Free Siren's Garter: Issue One August 2016 by Miriam F. Martin Page B

sweet relief from talking with Elsie, and that was
mildly distracting. For so long he’d worried Elsie wouldn’t
understand him, that she would forever be an outsider to his inner
world.
    Instead, Kevin had found a kindred
spirit.
    Someone who could relate to the
difficulties and treacheries of the spy world. Kevin was on cloud
nine. The feeling of being understood both excited and scared him
at the same time.
    Unfortunately, he had Biggins to
thank for how he found out the truth about Elsie. He didn’t know if
he’d ever find out the entire truth about Elsie. But the spy
business was hard with all the secrets, and both she and Kevin
could mutually understand the need for such secrets.
    He only wished the blackmail would
go away, so he could be truly happy for his upcoming wedding. At
least he hoped Elsie still wanted to marry him.
    She said something. She sat with
one hand hand in her lap, and the opposite elbow resting on the
windowsill.
    “ Say what?” Kevin
asked.
    “ You’re going to miss the turn!”
Elsie snapped, pointing at the street he was supposed to turn at,
nag-voice on full blast.
    Kevin slammed the brakes and spun
the wheel lightening quick. The tires screeched as the Buick spun
270 degrees. Elsie pressed her palms flat against the dashboard.
Heart pounding in his head, Kevin righted the car with a fast turn
of the wheel and a gentle tap on the accelerator.
    “ Well,” Elsie said, sarcastic
venom dripping from her words, “there goes the element of
surprise.”
    She stared at him through slitted
eyes, face red and not at all pleased looking.
    Kevin smirked like a boy with a
shoebox full of captured lizards. Yes, he was happy, all things
considered.
    But why did the day have to be such
a roller-coaster?
    “ Do you have a gun?” he
asked.
    “ Yes,” said Elsie. “No. Never
mind. Can I borrow one of yours?”
    “ What do you mean, yes but
no?”
    “ Have a gun. But not on
me.”
    “ You don’t carry a
spare?”
    “ Fuck it, Kev. How many hiding
places do you think lady’s clothes have?”
    “ What makes you think I have a
spare?” Damn it! Kevin had a spare in his ankle holster, a 9mm. Did
he trust Elsie enough to lend it to her?
    “ Do you know a guy named Zack
Gibbs?” said Elsie.
    “ No,” said Kevin. “Wait. Is he on
the guest list?”
    The list was short. Basically
friends and family. Neither Kevin nor Elsie had much family, which
made sense now. Spies tend to cut ties early on in their career,
just something that happens. Kevin had wondered why Elsie only had
a mother and a small circle of friends. For a long while, she
didn’t even have a maid-of-honor, which surprised Kevin at the
time.
    “ If you see Zack,” said Elsie,
“shoot him for me, will you? You’ll recognize him by the douchey
leer he gives me.”
    “ Will do.”
    Kevin pulled into the parking lot
at the base of Mendota Bluffs. A wooden “Welcome” sign graced the
entrance. Only two other cars were in the lot, one was a Lincoln
Towncar, the other a red GTO convertible. At least the park would
be quiet. Fewer bystanders, the better.
    Kevin bent down and unholstered the
9mm. “Here,” he said. “Take it.”
    “ Thank you,” said Elsie. She
weighed the gun in her hand, and then slipped it in her front
pocket, under her blouse. “It’s similar to my Smith &
Wessen.”
    “ Glad you appreciate
it.”
    “ A lady should know her guns,” she
squeezed his thigh and glanced down at his lap. “Of all
kinds.”
    A little tingle shot through Kevin,
making him feel warm. He smiled, and thought about leaning forward
to kiss her. Just a peck on the mouth, to show her how he
appreciated her.
    But they had other things to
do.
    He got out of the car.
    All business now, they walked
across the hot black top parking lot to the trail that wound up to
the bluffs. Kevin wanted to hold Elsie’s hand, comfort her. Seemed
the romantic thing to do when hiking on a nature trail.
    But he resisted the urge, and
simply walked close