by Michael Todd
With her eyes fixed on the shops selling used gear, essentials, and an occasional smoke shop, she didn’t even see the man standing in her path. She rammed into him and wobbled, then stepped back. She craned her neck up at least two feet. Above her stood a large man with a square chin and terrible grimace. “Sorry about that. Wasn’t watching where I was going.”
He grunted and passed her. She bit the inside of her mouth for a second, then quickly tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m looking for a bar called…”
“FUBAR,” the man growled. “Over there.”
He jutted his stern chin at the other side of the street. There was a two-story building with a dusty old sign on the front. The sign was tilted to one side, threatening to fall off completely. From the outside, it looked like a saloon from the Old West. She let out a sigh. “Thanks.”
She hurried across the sandy road. Only a few vehicles rumbled past, mostly old cargo vans and mutated Jeeps. She stood in the shadow of the building for a second. She wasn’t too keen on going inside, but she had to remind herself that the best information would come from the mercs and the soldiers that had no ties to the military. She took a step forward but stopped again as the double front doors banged open. A large man in a tight black T-shirt stepped out holding two scruffy guys by the backs of their shirts. He tossed them into the road and dusted his hands.
The two guys rolled across the ground and came to a stop. Both of them were packing. They had guns slung low on each hip. The scars and scabs down their arms and necks told Holly they might even be hard enough to use them. The men grunted groaned as they sat up. Before they could say a word, the door flew open again. This time a tall, white-bearded man stepped into the sunlight. He squinted out at them, and deep wrinkles creased the corners of his eyes. He was older, maybe mid-fifties, but Holly could tell he had seen a few things in his day. He walked into the street with a small sound, clink, clink, clink.
He looked down at the wide-brimmed brown hat in his hand and sighed. He dropped it in front of one of the guys. “Dammit, Zac, I told you guys to stop talking shit to the Death Dogs. At least don’t do it in my establishment. I don’t want it to be like last time. I’m still trying to get the blood stains out of the bar, and that’s good solid burl oak in there. Now, keep your fucking heads down. I don’t want to see your ass for a week.”
Holly smiled to herself as the man walked back inside. He might have been older, but he had a charisma about him that was undeniable. Sexy, even. He strode with confidence, like he owned the town. She wasn’t sure if he was a bouncer or the owner of the place, but she knew he was one of the people she needed to talk to. Her eyes dropped to the two guys in the street as they pulled themselves to their feet.
The one on the right put his hat on and slapped the other guy square in the chest. “I fucking told you, numbnuts. Don’t fuck with the Death Dogs. You never fucking learn your lesson. Now, what are we going to do?”
The other guy cleared his throat. “There’s other bars in this shithole. I’m not wasting any precious time away from the Zoo sitting in my fucking room. Let’s go to Clancy’s.”
His partner in crime sighed. “That was the best bar this place has to offer. We can’t even get a drink in this tiny-ass town without you fucking shit up. Come on, asshole. Let’s go.”
Holly giggled to herself as the guy in the hat kicked at his friend. They moved quickly down the street. They might be heading away, but she was headed forward. She grabbed the large door by a wooden handle and swung it open. The sound of music and conversation hit her like a wave. As the door swung to a close, the sign out front tilted just a bit farther south.
“Damned fucking idiots,” a guy grumbled as he grabbed a bottle. He had a lost a pinky somewhere. Holly didn’t want to ask him where.
He poured himself a shot and slung it back, then wiped his forearm across his lips. He already looked more than half drunk. He had that tell-tale wobble, trying to keep himself steady in his seat. He slammed his incomplete fist down and ranted to no one in particular. “It was a good thing JB tossed them out, or I would have had to.”
JB snarled, “Shut your fucking mouth, or you’re next.” He smoothed down his white beard and had a drink himself.
The man with no pinky shook his head and poured another shot, taking it back fast and hard like it was water.
A couple of guys on the other side of the bar grumbled into their glasses. “Damned stupid mercenaries, can’t keep their shit together for nothing.”
