THE EXECUTION

Scribd May 2011 Community Project

By

Amanda LaPera
LaPera / THE EXECUTION www.amandalapera.com 2

The Execution
Who would have guessed it would be so cold. The sun was shining, there
was no wind and it was in the middle of July. Then again, it was San
Francisco so it should have been expected. Diana stood on the street
corner in a t-shirt and jeans, hunched over with the cold, goose bumps
covering her body.

To anyone watching, it would have seemed as though she was busy

playing on her iPhone. Every few seconds, she jumped a bit and hit her
phone. But she was hitting the menu button to make the phone jump
back to life, checking the time. He was late – 23min late, to be exact. And
there was nothing she could do about it. There was no one that she could
call, nowhere that she could go – all she could do was have faith that
Bacchus would show.

Diana glanced up and down the streets. People hurried around the city during
their lunch break, a luxury she did not have. She had a job to do. Food would
have to wait.

She leaned her back against the wall of the building. In the distance, the ocean
glistened and the bridges appeared to distort themselves in the midday sun.
She pulled her phone out again and confirmed that it was now half past the
hour. It was almost time. Where was he?

Her faith began to waver when she spotted a man wearing a familiar blue
jacket atop the hill, heading in her direction. No longer aware of the chilly air
and unable to contain her joy, she rushed across the street to meet him in an
embrace.

“Bacchus, my love, I thought you wouldn’t come,” Diane said. She kissed his
cheek. “Did you bring me the newspaper and my coffee?”

He stumbled back. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry I was late. I stopped for a glass of
wine and lost track of time.”

“Ah, but the celebration should not begin before the hunt is complete.”

Bacchus nodded and offered his arm. “Is everything in place?”

LaPera / THE EXECUTION www.amandalapera.com 3

“It is. Minerva and Fortuna called to say Jove’s keeping watch.” She pulled out
her phone. “In fact, they’re texting me now. Oh, Bacchus, we must hurry.”

Bacchus and Diana jogged up the block. They reached the stop in time to catch
the trolley, which they hopped aboard. Within minutes, they were down near
Fisherman’s Wharf.

“Follow me,” she said.

She and Bacchus crossed the street, zigzagged through the crowd, and melded
in with the tourists, pretending to inspect a vender’s clam chowder.

“The ferry boat is going to depart soon,” Bacchus said. “I hope the information
is correct.”

“Look.” She pointed. “There they are, getting off the Muni bus. Just as we knew
they would.” Her fingers tapped on her phone. “And right on schedule.”

“Ready?” Bacchus asked.

“I live for this kind of thing. Of course I am. Let’s go.”

They split up and readied into position. Two men wearing trench coats, a bit
excessive for the weather, huddled in the middle of a group of people waiting
to cross the street toward the wharf.

Holding a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle, Diana peered over the edge of
the paper and waited. Her pulse raced and her muscles tensed in anticipation.

Within seconds, she saw Minerva and Fortuna wearing miniskirts, heels, and
tight blouses only a few feet away from her.

The two strangers crossed the street. Diana bumped into them and in the
process, spilled coffee all over her white t-shirt and the two strangers’ coats.

“Watch where you’re going,” Diana said, shaking the excess drink from her
hands.
LaPera / THE EXECUTION www.amandalapera.com 4

Before the two men could respond, Minerva and Fortuna sashayed into the
scene. Pretending to slip on the spilled coffee, the two women each grabbed
hold of the men’s trench coats to steady themselves.

By this time the street light changed and a black Lincoln pulled alongside the
curb, in a no stopping zone. The back door swung open.

With the strangers distracted by the two attractive women, Bacchus and Jove
closed in on them.

Diana, Minerva, and Fortuna stepped out of the way and made a commotion to
distract the tourists’ attention.

At the same time, Bacchus and Jove reached their hands out to grab the two
strangers by the arm and then pushed them into the backseat of the car. The
locked door slammed shut and the car drove off.

The five agents gathered together.

“By stopping them from getting on the ferry, we saved a lot of lives today,”
Diana said.

“Yes, now, let’s have a drink to celebrate.” Bacchus grinned.

THE END

More information about Amanda LaPera’s writing, including links to her blog,
short stories and poetry can be found at www.amandalapera.com. You can also
find her on Facebook at www.fb.com/amandalapera