Ch. 17 | Retirement Has Its Perks

Jerry was in his study growing frustrated. Reviewing the latest of his financial accounts, he knew that he was playing fast and loose with his retirement funds. Sure the retired business development VP socked away a seven-figure nest egg. But retiring in Las Vegas with as many vices as he had, proved to make the usually financially astute man less disciplined. Between his new friends and their hard-partying ways, he figured it would catch up to him sooner or later.

Admittedly, he didn’t hide his second life well from his wife, Lynn. To her credit she stuck her head in the sand like an ostrich. She had her hobbies and he had his. Of course, he didn’t know she was having her own bit of fun in the neighborhood, but a coke habit like his, an elephant could be dancing in his living room and he’d be none the wiser.

Maybe a consulting gig could be helpful, he thought. Truth be told, the higher he rose in his career, the less he had to officially do. He had a few contacts here in the valley. It wouldn’t be hard to make six-figures pushing some paper and schmoozing clients over dinners and scotch. 

“Jerry!” Lynn yelped in a frightened state.

The man jumped up, with the hair on his neck standing up stick straight. It wasn’t like Lynn to sound like that. He quickly hustled to the living room and found his wife bound and held by a man with a familiar face.

“What the–” he started, confused, not realizing his retirement was about to be cut short.

“Aht aht,” the man, holding a knife on Jerry’s wife said.

“Let’s continue this conversation in the garage,” motioning towards the hallway door.

“We can work something out,” Jerry said weakly.

“Oh, we’re going to. Let’s go.”

A sinking feeling his Jerry’s pit, but his wife was in danger and he was not in the position to struggle with the man.

“Please, don’t kill us,” he begged.

“An immoral couple like yourselves have no place in here. Without order, chaos reigns.”

As Jerry opened the door to the garage, he was struck in the back of his head. Fighting a failing battle to remain conscious, the last thing he saw was his wife being placed in the back of his car with a plastic bag around her face. As he slipped away he thought, oh God, what have I done, and then drifted off before suffering the same fate.