by Jack Douglas
(It’s a tumor.)
(Or an aneurism.)
Then, with all the force he could muster, Craig drove the ice pick deep into his ear canal, positioning the point upward toward his brain. Pain seared through his head, pain like the collective squeals of a billion hogs on their way to the slaughter. Pain like war. Pain like abandonment and starvation, like small rooms with locked doors.
With his left hand, Craig finally aided his right, warm blood running like a waterfall down his burning cheek.
One final glance into the black hallway. Then with all the strength he could muster, Craig slammed the ice pick home.
And the pulsating finally stopped.
Craig’s List
Aida placed two aspirin on her tongue, swallowed them down with tepid water, and stared at the monitor. Her migraine had gotten worse, probably from staring at the computer screen all morning. Luigi was in the shower, planned on heading into the office this afternoon after spending all evening out with his new friends. London was not what she had expected at all.
When she and Luigi had left Milan, it was to get him away from all his ex-girlfriends, from all the temptations. For once, even if only temporarily, she wanted him all to herself. It hadn’t worked out. And it was time to move on, this time to a city that wasn’t so contemporary, somewhere that didn’t move as fast as London, Paris, Tokyo, and New York.
Lisbon seemed just right, and she had already found a number of interesting listings. This last one sounded just perfect. The flat was located in the Alfama quarter, about as different from London as you could get. And the price, well, the price would certainly go a long way in convincing Luigi it was time to move on.
It all would be so easy this time. The ad read:
Everything you need is here. Just bring yourselves.
Just then she decided. This was it. This was the flat. As soon as Luigi stepped out of the shower, she would show him the listing. Convince him. Give him an ultimatum if she had to. Because they couldn’t go on living like this., it was hell.
As Aida gazed at the lovely images of the flat she felt her migraine beginning to subside. It’s nothing serious after all, she thought. Just another tension headache from trying to live with Luigi while he was trying to live the fast life. No more migraines once they arrived in Lisbon; she was sure of it.
“Luigi,” she called, once she heard the water from the shower stop.
He stepped out with a towel around his waist. Another was draped over his shoulder.
Why? she thought. To cover scratch marks maybe. Has he been shagging some London whore?
“What is it?” he said. They had taken to speaking only English ever since they had arrived in London. Aida wondered if Luigi would be so quick to take up Portuguese once they arrived in Lisboa.
“I found it,” she said in her diminishing Italian accent. “The perfect flat, right in the heart of Lisbon.”
Luigi shrugged. “You are sure about this? I was just beginning to enjoy England.”
“I am positive. Come on, Luigi. Let’s live in a few cities while we are still young. We will never get the chance again, I’m sure. Once we have children, we’ll have to select a city and settle down. When the time comes, I’ll let you choose any city in Europe. But for now, let’s see what awaits us in Lisbon.”
Luigi shrugged again. God, how she hated it when he shrugged. It reminded her of her mother, how indifferent (or even jealous) she was whenever Aida shared news with her of something good, something fun.
“Whatever,” he said. “It’s your father’s money, so I suppose it’s your call.”
“Grazie,” she said, then caught herself. “Or should I say, Obrigado?” She giggled a little, tossing some rogue strands of her long dark hair behind her ear. It sounded perfect. All of it. The word, the language, the city, the country. And especially the flat. She minimized the photos and scrolled down to the contact information. She clicked on the name and
began her email.
Dear Craig, she started. No.
Dear Senhor Devlin,
I am writing with regard to your listing for the flat...
THE END
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If you enjoyed The Flat, check out these other kindle ebooks by the same authors:
THE YETI: A Novel by Rick Chesler and Jack Douglas
QUAKE by Jack Douglas
Blood Harbor: A Novel of Suspense by Rick Chesler
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Jack Douglas is the author of Quake and The Yeti: A Novel.
Rick Chesler holds a Bachelor of Science in marine biology and can often be found diving, boating or traveling to research his next thriller idea. A former contractor for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and the State of Hawaii, he currently lives in South Florida with his family, at the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. Visit him online at twitter.com/rickchesler, facebook.com/rickchesler, or rickchesler.com.
STANDALONE NOVELS:
The Tank
The Flat (co-authored)
The Yeti (co-authored)
Landing Party
Sawfish
Luna
Hotel Megalodon
Blood Harbor
SERIES:
JURASSIC DEAD (co-authored):
Jurassic Dead
Jurassic Dead 2: Z-Volution
Jurassic Dead 3: Ctrl-Z
OUTCAST Ops:
Game of Drones (co-authored)
The Poseidon Initiative
African Firestorm (co-authored)
Red Ice (co-authored)
TARA SHORES THRILLERS
Wired Kingdom
kiDNApped
Solar Island
DANE MADDOCK ORIGINS (co-authored)
Splashdown
Electra
Amber
Treasure of the Dead
OGMIOS TEAM ORIGINS (co-authored)
Lucifer’s Machine