Saturday, August 27, 2011
Chapter 33
“Oh shit. What’d you do now?” Johnny said as he opened the door.
I smiled grimly and shook my head. Johnny moved aside and I stepped into his home. I walked to a couch and slumped down in it, staring at the old TV across from me. I was surprised to see it covered in dust. Apparently, Johnny’s plan to watch it til he died hadn’t come to fruition.
“Well, you might as well spill. I thought I’d seen the last of you back at the hotel.”
“I would have loved to leave it there, Johnny. I really would have, except something’s come up.”
“With you, something always does. It’s good to see you, Jared. What’s going on?”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the flyer, handing it to Johnny. Johnny looked at it a moment, then started laughing.
“That’s a terrible picture of you!”
“Tell me about it.” I smiled in spite of myself.
“I wondered how long it would take him to admit you weren’t dead. What’s wrong? You’re careful. I doubt anyone will find you.” Johnny said.
“True, except I added three people to my plan. Two are dead; the other is MIA. I think he might sell me out. He could use the money.”
“Any chance he won’t?”
“Yeah. He’s been fighting against Trystix’s high prices on the fever drugs. I guess I found the honorable kind of criminals.”
“Sounds like it’s a pretty good chance he won’t sell you out. If he knows what you’re up to, then he’d be better served to help you out.” Leave it to Johnny to give a killer the benefit of the doubt.
“True, but I have doubts. He’s not the most courageous man I’ve ever met.”
“So you came here to hide, then?”
“I came because if he sells me out, the hotel is the first place they’d look. He knows when I’m hitting the old diner, and he knows the other target as well. I’m unsure if I should change my plans or go through with them as planned. He might not do any damage, but he could definitely get me killed if he wanted to. You’re the last person I know in Chicago that I don’t want to put a bullet in.”
“Sounds like I’ve got one last rodeo before I retire, after all.” Johnny said grimly.
“I can’t ask that of you. I just need to think.”
“You are great at what you do, Jared. But changing your plans at the drop of a hat is a big flaw in your design. You have to think this through. You’re going to need a lookout. You’re going to need a wheelman. You’ve got to get the job done smoothly this time. I know how you work; I know how you think. Admit it; you need me.”
I looked in his eyes and saw his determination. Not only was he right, but he was willing to risk everything to see this through. He was a good friend. Probably the last one I’ve ever had. I mulled it over for another moment, then nodded. Again, Johnny wore his sad smile.
“I could use the help.”
“All right then. I know about the diner…what’s your other target?” He asked.
“You’re not gonna like it. But I don’t think there is a better way to stick it to Trystix before I take him myself.”
“Oh no. This is gonna get ugly, then?” Johnny asked, looking concerned.
“Bowling shoe ugly…I’m going after his Veritas facility.” I watched as the blood drained from his face.
“Holy shit! Are you insane?” Johnny screamed.
“I’ve been called that. Trystix has risen his prices sky-high for the fever drugs, making money off of people dying. Raiden’s busting his ass trying to find a cure, but I don’t think he has all the pieces yet. Beyond that, I think Trystix already has the cure. I think he’s sitting on it! He’s had the fever for ages and is somehow still alive! He could save everyone, and yet he hesitates because he is making money off the damn disease. You know I don’t like killing, Johnny. Even accidentally. But I figure that if his product is gone, he’ll be forced to find a new golden goose. I’d bet my life Trystix will try and minimize the damage that we cause, blame his problems on someone else until he can swoop in and save the day. The damage will already be done."
"No one will trust him to handle the cure after what we do. Raiden will find a way to get a hold of it, and I guarantee he’ll distribute it without trying to make a buck on it. Raiden will know Trystix can’t protect the stock and do everything and anything he has to do to get his hands on the cure. When he sees Trystix can’t protect the product, he can’t protect his people. That forces Raiden to pull out of Chicago and eventually out of his business deal with Trystix. If he does, the people will turn on Trystix for not being able to keep the drugs safe or provide a cure. They’ll want to go to the West to get the cure cheaper. Even if Trystix provides a cure, he will fall out of power. Then, when I’ve taken everything else from him, I take his life.” I'd practiced this part of the speech on the way over.
“Jared, I don’t know…How can you do this to the people of Chicago? You’re signing a death sentence for them!”
“No, Trystix did. He signed it the second he decided making money was more important than saving lives. He has a cure. I know he does; he’s had the fever for a while and he’s still kicking. He isn’t taking the drugs; he knows they only slow the fever. Everyone who gets the Red Rose Fever dies. Except him. How else could that happen?”
“Jared, you can’t do this. You can’t leave things to chance like this. You know destroying his stock will make the price even higher! Supply and demand, Jared. If the supply is gone, demand goes up. Chicago will suffer! When demand goes up, prices soar. You know that!” Johnny looked hysterical.
“I told you that you weren’t going to like it. But it has to happen, Johnny. Nothing else will hurt him this bad. Trysticorp will be alone, no Veritas involved. Trysticorp has to fall, not just Trystix. I have to break his back, Johnny. As long as people adore Trystix, he will be a martyr. I have to make him an enemy.”
“How do you know it will work? What if it makes him stronger in their eyes?”
“I don’t know that it will work. I can’t guarantee that. But this is the only way people can see what he truly is. It’s the only thing that would hurt him bad enough. Everyone who crosses him ends up dead or dying, fever or not. We aren’t the only ones who see that! We need all of Chicago and the East to see what a selfish bastard he is! I have to cripple him! If Trystix falls, Raiden’s stock goes up. He’ll have a shot at becoming the hero. I don’t know what will happen first, but Trystix is going down, one way or another.”
“This is madness, Jared. This isn’t right…It’s just…It’s insane. It’s inhuman. It’s not ok. It’s not right. All those people…”
“I know, old friend. I know. I understand if you don’t want to be a part of it. Think it over. Give it some thought. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow. But remember, I can’t be ruled by emotion. You and Raiden taught me that. This is war. There are no other options. There is no other way. Not without making Trystix a martyr.”
We sat in silence for a while, staring at the dusty old TV. Neither of us looked at each other; neither of us did anything. Finally, Johnny sighed and stood up. He went into his kitchen, returning with a bottle of tequila and a bottle of Coke. He said nothing as he handed me the Coke and poured himself some tequila. He took three shots before he said a word.
“All right. I’m in. On one condition…” He said.
“Name it.”
“After we do this…” He took another shot of tequila. “…I want you to put a bullet in my head.”
Friday, August 26, 2011
Chapter 32
I flew down the streets like a bat out of Hell. I couldn’t shake the smile from my face, and the smoke rising in the rearview mirror made me start laughing again. It wouldn’t be long before I heard a chorus of sirens, but there was no chance of saving Trystix’s precious treasure chest of cars. It wouldn’t make a difference to me if they could save the building; the smoke damage alone would ruin it for Trystix. I found it ironic that I had falsely sold insurance for Trystix, and now he needed it in the worst way. I started laughing all over again.
It didn’t take long to get to Stu’s abandoned home. It was boarded up and locked down tight. There was a small real estate sign out front, but no one would be buying it. KJ and Lance were sitting on the roof of the truck they had borrowed from Trystix, looking at the pillar of smoke rising in the south of the city. They looked extremely serious, extremely tense. They both looked at me like I was a maniac. Too true, I suppose, but they hadn’t lived my life. They’d never understand the joy I got out of sticking it to Trystix. I climbed out of the Jeep and nodded towards Stu’s former residence.
“I want to go in for a bit; make sure I didn’t leave anything here that could be useful. You’ve both done well. KJ, stay and keep watch, will you?” I said, making my way towards the familiar door. Lance fell into step with me when KJ nodded.
I grabbed hold of the uppermost board and yanked. It creaked, but it had been nailed in tight. I moved to the side and looked at Lance. He had already reached up to the opposite side. On the count of three we pulled. The board gave way, and we used the same method for each of the next few planks blocking our path. I tried the door handle; naturally it was locked. I reared back and kicked right next to the lock. The door didn’t even put up a fight, giving way on the first kick. I stepped through the open door.
Dust had settled over everything like a gossamer blanket. There were still old pizza boxes on the floor, and the chair we had tied Vic to stood undisturbed. I didn’t even pause to look around much, heading to the small bedroom I had spent my time in. This room had changed a bit. There was a small cardboard box on the desk with an assortment of notebooks, headphones, blueprints, cash, and a small revolver. There was a note written on the box from Johnny.
Jared,
Thought you might need these. I’m sure you can figure out what to do with them. I don’t need protection anymore. Stay human, old friend.
JM
“What does all that mean? Who’s Jared? Who’s JM?” Lance looked really confused.
“Neither one matters. Not anymore…The supplies do, though. Put them in my Jeep, would you?” I answered.
Lance moved quickly and took the box outside. I shuffled through the desk, looking for anything else that might be useful. Johnny had been thorough; he had organized everything I needed into the box. I smiled at how well he knew my thought process and shook my head. I left the bedroom for the kitchen. I walked to the sink, opening the small cupboard beneath it. There was a bottle of industrial cleaner and paint thinner…neither quantity enough for a decent fire. I was going to have to get creative. I scolded myself for not bringing some extra gasoline from the warehouse with me. I emptied the bottles around the room, careful not to mix them. If you didn’t know, mixing volatile chemicals can produce fumes that are toxic. The only thing I wanted to be toxic at this point was the fear inside of Trystix when he realized what was coming.
I left the kitchen and walked back outside. Lance was talking with KJ, who was listening intently. I didn’t say a word to either of them. I opened the door to their small pickup and looked inside. I swore silently again at myself for lack of forethought.
“What you need, Devil?” KJ asked.
“An accelerant. Got anything handy?” I asked.
“Nah, not really. You want me to go find something?” He asked.
“No. Why don’t you two just sit on your asses and talk about my real name some more?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
The color drained from Lance’s face as he shifted uncomfortably. KJ looked at the ground. I shook my head and pushed past them and went back in the house. I started looking for something to break down the wood boards around the building. It wouldn’t be quick, but the wood was as good a fuel as I would need. I found a sledgehammer in a closet and started swinging. I broke through a few tables and chairs, arranging each of the fragments into an optimal position for a fire. I was going to have to start a bunch of little fires and hope it spread fast enough to consume the building. I heard a chopping noise behind me. I turned to look, and saw Lance hacking at some furniture with a crowbar. KJ was making his way into the house with a hatchet.
“We’re trying, Jared. Just point us in the right direction.” Lance said between swings. I couldn’t help but cringe at all the noise he was making, but nodded my approval.
“Instead of hacking with the crowbar, you might try using the hook-end to pull the boards off the walls. Then have KJ cut them. You’ll save time. And for the record, you should probably forget that name.” I said. Again, Lance blushed, but this time he smiled stupidly.
