Plowing Through Chapter 5

As promised, I am camped out here at my desk with my laptop in front of me, gamely plowing through the elusive chapter 5. It's such a strange and wonderful thing, this writing experience. You go into it with some certain framework in mind, and then things kind of take a twist and go off in a direction you never premeditated. The result of today's effort was unintentionally comical. I thought it would be dark, but something else kind of took over. Anyway, I'm posting a portion of chapter 5 now, and I'm finishing off chapter 5 later tonight, when the kids are in bed.

Have I mentioned I truely love to write...even when I hate to write. :)



“I hope you got everything you wanted from that,” black-haired, Roman-nosed Gustav Veis growled with a mouth twisted into something resembling a smile. “Do not think that I will supply you with any more of that serum, Yan. Need I remind you of the expense?” He allowed Yan Sadovski, a distinguished looking man of about sixty with a round face, graying temples and an impeccable suit, to pass out of the dingy holding cell ahead of him, and pulled the door closed behind.

Sadovski sniffed in disgust. “The expense. I have more than covered the expense with the prize in this room.” He pressed a carefully-filed fingertip against the cell door. “The serum is the key to unlocking a treasure of American intelligence. The price is small.”

Veis turned on his heel and laughed harshly. “You do not yet know the price, Yan. Your assignment was to escort James Albertson and his intelligence documents out of Washington. You have accomplished neither. Albertson is missing. The documents are missing. And all you have to show for it is a drugged up federal agent who clearly knows nothing of this operation. Will Moscow be impressed?” He shrugged indifferently. As the two began walking down the dim-lit hallway, Veis cast a sidelong glance at the older man and cocked an eyebrow. “I must say the bombing is questionable. Was that part of the plan?”

“Albertson is an imbecile,” Sadovski spat, his face darkening with his mood. “He must have used five times the amount of explosive necessary for the pickup. He did that himself.”

“The State Department is calling it a KGB attack on American soil.”

At this, Sadovski stopped abruptly and pulled Veis’ arm to stop him mid-stride. “Where have you heard this?”

Veis smiled, but all humor had left his expression. “Where have I not heard this? It is on every television station, every radio news report. I am surprised you have not received notice from the embassy yet.” He began walking down the shadowy corridor again, toward a stairwell door at the end. Reluctantly, Sadovski followed. “Oh yes, Yan. The media are waiting for the KGB to claim responsibility. A man was killed in the blast.”

“Killed? Do we know who?”

With a meaningful stare, Veis replied, “We can guess.”

“Albertson!” Sadovski exclaimed ruefully. He let out a strangled groan. “I am sure you are right. The man was an imbecile. And we will all suffer for it.” He stopped again at the stairwell door. “You are a sensible man, Gustav. What will we do when the embassy calls?”

Veis leaned against the doorway, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. “Ah-h, Yan,” he drawled, “it is not my concern. You will do whatever Moscow tells you to do.” His eyes opened again, and he smirked. “And if it were my problem, I would be very clear that my idiot operatives brought back the wrong man without my knowing. I would wash my hands of this nonsense as soon as possible.” He clapped Sadovski once on the shoulder and entered the stairwell. “And I would not purchase any more expensive truth serum from Comrade Veis,” he called over his shoulder as the door swung shut behind him.