UNKNOWN GUEST

#50 Job In Parking Lot

I glanced at my phone screen, checking the voting poll in the "Fans' Favorite" category. The votes for EXO had jumped from 9% to 14%. Dr. Cho would be thrilled to see this. There's still plenty of time before the award event, so I'm confident the numbers will keep rising.

"We're here," Uncle Clint announced from the driver's seat as the car came to a halt. I stepped out and looked up at the building's entrance.

 My eyes landed on the sign and logo, and I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "You said it was a bank."

He smirked, shrugging casually. "It is a bank. A blood bank."

I shook my head at his dry humor. We walked up to the entrance together, but he stopped me at one point, motioning for me to stay put. He then walked ahead, engaging in a brief conversation with a man at the front desk. After a minute, he came back, glancing around cautiously. He briefed all the things regarding this mission shortly. "All set. You'll get a jacket in that chamber over there, and the guy inside will brief you on everything. I'll handle things inside."

I nodded, heading towards the underground parking area of the blood bank. Here's the context: we're on a mission, undercover, to catch a guy who's been traveling across the country in search of a specific and rare blood type—AB negative. No, he's not a vampire, but his obsession with this particular blood type has raised enough red flags to get Fury involved. Well, SHIELD might have drowning in mud, but its purpose was still alive. 

My job is to work undercover as a parking guard, while Uncle Clint takes care of things inside the building. It's not the most glamorous mission, but it's important. 

I put on the jacket and cap that were handed to me, feeling the weight of the stun gun and electric baton as I adjusted them on my belt. The guy in the chamber gave me a quick rundown—CCTV cameras, ticket machines, and the basic duties. It wasn't anything too complicated; mostly, I was to keep an eye on the cars coming in and out, make sure nothing suspicious happened, and of course, hand out tickets. After the briefing, he left, and I was on my own, standing in the dimly lit parking lot.

For the first few nights, there wasn't much to do. The guy we were after never showed up, and the job was just a waiting game. I passed the time reading a book, keeping one eye on the pages and the other on the parking lot. The routine was almost dull, with the occasional car coming in, but nothing that caught my attention.

On the fourth night, things finally took a turn. It was close to 1 AM, and the parking lot was quiet, almost eerily so. I was halfway through a chapter when I heard the low hum of an engine approaching. A car pulled in, its headlights cutting through the darkness. I straightened up, slipping the book into my pocket as the vehicle came to a stop in front of my post.

A man and a woman got out, both looking visibly stressed. The man seemed hurried, his brow furrowed in concern, while the woman looked like she was barely holding it together. I handed the man a parking ticket, reminding him, "You have to show this when you return, so keep it safe." He nodded, barely acknowledging me as they rushed off toward the building. The woman glanced back at the car, her face etched with worry, and then they disappeared into the entrance.

As I watched them go, I noticed the car still running, parked in the middle of the lane. Curious, I walked over to see what was going on. Inside, another man was sitting in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel like he was holding on for dear life. I tapped on the window, and he rolled it down just enough for us to talk.

"Excuse me, sir," I started, "you can't park here. There's space in the second line."

He looked at me, his eyes heavy with the same worry that had been on the other two. "Please, let me stay here," he pleaded. "The man and woman who just left—they're my brother and his wife. Their son is in critical condition, and they came to get blood for him. They'll be back soon."