The Good Deed ~COMPLETE~

Chapter 26: The Waiting Game

After my crash course on constructional blue print reading, I felt a little better about my game plan. I had the basic understanding of the layout of the building and the locations of all of my possible escape routes, if something was to go drastically wrong. Before I left my fathers house, he made me promise to keep in touch with him throughout the course of my assignment. He also told me, if I needed him, he would come along. I was stern and told him, 'absolutely not!' I would never be able to forgive myself if I asked him to help me, and something was to happen to him.

Mark walked with me out of the house and to my...Sue's car. I popped the trunk, “Hey, I need you to take a look at something for me.” I knew I couldn't have Mark assist me at the Convention Center, but I was never told I couldn't ask for information or pointers from my brother.

I unlatched the black case and lifted the lid. The shiny chrome rifle shimmered in the suns light.

Marks eyes lit up, “Holy shit!” He quickly shut the lid. “Jesus Joe...where the hell did you get that?”

I honestly wasn't quite sure. “I found it there this morning, I think the Operation put it in here.”

“Well be careful with this thing. You go opening it up in public and the wrong person sees it...you'll go directly to jail.”

“Do not pass 'GO'?”

Mark had the most serious look I can ever remember seeing, “Joe. This isn't a joke. This is an assault weapon. Snipers in the military use this kind of rifle...Assassins use this kind of rifle, Joe. If you aren't one or the other, you don't have any business being in possession of it.”

I felt about twenty years younger. Being scolded by my brother felt humiliating. “Mark, you think I want this thing in my trunk? Well I don't. Believe me, if there was another way, I...”

“Okay Joe, I get it. You're in a shitty situation...just, please be careful with that thing.”

Mark explained to me how to assemble the weapon. He of course made it sound simple. Guns, mechanisms, and electronic gadgets had always come naturally to Mark. He could take apart and rebuild just about anything, and it would always work right, the first time. I, on the other hand had trouble changing the batteries in a television remote. Furniture was my thing.

Mark returned to our parents house, as I drove away from it. As we parted ways, I had terrible thoughts attacking my mind. I kept thinking that would be the last time we would see each other. I fought back hard and managed to force my mind toward another thought...My plan. I had some serious work to do in order to be ready for the following days events.

December 10th, 2005 2:40pm

I arrived home. Upon enter the house, I found Sasha still sitting, eagerly waiting by the front door. At her first sight of me, her ears were perked and her tail was wagging in excitement. She stood to greet me, but soon her ears dropped, and her tail stopped. Sasha sat back down and cocked her head, staring at me. She let out a high pitched whine. I knew exactly what she wanted to ask me, 'Where's my mommy?'. The poor dog almost looked let down to see me returning home alone.