Caught Fire by Michael D. Wright

Author:Michael D. Wright
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Sweetwater Creek Publishing

Chapter Five

Sobrereria Obach was a small, quaint shop with more hats on display than John could have ever imagined. There were driver’s caps, fedoras, cowboy hats, visors, baseball caps, and a variety of ornate hats for women. The sort that pretentious ladies often wore to the Kentucky Derby back in the States. There were half a dozen people looking over the shelves and displays. Two cashiers were busy at the counter, assisting customers. John reached into his pocket and felt the dot matrix paper there. He had committed the instructions to memory but found it easier to recall them while pinching the paper between his thumb and forefinger.

Look for the person wearing a hat with a red band.

The man in question was easy to spot. He was standing near the rear of the store, looking at a small display of fedoras that were identical to his own. The red band was more of a maroon color, wrapped around his dusty and battered hat.

The next instruction on the paper had read: They’ll be carrying a small leather bag.

The bag was easy to see, strapped around his shoulder. It looked a little feminine in John’s opinion. It wasn’t a satchel or a purse. Whatever it was, John felt a pang of uneasiness as he looked at it—mainly because the next instruction was going to be difficult. It also went against John’s moral compass.

Take the bag.

John exhaled audibly. He had not stolen anything in his life since the age of ten when he had nicked a pack of gum from the local convenient store. After analyzing the situation, he noticed there were a few avenues he could take. He could simply snatch the bag and make a run for it. Or he could throw a swift, hard right-handed jab, knocking the guy out cold and just grab it. John was confident he could do the job quickly, but the sound of the punch would likely catch the attention of at least one of the other customers. In other words, there was no way he was going to be able to do this without causing a scene.

He clenched his fist, ready to throw the punch. It was his best course of action. There would be no struggle and experience had taught him that the sight of violence alone would make those in the store freeze in shock for at least two seconds.

John closed in, now less than five feet away from his target. That’s when he was able to get a better look at the bag. Only…it wasn’t a bag at all. From the other side of the store, it appeared a strap was slung over the man’s shoulder. Now he saw the strap was part of a sling supporting his wounded arm. The so-called “bag” John had thought he had seen was a small attaché case.

And an attaché case is not a bag, John thought. If I’m supposed to be looking for that, the instructions would have explicitly said “attaché case.” Also, the sling is pretty noticeable.

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