Chapter 6: Rushing
The next morning Darien was awakened by a loud, sound. He reached over to turn off his alarm, and fell off his kitchen stool. He shook his head to gain some composure and looked around to see where he was.
"Why did I sleep in the kitchen?" he questioned himself.
The loud noise came again, and he recognized it as someone knocking at his door.
"Hold on! Hold on, I'm coming."
Darien slowly made it onto to his feet and stumbled over to his door. His head was pounding, his feet felt like rubber, and certain shapes far away appeared kind of blurry to him. He finally reached the door and opened it, about to say something to the person standing behind it, but there was no one there.
"I said I was coming..." he mumbled to himself.
He was about to go back inside when he realized a plain envelope at his feet. He picked it up and turned it over, but there was nothing on it. Confused, he closed his door and shuffled over to his couch and literally collapsed onto it.
"Ugh.." he sighed, "Let's see what this is all about."
Fawkes opened the envelope and pulled out a plain sheet of folded, white paper. He opened up the "letter" and read its contents to Darien the rat.
"Haskell Park. Half an hour. Do not bring your own vehicle. Uh? Oh...oh crap. That thing with the thing. Okay, half and hour. That'll make it ten o'clock in the a.m. Plenty of time."
He was about to close his eyes when he just happened to take a peek at his wrist.
"Double crap!" he shouted and immediately woke up from his stupor. His tattoo read seven segments red, and only two green. With no time to shower he quickly splashed some water onto his face, threw in some fresh hair gel, and grabbed a different jacket that didn't quite smell like Vodka. He took the note, shoved it deep into his pocket, and ran out the door without another word.
About thirty seconds after he left his phone rang. (The Rat let the answering machine get it.)
"You've reached my number and I'm not here. Leave a message." BEEP!
"Hey partner! It's me, Hobbes! Guess you're not in right now. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I gave you the wrong gift! I got that video of "The Invisible Man" for my nephew. I hope you didn't think I got that for you! Bobby Hobbes knows his partner, my friend, and Bobby Hobbes would never be that stupid. Anyway, I'll bring your real gift home when I get back. You should have come with me partner. The skiing is great, if you know what I mean. I'll check back later, Fawkes. See ya!"
About ten minutes after leaving his home, Darien arrived at the Agency. Without wasting any time, Fawkes ran inside, the door surprisingly unlocked, and high-tailed his way down to the Keep. He pounded on the door to open it, a useless act that had somehow become a habit for him, and ran over to the chair.
"Keep! Keep! Counteragent, now please!"
"Oh, hi Darien! I didn't see you come in. How was your Christmas?"
"Uh, fine, great, splendid. Could I have my shot now, please, thank you?" he hurriedly replied.
Not only was Fawkes one segment away from doing what Hobbes called, the red-eyed mambo, he was also running short on time to get to the park. He had feeling his new associates wouldn't appreciate him arriving late.
"Alright Darien. Just relax. You seem like you're in a hurry," replied Claire as she tied up his arm and got the syringe ready.
"What? Oh, yeah, well, I'm going to see this movie and I don't want to miss the previews, you know? Ow!"
"There, all done! Listen Darien, before you go there's something I need to talk to you about."
Darien glanced at his watch. It was 9:46am. He had until 10am to get to the park.
"Uhm, sorry Claire, but it's gonna have to wait," he said inching himself to the door, "I really need to get a move on. I'll talk to you later okay? See ya! Bye!"
"But Darien, it's about..." she shouted after him.
While talking, he had managed to back himself out the Keep door and into the hall. When the door closed he raced back out the building, locking the door behind him. He didn't want anyone sneaking in on Claire.
Back in her lab, The Keeper was still standing holding the empty syringe in a state of shock. She had never seen Darien move that fast. Or, for that matter, run out on her when she had something important to say to him.
"...Adam," she whispered to herself. "That must be one good movie," she sighed to herself, and sat back down at the computer.
Remembering that he couldn't take his own car, and with no time to waste, Fawkes parked his Agency hunk-o-crap about two blocks away and then ran to the park. He got there just in time; his watch read 9:57am. Panting and out of breath, Darien looked around for Max and the other men he was supposed to meet. He spotted them and began to make his way over in a slow jog, when all of a sudden something hit him hard in the back of his head. Darien fell to the ground in a small heap, unable to call for help. He peered around to see a man in a dark suit standing over him with some small, blunt object, but before he could make out a face he passed out.
'Aw crap,' was his last thought.
TBC
Feedback is appreciated.
