THE ALGORITHM

1.

Deacon Lawson used his size 14 foot to kick over the body lying on the ground. He watched the corpse roll into the Hudson River with a big splash. Nonchalantly, he turned his back and brought his phone to his ear. The phone rang for a few minutes until someone picked up. The sound of silence was a cue to speak.

"It's done." He leaned over and took in the sight of the water. The body was nowhere to be found. The only thing Deacon could see was his reflection. The moonlight illuminated the area, allowing him to glance around.

The region was mysterious yet plain in sight. A few empty boats were secured beside the heavy-duty docks. He sniffed the air, allowing the saltiness of the river to invade his nostrils.

"Yo. There's something you need to see."

Deacon looked over and realized Shawn was standing before him. He wore an uneasy expression as he waited patiently for Deacon to end the call and follow him.

"We'll speak later." Deacon rasped before shooting Shawn a suspicious glance. He ended the call and immediately followed behind him. "Whatever it is, it better be important."

"Trust me, it's important."

They neared a black Jaguar XF, and Shawn wasted no time lifting the trunk's lid. Deacon's eyes widened in bewilderment after examining the scene before him.

"What the crap..." He trailed off.

A young lady was bonded and tied in the back of the trunk. Her skin turned red from crying and being held inside the secluded area for longer than an hour.

➶ ➶➶

It was almost time to clock out. Penny had been at work since three, and now midnight was approaching. She was more than ready to leave and get home. There were a few tasks she wanted to work on.

The crackling sounds of onions frying in the pan interrupted her thought process. She scrambled the veggies around to prevent them from burning. The smell was strong and savory, with a hint of garlic and shallots.

"Yo, P."

Penny's thoughts were interrupted by a light and airy voice. She looked over and focused on the young woman standing by the door with a plate in her hand. She held a weary look since she was exhausted.

"I'm in the middle of frying onions, Karina. What's up?"

"I see that, mamita," Karina replied with some effort. "But there is an angry customer out there. Some old lady. She claims you're trying to kill her. She wants to speak with the chef."

Immediately, Penny stopped and looked over at her again.

"What?"

"I don't know." Karina shrugged. "You need to get out there and..." Instead of finishing her sentence, she sighed and said, "Table ten."

"Can you at least finish these onions? It's for order twenty-four." Penny asked while moving away from the grill.

"I got you," Karina responded with ease. She grabbed the receipt to check the order Penny was grilling the onions for. "A veggie burger with extra onions."

Penny only nodded and left out the kitchen. She found herself on the main floor of the restaurant. She knew the layout since she'd been employed for nearly four years. When Penny reached table ten, she realized the customers were conversing. The man was chomping away his rubbery steak while the woman sat there pointing at her food with a frown.

The complainer.

"Hi. Is everything okay?"

"No, everything is not okay. The chef is trying to kill me. Who are you?" The woman questioned her.