“If I might ask, did he deserve this?”
“If I might ask, did you not, just fucking listen to what I just said? On top of all those things, he let my dog out! And we’re going back to Argentina a little earlier than planned.”
“Today?”
“Uh- NO. But do you have a problem with that?” Morgan stroked his fingers up and down the bloody blade of his machete.
“No, Boss, I was only curious.”
“Well, aren’t you lucky. Now I’m only gonna say this one more time, what in the fuck do you want?”
“I was- just going to tell you the shipment from Cascadia has arrived...”
Morgan grinned. “That it?”
“Yes.”
“Alrighty then, you send Davey my way next time you see him, would you? I know you will.”
Walking by, Morgan slapped Zion on the chest. “Have somebody clean this up.”
“Of course, Boss.”
Morgan laughed “Of fucking-course!”
About an hour later, after Morgan returned to his living quarters.
“Boss? You need to see me?” Morgan’s right hand man Davey asked from the other side of the door.
“You’re late! Yeah, come in!”
Opening the door, Davey, Myers, Rory, and Ashton walked in. “I hope you don’t mind, Boss, some of the boys wanted to come along to see you.”
“I don’t mind, I always got time for the Morgan Williams fan club!” He laughed, laying shirtless in his bed with some half naked women. “But my offer only stands to Davey, aaand...” he said, looking between the men and pointing at one. “Myers!
“It’s like this, Norman isn’t here. Now you boys have to go out and bring him here! If you can do that, I’ll let the two of you have the pick of the women for the night!”
Davey shook his head. “Will do, but not the women, they’re yours, Boss.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that! You can’t fuck them, but you can still enjoy their company.”
“What the hell, what if I capture Norman?” Ashton barked.
“Ashy, I wouldn’t trust you alone with a fucking pig, let alone a human being! Also, I only asked Davey. As far as I’m concerned, Ashton, you filthy little dog fucker, you can go fuck yourself! And if you speak to me with such disrespect again, I may just close that fugly little toothless mouth of yours permanently.”
Ashton put his head down, his long black hair covered his face. “Sorry, Boss.”
“Do you have any places in particular you’d like us to check?” Davey asked.
“Uh, yeah. How about the Argentina safe zone? The place where I cut that pricks hand off. That place. The place we got him from! Where the fuck else would you check?”
“Good point. Should we leave now, Boss?”
“Oh, would you?” Morgan asked sarcastically.
“You got it, Boss. Rory, Myers, Ash, and me’ll find Norman, and bring him back to you.”
“My boy! I know I can count on you! And uh, no questions if the package arrives a little dinged up, shipping is a bitch,” he said with a laugh.
Ashton spit on Morgan’s floor. “You aren’t coming? If you ask me, staying home kinda makes you look like a bitch.”
Morgan’s jaw dropped. “Did you seriously just say that or am I dreaming right now?”
“I meant no offense, I just mean- if this were the other way around, I’m sure John would make the appearance.”
“Oh no, no, no. I know what you meant. You meant I look like a bitch. After I caved in two of their leaders’ skulls, cut off the others arm, come home, fuck all these beautiful women...” He pointed to himself. “I look like a bitch... But you make a good point. What kind of a leader would I be if I didn’t show up?” he asked, getting out of bed.
“A pretty bad one.”
“And what kind of a leader would I be for letting a dog fucking pedophile like you live?”
“Wait, what?”
Pulling out his Desert Eagle, Morgan blasted a hole in his Ashton’s face. “FUCK I’ve been waiting for ages to do that! You killed and raped my dog, killed one of my women’s children and raped that too, only reason you lived this long’s ‘cause I was drunk as fuck when I let you off with it! Fucking fuck you fuckless fuck! FUCK!”
Dave smiled and nodded at Morgan. “It had to be done, Boss.”
“Damn straight it had to be done!” Morgan grabbed a shirt off the floor and his jacket off a woman’s back.
Davey grinned, watching as Morgan slid on his jacket and zippered it.
