On the Top Floor
Jack walked through the front doors of the “North America Health Care” his building brown delivery uniform crisp and his package held forward in clear view. People parted when they saw him and smiled involuntarily at the familiar outfit. Everyone loved the UP’s man, seeing them always meant a box would be opened.
Jack liked to think his customers equated him with Santa Claus.
“Morning Jack” The Security guard, an elderly former cop names Justin, said waving him toward the check point.
“Morning Justin” Jack replied setting the package on the table and raising his arms. Justin worked the wand across Jack’s body, made sure the beeps were benign, handed him back the package, and waved him through.
“Where ya headed?” Justin asked waving a tall leggy blond toward the check point.
“Top Floor, got one for the big wigs” Jack replied grinning and heading for the massive elevator doors. They were the doors to the express elevator which only serviced the top four floors of the fifty story building, in other words the doors to the Top Floor.
“Well let me know if the air up there smells better” Justin said with a chuckle.
“Oh I will” Jack said laughing and punching the call button.
Several second later and the doors opened. Jack stepped inside still grinning and laughing at Justin’s joke, the same joke he made whenever Jack had a package for the top.
When the doors shut the laugh and the smile died.
Quickly Jack dropped the package and ripped it open. Inside was the vest. Jack quickly put the heavy contraption on and buckled it across his chest. It was heavy and awkward but Jack had dealt with worse in Iraq. He counted the floors as he retrieved the handgun and extra long clip from the bottom of the box. As he slammed it home and worked the slide he thought of Sally.
His sister had only been in the ground for a week.
Cancer was a bitch and it’d raged through his baby sister in less than six months. At first he’d been able to deal on the level that bad things happen and sometimes there was nothing which could be done. Then he found out about the surgery and treatment in Chicago which could have given her a few more years. The surgery and treatment her employer and health insurance company denied eleven times.
This insurance company.
The floors dinged away and Jack prepared himself while arming the switch in his left hand, even if he was taken down before reaching the big wigs they couldn’t stop the explosion. He’d one this dozens of times in the sandbox. Breach the room, or in this case the floor, eliminate the opposition.
“This is for you Sally”
The elevator came to a halt, dinged, and the doors opened.
Dead man’s switch in hand, gun cocked, Jack stepped out of the car.
The End