Story 37/1001

• key
• sticky
• report

Marshall smiled while the thieves tied him to the chair in his office. They frantically searched the room, breaking some of Marshall’s things.

“You’ll never find it.” Marshall sighed.

One of the thieves turned around and rushed towards him. Marshall smirked when he felt pain on his cheek.

“You punch like a sissy.”

“Where is the key?” The bulky thief said and punched him again.

“Stop it. He won’t be able to say anything if you render him unconscious.” The short thief said, fixing his black mask so he can see better.

“He’s the smart one?” Marshall asked.

“Where is your family, Mr. Pillot?” The short one took a chair and sat opposite of Marshall. “Something tells me this is too perfect.”

“I am quite alright, yes. Perfect? Maybe that’s a bit arrogant.”

The third thief scoffed. “Let’s just deal with him my way.” He took out his knife. The short one held up his hand and looked back at Marshall.

“The way I see it, correct me if I’m wrong, your family should be here. You’re always together on Sundays.”

“They went on a trip. Should I have written a report for you?”

The thief smiled. “I like your arrogance. What I don’t like is how you managed to slip them by me. And I don’t like that there must have been a reason why you stayed behind, Mr. Pillot.”

“You really are the smart one here, aren’t you?”

The short thief looked at his companions and they exited the room.

“At least take me out for dinner first.” Marshall grinned. “You’ll never find it.”

“I don’t have to.” The thief retorted. “I just need to find out where your family is, and you’ll tell me willingly.”

“Sure, good luck with that.”

“My cousin has a teenager, also a girl.”

“Good for him.”

“And they have this problem, maybe you know what I’m talking about, she overshares. Everything is on her social networks. Even if she doesn’t post anything, she tells her friends everything. And it’s so easy to hack into their accounts.”

Marshall stopped smiling. He knew what he told Amira before sending them away. He’s doing all this for them. She wouldn’t risk it. He clearly said she should throw her phone and tablet away.

The bulky thief entered the room. He whispered something to the short one, and he smiled.

“See, you had the upper hand a few minutes ago. We could’ve worked together. Now, Mr. Pillot, you’re in somewhat of a sticky situation.”

“Yeah, duct tape is all over my clothes. It better not ruin them.” Marshall forced a smile.

He had to think they were bluffing, but he was worried. And he was sure the short one could sense it. Marshall looked around the room. The camera the Agency put in the clock on the wall is still there. Why haven’t they showed up yet? This wasn’t the deal.

“You can wipe the smile now, Mr. Pillot.” He showed him a message on his phone. “For someone so smart, you didn’t teach your daughter a lot. She had her passwords written in a school notebook.”

Marshall gulped. He told her not to contact her friends, especially not that boy. Of course she didn’t stop talking with him.  

“How about that key, Mr. Pillot?” Marshall frowned. There must be a reason why the Agency isn’t here yet. He knew they were watching.

“The clock is ticking. Your family or the key.”

Marshall had to protect the key. If it falls into wrong hands, it will change this world forever.

“Do you even know what it does, or are you just errand boys?”

“Look how serious he is now. “The one with the knife spoke.

“So, you’re just errand boys. Let me tell you, it does nothing good. All the money you will get from this job, will be lost if the key falls into wrong hands.”

“What are you talking about? What is he talking about?”

“Don’t listen to him.” The short one said. “I’ll count to ten. If you don’t give me the key by then, I’ll call the cavalry to pay a visit to your beautiful wife and daughter.”

“Listen to me. It can’t be used. It can never be used.”

That’s when he knew why the Agency isn’t coming. They didn’t want to protect him, they just wanted to get the key. And he told them he’ll keep it safe.

“Listen to me.” Marshall turned so that the camera can’t see his face.

“Ten.”

“If I tell you where the key is, none of us will get out of here alive.” Marshall whispered and they laughed.

“Nine.”

“There is a camera in the clock. I stayed so I can be a bait, to find out who hired you.”

“We figured that much out. Eight.”

“But the Agency I work for has different plans, they don’t know where the key is. Only I do.”

“Seven.”

“They won’t come until I tell you where it is. And then they’ll kill us all.”

The short one stopped counting.

“The key can access any account in the world. It can crush any defense system it encounters.”

The three thieves looked at each other.

“If you get me out of here alive and help me keep my family safe, I will pay you twenty times what your boss offered you.”

Marshall sweated. The three thieves exchanged glances and the bulky one hit Marshall again.

The short one hit him in the stomach and whispered.

“Half upfront, half when the job is done.”