Harry lifted the eighth-grader’s bloodied head and then rammed it back down into the concrete. He repeated these steps in unison with the pumping of blood through his atria and ventricles. The eyes of the crimson face opened and the boy spoke. Harry halted the thrashing. The soothing voice that came from the boy’s lips belonged to Harry’s Nana.
“Young man, you need to learn to control your temper.”
The boy sat up dripping with blood from every orifice in his head. Most of the holes had been created in the last few minutes.
Harry addressed Nana Turquoise in the body of the beaten boy, “I had to punish him.”
“What authority are you, Harry, to think you are omniscient enough to make some decision concerning his education? You’re going to teach HIM a lesson? You’ve nearly killed him. The school would have suspended him, I’m certain, but you couldn't wait.”
“That’s no punishment.”
“Harry, this boy has a mother. How will she feel now? His father? His siblings? You didn’t even ask him why he did what he did.”
The boy stood up. He was both taller and heavier than Harry. Blood continued to ooze from his head and coat his entire body. The next words to leave his mouth transformed from Nana’s to Bernard’s deep francophone voice.
“You are a killer, Harry. You can’t contain this part of yourself. You are an executioner without his mask. Sooner or later the reaper will come for you as well. It won’t be a heart attack or a stroke at the end I can assure you.”
The face of the boy began to morph into something entirely inhuman. A muzzle began to push out from his face. His teeth lengthened and sharpened. His eyes reflected light unnaturally. The voice that came from the new monster contained equal parts of the Missouri drawl that belonged to Harry’s social worker from his teenage years and an unidentifiable timbre that filled the ears like an unholy dirge.
“Come play our game, Harry. You are the master of violence. Now it is time for you to die by the sword.”
The monster snapped at Harry. Harry awoke in a spasm. Angie was looking down at him caressing his brow with the sun behind her.
“It’s over. It’s okay.”
She had been watching Harry sleep for the past two hours. She was still in awe of all the disorder Harry had wreaked on Dolph’s operation just a few hours earlier.
“I’d say you had a nightmare, but it’s early afternoon. How about an early-afternoon-mare?”
Harry smiled up at Angie. He figured they were just north of the Montana-Alberta border near Glacier National Park. Harry fell asleep at the edge of sunny meadow after a long hike away from their purloined vehicle. The engine had seized up after losing too much oil. The rock-infested ride away from the Fallen Angel had taken its toll on the oil pan. The series of events leading up to the tormented nap left Harry in need of a quiet moment. The couple was in no hurry to get back to the rest of the human population.
Harry’s streak of vengeance that began the day before ended the moment he found Angie alive. The day before, Harry was a vortex of controlled rage after breaching the surface of the lake. The anger, mostly aimed at himself, bounced off in all directions sparing no one in its path. Harry methodically waited as one-by-one he encountered a half dozen members of a search party. Many of the men Harry quietly extinguished were combat veterans, but their paychecks were too small in comparison with Harry’s hatred. A snapped neck yielded a M16 and a bowie knife. A slit throat yielded a Dragunov. A head shot yielded Harry one less pest to worry about. Harry was working his way toward el jefe, Dolph. In Harry’s mind, Angie was dead. Everyone involved was to pay the ultimate price.
After the untimely death of his parents, Harry was able to cultivate a Zen-like control over his emotions over time with the loving support of Nana Turquoise. On occasion, this control failed spectacularly. Almost no one knew about the explosive surprise hidden deep within Harry. Lester had seen a glimpse of it only once in the time he had known Harry. They were working a rare overseas psychological operation. It was a job to plant the seeds of rumor involving a three way relationship between a powerful international capitalist, the C.I.A., and a popular film actress. Harry’s explosive incident had absolutely nothing to do with the job. In fact, it could have placed the outcome of the job in jeopardy. Harry and Lester were walking down a crowded street when Harry saw a man fiercely beating his young son apparently. Harry went straight for the man and dragged him to a secluded alley. Lester was along for the ride; for once, Harry would be the heavy. Harry didn’t just beat the man. He changed the landscape of the man’s face. Lester couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This was Harry Turquoise—the man who wouldn’t let Lester kill a spider? Harry was always the guy who wanted to try diplomacy first. Lester was almost afraid to step in to stop the violent demonstration.
