The last 4 days were a blur to Andrew. He had gone back home to see his family and told them he was leaving for Egypt to open another store. His mother was ecstatic. Her baby boy, Andrew being the youngest of four boys, was becoming a success. Andrew put on his best fake smile as he hid the fact that this was not a choice he made. He hung out with his friends that he had not seen in years and decided that a night out was well deserved.

The only bar in town was a little Irish pub, Finn’s. Andrew had never been inside this bar because he had moved away before he was even 19. His friends were catching Andrew up on all the things that have happened to them over the years. John getting married then divorced, Ricky starting his own electrician business, Corey and Heather starting a family and settling down. Andrew was happy for all his friends, but deep down inside he knew, he would probably never see them again. So he decided that tonight was going to be one to remember. Andrew opened the doors to the pub, looked at the bartender and stopped at the threshold. His high school sweetheart was working behind the bar, Kat McLain.

Andrew took a deep breath as his friends went past him and grabbed a booth over by the pool tables. He exhaled and walked up to the bar “Lemme get a pitcher of Sam Adams and five cold mugs” he said to the back of his first love.

Kat froze as she instantly recognized the voice that belonged to her first love. After all this time he had come back. She had imagined what it would be like to have his arms wrap around her again, protecting her from the numerous assholes that hit on her daily. She turned around, her long auburn hair flying out. Her bright hazel eyes pierced through the smoky atmosphere and locked onto Andrew’s. “I never thought the day would come that I would see your face again” Kat said with a devilish smile. She brought her hand up to caress his cheek and then smacked Andrew so hard across the face, it knocked him down and gave him a bloody lip.

“What the fuck was that for Kat?!” Andrew hissed as he spat bloody saliva onto the floor.

“That was for lying to me all those years ago you fucking ass!” Kat screamed as she came around the bar top and stood over Andrew. She was wearing a purple shirt that showed off her nice 36C’s very nicely, and a denim mini skirt. Andrew looked up at her, noticing that she wasn’t wearing any panties. “You haven’t changed one bit love” Andrew said with a wink motioning to her crotch. Kat flushed scarlet as she gave him a kick to the stomach.

“You’re still a pig as usual.” She said with the hints of a smile as she held her hand out to her ex. Andrew took her soft petite hand in his and stood up pulling her in close.

“God how I missed our fights” Andrew whispered in her ear with a grin. Again Kat flushed scarlet, this time with the feeling of a giddy school girl in love.

“Oh shut up you fool” Kat giggled. “Now what can I get you and your posse?” Kat was behind the bar now, Andrew had almost forgotten who he had come in with.

“Just a pitcher of Sam Adams to start. So how have you been?” Andrew asked the inevitable question that two lovers would always ask after being years apart.

“I’ve been alright. Started a Mary Kay business, which failed after a year, but now I own this place.” Kat motioned to the entire bar. Kat was almost ashamed that she owned this hole-in-the-wall bar, but it was hers.

“That’s amazing Kit. Even though I never pictured you for the bar owning type.” Andrew smirked knowing he had used his special pet name for her and that he was lying. Kat had always wanted to own a bar, but most of all wanted to make it her own.
“Didn’t I tell you to shut it fool?” Kat laughed. “Anyways what brings you back to this shit hole?” She asked as she let the head die down on the pitcher.

“Well I work for this very elaborate company that has locations worldwide. They are having me open up a new location in Egypt in a couple days, so I came back to say my good-byes.” Andrew answered.

“You’re not coming back?” Kat asked concerned, almost dropping the pitcher as she set it on the counter.

“Probably not, got into some trouble a couple years back and this is what they decided on.” Andrew sighed.

Kat looked at him thinking this may very well be the last time I ever see him.  “Make sure you come see me before you leave, fool. Okay?” Kat asked, knowing it was more of a demand than a request.

“I will Katrina.” Andrew replied with finality, using her full name, which sent a chill up his spine.

Kat handed him the pitcher and five mugs from the freezer. Their hands touched briefly, and in that moment, time seemed to have stopped as their eyes once again locked onto each other. Tonight was definitely going to be one to remember.

Heather, Corey, John, and Ricky went home around an hour before the bar was set to close. Andrew was left alone in the booth and looked into his beer. It was his seventh of the night and it was almost gone. He was about to take the last gulp when a hand came to rest on his shoulder. Andrew looked up and saw Kat’s bright face smiling down at him.

“You wanna walk me home?” She asked him moving her hand to the back of his neck, caressing that sweet spot that always got him excited.

“I have a better idea.” Andrew said as he produced a set of keys.

“You’re too far gone to drive.” Kat said knowing what was coming.

“Well, *hiccup* I guess you’re the driver then.” Andrew smiled as he place the keys in her other hand. Andrew really wasn’t all that drunk but knew that he could not drive, or rather would not drive his car like this.

They headed out into the parking lot and Andrew started to smile.  “Let’s see if you still remember what my dream car is love.” Andrew giggled, acting more drunk than he actually was.

Kat thought for a moment then it hit her like lightning on the beach. She scanned the lot for what she would instantly recognize as a Corvette. There in the far corner, was a pitch black 1976 Corvette Stingray with silver racing stripes down the middle. She could barely contain her excitement at the thought of driving such a magnificent piece of American machinery. She ran across the lot, dragging Andrew by the hand. Andrew smiled knowing that she would really appreciate what would happen the next morning. Andrew climbed into the passenger seat and Kat sat behind the wheel, running her hand over it.

“You really sure you want me to drive this?” Kat asked apprehensively.

Andrew moved his hand up to her cheek and caressed it softly. “Yes, I want you to show me what you can do.”

