《The Manifest》Chapter 36
Advertisement
The two men sitting in the black ford had much better things to do on a Monday morning, but there they were. Hidden from view by the tinted windows, they sat there drinking coffee and munching on bagels while watching the house like they had been doing all week. They were the morning shift, the crew that took over just after the sun came up and went home nine to ten hours later just in time for supper. The didn't like doing this kind of grunt work, but the boss paid them overtime rate for it because he understood what kind of work it was. The money was good to begin with so they guys did their job and kept their comments to themselves and took the extra green. Between sips the guys talked shop among other things to pass the time, but sometimes it was hard to keep awake but that's what the caffeine and sugar products were for. To help them get through the long mornings.
"Seriously Allen, I don't know why we're even here." one of them said while taking a big bite out of his onion bagel, "Mrs. Johnson is one of the best in the program. She doesn't try to run, and the one time she did leave, she asked for permission from Angela. There's no way she's going to run on us, she's awesome."
"Shut your face, Davis." Allen muttered from behind the wheel, "She left without consent from Mr. Carlson and that's why we're here. So quit your bitching and just eat your donut."
"It's a bagel." Davis said as he took another bite, "I'm not allowed to have donuts. Wife says they are too fattening for me."
"Like that bagel is any better." his partner responded as he took a sip of his own coffee. The two of them sat there and said nothing for a while. Allen was never really one to talk too much, and Davis had a habit of trying to talk his ear off with stupid questions about everything. Today was going to be no different.
Advertisement
"I have a question for you." Davis started up again while sipping his own coffee, "Technically we work for the government, right?"
"That's right." Allen said, trying to resist an urge to break his partner's nose.
"But our own government doesn't know anything about us or this project." Davis stated somewhat confused, "How can we work for someone who doesn't even know we exist?"
"There are some people in the government who know, jackass." Allen snapped back with little patience, "They are the ones who approve our budget that provide us with our living. This was approved from high up."
"How high up are we talking here?" Davis asked, rather curious.
"I honestly don't know." Allen replied, "The only person who knows what officials are in charge is Mr. Carlson. He gets his orders from them and they are likely connected to every branch of the government, probably connected right to the frakin' top."
"Do you think the President knows about this?" Davis asked.
"In order for that to be true the President would be required to have a clue, which he doesn't. We all know who's really in charge up there. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be." Allen took another big sip of his coffee. He loved to down the thing while it was still hot enough to scald you. Anything less was too cold for his liking.
"But doesn't it make you a little curious?" Davis asked, " I mean wouldn't you like to know who authorized all this and made it happen?"
"We're not paid to be curious." Allen reminded him, "I really wish you'd get off this crap, because it will only get you into trouble with the top brass. You make a good living, enjoy that and use it to raise that beautiful family of yours."
Advertisement
"I know." Davis replied, completely understanding what Allen was saying, "I was just trying to pass the time. What do you prefer to talk about?" he asked eager to talk about anything.
"Sports works for me." Allen retorted, "We can always converse about how your Cowboys got stomped out like a Narc at a biker rally."
"Not really." Davis said, somewhat hurt when reminded about how poorly his team played that week.
"Calm down, they might still make the playoffs." Allen said with a grin. He loved teasing the guy about his team, especially when they lost as badly as they had the night before.
Davis never responded to Allen's last comment. He was watching a priority delivery truck that had just parked across the street from the target. At first he assumed the person was there to deliver the box to the house it had parked in front of, but when the delivery man crossed the street, he tapped Allen on the shoulder.
"What the hell is that?" Davis asked.
"That's just a package boy." Allen snapped back with a hint of sarcasm, "You get mail, don't you?"
"I do, but she isn't supposed to." Davis said as he pointed out the fact that the delivery man was going to Mrs. Johnson's house, "All of her mail is screened, there is no way someone gets this far with anything. We're supposed to approve and deliver everything after it's screened."
"That's true, which would mean..." Allen said trying to see where he was going with this.
"Well." Davis started, "That means either this moron is hitting the wrong house or he's an imposter trying to make contact with our resident!"
It took a few seconds for it to dawn on Allen to what Davis was saying and he looked up at the package boy who was now knocking on Mrs. Johnson's door.
"Son of a bitch!" he cursed as he started to open the door.
"Should we call in for backup?" Davis called as he opened his door.
"No time!" Allen called as he started to run, "Let's move!" The two men scrambled out of the car, and raced onto the front lawn. Once they got within fifteen feet, they pointed their side arms at the postage boy who was already speaking to Mrs. Johnson at the door.
"Freeze!" Allen screamed as loud as he could.
"Put your hands on your head and drop to your fucking knees!" Davis called as he also had his sidearm raised and ready to shoot.