In the seventh grade, Harry’s maelstrom roared out in full for the first time. He and his friend, Nolan, were having an intense conversation outside of class in between periods. Nolan rocked back and forth on his skateboard as they discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the various character classes in Dungeons and Dragons. Nolan was partial to sorcerers. Harry liked to play as a ranger mainly. The boys were quite enjoying themselves when an eighth-grader walked by and kicked Nolan’s skateboard out from under him. Nolan hit the ground hard—hard enough to leave a golf ball-sized knot on his head. Additionally, both bones in Nolan’s forearm fractured when they were sandwiched between his body and the ground. Nolan was in a great deal of pain, and Harry was flabbergasted. He had never seen such a show of disrespect. The bully just walked away like nothing had happened. Harry didn’t know the eighth-grader personally and doubted Nolan knew him. Harry had to do something to balance his environment by returning the seemingly random act of violence. He grabbed Nolan’s skateboard, ran up behind the eighth-grader, and took a full swing at the boy’s head. The boy dropped to the ground. But Harry wasn’t finished. He sat on top of the larger boy and began to punch him in the head. Everyone around just watched in disbelief. When a couple physical education teachers finally arrived to pull Harry off the boy, they found Harry pounding the kid’s skull on the pavement.
Harry’s counsel was able to get the attempted murder charges dropped, but Harry was expelled. He was in the system from that point on. Everyone had their eyes on Harry. When Harry’s specially-assigned social worker saw he had a straight A student with “killer” instincts, he knew just the life path to send Harry down. The only obstacle that kept Harry from ultimately doing government wet work was Nana Turquoise. Hers was the voice of peace. Nurture outweighed nature or possibly earlier nurturing in Harry’s case. Social engineering became Harry’s new path.
“Thanks for keeping a look out. I needed the nap.”
Harry felt he needed to somehow apologize to Angie for dealing so much death.
“All the bodies back there—it’s not really me. I thought you were gone, and I reacted.”
“Harry, if you hadn’t done what you did, I’d still be under their control. I’d still be with Dolph.”
“Are you disappointed I didn’t kill him?”
“I think I understand a little the archaic code you’re basing your decisions on.”
“It’s just when I saw you alive, it all left me. The fight, the rage—it evaporated. Logically, it didn’t make sense considering you were acting like a… like a…”
“Like a whore, Harry. You don’t know what it’s like to feel the full power of a caduceus. I was lost for a long time, and Dolph showed up to guide me out of the desert. I honestly thought he cared about me, and I was willing to do anything for him. I see, now, how wrong I was.”
“Well, when we get back to civilization, we’ll just say you were deep, deep undercover. You’ll have plenty of stories for management.”
“I don’t think I can do this anymore, Harry. My fight, my rage—I don’t think it was ever there for me. Somehow I deluded myself into thinking I was doing something to make the world a better place. I don’t pretend to know anymore.”
“I understand. I don’t fully agree that you were deluding yourself. That would mean I’m deluding myself. But I understand.”
Harry just began to focus on the fact that he and Angie had been holding hands for the duration of their conversation. He squeezed hers, she squeezed back, and they sat by the meadow, enjoying the sound of nothing man-made.
“About getting back to civilization—how are we doing that exactly?”
“I sort of have an idea of where we are. I think I can get us back to a highway. Hopefully, we can hitch a ride.”
Dave and Lester were parked outside a restaurant in Louisville. The restaurant’s sign contained only sinographs. Dave neglected to mention to Lester anything about Pam’s text message. Dave didn’t bother to mention that he ran into quite a colorful character back in the bathroom of the rib place.
“Why are we in Louisville? Is there some other restaurant you’re interested in checking out?”
“Partially correct, Dave. Right now, I can’t really trust anyone. But I know I can trust Tommy Liu. Tommy and I go way back. Even though he’s retired from the company now, I’m sure he’ll still help out an old friend. This dim sum place right here—it’s his. And let me tell you, Tommy knows dim sum. I’ve never had a chance to stop by until now. And the way I see it, I don’t really know anyone in your home town. Wherever Tommy sets us up will be a perfect out of the way safe house. We’re close enough to the action, and safe amongst friends. I can’t find that kind of service in Somerset. I’m sure your folks are nice and all, but we can’t risk an extended stay. I’m supposed to ensure your safety. You said you thought Mr. Face had another idea.”
