155 (15)

[a quick non-story note-the summary isn't quite done, and neither is the character profile.  I hope to have them done before the end of part six.  The story will continue after part six, but there might be some changes.  I haven't decided yet, but I'll decide before part 168]

“You don’t think the feds are looking for Bob and Phil?”  Julio took a long drink of his coffee after letting Mabel’s comment sink in.

“The men…who came to their apartment…were not feds.  I can’t believe that.”

“Why not?”  Old man B asked, in a very agitated tone.

“They pulled guns and told me they’d come back if I told the police.  Does that sound like how our government behaves?”  Mabel was getting more stressed and her voice carried a lot more than Julio or B would have cared it to.  Julio took a long drink while B got up.

“I’m going to the bathroom…get some coffee…” he muttered as he walked away, his age suddenly asserting itself more than Mabel had seen all night.  Julio watched him and sighed lightly.

“Poor guy.”

“Him?” Mabel said, with a quick, sharp turn of her head.  “I’m the one who was held at gunpoint.”

“I’ve seen it before with railroad men I’ve known.  I’ve worked railroad security long enough with enough vets to spot it.  I thought I saw it before when I caught him in the rail yard, and now you talking about the government seems to have set him off.”

“Seen what, exactly?”

“I’d say he did something he’d just as soon forget, that he can’t.  Some kind of post-traumatic stress.  Some can move on and live their lives.  Some can’t.  Some exist in between…almost like they’re haunted.  They push the memories back far enough, but certain things set them off.”

“I set him off?”

“You said yourself, ‘does that sound like how our government behaves?’  I’d say he knows how our government has behaved, and he was a part of it.  His face turned white and he shuffled away like he was 90.”  Julio got up and chugged the last of his coffee.  “Keep an eye on him tonight.  Here’s my card.  If you two want to talk more about those two guys from your apartment, and not to the police, just give me a call.  I”m not going to turn either of you in, but I need to turn myself in to some sleep or else I’m going to pass out right here.”

Mabel looked at the card, then back up at Julio as he walked away.  “Thanks” she said, just loud enough for Julio to hear it, and nod his head in return as he walked out the door.

***

And they put you in the ground
when the angels hung around.
And the angels hung around
as they carried me away.

Jenny Lewis’ voice kept going as one ear bud fell to the table.  A Nokia rushed up to take the place of the bud, while another hand sat a glass down.  “Yeah.  Are you there?  Good.  I’ll try to meet you there soon.  I know.  You’re right.  Look, all this time I know what I should have done, but…we had to…there wasn’t enough…yes, yes.  I know.  I realize the problem.  I know.  I know.  You’re right of course, but I’d point out that you being right doesn’t change anything.  I still need to do this.  You have the backup, but we might need the other one, and even if we don’t , we can’t take the chance the weatherman will get it.  Don’t worry.  I’ll find it.”  The phone closed, and soon it was swapped inside a jacket pocket for car keys.  The other hand removed the other ear bud and tucked them both in the other jacket pocket.  The hand pulled out two twenty dollar bills and sat them at the table.  A waitress came by a minute later, and as she watched a car leave Shenanigan’s, she had to assume the $13.33 was her change.

118 (6)

Another day, another regret?
Current mood: bummed

Today was supposed to be a good day. I was up early. I did my pilates and had some of my homemade yogurt (thank you Alton Brown). I talked with a girl a the E-Z Stop who seemed very friendly and who could be a great friend. I could use more friends in this town. Other than people in study groups and people I manage at work, I haven’t made many friends. I’ve never been good at making friends, truth be told. I’ve always been the shy girl, the one who raises her hand last, the one who never thought of flirting with a boy, the one who wasn’t just a fan of the Wallflowers, Wallflower-ing was a way of life. I thought things would be different in Aberdeen. Gosh, what was I thinking. Not to sound all emo-ish  (emo-esque?), but I just can’t seem to get the hang of being comfortable in who I am. I was only comfortable like that once. We had a great thing. We laughed together, we had fun together being at home, and being out (though home was a more certain bet). He was nice, really nice. At times I thought I couldn’t ask for more. I really couldn’t. So what changed? I started wondering if I should ask for just a bit more. He started getting hung up on work. We were getting too comfortable. I didn’t know if I was making him as happy as he could be anymore. I’ve tried so hard not to think about him, but today at work one of my co-workers tried to set me up on a date. I’ve been on a date or two since I moved here, but nothing that I’d call memorable. I’ve been hit on, but not by any guy I could see myself with.