“Come on boys, let’s pay Argentina a little social call.”
• • •
Later that night, Argentina.
“Hey,” a voice hollered up to the guard post.
“Norman?” Gavin asked, opening the gate and climbing down to see him. “What the hell happened to you?”
Norman was near naked, only wearing a pair of old tattered pants. His chest and arms were covered in dirt and fresh blood. “I got out.”
“I can see that,” he said in awe, watching him limp into Argentina.
Back at John’s home, he and Billie were relaxing on the couch while Rachel took a shower.
“Surprised you ain’t in there with her,” he joked, rubbing the end of his bandaged stump.
“I thought you mighta wanted company.”
He chuckled. “That’s nice of you, but Kess is in the other room if you wanna go do somethin’ else.”
“Nah I’m good. So how’s your arm?”
“It’s not good but it could be worse. Zander still wants me in the hospital so after Rachel and Kess go to bed I’m gonna head back so he can do whatever he needs to.”
“What movie did she pick anyway?”
“I think it’s in her room, she found some of those Fast and Furious movies. Said she wanted to check ‘em out.”
Staring at John, Billie bit her lip. “Hey can you keep a secret?”
“I might be able to.”
“Okay, so don’t laugh, okay? This might be because I haven’t seen another kid since this all started. This guy Rodney, I’m not even kidding, I was the only kid in the entire group. Anyway, as soon as I seen Rachel, like that second... I just got this feeling that I’ve never felt before. I really like her. And like I wasn’t sure I was gay, but I was pretty sure. Kinda confirmed that for myself after seeing her,” she said, letting out a laugh.
John patted Billie’s knee and stared at the blank TV screen. “Damnit,” he mumbled.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this so I guess I’ll just come right out with it... Your father, he passed away yesterday. He’s not at the hospital, we’ve just been trying to find a way to break it to you...”
She raised her brows. “What happened?”
“I guess the thought of losing you or the threats from the Acquainted were too much for him... Zander said it was a heart attack... I’m sorry.”
Billie rubbed her eyes and nodded. “It’s okay, no that’s fine... You just get used to it.”
“I can’t really relate to losin’ a parent since I was so young, but I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about. Someone really close to me was killed by the men who attacked us these last few days... It’s okay to cry... you don’t get used to it...”
“...I lost my mom when I was little. Like waaay before any of this happened... I walked in on my mom. She was- doing- something to herself... It really fucked me up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I can still see her there, sitting against the bathtub holding her wrists... She was just freaking out about- About how she fucked up this time and there was no going back...” Billie started to cry and leaned her head on John. “She hollered at me, get mommy the phone! Call 911! But before they got there she was already-...”
John put his arm around her. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”
“That’s why I’m not in there with Rachel right now. I see all those scars and like- fuck
some of them are even on her face!”
“...The one on her face is different but I get what you’re sayin’.”
“I just think, what if this happens again? Ya know?”
“It won’t.”
“You can’t say that! You just don’t know!”
As Rachel opened the bathroom door, John heard vehicles pulling up to the wall, and over a megaphone, Morgan Williams’ voice. “Little pig, little pig, let me the fuck fuckity fuck in!”
Chapter 5:
Old Yeller
Morgan stood in front of his box truck with over a dozen men behind him. “Clock’s tickin’, John! I want my Norman back! Now get the fuck down here, before armless turns into dickless turns into childless.”
He tossed his megaphone as John ran down to the gate and hurried up the guard post.
“Well look. At. You! All fast and shit, and here I was thinking I was gonna have to blow your house down!” Morgan laughed. “How’s the arm?”
“Good,” he said, opening the gate. “I thought you weren’t comin’ for a few days?” he asked as he climbed down.
“What can I say? I missed you!” Morgan smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not here for you or your things, YET. What I want, is my dog.”
“Norman?”
Morgan grinned and pointed at him. “Bingo.”
“I thought you already had him.”
“Yeah, no, ya see. We diiid. But then Hershel thought it’d be all fun and games to let him lose!”