Dave could see Lester’s point. He thought since his parents were in Somerset, that’s where Hrel wanted him to go. Now that he thought about it after seeing the type of people that were after him, it made sense to let Lester survey the situation in Somerset first. Somerset had more significance than simply being Dave’s hometown. It’s proximity to Lake Cumberland was what made it special.
“Yes, I don’t believe he wanted me to reunite with my parents. He wants to use me again. The fissure in Lake Cumberland is one of the most heavily trafficked portals between our part of the universe and the portion in which the angels and demons reside. My genetic make-up has structured my brain in such a way to make me more receptive to hosting these beings. This was a trait I believe I inherited from my grandfather. Hrel may want me for one of his allies.”
“Whatever you say, Dave. I am in the dark on this one, so I have to count on you to know what Face wanted. I still think we should at least stop by to see good old Mom and Dad. It ain’t right for a boy to be away from his folks for so long. Now, let’s eat. I have to warn you—Tommy might call me by some other name when he sees me. People like me—we have all kinds of names. Just play along.”
The restaurant was very different from what either man had been accustomed. Instead of secluded dining nooks for parties from two to six people with a few central public tables on display, there was a large open banquet hall filled with large round tables and a few smaller tables. It was more like a wedding reception than a restaurant. A handful of Chinese women roamed from table to table pushing steaming carts of little snacks. Lester didn’t hesitate to what he was craving after being seated.
“Hey! Hey! Over here.” Lester waved to one of the women.
“The bau, please. And send over the girl with the chicken feet. Also my friend here needs something without any meat. Xie xie.”
The woman placed a tray of four little white balls on the table and stamped the piece of paper on the table. Lester dug in and grinned widely as he ate. Before he had chance to take another bite a sharp-dressed man interrupted.
“Lester Phister, the Phist. I don’t believe it. How the hell are you?”
“Tommy Liu, it’s good to see you old buddy. I thought I’d swing by to check out the place while I’m on a little business.”
“I’m not in any trouble, am I?”
Both men laughed, and Lester stood up to give Tommy a warm hug and handshake.
“Tommy Liu, meet my latest baby-sitting project, Dave Bullock.”
Tommy shook Dave’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dave. You’re in good hands here with Lester. He taught me everything I know now about the Moog synthesizer. And he’ll keep you in stitches while the guys who are after you will be needing stitches.”
“Tommy, this place is fantastic.”
Lester paused and then gave up on the small talk.
“I hate to put this on you with such short notice, but after close, I need to talk to you about a little favor you can help us out with.”
Tommy had a concerned look, but the friendship ran deep. Lester had performed many favors for Tommy in the past.
“Sure thing, Les. We can meet in my private office. Whatever you need, my friend.”
“Sorry, Tommy.”
“No need to apologize. This is a wonderful surprise. The truth is, I’ve been missing some of the more exciting aspects of my old job.”
Marv sat in a bar Missoula waiting. A small Hispanic man had been sitting next to him for the past half hour. The man finally looked over at Marv and surprised him by saying something.
“HEY, BRONCO!”
Marv was puzzled. He was waiting for a man named Bronco, and here was a man calling him Bronco.
“Uh, I’m not Bronco. I’m waiting for Bronco.”
“THEY PAY YOU TO WAIT, BRONCO?”
“I’m not sure we should continue this conversation.”
“HEY, BRONCO, TELL THAT TO DOLPH, BRONCO.”
A chill went down Marv’s spine. He had been sitting near the notorious Bronco for the past half hour.
“I apologize, Mr. Bronco, I was confused.”
“HEY, BRONCO, STILL CONFUSED. NO MISTER. FUCKIN’ METALLICA.”
“Here’s the disposable phone. Dolph will contact you shortly.”
“MASTER OF PUPPETS PULLING YOUR STRINGS.”
