Flash Fiction Friday: Week #43

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take. 


And here is picture prompt #43:

No Good Deed...Blah, Blah, Blah
By Michelle Greathouse

Jack removed his hat and lightly smacked it against his knee, knocking as much of the rain water off as possible.  He was glad the rain had stopped, the downpour had made watching his back a little more difficult than he liked.

He checked his watch, fifteen minutes left in this God forsaken place.  He crossed the street and entered the bar his passenger had chosen as the meeting place - and immediately all eyes turned his way.  This was definitely not his usual haunt.  Hell, it wasn’t even his usual dimension.

As one of the only two known dimensional shifters, Jack Donovin was accustomed to standing out while waiting for his passengers - but somehow, he just never got used to the feeling of hostile eyes turned his way.

Jack sat down at the bar and ordered a house special - he always ordered a house special, paid for it and left it sitting on the bar.  He wasn’t stupid enough to drink anything - but his money usually bought him the time it took for his passenger to arrive.

He was very clear in his contract.  Money up front, no refunds and he never waited past the appointed return time.  If the passenger got in trouble - he or she was own their own.  Jack was not into illegals of any kind and he had a strict policy - he would not shift anyone to another dimension to break any kind of law.

Jack checked his watch, one minute left.  Damn, he hoped he wasn’t leaving that young woman behind.  Laurel Martin seemed capable, if scared - but Jack didn’t ask for details.  As long as she agreed to the terms, he agreed to transport her.

The alarm on his watch beeped and Jack rose from the br stool and made his way to the door.  He reached out to grab the handle and almost had his hand knocked off, the door was thrust open so hard.

Ms. Martin had arrived.

“I’m sorry.  It took longer than I’d hoped.  But I’m here and ready to go.”  She hiked her bag higher on her shoulder.  The bag was huge - but it did not look any fuller than when they’d arrived.

Jack nodded his head and Laurel followed him out the door, across the street and into the alley they arrived in. Jack held out his hand and Laurel took it without hesitation.  He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, focused on his destination and jumped.

They arrived in his office.  “Are you going to throw up again?  He thrust his trash can at Laurel who had sunk into one of thread bare chairs in front of his desk.  The desk he’d had since college, the one that was being held up by a stack of phone books because the right front leg had broken in half when he and Cindy Melvin had sex on it the night before graduation.

Ahh, memories.      

“No, I’m fine Mr. Donovin.  I just need a minute.”  Laurel sat her bag on the floor and it sighed.

What the hell?

“Ms. Martin, what’s in your bag?”  Jack hated complications - and that bag just became a complication.

“Nothing, thank you for your help.  I need to be going now.”  Laurel grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

The bag grunted.  And then began to cry.  Laurel sat down on the floor, tears running down her own face and opened her bag.  

“This is my son, Caleb.  His father took him the night he was born and jumped to another dimension.  I have been looking for him for four months and I finally found him.”  She gave Jack a fierce look.  “I will not let him go again - ever.”

Jack sat down on the floor beside her.  “Tell me everything.”

She began.  “I am a witch.  Barely really, I can scry, teleport within a two mile range - defensive magic only.  My great grand father was a shifter like you.  But as you know, so far, it seems that only males develop that talent - and not very many.”  She removed a bottle from the bag and began to feed Caleb.  

“My husband found out about my great grandfather, and my own latent abilities and thought that if we had a son - he would have a good chance of being a jumper.  I found all this out the night Caleb was born.  My husband orchestrated the entire thing.  Our ‘accidental’ meeting - sweeping me off my feet.  The whole whirlwind romance.  It was just part of his agenda.” 
   
Jack listened without comment.

“My husband wants to rule the dimensions - and he is willing to use Caleb to do it.  And I am determined to make sure he does not succeed - even if it means I have to kill him.”

This day was just getting better and better.

While Jack was listening to her story, he was trying to figure out who her husband could be.  He knew of no one by the name of Martin who would have the power to even attempt what Laurel was talking about.

Giving up, he finally asked.  “Ms. Martin, who is your husband?”

Laurel would not meet his gaze at first and Jack thought she would not answer his question.  She sighed and moved Caleb to her shoulder, patting him gently and moving her hands in a slow circle.  Moments later, Caleb released a burp too large for someone so small and Laurel smiled a gentle smile only mothers’ seem to have for their young.

In a voice filled with resignation she responded.    “My husband is Dominic Perillo.”

Well hell.  “Dom Perillo, the crime boss?”  Jack rose and went to the window, lifted the ancient curtain and scanned the street.

The lights went out.

The End
Word Count: 973

I went way over the word count - but I had to get it all out there.  This one was so much fun.  :)

I hope you enjoyed it.  Have a great weekend.