09-11-2018, 09:23 PM
The door slammed. Papers thrust in his hands. Jay stood there, silently studying the door like it was a portal he could never open again. A sick bubble pressed inside his gut. Breath shallow and fast. Like taking a deeper one might spring something coiled too tight and the entire machine fall apart.
His chin sank with the utter powerlessness warping his world further from tentative fingertips. Natalie’s abandonment ruptured the silence that followed like the explosions bloomed mushroom clouds in his head. The paper was unfolded fearfully. He didn’t want to know what information it contained. Warnings surged the rising tide of once seen could never be unseen.
But it would be worse to never know at all.
He forced his eyes to read. Mind to absorb even as an anchor pinned his chest underwater. Drowning.
The silence faded as words devoured. What took its place was far more grim. There was the face that haunted. Sunken, hollow cheeks. Dead eyes. Lips that tasted Natalie’s. Nose that pressed to her ear. Eyes that dared defenses. The words that surrounded Pavlo’s face spilled over like black blood running free.
The paper cindered to ash in his palm. Then hot, searing white pain crushed his knuckles. “AHH!” His arm vibrated up to the shoulder. The crushed drywall a punched out hole. White flecks dusted to the carpet below.
He shook out the hand that throbbed and barely kept from wrenching the door off its hinges when he left.
If the commotion with the FBI agents didn’t summon slumbering patrons, that did.
Cayli’s angelic face peeked out. “JAY” She called, but her brother was already passed. He ignored her cries. Ignored everything but the steel door to a stairwell.
Legs flew him down the steps. Out the emergency exit door. Plunged into air swirling with teasing winds and a slight drop in temperature. The shade of gigantic storm clouds stretched like the hand of angered gods ready to smite the mortals disowning them.
But no rain could quench the fire burst through his veins. Jay started to run. Run around the back of the building. Loading docks and parked semi trucks. Beyond the tanks and pipes of the pool system. Dumpsters that wafted their odors far from the gamblers inside. Workers hailed him, but he didn’t stop. The cool air dropped farther. Shade deepened. A thunder rolled in the distance. Or maybe it was the familiar blanket of fury that finally leaked free.
Unless Anna Marie changed drastically in the past few years, or Cayli sprung sprinters' legs, nobody was likely to find him sitting on a curb on the edge of a corn field, casino looming ugly without its flashy front facade.
He sank. Elbows perched on knees. Knuckles at his lips. If it was possible to open a hole to Moscow, he'd likely do it, step through, and hunt down Pavlo until the sonuvabitch was a smear on the pavement. Control gone. Powerless. Nobody had a clue. Each wielded a sliver of the story. But the conflict was going to rip him apart.
He dug a hand into his pocket, tapped out the commands, wrote the words, but hesitated before sending it.
Probably a bad idea to talk to him now. After the way it went the last time they saw each other. But desperation was a flavor of drink Nox appreciated.
'Three guesses where I'm at.' He snapped a picture of himself, expression morbidly intolerable. Cornstalks decorated the background like a green wall. '"If I die here, don't let them bury my ass in a cornfield. I won't be stuck here for all eternity."
A buzz flared his hip alive. While waiting on a response, if there was one, he retrieved the piece of tech from Natalie's dad. Somehow, it knew permissions were granted when her fingers turned it over to his. The words that appeared curled his fingers around the edge, flaring the heat of his knuckles all over again.
You will talk to me.
He swallowed. Half-a-world away, Natatlie's dad sent messages into the ether, unknowing that it was someone else that received them. He's right. You belong in jail.
A message from Nox dinged with welcome distraction.
"10-4 on the burial, what about the rest of your body? what the fuck you doing back home? I thought the high and mighty had you. (looking a bit worn - you need a break)."
He grinned, not remembering ever telling Nox about Iowa. But fuck, there was a lot about that night he didn't remember. Jay typed out a response anyway.
"The usual. Giant conspiracy. Killers on the loose. Kidnapping. Murder. Revenge. But you think this is bad? I got my Stetson back, baby. Should see me rock the shit out of it. Send you pics later."
Something rattled loose in his chest. The humor did it, maybe. He liked Nox the moment he met the guy. Sick twisted bastard that he was. The familiarity was comforting. They were more alike than he cared to admit.
"I'd ask if you need help but the states aren't an easy place to get to from here. can't wait to see pics. do you need help?"
He quickly responded. If you don't hear from me in a few days, assume the only help I need is finding a burial plot. Catch up later."
In that moment of clarity, the thunder broke closer. Jay checked the sky briefly. This time of year things could turn to shit very fast. So far, seemed like he might get wet, but that was about all.
He thrust the wallet into his back pocket and retrieved Natalie's dad's version. He held it up to his face with all the intensity of one willing to step out onto the hangman's platform and duel to the death. Loser swings.