Marv left the bar uneasy of his status with Dolph and now Bronco. A short while later, the phone rang. Bronco answered.
“FUCKIN’ HELLO.”
“Young man, you need to learn to control your temper.”
The boy sat up dripping with blood from every orifice in his head. Most of the holes had been created in the last few minutes.
Harry addressed Nana Turquoise in the body of the beaten boy, “I had to punish him.”
“What authority are you, Harry, to think you are omniscient enough to make some decision concerning his education? You’re going to teach HIM a lesson? You’ve nearly killed him. The school would have suspended him, I’m certain, but you couldn't wait.”
“That’s no punishment.”
“Harry, this boy has a mother. How will she feel now? His father? His siblings? You didn’t even ask him why he did what he did.”
The boy stood up. He was both taller and heavier than Harry. Blood continued to ooze from his head and coat his entire body. The next words to leave his mouth transformed from Nana’s to Bernard’s deep francophone voice.
“You are a killer, Harry. You can’t contain this part of yourself. You are an executioner without his mask. Sooner or later the reaper will come for you as well. It won’t be a heart attack or a stroke at the end I can assure you.”
The face of the boy began to morph into something entirely inhuman. A muzzle began to push out from his face. His teeth lengthened and sharpened. His eyes reflected light unnaturally. The voice that came from the new monster contained equal parts of the Missouri drawl that belonged to Harry’s social worker from his teenage years and an unidentifiable timbre that filled the ears like an unholy dirge.
“Come play our game, Harry. You are the master of violence. Now it is time for you to die by the sword.”
The monster snapped at Harry. Harry awoke in a spasm. Angie was looking down at him caressing his brow with the sun behind her.
“It’s over. It’s okay.”
She had been watching Harry sleep for the past two hours. She was still in awe of all the disorder Harry had wreaked on Dolph’s operation just a few hours earlier.
“I’d say you had a nightmare, but it’s early afternoon. How about an early-afternoon-mare?”
Harry smiled up at Angie. He figured they were just north of the Montana-Alberta border near Glacier National Park. Harry fell asleep at the edge of sunny meadow after a long hike away from their purloined vehicle. The engine had seized up after losing too much oil. The rock-infested ride away from the Fallen Angel had taken its toll on the oil pan. The series of events leading up to the tormented nap left Harry in need of a quiet moment. The couple was in no hurry to get back to the rest of the human population.
Harry’s streak of vengeance that began the day before ended the moment he found Angie alive. The day before, Harry was a vortex of controlled rage after breaching the surface of the lake. The anger, mostly aimed at himself, bounced off in all directions sparing no one in its path. Harry methodically waited as one-by-one he encountered a half dozen members of a search party. Many of the men Harry quietly extinguished were combat veterans, but their paychecks were too small in comparison with Harry’s hatred. A snapped neck yielded a M16 and a bowie knife. A slit throat yielded a Dragunov. A head shot yielded Harry one less pest to worry about. Harry was working his way toward el jefe, Dolph. In Harry’s mind, Angie was dead. Everyone involved was to pay the ultimate price.
After the untimely death of his parents, Harry was able to cultivate a Zen-like control over his emotions over time with the loving support of Nana Turquoise. On occasion, this control failed spectacularly. Almost no one knew about the explosive surprise hidden deep within Harry. Lester had seen a glimpse of it only once in the time he had known Harry. They were working a rare overseas psychological operation. It was a job to plant the seeds of rumor involving a three way relationship between a powerful international capitalist, the C.I.A., and a popular film actress. Harry’s explosive incident had absolutely nothing to do with the job. In fact, it could have placed the outcome of the job in jeopardy. Harry and Lester were walking down a crowded street when Harry saw a man fiercely beating his young son apparently. Harry went straight for the man and dragged him to a secluded alley. Lester was along for the ride; for once, Harry would be the heavy. Harry didn’t just beat the man. He changed the landscape of the man’s face. Lester couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This was Harry Turquoise—the man who wouldn’t let Lester kill a spider? Harry was always the guy who wanted to try diplomacy first. Lester was almost afraid to step in to stop the violent demonstration.
