nova fiction guest article #9

NOVA FICTION GUEST ARTICLE #9
My article posted at 7AM.
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The Five Guys burgers were good. We all filled our pockets with the free peanuts before we left. They had a sign above them that wasn't there the last time I had been in. It said "No Purchase of Food. NO PEANUTS!" While we there I saw a homeless woman go in fill a recycled plastic bag with them, Nobody said anything to her. I told myself to remember how we got here and filed it under "Food Places" in my head.




After I said the blessing and we stuffed our faces we went through the plan again. It was simple. I liked that. I didn't like complicated anythings. Our target lived in the land of estates in Great Falls, Virginia about five miles from where he worked. It was beautiful there. The Potomac River was close by and I had once gone there just to walk. Sometimes alone, sometimes when I was younger to drink and smoke a little. Once with a woman I thought I loved.



His estate was in a neighborhood where every house sat on at least five acres. The neighborhood was a closed loop with one entrance and exit. The spotter said traffic was very light and what there was coming in and out was mostly Merry Maid vans and landscapers. The DEMON always appeared between 7:30 and 8:00 in the evening. "We're looking for a silver Mercedes" Rick told us. "That was comforting" I thought since every third car was a silver Mercedes here. I wasn't worried. If HE was with us all would work out.



The plan was Roy would step into the road, his car would have his flashers on to add to the scene we were setting of an old distressed motorist. "Roy isn't going to appear as much as a threat" Rick assured us. I noticed Roy's eyes narrowing when he heard this but he didn't say anything. Then Roy would pull the 45 on him, we would rush out of the woods and grab him. Rick would drive the Mercedes out and we would ditch it after stuffing the DEMON in the trunk of Roy's car. Sharon, for only the forth time, told us "Remember. Get his cell phone!" Then we would follow Rick out, pick him up and go to the empty house they had found. We even had robber masks to wear. Rick would film the interrogation because I wanted him to confess his sins first. Then we were going to hang him.



Sharon said, "Weapons check" as we cruised slowly down Old Dominion Drive. Much to my amazement everyone had guns. "Where the heck did all the guns come from?" I asked. Sharon looked at me, reseated the magazine in hers, grinned, and said "This is America Chosen. Guns are easier to find then jobs." No one laughed. It was the truth.



I was gawking at the houses we were seeing. When did these mansions appear? They were everywhere here. I didn't remember them from the last time I was here which was how long ago? It was awhile ago I knew that but I couldn't get the math to work in my head. It was stuck back in what I now thought of as the "Fuzzy Time." Sometimes I wasn't sure if what I remembered had actually happened to me or someone who looked a lot like me but was born on another planet. The planet of Yesteryear.



Rick was peering at the map and was telling Roy where to turn. "This is it people." He announced. Roy barked a laugh and shook his head. I looked at him expecting him to follow up with some words but he stayed silent. We drove into the DEMON's development and Roy slowed down even more if that was possible, I could barely see the houses as they were set back so far. The only thing really visible was the gates with the addresses. Without them we would probably have never had a clue where we were exactly.



Rick muttered "I really wish we could have used cell phones to coordinate this." He was nervous. I could hear it in his voice so I didn't jump on him about mentioning Demon tools. He was our Good Demon anyway so it was natural that he thought that way.



"HE is with us. Know this." I told them. I also added, "We don't need them. Just think of all the carjacks that happen around here. They aren't anywhere near organized as we are and they all have no problems." I don't know if that helped but they nodded their heads in agreement. I was getting ready to lead us all in prayer before we hid in the bushes when we saw his car coming. "Damn!" This was from Roy. He was out his door faster than I had ever seen him drive and waving his hands at the approaching vehicle. He had turned on the emergency flashers when we stopped so at least we had that going for us.

