Troubled [h.s.]

85

I get out at about four thirty and quickly change. I know I need to be at the place by six but I want to grab coffee on the way from my leftover five dollars and maybe steal a bagel since this place doesn't have any food in it.

I wear my dry and warm clothes, shake my hair around to get some of the water out, hand comb it and then braid it so I don't get sick. This please doesn't have a hair dryer.

I need to ask Gabriel if I will be paid soon. If not, I need to go and steal some applicants and groceries.

I buy my coffee from a small cart-shop that stands in the middle of the street. When he is giving my change, I grab two bagels and stuff them in my jean back pocket.

I get my change, put it in my other pocket then grab the two bagels as I turn around and start to lightly jog to the destination on my phone screen.

I finish my two bagels and coffee by the time I arrive at the destination.

Its a park.

Its a motherfucking park. No building. No one in charge. No nothing.

"Is this a fucking joke?" I rant and turn around when I see someone waiting in the corner. She is a small lady, maybe eighty.

"Stop cussing you little cunt!" She yells at me.

I turn back around holding my hands up. You do not mess with a eighty year old. I try to hold in my giggle. Its funny.

What am I supposed to do now? Go back home and call it a day? It can't be. I check my phone and make sure I came to the right place. I take the letter out and have it re-read the QR code. It says I am at the right place.

I look around, there is a DHL building near, a small apartment complex, a Starbucks and thats it.

Gabriel never told me anything about this.

I look back again and this time, the barely standing lady has vanished, a paper stands where she was. Creeped out, I walk to it, pick it up and open the envelope.

Good morning Skyler,

I am sure you are wondering where you are. Well, I am guessing you were not naive enough to think that we would send you our location by a QR code. We want you to find us. Perks of being early is that you have more time. If you are late, you are out.

First clue: Run.

Best of luck,
Logan

I close the paper, run?

What the fuck?

I look at the floor to see if anything fell out when I see the shadow of someone behind me. I turn around and he has a gun.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yell as he raises his gun to me. He is a middle aged men I have never seen before, grey hair, black coat.

He doesn't seem to be having any second thoughts. Run. Run.

I re-read the words and it takes me a moment to realize what they are actually saying. He finally fully raises his gun and points it in my face just as my feet jolt toward him instead of going on.