The Fifteen Minute Novel is a novel written fifteen minutes at a time with each week day’s section starting with the sentence from the previous day. At least it is attempting to be a novel. For now I am just aiming at one continuous story, worked on for fifteen minutes each day. Started Friday January 1st, 2021 (in case you want to search for the beginning. I can’t wait to see where it ends up. It could be good, or it could be a mess. We’ll have to see. For now, here is today’s fifteen minutes.
Day 91: “I’m a pretty average looking guy.”
“I’m a pretty average looking guy.”
“You are,” Morris confirmed. “So is Carson. I arrived quite a bit earlier than the two of you to get the files in order so there is the possibility that no one knew I was in the office. You and Carson arrived together.”
“So they killed Carson to get to me?” James asked. He knew that if he testified there were going to be people who wanted to kill him, however no one had really gotten all that close before. It was one of those dim possibilities that brought little fear because it seemed so remote.
“I think they might have thought Carson was you,” Morris said. “They might have believed I was your handler. And with only two of us visible, you tucked out of sight, it would seem reasonable. I’ sure they looked in the other offices.”
“I thought someone else was going to testify so my testimony wasn’t needed,” James said. His hands felt like ice on the steering wheel but the rest of him kept flashing hot and cold as though he had some sort of fever.
“There is,” Morris said. “You are going to want to take a right at the stop light. I think this may have more to do with the files than it does the case.”
“But there was nothing in the files that was worth killing for,” James said. The car rolled to a halt at the stop light. James flipped on the turn signal and waited for a break in the traffic so he could turn right. When he was safely in his lane he glanced over at Morris. The agents eyes were closed again and he looked a little bit gray around the edges.
“How close are we to the safe house?” James asked.
“Its two streets over,” Morris replied. His lids flickered up. “I look that bad?”
“Yes,” James said. He saw no point in lying.
“The doctor will be waiting. It’s this gray building on the right, pull into the parking lot and drive around back.”
James did as he was told and as he parked a man came ambling out of one of the doors. To the casual observer he looked as though he was out for a stroll. His eyes however were hard and watchful. Morris reached into his pocket and came out with his identification. He flashed it at the stranger who lost the amble. James received a nod but all attention was on Morris. They got into the building and despite looking like a motel on the outside, James was left to wait in what appeared to be a hospital waiting room.
It was white and tiled. The chairs were vaguely comfortable for short stretches but grew distinctly less comfortable the longer you occupied them. There was also an overwhelming silence. Whatever was happening, it was happening in a well-insulated room far away.
Ten til Midnight 