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Episode 4 - The Setup


Jake knocks at the door and looks through the window and sees someone approaching the door. He looks at his watch which read 9:00 p.m. The door opens to reveal a big man about 6”1 ft looking down on them. Without another word he closes the door and leaves them standing outside. Jake looks through the window and sees the man putting a package into a briefcase. The same man opens the door, shoves the briefcase into their hands and without another word closes the door and leaves them standing outside again.

Jake heads back to the car with Kevin holding the briefcase which looked smaller than expected considering that two of them were needed to do this.

“Kevin, does any of this seem weird to you?’” Jake asks as they slip back into the car.

“No Jake. None of this seems strange at all. Everyone is just doing their job so let us do ours and drop the briefcase and get this over with. We are already half way through. We need to get to the next address and be done.”

“Yea you are probably right. Let’s go on to the next address then.”

Jake begins to drive and within five minutes arrives at the drop off point. The building they stopped in front of was a warehouse that looked abandoned. Jake reaches out and grabs the paper from Kevin’s hands to check on the address again.

“Are you sure this is the place? They are close to each other, why would you need someone else to deliver something that you can deliver yourself?”

“Jake, please stop with the questions. Let’s just get this over with.” Kevin opens the door and steps out heading for the entrance of the factory with the briefcase in his hand.

Jake kills the engine and follows after Kevin barely able to see him due to the place being so dark. Jake sees Kevin open the door and notices that the door was not locked for a place that seems abandoned and there was no one in sight. Jake hears his phone ring and he reaches for it.

“What’s going on? My father’s friend is not picking up. I hope you both are alright. Jake, just drop it and get back here as soon as possible. The man should be around there somewhere. Get the money and head out immediately. Please don’t try to make friends with him as I know you probably would try to because of his money. For real Jake do not waste any time.”

A noise came from Jake’s right; he stops and looks at the direction the noise came from. He sees cars parked to the right of the abandoned factory.

“Yes Yes I know. Do not make friends and get the money. I will do that Sophia don’t worry. We will be on our way back shortly. Wait.” Lights appear from the right side of the abandoned factory. “Wait Sophia, hold on.”

“What’s going on Jake?”

“I can see lights at the side of the factory. I can see people heading into the factory and they are moving fast.” Jake squints to see properly and notices that they have guns. “They have guns and they are headed into the factory. Sophia what do I do?”

There is silence on the other line. “Sophia, talk to me.”

“Get out of there now! Get out of there now!” Sophia screams across the line. “Run Jake.”

Jake looks around and is about to do what Sophia just commanded but an image of Kevin being trapped in the house with the gunmen stops him in his tracks.

“Kevin is still in the house. I cannot just leave him here. I will call you back Sophia. I have to go.”

Sophia mutters something but Jake does not hear as he hangs up. Okay it’s just him and Kevin now against this people. He has to get to Kevin in time to warn him. Jakes runs straight for the door and opens it without even waiting to consider what is on the other side. The inside had two chairs with Kevin sitting on one, the other apparently meant for him and a desk with a note on it that read ‘Please sit and wait I will be with you shortly.’

“Kevin we have to go now. Right now.” Jake reaches for the briefcase and pulls Kevin out of his chair at the same time. “Let’s go Kevin; there are people in the building.”

“STOP!” The order splits the air and stops them both in their tracks. “What do you have in the briefcase?”

Jake who is frozen in his place tries to look towards where the sound came from and suddenly light shone from that direction. It was like someone had been there all along just waiting for them to make their move.

“Nothing,” Jake responds as Kevin remains quiet probably shocked at the sudden appearance of the intruder.

The light was pointed at the briefcase. “You are lying to me. I know what is in that briefcase and it is definitely something. Something very valuable that would bring the two of you out of hiding to come and deliver it here. We have been looking for you both for 7 years now. Finally, we have you and you are surrounded. There is nowhere to go; you cannot hide from the law forever.”

Kevin finally speaks up “From the law? What are you talking about? Are you the one we are meant to give the briefcase to?”

The man talking comes out of the shadows and reveals a bulletproof vest strapped to his chest and a helmet on his head. The man was in some sort of uniform from the looks of it, with boots strapped on.

“You were gonna just reappear, drop the drugs, collect your money and leave.”

“What drugs? What are you talking about? Who are you?” Kevin shouts. It was obvious now this intruder was not the man they were looking for.

Jake pulls Kevin and whispers “let’s go.” Just as he takes the first step away from the intruder, he hears a shot being fired.

“The next one goes into your head if you do not stay still.” His radio goes off and a voice from it “Steve do you have them?” to which he replies “Yes sir, I have them and the package is secured.”

Steve walks over and grabs the briefcase from Kevin’s hand. The look on Kevin’s face showed that the gun aimed at him was the reason he let the briefcase go.

Steve opens the briefcase and brings out packs of a white substance. He took a knife and cut it open and tastes it. He picks up his phone and dials a number. The person at the other end picks up.

“Steve did the informant get it right?”

“Yes sir, the drugs are all here and so are they.”

“Call in the troops then. Well done Steve, I know I could always count on you to catch people like this.”

“Sir, I have to say something. These men might not be them as these two are both acting like they have no idea what is going on.”

“That’s what they all do Steve. They always act like they are innocent when they get caught. Book them.”

Steve replies “If you say so sir.”

Steve ends the call and looks directly at both Kevin and Jake. He calmly says “You both are under arrest for the possession of illegal drugs. You have the right to remain silent. Anything that you say will be used against you in the court of law.”

The sirens start sounding and people start rushing into the building. Kevin looks surprised but Jake knows they were there all along, they were just waiting for the instructions and now they had it. So in they came charging with their guns.

“We did not do anything. We did not know there were drugs in the briefcase. Someone sent us to do this.” Kevin is shouting as the cuffs are being placed on him.

Jake not believing any of this says “we did not do this. Call the number on my phone and talk to Sophia. She will clear up all of this. This is simply a misunderstanding. We are not who you think we are.”

Steve walks up very close to Jake and whispers into his ear “You might be telling the truth but good luck proving it.”

Jake just stares into Steve’s eyes trying to read what he was saying. “This is just a misunderstanding. Call Sophia, all this will be cleared up, we will be released and we will have our freedom.”

Steve remains quiet and looks calmly at him “No you won’t have your freedom. Your life just changed. You are never getting your old life back.”

This must be a nightmare but he could not deny this was really happening due to the handcuffs on his hands and the cops and lights all around him. This was really happening.

“You know we did not put the drugs in the briefcase. Just let us prove our innocence.”

“What is your name?”

“Jake.”

“Jake, You and your friend have been caught with drugs. There is no way you are getting out of this.” Steve taps him on his shoulder and says “Jake, you are a criminal now.”