BULLETS (9 page)

“You must be Orville.”

Orville was struck dumb by that and couldn’t speak, just stared at Slick.

“What you do walk around at, two-fifty, two sixty, right? Big, mean and with a lot of obvious white space between the ears. That makes you Orville.”

All the righteous and clever insults Orville had considered lobbing at Slick for the past two hours fled him at that moment. He stayed silent, mind working fast as it could, but that wasn’t fast enough. He was frozen, couldn’t even take another drink of beer.

“Dumb, man, real dumb. You gonna follow someone, you might consider NOT using your own vehicle or, at the very least, change the license plate. Too easy.”

Slick drained his beer, set the mug down. He dug out some cash, tossed it on the bar to pay the bill then stood up and stared at Orville.

“Well? We gonna do this inside or out?”

Orville finally found his voice, anger flooding his body anew. “Outside.”

Slick nodded, turned and headed for the door. Orville followed, his rage growing with every step. He’d been pissed before, but now he was absolutely fucking furious. So the jungle bunny made him, so what? He was still gonna stomp his ass but good.

S
lick stepped out
of the bar, sliding carefully to the side so that Orville wasn’t standing behind him, getting the wall of the bar to his back. He glanced at the four men waiting for him and Orville. Slick pointed his finger at each one, checking them off.

“Dumb. Dumber. Special needs. Tea bagger—” Slick turned to Orville “—and you, you are the missing link that confirms Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Who taught you to walk upright without dragging your knuckles? Whoever it was, they should have taught you to wipe your mouth after eating a candy bar.”

He could feel Orville’s fury cresting.

“You fucking nigger, I’m gonna KILL you—”

“Racial epitaphs, now that’s fucking offensive,” Thumper said, stepping out from the shadows. “I am shocked, shocked at this kind of behavior from a white man, I have to tell you, every time I turn on Fox News they claim this racism shit is over and done.”

“That’s what they say right before they dump on a black president,” Slick said.

Orville and his guys swiveled around at Thumper’s appearance, startled. Orville recovered and glared at Jay. “You said he got on the goddamned plane!”

“I did get on a plane,” Thumper said. “Then I got right back off it again. Not that Slick here needs the help, but because I get jealous when he gets to have all the fun for himself. And, besides, somebody here needs to be a positive white role model for the kids and it sure as hell ain’t gonna be any of you backward-ass fuckholes.”

The boys got their confidence back fast, figuring that it was still five against two, plus Thumper was small. He may be a boxer, so they were told, but he wasn’t big, and size matters in a fight, damn it, that’s why they had weight classes. And while Slick was a big man, Orville was even bigger. Plus, Jay had his gun.

“We’ll see who the fuckholes are real quick, bitch,” Orville said. “After I get done with the jig, I’m gonna turn your ass out.”

Thumper glowered. “Slick, I want this fat bastard first, lemme have him.”

“Hey man, be my guest, they all look and smell the same to me anyway, but he might have other ideas. What about it, Orville? You wanna dance with my friend here first, one on one? I’ll wait, I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

“You got that right, boy, you ain’t goin’ nowhere. Jay, watch his black ass, hear me? Don’t none of you let the coon run. After I beat his bitch into the ground, he’s next.”

“He’s not anybody’s bitch, Orville,” Slick said, “but you’re about to be his. Go on ahead, though. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

Orville laughed and stepped into the middle of the circle formed by the group, swinging his arms as a warm up, his eyes hard on Thumper. A full foot taller and at least a hundred pounds heavier, he didn’t fear the smaller man in the slightest.

Thumper grinned, took off his smart phone, which was attached to his belt, and set it on the hood of a nearby car. He removed the headphones, pressed play and classic rap, Run-DMC, played over its speaker. Thumper loved to fight to music.

“Figures you’d be into nigger music,” Orville sneered.

Slick gave Thumper a look, his special one that read, ‘No casualties.’ Thumper held up his hand as if to say, ‘I got this,’ and walked into the middle of the circle, squaring off with Orville, his hands down at his sides. Just waiting. Orville grinned and ambled close, taking his time with it, wanting to milk the moment.

He swiped a big meaty paw out at Thumper, who slipped it with ease, just turning his hips slightly but not moving his feet. Orville threw out two more punches, neither of which touched Thumper who kept rooted to his spot, bobbing and weaving.

