Double Shot Expresso
By: Dawn DeBraal
Calvin entered the coffee shop inhaling wonderful aromas. He scanned the seating situation, spying the perfect spot behind a column, next to a plug. Grabbing the coveted place, he put in his earbuds and cranked up his favorite tunes.
"Excuse me?" Calvin looked up from his laptop, realizing the waitress had asked him for his order. "Oh sorry, double shot expresso, thanks," he returned his focus to his homework.
Where was that waitress? Scanning the restaurant, he could not believe his eyes. Everyone in the store was dead. Had he not been tucked behind the column he would have suffered the same fate.
Calvin slid to the floor. A puddle of blood belonging to the guy sitting next to him. He took some of the spillage rubbing it on his shirt with his finger hoping the gunman would think he'd been shot.
Watching through squinted eyes, the man hopped from person to person, loading wallets and belongings into a bag he carried, when he saw the shooter put the weapon on a nearby tabletop, his will to live kicked in, turning on his flight into a fight instinct. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Cal kept still. His mind raced. How could he have missed the entire attack? His music had been too loud, drowning out the sound of the shots, he thought he saw a suppressor on the end of the barrel. The shooter would know he wasn't dead when he searched his pockets so, Cal took out his wallet and set it next to the laptop on the table. Let the guy have his money better alive and poor.
Like a sitting duck he waited, focused on the rifle the killer had left behind. It was so close he could almost touch it. Was it still loaded?
The guy continued to move further away from the gun. Cal envisioned himself running to the weapon, taking aim, and shooting the killer. By playing dead, he had a chance of surviving this ordeal, but if he could slay the slayer, he would survive it.
His mind churned over all the possibilities that were presenting themselves to him. Did the killer have only one rifle, or did he have a handgun on him too? He cursed himself for being so immersed in his homework. His non-observance could cost him dearly. The detail of how armed this shooter was, meant life or death to him.
The guy was on the other side of the shop. Now or never. Cal found the courage to jump up, and race for the gun, getting there before the killer even knew he was alive.
Victorious! He placed the weapon to his shoulder and aimed the rifle at the shooter, ready to pull the trigger when the riot squad broke through the door, promptly shooting Cal. He heard more shots. Cal hoped the killer got it too.
Then he heard the cop on the radio, "Double shot expresso, all clear," code for both shooters taken out.
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