We worked for about half an hour, breaking and rearranging furniture. Lance had stumbled across a bottle of vodka somewhere, and had poured a little here and there between sneaking drinks. He wasn’t smart, but he worked hard at it. He finished off the bottle and through it into the kitchen. I looked at both he and KJ, and KJ understood what came next. He clapped Lance on the back and helped him back out to the truck. Lance was a little bit tipsy; apparently, he didn’t handle alcohol well. Ask me if I was surprised.
I crumpled up some news paper and pulled out my lighter for the second time. I took a breath and said a final goodbye to my old friend Stu. I lit the paper and tossed it into the kitchen onto a pile of vodka-soaked boards. It smoldered a bit, starting to smoke. I moved quickly throughout the house, igniting pile after pile. I only had a moment to get to each one, but this wasn’t my first rodeo.
It took only a few minutes for the smoke to begin to thicken so much I had to leave. The house would go up in seconds. I stumbled through the front door, smiling as I did. I slammed it shut, hoping to hide the blaze from view until it was too late. I was still grinning as I regained my bearings. I looked up, my eyes still burning from the smoke, trying to find KJ and Lance.
The pickup was gone, but I wasn’t completely abandoned. Lance was laying in the gravel driveway, probably unconscious from his ‘sneaking’ of the vodka. I walked over to him and kicked him lightly. He didn’t move. I leaned down, shaking him. Where had KJ gone? Why did he leave Lance? I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t have time to worry now.
“Come on, man. Wake up. We gotta go. Get up!” I said, shaking him harder. He didn’t move. I sighed submissively, shaking my head again. I rolled him onto his back, intending to pull him up. Let’s just say he wasn’t going anywhere. His eyes were wide open in surprise, and he had a bullet hole in his forehead. A small pool of blood had formed in the gravel where he lay. There was a paper tucked in his shirt; a small flyer that had the word “Wanted” printed boldly across the top.
I opened the flyer and was greeted by a look into my own eyes. The flyer was a sketch of me, and it had my name printed across the bottom. I picked it up, leaving my dead companion on his back. It was creased with age, so this wasn’t a new development. To be honest, I thought these things only existed in old cowboy movies. I guess I was wrong.
Then it hit me; this wasn’t a new development. Damn. Somehow I’d become Chicago’s most wanted, even before I had taken out the warehouse. Well, I guess I’d always been an outlaw. Now, it was official. But the least they could have done was get a decent picture of me…
I swore again as I dragged Lance’s lifeless body towards the burning building. He was a lot heavier than he looked. I was beginning to get sick of getting rid of dead bodies. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why KJ would turn on Lance like this. They seemed to be such good friends…Oh well. I kicked open the door to Stu’s house and ducked inside, dragging Lance into the living room. It was a cold and callous thing to do, but I couldn’t leave a body in the driveway. Lance wouldn’t mind.
The smoke was thick and suffocating. You’d think I’d be in a hurry to get out of the smoke; my eyes burned from the dark, greasy ghost of smoke in the air. My lungs were beginning to ache from breathing it in, but still I was in no hurry to leave. I walked slowly, making sure my work had been flawless. I felt satisfied, and finally stepped through the front door again. I left Lance to his own devices. Something told me he wasn’t in any hurry to leave either; not with a bullet in his head.
As I walked to the Jeep, my thoughts again wandered to KJ and his motivation to kill his friend. More importantly, why would he help me halfway and then bail? And why would he kill Lance? Why not take him along? Then it hit me; the flyer. They had seemed like they arguing when I had interrupted them earlier. Maybe KJ didn’t want to associate with a fugitive. He may have been freaked out by the fact that every cop in the Windy City wanted my head. Can’t say I blamed him there. But why shoot Lance? Maybe Lance wanted to stay and help and KJ wanted to leave. Maybe KJ was colder than I suspected…
Damn it. KJ knew where I was headed and when I was planning on heading there. If he had motivation to cash in on the reward on my head, he would have the knowledge of where I would be and when I would be there. Not good. Not only that, but I couldn’t really go back to the hotel. All I had was the Jeep now…I would have to improvise a little. The box Johnny had left for me was in the small pickup that KJ left in, so I was out on some supplies that could have helped my plans for the next two targets. KJ had thrown a monkey wrench into my schedule. I needed to go somewhere to sort it out and revamp my timing. And there was only one place I could go.
It didn’t take long to get to Stu’s abandoned home. It was boarded up and locked down tight. There was a small real estate sign out front, but no one would be buying it. KJ and Lance were sitting on the roof of the truck they had borrowed from Trystix, looking at the pillar of smoke rising in the south of the city. They looked extremely serious, extremely tense. They both looked at me like I was a maniac. Too true, I suppose, but they hadn’t lived my life. They’d never understand the joy I got out of sticking it to Trystix. I climbed out of the Jeep and nodded towards Stu’s former residence.
“I want to go in for a bit; make sure I didn’t leave anything here that could be useful. You’ve both done well. KJ, stay and keep watch, will you?” I said, making my way towards the familiar door. Lance fell into step with me when KJ nodded.
I grabbed hold of the uppermost board and yanked. It creaked, but it had been nailed in tight. I moved to the side and looked at Lance. He had already reached up to the opposite side. On the count of three we pulled. The board gave way, and we used the same method for each of the next few planks blocking our path. I tried the door handle; naturally it was locked. I reared back and kicked right next to the lock. The door didn’t even put up a fight, giving way on the first kick. I stepped through the open door.
Dust had settled over everything like a gossamer blanket. There were still old pizza boxes on the floor, and the chair we had tied Vic to stood undisturbed. I didn’t even pause to look around much, heading to the small bedroom I had spent my time in. This room had changed a bit. There was a small cardboard box on the desk with an assortment of notebooks, headphones, blueprints, cash, and a small revolver. There was a note written on the box from Johnny.
Jared,
Thought you might need these. I’m sure you can figure out what to do with them. I don’t need protection anymore. Stay human, old friend.
JM
“What does all that mean? Who’s Jared? Who’s JM?” Lance looked really confused.
“Neither one matters. Not anymore…The supplies do, though. Put them in my Jeep, would you?” I answered.
Lance moved quickly and took the box outside. I shuffled through the desk, looking for anything else that might be useful. Johnny had been thorough; he had organized everything I needed into the box. I smiled at how well he knew my thought process and shook my head. I left the bedroom for the kitchen. I walked to the sink, opening the small cupboard beneath it. There was a bottle of industrial cleaner and paint thinner…neither quantity enough for a decent fire. I was going to have to get creative. I scolded myself for not bringing some extra gasoline from the warehouse with me. I emptied the bottles around the room, careful not to mix them. If you didn’t know, mixing volatile chemicals can produce fumes that are toxic. The only thing I wanted to be toxic at this point was the fear inside of Trystix when he realized what was coming.
I left the kitchen and walked back outside. Lance was talking with KJ, who was listening intently. I didn’t say a word to either of them. I opened the door to their small pickup and looked inside. I swore silently again at myself for lack of forethought.
“What you need, Devil?” KJ asked.
“An accelerant. Got anything handy?” I asked.
“Nah, not really. You want me to go find something?” He asked.
“No. Why don’t you two just sit on your asses and talk about my real name some more?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
The color drained from Lance’s face as he shifted uncomfortably. KJ looked at the ground. I shook my head and pushed past them and went back in the house. I started looking for something to break down the wood boards around the building. It wouldn’t be quick, but the wood was as good a fuel as I would need. I found a sledgehammer in a closet and started swinging. I broke through a few tables and chairs, arranging each of the fragments into an optimal position for a fire. I was going to have to start a bunch of little fires and hope it spread fast enough to consume the building. I heard a chopping noise behind me. I turned to look, and saw Lance hacking at some furniture with a crowbar. KJ was making his way into the house with a hatchet.
“We’re trying, Jared. Just point us in the right direction.” Lance said between swings. I couldn’t help but cringe at all the noise he was making, but nodded my approval.
“Instead of hacking with the crowbar, you might try using the hook-end to pull the boards off the walls. Then have KJ cut them. You’ll save time. And for the record, you should probably forget that name.” I said. Again, Lance blushed, but this time he smiled stupidly.
We worked for about half an hour, breaking and rearranging furniture. Lance had stumbled across a bottle of vodka somewhere, and had poured a little here and there between sneaking drinks. He wasn’t smart, but he worked hard at it. He finished off the bottle and through it into the kitchen. I looked at both he and KJ, and KJ understood what came next. He clapped Lance on the back and helped him back out to the truck. Lance was a little bit tipsy; apparently, he didn’t handle alcohol well. Ask me if I was surprised.
I crumpled up some news paper and pulled out my lighter for the second time. I took a breath and said a final goodbye to my old friend Stu. I lit the paper and tossed it into the kitchen onto a pile of vodka-soaked boards. It smoldered a bit, starting to smoke. I moved quickly throughout the house, igniting pile after pile. I only had a moment to get to each one, but this wasn’t my first rodeo.
It took only a few minutes for the smoke to begin to thicken so much I had to leave. The house would go up in seconds. I stumbled through the front door, smiling as I did. I slammed it shut, hoping to hide the blaze from view until it was too late. I was still grinning as I regained my bearings. I looked up, my eyes still burning from the smoke, trying to find KJ and Lance.
The pickup was gone, but I wasn’t completely abandoned. Lance was laying in the gravel driveway, probably unconscious from his ‘sneaking’ of the vodka. I walked over to him and kicked him lightly. He didn’t move. I leaned down, shaking him. Where had KJ gone? Why did he leave Lance? I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t have time to worry now.
“Come on, man. Wake up. We gotta go. Get up!” I said, shaking him harder. He didn’t move. I sighed submissively, shaking my head again. I rolled him onto his back, intending to pull him up. Let’s just say he wasn’t going anywhere. His eyes were wide open in surprise, and he had a bullet hole in his forehead. A small pool of blood had formed in the gravel where he lay. There was a paper tucked in his shirt; a small flyer that had the word “Wanted” printed boldly across the top.
I opened the flyer and was greeted by a look into my own eyes. The flyer was a sketch of me, and it had my name printed across the bottom. I picked it up, leaving my dead companion on his back. It was creased with age, so this wasn’t a new development. To be honest, I thought these things only existed in old cowboy movies. I guess I was wrong.
Then it hit me; this wasn’t a new development. Damn. Somehow I’d become Chicago’s most wanted, even before I had taken out the warehouse. Well, I guess I’d always been an outlaw. Now, it was official. But the least they could have done was get a decent picture of me…
I swore again as I dragged Lance’s lifeless body towards the burning building. He was a lot heavier than he looked. I was beginning to get sick of getting rid of dead bodies. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why KJ would turn on Lance like this. They seemed to be such good friends…Oh well. I kicked open the door to Stu’s house and ducked inside, dragging Lance into the living room. It was a cold and callous thing to do, but I couldn’t leave a body in the driveway. Lance wouldn’t mind.