In the seventh grade, Harry’s maelstrom roared out in full for the first time. He and his friend, Nolan, were having an intense conversation outside of class in between periods. Nolan rocked back and forth on his skateboard as they discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the various character classes in Dungeons and Dragons. Nolan was partial to sorcerers. Harry liked to play as a ranger mainly. The boys were quite enjoying themselves when an eighth-grader walked by and kicked Nolan’s skateboard out from under him. Nolan hit the ground hard—hard enough to leave a golf ball-sized knot on his head. Additionally, both bones in Nolan’s forearm fractured when they were sandwiched between his body and the ground. Nolan was in a great deal of pain, and Harry was flabbergasted. He had never seen such a show of disrespect. The bully just walked away like nothing had happened. Harry didn’t know the eighth-grader personally and doubted Nolan knew him. Harry had to do something to balance his environment by returning the seemingly random act of violence. He grabbed Nolan’s skateboard, ran up behind the eighth-grader, and took a full swing at the boy’s head. The boy dropped to the ground. But Harry wasn’t finished. He sat on top of the larger boy and began to punch him in the head. Everyone around just watched in disbelief. When a couple physical education teachers finally arrived to pull Harry off the boy, they found Harry pounding the kid’s skull on the pavement.
Harry’s counsel was able to get the attempted murder charges dropped, but Harry was expelled. He was in the system from that point on. Everyone had their eyes on Harry. When Harry’s specially-assigned social worker saw he had a straight A student with “killer” instincts, he knew just the life path to send Harry down. The only obstacle that kept Harry from ultimately doing government wet work was Nana Turquoise. Hers was the voice of peace. Nurture outweighed nature or possibly earlier nurturing in Harry’s case. Social engineering became Harry’s new path.
“Thanks for keeping a look out. I needed the nap.”
Harry felt he needed to somehow apologize to Angie for dealing so much death.
“All the bodies back there—it’s not really me. I thought you were gone, and I reacted.”
“Harry, if you hadn’t done what you did, I’d still be under their control. I’d still be with Dolph.”
“Are you disappointed I didn’t kill him?”
“I think I understand a little the archaic code you’re basing your decisions on.”
“It’s just when I saw you alive, it all left me. The fight, the rage—it evaporated. Logically, it didn’t make sense considering you were acting like a… like a…”
“Like a whore, Harry. You don’t know what it’s like to feel the full power of a caduceus. I was lost for a long time, and Dolph showed up to guide me out of the desert. I honestly thought he cared about me, and I was willing to do anything for him. I see, now, how wrong I was.”
“Well, when we get back to civilization, we’ll just say you were deep, deep undercover. You’ll have plenty of stories for management.”
“I don’t think I can do this anymore, Harry. My fight, my rage—I don’t think it was ever there for me. Somehow I deluded myself into thinking I was doing something to make the world a better place. I don’t pretend to know anymore.”
“I understand. I don’t fully agree that you were deluding yourself. That would mean I’m deluding myself. But I understand.”
Harry just began to focus on the fact that he and Angie had been holding hands for the duration of their conversation. He squeezed hers, she squeezed back, and they sat by the meadow, enjoying the sound of nothing man-made.
“About getting back to civilization—how are we doing that exactly?”
“I sort of have an idea of where we are. I think I can get us back to a highway. Hopefully, we can hitch a ride.”
---
Dave and Lester were parked outside a restaurant in Louisville. The restaurant’s sign contained only sinographs. Dave neglected to mention to Lester anything about Pam’s text message. Dave didn’t bother to mention that he ran into quite a colorful character back in the bathroom of the rib place.
“Why are we in Louisville? Is there some other restaurant you’re interested in checking out?”
“Partially correct, Dave. Right now, I can’t really trust anyone. But I know I can trust Tommy Liu. Tommy and I go way back. Even though he’s retired from the company now, I’m sure he’ll still help out an old friend. This dim sum place right here—it’s his. And let me tell you, Tommy knows dim sum. I’ve never had a chance to stop by until now. And the way I see it, I don’t really know anyone in your home town. Wherever Tommy sets us up will be a perfect out of the way safe house. We’re close enough to the action, and safe amongst friends. I can’t find that kind of service in Somerset. I’m sure your folks are nice and all, but we can’t risk an extended stay. I’m supposed to ensure your safety. You said you thought Mr. Face had another idea.”
