[Write the Story] A Dog Walker in Washington, DC

Prompt: A Dog Walker in Washington, DC

Words: senator, grotto, strudel, jade, welcome, slang, complementary, vacant, jellyfish, admonish

Story

“Welcome to the Jade Jellyfish Pet Services team.” Neil stood in front of his new hire class. “We are the premiere service for all things pets in DC. We have prestigious and high-ranking clients, which is why you were all vetted for security clearances.”

As he spoke, he noticed a few with vacant stares. Those would likely be washed out quickly. Trust fund kids who were told to get some real-world experience, he’d seen them before. There were several who’d make perfectly adequate dog walkers and cat sitters. It was the last handful that intrigued him. They would be the icing on his strudel.

Two hours later, he walked into the conference room where four faces stared at him expectantly. “Good afternoon. You four have been chosen for a complementary training program with the company. But I admonish you—this is sensitive. This is confidential. You will be sent anywhere from the The Grotto—”

“The high end strip club?” a recruit asked.

“Yes. To a senator’s residence. Your job is to blend in to the background, listen, gather information and report back to me.”

“You want us to be spooks?”

“I’ve never liked that slang. We’re not ghosts. We’re not spies. We gather intelligence for appropriate use—invisibly. Welcome to the team.”

Word Count: 213

Written: 9/17/2020

Tags: fiction, flash fiction, Piccadilly, short story, spies, thriller, Write the Story