The smoke was thick and suffocating. You’d think I’d be in a hurry to get out of the smoke; my eyes burned from the dark, greasy ghost of smoke in the air. My lungs were beginning to ache from breathing it in, but still I was in no hurry to leave. I walked slowly, making sure my work had been flawless. I felt satisfied, and finally stepped through the front door again. I left Lance to his own devices. Something told me he wasn’t in any hurry to leave either; not with a bullet in his head.
As I walked to the Jeep, my thoughts again wandered to KJ and his motivation to kill his friend. More importantly, why would he help me halfway and then bail? And why would he kill Lance? Why not take him along? Then it hit me; the flyer. They had seemed like they arguing when I had interrupted them earlier. Maybe KJ didn’t want to associate with a fugitive. He may have been freaked out by the fact that every cop in the Windy City wanted my head. Can’t say I blamed him there. But why shoot Lance? Maybe Lance wanted to stay and help and KJ wanted to leave. Maybe KJ was colder than I suspected…
Damn it. KJ knew where I was headed and when I was planning on heading there. If he had motivation to cash in on the reward on my head, he would have the knowledge of where I would be and when I would be there. Not good. Not only that, but I couldn’t really go back to the hotel. All I had was the Jeep now…I would have to improvise a little. The box Johnny had left for me was in the small pickup that KJ left in, so I was out on some supplies that could have helped my plans for the next two targets. KJ had thrown a monkey wrench into my schedule. I needed to go somewhere to sort it out and revamp my timing. And there was only one place I could go.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Chapter 31
We buried Riv the next day in a small grave behind the hotel. Lance cried, KJ just looked pissed off. No one said much, but there wasn’t much to say anyway. They both wanted revenge. I couldn’t blame them. They deserved it. If they both played by my rules, on my time, they would get what they craved, what they deserved. And so would I.
KJ filled in a few more of the details on what they had done to get Trystix’s attention and therefore his retribution. KJ, Riv, and Lance had all worked for Trystix briefly in some capacity, but they’d all been fired once Lena had been diagnosed with the fever. Trystix called them street trash and blamed them for getting her sick, which made no sense. They had never even met Lena. The trio was a little disgruntled about it, so they decided they would try and rebel against Trysticorp. They would try and help the other “street trash.” On top of all of that, KJ’s mom had previously had the Red Rose Fever. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to afford any medication due to the escalated prices of Trysticorp’s street vendors. A second misfortune: none of the other 'street trash' would help fight against Trystix.
KJ had found their guns in the attic of his mother’s house after she died. The only one with any experience shooting guns was Riv, and something told me that he wouldn’t be shooting anything anytime soon. They barely knew how to load them, but they were willing to wave them in people’s faces to try and intimidate them to get what they wanted. That’s what they had done to the vendor, followed by a few punches to the face and stomach. That wasn’t good enough in the real world; like I had told KJ the day I met them, the guns work better when the safety isn’t on. They were terrified to actually kill something, which meant to me that they shouldn’t be involved in this kind of thing. But I did tell them that I would help them get revenge, and I aimed to fulfill that promise. I may be a criminal, but I still keep my word.
I spent a lot of time with KJ for the next couple of days. I filled him in on who I was (vaguely) and what I was doing and, more importantly, why I was doing it. He listened intently, absorbing the information quickly. I showed him the map I’d made and asked him for his input on the targets. He may not be a weapon of war, but he was sharp. He was also angry, which helped fuel him to the cause. He suggested that he and Lance take one of my targets on the same day I took one of the others, causing more and more chaos all at once. I loved that idea, but I didn’t have a lot of faith in he or Lance.
“Are you sure he’ll be solid?” I asked again, for about the thousandth time.
“Devil, he may be dumb, but he’s as mad as an alligator getting a root canal. He’s a good driver too, if we had a car…”
“Yeah, about that…I think it’s time I borrow one from Trystix.”
“Really, Devil. And how do you plan on that?”
“I have the code to the building he stores his cars in.” I said with a grin. KJ smiled.
“Oh, you’re a bad one, Devil. You think he can spare two?”
“No, I don’t think he can. But he’s going to.” I smiled again. KJ laughed.
“When?”
“Tonight. Get ready. Get Lance ready, too.”
I released KJ to do what he needed to do before our breaking-and-entering that evening. I told him to have Lance and himself ready in three hours. He would need some bolt cutters, pliers, and his guns. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my dark clothes and a lighter. I checked to make sure my gun was loaded, though I hoped I wouldn’t need it. I pulled out the hunting knife and put it in my pocket. I took a breath, trying to steel my nerves to what was coming. I was excited, thrilled even, but I was a little nervous to have to worry about having partners. I’ve never been much of a team player. And I don’t share my art with just anyone. If they got in the way, they were disposable to me.
I spent some time thinking about my sister. It was her birthday too, after all. I hadn’t been that close to her, but she was still my sister. I thought of my niece and holding her in my arms. Suddenly, I knew I was ready. I was about to wage war on the man who’d killed them both. And he deserved nothing less. My resolve hardened, my focus was now on a beautiful disaster.
KJ and Lance knocked on my door a few hours later, looking scared to death. They looked like the part, dressed all in black. Lance was carrying a small black tool bag. I don’t think he’d smiled once since Riv had been killed. I looked into the eyes of my recruits, hoping that they would live long enough to have a taste of vengeance.
“The plan is simple; get in, get a couple cars, and get out. Nothing fancy, hopefully no human contact. But I’ve got to know you’ve got it in you to take care of business if it comes up. If you hesitate, you’ll die. If we run in to someone, knock them out if you can. If not, shoot to kill. Do not hesitate. Ever. We only get one shot at this. Understood?” I said.
“What are we going to do once we have the cars?” Lance said.
“Drive like Hell itself is chasing you. KJ, guide Lance to Stu’s. We’re starting it off with a bang tonight. We’ll meet there. That‘s when the fun begins. Now, let’s get started. We’ve got a bit of a walk.”
We started out heading east towards the warehouse. None of us said much, just kept our heads down while walking quietly. Seconds passed, feeling more like days. Cars passed us on the street frequently at first, but the closer we got to our destination the became more sparse. Trystix didn’t want to attract attention to his warehouse, so he put it in a low traffic area. I can’t say I blamed him, but that only played into our advantage on this night.
We finally got to the outer fence of the warehouse and stopped. I turned to my companions, ready to give orders. Lance was way ahead of me. He pulled out the bolt cutters from his bag and began snipping at the fence. I raised an eyebrow and looked at KJ, who just smiled and shook his head. Lance made quick work of the outer fence, pulling back a small section that we could crawl through. I nodded approval to him, then slithered through the opening. KJ and Lance followed. We walked to the main entrance and I punched in the code. Amazingly enough, it still worked! I couldn’t believe that a man like Trystix could be so involved with himself that he’d forget such serious security breaches. The door swung open, and we stepped through. It almost seemed too easy.
Everything looked as it had before, with the addition of the squad car I had borrowed previously. A window was kicked out, which explained how Vic had escaped and made it to the rooftop in time to kill my sister. I walked past the car, lightly touching the side of the vehicle. There was a huge dent in the driver’s door from where I had slammed it into the owner of the car. I wondered why Vic didn’t take this car to Tryst Tower. That would have made sense…Vic really wasn’t the smartest person, I guess. I scoffed and continued towards the car I wanted.
I had known the exact vehicle I wanted to take the second I had decided to steal one; a Jeep. I had always wanted one, and there was a black one with my name on it at the far end of the garage. I made my way toward it as KJ and Lance looked around in awe. I opened the door to the Jeep, smiling as I did. The smile disappeared rather quickly.
“Freeze! You are all under arrest!” A man in a police uniform was sitting in the passenger seat with a gun pointed in my face. He kept the barrel trained on my face, and his safety was DEFINITELY off. Go figure that when I try to have a little style it ends up biting me in the ass.
“All right, man. You got us.” I said as I raised my hands above my head. With a fleeting glance, I saw KJ duck behind a car and pulled out his gun. I couldn’t see Lance anywhere.
“Don’t say a word! Don’t say a word!” He said as he crawled across the seat and stood before me. He looked familiar somehow…
“All right, officer. Calm down. You’re in charge.” I said.
“Damn right! Damn right! Turn around!” I did as I was told. This was not going the way I’d planned it. “Now, hold still and put your hands behind your back!”
“I can’t hold still if I’m putting my hands behind my back.” I said. Then I felt a crack on the back of my skull. I started seeing spots in my vision, like little stars falling from the ceiling.
“Keep your damn mouth shut while I tie this…” He said. Wait a minute…Did he say tie?
“Lost your cuffs, eh? Back to the stone age I guess.” Crack. Again, I was seeing stars. He tied my wrists together with what felt like rope or twine, then hit me again.
“Call your boys in. You cost me my job, now I’m taking you in on citizen’s arrest. Mr. Trystix will give me a medal for this.”
“Sorry man, but I don’t know you.” I said.
“No? Look at that squad car that has my body dented into it. Remember me now?”
Then it clicked. This was the same cop, or former cop I should say, that I had attacked and stolen his car. Now it made sense. Another loose end…
“Oh, I get it. How’s the hip by the way?” I asked. Then another crack. Only this time it wasn’t me. The cop went down, grabbing at his leg. I turned around to see Lance with a tire iron. He struck my captor from again behind the knee,, then on his spine. The cop went limp.
“Friend of yours?” Lance asked me.
“Let’s just say I’ve left a loose end or two. I’m not perfect, either. I just don’t know how he knew we’d be here.”
“Well, let’s not repeat the same mistakes.” said KJ, who had started walking toward us. He raised his gun slightly, aimed at the former officer’s head. Bang.
I was a little taken back by what had just happened. I hadn’t expected much from either of these two, let alone something so soulless, but they’d both become cold enough to do what was necessary. I don’t love blood on my shoes, but I don’t love being arrested by a washed-up cop either. I looked at each of them with a very serious expression.
“If we get caught, we’re all getting crucified for this.” I said.
“We know.” Lance said.
“Good. Let’s give them a reason to try and stop us then. Lance, can you cut me out? Then put our friend in the squad car. KJ, find some gasoline. We’re going to start our party a little early. I’m a little worried how it is that our little friend knew we were coming. I’ll try and find some towels, then we’ll soak them in the gas. Then we’ll bring the noise. Lance, move this Jeep and your car out of here when you finish with Officer Dead.”
KJ and Lance went to their tasks quickly and efficiently. There was a pile of old shop rags near the front of the warehouse. I grabbed a couple bottles of oil and an extra can of gasoline and brought them near the squad car. I dipped the towels in the gasoline and oils then placed them on strategic cars in the garage. I walked around and opened the gas tanks on the motorcycles, dumping some of the contents on the floor. This place was going to burn, and it would burn fast. KJ and Lance finished moving our vehicles, then looked to me for more instructions.
“Get out. It’s about to get very, very hot in here. Drive to Stu’s. I’ll meet you there. I can’t be worried about you two while I do this.”
“You sure, Devil? We could help..?” KJ asked.