Dave could see Lester’s point. He thought since his parents were in Somerset, that’s where Hrel wanted him to go. Now that he thought about it after seeing the type of people that were after him, it made sense to let Lester survey the situation in Somerset first. Somerset had more significance than simply being Dave’s hometown. It’s proximity to Lake Cumberland was what made it special.
“Yes, I don’t believe he wanted me to reunite with my parents. He wants to use me again. The fissure in Lake Cumberland is one of the most heavily trafficked portals between our part of the universe and the portion in which the angels and demons reside. My genetic make-up has structured my brain in such a way to make me more receptive to hosting these beings. This was a trait I believe I inherited from my grandfather. Hrel may want me for one of his allies.”
“Whatever you say, Dave. I am in the dark on this one, so I have to count on you to know what Face wanted. I still think we should at least stop by to see good old Mom and Dad. It ain’t right for a boy to be away from his folks for so long. Now, let’s eat. I have to warn you—Tommy might call me by some other name when he sees me. People like me—we have all kinds of names. Just play along.”
The restaurant was very different from what either man had been accustomed. Instead of secluded dining nooks for parties from two to six people with a few central public tables on display, there was a large open banquet hall filled with large round tables and a few smaller tables. It was more like a wedding reception than a restaurant. A handful of Chinese women roamed from table to table pushing steaming carts of little snacks. Lester didn’t hesitate to what he was craving after being seated.
“Hey! Hey! Over here.” Lester waved to one of the women.
“The bau, please. And send over the girl with the chicken feet. Also my friend here needs something without any meat. Xie xie.”
The woman placed a tray of four little white balls on the table and stamped the piece of paper on the table. Lester dug in and grinned widely as he ate. Before he had chance to take another bite a sharp-dressed man interrupted.
“Lester Phister, the Phist. I don’t believe it. How the hell are you?”
“Tommy Liu, it’s good to see you old buddy. I thought I’d swing by to check out the place while I’m on a little business.”
“I’m not in any trouble, am I?”
Both men laughed, and Lester stood up to give Tommy a warm hug and handshake.
“Tommy Liu, meet my latest baby-sitting project, Dave Bullock.”
Tommy shook Dave’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dave. You’re in good hands here with Lester. He taught me everything I know now about the Moog synthesizer. And he’ll keep you in stitches while the guys who are after you will be needing stitches.”
“Tommy, this place is fantastic.”
Lester paused and then gave up on the small talk.
“I hate to put this on you with such short notice, but after close, I need to talk to you about a little favor you can help us out with.”
Tommy had a concerned look, but the friendship ran deep. Lester had performed many favors for Tommy in the past.
“Sure thing, Les. We can meet in my private office. Whatever you need, my friend.”
“Sorry, Tommy.”
“No need to apologize. This is a wonderful surprise. The truth is, I’ve been missing some of the more exciting aspects of my old job.”
---
Marv sat in a bar Missoula waiting. A small Hispanic man had been sitting next to him for the past half hour. The man finally looked over at Marv and surprised him by saying something.
“HEY, BRONCO!”
Marv was puzzled. He was waiting for a man named Bronco, and here was a man calling him Bronco.
“Uh, I’m not Bronco. I’m waiting for Bronco.”
“THEY PAY YOU TO WAIT, BRONCO?”
“I’m not sure we should continue this conversation.”
“HEY, BRONCO, TELL THAT TO DOLPH, BRONCO.”
A chill went down Marv’s spine. He had been sitting near the notorious Bronco for the past half hour.
“I apologize, Mr. Bronco, I was confused.”
“HEY, BRONCO, STILL CONFUSED. NO MISTER. FUCKIN’ METALLICA.”
“Here’s the disposable phone. Dolph will contact you shortly.”
“MASTER OF PUPPETS PULLING YOUR STRINGS.”
Marv left the bar uneasy of his status with Dolph and now Bronco. A short while later, the phone rang. Bronco answered.
“FUCKIN’ HELLO.”
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