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A Fateful Graduation

Tim Green

    Have you ever been face to face with the very thing you𔄩ve been training to do for ten years? That𔄩s where I𔄩m at with the pistol in my right hand. The sweat lubricating my palm makes it difficult to maintain a grip on the cold steel. I can𔄩t fail now. The lives of my fellow high school graduates depend on me. But most importantly, she depends on me.
    “How does it feel? You know, to be outed after living amongst these people for so long and concealing your true identity?” Jason asks, clearly not fazed by having a pistol pointed five feet from the side of his head.
    I take one last look at the shocked looks being fired back at me. My fellow graduates sit along the first five rows of pews. The other fifty on the first floor and the other ten on the second floor filled to capacity with friends and family. This church is meant be a place of celebration, not a place of tragedy. This isn𔄩t going to go down like Jason wants. I won𔄩t allow it.
    Just as my grip is coming back, my eyes meet her𔄩s. The bright lights seems to dim into a spotlight around her. The reason I was stationed at this school district when I graduated for the academy back in 2010. I never thought I𔄩d fall so hard for her. My commanding officer warned me that dating the target will complicate the foreseen conflict. Obviously I didn𔄩t listen. I couldn𔄩t help myself. Those baby blues knocked all my walls away with a single hello.
    I can𔄩t think of that right now, Jason has another pistol fixed on her forehead. I steady my hands again and take two steps closer. “I am Jr. CIA agent Jack Mason. Graduates clear this pew calmly.” The graduates rush to the other end of the pew and leave the auditorium. The rest of the auditorium clears out in a frantic stampede. My eyes stay locked on him. “Jason, put down your gun and come quietly. Don𔄩t force me to end your life right here.”
    Jason𔄩s laugh boarders on maniacal. “You? End my life? You already know that the Juror𔄩s premonition says I walk out of here and get away without a scratch.”
    He𔄩s right. The thing that isn𔄩t advertised in the media is that the US government has a covert unit of people called Jurors that can predict the future. They have a success rate of being 99.5% accurate with every premonition. But not this time. This is the .5% where they𔄩re wrong.
    “You𔄩re overconfidence in them will be your downfall.”
    “Come on, Jack. We went to the academy together. When the instructors favored you more than me, that𔄩s when the Jurors came out and said that I will be the reason the US government crumbles.”
    “Because you take out their most important future piece, Alex Landry. But there𔄩s something they didn𔄩t foresee.”
    Jason pushes closer to Alex, who scoots down the vacant pew in sync with his steps. “That you fell in love with this pathetic waste of air. I know. I𔄩ve had my eyes on you for the last ten years. Your obsession with being the best. Your obsession of being the favorite agent of the brass. It makes me sick.”
    With him focused on Alex, I take the chance to rush behind him and jam my pistol in the back of his head. “No. That𔄩s not it. They didn𔄩t foresee me not hesitating to pull the trigger.”
    BANG!
    Jason𔄩s body collapses on the brown pew. Is that a smart watch on his wrist? Why is the screen on? His tattoo of a dove on his wrist just above the watch reveals something. Something I should𔄩ve caught the moment I saw him.
    “Alex! Mo...” Before I could finish, a serious look flushes over her face. Her back straightens. A red stain grows under a newly formed hole that resembles the size of a .338 sniper shot on her blue silk gown.
    “Jack?” She falls back against the pew. Blood flowing more and more out of the wound.
    “No, no. Baby, you𔄩re going to be fine.” I rush to her and apply pressure to the gunshot wound in her stomach. I pull out my phone and dial one.
    “They didn𔄩t foresee me using my twin. I knew you𔄩d pull the trigger. It was the only logical outcome. Enjoy you𔄩re last few moments with her. I𔄩ll be seeing you in a future without the government.”
    I shoot the smart watch on Jason𔄩s brother𔄩s wrist. It shatters into a million pieces. I reapply pressure as my phone line becomes live. “This is agent Jack Mason, badge number 75693. I need the medics inside ASAP. I have a stomach GSW.”
    Alex grabs my face with her bloody hand and wipes away my tears. “I don𔄩t regret anything,” she says as her eyes slowly close and she takes her final breath.
    Medics rush the scene. They pull me off of Alex to assess the wound. All sound drowns to an ear-piercing silence.
    My commanding officer, Tom Williams, places his hand on my shoulder. “I guess this is the end.”
    I wipe my eyes and gather my discipline. “No. This is the beginning of the end for Jason. I guarantee that.”

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