“No. Go. Go now. Now!” I yelled. They did as they were told.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the lighter. It was time, finally. Still, I hesitated. Something felt like it was missing…Then I realized it; this looked too random. I walked to a desk in a corner and grabbed a bottle of flourescent spray paint. I walked outside and wrote a small message on the parking area.
Nemesis has returned. This is my city. This is my vengeance. This is only the beginning. It’s time to balance the scales.
Smiling, I tucked the spray paint into my pocket and went back inside. Then, the lighter returned to my hand like it had a mind of its own. Needless to say, it was nirvana. I lit a small towel and threw it towards the squad car. Within seconds, the entire room was ablaze. The smoke was intoxicating. I stood there a moment, feeling the heat beneath my skin. My entire being wanted to stay and be consumed by the fire, to feel the heat ignite my soul, but my work wasn’t done yet. I turned and ran as fast as I could towards the road beyond the fence. A few seconds more passed, and then the fireworks started. Windows blew out, raining glass everywhere. Gas tanks started exploding. The entire warehouse erupted into an inferno of oily black smoke and orange flames. One explosion knocked me off my feet, sending me sprawling across the concrete. I got up and brushed myself off, laughing. I started walking towards the Jeep parked just outside the fence. I smiled the entire walk.
I hadn’t had this much fun in ages.
KJ filled in a few more of the details on what they had done to get Trystix’s attention and therefore his retribution. KJ, Riv, and Lance had all worked for Trystix briefly in some capacity, but they’d all been fired once Lena had been diagnosed with the fever. Trystix called them street trash and blamed them for getting her sick, which made no sense. They had never even met Lena. The trio was a little disgruntled about it, so they decided they would try and rebel against Trysticorp. They would try and help the other “street trash.” On top of all of that, KJ’s mom had previously had the Red Rose Fever. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to afford any medication due to the escalated prices of Trysticorp’s street vendors. A second misfortune: none of the other 'street trash' would help fight against Trystix.
KJ had found their guns in the attic of his mother’s house after she died. The only one with any experience shooting guns was Riv, and something told me that he wouldn’t be shooting anything anytime soon. They barely knew how to load them, but they were willing to wave them in people’s faces to try and intimidate them to get what they wanted. That’s what they had done to the vendor, followed by a few punches to the face and stomach. That wasn’t good enough in the real world; like I had told KJ the day I met them, the guns work better when the safety isn’t on. They were terrified to actually kill something, which meant to me that they shouldn’t be involved in this kind of thing. But I did tell them that I would help them get revenge, and I aimed to fulfill that promise. I may be a criminal, but I still keep my word.
I spent a lot of time with KJ for the next couple of days. I filled him in on who I was (vaguely) and what I was doing and, more importantly, why I was doing it. He listened intently, absorbing the information quickly. I showed him the map I’d made and asked him for his input on the targets. He may not be a weapon of war, but he was sharp. He was also angry, which helped fuel him to the cause. He suggested that he and Lance take one of my targets on the same day I took one of the others, causing more and more chaos all at once. I loved that idea, but I didn’t have a lot of faith in he or Lance.
“Are you sure he’ll be solid?” I asked again, for about the thousandth time.
“Devil, he may be dumb, but he’s as mad as an alligator getting a root canal. He’s a good driver too, if we had a car…”
“Yeah, about that…I think it’s time I borrow one from Trystix.”
“Really, Devil. And how do you plan on that?”
“I have the code to the building he stores his cars in.” I said with a grin. KJ smiled.
“Oh, you’re a bad one, Devil. You think he can spare two?”
“No, I don’t think he can. But he’s going to.” I smiled again. KJ laughed.
“When?”
“Tonight. Get ready. Get Lance ready, too.”
I released KJ to do what he needed to do before our breaking-and-entering that evening. I told him to have Lance and himself ready in three hours. He would need some bolt cutters, pliers, and his guns. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my dark clothes and a lighter. I checked to make sure my gun was loaded, though I hoped I wouldn’t need it. I pulled out the hunting knife and put it in my pocket. I took a breath, trying to steel my nerves to what was coming. I was excited, thrilled even, but I was a little nervous to have to worry about having partners. I’ve never been much of a team player. And I don’t share my art with just anyone. If they got in the way, they were disposable to me.
I spent some time thinking about my sister. It was her birthday too, after all. I hadn’t been that close to her, but she was still my sister. I thought of my niece and holding her in my arms. Suddenly, I knew I was ready. I was about to wage war on the man who’d killed them both. And he deserved nothing less. My resolve hardened, my focus was now on a beautiful disaster.
KJ and Lance knocked on my door a few hours later, looking scared to death. They looked like the part, dressed all in black. Lance was carrying a small black tool bag. I don’t think he’d smiled once since Riv had been killed. I looked into the eyes of my recruits, hoping that they would live long enough to have a taste of vengeance.
“The plan is simple; get in, get a couple cars, and get out. Nothing fancy, hopefully no human contact. But I’ve got to know you’ve got it in you to take care of business if it comes up. If you hesitate, you’ll die. If we run in to someone, knock them out if you can. If not, shoot to kill. Do not hesitate. Ever. We only get one shot at this. Understood?” I said.
“What are we going to do once we have the cars?” Lance said.
“Drive like Hell itself is chasing you. KJ, guide Lance to Stu’s. We’re starting it off with a bang tonight. We’ll meet there. That‘s when the fun begins. Now, let’s get started. We’ve got a bit of a walk.”
We started out heading east towards the warehouse. None of us said much, just kept our heads down while walking quietly. Seconds passed, feeling more like days. Cars passed us on the street frequently at first, but the closer we got to our destination the became more sparse. Trystix didn’t want to attract attention to his warehouse, so he put it in a low traffic area. I can’t say I blamed him, but that only played into our advantage on this night.
We finally got to the outer fence of the warehouse and stopped. I turned to my companions, ready to give orders. Lance was way ahead of me. He pulled out the bolt cutters from his bag and began snipping at the fence. I raised an eyebrow and looked at KJ, who just smiled and shook his head. Lance made quick work of the outer fence, pulling back a small section that we could crawl through. I nodded approval to him, then slithered through the opening. KJ and Lance followed. We walked to the main entrance and I punched in the code. Amazingly enough, it still worked! I couldn’t believe that a man like Trystix could be so involved with himself that he’d forget such serious security breaches. The door swung open, and we stepped through. It almost seemed too easy.
Everything looked as it had before, with the addition of the squad car I had borrowed previously. A window was kicked out, which explained how Vic had escaped and made it to the rooftop in time to kill my sister. I walked past the car, lightly touching the side of the vehicle. There was a huge dent in the driver’s door from where I had slammed it into the owner of the car. I wondered why Vic didn’t take this car to Tryst Tower. That would have made sense…Vic really wasn’t the smartest person, I guess. I scoffed and continued towards the car I wanted.
I had known the exact vehicle I wanted to take the second I had decided to steal one; a Jeep. I had always wanted one, and there was a black one with my name on it at the far end of the garage. I made my way toward it as KJ and Lance looked around in awe. I opened the door to the Jeep, smiling as I did. The smile disappeared rather quickly.
“Freeze! You are all under arrest!” A man in a police uniform was sitting in the passenger seat with a gun pointed in my face. He kept the barrel trained on my face, and his safety was DEFINITELY off. Go figure that when I try to have a little style it ends up biting me in the ass.
“All right, man. You got us.” I said as I raised my hands above my head. With a fleeting glance, I saw KJ duck behind a car and pulled out his gun. I couldn’t see Lance anywhere.
“Don’t say a word! Don’t say a word!” He said as he crawled across the seat and stood before me. He looked familiar somehow…
“All right, officer. Calm down. You’re in charge.” I said.
“Damn right! Damn right! Turn around!” I did as I was told. This was not going the way I’d planned it. “Now, hold still and put your hands behind your back!”
“I can’t hold still if I’m putting my hands behind my back.” I said. Then I felt a crack on the back of my skull. I started seeing spots in my vision, like little stars falling from the ceiling.
“Keep your damn mouth shut while I tie this…” He said. Wait a minute…Did he say tie?
“Lost your cuffs, eh? Back to the stone age I guess.” Crack. Again, I was seeing stars. He tied my wrists together with what felt like rope or twine, then hit me again.
“Call your boys in. You cost me my job, now I’m taking you in on citizen’s arrest. Mr. Trystix will give me a medal for this.”
“Sorry man, but I don’t know you.” I said.
“No? Look at that squad car that has my body dented into it. Remember me now?”
Then it clicked. This was the same cop, or former cop I should say, that I had attacked and stolen his car. Now it made sense. Another loose end…
“Oh, I get it. How’s the hip by the way?” I asked. Then another crack. Only this time it wasn’t me. The cop went down, grabbing at his leg. I turned around to see Lance with a tire iron. He struck my captor from again behind the knee,, then on his spine. The cop went limp.
“Friend of yours?” Lance asked me.
“Let’s just say I’ve left a loose end or two. I’m not perfect, either. I just don’t know how he knew we’d be here.”
“Well, let’s not repeat the same mistakes.” said KJ, who had started walking toward us. He raised his gun slightly, aimed at the former officer’s head. Bang.
I was a little taken back by what had just happened. I hadn’t expected much from either of these two, let alone something so soulless, but they’d both become cold enough to do what was necessary. I don’t love blood on my shoes, but I don’t love being arrested by a washed-up cop either. I looked at each of them with a very serious expression.
“If we get caught, we’re all getting crucified for this.” I said.
“We know.” Lance said.
“Good. Let’s give them a reason to try and stop us then. Lance, can you cut me out? Then put our friend in the squad car. KJ, find some gasoline. We’re going to start our party a little early. I’m a little worried how it is that our little friend knew we were coming. I’ll try and find some towels, then we’ll soak them in the gas. Then we’ll bring the noise. Lance, move this Jeep and your car out of here when you finish with Officer Dead.”
KJ and Lance went to their tasks quickly and efficiently. There was a pile of old shop rags near the front of the warehouse. I grabbed a couple bottles of oil and an extra can of gasoline and brought them near the squad car. I dipped the towels in the gasoline and oils then placed them on strategic cars in the garage. I walked around and opened the gas tanks on the motorcycles, dumping some of the contents on the floor. This place was going to burn, and it would burn fast. KJ and Lance finished moving our vehicles, then looked to me for more instructions.
“Get out. It’s about to get very, very hot in here. Drive to Stu’s. I’ll meet you there. I can’t be worried about you two while I do this.”
“You sure, Devil? We could help..?” KJ asked.
“No. Go. Go now. Now!” I yelled. They did as they were told.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the lighter. It was time, finally. Still, I hesitated. Something felt like it was missing…Then I realized it; this looked too random. I walked to a desk in a corner and grabbed a bottle of flourescent spray paint. I walked outside and wrote a small message on the parking area.
Nemesis has returned. This is my city. This is my vengeance. This is only the beginning. It’s time to balance the scales.
