The Coffee House Gang: Feline Assassin
Part 1 The New Guy
Charlie Barter had just graduated from graduate school when he got the invite to meet in a coffee shop about some sort of job. He wasn’t sure what kind of job he could be so qualified for that they would be inviting him to an interview never mind that it was in a coffee shop. Even better is that it was in his favorite coffee shop, so at least he could look forward to having good coffee during the interview.
Still, he kept sifting through his thoughts trying to come up with some logical reason he was being recruited for this or any job fresh out of graduate school. The invite hadn’t really been clear on what the job was either as he remembered. Just that he was supposed to meet someone named Mark Right, which was also the name of an author he had read at The Caffeine Pen at 11 AM that day to talk about a job opening of some sort.
Charlie had ten minutes to spare as he stepped up to the counter and ordered his usual iced coffee from the barista, but from there things got weird. Starting with the barista inviting Charlie to sit in their VIP section for the first time ever. Charlie tried explaining he was meeting someone that day there, but the barista seemed insistent that he sit in the VIP section for some reason.
After about 2 or 3 minutes of trying to turn the barista down Charlie gave in and sat in the VIP section, looking around like a fish out of water. He had only been sitting there for a few minutes like that when a man walked over asking to sit down with him. Charlie didn’t know what to say so he just nodded. The man introduced himself as Mark Right after sitting down. Charlie recognized him then as the author of several bestselling books he had read and fumbled around trying to find the words to introduce himself before finally sputtering them out like a star struck fan.
Mark just chuckled before saying, “Relax kid, if all goes well, meeting me will be the least of the surprises you get today.”
“What do you mean?” Charlie inquired.
“We’ll get to that, but first I am sure you are wondering what made me reach out to you for this job and what the job is,” Mark replied without actually answering Charlie’s question.
Charlie nodded responding, “I was wondering that since the invitation was a bit cryptic, though coming out of grad school, you can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Well, you are the only creative writing graduate student to have a search history filled with things on the occult and serial killers among other unique things that fit the things we deal with and write about,” Mark started to explain. “But we are not known to anyone outside of our circle other than as fiction writers,” he concluded.
“So, you’re telling me you are part of some sort of Men In Black group?” Charlie asked trying to wrap his head around what had just been told to him
“In a manner of speaking. Though nothing like what the movies make it out to be,” Mark replied without flinching. “If you think you can handle that, we would welcome you aboard. Otherwise, this meeting never happened,” he concluded without flinching still.
Charlie sat there still wrapping his head around what he was being offered. He had a chance to be part of a secret world, and from what he was being told he could even write about it. Though it would only be in the genre of fiction, still he could be known in this world and the writing world at the same time. It was an intriguing offer. And, he thought he liked the idea just a little bit even as disturbing as it was.
“Ticking,” Mark said interrupting Charlie’s thoughts.
“I’ll take you up on your offer. It sounds interesting to me,” Charlie replied smiling curiously.
“I had a feeling you would,” Mark replied reaching under the table to push a button.
As he did Charlie saw a staircase that seemed to have seen many sets of footprints before his leading down reveal itself. He was awestruck as he stared at it dumbfounded. There had been no hint that there was a staircase there beforehand. A sterile smell of sorts came from down below. Though he shouldn’t be surprised, he thought to himself. After all, he had signed up for something hidden and advanced.
Mark motioned for him to lead the way, and Charlie started down the staircase into a new life of uncertainty and new possibilities that at the moment he only had the slightest idea of what he was getting into.
