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 110: James got into his car and started the engine.
James got into his car and started the engine. With no other idea in place, James drove back to his apartment. Even though he kept glancing in the rearview mirror, there was of sign of Tucker’s car. James felt oddly abandoned.
‘I’m sure he will catch up with me,’ James thought.
He reached his apartment building and parked. His work bag was on the floor of the passenger’s side just where he left it, the dark bag blending with the shadows. There was nothing in it that a thief would find advantageous, but James didn’t like to tempt anyone walking by. In truth the only thing that actually had any value for him was the notebook.
“And if someone stole that it wouldn’t be a random thief,” he said to himself. When he picked up the bag he opened the top and looked inside. The notebook was still there.
It was a relief to see it. He closed the bag, and keys in hand, got out of his parked car. Tucker pulled in behind him, not bothering to pull into an empty spot. As they were early getting home on a Friday evening, there were plenty of spots to choose from. Tucker leaned over the seats and looked at James through the open passenger’s side window.
“Get in,” Tucker ordered.
The two words rang with the note of a command. James nodded, his mouth going dry. He moved to Tucker’s car, opened the passenger’s side door and got into the vehicle. As soon as he was seated, Tucker pressed the button to roll up the window and started forward before James could even get his seatbelt fastened. He let his work bag slide to the floorboards as he fumbled for the strap.
The seatbelt clicked into place and James looked over at his driver. Tucker had a hard look to his face. James decided to keep quiet until he was told what was going on. The streets Tucker was taking seemed to be random but they were drifting in the general direction of the safe house. James felt his stomach rumble and realized his plan to grab a meal out would have to wait as well.
‘But since I have nothing in the fridge anymore, I’ll have to grab something before heading home,’ he thought. The mundane thought of grocery shopping settled him slightly as he waited for Tucker to break his broody silence.
“I don’t know your file,” Tucker finally said. James blinked in surprise as that wasn’t what he was expecting.
“I felt it was best not to at this point. I was looking for anything out of place, while Morris looked for specific threats from your file. Keeping me from looking for specifics let me go in with no prior judgement.”
James snorted a laugh before he could help himself. Tucker glanced at him, lifting an eyebrow in question.
“You had prior judgement going in,” James clarified.
Tucker shrugged. “Probably,” he said. “But not knowing your file let me look for anything out of place instead of having me adjust my expectations to suit.”
“Fair enough,” James replied.
“So I need to ask how you knew the man who came into the bar tonight.”
James shrugged. “I didn’t, not really. I recognized his face as I had seen him before, but I’ve never spoken to him. I was told if I recognized anyone to let the agents know.”
“That is protocol,” Tucker said. It sounded like he was speaking more to himself.
Ten til Midnight 