“That’s it, that’s the best you got?” Thumper smirked.

Orville gritted his teeth, embarrassed now, and threw a big roundhouse haymaker that Thumper saw coming from miles away. Thumper stepped under it, sliding behind Orville. He gave the bigger man a slight push, putting him off balance enough to fall to his hands and knees. The other four men watching straightened up, they’d never seen Orville get knocked down ever, much less by a small push from behind.

Thumper glanced at Slick. “Now?”

“Not yet.”

Orville roared in anger as he got to his feet and barreled at Thumper. He grabbed hold of the smaller man by the shirt, tried pummeling with him. Thumper twisted from his grip, slipping from one side to the other without running away, keeping close without letting the larger man get a bead on him. Orville roared again and tried to kick Thumper in the groin, missed and fell right down on his ass.

Thumper casually walked a few steps away, squared off again. Orville, panting now, took his time to get to his feet. Took a deep breath, let it out as he sized Thumper up. The others stirred, nervous.

Jay brandished the pistol. “Orville, you want me to—”

“Shut up and stay out of it until I give you the word, I got this.” He turned to Thumper. “You can’t run from me forever, bitch.”

“Way you’re wheezing, I don’t need to run forever, just longer than you,” Thumper said. “But nobody’s running, shitbird. Come get some.”

Thumper glanced at Slick, “Now?”

“Now.”

Orville, more careful now, stepped close to Thumper, determined to tag him good, waiting for his moment. Thumper waited before him, arms still at his sides. Orville licked his lips, his fists raised. Feinted a left jab that Thumper didn’t respond to. Feinted again and then followed that with a hard, straight right punch that would have taken Thumper’s head off, had it landed on its target.

It didn’t, however, as Thumper again slipped it, stepped inside and landed a hellacious left hook right to Orville’s liver that stopped him cold and left him unable to speak or move, his face whiter than a Klan member’s Sunday sheets.

“Who’s the bitch now, redneck?” Thumper said and bounced three more blindingly fast hooks off the big man’s side, breaking his ribs this time. Orville gasped and looked to his friends, desperate for help. Vaughn and Freddie rushed to his aid.

Thumper spun on a dime to meet both men, his fists up and ready and before they could stop their momentum. Vaughn and Freddy ran straight into a couple of hard punches to the chin that rattled their teeth and caused their eyes to roll back in their heads. Both men toppled straight down to the ground, unconscious.

Jay shouted and tried to bring his pistol up. He was shocked to discover that he couldn’t as Slick had skipped over to where he stood and grabbed the wrist that held the pistol, gripping it tight as a vise.

“Uh-uh.” Slick wagged a finger at him. “Let’s keep this firearm free, shall we?”

Slick twisted Jay’s wrist into an impossible angle, forcing him to drop the pistol. It clattered to the pavement and Slick kicked it under a nearby truck. Hartzler jumped on Slick from behind, going for a rear naked choke. Slick reached up with his free hand, grabbed Hartzler’s little pinky, cranked it until it broke and the man released him, screaming in pain.

Slick dipped under Hartzler without releasing his hold on either man and guided Jay right into Hartzler. Their skulls collided with a sickening thud and both men went down hard. Slick glanced back in Thumper’s direction, where his friend stood before a frozen Orville, who just stood there hunched over, his arms wrapped tight around his body, his abdomen in too much pain for him to move.

“What you got to say now, shitkicker?” Thumper asked. “You still gonna turn me out? Still think I’m a bitch? C’mon man, let’s hear it.”

Slick grinned as Orville could only gasp, trying to get his breath back. Slick reached under the truck and retrieved the pistol.

“I ain’t even hit you with my best shot yet,” Thumper said. “I was saving it, didn’t want to blow my wad too early, you know? I’m ready for it now, though, you ready?”

Orville shook his head, in near tears and still unable to speak. Slick checked on the other four men, they’d need a visit to the ER and some plaster, but other than that, they’d live. He joined Thumper, chambered a round in the pistol.

“So, Orville, before my bud here finishes the fight, maybe you could share with us who hired you to run me off.”

Orville gasped, “My ribs … I think they’re broke…”

“They damned well better be broke, hard as I hit ’em,” Thumper said. “Otherwise I’m gonna be seriously ashamed of myself. Now answer Slick’s question.”

