the assassin struck. Did I mention that the stilettos were to die for?

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Padre

The name of the photographer and the character are coincidental as the piece was written before the picture was found.

Flash Fiction Challenge: stilettos

The Runner (Part 1)

Pixabay

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Bella De Bryn was a competent investigator. She was good at finding people, and finding people she. It was her job. Most of her cases involved tracing beneficiaries cited in wills, or tracking the whereabouts of absentee fathers with support payments in arrears, but sometimes she got a really interesting case. This didn’t look like it was going to be one of those cases.

Bella’s firm was contracted by the sister of a young woman who the police believed to have been a “runner,” as she had left her flat and and most of her possessions behind. “Most of her possessions” is an accurate description if by it you mean that her second hand furniture and mismatched dishes are key possessions. Several day’s change of clothing, toiletries, and her passport were however nowhere to be found. More importantly in the police’s analysis of the situation was the abusive on again off again boyfriend, and a couple of maxed out credit cards she also left behind.

When the file fell on Bela’s desk, she was far from impressed. This would be boring, a bit tedious, and worse of all not a big commission.

De Bryn was a Rhodesian by birth, who came to the UK via South Africa. She was five-foot-three inches tall, matronly, and wore her glasses librarian-style on a chain around her neck. She was not what you might imagine a “private eye” to look like. Here looks and friendly manner however opened doors for her though as she didn’t pose a threat in the minds of her quarries or their associates. Most importantly, however, Bella had bills, and this job wasn’t going to have a great return compared to the time it would take. Always the professional, however, Bella opened the file and began to read.

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Padre

Homesick

Photo by Oleg Zaicev on Pexels.com

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It was always hard to be away from home, but the holidays were especially trying. This year Reeder decided that he would try to make the season a little brighter. While it took him much of his pay packet, he bought himself an antique bed with a wooden headboard to replace his standard issue metal frame bunk. He then went through every magazine, and postcard he could lay his hands on. In the end he had amassed an amazing collection of “Holiday Sprit.”

Okay, he didn’t know who most of the people in the photographs were, but it was nice to see snow, and happy people enjoying old fashioned Christmas. His only regret was that he had to use plastic pine garland and borrowed lights for the effect. Maybe, next year he could get real evergreens, though they were rather hard to come by here on Antari Seven.

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Padre

Photo Challenge #340