It was him! I knew it. He saw Roy and rolled to a stop and his window came zithering down. Roy pulled his .45 from where he had it tucked inside his waistband and stuck the barrel against our man, Timothy William Conesters head. Roy told him "Hands on top of your head. Now!" Much to my relief he actually did it. "Go Rick! Help him." Then I told Sharon "Get in front of his car!" I was using Sharon as a blockade, not that it would slow a Demon down, but it might make him think of another plan. She did it with out hesitation.



Roy was yelling at him "Out of the car! Get out out of the car!"



Tim looked very calm. He also looked about four or five years older than his photo. "Okay. Okay. Not a problem. You can have the car. The fucking piece of shit has already been recalled twice. I should have stuck with BMW."



I stepped out of the car and beckoned to him. "Right this way Tim." I pointed inside.



"What? What the hell. I thought this was a carjack. I'm not going...Oh shit..."



Roy whacked him hard upside the head with his .45. Once he quit whining about it I told him "Get in the car. I drew SWORD and that seemed to convince him. He stared at SWORD all the way into the car. He didn't look at me when he asked, "What the fuck is going on here?"



I wanted to keep him calm. He was bigger than I thought and looked in shape for his age. Demon types always managed to make it to the gym and had good tans. So I told him "SunTrust sent us you idiot." Then I slid in next to him and yelled "Lets go!"





I noticed two things right off with Tim. The first was he smelled like money. The second was he was an asshole. Especially after I cuffed him. Sharon had come up with a pair of silver handcuffs for us to use. She got them from a friend who had used them with her ex-boyfriend. Sharon had laughed as she dangled them from one finger and told us "Kim told me she thought she had him eating out of her hand until she came home and found he had cleaned her out and run off with her cousin LeShawn." She was still smiling when she added, as much to us as to herself "Shit happens."



"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He asked me as I snapped them on his wrists. I had him leaning forward with his face smooshed up against the back of the seat. Roy was driving, Sharon was in front with him, and me and Tim were in the back. Once I finished I grabbed him by the collar of shirt and jerked him back into his seat. Then I snapped his seat belt on him. Next I pulled his cell phone off his belt and tossed it out the window. I ripped his Borg implant off his ear and tossed that too. That really pissed him off. "Hey that's a fucking iPhone!"



"Why do you feel it necessary to say 'Fuck' in every sentence?" was my reply.



"Because I fucking feel like it. That's why. Who the hell are you people? Don't tell me SunTrust again because despite their reputation for hiring retards I doubt if they would hired you." He grinned at me when he finished. It faded a little when Roy started laughing. Roy thought that was funny. I thought it was rude an uncalled for.



"Tim" I told him "Just sit back an enjoy the ride."



He couldn't do that. He had to talk.



"So what's this all about? Is this some bullshit idea of kidnapping? Because if it the feds will be crawling up your ass within hours."



I ignored him and looked straight ahead while I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He didn't like that.



"Hey! Hey Buddy. Sorry. I shouldn't have called you a retard. You want to tell me what's going on?" He was using a different tone now. His voice was warm and silky and I though I saw his tongue flicker for second outside his mouth. It was red and forked. I had a little spasm of revulsion. I think he interpreted it as a sign he was on the right track with me. "Look. I don't know who is paying you but I can just about guarantee you that I can work out a better deal for you."



We were slowing down to pick up Rick. He jumped in the side that Tim was on and sandwiched him between us. Sandwiched being relative in that Roy drove an old school boat that could have fit four in the back comfortably.



"Hey! That's my car."



"No kidding asshole." Rick was pumped on adrenaline. That was obvious to me.



"Shit. Another retard. A talking one which is a little better than the others. Maybe you can explain to me whats going on here."



"Shut up!" Was Ricks reply.



"Fuck you!" Tim snarled.



I told him "I asked you before why you found it necessary to use profanity and you did not answer me. I say to you, 'They bend their tongues like vipers to kiss ass but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, so saith HE.' Do you understand that?"



He looked at me, paused, pursed his lips, and said "You're a raving lunatic aren't you?"



"No." I told him proudly " I am sent by HE who can't be named to show his people a sign."



For the first time since he begun his journey with us he looked worried. I was glad.