The real kick in the gut is that I realize now, while my old boyfriend wasn’t good at romantic things, and maybe he did take me for granted, he was a great friend, a great listener, and someone I was comfortable around. I still love him, but I don’t know if I am in love with him. I know it doesn’t sound like it makes any sense. To me, it barely does. I wanted to start over. I had talked to Northern about transferring to Augustana. I even applied and got accepted to Augie and Sioux Falls College. I sent him a long letter. I bared my soul. I said I was sorry. I was ready to try again. I wanted him back, and knowing how bad I hurt him was slowly eating away at me. I realize that now. I still love him. I”ll always love him. The only way to know if I’m still in love with him is to see him again. I was hoping he’d want to meet, to try again, to at least tell me to stay gone. Nothing. Three months later and no letter, no phone call, no word from my mom that he’s been looking for me. His silence is an answer, but not the one I wanted. I had hoped to check a sale at Target today, but instead I came home and cried some, and then looked at old pictures of us. I just put them away. It’s time to move on. He has, and now it’s my turn. I just have to accept what I did to him, and hope someday he can forgive me and we can at least be friends, or at least friends on Facebook or whatever.

I’m off to the Millstone. I’m craving the pancakes like he used to make, and maybe eating them again will be a step in the healing process. Maybe I’ll drive home crankin’ “Breakin’ Up” by Rilo Kiley and I’ll be able to sing “Ohh Yeah Feels good to be free” all the way home.

Michelle read over her entry and posted it to her blog, just before she left for the Millstone.

102 (18)

Bob shuffled forward in the line.  The clerk scanned his cargo pants, blue polo shirt, and six pack of socks.  “23.33 is your total.  Would you like to apply for a Sears card?”  Bob looked up.  The clerk had long blond hair, and looked fresh out of high school.  He stopped himself from staring to long at her eyes and looked in his wallet, then back at her.

“Nope, I don’t have one of those.  What are some of the benefits of Sears card…Amber?”  Bob squinted as he checked her name tag, as he was enjoying the angle her body was tilting it.

“You can get a discount today, plus it’s good at all Kmart and Sears stores.  That way you can come back…more often.”  She was smiling and not even checking if anyone else was in line.

“Well, tell you what Amber.  I’ve got my eye on that TV in electronics, so next time I’m in, I’ll use it then.  I just need some clearance clothes today.  I’m helping a friend move, and the rest of my usual clothes for that task were used up when I was painting my friend’s grandmother’s house.”

“Well, the offer stands until the next time, but I’d come back soon if I were you.”

“I think that can be arranged.”  Bob took his change and bag, and smiled wide as he headed out the door.  At least one skill that he had was still working.

***

Old man B charged through the main door.  Mabel was still a wreck, and even with her fractured mental state, she was still amazed that old man B was moving faster.  “Where’s that foreign car of yours?”

“Over…over there.”  B walked her to her Honda and reached into her purse for the keys.  B started unlocking the car, but Mabel suddenly pulled her wits together.  “Wait, what are we doing?”

“Getting out of here, that’s what.  We need to get my car and ditch this one.  Then we’ll get to the bottom of this business.”

“How…how do we do that?”

“Simple, but I’ll tell you later.  We need to get out of here before they realize that you’ve gone.  The confusion worked in our favor.  I’ve had about enough of the cop shop today.”  B started the car, then swung the passenger door open.  “Are ya comin’ or not?”

***

Eli chugged his Amp, then looked around the backseat of the Crown Victoria.  “Do you two have a garbage or something?  This backseat is immaculate.”

Lewis turned and looked at him.  “Just hold onto it until we get to Sioux Falls.”

Eli shrugged his shoulders and reached into the pocket on his hoodie.

“Don’t move…what are you reaching for?”  Garrett’s voice was stern and firm, and he slowed the car as he asked the question.

