Conversations 06

"Oh, I guess that's not all." I smiled cruelly at him, "You need to push that top pot over the edge. The water here is about thirty feet deep. It will take seconds for that six-hundred-pound pot to take you to the bottom. It'll be over quickly. I don't suggest holding your breath."

I turned to start walking away when he yelled at me, "You promise not to hurt Annie?"

Turning to face him once again, "Absolutely, Hunter, if you do what you need to, no harm will come to her. She'll be upset that her big brother missed her graduation, but then again, you've never been that reliable, have you?" I paused to let him think it over. "By the way, you have five minutes to make your mind up. I set a timer for you. If you choose your life over Annie, the key is in your pocket. I have a friend watching, and as soon as he sees you leave the dock, Annie is gone."

I turn, and over my shoulder, I offer my farewell, "Oh, we've blocked all cell reception at the club. You'll never be able to warn her in time. Goodbye Hunter, I hope you man up once in your life."

I walk down the dock some, duck behind a shed and wait. Hunter isn't leaving the boatyard tonight; it will be better for me if he takes care of himself the right way, but I'm prepared to end him by other means.

In the distance, I hear an alarm, an email notification, and a splash. Across town, several young women enjoy the fruits of their hard work. My friend buys the girls a round of drinks and wishes them luck in their future.

Annie will make one hell of a pharmacist.