Flickers at Freshfields 5 by James WylderF

Flickers at Freshfields 5
​by James Wylder

Katie’s observation of the store had continued. And she was at this point quite tired of it. She was pretty sure there was nothing new for her to learn until the SIGNET team made a move. Which meant she was trapped in the most boring pattern you could get to: having to pay attention so you could act when something actually happened, while nothing happened. Right now the team was meeting at the smoking shelter. This struck her as a bad place to meet due to how many of them didn’t smoke, but whatever, it wasn’t her job to do their job for them. 

But then something happened. They were looking at a scanner. Big whoop. They had scanners at the Coffee Shop.
The employee who had felt her out seemed to get the attention of Jae-Sun, and he raised his arm in greeting while joggling over to her.
SUSPICIOUS.
Of course that employee had been feeling her out, she was in on it too!
Whatever it was! Katie sprung into action, and made her way across the car park from her hiding spot to where the pair were headed. They weren’t staying at the store — what could it mean? She caught up to them as they began to walk along the river. Staying within distance of them to hear was a little hard, but she was half-Kelphan. Both her parents had abandoned her, but she’d use what they gave her. And her hearing was pretty good, and her bones were a little lighter (which could be bad in some scenarios) but here gave her light steps. She crept her way through the bushes and underbrush till she could hear them.
“—originally I'm from South Korea,” Jae-Sun said.
“Cool, what made you move?” the employee said.
“Long story,” he replied.
“Sorry.”
Then they walked awkwardly together in silence for a bit. It was a weird conversation. This didn’t seem like they were trading spy secrets. Disappointing. But what was it?
“How are you finding Freshfields?” she asked.
“It’s been okay. There’s lots of sitting about on the security podium, which isn’t exactly my thing, but Steve’s entertaining enough.”
That’s one word for him. “So you’re not the sitting about type?”
Jae-Sun shook his head. “Definitely not. I’ve always been active, as long as I can remember.”
It hit Katie suddenly. This was a date! They were going on a date. Her heart raced. Finally, something interesting! She probably couldn’t write this in her report, but she was rooting for them! Come on employee girl, go get your man, you got this! She held a fist up in solidarity silently, then pulled it down quickly as she realised that would probably be bad and not go over well.
“I bet you’re buzzing when we get a shoplifter then?”
He laughed. “I suppose so. But to be honest, we’ve not really had that many. Only a couple since the guy you brought to us.”
Ellie’s gaze fell. “The one that went missing…”
“Weird, wasn’t it?” he said. “There one minute, gone the next. Have any of the others been like that?”
“My friend, Jackie, just sort of disappeared. Not too different from the shoplifter, now you mention it. She was in the middle of a shift; people assumed she ran off to chase after her ex-husband. She certainly mentioned it enough...”
Then Jae-Sun mumbled something and Katie missed it.
“You sound more like a detective than a security guard,” she said. 
He didn’t reply! Katie rolled around in the grass. Come on dude, you’ve got your chance and you’re missing it! Don’t talk about the disappearances! Like sure that’s your job, but you’ve got a hottie right there. Don’t be blind!
“Does your family live locally?” The employee came in with a save. Yes! You got this girl!
Jae-Sun shook his head. “None,” he said. “All back in Korea, though I still visit them during the holidays.”
“You’re not around over Christmas?”
“Depends how long the job lasts… mean, my post is only a seasonal one. I might have to look for a new job soon.”
“Oh… No, wait, your post is a permanent one — you’re replacing Terri’s position, after she moved back down south to be with her family.” She chuckled. “Unless she went missing too!”
Jae-Sun dodged the joke. Not a very good joke, but come on guy, she’s throwing herself at you. Katie picked up a rock, and nearly hurled it at Jae-Sun in aggrievance, but took a deep breath, and set it down. She was the protector of love, not its soldier. Or something like that.
“What were you doing with Charles and the others earlier? …I didn’t realise the two of you knew each other,” the employee said.
Oh no.
Oh NO.
It was all going to come tumbling down.
“Oh, he was just asking me for a vape,” he answered.
“But he doesn’t vape,” Katie whimpered, tears in her eyes.
“But he doesn’t vape…” the employee echoed.
“I don’t know why he asked then,” he said, laughing. It was the worst save she’d heard, and she’d heard and said some bad ones in her short life.
Because he wasn’t up for batting for the hottie in front of him, he pulled his cellphone out and pretended to check his messages. He was not actually checking anything. “I’m really sorry, I’m going to have to go.” He flashed his phone at her, quickly, not fast enough for her to see. “I’m needed back home — looks like we’ve had a leak.” It was a bad lie.
“Oh,” said the employee.
He started to jog back to the store, and Katie found tears rolling down her face. “I’ll see you around sometime,” he called back. 
“Sure,” said the employee.
“Love is dead,” Katie said, and pulled a tissue out, blowing her nose. 
She cried there in the bushes for a few minutes, before a woman leaned over, and asked quietly, “Uh, are you alright down there, love?”
“Noooooooooo,” Katie said.
“Would you… like a hug?” She asked.
“Yeah.”
The nice lady and her hugged, and Katie cried some more, and then she gave her her number, said her name was Cheryl and to call her if she needed anything. What a nice lady.
Katie wiped her tears and looked over at the store. “I can’t forgive this, Jae-Sun Park.”
A passing jogger moved off the path to avoid her as she made her vow.