Smiling, I tucked the spray paint into my pocket and went back inside. Then, the lighter returned to my hand like it had a mind of its own. Needless to say, it was nirvana. I lit a small towel and threw it towards the squad car. Within seconds, the entire room was ablaze. The smoke was intoxicating. I stood there a moment, feeling the heat beneath my skin. My entire being wanted to stay and be consumed by the fire, to feel the heat ignite my soul, but my work wasn’t done yet. I turned and ran as fast as I could towards the road beyond the fence. A few seconds more passed, and then the fireworks started. Windows blew out, raining glass everywhere. Gas tanks started exploding. The entire warehouse erupted into an inferno of oily black smoke and orange flames. One explosion knocked me off my feet, sending me sprawling across the concrete. I got up and brushed myself off, laughing. I started walking towards the Jeep parked just outside the fence. I smiled the entire walk.
I hadn’t had this much fun in ages.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Chapter 30
I spent the next few days organizing plans. The first thing that I had to do before I could lay siege to the Second City was to get a car. Like Johnny had said, I wasn’t far from Trystix’s warehouse where I had left Vic during my first visit to Chicago. I could take my pick of vehicles whenever it occurred to me to do so, but I could hold off until my plans were solid. I had to choose my targets first. I had to hit Trystix where it hurt; I had to make sure he knew what was coming, and that he could do nothing to stop it. I borrowed a map of the city from KJ and taped it up on the wall of my room. I drew a circle around Tryst Tower, nearly right in the center of the map. I spent hours staring at the map, trying to pick the perfect targets that would make sure Trystix knew it was me that was raising Hell itself.
Based on that philosophy, I came up with a battle plan. I would start the party with Stu’s house, then the warehouse (minus my pick of vehicle, of course), then an abandoned diner Trystix used for his paper records. It was humorous to me that he still had those paper records of his legal career. He had more money than the rest of the city combined, and he held on to his past case files that meant absolutely nothing to anyone else. I’d always known he was a touch odd, but this blew my mind. Aside from the warehouse, Stu’s, and the diner, I still had one target left. This target was going to make some people very angry. It might even incite a riot if I was lucky.
The beauty of this plan was location; each building was little more than a mile to the south, east, north, and west, respectively, of Tryst Tower. If Trystix was paying attention, which he would be, he would suspect the next target to be to the west. He would be correct; but he wouldn’t know when. I would spread the timing out among the three buildings, with at least three days between each. I would take the fourth building only two days after the third to throw him off any sense of pattern. Now I just had to decide on which building to take within that radius.
KJ, Riv, and Lance kept their end of the deal; they stayed out of my way. I’d see them in the halls sometimes, but the only one who was even remotely friendly was Lance. He was short, blonde, and stupid. He always had a goofy grin on his face, like he knew something that no one else did. He would laugh to himself a lot, amused at something only he thought was funny. I had no idea why KJ would put up with this kid. He wasn’t bright, he wasn’t big, and I doubt he even knew the difference between right and left. Regardless, KJ and Riv kept him around for something. He wouldn’t be much of a criminal, but they still kept him close. I wondered to myself if he was some kind of savant; a genius at something…but I doubted it. I started thinking he must be related to Riv somehow. That made more sense; the only idiots one keeps company with are idiots that you are related to.
I was beginning to feel confident in my new environment; I had everything I needed. I had a room, privacy, and access to every critical point of my plan I wanted to hit. I was close…so very close…Absolution and redemption were on my doorstep. I spent about five days plotting and calculating when to attack. My birthday was approaching, just a week away. I figured that would be the perfect day for the first strike. I waited patiently, trying not to count the minutes until the moment I could finally start. Everything had aligned perfectly. That, in and of itself, should have tipped me off that something was wrong.
I was in a deep sleep one night, dreaming of a beautiful disaster. I saw a building, completely nondescript, completely consumed in flames. My body and soul were aching with the need to make my dreams come true. I woke with a smile and a laugh, telling myself my time was coming. I turned over in my bed, content to return to my dreams. Outside my window, I heard footsteps, followed by a powerful engine revving and tires squealing. This wasn’t unusual for Chicago, but it was unusual for this area and time of night.
I sat up, waiting to hear anything more. I didn’t hear anymore cars, but there was an odd noise in the main foyer below my room. Thud. Thud. Thud. Scrape. Scrape. Thud. I swore, not wanting to get up and check on Lance sleepwalking again. Thud. Thud. Scrape. Scrape. Thud. Thud. This was beginning to annoy me. I got out of my bed and pulled a shirt over my head. Thud. Thud. Thud. I walked over to my door, anger fueling the movements. This wasn’t new; Lance had wandered into my room in the middle of the night once, scaring the hell out of me. Sleepwalking is an odd thing. Just before I opened the door, the noises stopped with an abruptness that stopped me cold.
I don’t know to this day why, but something told me this wasn’t Lance sleepwalking. I hesitated, then walked back to my bed. I reached under my pillow and pulled out the pistol Raiden had packed for me, made sure it was loaded, and returned to my door. I took a deep breath, letting long seconds pass. I slowly turned the knob, and quietly opened the door. I slid through the doorway, enveloping myself in the darkness of the hallway. I crept towards the stairs, taking slow and measured steps. Everything was still. The front door stood ajar, but that was typical. The chair where had been keeping watch was empty; this was not typical. He rarely slept, and when he did it was in the early afternoons. But Riv was nowhere to be seen. I made my way down the steps, my eyes darting from side to side. Nothing seemed amiss except the lack of Riv in his chair.
After what seemed like a million stairs and thirteen hours, I had descended to the foyer floor. I was starting to think I was just paranoid until the noises started again, closer this time. Thud. Thud. Scrape. Scrape. It was off to my left, but I couldn’t see anything but shadows. I crept to the wall and hit the light switch. I turned and saw Riv collapsed on the floor. He was bloody and broken, trying to crawl across the hardwood. His eyes were swollen shut, and he had a deep gash across his throat. He wasn’t making any progress except for hitting his hand on the floor, his fingernails clawing into it. I could tell just by looking at him he didn’t have long.
“Riv. Riv. It’s me. What happened, man?” I asked him, not knowing why. I knew he couldn’t respond. He coughed and sputtered something unintelligible. He gestured across the room to the opposite wall, and that said plenty. He coughed again, then went still. On the wall, spray painted in red, was a message. But it wasn’t for me.
With his blood, clean your wounds. Then get out of my town. Resistance will only bring more blood. One down, two to go.
Wonderful. My roommates had enemies too.
KJ! Lance! Get down here!” I yelled, lowering my gun.
It took a moment, but I heard some banging around upstairs. KJ came crashing out of his room with a gun in hand.
“What the hell, Devil! What could you-…Oh shit.” He said as he came down the stairs.
Lance came bumbling out next, falling down the stairs. He shook it off, smiled his idiot smile, then finally noticed the body and the message. He crawled over to Riv and held his head in his hands. He then started crying. Poor kid. I turned back to KJ, who hadn’t moved a muscle since he saw the writing on the wall. Then, KJ lost it. He screamed and started firing his gun at the wall. He fired all six rounds, but kept pulling the trigger. He was shaking and sweating, screaming and cursing. He finally sank to the ground, his face in his hands.
“You mind telling me what the hell you got yourselves into?” I said. KJ stopped trembling and looked up at me.
“Riv’s dead, you moron! That’s what’s up! Mind your own business!” He yelled.
“No shit. I’m the one that found him. You mind telling me why he’s dead?” I asked, trying to stay in control.
“He’s dead because he got killed!” KJ was almost hysterical.
This was going well. Riv had been killed, Lance was crying, and KJ was shooting his gun and stating the obvious. I sighed and turned to go up the stairs and go back to bed. KJ grabbed my leg and held me fast.
“We are trying to get the price of medicine back down. So we took one of the trucks Trystix has his boys selling them in and trashed it. We poured the pills out in the street and roughed up the driver. We told him to tell Trystix that Chicago is gonna fight back. We told him to tell Trystix the Resistance is coming. We were careful, man. We were careful. No one saw. Nobody.” KJ said. He was shaking his head in disbelief.
“Actually, someone did. Your driver. He is what real criminals call a witness. You should have killed him and painted the message on the street with his face.”
“We ain’t criminals, man! Come on! We ain’t killin’ nobody!” He said, looking at me like I’d told him to kiss a rattlesnake.
“You’re an idiot, KJ! You’re trying to fight Trystix without playing by his rules! He’s ruined or killed more people than you can imagine and you fight back with kid gloves! What were you thinking?” I was blown away by the stupidity.
“We just want everyone to have a fair shot, man! That’s all! Just trying to help the city…” He broke down and started crying.
I shook my head, unable to comprehend what could have driven these three men to try and fight back against Trystix. They hadn’t thought it through, hadn’t covered their tracks, and now one of them was dead. I didn’t have time to waste on amateurs, but they had call for vengeance now, too. Maybe I could use them…
“KJ, you didn’t play the game right. They either know who you are or knew where to find you. Either way, you guys screwed up. You got Riv killed and you could’ve gotten me killed, too. I’m not ok with that. But I know how you feel; I’ve been in your position. As a matter of fact, I’m still trying to even the scales. You boys want revenge, right?” I looked at KJ first, then Lance, who had finally stopped crying. They looked at each other a moment, then they both nodded. “All right then. I’ll write you in to my game. But if either one of you screws up, I’m the one who’s going to kill you.”
Based on that philosophy, I came up with a battle plan. I would start the party with Stu’s house, then the warehouse (minus my pick of vehicle, of course), then an abandoned diner Trystix used for his paper records. It was humorous to me that he still had those paper records of his legal career. He had more money than the rest of the city combined, and he held on to his past case files that meant absolutely nothing to anyone else. I’d always known he was a touch odd, but this blew my mind. Aside from the warehouse, Stu’s, and the diner, I still had one target left. This target was going to make some people very angry. It might even incite a riot if I was lucky.
The beauty of this plan was location; each building was little more than a mile to the south, east, north, and west, respectively, of Tryst Tower. If Trystix was paying attention, which he would be, he would suspect the next target to be to the west. He would be correct; but he wouldn’t know when. I would spread the timing out among the three buildings, with at least three days between each. I would take the fourth building only two days after the third to throw him off any sense of pattern. Now I just had to decide on which building to take within that radius.
KJ, Riv, and Lance kept their end of the deal; they stayed out of my way. I’d see them in the halls sometimes, but the only one who was even remotely friendly was Lance. He was short, blonde, and stupid. He always had a goofy grin on his face, like he knew something that no one else did. He would laugh to himself a lot, amused at something only he thought was funny. I had no idea why KJ would put up with this kid. He wasn’t bright, he wasn’t big, and I doubt he even knew the difference between right and left. Regardless, KJ and Riv kept him around for something. He wouldn’t be much of a criminal, but they still kept him close. I wondered to myself if he was some kind of savant; a genius at something…but I doubted it. I started thinking he must be related to Riv somehow. That made more sense; the only idiots one keeps company with are idiots that you are related to.