“My…iPod, or do you want Lewis to get it out for me?”

Lewis turned and watched him.  “Slowly please.  Garrett is a bit jumpy.  This case is very important.”

“Ah yes, your case.  The one you won’t tell me much about, yet you think my knowledge of a guy I haven’t talked to on a substantial level in years will help you crack.  Helluva case.”  Lewis watched him pull out the iPod, then she turned away.  Eli put the ear buds in place and hit play.  Rilo Kiley kicked in, almost with a song that he had hoped was a coincidence.

“I’ve been had and I’ve been held
with the ghosts at bay
And I’ve been oaked and I’ve been doped
and carried away.”

75 (19)

*click click click*

Felix Moore lifted his hands, shrugged his shoulders, and yelled. “Oh come ON!” After a quick look around the corners, he balled up his right hand into a fist. His arm swung back, and rushed forward with righteous anger.

*BAM*

*BAM BAM*

*BAM BAM BAM*

Felix took a step back. The Coke logo almost seemed to stare back at him. He swung his leg back, then stopped it. He dug into his left front pocket and found two more quarters. I must be crazy kept repeating in his mind as he went through the same steps he had gone through before.

*click*

*rattle rattle*

*KA-THUNG*

Felix looked down and saw two cans of Vault. “Caffin-ation!” Within minutes he was back at his corner desk, with his desktop drive whirring his bidding. His laptops got less attention, but the two computers on either side were not forgotten. As he was finishing the first soda, an officer walked up behind him.

“Felix, do you have that list of…”

Felix cut off the officer by handing him the three pages of warrants and previous violations the officer needed. “Happy warrant-ing.”

Felix reached for his ear buds and popped them in, as he glanced from screen to screen. He started clicking through tabs on one laptop when another officer walked up.

“Felix, do you have any…”

With minimal flourish, he slid open a drawer and handed the officer a folder. “Ten great second honeymoon destinations on your budget. I like Niagra Falls myself.”

The officer thanked him as Felix cracked open his second Vault. He was connecting his buds to his iPod when another officer walked up. “Felix, any luck on finding…”

“…the Highway Patrol’s ticket records for I-29 last summer? Here’s May through September just to be on the safe side” Felix said, as he handed another folder out.

“Great!”

Felix connected the headphones, but then pulled out an ear bud as he saw his intercom blinking.

“Officer Moore, research, cybercrime and currently single.”

“Get serious for a moment Moore!”

Felix straightened in his chair immediately. “Sorry Captain. I thought you were Carol.”

“I’m using her phone. I told my fed friends that I had my morning constitution to take care of.”

“Ah, your charming side is coming out.”

“Shut it. Anything?”

“Everything I can find about your friends at the N.G.A. and the N.R.O. seems on the level. Granted, I need written authorization to, shall we say, dig further.”

“It’s on your desk, under that CD-R spindle.”

Felix lifted the spindle and looked over the form. “Consider my shovel at your disposal.”

“Good. Maybe I’ll keep looking the other way while you use our T3 line to download songs.” *click*

Felix hung up the phone. He put his right ear bud back in and flipped the screen to his second laptop, which was built, wired in, and officially off the record. He fired up a few programs, then flipped back to his regular computer to start printing off a few things he found about Mabel Gravley and Bartholomew McGillcuddy. He pressed play on his iPod, where his previously interrupted Rilo Kiley song began playing.

Under the blacklight
Out in the garden
Into the pale moon
I’ll be waiting

As Felix worked, he was oblivious to Laura Black, who had been watching him like a hawk for the last five minutes. He also didn’t see her smiling, as she began plans to ensnare all of her prey.

41 (13)

CLOMP-CLOMP

Mokoto’s head darted around the apartment as she turned off her flashlight. She ran towards the window.

CLOMP-CLOMP

She slid the window open and kicked out the screen. Her hands shot out and her fingertips gripped on the top lip of the window frame.

CLOMP-CLOMP

She unbuttoned her jacket and leapt into the window frame. She positioned the tips of her toes were where the screen was, and she reached behind her and gave the window a yank so it was closed behind her. She sized up the distance to the nearest tree and sprang into the darkness.

