An Unexpected Ambush

Owen had spent most of his adult life slipping silencers into hidden compartments and taking out thugs. Now retired, he’d traded pistols for pastries and covert ops for crosswords.

Munching on toast, he heard a clang across the hallway. His eyes narrowed. “Moscow, Madrid… and now… the suburbs?” he muttered.

Grabbing a butter knife, he whispered, “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

He readied the knife, heart thudding.

His assassin’s instincts kicked in. A shadow shifted near the potted fern. Target acquired. He calculated the angle. In one fluid motion, he lunged

✱

He slipped on a rogue Lego, lurched forward, and landed onto the couch with a thud.

Mikey, his five-year-old grandson, squealed, “You’re dead, Grandpa!” and unleashed a torrent of water from his tiny water pistol.

“Oh, there you are, Dad,” Katie said, stepping over scattered Legos. “Sorry we showed up unannounced. Looks like Mikey made himself at home.”

Luckily, the only witness to his failed “assassination attempt” had been a pint‑sized mastermind armed with a water gun.

Owen grinned. “You’re trying to kill me, huh? Next time you should call ahead and I’ll bring some reinforcements,” he said, scooping up his grandson.

Mikey grinned, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Sure, Grandpa. But can we make some chocolate chip cookies before we go on another secret mission?”

Owen nodded solemnly, surveying the chaos. He had faced mafia bosses and foreign spies… but today he’d been defeated by a water pistol wielding toddler who had Grandpa wrapped around his little finger.

Barb DeMoney is a flash fiction writer whose work blends drama, comedy and horror.