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“What?” Mike’s scowl deepened. “Who the hell
cares? Get her a damned ambulance.”
Creel’s eyes were wide with shock.
“Look, bud,” one man shouted. “She’s walking
dead. Look at her.”
“I saw worse survive,” Mike told him.
The man scowled, backing a step. He pulled a gun with
a bell muzzle from his belt.
Mike raised his gun and smiled. “Try it. One finger
on the trigger of that ‘netter and you’re one head short.”
The Harvester choked. “Man, are you crazy? This is
illegal. You can’t interfere with a harvest. We got mine pits full of assholes
like you, all waiting some sick creep in need.”
“Ambulance,” Mike said, his voice cool.
“Creel.”
Creel jumped, staring at Mike. “What?”
“Call 9-1-1.”
“In this neighborhood?" A rough bellow of
laughter burst from the Harvester. “All calls go right to Harvester HQ.”
“A private ambulance, then. I’ll pay.”
Clearing his throat, Creel shouted into his lapel
phone.
Mike faced the Harvesters until the woman was on a
gurney and gone. He slid forward with tiny, frantic ‘bots dodging out of his
way. Mike grabbed the Harvester by the shirt and smashed the handle of the gun
in the slack face. The man stumbled back and Mike let him go.
“You ever screw with me again,” Mike said,
smiling. “You’ll be next in the meat wagon. Do you understand?”
The Harvester muttered into his hands. Blood ran down
through his fingers to drip on the floor for the benefit of frantic machines.
Mike’s fist tightened.
“I said, do you understand?”
“Yes.” The man shoved away from Mike, staring at
him. He choked again and backed a little further before trying to stand. He
stumbled into one of his men, and the man caught him as he fell. He turned,
slapping the man.
Mike strode out of the diner to their car. A small boy
dashed from around the building. He stayed low and crouched near a shrub.
“Pst, señor?”
Mike glanced at the boy, then at the Harvesters
staring out at him. One of the windows was now cracked and a piece of plastic
was slowly melting on the car as it burned.
The boy held up a silver card.
“Sheila, she drops this.”
Slowly, Mike turned away.
“Ain’t mine,” he said. “And it won’t be
reported lost for a couple o’ days.” He slid into the car to wait for Creel.
A minute past before the man trotted down the ramp holding a white box, and Mike
looked away.
The kid was gone.
The new place wasn’t exactly paneled in oak with
sports pennants on the walls and a narrow but soft bed. It was cramped to hell
and gone, but it wasn’t the cathouse at Fern Ridge, either. No windows in this
place. Benny concentrated on forcing his body to wake up. The concrete was a
little rough on his back, but he had a spot cleared of chips and dirt to work
from.
Kat and Jim were sleeping. About all that separated
the two was a thin layer of sweat. Kat was a statuesque beauty. Not that he saw
anything they were doing, but nobody ever accused him of not having a vivid
imagination.
He grabbed at his thighs, the tendons on his arms
creaking while those in his neck stood out. Inch by inch, he pulled his head
towards his knees, then rested back easing back the same way. Blood lay under
his hands and made the sit-up a little tricky, but it was number ten.
Gasping for breath, he let it go at that.
Flesh scraped over concrete, and he clenched his fists,
waiting for what was coming.
Instead of an attacker, Jim’s face loomed near.
In a low whisper, Jim said, “Hey, how’s it
going?”
“Been better.”
“Not me.” The man grinned, then winked. “Guess I
got a wife.”
“If love is where it’s at, then you’ll never
feel the nose ring.”
“Yeah, I heard that. This is a first for me. I never
had time before.” He stretched out along side of Benny with his hands
pillowing his head. “Thank you.”
Startled, Benny scowled through the gloom.
“What for?”
Jim shrugged. “Before, we were . . . friends, I
guess. She never saw me . . . you know.”
With a small hoot of laughter, Benny said, “She did
or she would have never . . . you know.”
Jim pushed up on one hand. “You think so?” He
shook his head. “No. She’s a professional. Kat only came around when she
brought you to my place.”
“And what happened?” Grinning, Benny pushed up on
his elbows. “Bet she figgered you were a woosy. I didn’t see a lot of your
place, but I bet you never killed for her before, either.”
There was an embarrassed creak in Jim’s voice as he
said, “No She thought I worked in an office. My business wasn’t anything
physical, either.”
“Ain’t got a lot to do with it.” Benny nodded at
Kat. “This is a rough time. How many rapes get reported, let alone solved?
Murder, robberies, hitmen. Ain’t nothing like my mom remembers it. A woman
wants a man at least as strong as she is, and this lady is real tough. She’s a
nurse, right? When you guys were feeding the creeps to the sewers she never
yurked a drop, did she?”
A troubled frown on his face, Jim sat up. “You
were awake?”
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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