The drunk pointed three fingers at them. “Knock it off, assholes. Don’t piss him off. This is the best place this town’s got to offer. I don’t want to end up on my ass like the other two.”
JB considered his empty shot glass as if he were contemplating a third round. “Wouldn’t be your first time, Chuck. Probably won’t be your last time, neither. The rules aren’t hard to follow. You knuckleheads just can’t seem to get your shit straight enough to follow them.”
Holly smiled to herself as she made her way to the bar. The sand blowing in from the open doors scraped under her dress flats. She put her bag down and pulled up a stool. JB blinked at her for a moment. He glanced at the other guys, who had been staring at her. They quickly looked away or started conversations amongst themselves. Holly hadn’t even noticed the glares. She was pretty used to it by that point.
JB grabbed a towel and began wiping the sand and grime from the bar. “Tell me you’re not walking into the Zoo in that outfit.”
Holly chuckled. “This is a business suit, JB.”
JB lifted his brow, surprised she knew his name.
Holly continued as if she hadn’t noticed. “Who knows, maybe I will wander into the Zoo dressed to impress. Think of that. A whole army of middle-management, legal teams and personal assistants running around the Zoo with their day planners and tablets.”
JB looked at her for a second with narrowed eyes, then chuckled. He tossed the towel down and walked the length of the bar until he was standing before her on his side of the bar. She could hear the very subtle clink, clink, clink as he stepped. It was barely audible over the noise of the bar. He leaned against the bar and stared at her for a moment. She kept her eyes locked on his, knowing a showdown when she saw one. He wasn’t intimidating. In fact, he was almost playful.
He sniffed and rapped his fingers against on the bar. “And what would a businesswoman be doing on this side of the wall? I thought you business types liked to keep it quiet.”
The right side of Holly’s mouth inched up into a half-smile. “Now, what kind of businesswoman would I be if I just got one side of the story?”
JB’s right eye twitched slightly. “And what story would that be?”
Holly shrugged. “Whatever story there is. Whatever information there is. I just want a complete picture about the Zoo, I suppose.”
“You want a picture. Okay.” JB seemed to think about that. “The lady is curious about the Zoo. It seems you picked up my name, what’s yours?”
She smiled and put out her hand. “Holly Smith.”
JB shook it. “Nice to meet you, Holly Smith.”
“Nice place,” Holly commented. JB shrugged. The bar was two stories, and the main floor was open all the way to the ceiling. A walkway lined the second floor. Who knew what went on up there. The main floor was scattered with tables. JB’s bar took up one side of the room while another, smaller bar sat in the corner. It seemed to be the service bar. Several waitresses were lined up, waiting on drink orders. The room was dim and dusty, and that was how the patrons liked it, Holly guessed. Behind JB’s bar, there were two dozen or more framed photos. The wall of faces began above the bottles and stretched all the way to the floor of the second floor.
JB grabbed a bottle and refilled a few glasses. When he came back to holly, he noticed her roving eyes. “That’s the Heroes, Hooligans, and Hustlers Wall.” JB kept making drinks, his eyes on what he was doing. He never looked back at the pictures. “I collect stories. Occasionally, I tell
those stories to educate the unenlightened about the Zoo.”
Bingo.
Without showing too much excitement, Holly leaned forward slightly. “Is there a price? For story-time? One involving money, I mean.”
JB pursed his lips. “Don’t accept any other type. The weak aren’t allowed to be preyed on in here.”
Holly chuckled to herself. She set her wallet on the bar. “Women aren’t weak, JB.”
He spat back, “Never said they were. I said the weak. You supplied a gender.”
Holly sat up straight and opened her mouth to argue but then shut it. Her shoulders went limp, and she nodded. “I have to apologize, then. I allowed an assumption to make an ass out of myself. Not usually one to do that, but I suppose there is a first time for everything.”
JB shrugged. “Easy to do. Let me give you your first lesson about the Zoo. You need to check your assumptions, presumptions, and damned near everything else you believe to be true at the door. Leave that shit in the airplane or helicopter or whatever it was you took to get here. Hey. Unless it was camels?”
