Unwelcome Guest
cont. from here
He hadn’t been expecting anybody - not even the pizza guy, for once. Jacket kept a baseball bat by his door for just such occasions, and brought it with him now, though he kept it out of sight as he unlocked the door and cracked it only partway open.
He looked like somebody prepared to use a baseball bat at his doorstep; gazing out with a look of apathy and mild wariness, with dark circles under his eyes suggesting he did not sleep well or perhaps did not sleep regularly.
Jacket still didn’t draw the bat when he saw who was at his door. Sleuthing. What did that mean? It couldn’t mean anything short of following him here. The other man had no name to go off. Jacket didn’t leave a lot of bread crumbs, if any. He wasn’t easy to follow, either; but of anybody, he wouldn’t put it past another operator to pull it off. A former operator, that is.
He studied the man, idly wondered how long it might be to starve him out. Considered, too, his own supply of groceries and how long it would last him, or if he had work in the next few days. But he knew that wasn’t likely to work. If the other knew where he lived, the man could just come and go as he pleased. The thought made Jacket’s insides churn with loathing. He looked away for a beat, swallowed, studied the man again.
“... Get a pizza at least,” he murmured tiredly - then the door was shut, quietly, and a couple clicks of the lock were heard.











