Short Story: TICKET CANCELLATION

Can you do me a solid and pull over?

START

Tom hit the buzzer outside Alex’s condo.

While the reported end of the world turned up problems, Tom managed the situation like any other. He handled logistics, details, clashes, but for the most part, he handled his clients. They were all in-fight or off-continent. Everyone was scared and pissy, of course, but none of them took it out on him. For once, it wasn’t his fault.

Everyone was fine except Alex.

Tom hit the buzzer again. It was almost noon. The streets were empty from the looting, and the city probably had a day left to run.

The intercom crackled, but no one answered. The fuckhead was sitting in there, watching him on the intercom camera.

Tom hollered into the device, ‘I can hear you in there, Alex. Let me in.’

Another pause.

It was too hot and too late for this.

Tom punched at the tiny speaker. ‘Let! Me! In!’

—

On the motorway, Alex came to and looked at the mottled grey sky. ‘Whaaaaa? What’s all this?’

‘Part of the city is on fire. It’s been going for a fortnight. Alex where’s Dee? I need you to take me to Dee.’

‘Right, right,’ he said. Alex took in the desolate highway. ‘Fuckin’ where is everyone?’

‘Gone, Alex. Where’s Dee? We need to pick her up.’

‘We split, man. I kicked her out.’

‘Out? Out where? Into this?’

‘Yeah, I guess. I gotta piss. Can you do me a solid and pull over?’

Tom checked the rearview mirrors before letting him out. Tom’s first thought was to dump Alex, to drive off and leave him. But Alex would never survive on his own. No way.

Instead, Tom popped the trunk. He took a gun from the sports bag inside. ‘Hey Alex?’

The first shot hit Alex in the chest, spinning him. He was already half-dead, but Tom didn’t like the idea of him suffering, so he shot him again and that did the job. Tom had a look at the damage: a small hole in his skull above a glazed eye. So neat. Not such a bad way to go, all considered.

He took Alex’s phone from his pocket and called Dee’s number, but she didn’t answer. Tom dropped the phone on Alex’s body and went back to the car.

Back on the road, he called his P.A. ‘Cancel Alex’s ticket. Dee, too.’

‘They okay?’

‘I dunno.’ Tom shifted lanes, accelerated. ‘They’re not clients anymore.’

END

— IAIN

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