Exceptional a short story Short : Final Exercise by Bill Schott

The bus driver's eyes bulged to saucers as he saw the young woman run in front of his vehicle. He heard the thump of her frame against the grill, even as the brakes were engaging to eventually bring the sixteen ton coach to a stop. The exit door to his right opened and his instructor walked up to the driver's seat. "If this would have happened on the job, Mr. Cramdon, do you feel you could have done anything to have saved that woman.?" Ralph, now quivering, spoke through weeping eyes. "I saw her face. She was so scared and --" "Was this tragedy your fault, sir?" "I don't think I could have done anything differently." "That's correct, Mr, Cramdon. Congratulations. That was your final exercise." Both left the bus and walked down the street to a diner. The police arrived and cordoned off traffic as the young woman's body was removed from the scene. In the diner, Ralph sat across from his instructor. "So, when is my first assignment?" "Once you get to prison, the second floor guard will fill you in on the hit." "I thought you said I couldn't have saved her." "Right, of course. Leaving the scene of a vehicular homicide is a serious crime though. You'll get twenty years." Ralph simply stared at the instructor's face waiting for her to crack a smile. "So this was just a set up to create a back story for me when I go to prison?" "Of course, Mr. Cramdon. We need layers of deniability and this is how it's achieved. We also needed Ms. Smith to meet with a terrible accident.  Win-win." "What about my wife and kids?" "They'll be fine as long as you complete your assignment." "This is not how I thought this was going to go down." "The Teufel Grau Hunden guarantees that a job will be done fast, quietly, and well. " "What happens after the job at the prison is done?' "Best you consider what happens if it doesn't get done." "This is beyond belief." "Exactly, Mr. Cramdon. Exactly."   Author Notes Teufel Grau Hunden = Devil Grey Hounds

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