***

Old man B sat with his arms crossed. The only exit had the railroad bull blocking it.

“C’mon old man, just tell me why you were in the rail yard, and I won’t call the cops. Probably.”

“Hmphft. I’m not talkin’ smart guy. You don’t scare me.”

“What I can’t figure out” the bull said as he started pressing numbers in his phone, “is why you’d be here. You don’t smell like a vagabond, and you certainly don’t look the right age. You look well past your train hopping years.”

“What would you know about train hoppers?”

“Plenty. There aren’t as many as there used to be, but you’d be surprised at how many I’ve turned in.”

“You won’t call the cops.” Old man B smirked and leaned back.

The bull leaned against the wall and smirked right back.  He pressed one button on his phone and began speaking almost instantly.  ”Hello dispatch, this is Julio Perez from BNSF security. I’ve got a crazy old coot here who was trying to sneak onto a train. Send someone over to get him, as we’ll be pressing full charges.”

***

“You’ve got the moneymaker”

The Rilo Kiley ring tone rang out from Clayton Iron-Horse’s cell phone. The song echoed inside the elevator. Clayton pulled out the phone and quickly flipped it open. “Iron-Horse.”

“Please tell me you found Gerrard” came Will Hetfield’s voice.

“I’m on my way to the morgue right now Detective. Any luck on your end?”

“I had a run in with some other governmental types, emphasis on the mental. How often do you work with the NGA and NRO?”

“Seriously?  Never. Not yet anyway.”

“Well, tonight might be your first chance.  I got the third degree from a guy from the NGA, and an icy reception from some redhead from the NRO.  They didn’t know you were here, so I didn’t tell ‘em I’d spoken with you.  I told them I’d heard you were in town.”

“Do you think that will work?  Sooner or later they’ll grill one of your officers.”

“…”

Clayton looked at his phone.  He had no service in the basement level of the hospital, so he closed his phone and followed Darlene down a hallway.  At the end of the hallway Darlene knocked on the door of the morgue, then walked in.  Clayton followed her into the main examining room.  The room was vacant.  No one was on duty and no bodies were out.  Darlene looked around, not knowing where anyone was and seemingly not knowing where to look.

“I don’t get down here much, but Frank or Gene should be on duty right now.”

“Never mind, I think I found what I’m looking for” Clayton said, as he slid papers around on a desk.

A door slowly opened.  “Is that so?”

16

“…and i was your silver lining as the story goes…”

The Rilo Kiley blared out of Bob’s Grand Prix.  His smile was almost ear to ear.  Phil just shook his head, and reached out to turn down the music for a spell.  “I have to hand it to you.  I didn’t think that would work.”

“Hey, if she’s going to be busy shooting at a hi-po, I’m taking the first exit.  Thank goodness the Minnesota Avenue exit comes up so quick on 229.”

“Do you think this will make the news on KELO?”

“KELO, KSFY, KDLT…I think in this town a gunned down officer and a pile up on 229 will make the lead story.  Hopefully we can stay out of the news for a while, if not for a long while.”

Phil took his eyes off the mirror as the car came to a stop at a red light.  He rolled down his window and put his elbow outside.  “How are you doing for gas?”

“I’ve still got 3/4 a tank, so we’re good for part of the night.”

“Well, hit the next gas station anyway.  I never did get to use the bathroom at Jer’s.”  Phil chuckled for a second.  Bob didn’t join in.  “Oh…man, I’m sorry.  In all the excitement I forgot about Jer.”

Bob shook his head as the light turned green.  “What in the world would Jer have that so many people would want?  He was a shift manager at the coffee shop in the mall, and a part time DJ at Buck’s.”

“Maybe we’re being chased by the RIAA?  He did like to download songs.”

“Dammit Phil, I’m being serious for once.  What is so fucking important that people are breaking into his apartment, chasing us, and maybe murdering him?”

Phil paused a moment.  “I never thought that maybe he was murdered.  I thought you said it was a heart condition?”

“That was what they said they thought it was, or at least what the owner of the coffee shop told me was told to her.”  Bob cocked his head to one side.  “Did that make sense?”

“More or less.  Hey, pull into HyVee gas.”

