Lost Dad: Dan Smith

Forty Eight: Waste

Sorry for this one being a bit short.

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Dan rushes out of his room and to the door where I'm standing.

Me: Text so he doesn't hear you.

"You're not on the phone to the cops. Open up or things will get ugly." Dutch commands.

Dan: Okay. What all has happened?

"Never to you, Dutch!" I reply.

Me: He claims to have a gun. I had initially pretended to be an old woman at the door with a fake voice.

"I'm not here to hurt you..." He lies.

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard!" I reply.

Dan: Put down the knife. We won't need it.

I set the knife on the counter.

"It's not a lie. Open up and I won't hurt you. I want to help you." He says calmly.

"I know what you're here for, and I'm not going to let you hurt Dan." I say.

Dan: How long has he been here?

"Dutch," I start, hoping this answers Dan's question. "I didn't open the door a half hour ago and I won't now." Dan nods, as if thanking me for telling him.

"Dan's not who you think he is. He's not your real Dad. I am! I've come to warn you about him!" Dutch lies. That can't be true. Not after everything Dan's done for me. Dan clenches his teeth, which I can barely see in the darkness of the room.

Me: I know he's lying. I have a plan.

"Wow, Dutch. I didn't think you'd actually look out for me." I say. I shoot Dan a look, asking if this is okay. He nods approvingly, seeing my plan as well.

"I told you." Dutch says.

"I just don't know why you would threaten your daughter with a gun." I say, all smart-alecky.

"I was just kidding. I swear. Just please save yourself and come with me, Laura!" He lies.

Dan: I hate this guy so much. He's about to feel my heat if he doesn't back down.

"Prove that Dan means harm to me." I say, waiting for his amusing excuse.

"Um... I knew your mother a lot better..?" He says. He clearly didn't prepare for this.

"That's your proof?" I laugh.

"You suck." Dutch spits

"And you swallow." I reply

Dan tries to contain a laugh, but snorts loudly

"Oh! Sweet little Danny! How've you been since we last met?" Dutch says sarcastically.

"I'm going to open this fucking door in thirty seconds." Dan says, fuming. "And you're going to be gone, understood?"

"You can open it thirty years from now and I won't be gone." Dutch replies. I can feel his smug expression dripping under the door.

"You fucking asked for it!" Dan yells, unlocking one of the locks. I grab his arm, which is reaching for the second lock. Dutch's loud laughter distracts from my whispers.

"Don't. He's got a gun." I say. I'm truly not sure, but I don't want him to open the door and get shot.

Dan doesn't reply, but looks through the peephole. He opens the door and Dutch immediately pounces on him. A gun flies out of Dutch's grasp and flies just out of their reach. Dutch has Dan pinned to the floor, holding him by the neck. My first instinct is to jump onto Dutch and try to knock him so Dan can escape. He didn't sign up for this. It's my fault so I should suffer. My feet lift off for what feels like 10 years in slow motion. I land directly as planned and Dan can squirm out from under Dutch. He grabs the gun, hoping to keep it from Dutch. I roll across the floor away from Dutch, in shock that he didn't grab me. With light flooding in from the hallway, I see that Dan has the gun pointed at Dutch. 

"Go ahead, Danny." Dutch says, catching his breath. "Shoot me. Shoot me right in front of Laura." He picks something out of his nails.

"You would be a waste of a bullet, Dutch." Dan says. "Otherwise, I would murder you right here, right now." Dan says, not letting the gun down. 

"You wouldn't." Dutch says.

 Bang.

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DAMN GUYS. THIS IS GETTING REAL.