Cain initially tried to fend his mother off but he ceded to her affections and stiffly endured the hug and kiss. Eyes widened and ears dropped when his mother announced that his little sister had been kidnapped. “Oh.” He listened to her requirements that he stay home without protest. “Okay.” He felt a lump in his throat. He didn’t want to hear or say anymore lest he become upset in front of his mother and embarrass himself. Though they had their sibling spats, and though he pretended otherwise, Cain adored Anita.
“No I’m not hungry.” He shook his head and backed away. “I’ll just go do my homework, I guess.” He didn’t want to stick around in case he lost control of his emotions. With head down, Cain retreated to his room. He wasn’t looking where he was going and nearly ran into his father who stuck his arm out to stop the boy.
“Give me your phone.” Owen instructed palm out.
Cain’s tail twitched, “But I-” He had started texting a girl at school recently and planned to lay in bed exchanging messages with her until one of them fell asleep or was forced to interact with their family. He had zero plans to attend to homework.
“Now.” Owen didn’t have the patience to entertain Cain’s stubbornness and his demand was clear on that.
Cain gave up the phone without further protest and sidestepped to get out of his father’s way. The contest of wills and confiscation of his precious cell phone had pushed the unsettled teen over the edge. Cain took the stairs by twos until he reached the top. He made sure his displeasure was known throughout the house by vigorously slamming his bedroom door. This was followed up by another muted bang from behind the closed door. The temper he’d gotten from his father was on full exhibition.
Unfazed, Owen moved back into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast nook in the corner of the room under the windows which displayed their backyard still dead from winter. He set down his files, the burner, and Cain’s cell. He inspected the outside of his son’s phone first. He held the device close to his face while his fingers traced the seams for anything suspicious. He picked at a scratch which turned out to just be a scratch. The back was removed and Owen took out the battery, turning it over and over. He removed the SIM card. Nothing seemed amiss. It was hard enough to separate the 16 year old from his phone, much less get it away from him long enough to plant any kind of bug or tracking device. “Anita was the weakest link.” Owen concluded to himself.
He arranged the pieces of Cain’s phone in a neat formation on the table next to him and moved to his next task. He opened a thick file containing briefings on suspected active hostile operatives in the area. Without giving each packet much thought, Owen separated them into ‘likely’ and ‘unlikely’ piles. He’d learned that his initial gut feeling was usually accurate or a sound starting point. Over-thinking led him to be paralyzed with possibility.
When he’d completed the quick sort, Owen took a break from it to clear his mind of the names swirling in his mind. He flipped open the burner and held it out for Julianna. “Look.” He hoped the picture would be a comfort that the child was, at least, as of yet, unharmed.
“No I’m not hungry.” He shook his head and backed away. “I’ll just go do my homework, I guess.” He didn’t want to stick around in case he lost control of his emotions. With head down, Cain retreated to his room. He wasn’t looking where he was going and nearly ran into his father who stuck his arm out to stop the boy.
“Give me your phone.” Owen instructed palm out.
Cain’s tail twitched, “But I-” He had started texting a girl at school recently and planned to lay in bed exchanging messages with her until one of them fell asleep or was forced to interact with their family. He had zero plans to attend to homework.
“Now.” Owen didn’t have the patience to entertain Cain’s stubbornness and his demand was clear on that.
Cain gave up the phone without further protest and sidestepped to get out of his father’s way. The contest of wills and confiscation of his precious cell phone had pushed the unsettled teen over the edge. Cain took the stairs by twos until he reached the top. He made sure his displeasure was known throughout the house by vigorously slamming his bedroom door. This was followed up by another muted bang from behind the closed door. The temper he’d gotten from his father was on full exhibition.
Unfazed, Owen moved back into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast nook in the corner of the room under the windows which displayed their backyard still dead from winter. He set down his files, the burner, and Cain’s cell. He inspected the outside of his son’s phone first. He held the device close to his face while his fingers traced the seams for anything suspicious. He picked at a scratch which turned out to just be a scratch. The back was removed and Owen took out the battery, turning it over and over. He removed the SIM card. Nothing seemed amiss. It was hard enough to separate the 16 year old from his phone, much less get it away from him long enough to plant any kind of bug or tracking device. “Anita was the weakest link.” Owen concluded to himself.
He arranged the pieces of Cain’s phone in a neat formation on the table next to him and moved to his next task. He opened a thick file containing briefings on suspected active hostile operatives in the area. Without giving each packet much thought, Owen separated them into ‘likely’ and ‘unlikely’ piles. He’d learned that his initial gut feeling was usually accurate or a sound starting point. Over-thinking led him to be paralyzed with possibility.
When he’d completed the quick sort, Owen took a break from it to clear his mind of the names swirling in his mind. He flipped open the burner and held it out for Julianna. “Look.” He hoped the picture would be a comfort that the child was, at least, as of yet, unharmed.
Bitch, I'm limited edition.
The following 1 user Likes saronym's post: megs
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Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-12-2016, 04:26 PM
RE: Miscalculations - by megs - 09-12-2016, 04:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-13-2016, 10:16 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-14-2016, 11:02 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-15-2016, 10:57 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-15-2016, 11:36 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-15-2016, 07:34 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-17-2016, 06:15 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-18-2016, 01:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-18-2016, 03:39 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-20-2016, 05:45 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-22-2016, 10:27 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-25-2016, 10:21 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-25-2016, 10:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-27-2016, 09:00 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-28-2016, 02:16 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-30-2016, 02:05 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-30-2016, 02:49 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-02-2016, 04:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-02-2016, 05:17 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-03-2016, 10:39 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-03-2016, 11:23 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-05-2016, 10:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-08-2016, 05:56 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-09-2016, 11:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-10-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-13-2016, 03:07 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-15-2016, 05:57 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-23-2016, 01:33 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-26-2016, 01:27 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-27-2016, 11:00 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-27-2016, 12:12 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-28-2016, 10:41 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-29-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-29-2016, 03:35 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-29-2016, 04:48 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-30-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-17-2016, 11:48 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-18-2016, 02:26 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-18-2016, 03:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-19-2016, 12:47 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-19-2016, 02:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-22-2016, 06:08 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-26-2016, 08:06 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 12-04-2016, 10:06 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 08:36 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 05-16-2017, 10:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 05-21-2017, 01:39 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 05-25-2017, 11:44 PM