Pitter patter of feet on wet pavement – hurried and incoherent. Quickened breathing and sweat dripping. My bullet struck the back of his knee and he crumpled. I applauded him when he rose to run again…and felt for him when he couldn’t. The blood from the knife wound in his shoulder dripped into the puddle under him and his rain-soaked hair tried its best to mop it up. His tears joined the fray and I smiled.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked.
“No…” he said, breathing heavy.
“I am Tek.”
“Fuck…” he whispered. He knew my name. “I’m sorry, okay? Tell Chance I’m sorry.”
“It’s too late for ‘sorry’, my friend.” I sat next to him, removed a flask from my pocket. I brought three. Rick, was his name – a faithful soldier at one time. For a while, he was an enforcer for Crispy – the head of one of The Organization’s gambling rings. Rick was effective and profitable. But his sister was an addict who got hooked on meth acquired from a dealer for one of our enemies. Drugs were not our thing. She got her brother to give up information to his friends to help her get out of their debt. I’d already killed her the day before.
“What are you doing?” He asked as I handed him the flask.
“You're a loyal man, Rick. You’ve served us well.”
“Then, don't kill me!”
“I’m afraid that’s not my call, my friend. Drink.”
He took a sip.
“You can take bigger sips if you want.”
He began to guzzle. I took out my own flask, “tell you what. You hold on to that one.”
He took another sip, “thanks.”
“What is one thing you are happy about in your life?”
“What?”
“Drink. Then answer.”
He took another sip.
“One thing.”
“I’m happy that I raised my nephew for my sister. She was strung out. He was struggling. I gave him a good life and got him into college.”
“Yes, Tommy. He will be taken care of. He will get your inheritance from the org. As your only living child, of sorts.”
“He’s a good kid.”
“Drink. What’s one thing you regret?”
He sipped and thought for a moment, taking two deep breaths. Then, “not marrying Cindy.”
My eyebrow raised, “I’ve not heard of her.”
“I haven’t talked to her since I was nineteen. I wasn’t with The Org yet. She was my highschool sweetheart.”
“Drink. What happened to her?”
He took a large gulp. “She married my best friend. She made me choose between her and The Org. She married my friend the next week.”
“Do you want me to kill them?”
“No,” he chuckled, “they're innocent enough. It would be a waste of your time.”
I chuckled in turn, “Well, you're very thoughtful, Friend. Drink.”
He finished the flask, a little tipsy by then. “I think I'm ready.”
“Good. Thank you for your years of service.” I pointed my gun to his head.
“Anytime.”
I pulled the trigger.
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