Body Count

by mike Evans

  Gabriel drove only as far as he needed to and when he found a road that looked like it definitely didn’t get a lot of travelers, he drove the old pickup down it. When the grass got too thick to see through, he drove it the rest of the way until the truck was completely gone from view. Gabriel walked into town picking up some supplies with the cash he had left and when he entered a small computer store he browsed at the laptops until he found one that would do the job. He bought it, then finding a park bench, he did a wire transfer after looking through what he had on him for the name that he wanted to put on to get the Western Union money collected that he would about to transfer to himself.

  When he was done he used what was left of his energy to collect his money. The lady stared at him sideways at the amount. She whispered, “You know sir, we don’t typically have these kind of transactions going on. Wait until people hear about this, we got us a regular damn big spender. Of course, you kinda look like you might be more of a cage fighter or something. Is that what you do? Do you go out fighting people or what?”

  Gabriel thought of the bruises on his face and the split lip accompanied by black eyes and realized he must look like a gigantic bag of shit. He said, “No I just had a shit string of luck lady, it doesn’t mean I'm poor though. I tell you what, you do me a favor and keep your mouth tight about what kind of money I got here, and then from there you just keep a couple hundred of these dollars from me. You think you can handle that?”

  “Wait, so you gonna give me all that money to just keep my mouth shut? You realize you’re in a small town. It would be ok to just ask me nicely and trust in your fellow man that you need my help just being quiet.”

  Gabriel peeled off another four hundred dollars pushing them across. He said, “Tell you what, let’s just assume that you don’t have me ask you and I have more than bought your silence forever. I’m going to be out of town before you know it. I’m going to spend some time resting and after I get back to my normal self, I'm going to disappear and you’ll have a few weeks pay for doing nothing but being more nosey than you needed to be at your job. You can handle that I assume correct?”

  She counted the money one more time sliding it back and forth on the counter and smiled. “You know what, just because I'm a good Christian I can keep it quiet. But all I need from you is to let me know that you aren’t any sort of trouble. We got us a real nice town here and the last thing we need is any trouble. You aren’t going to go fighting anyone around here now is you?”

  Gabriel leaned in on the counter already tired of talking to this stranger. “Lady the only time that I fight is when someone pushes first. I’m not looking for trouble but once in awhile that shit just seems to find me.”

  “So you are always innocent huh?”

  Gabriel shrugged and said, “Innocent is a very hard term to define ma’am. You don’t let that money lead to me regretting anything I decided on today, now ok?”

  “What If I told you that I was going to call the cops and tell them about you? What would you have done?”

  Gabriel looked back at her as he headed for the store exit. “You probably wouldn’t have much to tell them other than some guy gave you money for nothing and pulled out money from his own account.”

  The lady went to say something but what he meant hit home so she closed her mouth while slowly folding up the money and sliding it into her pocket. She typed in some information into her computer and looked up saying, “Well shit would you look at that, some dumbass on the next shift went and lost all of our transactions. All we know now is that someone picked up the money and it was legit. Damn it all to hell, well I hope someone puts some decent training together or fires the dumbshit who makes this mistake.”

  Gabriel pushed out the door saying nothing else and leaving a very nervous woman behind him. He started his walk back to the house, stopping at the truck first and leaving some money inside. He tucked the laptop computer under his shirt and into the waistband of his pants. When he made it back to the house he climbed up the steps, shut the door behind him, locked it and slid a chair under the knob. Gabriel grabbed one of the lamps in the room and removed the light bulb and smashed it, then spread the remnants on the floor next to the window. When Gabriel thought that the place was as secure as possible, he lay down on the bed, closing his eyes and letting himself slowly slip into his nightmares. When he woke up it was to a knock on the door. He looked at the cat clock on the wall, watching its eyes swing left to right and saw that it was six in the evening. He figured out that it was just his meal which he had asked for to be delivered. He opened the door and found himself staring at a large tray worth of food. His stomach growled, giving no protest to the fact that he was able to eat.

  Molly was sitting pulling at her mother’s dress. “I asked you a question momma. You said that you were going to ask him for me, when are you going to ask him?”

  Gabriel bent down, feeling that another long rest was making his muscles and joints just as happy as could be. He knew if he could handle a few more days worth of this, without forcing himself to go outside and do anything and just take the time that he needed, he was going to be better for it. He looked at the little girl and asked, “What’s your question Molly Jean?”

  “Well I've been waiting all dang day to ask you this question. Momma kept saying that I needed to be patient. That I needed to take my sweet time and just wait. You know what I told her? I’m six years old and I ain’t got any patience yet. What in the world she was thinking asking that, I sure don’t know.”

  Gabriel said, “Hey I can’t promise that you are going to have my attention for too much longer with having this delicious smelling tray of food sitting here. What are we having for supper tonight?”

  “I wanted to know if you are gonna color with me later? Or are you gonna be sleeping all night too? Molly asked.

  “Sorry sweetheart, this food smells too good and I plan on putting myself into a nice food coma and going right back to sleep,” Gabriel gently replied to the little one.

  Molly kicked at imaginary dirt while trying to give puppy dog eyes to Gabriel and said very matter of factly, “Fine, then we color tomorrow.”