Kat kissed his hand as she turned the engine over. The beast came to life with a roar like that of ten lions. Kat shifted it into first, and peeled out of the parking lot heading to her apartment. Definitely going to be a night to remember Andrew thought to himself with a smile as he looked at his long lost love, driving his pride and joy.

After going down country roads at 130 MPH, and flying over hills like they were the dukes of hazard, Kat and Andrew arrived at her house. Andrew stepped out of the car first and looked up at a modest looking 2-story home.

“So this is where you’ve set your roots into.” Andrew said in the sort of awe that hints at jealousy.

“Yep, and it’s all mine. Mom and I sold everything that was in that barn for around 2.4 million.” Kat replied with a hint of pride. “After splitting it up between her, my brother and me, and taxes of course, it came to around $500,000 each.”

Andrew was in shock. He knew when he was dating Kat that the stuff that was in the barn was worth money, but that much? He was definitely jealous now, and a little angry at himself for letting her go.

“So, I bet you had a lot of guys come back from your past looking for handouts.” Andrew replied as he walked her up the gravel driveway. The stones made a crunching noise in the 3 am country air.

“Well of course, but they came looking for a little more than money.” Kat said with a little smirk, not saying whether she had given them anything or not. “Would you like to come in for some coffee?” She asked fumbling with her keys in her hand trying to give him a hint as to what she really wanted.

In the past, Andrew was dense to the signals and hints that women would give him in order to seal the deal. That was the past though, and now Andrew knew exactly what was on her mind. Andrew leaned in close and kissed Kat as passionately as he had five years ago when they were both in high school. His hands started to caress her back. One hand between her shoulders, the other going lower into the small of her back pulling her in closer.

Kat was shocked that he had picked up on it so quickly she almost fought back against his passion. Then closing her eyes she gave in and gave as much passion back. Her breasts pressed against his chest, heightening her arousal. She took a quick glance at her keys to find her house key. Looking at the keys she realized she had it ready all along, she placed it into the lock and turned it.

“Why don’t we take this upstairs?” She asked with a come and get me look as she turned and ran up the stairs.

Andrew did not need any more encouragement than that. He came into her house closed the door, locked it into place, then ran up the stairs after his love. He had a few tricks that he had picked up in the past five years, and was determined to show her all of them tonight.

A man dressed in a black suit and tie, walked down a corridor leading to a six by ten steel doorway. To the side of the door, coming out of the wall, was a handprint and retina scanner. The man placed his hand on the pad and his eyes into the viewer, taking off his pitch black sun glasses, revealing a pair of dark red eyes.

“Scanning…..Scanning….Welcome Agent 6” a computer toned as Agent 6 returned his glasses back over his eyes. Clicks and clangs ran deep within the doorway, unlocking the mechanisms and opening the huge 2 foot thick door. Men and women dressed in white lab coats stood around tables and sat at computers beyond the doorway.

Standing at 15 foot intervals along the wall were men dressed the same as Agent 6, but in their hands were M1911’s. Agent 6 gave a little smile at the thought of ordering these men to kill all the scientists, just to see the bloodshed. The smile quickly vanished as he was never the type to smile in the presence of anybody.
He walked into the room and looked at the machine that was in the middle of the room. The massive machine stood 12 feet tall and looked very much like that guns on starships you would see on the Scy-Fy channel. The barrel of it was four feet long with green glowing rings at six inch intervals. A six inch long antenna stuck out the front of the barrel. Probably to focus the beam Agent 6 thought. He walked over to a man that had long graying hair and a beard to match. He wore thick round glasses with tape on the bridge, telling the world that these were a broken pair.

“Is everything on schedule?” Agent 6 asked the old scientist.

“Yes, everythink is going accordink to plan.” The old man said with a very thick German accent.

The German and his team of three were brought onto this project from the very beginning. They were promised that this discovery would bring them all fame and fortune. Fools, all of them Agent 6 thought knowing that the only one to get credit would be the ones with guns. A week ago, a reporter had gotten information about this confidential project from a scientist. Popular Science…is that what magazine she worked for? Agent 6 thought trying to remember his recent wet work. The reporter, the scientist, and article had all been taken care of. The situation had been contained, and containment was his life.

“Good, good to hear mein freund.” Agent 6 said clasping a hand on the geezer’s back.
Agent 6 walked around to the other side of the device noticing the team from Japan along the way. They were working on the sub-particle work that was essential for the device to work properly. They will be useful for the handheld model Agent 6 thought as he became more anxious to kill all those that were unnecessary to proceed as planned. Then came the team from Russia. They were also working on an essential part of the device, the radioactive destruction mode that was going to be the device main use. One part that damn reporter got right was the devices shrinking abilities. I wonder if there are any more moles here amongst us Agent 6 almost begged to be true. His love of violence was his favorite part of this job. His orders were clear and without question: contain the project, by whatever means necessary. Finally, the team from the United States, his team that he looked over and would be held personally responsible for, if anything came out of their mouth that wasn’t supposed to.

“Edmund, how is your work coming along.” Agent 6 asked the man that was obviously the leader of this group of four.

Edmund turned around, his bald black head shined in the fluorescent lighting showing a recent shave. His dark brown eyes, behind a pair of very modern bifocals, focused in on Agent 6.

“We’ve been tracking the test subject since he left South Carolina. It seems he went back home to visit his family and friends. We’ve also been listening and so far he hasn’t said anything about the article, he’s only talked about Egypt.” Edmund replied to the man that he feared, respected, and loved at the same time.

Agent 6 knew it was only a matter of time before Andrew asked somebody about the article. His job was containment, and it seemed his job wasn’t over just yet.

“I’ll be leaving for Cairo in the morning. Have the jet ready for takeoff at 9 A.M. sharp Edmund.” Agent 6 ordered.

“Yes sir.” Edmund replied, thinking what a pleasure it would be traveling the world over.