Day 3

Screw patience; I'm going to kill something.

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Schlick. Fwoosh. Click.

Schlick. Fwoosh. Click.

Schlick. Fwoosh.

          ‘Do you have to do that?’

          …click. ‘Sorry.’

          He gave it about five minutes before Zee started up again. Zee could manage to sit perfectly still for hours on end – not even blink – but that damn lighter… Troy swore he still heard it in his sleep.

          The Watching jobs were the worst. Just the two of them camped out on sleepy suburban streets keeping tabs on equally docile individuals. It was like putting a puma in a pen of fat rabbits and expecting it to nibble lettuce leaves. Zee was at his best when blood was involved.

          ‘This is ridiculous,’ Zee said. ‘Nothing’s going to happen.’

          ‘Someone thinks differently.’

          ‘Yeah, well.’ Zee raked a hand back through his hair, his expression leaving no doubt how he felt about the thoughts of their employer. ‘It would’ve happened by now if it were going to.’ His gaze fixed on the dollhouse prefab across the street. ‘This one’s worthless. You can practically smell the expendability.’

          ‘Doesn’t that make it more likely someone will cash in?’

          ‘Why bother?’ Schlick. Zee produced a cigarette from one of his numerous pockets. Fwoosh. Smoke curled from his nostrils before he exhaled a hazy plume. Click. ‘It’d be an elephant stomping a fly. Might be irritating, but easier to just let it die on its own.’

          ‘We’re only signed for one more day. Have some patience.’

          Zee rolled the cigarette between his fingers, staring at the darkened prefab. His attention wandered down the street, sliding from mirror-image house to mirror-image house before settling on a princess pink cottage with a light glowing from the attic window. He smiled for the first time all night.

          ‘Screw patience; I’m going to kill something.’