They expected a fight, but they were both surprised to see that the man was fully cooperative with them. He slowly raised his hands and placed them on his head. Then he slowly began to kneel, showing no signs of any resistance. This lack of fight gave Davis the impression that might have just been an innocent mistake. Maybe it was a package boy who had the wrong house and wasn't there to see Mrs. Johnson. Yet as Davis was reaching for his cuffs, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. By the time he turned around to see what it was, it was already too late.
Advertisement
Chasing the Comet
Snatched from their tabletop role-playing game by mysterious aliens to play in a real life simulation game based on their game scenarios and campaigns from the 1980s, six friends end up taking on the personas of their made up characters to supposedly rescue the aliens from danger. Instead, the companions end up on a wild ride making up plans as they go, and usually failing on most everything they try.
8 128Tales of Ordinary, Completely Unremarkable Contractors
"Where life had no value, death, sometimes, had its price. That is why the mercenaries appeared." - Artur Xerxes, in A Century of Disappointment: Memoirs of a Travelling Dwarf It's never too difficult to land contracts for a set very specialised skills in a continent teeming with werewolves, vampires, giant leopards, undead and, god forbid, elves. The difficulty comes when these contractors find themselves suffocated in the dense atmosphere of this world's rigid - and mostly unfair - rules; death, suffering and misfortune await those unwilling to sacrifice to bend these in their favour. In this non-linear plot, you will observe a scarred and deformed farm girl cashing her first bounty posters, a seemingly ordinary barmaid at a tavern in the bustling centre of a sprawling, corrupt city and an enigmatic leader of a firm specialising in dealings any other would consider suicidal. Watch them all take everything to the next level at every available opportunity, and then feel dread at the thought that this still might not be enough to halt the physical embodiment of doom about to do what it does best Please, feel free to review and comment! Any sort of feedback can help me become a better writer and write more engaging stories for you. I used to update once every 3-5 days, but this rewrite is taking much too long...I do hope it will be worth it.
8 173Dawn of Pangea
Cover art thanks to Juzual! **** The world’s leading covert organisation loses their most powerful member after dispatching him onto a seemingly trivial mission. Several weeks pass and there are no signs of him returning. Instead there are unexplained occurrences, people gaining unfathomable power and performing inhuman feats. Just as the world faces a global conflict in search of the power’s origin, a strange form of radiation is detected from Mars. The same radiation is found in the bodies of those who gained the alleged ‘super powers’. The previously barren planet is observed to be covered with lush forests, large bodies of water and unnatural structures. Claiming Mars as the key to mankind’s future, the organisation leads humanity to pool its resources together and create manned missions in search of the truth. Any previous expectations were shattered as the same man whose disappearance sparked the worldwide change, greeted them on the new frontier. Who is this man and how did he end up as the pioneer of the galaxy’s greatest revolution?
8 96WorldWalker: The boy who could see between worlds.
A pleasant melody summons a young, poor boy into the forest at night. There he meets with a mythical girl that should have not been real. Who was she? What was she? And what connection does this being have with Steven's dreams? The dreams that summon him into another world entirely, surrounded by red eyed monsters with iron teeth. The dreams in which he is no longer himself and instead a being of great power and aptitude. The dreams that give him power to see between worlds. What does this all mean? And what will happen to the young Steven?
8 106Clouds of Fauna
After sinister beings destroy his home. Ang, the last child of the Usgrat, flees deep into the forest. Now orphaned, young Ang must learn to survive in a harsh living world. With the aid of his guardian Kiliyi the spider, and an enchanted tome, he learns the many ways of channeling the energy of life Imdrina into magic. Discovering the possibility that he may still have living relatives out in the world he sets out on a quest to find them. Along the way he meets a diverse group of friends, including a peculair mushroom creature named Dungii. Vlux, a cunning yet tiny girl. Thramuny, a warrior from a far off land, and various beasts from myths and legends. They depart on a long journey to gather allies, restore balance, and save their world.
8 141Lost time (eremika au)
Everything comes to an end for better or for worse, unfortunately Eren and Mikasa's friendship came to an end and it was not for the better. After leaving in the middle of freshman year of high school Eren and Mikasa's friendship is nothing but memory's. They are merely strangers again and strangers with a burning hatred to each other. Who would have thought their paths will cross again four years later? Better yet when no one was expecting it. Tension will be high, drama will rise and tears will come. #1 in Eremika (May 2021)#1 in Mikasa Ackerman (June- August 2021)#3 in gossip (January 2022)(these characters are not mine they are Hajime Isayamas)(Cover by _sweetspicy_ on Twitter)
8 589