He dialed it. Sync spinning. His breath held as the video connected. A dark smirk wrenched from his lips. "I hear I belong in jail."
----------------------------
With Nox.
His chin sank with the utter powerlessness warping his world further from tentative fingertips. Natalie’s abandonment ruptured the silence that followed like the explosions bloomed mushroom clouds in his head. The paper was unfolded fearfully. He didn’t want to know what information it contained. Warnings surged the rising tide of once seen could never be unseen.
But it would be worse to never know at all.
He forced his eyes to read. Mind to absorb even as an anchor pinned his chest underwater. Drowning.
The silence faded as words devoured. What took its place was far more grim. There was the face that haunted. Sunken, hollow cheeks. Dead eyes. Lips that tasted Natalie’s. Nose that pressed to her ear. Eyes that dared defenses. The words that surrounded Pavlo’s face spilled over like black blood running free.
The paper cindered to ash in his palm. Then hot, searing white pain crushed his knuckles. “AHH!” His arm vibrated up to the shoulder. The crushed drywall a punched out hole. White flecks dusted to the carpet below.
He shook out the hand that throbbed and barely kept from wrenching the door off its hinges when he left.
If the commotion with the FBI agents didn’t summon slumbering patrons, that did.
Cayli’s angelic face peeked out. “JAY” She called, but her brother was already passed. He ignored her cries. Ignored everything but the steel door to a stairwell.
Legs flew him down the steps. Out the emergency exit door. Plunged into air swirling with teasing winds and a slight drop in temperature. The shade of gigantic storm clouds stretched like the hand of angered gods ready to smite the mortals disowning them.
But no rain could quench the fire burst through his veins. Jay started to run. Run around the back of the building. Loading docks and parked semi trucks. Beyond the tanks and pipes of the pool system. Dumpsters that wafted their odors far from the gamblers inside. Workers hailed him, but he didn’t stop. The cool air dropped farther. Shade deepened. A thunder rolled in the distance. Or maybe it was the familiar blanket of fury that finally leaked free.
Unless Anna Marie changed drastically in the past few years, or Cayli sprung sprinters' legs, nobody was likely to find him sitting on a curb on the edge of a corn field, casino looming ugly without its flashy front facade.
He sank. Elbows perched on knees. Knuckles at his lips. If it was possible to open a hole to Moscow, he'd likely do it, step through, and hunt down Pavlo until the sonuvabitch was a smear on the pavement. Control gone. Powerless. Nobody had a clue. Each wielded a sliver of the story. But the conflict was going to rip him apart.
He dug a hand into his pocket, tapped out the commands, wrote the words, but hesitated before sending it.
Probably a bad idea to talk to him now. After the way it went the last time they saw each other. But desperation was a flavor of drink Nox appreciated.
'Three guesses where I'm at.' He snapped a picture of himself, expression morbidly intolerable. Cornstalks decorated the background like a green wall. '"If I die here, don't let them bury my ass in a cornfield. I won't be stuck here for all eternity."
A buzz flared his hip alive. While waiting on a response, if there was one, he retrieved the piece of tech from Natalie's dad. Somehow, it knew permissions were granted when her fingers turned it over to his. The words that appeared curled his fingers around the edge, flaring the heat of his knuckles all over again.
You will talk to me.
He swallowed. Half-a-world away, Natatlie's dad sent messages into the ether, unknowing that it was someone else that received them. He's right. You belong in jail.
A message from Nox dinged with welcome distraction.
"10-4 on the burial, what about the rest of your body? what the fuck you doing back home? I thought the high and mighty had you. (looking a bit worn - you need a break)."
He grinned, not remembering ever telling Nox about Iowa. But fuck, there was a lot about that night he didn't remember. Jay typed out a response anyway.
"The usual. Giant conspiracy. Killers on the loose. Kidnapping. Murder. Revenge. But you think this is bad? I got my Stetson back, baby. Should see me rock the shit out of it. Send you pics later."
Something rattled loose in his chest. The humor did it, maybe. He liked Nox the moment he met the guy. Sick twisted bastard that he was. The familiarity was comforting. They were more alike than he cared to admit.
"I'd ask if you need help but the states aren't an easy place to get to from here. can't wait to see pics. do you need help?"
He quickly responded. If you don't hear from me in a few days, assume the only help I need is finding a burial plot. Catch up later."
In that moment of clarity, the thunder broke closer. Jay checked the sky briefly. This time of year things could turn to shit very fast. So far, seemed like he might get wet, but that was about all.
He thrust the wallet into his back pocket and retrieved Natalie's dad's version. He held it up to his face with all the intensity of one willing to step out onto the hangman's platform and duel to the death. Loser swings.
He dialed it. Sync spinning. His breath held as the video connected. A dark smirk wrenched from his lips. "I hear I belong in jail."
----------------------------
With Nox.
Only darkness shows you the light.