I was beginning to feel confident in my new environment; I had everything I needed. I had a room, privacy, and access to every critical point of my plan I wanted to hit. I was close…so very close…Absolution and redemption were on my doorstep. I spent about five days plotting and calculating when to attack. My birthday was approaching, just a week away. I figured that would be the perfect day for the first strike. I waited patiently, trying not to count the minutes until the moment I could finally start. Everything had aligned perfectly. That, in and of itself, should have tipped me off that something was wrong.
I was in a deep sleep one night, dreaming of a beautiful disaster. I saw a building, completely nondescript, completely consumed in flames. My body and soul were aching with the need to make my dreams come true. I woke with a smile and a laugh, telling myself my time was coming. I turned over in my bed, content to return to my dreams. Outside my window, I heard footsteps, followed by a powerful engine revving and tires squealing. This wasn’t unusual for Chicago, but it was unusual for this area and time of night.
I sat up, waiting to hear anything more. I didn’t hear anymore cars, but there was an odd noise in the main foyer below my room. Thud. Thud. Thud. Scrape. Scrape. Thud. I swore, not wanting to get up and check on Lance sleepwalking again. Thud. Thud. Scrape. Scrape. Thud. Thud. This was beginning to annoy me. I got out of my bed and pulled a shirt over my head. Thud. Thud. Thud. I walked over to my door, anger fueling the movements. This wasn’t new; Lance had wandered into my room in the middle of the night once, scaring the hell out of me. Sleepwalking is an odd thing. Just before I opened the door, the noises stopped with an abruptness that stopped me cold.
I don’t know to this day why, but something told me this wasn’t Lance sleepwalking. I hesitated, then walked back to my bed. I reached under my pillow and pulled out the pistol Raiden had packed for me, made sure it was loaded, and returned to my door. I took a deep breath, letting long seconds pass. I slowly turned the knob, and quietly opened the door. I slid through the doorway, enveloping myself in the darkness of the hallway. I crept towards the stairs, taking slow and measured steps. Everything was still. The front door stood ajar, but that was typical. The chair where had been keeping watch was empty; this was not typical. He rarely slept, and when he did it was in the early afternoons. But Riv was nowhere to be seen. I made my way down the steps, my eyes darting from side to side. Nothing seemed amiss except the lack of Riv in his chair.
After what seemed like a million stairs and thirteen hours, I had descended to the foyer floor. I was starting to think I was just paranoid until the noises started again, closer this time. Thud. Thud. Scrape. Scrape. It was off to my left, but I couldn’t see anything but shadows. I crept to the wall and hit the light switch. I turned and saw Riv collapsed on the floor. He was bloody and broken, trying to crawl across the hardwood. His eyes were swollen shut, and he had a deep gash across his throat. He wasn’t making any progress except for hitting his hand on the floor, his fingernails clawing into it. I could tell just by looking at him he didn’t have long.
“Riv. Riv. It’s me. What happened, man?” I asked him, not knowing why. I knew he couldn’t respond. He coughed and sputtered something unintelligible. He gestured across the room to the opposite wall, and that said plenty. He coughed again, then went still. On the wall, spray painted in red, was a message. But it wasn’t for me.
With his blood, clean your wounds. Then get out of my town. Resistance will only bring more blood. One down, two to go.
Wonderful. My roommates had enemies too.
KJ! Lance! Get down here!” I yelled, lowering my gun.
It took a moment, but I heard some banging around upstairs. KJ came crashing out of his room with a gun in hand.
“What the hell, Devil! What could you-…Oh shit.” He said as he came down the stairs.
Lance came bumbling out next, falling down the stairs. He shook it off, smiled his idiot smile, then finally noticed the body and the message. He crawled over to Riv and held his head in his hands. He then started crying. Poor kid. I turned back to KJ, who hadn’t moved a muscle since he saw the writing on the wall. Then, KJ lost it. He screamed and started firing his gun at the wall. He fired all six rounds, but kept pulling the trigger. He was shaking and sweating, screaming and cursing. He finally sank to the ground, his face in his hands.
“You mind telling me what the hell you got yourselves into?” I said. KJ stopped trembling and looked up at me.
“Riv’s dead, you moron! That’s what’s up! Mind your own business!” He yelled.
“No shit. I’m the one that found him. You mind telling me why he’s dead?” I asked, trying to stay in control.
“He’s dead because he got killed!” KJ was almost hysterical.
This was going well. Riv had been killed, Lance was crying, and KJ was shooting his gun and stating the obvious. I sighed and turned to go up the stairs and go back to bed. KJ grabbed my leg and held me fast.
“We are trying to get the price of medicine back down. So we took one of the trucks Trystix has his boys selling them in and trashed it. We poured the pills out in the street and roughed up the driver. We told him to tell Trystix that Chicago is gonna fight back. We told him to tell Trystix the Resistance is coming. We were careful, man. We were careful. No one saw. Nobody.” KJ said. He was shaking his head in disbelief.
“Actually, someone did. Your driver. He is what real criminals call a witness. You should have killed him and painted the message on the street with his face.”
“We ain’t criminals, man! Come on! We ain’t killin’ nobody!” He said, looking at me like I’d told him to kiss a rattlesnake.
“You’re an idiot, KJ! You’re trying to fight Trystix without playing by his rules! He’s ruined or killed more people than you can imagine and you fight back with kid gloves! What were you thinking?” I was blown away by the stupidity.
“We just want everyone to have a fair shot, man! That’s all! Just trying to help the city…” He broke down and started crying.
I shook my head, unable to comprehend what could have driven these three men to try and fight back against Trystix. They hadn’t thought it through, hadn’t covered their tracks, and now one of them was dead. I didn’t have time to waste on amateurs, but they had call for vengeance now, too. Maybe I could use them…
“KJ, you didn’t play the game right. They either know who you are or knew where to find you. Either way, you guys screwed up. You got Riv killed and you could’ve gotten me killed, too. I’m not ok with that. But I know how you feel; I’ve been in your position. As a matter of fact, I’m still trying to even the scales. You boys want revenge, right?” I looked at KJ first, then Lance, who had finally stopped crying. They looked at each other a moment, then they both nodded. “All right then. I’ll write you in to my game. But if either one of you screws up, I’m the one who’s going to kill you.”
Chapter 29
I learned a long time ago that intentions matter. It doesn’t matter much if they are good or bad; they all end up the same way. I heard somewhere that good intentions pave the road to Hell. I took to that a long time ago, but I had only just realized that the ill intentions are ground up in the gravel of that same road. And let me tell you, I had some dark intentions in mind for my visit to Chicago. Hell wouldn’t hold a candle to what I was about to do. I think Johnny knew it, too. Periodically, he would look at me, sigh, then shake his head. It’s a funny feeling to be judged by someone who helped put you under house arrest. But Johnny had found his way out of this chess game. Lucky bastard.
We arrived in Chicago two days later, tired and craving anything but a cheap hamburger. But there would be time for rest and food later; I had preliminary work to do. Similarly to my previous trip to the Windy City, I had to find a base camp to operate from. Johnny said Stu’s house would still work, but I figured Trystix would have eyes on it by now. My old buddy Vic would have mentioned it before he became target practice for Raiden and his men that day on the rooftop. I had to be somewhere close to the Tower, but far enough away that I wouldn’t attract notice. Not yet, anyway. I would do it right this time, or I would die trying.
Johnny suggested a hotel about half a mile away from the Tower. Better yet, it was inside the district that Trystix owned. It made for a nice little place to work from that was right under his nose. I was hesitant at first, until Johnny mentioned the owners of the hotel were a ‘cash-only business.’ That had underground crime written all over it. Either that, or some sort of resistance group. It didn’t really matter to me which. Either group meant I would find a way to fit in. I’d never had trouble fitting in with the other scum of the earth. I would be fine among the creatures of the night. Any enemy of the city would be a friend of mine, well-intentioned or not, so long as they stayed out of my way. I told Johnny to head in that direction.
“I’m gonna need a car, Johnny. Maybe not right away, but eventually.” I said.
“I know, I know. I thought about that. Why don’t you just borrow one from Trystix?” He said.
“What do you mean?” I could tell he had something good in mind.
“Well, his little museum is only a couple blocks from the hotel. I don’t know if he ever changed his system over there. He might not have had time yet, with the funerals and all.”
I flinched at Johnny’s words, but didn’t acknowledge the pain they brought me.
“I hadn’t thought of that. I like the way you’re thinking, Johnny. Use his own wheels and let him pay for the ride. Not bad.” I smiled at Johnny. He gave me a sad smile in return.
“It’s all right, you know. To be torn up inside. To be angry. To feel pain. To be human. ”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. I’m not human anymore. I can‘t afford that luxury. Your boy Raiden taught me that.”
“I never condoned it, you know. You’re only a man, Jared. He can’t make you into anything you don’t want to be. You can turn back; you don’t have to do this.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, old friend. I don’t have to do this; I need to do this. I owe it to my sister, to my niece. Trystix is corrupt and you know it. He deserves everything I am bringing him and more. This is my salvation; I don’t want to be human if I have to let his sins go unpunished. Humanity, morality, a conscience; I don’t want any of it anymore.”
“I believe you. That’s what scares the hell out of me. There’s the hotel; there, on the corner.” He sighed again and pointed.
The hotel looked like it was abandoned. It was only a two-story building, painted a rusted red color. It was run down, beat up, and looked like it was barely standing. No cars were parked in the small lot outside of it, and no people were visible around the building. I looked to the upper floors, at the broken windows covered by a piece of wood and steel grating. If it came down to it, there would be no daring window escapes. No big deal; I wouldn’t need one. I didn’t plan on being tracked down before my job was done anyway. The building was decrepit, but it would fill the need I had. I looked over at Johnny with an eyebrow raised and smiled.
“You chose the worst place in town for me, didn’t you?” I asked, trying not to laugh.
“I thought you’d feel at home here. You and the other vermin.” He chuckled. He pulled into the vacant parking lot and stopped. He looked over at me and grinned again. “You’re a good man, Jared. Don’t forget that. Whether you want it or not, you’re still human. Do what you’ve got to do, but remember yourself. I’ll never forget that look on your face when I first saw you playing with your niece. Hold on to that. And I hope you send that bastard Trystix to Hell. I’ll be watching for the fireworks.”
I looked him in the eyes a moment, then reached across the car and hugged him. He was surprised by the gesture; for that matter, so was I.
“I hate your guts, you know.” I said.
“I know, Jared. Goodbye, my friend.” He returned.
I reached into the back seat and grabbed the backpack Raiden had sent for me. I climbed out of the car, waving one last time to Johnny as he drove away. I turned towards my new home and walked towards the small wooden door. It swung open before I could reach it, and I had three men with guns aimed at my face as a welcoming party.
“Wrong address, friend. Beat it.” One of the men said. He was a little bigger than the other two, his dark skin covering a broad structure of muscle and bad leather clothes. He looked angry at my trespassing, but I’m used to that kind of look.
