The Lottery Council- Chapter XIV: Home- Back To Danger Part 1

richq11 (72)in #fiction • 7 years ago

David reflected on Jack's last bit of advice as he relaxed in his Little Rock hotel room the night before his flight home..."Assume everyplace at the Nolan home is under surveillance- even the yard." He was tasked with trying to break the news of the conspiracy to his sister and her family. It wouldn't be easy he knew, but something in Jack's manner emboldened him. he felt strangely inspired- not to mention terrified. Conspiracy, once a hobby, had become perilously real. Slowly at first a plan began to gel in his mind.

The television was on but David hardly noticed, his mind was occupied elsewhere, busy with his new avocation- savior. He hoped he was up to the task, too many people's lives depended on him. Jack's words rang in his ears... "Not only assume that everything is bugged, assume that the enemy knows you know it. Safety is the key- if you're not safe, you can't keep anyone else safe. The only weapon you have at this point is your mind. By assuming they're on to you, you'll exercise caution- caution is imperative. Also you must act normally- if you act suspicious, it will make them suspicious."

David had decided he would talk Ann into taking the dog for a walk with him under the pretense of being restless from the flight. She would go for it he was certain. he would say he wanted her advice about his prospective job and the accompanying move to Arkansas. If they were being overheard it would seem innocuous enough.

He had two things working in his favor, he thought. It occurred to him that because he had brought his laptop with him, that anyone placing devices throughout the Nolan home- and David suspected they had- would have been unable to bug his computer. His files were safe enough for the moment. The other thing was his new phone, outfitted with the latest encryption software, as was his computer now. Jack had instructed him to stay dark while on the net, unless instructed otherwise to implant false data- something David had not thought about- misinformation- it was ingenious. Jack had confided that he had dealt with people like Metzger before. He said Metzger might be unscrupulous and smart, but he was also human and humans made mistakes... whoever made the least mistakes would win this game. Jack said they would look for mistakes and exploit them... everyone had weaknesses.

One thing that David and even Jack were unaware of was that Metzger and his band of dirty tricksters had already made one big mistake... in their hubris and/or haste to implant their devices, they had completely overlooked David's hideaway above the garage.

The flight home was uneventful, even relaxing. Ann was at the airport in Boston to greet him with a hug and peck on the cheek. Remembering Jack's warning, David deliberately steered the conversation toward pleasant topics... the flight, family, Jim and the kids. "How did the interview go?" Ann asked as she navigated them out of Logan Airport, which sat on a spit of land the protruded into the Atlantic.

"It seems to have gone well," David said. "I think they liked me. Actually it was just one guy. The job itself isn't in Little Rock, it's west of there." David purposely didn't disclose any locations, just in case.

"They didn't give you a yea or nay," she asked.

"They're supposed to call or email me, in a few days. The guy said he needed to talk it over with his associates, but I feel really good about it."

"You know we'll all hate to see you leave... all of us," Ann looked at him sadly.

"Well, I'm not gone yet," he smiled back at her. They arrived at the Nolan home at around 2:30. David grabbed his bags and headed for the garage, telling Ann he would be right back. One of Metzger's henchmen who was monitoring the house saw this and realized the mistake. This would have to be fixed... before the boss found out- even if it was his own oversight. Metzger didn't like mistakes.

"David returned to the house and poured a cup of coffee. He looked quizzically at his sister gauging turning over in his mind what her response would be when he disclosed what he had learned. There was no point in putting off the inevitable. He got to his feet and stretched. "Hey Sis," he said casually, "what do you say we take the dog for a walk. I'm all cramped up from riding all day and I'm feeling a little closed in."

"Oh Dave," she said. "I've got a million things to do around here. Maybe later."

"Come on, Sis," he looked at her pleadingly at her. "I need your advice on another matter," He raised his eyebrows, "there was a girl on the plane..."

"Oh, so there's a girl. Anyone I might know?"

"No," he lied, "I just met her on the plane."

"Ok," she said, but it'll have to be a short one, little brother. I still do have a million things to do."

"Promise," said David, feeling relieved. They got the dog on his leash and headed for the tree-lined street. David credited himself with having pulled of the first step... Now for the hard part. Out of hearing distance of the property, David turned to his sister looking earnestly into her eyes. She looked at him with concern. "This isn't about a girl, is it?"

There's something I have to tell you... something unbelievable that concerns us all... something that could put all of our lives at risk..."

GIF by @papa-pepper

#story #conspiracy

7 years ago in #fiction by richq11 (72)

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velimir (78) 7 years ago

Thumbs up!

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richq11 (72) 7 years ago

Thank you!

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danielroolz (38) 7 years ago

Nice post

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richq11 (72) 7 years ago

Thank you! I put links to the other chapters, if you're interested.

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alienposts (50) 7 years ago

@richq11 Amazing job, keep up the good work !!

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richq11 (72) 7 years ago

Thank you... I like the way it's going! When I sit down to write I have no idea what's going to happen. I just created the characters and let them act accordingly.

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