The next morning Darien was awakened by a loud, sound. He reached over to turn off his alarm, and fell off his kitchen stool. He shook his head to gain some composure and looked around to see where he was.
"Why did I sleep in the kitchen?" he questioned himself.
The loud noise came again, and he recognized it as someone knocking at his door.
"Hold on! Hold on, I'm coming."
Darien slowly made it onto to his feet and stumbled over to his door. His head was pounding, his feet felt like rubber, and certain shapes far away appeared kind of blurry to him. He finally reached the door and opened it, about to say something to the person standing behind it, but there was no one there.
"I said I was coming..." he mumbled to himself.
He was about to go back inside when he realized a plain envelope at his feet. He picked it up and turned it over, but there was nothing on it. Confused, he closed his door and shuffled over to his couch and literally collapsed onto it.
"Ugh.." he sighed, "Let's see what this is all about."
Fawkes opened the envelope and pulled out a plain sheet of folded, white paper. He opened up the "letter" and read its contents to Darien the rat.
"Haskell Park. Half an hour. Do not bring your own vehicle. Uh? Oh...oh crap. That thing with the thing. Okay, half and hour. That'll make it ten o'clock in the a.m. Plenty of time."
He was about to close his eyes when he just happened to take a peek at his wrist.
"Double crap!" he shouted and immediately woke up from his stupor. His tattoo read seven segments red, and only two green. With no time to shower he quickly splashed some water onto his face, threw in some fresh hair gel, and grabbed a different jacket that didn't quite smell like Vodka. He took the note, shoved it deep into his pocket, and ran out the door without another word.
About thirty seconds after he left his phone rang. (The Rat let the answering machine get it.)
"You've reached my number and I'm not here. Leave a message." BEEP!
"Hey partner! It's me, Hobbes! Guess you're not in right now. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I gave you the wrong gift! I got that video of "The Invisible Man" for my nephew. I hope you didn't think I got that for you! Bobby Hobbes knows his partner, my friend, and Bobby Hobbes would never be that stupid. Anyway, I'll bring your real gift home when I get back. You should have come with me partner. The skiing is great, if you know what I mean. I'll check back later, Fawkes. See ya!"
About ten minutes after leaving his home, Darien arrived at the Agency. Without wasting any time, Fawkes ran inside, the door surprisingly unlocked, and high-tailed his way down to the Keep. He pounded on the door to open it, a useless act that had somehow become a habit for him, and ran over to the chair.
"Keep! Keep! Counteragent, now please!"
"Oh, hi Darien! I didn't see you come in. How was your Christmas?"
"Uh, fine, great, splendid. Could I have my shot now, please, thank you?" he hurriedly replied.
Not only was Fawkes one segment away from doing what Hobbes called, the red-eyed mambo, he was also running short on time to get to the park. He had feeling his new associates wouldn't appreciate him arriving late.
"Alright Darien. Just relax. You seem like you're in a hurry," replied Claire as she tied up his arm and got the syringe ready.
"What? Oh, yeah, well, I'm going to see this movie and I don't want to miss the previews, you know? Ow!"
"There, all done! Listen Darien, before you go there's something I need to talk to you about."
Darien glanced at his watch. It was 9:46am. He had until 10am to get to the park.
"Uhm, sorry Claire, but it's gonna have to wait," he said inching himself to the door, "I really need to get a move on. I'll talk to you later okay? See ya! Bye!"
"But Darien, it's about..." she shouted after him.
While talking, he had managed to back himself out the Keep door and into the hall. When the door closed he raced back out the building, locking the door behind him. He didn't want anyone sneaking in on Claire.
Back in her lab, The Keeper was still standing holding the empty syringe in a state of shock. She had never seen Darien move that fast. Or, for that matter, run out on her when she had something important to say to him.
"...Adam," she whispered to herself. "That must be one good movie," she sighed to herself, and sat back down at the computer.
Remembering that he couldn't take his own car, and with no time to waste, Fawkes parked his Agency hunk-o-crap about two blocks away and then ran to the park. He got there just in time; his watch read 9:57am. Panting and out of breath, Darien looked around for Max and the other men he was supposed to meet. He spotted them and began to make his way over in a slow jog, when all of a sudden something hit him hard in the back of his head. Darien fell to the ground in a small heap, unable to call for help. He peered around to see a man in a dark suit standing over him with some small, blunt object, but before he could make out a face he passed out.
'Aw crap,' was his last thought.
TBC
Feedback is appreciated.