Mistake Made

Entry for The Writer's Cramp 3-16-16

DING DONG.
Richard Thompson opened the front door of his old Victorian style house to find a man in a Fed Ex uniform standing there.
“Are you Richard Thompson?” the man asked.
“Yes, may I help you?” Richard replied with a confused tone.
“I have a certified letter for you. I just need you to sign for it please.”
Richard signed the man’s paperwork, and went back inside. He pulled the zipper to the flat package and opened it. Inside, he found another envelope with the simple message, ‘open immediately’. He opened the envelope and removed the letter inside. It read:
Mr. Thompson,
You have been informed, most amiably, that your cooperation with the proposal made by my associates and I would be most beneficial to you and your family. We have not received a reply from you regarding this matter, and, as such, we have assumed that this signifies a negative response.
In doing so, I regret to inform you that the resulting consequences of aforementioned action will be prompt and severe. To avoid any possible complications within your current lifestyle, we advise that you contact us at 654-555-9818 and provide a positive response. You will be given 36 hours from receipt of this notice to reply, before action is initiated by our organization.
Mr. Raznichnokov
Richard dropped the letter on the table, and started running upstairs.
“Honey?” he called out.
“Yes Dear” a woman replied from upstairs.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“That’s dangerous.” The woman laughed.
“We haven’t taken a vacation in a while. What do you say we go to Spain for a while?”
“That sounds nice. I’ll call the travel agent on Monday.” She said.
“NOOOO! It has to be now. Pack a bag and let’s go.” He had a tone of desperation in his voice.
“What’s the rush Dear? We gotta have time to plan what we’re gonna do while we’re there.”
Richard burst into the bedroom where his wife, Sheryl, was folding laundry. “I can’t explain, but we’ve got to get out of here as soon as we can. Now, get up, pack a bag, and let’s go.”
“Not until you tell me what you’re talking about” Sheryl was starting to get annoyed.
“Fine. Sit down and I tell you, as long as you promise that as soon as I’m done, we leave.”
“I promise.”
Richard explained everything, from the first time he met Victor Raznichnokov, to the protection proposal, to the letter.
“And you think this Raznidobob guy is gonna try to kill us?” Sheryl was skeptical of most things, this included.
“Yes. Now, can we go?”
“I guess.”
Several hours and a couple hundred miles later, they pulled into a roadside motel.
“This should be fine for the night.” Richard said. He went in and got checked into a room. A few hours later, as Richard and Sheryl were sleeping, they were suddenly awoke by hands clasping over their mouths, then the world faded to black around them, and, as the chloroform took effect, they fell asleep.
When they woke, they found themselves in an abandoned warehouse, tied to chairs, with men standing all around them. They both started trying to get free from the ropes, when a deep voice with a thick Russian accent startled them.
“Don’t bother. Even if you could get loose, my men wouldn’t let you get very far.” The man the voice belonged to stepped out of the shadows.
“Raznichnokov.” Richard said.
“Mr. Thompson.” Raznichnokov replied. “I don’t appreciate that you tried running. I thought we were friends.”
“Mr. Raznich…”
“Victor, please.” Raznichnokov interrupted.
“Victor. I was gonna call you in the morning. We weren’t running, we’re going on vacat…”
“No lies Mr. Thompson. I had a tracker placed on your vehicle, as well as sound recorders installed throughout your house. I know you were running to Spain.”
“Ok, you got me. I just don’t want any part of your so-called business plan.” Richard’s voice was starting to tremble.
“Ok then. All you had to do was tell me that.” Raznichnokov laughed. “You’re free to go.”
“Really?” Richard asked.
“Nyet. I lied.” He looked at the men standing around them. “Kill both of these suka’s.”
“NOOOOO! You can’t just kill…”
BANG…BANG.