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“Why, thank you, good sir.” I sat down, making myself at home. “So, what is it you’d like to know?”
“Why were you following me in the market?”
“Because you were my target.”
“And what were you supposed to do? Kill me?”
I laughed at that. “Kill you? I’m no murderer.”
“Then what was the point?”
“To gain intel,” I said. “Surely, that was obvious.”
“Mr. Helmer, many people try to gain intel on my activities. So far, no one has succeeded.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why they sent me.”
He huffed out a laugh. “We caught you.”
“Did you?” I asked, cocking my head at him.
“You’re sitting here,” he pointed out.
“Yes, I’m sitting here, in your lair. Of course, I understand where you’re coming from. You spotted me in the market. That was my fault, which really does make me look like a bad spy—if I was a spy. Then I was chasing you, but couldn’t catch you. Any good spy would have had you in no time. And then there was the whole rooftop debacle. Man, I really did think I could make the jump.”
“But you didn’t,” he smiled.
“No, I didn’t.” My lips curved up as I stared at him. For a few long moments, this went on until he finally started to put the pieces together. “Such an inept agent coming after you. No gun, no weapons of any kind. And far too easy to catch. You thought for sure I wasn’t a real threat, which is why you brought me back here when you would normally take me to someplace unattached to you. Isn’t that right?”
His nostrils twitched, but that was the only sign that I was getting to him.
“I’m guessing you’re wondering right about now how I could possibly have anyone helping me. What is my endgame? I couldn’t be trying to bring you down. By myself, that would be pointless.”
“Then what are you here for?” the suit asked.
I paused for dramatic effect, wanting to really let him feel the tension of the scene. I had laid it all out perfectly for him. Now, all that was left was the finale.
“You.”
He frowned, then raised his hand, waving everyone off. “You? That’s what you’re going with?” The suit stood and walked over to me. “FNG, I loved your banter through all this, but if you’re going to make it realistic, you have to have something better thanYouas a closing line.”
“I thought it was good.” I pushed out of my chair, wondering how I could have played it differently. “It’s the mystery of all that could mean. It was brilliant.”
“It would have been brilliant if you had backup. They could swarm just as you said the line. You’re right. It would have been good. But you’re on your own. How on earth would you have me when I’m surrounded by men?”
I scoffed at his narrow-minded thinking. “I would use my secret weapon, of course. My umbrella!”
“Which you lost during the chase.”
“Okay, but look around the room at everything I have at my disposal. I’m trained for this. Of course, I would have gotten out.”
He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. “You’re going to have to be more convincing if we have any hopes of pulling this off. You need a better exit strategy.”
“Killing everyoneisthe exit strategy. I thought we were clear on that.”
“For a low-budget film, yes!” he said, slamming his glass down. “This is real,” he said, walking over to me as his eyes burned with intensity. “This is what is going to put us on the map!”
“Ralph—”
