The drop.

September 9, 13:15 hrs.

He picked up the receiver and dialed the number. After a burst of static the call got connected. He could hear the phone ringing. With every passing ring, he got more nervous. The moments hung around like years. Finally the ringing stopped.
“Hello” a voice said.
“If roses are red and violets are blue, do you know me because I know you?” he asked hesitantly. He crumpled the piece of paper from which he had read the code out. Code 37. What a relief!! He wiped the sweat of his forehead.
“I know you. A2B6F121500C” said the voice and hung up.
“A..2..B..6..F..1..2..1..5..0..0..C” he wrote on his palm. Phase one of the plan completed successfully!


September8, 6:30 hrs.

Tring.. tring…tring…tring…
“Who the fuck can be calling at this hour?” His head was pounding and he could feel the aftertaste of whisky in his throat. “The worst part of alcohol has to be hangovers”.
Tring..tring..
“Hello.” His head was still foggy.
“Tomorrow” the voice said.
“Ok. When? Where?” asked him.
“Have you been drinking to ask such stupid questions?”
“No I have not been drinking. Sorry” he lied and tried to clear his head.
“Details tomorrow. Call X at 1315. Use code number 37.”
Beep…Beep…Beep. Static.
He stared at the paper in his hand. “X-13:15, code 37”


September9, 13:30 hrs.

“Hi, I want to access locker number 1435.” He said keeping his briefcase on the chair
“Yes sir, could you please fill in this form?”
“Ok.” He quickly filled out the name, account number and other information. Then he hurriedly signed the form and pushed it back at her.
She glanced at the form. Then she turned to the computer screen and punched some keys. Then she smiled.
“Thank you for filling the form sir. The guard will accompany you to your locker. I hope you have got your key?”
“Yes. I have.” He said and checked his left pocket for the key. He felt the cold metallic key and flashed it to her and smiled internally.
The guard took him inside the heavily guarded doors to his locker. Then the guard left.
He inserted the key and unlocked the locker. Out came the file from the locker and in it went into the briefcase.
He shut the locker and took out his key. Then he shut the briefcase, undid the numeric code of the briefcase and came out.
“Thank You” he said before stepping out in the sun.


September9, 14:55 hrs.

He was very near the drop point. It was good that he had planned for extra thirty minutes. The traffic jam had taken up the extra thirty minutes.
“A2B6F12” he verified from his palm and took a right turn.
He could see the deserted building now. He parked his car a good hundred meters away from the building. He then killed the engine and opened the glove case and took out his pistol. It was loaded. He checked the bullets and safety catch before he shoved it under his belt. Then he wore his jacket which hid the gun from public view. He was ready. With the briefcase in his hand, he stepped out. “I am forgetting something. No more whisky from today” he thought and smiled. How many times had he decided to quit drinking? “Phase two done.” He was entering the last phase of the operation.


September9, 15:00 hrs.

He glanced at his palm and then his watch "1500. On time." He then glanced at his palm for the last time . "C". He knocked on the door of flat number 12. Knock Knock Knock. Three successive knocks spaced three seconds apart. "C" he thought. He realized that he was drenched in sweat. He felt for his pistol under his belt. “Its there.” The door opened and he entered inside.
“Do you have any weapons?” the man sitting on the sofa asked.
“Yes” he said and placed his pistol into the hands of the muscular man who had opened the door.
“Do you have the file?”
“Yes” I said tapping the briefcase. “I have forgotten something” he pondered.
“Good. Have a seat.” the man said pointing to the empty chair.
Obidiently he did as he was told to.
“Briefcase please.” The man said.
He placed the briefcase on the table separating the two and slid it towards the man.
“The briefcases lock code?”
“47356” he said. “I have surely forgotten something” he thought.
Click! The briefcase was open and the file was now in the man’s hands.
“Thank you. You can leave.” The man said.
Phase three completed. Almost completed!


September 9, 15:07 hrs

“What the fuck have I forgotten? ” he thought as he got up and headed to the door.
As he was halfway towards the door, he hard a metallic click and then unbearable pain. He collapsed on to the floor. He had been shot twice in the back.
With difficulty he turned around and asked “Why? I am just the delivery man. I don’t even know what’s in the file”
The man smiled and said “Sorry. We want to erase all traces of this delivery.”
“Sorry!! I should of thought of this. I should have seen this coming.This is what they do to the other members of the organization too. The members who go missing every month!” The pain was excruciating now. It was difficult to keep his eyes open. “They use you and then they kill you.”
As things started blurring it suddenly struck him “Ah..Now I remember. I forgot my lucky charm in the car. I should have had it with me like I always do! ........Whisky!! Never again!!”
Darkness!!

September 9, 15:10 hrs

The man took out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Operation successful.”