“Are you sure? I’m usually so good at these things...Maybe you can get your gun out of my face and show me where the real grownups are..? I said.
“Oh really. All right, Small-Time Big-Mouth. I’ll point you in the right direction. After I put a bullet in your head.” He said. His two buddies laughed. This was going well. I’m so good at making friends, aren’t I? I smiled and walked directly in front of him and put my forehead up to the barrel of his pistol.
“Cute. Real cute. A tiny man with a gun talks like he has the guts to do it. Come on, then. I dare you. Show me you’re a man; show me you’re a badass. Do it, cowboy.” I said.
His smirk dissipated off his face, replaced by a look of concern and distress. He looked to his buddies, but they looked as lost as he was. He was sweating now; looking a little shaky. He hesitated another few seconds, then lowered his gun. His boys followed suit.
“You crazy, boy. You crazy.” He said, shaking his head. “What’s your name, devil?”
“Devil. I like that. Let’s go with Devil for now…You got room for the Devil in your little toy box, here?” I asked.
“That depends, Devil. What kind of hell can you raise? What kind of cash you got?” He asked.
“The green kind. All I want is a room. You can raise your own hell. I’ve got my business; all you need to know is that I’m bad company. You don’t want to know what I’m here to do.” I pulled out a wad of cash and threw it in his direction. It hit him in the chest and hit the ground, scattering everywhere. The big man was stunned, but his buddies stooped down and started gathering it.
“All right, Devil. I respect that. You mind yours; we mind ours. My name is KJ, that’s Riv and the little twerp there is Lance. You shout at one of us if you need something, Devil. But you mind your own business, yes? We’ll be friends, as long as you keep the dollars coming. Top of the stairs, to the right. You are a lucky fool I don’t kill you, man.”
“Oh, I know KJ. You wouldn’t freeze unless you meant to, right?” I smiled and winked at him, walking through the door. I continued up the stairs and stopped. I turned back and grinned down at KJ.
“By the way, that gun of yours works better when the safety’s off. Just a thought.”
We arrived in Chicago two days later, tired and craving anything but a cheap hamburger. But there would be time for rest and food later; I had preliminary work to do. Similarly to my previous trip to the Windy City, I had to find a base camp to operate from. Johnny said Stu’s house would still work, but I figured Trystix would have eyes on it by now. My old buddy Vic would have mentioned it before he became target practice for Raiden and his men that day on the rooftop. I had to be somewhere close to the Tower, but far enough away that I wouldn’t attract notice. Not yet, anyway. I would do it right this time, or I would die trying.
Johnny suggested a hotel about half a mile away from the Tower. Better yet, it was inside the district that Trystix owned. It made for a nice little place to work from that was right under his nose. I was hesitant at first, until Johnny mentioned the owners of the hotel were a ‘cash-only business.’ That had underground crime written all over it. Either that, or some sort of resistance group. It didn’t really matter to me which. Either group meant I would find a way to fit in. I’d never had trouble fitting in with the other scum of the earth. I would be fine among the creatures of the night. Any enemy of the city would be a friend of mine, well-intentioned or not, so long as they stayed out of my way. I told Johnny to head in that direction.
“I’m gonna need a car, Johnny. Maybe not right away, but eventually.” I said.
“I know, I know. I thought about that. Why don’t you just borrow one from Trystix?” He said.
“What do you mean?” I could tell he had something good in mind.
“Well, his little museum is only a couple blocks from the hotel. I don’t know if he ever changed his system over there. He might not have had time yet, with the funerals and all.”
I flinched at Johnny’s words, but didn’t acknowledge the pain they brought me.
“I hadn’t thought of that. I like the way you’re thinking, Johnny. Use his own wheels and let him pay for the ride. Not bad.” I smiled at Johnny. He gave me a sad smile in return.
“It’s all right, you know. To be torn up inside. To be angry. To feel pain. To be human. ”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. I’m not human anymore. I can‘t afford that luxury. Your boy Raiden taught me that.”
“I never condoned it, you know. You’re only a man, Jared. He can’t make you into anything you don’t want to be. You can turn back; you don’t have to do this.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, old friend. I don’t have to do this; I need to do this. I owe it to my sister, to my niece. Trystix is corrupt and you know it. He deserves everything I am bringing him and more. This is my salvation; I don’t want to be human if I have to let his sins go unpunished. Humanity, morality, a conscience; I don’t want any of it anymore.”
“I believe you. That’s what scares the hell out of me. There’s the hotel; there, on the corner.” He sighed again and pointed.
The hotel looked like it was abandoned. It was only a two-story building, painted a rusted red color. It was run down, beat up, and looked like it was barely standing. No cars were parked in the small lot outside of it, and no people were visible around the building. I looked to the upper floors, at the broken windows covered by a piece of wood and steel grating. If it came down to it, there would be no daring window escapes. No big deal; I wouldn’t need one. I didn’t plan on being tracked down before my job was done anyway. The building was decrepit, but it would fill the need I had. I looked over at Johnny with an eyebrow raised and smiled.
“You chose the worst place in town for me, didn’t you?” I asked, trying not to laugh.
“I thought you’d feel at home here. You and the other vermin.” He chuckled. He pulled into the vacant parking lot and stopped. He looked over at me and grinned again. “You’re a good man, Jared. Don’t forget that. Whether you want it or not, you’re still human. Do what you’ve got to do, but remember yourself. I’ll never forget that look on your face when I first saw you playing with your niece. Hold on to that. And I hope you send that bastard Trystix to Hell. I’ll be watching for the fireworks.”
I looked him in the eyes a moment, then reached across the car and hugged him. He was surprised by the gesture; for that matter, so was I.
“I hate your guts, you know.” I said.
“I know, Jared. Goodbye, my friend.” He returned.
I reached into the back seat and grabbed the backpack Raiden had sent for me. I climbed out of the car, waving one last time to Johnny as he drove away. I turned towards my new home and walked towards the small wooden door. It swung open before I could reach it, and I had three men with guns aimed at my face as a welcoming party.
“Wrong address, friend. Beat it.” One of the men said. He was a little bigger than the other two, his dark skin covering a broad structure of muscle and bad leather clothes. He looked angry at my trespassing, but I’m used to that kind of look.
“Are you sure? I’m usually so good at these things...Maybe you can get your gun out of my face and show me where the real grownups are..? I said.
“Oh really. All right, Small-Time Big-Mouth. I’ll point you in the right direction. After I put a bullet in your head.” He said. His two buddies laughed. This was going well. I’m so good at making friends, aren’t I? I smiled and walked directly in front of him and put my forehead up to the barrel of his pistol.
“Cute. Real cute. A tiny man with a gun talks like he has the guts to do it. Come on, then. I dare you. Show me you’re a man; show me you’re a badass. Do it, cowboy.” I said.
His smirk dissipated off his face, replaced by a look of concern and distress. He looked to his buddies, but they looked as lost as he was. He was sweating now; looking a little shaky. He hesitated another few seconds, then lowered his gun. His boys followed suit.
“You crazy, boy. You crazy.” He said, shaking his head. “What’s your name, devil?”
“Devil. I like that. Let’s go with Devil for now…You got room for the Devil in your little toy box, here?” I asked.
“That depends, Devil. What kind of hell can you raise? What kind of cash you got?” He asked.
“The green kind. All I want is a room. You can raise your own hell. I’ve got my business; all you need to know is that I’m bad company. You don’t want to know what I’m here to do.” I pulled out a wad of cash and threw it in his direction. It hit him in the chest and hit the ground, scattering everywhere. The big man was stunned, but his buddies stooped down and started gathering it.
“All right, Devil. I respect that. You mind yours; we mind ours. My name is KJ, that’s Riv and the little twerp there is Lance. You shout at one of us if you need something, Devil. But you mind your own business, yes? We’ll be friends, as long as you keep the dollars coming. Top of the stairs, to the right. You are a lucky fool I don’t kill you, man.”
“Oh, I know KJ. You wouldn’t freeze unless you meant to, right?” I smiled and winked at him, walking through the door. I continued up the stairs and stopped. I turned back and grinned down at KJ.
“By the way, that gun of yours works better when the safety’s off. Just a thought.”
Chapter 28
I walked downstairs, contemplating what had just transpired. Raiden knew it was coming; he had probably had that speech ready for a week. I was a little confused by it, but I was also impressed that he knew me well enough to know I would demand my freedom. Raiden was exceptionally intelligent; I’ll give him that. That also made him a very dangerous and capable enemy. I was interested to see what he had prepared for me. I was also ready to have a word with my old buddy Johnny.
I exited the building without even realizing it. A bright red car with an anxious looking Johnny was parked just outside the gate. Johnny was pacing like a caged lion. He was looking at the ground in front of him as he walked, talking to himself. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, and he looked like he’d aged ten years since I’d last seen him. His eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, and his face was racked with new wrinkles. He looked up when he heard me coming, the color draining from his haggard face. He feigned a smile and raised his hands.
“I promise; no needles this time.” He joked. I scowled at him, never slowing my pace.
“Jared, come on man. I had to do it! I had to! Forgive and forget, right?”
“Right. No harm done, Johnny. Not yet, anyway.” And then I punched him right in the nose. His head whipped back, and blood streamed down from his nostrils.
“Damn it, Jared!” Johnny held his hands to his now-broken nose.
“I’ll tell you this, old friend. I might understand why you did what you did, but I will not forgive you for it. Never, ever, EVER, do anything like that again. Next time, I’ll do more than break your nose.”
“Understood. Man, you been boxing or something? Damn! That’s one hell of a jab you’ve got.”
I walked past him and got into the passenger seat. He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a handkerchief before getting in the driver’s seat. He started the car and we were off. If you don’t know, the trip from Seattle to Chicago is about two-thousand miles, give or take. Johnny liked to drive fast, but it was still going to take us a few days to get there. I decided to try and be civil. Maybe I could find out what my two kings had been up to.
“So how long have you been working with Raiden?” I asked.
“A couple years now. He contacted me when I was still working with Trystix. He offered me a job; he just wanted me to watch over the Windy City and tell him if anything interesting happened. Initially, I told him thanks but no thanks. He said he understood, but he promised me Trystix would screw me one day. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s pretty good at predicting how people will react to things. It wasn’t even a week before I got fired from Trysticorp. I called Raiden, and the rest is history.”
“He’s really annoying when he does that.” I said. Johnny laughed.
“Tell me about it! The man just gets how people think. He has a good feel for the pulse of human emotion, I guess.”
“So what has been going on in Chicago? I know you’ve been out there for the last while.”