“No one … we were just … fucking around and thought we’d—”

“Orville, please. Do I look like I’m gullible enough to believe that? You were following me around all day and night. Someone put you on me. Who?”

Orville blinked, still unable to stand up straight, his eyes on the pistol in Slick’s hand, hanging down by his side.

“I were you, I wouldn’t worry about this gun,” Slick said. “I’d worry about what my buddy here would like to do to you. He’s not lying, he can hit a lot harder, I’ve seen it. You think you’re hurting now but you have no idea how much pain he can visit upon your person, trust me. So … who hired you?”

Orville swallowed, closed his eyes. “One of the deputies, I went to school with him. His name is Collins. He gave me and Jay a call, asked us to run you off.”

“Collins. The steroid freak,” Slick said.

“Yeah, he’s into the juice. We weren’t supposed to do nothin’ but rough you up, get you to scat, we weren’t supposed to kill you or nothin’, honest.”

“How very considerate of him. Did he tell you why?”

“What?”

“Did he tell you WHY he wanted me roughed up and run off?”

“Uh-uh … just that he wanted it done and outside of county lines if possible. He didn’t say shit ’bout nothin’ else, honest.”

Slick stared at him for a moment, assessing the truth in that. The other four men on the ground moaned, regaining consciousness. Thumper kept glaring at Orville, his eyes glittering. Slick glanced at Thumper, nodded.

“Okay, we’re done here. Let’s vogue, brother,” Slick said.

“Hold on a sec, Slick, I wanna have more fun with this Klan wannabe first.”

“We got a time issue, bro … someone inside’s gonna see that this didn’t go as planned and call the local police.”

“Listen,” Orville said, “I’m done, honest. You beat me, fair and square.”

“Since when have you EVER been in a fair fight, shitkicker? I know your type, you like to pick on little brown people, don’t ya? Talk some shit, get ’em outside and beat the hell outta ’em in front of your friends?”

“You won. I’m done with this, my word—”

“Your word don’t mean SHIT to me, son. But folks who know me know my word is good, and I’m gonna give you my word on something right now. If anything bad happens to my friend Slick while he’s in Arizona, I’m gonna come back to this pisshole and kill you, your friends, and your friends’ friends. I hate racists like you with a passion, and if I have to, I will come back here and kill you all in your own kitchens. Understand me?”

“I understand, you won’t get no more problems from me, I swear,” Orville pleaded, his arms wrapped around his sides, still unable to posture up straight.

“He’s done, bro, let’s full tilt boogie on out of here.” Slick touched Thumper’s arm. Thumper nodded and turned away. Orville breathed a sigh of relief as best he could.

“Almost forgot. One last thing,” Thumper said.

He whirled and caught Orville on the chin with a vicious hook, one that snapped the large man’s head back with a crack and spun his entire body around until he toppled unconscious to the ground, his jaw broken.

“That’s for calling my best friend a nigger and a jig.”

S
lick slept well,
considering. He’d gotten some bath salts and soaked his aching body in the tub for a long time. Collins knew where to hit him, that was for sure. The motel room wasn’t bad, functional for what it needed to be and he was on the quiet side of the building, far away from the front office. He preferred it isolated so no one could see him coming or going.

Before he left, Thumper had gone in and booked the room for him under the name of John Bender, Judd Nelson’s character from The Breakfast Club. As far as anyone knew, there was a short white guy named Bender staying in this room. Slick had rented another room himself at a different motel on the opposite end of town, under his own name, but he had no intention of staying there.

He bathed, did some light yoga to get his muscles breathing and crashed in the king sized bed. He slept a good ten hours. His body had evidently needed it, being unconscious doesn’t have nearly the same recuperative value as deep sleep. He woke up refreshed and glad to be alive. There were a couple text messages on his prepaid cell, one from Thumper, who’d landed back home in Chicago safe and sound, and the other from Melvin the lawyer, who wanted to meet as soon as possible, for breakfast if he was up for it. He sent a text back, agreeing, and then flipped open his netbook and checked his email.

He had an email from Camilla Leon. It read, “Call me,” followed by a cell number. Very interesting. He smiled, for some reason just seeing her name made him smile. It was his semi-public email address, so she’d done some work to dig it up. He wrote her number down and tucked it into his wallet.