A "Failed" Assassination

Flash Fiction

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

The walkie talkie was burning a hole through my pocket. It had been too long since the last check-in, and that meant we were running behind. We absolutely couldn't be running behind. I absentmindedly chewed my lip and paced for another minute before I finally lost it. I whipped out the walkie talkie and shouted, "Status update!"

There was a moment of static and then a rough voice came through, "The final speaker is almost installed. IT is on the scene. Over."

"Shooter is prepped and ready. Over."

"Route is clear. Convoy is on schedule. Over."

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart before responding. "Roger, everyone. Next time keep me up to date before I have a heart attack. Over and out."

With a sigh of relief, I returned the walkie talkie to my pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. It was starting to come apart at the edge of the crease because I'd looked at it so many times. It was the Prince's schedule for the day, complete with the exact route he would be taking to get to his cousin's Christening.

My team would be stationed at perfect intervals around Center Square, with the lovely Selene perched in an upper story window, ready to fire the all important shot.

I was situated at home base: the backroom of a little café on the far edge of the square. This was Tech Central, and where everyone would meet afterward to celebrate a job well done. Just then a young bespectacled man waltzed in, computer in hand.

"How's everything looking, Jes?" I asked.

He pushed his glasses up on his face and looked at me with excited eyes. "We just completed the sound check. Everything is working perfectly."

Praise be. If this job actually went well, we could be on our way to a bright future. I glanced down at my watch and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. It was 8 a.m. already!

"The cameras! Pull up the cameras!" I demanded.

Jes hurried to comply, and quickly turned his computer around so I could see. The convoy that carried the prince was right on schedule. It was a block away from Center Square. It was show time.

"Convoy inbound, everybody ready?" I asked.

A chorus of 'yes, sirs' came from the walkie talkie, and for the first time today I actually smiled. This was going to work. I watched the screen without so much as a blink as the car rolled steadily closer to the square. When the front wheels rolled onto the cobblestones of the square, it was time to go.

"On my signal..." I said, waiting for the car to reach the marked spot of the road.

"3, 2, 1. Now!"

Simultaneously, Jes hit a button on his computer and Selene took her shot. The pellet hit the windshield hard enough to crack it, and the pre-recorded gunshot echoed through the speakers around the square.

The crowd went wild and the Prince's security force jumped into action. They cleared the way for the car to speed through the square, and as they went the sound of more gunshots accompanied them. I watched with glee as the car sped away and disappeared around a corner.

It was all over in a matter of seconds, but boy had it been executed perfectly. Jes had done an admirable job of timing the sound effects, and Selene's shot had been spot on. I emerged from the back room into the café, where innocent bystanders were still cowering in fear and confusion.

The team filed in one-by-one and joined me at the booth in the corner. I was about to give my customary well-done speech when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and my smile got even bigger when I saw who it was from.

Royal Advisor Cassian: Prince Paranoid nearly peed himself. Job well done. Your payment will be transferred within three business days.

A job well done indeed.

I turned back to my team with a satisfied smile. 

"Who's ready for cake?"

---

As always, thanks for reading and being here at Claire’s Short Stories! I hope you enjoyed today’s tiny tale!

Have an awesome rest of your week! See you next Thursday!