[ WP ] A serial killer uses a vending machine to buy a personalized coke bottle to select his victim . One day , he gets a bottle with an unexpected name .

Hmm must be German, he thought. He set a reminder on his phone to call Frank first thing in the morning. He set the bottle down and turned off the lights. 
 
 “ Hey Frank, it ’ s me. How ’ s everything going? Yeah, listen, I have another one for you. If you can get it before Friday I ’ ll double the offer. Yeah, Panera Bread sounds good. See ya then. ” He hung up the phone just as he pulled into the driveway. He immediately noticed the smell of his favorite dish, spinach lasagna. “ Smells good ”, he said with a smile as he walked through the door. His mother was standing by the kitchen table, pouring over what seems to be old photographs. “ Ahh, I was wondering if you were going to come ” said his mother with a “ tsk. ” He shrugged his shoulders and simply said, “ Something came up. ” “ Well at least you ’ re here now, your father has been growing angst. ” 
 
 His demeanor hardened as he looked into the living room and noticed his old man. “ Why is he here? ” he asks, not lowering his voice. “ Do I need a reason? Good to see you too, son ”, said his father as he lumbered into the dining room. “ Now play along you two, I ’ ve already told you I need the both of you to help me organize the family documents and photos. ” Oh, look here Jack, this is you from when you still wet the bed! ” Jack quickly snatched the photo from her and stared intently at the adolescent shame. Jack ’ s father let out a hearty laugh. “ That was some year for you boy, wasn ’ t it? I believe it was just the following week your dumbass accidentally started that fire in the backyard. “ Yeah, accidentally ”, Jack muttered. “ What was that? ” his father said as he straightened up in his chair, spilling some of beer as he did so. “ I said you made sure I didn ’ t forget ”, said Jack terse as he continued to stare at the photo. “ Those were the days ”, Jack ’ s father continued, “ but you learned you lesson, and you learned it good. ” Jack ignored him and sat down for lunch. 
 
 Friday came, and Jack found himself at his usual spot by the window with a fresh croissant in front of him. He sipped his green tea as he watched Frank cross the street and into the bakery-café. Frank tossed a manila envelope onto the table and leaned back with a blank expression. Jack glanced at his as he slowly opened the envelope and took a second before looking back up. “ It ’ s empty ” said Jack matter-of-factly. Frank grinned and scratched his head. “ Look again ”. Jack turned the envelope upside down and shook it violently until single piece of grey paper came out. He looked at it and then at Frank. “ It ’ s a newspaper clipping. ” As if Frank didn ’ t know. “ That ’ s all I could find about that name, ” Frank said as he ripped a piece of the croissant off and tossed it his mouth. “ I still get the money right? I mean, a deal ’ s a deal. ” 
 
 Jack wasn ’ t listening. His heart was pounding in his ear, something that hasn ’ t happened since... well…since he first started doing this. He reread it to make sure, but it was clear. It was an old newspaper article about the then recent wave of German immigrants to the city, as well as showing a group photo of some of them. His heart wasn ’ t racing from xenophobia, but from the name highlighted in the caption and an arrow drawn pointing to a face. The name that he ’ s only just heard of last night, pointing to a face he ’ s known, despised, his entire life. The face of his father. 
 
 “ Where are you going? What about my money, man? ” Frank shouted in disbelief as Jack headed straight for the door, his mask of sanity threatening to fall at any moment. Jack jumped into his car and jammed the key into the ignition. He sat still, unwavering, for a long period until the pounding of Frank ’ s angry fists broke his trance. Jack turned the car on and reversed, to the bewilderment of his associate, and stop briefly to lower the window. “ This might be the last one for a while, so enjoy it ” exclaimed Frank with a smile as he tossed Frank two neat stacks of cash before pulling away. 
 
 Bzz, bzz, bzz. The light flickers as Jack ’ s father flipped the light switch as he entered the basement where his mini-bar is. Soon after he hears someone else come down. “ Jack? It ’ s a little late son, what are you doing here? ” questioned his father. Jack coolly replied, “ I came to make peace. ” He walks over to the mini bar and grabs some shot glasses. “ I figure let bygones be bygones, and look forward to tomorrow. After all, life moves on ”, he finished saying with a warm smile as he held up a shot of honey whiskey. 
 
 Jack ’ s father hesitated, but naturally accepted as Jack suspected. Jack tossed the glasses into the sink. “ Well, I ’ ll let you get back to whatever you were doing ”, he said as he headed up the stairs, nonchalantly tucking a small vile into his shirt pocket. Right before closing the door he could hear a wheezing voice say, “ Jack ” followed by the scraping of a chair. As Jack left he tossed the newspaper clipping on the table and left for home. 
 
 The phone rang early in the morning. Jack was already by his desk, just rolling the vile in his fingers. “ Hey mom, what ’ s up? ” She replies, “ Jack, have your father told you where you went? I haven ’ t seen him all morning ” Jack pauses briefly before saying, “ No, maybe he went for a bike ride. ” He could hear her chuckle. “ You know as well as I that your father never exercises. By the way, did you leave this old article cutout on the table? ” Jack says, “ Yeah, a friend found it and gave it to me. I ’ d thought you ’ d like it. ” She quickly answers, “ Oh I do, and I didn ’ t think this existed anywhere. Your friend is very good. However, I noticed that they messed up the caption somewhat. They put down your old name instead of your father ’ s. Must have gotten switched up during translation… ” Jack put down the phone soon after hearing this, his mother drones on. All the while he hasn ’ t stopped rolling the vile, and he notices there is just over half left in it. He takes one more look at the coke bottle.
