New Story - again written exclusively on Steemit - WiP - Bouncer Part 1

I started a new story to share on Steemit. It's not my usual type of tale, but I decided it has legs so I'm going to let it run.

Meet Zack, my newest character. I hope you like him.

pictures from Google free to use search

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Chapter 1

“Hey Boss,” Zack said, walking into the small office.

The Boss glanced up from his ‘paperwork’ – betting slips strewn across his desk and a racing paper with times and statistics of the horses running. He nodded at Zack but his eyes had already gone back to the paper.

“Hey, what can I do for you?” he said.

Zack got the feeling that there was nothing the Boss would like less than to hear what he could do for Zack.

Zack checked out the Boss’s two goons – Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer as he’d dubbed them right after their first encounter. They lounged around the office all day, doing very little, with no chance of getting their hands dirty.

Zack half-smiled at the baleful glares that greeted him. The feelings of distrust and disdain were mutual.

“Nothin’. I’m handing in my notice,” Zack said. He stood in front of the tatty desk, waiting for the Boss to process his words.

The Boss put down his racing paper and looked up properly for once. He placed both hands palm-down on the surface of the desk. Zack guessed he wanted to make Zack feel secure that he wasn’t about to pull a gun on him or anything.

That was just one more thing against working at the club – too many wanna-be gangsters living off other people’s reputations. It got too difficult to keep track of who was to be believed any more.

“You’re quitting?” The Boss said. His voice sounded nonchalant but his eyes glinted dangerously and his mouth set in a hard line as he studied Zack’s reaction.

“Yep,” Zack said, matching the nonchalant tone. “It’s the end of the line for me.”

“You’re not bored, are you?” the Boss said, laughing.

It took a second or so for that to percolate through the goons’ skulls but they gave a humourless chuckle too.

“No, not bored,” Zack said. He offered nothing else by way of information.

The Boss studied him. He rubbed his chin, and one eyebrow gave a flick as he came to his decision.

Zack didn’t show it, but he was on full alert. The goons moved from their reclining positions and stood just behind Zack, one to either side.

“Who’s poached you, Zack?” the Boss said.

Zack knew that the answer he gave would lead to a number of possible outcomes.

He’d get a battering right there and then, he’d be on tenterhooks waiting for the battering to arrive one dark night when his guard was down and he was alone, he’d get a battering in full view of his peers, colleagues, customers and new boss or they’d be satisfied with his answer. While being satisfied didn’t mean a Golden Handshake or anything, it meant he’d leave without a price on his head.

“No one poached me. I have more respect for you than that,” he said. “I’ve come in to a bit of money and I want to set up my own security firm. I want to step back from this. I’m not getting any younger.”

The Boss listened and took an age to decide his reaction. He nodded, corners of his mouth turned down as though he considered Zack’s response to be reasonable. Then he extended his hand for Zack to shake and the tension in the room evaporated. The goons slid back to their previous positions and Zack breathed an inward sigh of relief.

Zack shook his hand. “Thanks for that, Boss. I appreciate it.”

“This firm,” the Boss said. “You’ll be looking for clients?”

“Yes, eventually.”

“Keep my number,” the Boss said. “You know what you’re doing where the security game is concerned. I’ll consider employing you for the clubs I run.”

“I wasn’t expecting that, Boss,” Zack said. “Thank you.”

“De nada,” the Boss said, waving his hand as a gesture of ‘think nothing of it – and get out of my sight’.

Zack nodded that he understood and left the office.

He walked slowly, head down as though considering what had occurred. He heard the buzz of conversation start and the door closed behind him.

‘So, not quite out of the woods,’ he thought. He’d have to keep a wary eye open until the Boss was satisfied that he wasn’t jumping ship and defecting to another Firm.

Zack knew what the dangers of Door Security were, he also knew that a lot of his potential clients were at odds with each other and balancing that little lot out would be a task in itself.

Bored? More like insane!

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Page 1 longhand - in my near-indecipherable scrawl