  Gabriel gladly took the tray, smelling the savory aroma and graciously said, “Thank you ladies for bringing it up here. I really do appreciate it.”

  Kindra informed him, “It was cooking all day. I got a bowl worth of stew here for you and a half a loaf of bread and some crackers. If you need anything fancier than this, go ahead and hit the diner in town. But if you do go there, make sure you stay away from the chili…..or there’s a good damn chance that you are gonna end up with the shits. From the looks of you there isn’t much reason to put any more strain on your body.” Gabriel went to answer but she quickly interrupted. “I wasn’t done talking. I stay out of people’s business. If you wanted to tell me why you look like you got the shit kicked out of yourself then I assume you would. But I’d say a few of them days you are here might be good if you just look up at the ceiling for a little while.”

  Gabriel took the food and said, “I really appreciate it, I think that I'm going to take your advice.”

  “Daddy is gonna want his food too momma. We better get it to him, look what time it is,” Molly Jean said.

  Kindra moved to the side, taking a peek at the cat clock on the wall behind Gabriel. “You have yourself a good night Mr. Jacob try and stay out of trouble. I need to get Edd some supper or he’s gonna raise hell.”

  Gabriel watched her face and knew she wasn’t kidding. The two ladies disappeared down the steps and Gabriel ate until he couldn’t eat anymore and then ate even more. He retired to the bed, laying down and stretching out before falling asleep again. When he woke up again he sat up slowly feeling like he had rubber bands in his ribs. The sun was coming through the thin shades and music and power drills were echoing through the small property. He rose up off of the bed and discovered that his head was feeling better. He drank water until his stomach was bulging and then started a r
egimen of stretches, taking his time but getting his muscles good and stretched until they hurt from the strain instead of being beaten. By the time that he was done, he was heaving from the muscles aching in his body. He knew that he had an impressively thick skull because he’d given blows like those that he had received to other people yet they had not gotten up from it like he had managed to.

  Gabriel walked out the door, shielding his eyes for a moment as he took in the southern sunrise. The view in front of him was one that Bob Ross wouldn’t have been able to capture better. Gabriel walked down the steps slowly, his legs wobbly and weak from the injuries and stretches. He travelled the path to the barn. When he looked inside he saw a few cars and realized that it was a full service mechanic shop. The only thing missing was the hydraulic lifts that he was used to seeing. He always had mechanics ask him if he was hauling around a small gym in the back of his truck when they noticed how it always strained the lifts, they not knowing that it was armored to the teeth. Edd was turning wrenches and whistled when Gabriel walked by. Edd walked outside while wiping grease from his hands with a dirty towel, then tossed it aside. He let a line of tobacco spit fly four feet away in a dark stream, ignoring a string of it hanging leftover on his chin. He ran his hands through his already black hair, ignoring the grease and pushing it back until it fell off his shoulders.

  Gabriel stopped walking and headed over towards him. He pulled down the ball cap and zipped a hoodie up over it all, glad that he’d picked a few things in town the day before. Edd inquired, “You Jacob?”

  Gabriel walked over, nodding and holding out a hand. Edd ignored the outstretched hand and instead reached a dirty finger into the side of his mouth and pulled out a blackened wad of chew and tossing it to the ground. He replaced one cancer for another, lighting up a smoke and said, “Kindra ain’t gonna be cooking you no breakfast today. She isn’t feeling all that good, so you are on your own. I figure if you can afford this place then you can afford a couple meals at the diner until she is feeling better.”

  “Is she ok? Do you need me to head in there and cook her breakfast? I'm pretty capable of running a meal if it would help out?”

  “We don’t need nothing from you. Now I got work to do so I better get to doing it, and you best get headed down to town.”

  Gabriel held out a hand to him. “We haven’t been properly introduced, I’m Jacob.”

  Edd ignored his hand yet again, not shaking and said, “Well seeing how we know each other’s names it doesn’t seem like there is much need to be all formal like. Sounds like you are probably from the north, don’t know what you are doing down here or why you look like someone beat the shit out of you. Did you give someone a reason to do that? You ain’t gonna be any trouble are you?”

  “No more trouble than anyone else. I’m just resting a couple weeks and then I’ll be on my way. I might be gone earlier.”

  “Well there ain’t no refunds. This isn’t the Four Seasons. Kindra said you already paid for two weeks in advance.”

  Gabriel turned around walking away and said over his shoulder, “I wasn’t asking for one, just letting you know how we are all standing, don’t want any confusion between any of us. Now if you change your mind about having anything picked up for Kindra and Molly you let me know. I can take care of it, no issues. I’ll be back in a couple hours I'm going to work out. Do you own those woods over there?”

  Edd nodded, “Yup, I do. You know some people like to work for a living, they don't have all day to sit around a room and workout. If you ask me I don’t like it….”

  “I didn’t.”

  “You lost me?” Edd said scratching his head.

  “I thought so. I’ll be back, you enjoy your wrench turning.”

  “It pays the bills Jacob, we all can’t be free to do what we want. Some of us got families to provide for.”

