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Poisoned Paradise

A Disastrous Destiny

By Daniel J PricePublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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Poisoned Paradise
Photo by Alexey Derevtsov on Unsplash

“This way for your table,” the host says as he smiles at the couple in front of him.

The girl, a cute American in her early 20’s with curly blonde hair who obviously had never been very far from home, has her arms wrapped around the arm of a handsome local boy. She had dreamt many times about doing this but had always talked herself out of it, but now finally she was here.

The quiet dining restaurant snuggled off the Sairee Beach of Ko Tao, Thailand was nothing short of paradise. White sandy beaches and palm trees surrounded the open-aired tables, and with the foaming waves of the ocean were so close the diners could taste them. Everything a young romantic couple could want. But, beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect bliss, there was something sinister developing. Something that would change their lives forever.

A dark-haired man sits tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. His eyes are receptive to every subtlety, and minuscule movement of the diners all around him, with professional accuracy. Across from him is a grey-haired man with a distinct 5 o’clock shadow. With his back to the dining area the grey-haired man discreetly watches everyone's movements from the reflections all around him. Both men seem to disappear in their surroundings without drawing much attention at all. A skill they have no doubt come to master over the years.

“Is everything in place?”

“Yes,” the dark-haired man responds without even seeming to move his mouth. “The plan is in motion.”

“Right this way.” The host says again as he escorts the couple past the two men’s table.

As the couple walks by, the American girl glances down at the dark-haired man. As if fate would have them meet for a moment of calm before the storm, the dark-haired man gently smiles at the young girl, and in polite fashion she smiles back as she passes forgetting him as quickly as she saw him. Her heart is set on other things as she glides by holding on to her lover’s arm, not knowing soon her life will change forever.

The couple continues past a row of tables lining the wall as they approach a small table for two right inside the open canopy overlooking the crashing waves of the ocean.

“Here is your table,” the host says while gesturing to it. “I hope you’ll enjoy.”

“Thank you. I’m sure we will,” the young man says as the host leaves.

The young couple situate themselves at the table, and soon the young man leans in.

“I am so glad you’re finally here.”

“I am too.”

“I didn’t think you’d come.”

“I was worried I wouldn’t either,” she answered hesitantly.

“Did your parents finally agree for you to come?”

“My dad was furious and mom kept crying,” she says looking down. “They think they know what’s best for me, but all they care about is what their society friends think.” She starts to fiddle with the silverware. “I guess me falling in love with a Thai boy I met online wasn’t part of their life plan for me.”

“Do you regret not... uh, you know?”

“What? Not marrying their country club friend? No thank you!” She pauses for a moment. “I love you, not him.”

“I love you too.... so much,” he says while staring in her eyes.

The waiter approaches their table. “Hello, can I start you with something to drink?”

The young man looks at her and asks. “Do you like wine?”

“I’ve never had it before.”

“Do you have any Merlots?”

“Oh yes! We have a nice Duckhorn, and an ‘04 Pahlmeyer.”

“The Duckhorn. Two glasses would be great, thank you.”

“Right away sir,” the host exclaims as he hurries off.

“You sure know a lot about wine,” she says to him.

“Yeah, my dad worked in Napa Valley for years when we were younger so I couldn’t help but pick up a few things.”

She smiles at him as they sit in their own little world never noticing the table directly opposite them, but the dark-haired man does. He can’t stop watching.

Sitting at the table by the open canopy sits three men. Two men, dressed in khakis and pressed shirts, sit opposite the third man. Their hardened faces and strict demeanor scream ex-military. They are much younger than the third man, and have positioned themselves strategically at the table. One of the men watches the door while the other man watches the canopy opening. The third man sits in more casual attire with shorts and a floral button up shirt. His robust figure tells of an easy life where good food and expensive wine have softened his body. He laughs to himself as he gorges on the steak in front of him taking it into his mouth one large piece after another. A tourist? A businessman? A retiree? To the surrounding restaurant patrons he could be any or all three, but to the dark-haired man who has been watching him intensely he is something else altogether.

“How do you know he’ll order wine?” The grey-haired man asks.

“He always does after his meal.”

“What if he changes it up?”

“He won’t.”

“Yeah, but what if...?”

“I’ve been watching him for weeks. He’s a creature of habit and loves his Caymus. He won’t.”

“What if he does?”

“Then I could always walk over and put a bullet in him.”

“That’s discreet,” the grey-haired man scoffs.

“He’ll drink the wine.”

“Is your boy on board?”

The dark-haired man glances at a waiter and nods his head. The waiter takes a deep breath and nods back.

“He’s ready.”

“How did you meet him?”

“Through mutual acquaintances,” the dark-haired man answered. “Our fat comrade over there killed the young waiter’s father and little sister before doing far worse to his mother. He watched from the closet.”

