I'm Stepping Out  

Brian had just turned on his computer when he reluctantly opened the door to a persistent knock.

"Let's start making babies now. Time's ticking," William said.

Brian promptly shut the door again. Talking to him was like a fast track to losing brain cells.

"Stop working overtime. We need to get a move on. Making fifty kids in a year is a huge task. We have to keep at it until we're eighty. Come out and check if my dick's broken, can't sow seeds if it's not working. Brian, my darling, my boss, come out and let's make babies."

William scratched at the door from outside, but Brian refused to open it this time. He wasn't going to waste time on pointless banter. He'd rather use that time to review some documents - that was the real work.

Left alone, William sighed. He had to live a long life, up to ninety, to complete the task of having fifty children.

Brian was engrossed in his documents until past eleven. William, who had been causing a ruckus, didn't bother him anymore and was fiddling with a notebook in the living room.

Brian found it strange. Was William done causing trouble?

When Brian was getting ready for bed, William started changing into clean, crisp jeans and boots.

"Are you going out?"

"I'm stepping out for a bit. I won't be long, you should get some rest. I've left your medicine by the bed, take it before you sleep."

He opened his backpack and put in a chisel pliers and a bundle of rope.

Seeing this, Brian knew William wasn't just going out for drinks. He was up to something.

"I'll come with you."

At least he could provide some backup, lend a hand if things got tricky.

"No need, your hand's not in the best shape."

William slung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbed his car keys, and headed out, with Brian following him to the door.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in two hours if all goes well. It's cold outside, don't come out."

As William closed the door, he saw the worry on Brian's face. He gave him a grin, reached out, and touched Brian's face.

"Go to sleep, no need to wait up for me."

"I don't know what your mission is, but be careful. Come back soon."

Many missions were secret, and Brian didn't pry. But he was still worried. What if William was gone for a long time? Or worse, what if he was in danger?

"I'll make you some porridge in the morning."

William didn't let Brian step out, he simply closed the security door and took the elevator.

Brian watched from the window as William drove out of the complex, disappearing into the flow of traffic.

Unable to sleep, Brian was worried. He had no idea what William's mission was, but he knew it was dangerous. Was he planning to take down the black market arms deal they had discussed earlier? Was he going alone? Would there be a shootout?

He couldn't speculate wildly, nor could he rashly go to the old town hardware store to find him, in case he disrupted William's plan.

All Brian could do was sit in the living room. William had said he'd be back in about two hours. He would wait, wait for him to return, and make sure he wasn't hurt.

William parked his car on the side of the road and got into another car that was waiting for him.

The driver smiled at him. "Director Gu says to be careful not to startle the snake in the grass. Everything you need is in here."

He pointed to a backpack. William opened it and transferred the contents into his own bag.

"I'll be your backup outside. Can you handle going in alone?"

"No problem."

They discussed the plan and drove to the old town.

While Brian was reviewing his documents, William had been busy contacting national security to investigate the hardware store in the old town. The owner was in his fifties, a local resident, running a barely surviving hardware store. He lived upstairs and ran the store downstairs, with a son and a plump wife. The son didn't look much like the owner, making it a very ordinary family.

National security had investigated his family up to three generations, and everything seemed normal. He paid his taxes, and his relationship with his neighbors was good.

If it weren't for Brian saying he had bought a gun from there, who would suspect this place?

Digging deeper from this lead, many things came to light. The inconspicuous bald store owner controlled over eighty percent of the city's black market arms trade. Only trusted customers with deep pockets could buy firearms, and he had a wide variety. The hardware store always needed new stock, and the firearm parts were smuggled in with the regular goods, then assembled here.

The black market arms trade had to be stopped.