“Well I’m sorry but I don’t know where he is.”
“Are you sure you don’t?" he asked, getting down in John’s face. Are you abso-posi-tutley sure?
“I’m sure.”
Morgan squeezed the end of John’s stump, making it bleed. “That’s alright,” he said, getting out of his face and patting his back. “We’ll go inside and find him. Maybe we’ll check the hospital, I know you sure as fuck look like you need it!”
In the hospital, Zander was tending to Norman’s wounds. “You’ll be alright, just get some sleep.”
“Alright? Sure as hell don’t feel it,” he said, moving around on his bed.
“Just try to get some sleep, you’ll feel better in the morning.”
Walking into the room, Morgan pushed Zander down. “If he lives to see morning! You worried us, sweetheart!”
John stared and rubbed his face. “Norman?”
“Norman. Just tell me honestly. How the fuck did you get out?”
“Hershel, gave me the key.”
Morgan leaned back and whispered to John, “I already knew that.”
He stood up straight and grinned. “MYERS! Pass me the sack.” Holding out his hand, Myers handed him a heavy burlap sack. “Be a lamb, would you please?” he asked, handing it to John.
“What’s in here?” His nose scrunched up from the smell.
“None of your god damn business is what that is.” Morgan pulled his gloves from his pocket and slid them on. “Jesus on fire, this is gonna be messy as shit. Johnny boy, open the bag.”
As John opened the sack, Morgan reached in and pulled out Hershel’s severed head. It’s eyes and mouth still moved.
“Your brother wanted to say hi!” Morgan laughed as he threw the head at Norman like a football.
“HERSHEL?” Norman smacked the head off him, hitting it against the wall.
John watched as the head snapped its teeth.
“Normy, it’s like this- and John, I don’t want you to say a god damn word. Norman, you are MY PROPERTY! Not John’s! not your own! Not the Acquainted’s! You. Belong. TO ME! You’ll do as I say and you’ll do it with a fucking smile.”
Morgan grabbed Hershel’s head off the floor. “Now what was it I told you at the base?”
“I’m gonna kill you.”
“I might have, I can’t keep track of all the shit that comes out of my mouth, but NO. What I DID say, was you were gonna eat a whole lot of shit, and you were gonna learn to love the taste of it!” Morgan grinned as he pulled out his pistol. “But hey, if you wanna run away from home like the bad dog you are, clearly I can’t teach you anything... What do you say we just put you down, right now! I don’t see any reason for keeping you alive! Are there any objections?”
John moved his mouth, about to speak until he saw Norman shaking his head. “None. No objections...”
“Well then, that settles that!”
Morgan blasted a hole in Norman’s leg. “Keeping Cascadia alive gets me supplies! Keeping John alive is getting me supplies! Keeping John Carver alive got me supplies! Now tell me what the fuck keeping you alive is doing!”
Storming over to Norman, Morgan tossed Hershel’s head and grabbed him by the neck. “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH?”
Norman’s face turned red as he struggled to pry Morgan’s hands away. “ARGENTINA!”
Morgan released his grip and looked at John. “At least the boy’s honest.” He laughed, putting his pistol to Norman’s head.
“ENOUGH,” Zander screamed, shooting Morgan in the face, grazing his cheek.
Morgan watched as Myers tackled Zander. “JE-ZUZ FUCK!”
John stared at Zander and shook his head. He looked to Morgan. “You felt that?”
“Felt it? John, it was a fucking bullet, of course I felt that. It’s a god damn bullet!”
Norman glared at Zander. “You’re a fuckin’ idiot,” he muttered through the pain as he gripped his leg.
“Myers, let go of Doc-Funny-Talk.”
Myers released him and stepped aside.
“Hey, doc.” Morgan let out a laugh. “Would you come here real quick?”
“Get out of my hospital,” Zander cried.
“Your hospital? But? I thought this was, John’s. Hospital.” Morgan looked back at John. “It is, your, hospital. Isn’t it?”