“Geez.”

“And, since we’ve been looking for an opportunity to relocate him to the grave since the war, I figured this was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. It’s not every day a retired mass murdering commander falls into your lap.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

The dark-haired man watches as the robust commander eats his steak in disgustingly large portions.

“Well, I’m really hoping he chokes to death, and then we can just go home."

The grey-haired man smirks at the thought of it.

“But I’ve coated the inside of a wine glass with a tetrodotoxin variant. Once he drinks it there’s no coming back. He’ll be dead in hours. The best part is he’ll die in his hotel room and no one will be the wiser.”

The grey-haired man smiles.

The couple stare into each other's eyes as she rests her hand in his on the table.

“I feel like I’ve known you forever,” she says to him.

“It’s crazy to think we’ve been talking online for four years.”

“I know right!”

“I’ve waited so long to be able to touch you,” he says as he gently runs his fingers across hers.

She smiles softly.

“You seem so nervous,” she says.

“Yeah, well, uh, I uh.... I uh wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure, what is it?”

The young man pauses as the waiter arrives at their table with two glasses and pours the Duckhorn Merlot. The waiter smiles at them both and leaves the bottle on the table before returning to the kitchen.

“So, what is it?”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you. too.”

“And, um, I don’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either.”

Inside the kitchen a young waiter reaches gently into a cabinet and pulls out a hidden glass. He knows the poison has to be consumed to be effective, but that doesn’t stop him from making sure he doesn’t touch the rim. He holds it in his hands like it’s bomb waiting to go off, because he knows this is his only chance. He gently carries the glass with a bottle of Caymus out of the kitchen, and as he passes the dark-haired man he tries with all his might not to make eye contact. He knows the attention is now on him, and he can’t mess this up. With every step he takes he can feel his heart beating faster and faster.

For 20 years he has waited for this moment. For 20 years he has thought about nothing but this. When he was just a small boy he knew nothing of war or evil men. All he knew was the love of his mother and father. He was so happy then. He'd play by the river and hide from his mother in the chicken coop. He remembers the smile on his father's face when they caught his first fish together, and he remembers the feeling of holding his sister’s hand as he guided her through the grass. But most of all he remembers the smells. The smell of the orchids growing beside the house, the smell of his mother’s cooking as she prepared the meals, and even her scent as she hugged him to sleep every night. He misses that the most. He never thought his family would be taken from him, but when this man arrived everything changed. A monster, who was given a war, became a mass murderer who got away with everything.

“Why do you look so sad?”

“Oh, I’m not sad I’m just...”

“You can tell me anything,” she says as she holds his hand.

“I uh.... I.... I don’t want you to go back.”

“What?”

“I want you to stay here with me.”

“Um...”

“I love you so much. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me,” she says as she squeezes his hand.

He pulls his hand away gently.

“Yes, I will. Your father is never going to let you come back here, and you’re going to end up marrying that other guy, and I’m going to lose you forever.”

“You won’t lose me.”

“Marry me!”

“What?”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring. Trembling, he places it on the table.

“Marry me.”

She gasps in surprise. “Yes!”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I will marry you!”

In excitement she reaches out to him and bumps the wine glass. She watches as it falls slowly to the floor.

The young waiter arrives at the table. “Your Caymus, sir.”

The commander looks at him as he places the wine glass quickly in front of him and reaches forward to pour. Behind them the glass from the girl hits the floor and shatters. The young waiter jumps in shock and bumps the commander's table. The commander laughs.

“Easy young man it’s just a glass,” he says. “You would not have made it in war,” he laughs.

Another waiter arrives at the young couples table to clean up the mess.

“I’m so sorry,” she says.

“It’s no big deal,” he says. “We’ll get you another glass.”

The couples waiter motions to the kitchen staff for another glass.

“Don’t bother,” the commander shouts with amusement from the table next to her. “Here you can have my glass. It must be a sign I'm not supposed to drink tonight."

He takes his glass and hands it to the couples waiter who then places it on the table in front of the girl.

The commander's waiter wants to scream as he watches in horror while the Duckhorn is poured into the girl’s glass, but he can’t speak.

“Get out of here,” bellows the commander at the waiter, but the waiter stands frozen in fear.

“I said now!”

Shocked, the young waiter glances across the room in terror at the dark-haired man as he walks back to the kitchen.

“To new beginnings,” she says as they tap their glasses together.

“To new beginnings.”

Panic comes over the dark-haired man as the girl reaches the glass to her lips.

“Oh no!”

fiction
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About the Creator

Daniel J Price

A quiet man who enjoys the experiences stories can bring.

Founder of HeartandSolesMinistries.org a non-profit dedicated to giving shoes/sandals/boots to every child in need.

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