  Gabriel said nothing and walked until he was sure that he was not going to feel horrible amounts of pain. When he was confident, he started a light jog which turned into him running until his fingers shook. He knew that he needed to get back in shape and that he needed to collect Mikey. He wasn’t stupid and was well aware that actions like he had taken and the lives that he had taken were more than the CIA would be willing to let go unanswered.

  When he stopped, he forced himself to not bend over and took long, deep, painful breaths until the stinging slowed down. He began with his most basic form in taekwondo and moved up until he was doing the advanced belt forms. When he was done and panting yet again for breath, he heard giggling. As Gabriel turned around he inquired, “Do I have a spy sitting out here watching me? Who is that out here watching what I am doing?”

  Molly stepped out from behind a tree wearing a large smile. She immediately started mimicking the first move that she had seen Gabriel do, and the look of it almost brought a tear to his eye. Her impersonation of him made Gabriel begin to think of Mikey and the amount of effort that his son put forth every time he did the basic moves that Gabriel had taught him. Although her intensity might have had Mikey beat….at least for the moment. She jumped out kicking, punching and doing a somersault on the ground, something she obviously figured necessary to include in her routine.

  Gabriel held up his hands in defeat leaving an extremely pleased Molly.

  Molly asked, “What are you doing dancing in the woods?”

  Gabriel rested against the tree, slowly sliding down it while having one of the first genuine smiles he had in the past few days. The idea of Mikey coming back to him was the only thing that made him happier. The smile did not last much longer as the thought of them having to stay out of America did not settle well with him. He would not be working again he hoped, but knew that if any jobs came up, they would have to be passed on if they were in the states. He didn’t see the two of them running out of funds anytime soon though, hoping that would make the transition to living abroad a bit better.

  Molly broke him out of his reverie when she said, “You know that it’s ok to smile right? I mean, even if you aren't happy there’s no reason that you can’t put a smile on your face. The hard times pass and when they do, it’s ok to smile again.”

  “Yes, you know I've heard something like that before but life isn’t always easy,” Gabriel reminded the young girl.

  Molly said, “You know my mom isn’t having such a good day either. But you know what, she said daddy loves us but sometimes he gets upset.”

  She covered her mouth quickly, although it was more than apparent that she was not supposed to have told anyone about this, that it was a family secret and they needed to keep it that way for no one’s good but Edd’s. Gabriel realized his problems were only multiplying. He gently asked, “Molly, I want you to tell me if your dad is a bad man?”

  “He puts food on the plate, and he keeps a roof over our head.”

  Gabriel nodded, knowing a rehearsed line if ever he’d heard one. “Well let me tell you a secret Molly Jean. Just because your dad does that, it doesn’t mean that he’s a good man. It doesn’t mean you can’t love him and that he doesn’t do good things for you, but no man should ever…..I mean ever, touch you or your mother in a way that is hurtful. It’s against the rules of life, ok!”

  Molly nodded her head slowly and fearfully asked, “You aren’t going to go and tell my momma that I said something are you? If my daddy finds out I won’t sit down for a week.”

  Gabriel did the sign of the cross, promising that he wasn’t going to say anything and that her unfortunate secret would be kept that way for the time being. He couldn’t call the police because he was sure that his face was going to be a public topic the more that it was flashed around the television and internet. Gabriel knew that the longer he waited here, the more difficult it was going to be to leave his beloved United States behind. “I won’t say anything but you let me know if there’s any other issues, ok. I might be able to help you out. I used to help families deal with things like this.”

  “What are you, a head doctor or some
thing?”

  Gabriel smiled again. “No, not exactly like that but don’t worry about it ok.”

  Molly walked off and Gabriel went back to his forms for another hour. By the time that he was done the bruises were still very much there but his muscles and joints had gotten tortured to the point where they were winning in the competition for who got to hurt the worse. Gabriel knew if he could do this for a week, that by the end of it he would be feeling good enough that he could travel and that he could handle himself while he was doing it. The last few months off had not been ones where taking absolute care of his body had been number one priority. He knew he had been lucky to have been able to handle the encounters where physical needs were required recently.

  Chapter

  Fifteen

  Two days after landing in Paris

  Forsyth tucked Mikey into his bed and said, “You ok kiddo, you need anything from room service before you crash for the night?”

  Mikey shook his head, trying to stay awake and choke back a yawn, but was unsuccessful at both. He smiled and said, “I can’t wait for my dad to get here, he’s going to love that pool. I don’t think that I'm ever going to get tired of it. It has to be the biggest thing I've ever been able to swim in. I wonder if people come here just for the pool?”

  Forsyth rubbed his head and said, “You know there’s probably a good chance that people come from all over the world just to get a look at that pool buddy.”

  Mikey nodded while closing his eyes and murmured, “Night Uncle Forsyth, sleep tight.”

  Forsyth stared at the boy for a second, amazed that someone so god damned scary could produce someone so damn sweet and loveable. He figured there must have been some strong genes coming from the boy’s mother’s side. He tried to imagine that Gabriel was once a boy yet could only see a killer for hire being born when he was introduced into this world. Leaving his mother’s womb and having a pistol placed right into his hand.