“...Yes,” he said through his teeth, staring at the floor.
“Yup, that’s what I thought.”
“DIE,” Zander screamed, firing at him and just missing his neck.
“Fuck I’m lucky you’re a bad shot.” Morgan laughed. “Myers, Davey, bring him up here, and take his fucking gun...”
Myers and Davey walked Zander up to Morgan.
John grabbed Morgan’s arm. “Morgan, please... Not this one. Not our doctor. You took Richie, we need him.”
“Are you sayin’ you’ll go out there and hand pick me someone to kill?”
“...No.” Stepping back, he put his hand and stump on his hips and stared out the window.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Rory, drop the doc’s pants,” Morgan said, emptying a metal lunch tray from Norman’s side table.
“No, don’t! I’m sorry,” Zander screamed.
“Not yet... But you will be.” Morgan bent the lunch tray into a tube shape. “Fuck yes you will.
“Okay boys, spread ‘em!”
As Myers and Davey spread apart Zander’s ass cheeks, Morgan handed Rory the tray. “Here, you know I don’t do that gay shit. Slide that puppy right up in there. Nice, and, deep.”
“Wait, Boss?” Davey asked, nodding at Hershel’s head.
His eyes lit up. “That is a genius fucking idea!
“Rory, continue with the insertion.”
Morgan walked across the room as Zander screamed in pain. Picking up Hershel’s head, he smiled at Norman. “Here, Rory,” he said, holding out the head. “Feed Hershel one last bean bag before we water balloon his head off the top of the base.”
Taking it, Rory held it in front of Zander, letting it chew off his penis and testicles.
Morgan looked at John who was still staring out the window. “Johnny boy, what do you think we should do?”
John looked back, watching as Hershel’s infected head dug into Zander’s crotch. “Get it done with.”
Morgan laughed. “You into gay shit, doc?”
Zander screamed at the top of his lungs. “You are a fucking coward, John Miller! You are Morgan’s little bitch dog! You are pathe
tic!”
Morgan slammed his fist into the back of Zander’s skull. “Show your leader a little bit of fucking respect!”
Kicking as hard as he could, Morgan lodged the metal tray deep inside Zander. “Davey, Myers, drop his ass. Slam him hard.”
Blood rushed from Zander’s crotch and anus like a heavy rain. “No, no, please no,” he cried as the men lifted him in the air and slammed him on the ground, driving the tray deeper inside.
Zander cried at the top of his lungs, screaming as loud as he could.
“Good god. Will you please, shut. The fuck. Up?” Morgan pulled out his machete and swung it into the back of Zander’s head, splitting it in two.
John glared at Morgan, watching as he slid the bloody machete back on his belt.
“All work and no play makes John a dull boy... Come on Johnny, let’s go play!” Morgan smiled and put his arm around John. “Boys, stay here and keep an eye on Normy until I get back.”
“Shouldn’t one of us come with you? Just in case?” Davey asked.
“No. I think I want a good one on one with this dirty little prick. Thanks anyway, but I’ll have some boys right outside his house.” He looked at John and held him close. “And those boys’ll kill him if he so much as sneezes in my direction.”
Back at John’s house.
Billie sat on top of Rachel as they kissed. “God I love you,” she said, as a Fast and Furious movie played in the background.
Rachel leaned back and stared at her. “What?”
“...Sorry, I didn’t- Like. I mean-”
“No, it’s cool.”
Rachel leaned back in as John rushed inside. “You two! You’re not a thing, you’re just friends, act it!”
Rachel looked back at John from the couch. “What are you talking about?”
“Knock Knock,” Morgan said at the door, letting himself in. “John? I thought you said you had to shit?”
“Just bad gas. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Yeah... Right.” Morgan said, walking into the kitchen and taking a can of beer out of the fridge.
“Actually, talkin’ about shit. This one time me and Patrick, your guy, we went to the mall to meet some girls.” He laughed. “Asshole put somethin’ in my coffee and I ended up shittin’ my pants before I even met her.”
When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With? Page 5