Sabotage

Deadline: Midnight Saturday :: 10 April 2010

The darkened skies of New York City perpetuated a cycle of misery for its inhabitants. The rain
didn’t start to fall until twenty minutes past four in the afternoon, in which those unfortunate enough to
be caught in its path pulled up their collars and hoods, unsheathed their umbrellas, and sought refuge
indoors. It didn’t take long for the streets to become soaked, the soil of Central Park to turn to near
mud, and the city to look utterly bleak and depressing. I didn’t take much offence to the rain – I thought
it to be calming and therapeutic...not to mention that no one wanted to be out in it, so that made
handling my misanthropy a much easier task. I’ll never understand why I moved to New York, of all
places. I hated people. Dealing with them, seeing them, breathing the same air as them. I should have
relocated to someplace quiet and near-private, like Forks, Washington. I hear it’s hardly ever a place
where you’d bump into a smorgasbord of people simultaneously.

I buttoned the black peacoat I wore and opened my matching umbrella and headed for the car. Sliding
into the fine leather upholstery, I started the engine of the silver, late 90’s German automobile and
entered my target destination into the GPS. The black handgun in the glove compartment lay loaded,
suppressed and ready to use. I opened its hiding spot to be sure of its presence and smiled to myself
when I saw it.

Arriving at my destination shortly after my departure from the hotel, the handgun found itself a new
home inside my jacket pocket as I entered the metaLIFE building. Boarding the elevator, I pressed the
appropriate button for the thirtieth floor, but to my surprise, nothing happened. I pressed it again, and
suddenly heard creaking above me. Removing the handgun from my pocket, I prepared to use it, but
suddenly, an explosion triggered above the elevator, sending it careening to the depths below.

Thirty floors up, my target watched the scene from a monitor, a silver Desert Eagle in his hand. He
smirked at the success of his plan and turned the monitor off. “Never send a sheep to kill a wolf.”