Bob flipped on his blinker and pulled the car into the gas station parking lot.  “Grab me a Vault will ya?”

“I don’t know why you drink that stuff.  It’s hella nasty.  But yeah, no problem.”  Phil shut the car door and walked hurriedly into the convenience store.  Bob was alone for the first time since Phil got back from work.  He slowly took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes vigorously.  He set the glasses on the dash, and readjusted his rear view mirror into a position that works better for traffic as opposed to pursuit.  He saw himself in it briefly, and his reflection revealed a tired upper face, and eyes that were watery.  He folded his arms across the steering wheel and put his head down.  Guys don’t cry he kept telling himself, but soon he was unable to stop, and he began sobbing as the music kept playing.

“…hooray hooray i’m your silver lining…”

***

Phil, fresh from relieving at least some pressure from his life, grabbed a Vault and a G2 from the beverage case.  He walked up to the counter.  The 40-something female cashier looked up from her small TV that was on the small shelf near the window.  “Did you have gas?”

“Nope.  Just the drinks.”

As she scanned the Vault, Phil looked over her shoulder.  KELO was airing footage from the accidents on 229.  The screen then went to a graphic of names wanted for questioning.

The screen read:

Phillip Anderton, 27, Sioux Falls
Robert Fulton, 27, Sioux Falls

4

Phil reached in his pocket for his cell phone. He pressed nine, then one, then Bob shut his phone, and looked him right in the eye. “Phil, what are you doing?”

Phil took a step back. “I’m calling the police. Obviously somebody broke into his place. Are you saying we shouldn’t…no wait, I know that look.”

Bob turned and walked to the doorway. “I’m going in. We’ll get my stuff, then call the cops.”

“Are you out of your freakin’ mind? What if somebody already called the cops? Do you honestly think the cops will believe your lucky sunglasses story?”

“Look, we were already going to go in. This doesn’t change anything.”

“The kicked in door doesn’t change anything? Are you hearing yourself right now?”

Bob stopped at the doorway. “You’re right, this is probably a bad idea. We’ve had our share of bad ideas, most of them at college. Like the time you broke into the female dorm?”

“Hey, that was different. That involved booze, a dare, and a scavenger hunt. Besides, you distracted campus security long enough for me to get me out of that mess.” Phil bit his lip, as he knew he’d walked right into Bob’s subtle trap. Bob just stared at him for a moment. Phil started to walk forward.

“Look Phil, I’m not expecting you to go in with me. Just…just don’t give me such a lecture, alright?” Bob said, raising his hands as if to calm Phil’s building anger.

“C’mon, let’s get your sunglasses and get out of here. Just promise me you’ll do your best not to touch anything. We don’t want our fingerprints all over the place.”

Bob gingerly took a step into the apartment. The apartment didn’t look disheveled at first, but then Bob saw Jer’s CD rack. Every single jewel case was open and on the floor, and all the CDs were gone. Phil looked over his shoulder, then pointed past his head.

“Dude, is that my Rilo Kiley EP?”

“Maybe? Or, at least, it was?” Bob gently stepped further into the apartment. The next thing he spotted was the entertainment center. All the DVD cases were strewn about, no DVDs were in them. The plasma TV and stereo were untouched, but the DVD player’s tray was open.

Phil took a few steps into the apartment. “Geez, what the hell? Who just takes the CDs and DVDs and leaves the cases?”

“Never mind that” Bob said, as he took a few steps further in. “The VHS cases are all empty too. So are all his Xbox game cases.”

“That’s weird. I mean, the TV is still there, and look here” Phil said as he pointed. “Jer left some money on the counter. Why take all those discs and tapes and leave actual money?”

Bob glanced at the counter. Sure enough, there was some money under his leather iPod case, but the iPod was gone. “I’m going to check his bedroom.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if the thief is still here?”

“Well, he’s probably heard us by now, dumbass.”

Phil looked around the kitchen. Nothing else seemed disturbed. The small apartment didn’t have much else, besides a bathroom and a bedroom. Phil eased his hands up his jacket sleeves, so he could move things around without leaving prints.

Meanwhile, Bob gently pushed the bedroom door open with his foot. The door slowly swung open.

*KREEESH*