“Pretty interesting actually. Trystix has the entire East rallied up behind him now. Everyone feels sorry for him. The people are all throwing money at him now, trying to help fund the search for the cure. I hear he has the fever himself. I just don’t understand why he isn’t sick…probably something genetic…Anyway, people have stopped picketing outside Tryst Tower. Now they picket outside hospitals, demanding results. It’s like someone flipped a switch! They love Trystix, now. I’ve spent some time trying to find out if he’s made any progress, but I can’t get a straight answer. Apparently, he’s dumped a ton of money into the research. The only thing to come from it so far is a higher demand for a cure. More and more people in the East are dying everyday. The cities have started cremating the bodies out of fear that they still carry the sickness.”
“And what of Raiden’s work? Has he had any more success?” I asked.
“Not really. The public unrest seems to be shifting towards him. I’ve warned him as such. He is convinced that those blood packets you found were the key to it. He hasn’t been spending as much time among the people either. I think the public sees it as him giving up.”
“I doubt he’s giving up. He’s too damn stubborn.”
“I know! But I don’t think they see it that way…What exactly are you planning to do in Chicago anyway, Jared?”
“Tie up some loose ends. Cause some civil unrest. Let Trystix know I’m not finished with him yet. And then, I will finish him.”
Johnny gave me a sad look.
“I’m sorry about your sister and your niece, man.”
“Save it. They’re gone.”
“You should grieve a little. Don’t let the wounds go untended, you know?”
“Let it go, Johnny. They’re gone.”
“Jared-”
“I said LET IT GO!” I shouted. Johnny shook his head and kept driving.
We drove in silence for what was probably hours. The road stretched on for an eternity, and the hum of the engine lulled me to sleep at some point. I leaned against the window and slept restlessly. After the sun went down, I awoke sharply. Johnny was still staring at the road. He looked over briefly and gave me a sad smile. His nose was swollen and he had a black eye, but I could still tell life had aged him a bit since I last saw him.
“What’s wrong with you, Johnny?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you got hit by a truck. And I’m not talking about the nose…” I said. He smiled grimly.
“I’m all right. I’m good.”
“Johnny, it’s a long drive to Chicago. Don’t play games with me.”
Johnny kept staring at the road ahead of him as he pondered how to respond. He thought for a long moment before responding.
“Cancer. The bad kind. I don’t have too long, Jared. This is my last job for Raiden. My last job, period. I’m driving you to Chicago, and then I’m done. Raiden bought me a big TV, so I don‘t think I‘ll be too bored. I can live the rest of my life in peace, watching bad soap operas and complaining about the weather.”
“Wow. Suddenly, I feel really bad for clocking you.” I said. Johnny just laughed, interrupted momentarily by a coughing fit.
“Did you see the bag of toys he sent with you?” Johnny gestured towards the backseat.
I looked back behind my seat and saw what he meant. There was a black backpack sitting on the seat. I reached back and brought it up front. I unzipped it and smiled. The first thing I saw was a small handgun. I pulled it out and set it on my lap. Beneath that was a box of bullets, a hunting knife, lighter fluid, a pack of lighters, a box of matches, flashlights, and about a thousand dollars in small bills. There was also a lock pick, wire cutters, and some gloves. Best of all, there was a bottle of Mountain Dew. I smiled to myself; Raiden knew me well. I put the items back in the bag. I zipped it shut and put it in the backseat again.
“Well?” Johnny asked.
“I don’t see any snow.” I said.
“What? What do you mean?”
“It’s like Christmas, but I don’t see any snow.”
Johnny and I both laughed, continuing on our long trek to the Windy City.
I exited the building without even realizing it. A bright red car with an anxious looking Johnny was parked just outside the gate. Johnny was pacing like a caged lion. He was looking at the ground in front of him as he walked, talking to himself. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, and he looked like he’d aged ten years since I’d last seen him. His eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, and his face was racked with new wrinkles. He looked up when he heard me coming, the color draining from his haggard face. He feigned a smile and raised his hands.
“I promise; no needles this time.” He joked. I scowled at him, never slowing my pace.
“Jared, come on man. I had to do it! I had to! Forgive and forget, right?”
“Right. No harm done, Johnny. Not yet, anyway.” And then I punched him right in the nose. His head whipped back, and blood streamed down from his nostrils.
“Damn it, Jared!” Johnny held his hands to his now-broken nose.
“I’ll tell you this, old friend. I might understand why you did what you did, but I will not forgive you for it. Never, ever, EVER, do anything like that again. Next time, I’ll do more than break your nose.”
“Understood. Man, you been boxing or something? Damn! That’s one hell of a jab you’ve got.”
I walked past him and got into the passenger seat. He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a handkerchief before getting in the driver’s seat. He started the car and we were off. If you don’t know, the trip from Seattle to Chicago is about two-thousand miles, give or take. Johnny liked to drive fast, but it was still going to take us a few days to get there. I decided to try and be civil. Maybe I could find out what my two kings had been up to.
“So how long have you been working with Raiden?” I asked.
“A couple years now. He contacted me when I was still working with Trystix. He offered me a job; he just wanted me to watch over the Windy City and tell him if anything interesting happened. Initially, I told him thanks but no thanks. He said he understood, but he promised me Trystix would screw me one day. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s pretty good at predicting how people will react to things. It wasn’t even a week before I got fired from Trysticorp. I called Raiden, and the rest is history.”
“He’s really annoying when he does that.” I said. Johnny laughed.
“Tell me about it! The man just gets how people think. He has a good feel for the pulse of human emotion, I guess.”
“So what has been going on in Chicago? I know you’ve been out there for the last while.”
“Pretty interesting actually. Trystix has the entire East rallied up behind him now. Everyone feels sorry for him. The people are all throwing money at him now, trying to help fund the search for the cure. I hear he has the fever himself. I just don’t understand why he isn’t sick…probably something genetic…Anyway, people have stopped picketing outside Tryst Tower. Now they picket outside hospitals, demanding results. It’s like someone flipped a switch! They love Trystix, now. I’ve spent some time trying to find out if he’s made any progress, but I can’t get a straight answer. Apparently, he’s dumped a ton of money into the research. The only thing to come from it so far is a higher demand for a cure. More and more people in the East are dying everyday. The cities have started cremating the bodies out of fear that they still carry the sickness.”
“And what of Raiden’s work? Has he had any more success?” I asked.
“Not really. The public unrest seems to be shifting towards him. I’ve warned him as such. He is convinced that those blood packets you found were the key to it. He hasn’t been spending as much time among the people either. I think the public sees it as him giving up.”
“I doubt he’s giving up. He’s too damn stubborn.”
“I know! But I don’t think they see it that way…What exactly are you planning to do in Chicago anyway, Jared?”
“Tie up some loose ends. Cause some civil unrest. Let Trystix know I’m not finished with him yet. And then, I will finish him.”
Johnny gave me a sad look.
“I’m sorry about your sister and your niece, man.”
“Save it. They’re gone.”
“You should grieve a little. Don’t let the wounds go untended, you know?”
“Let it go, Johnny. They’re gone.”
“Jared-”
“I said LET IT GO!” I shouted. Johnny shook his head and kept driving.
We drove in silence for what was probably hours. The road stretched on for an eternity, and the hum of the engine lulled me to sleep at some point. I leaned against the window and slept restlessly. After the sun went down, I awoke sharply. Johnny was still staring at the road. He looked over briefly and gave me a sad smile. His nose was swollen and he had a black eye, but I could still tell life had aged him a bit since I last saw him.
“What’s wrong with you, Johnny?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you got hit by a truck. And I’m not talking about the nose…” I said. He smiled grimly.
“I’m all right. I’m good.”
“Johnny, it’s a long drive to Chicago. Don’t play games with me.”
Johnny kept staring at the road ahead of him as he pondered how to respond. He thought for a long moment before responding.
“Cancer. The bad kind. I don’t have too long, Jared. This is my last job for Raiden. My last job, period. I’m driving you to Chicago, and then I’m done. Raiden bought me a big TV, so I don‘t think I‘ll be too bored. I can live the rest of my life in peace, watching bad soap operas and complaining about the weather.”
“Wow. Suddenly, I feel really bad for clocking you.” I said. Johnny just laughed, interrupted momentarily by a coughing fit.
“Did you see the bag of toys he sent with you?” Johnny gestured towards the backseat.
I looked back behind my seat and saw what he meant. There was a black backpack sitting on the seat. I reached back and brought it up front. I unzipped it and smiled. The first thing I saw was a small handgun. I pulled it out and set it on my lap. Beneath that was a box of bullets, a hunting knife, lighter fluid, a pack of lighters, a box of matches, flashlights, and about a thousand dollars in small bills. There was also a lock pick, wire cutters, and some gloves. Best of all, there was a bottle of Mountain Dew. I smiled to myself; Raiden knew me well. I put the items back in the bag. I zipped it shut and put it in the backseat again.
“Well?” Johnny asked.
“I don’t see any snow.” I said.
“What? What do you mean?”
“It’s like Christmas, but I don’t see any snow.”
Johnny and I both laughed, continuing on our long trek to the Windy City.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Update: PLEASE READ
In case you are wondering, Jared is still working towards his revenge. As a matter of fact, I have about 10 chapters ready to post that I haven't as of yet. I will get to why in a moment.
I recently took a small hiatus from everything creative (I.E. The Nemesis Diary, and recording some brand new songs) to focus on bettering my personal and professional life. I admit that I am, at times at least, a bit obsessive. The break was good for me, and I feel the small editing changes I've made to TND have made it a bit better. But something has been brought to my attention that I've had a hard time shaking; pretty much anyone could copy and paste the crap out of my story in its present condition.
I have decided to make The Nemesis Diary a private blog fairly soon, so as to alleviate my own fears as well as some people who have a love for my story. I am sorry if this is inconvenient, but I think it's necessary. I plan to publish it one day, and I don't intend to hit any speed bumps that I don't have to.
If you are interested in how the story ends or if you are just beginning to read, I would love to have you continue. Please either send me a text/email/blog comment saying you'd like to be invited to be a reader. I will be happy to oblige. I won't be changing it to private for a week or two, so people have a chance to see this notice, but please let me know ASAP.
Please know that I appreciate you reading my work. It means the world to me. Thanks guys!
S.
I recently took a small hiatus from everything creative (I.E. The Nemesis Diary, and recording some brand new songs) to focus on bettering my personal and professional life. I admit that I am, at times at least, a bit obsessive. The break was good for me, and I feel the small editing changes I've made to TND have made it a bit better. But something has been brought to my attention that I've had a hard time shaking; pretty much anyone could copy and paste the crap out of my story in its present condition.
I have decided to make The Nemesis Diary a private blog fairly soon, so as to alleviate my own fears as well as some people who have a love for my story. I am sorry if this is inconvenient, but I think it's necessary. I plan to publish it one day, and I don't intend to hit any speed bumps that I don't have to.
If you are interested in how the story ends or if you are just beginning to read, I would love to have you continue. Please either send me a text/email/blog comment saying you'd like to be invited to be a reader. I will be happy to oblige. I won't be changing it to private for a week or two, so people have a chance to see this notice, but please let me know ASAP.
Please know that I appreciate you reading my work. It means the world to me. Thanks guys!
S.
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