by Guy Harrison
***
Ronni sits in her Civic in silence. With no music or talk radio to occupy her mind, the young lady is left with her thoughts of Calvin.
If he had only cared, he might have been able to save the both of them from her current predicament. Instead, Calvin’s thoughtless behavior has helped push her to a point of no return.
Ronni’s cell phone rings. Calvin. She ignores the call.
If Calvin had only cared sooner, if he had only listened, she most likely would have told him the truth. Instead, she feels little sympathy for him. The world, and all of its inhabitants, is as ugly and unfair as they told her it was. Calvin is guilty by association.
Ronni’s cell phone rings again.
“Hello?”
“Agent Lee,” a British man says, “how do you feel?”
“Nervous.”
“That’s natural. Just make sure your focus is on your mission.”
“It is.”
“Good. I called to inform you that you are being followed.”
“Really?” Ronni says, looking up at her rearview mirror.
“It’s an Agent of Influence.”
“Is it him?”
“Never mind that. Just proceed with caution.”
“I will.”
“You are fulfilling your promise, Agent Lee. Our society will forever be indebted to you. Justice will be done.”
“Justice will be done.”
Ronni hangs up the phone and places it in her center console. At a red light, she looks over to her passenger seat and picks up her light blue Phillies cap, sliding it onto her jet-black mane.
When the light turns green, Ronni squeezes the steering wheel, breathes in as much oxygen as she can, and exhales loudly before stepping on the gas pedal.