Holly looked at him aghast, then shook her head.
JB slapped his hand against his knee. “Damn. Been asking seventeen years and I’ve yet to find anyone that rode a fucking camel here. You’d think by now, with us being out here in the middle of the desert, there would be someone that rode in on a fucking camel. Nope. Not a soul.”
Holly narrowed her eyes, trying to get a handle on this guy. He was curiously funny, but from the looks of the faces around the bar, he took no shit. She could see that behind his sparkling green eyes there were some serious tales to be told. She wanted to hear them.
JB cleared his throat and put his hand to his chin. “Now, what would a young woman like yourself like to drink?”
Holly opened her mouth to answer, but he put out his hand to silence her. “No, don’t tell me. You come into FUBAR and we play a little game. I get to guess. Only been wrong twice.”
The man with no pinky scoffed. “Yeah, and he was drunker than hell both those times. I’m pretty sure one of them he was trying to guess what one of the bar stools wanted to drink. That was an automatic out.”
JB let out a deep breath. “I was younger then, ripe with adrenaline from the thick of it. Don’t make those mistakes too often, these days.”
Holly hid her smile. She could imagine a young, drunk JB. She liked the idea. Holly put her hands in her lap and sat up straight. “All right, JB. What will it be?”
JB thought for a moment and shook his finger. “How about a Sarsaparilla with a touch of Rum and a cherry on the top? You look like a lady who could do a hard drink with a touch of sweetness.”
Holly chuckled. “Sounds just like me, only the sweetness is evened out with a dash of bitters. I’ll go with it. And I’ll take one of your stories as a chaser.”
JB mulled that over. “That ups the price to fifteen bucks a drink.”
Suddenly there was a twenty-dollar bill on the bar and a smile on Holly’s face. “Keep the change.”
Chapter Three
The sound of a bar stool scraping against the dirty floor brought Holly’s attention around. A tall man with a relatively clean-shaven face and newer clothes sat down next to Holly. He put his hand out. “Sorry. Dan Carruthers. Getting him to tell one of the stories is a big deal.”
Holly shook his hand.
JB looked Dan over and shrugged. “Why the hell not? I haven’t told many stories lately.”
Dan pulled his wallet and took out a twenty-dollar bill. He stuffed it into Holly’s hand beneath the cover of the bar and whispered. “See if you can get two stories out of him.”
Holly winked and took the twenty.
JB turned back to them. He set a drink down in front of Holly and nodded at Dan. “Your usual, Dan?”
Dan pulled a ten out and put it on the bar. “Yes, sir.”
As JB poured Dan two fingers of straight whiskey, he stared at Holly. “Well, go ahead, give it a try.”
Holly sighed, not expecting much. She brought the drink to her lips. As soon as she took a sip, her eyes went wide and she cracked a smile. “Wow, that is really good.”
JB smiled. “Has to do with your constitution.” He narrowed his eyes at Holly and stared for several moments.
She sat back. “What? Did I not do something right? Is there some sort of weird ceremony I missed?”
JB pointed at her. “No, you’re doing great. I think I’ve decided what story I want to tell. You remind me a little bit of a woman I once knew. A firecracker. She was a hustler, and I’m not just talking about someone who hustles for money, although she did plenty of that. No, this was someone that did good, but wasn’t out for anyone but herself and her people.”
Holly lifted an eyebrow. “And I remind you of her? I’m not sure how I should take that.”
“Well, she wasn’t no hero, but she wasn’t some hooligan out to cheat the system and anyone she came across. She might help a person out of principle, but she wouldn’t go into the Zoo on purpose, not for no reason. Unless, of course, it was part of her plan to begin with.”
Holly took a sip of her drink. “Okay, and who was this mystery woman?”
JB chuckled. “We don’t use real names here, but for story-telling purposes, let’s call her Gabrielle Antoinette. She came out here to make something of herself or die trying.”
“Seems a bit nuts.”
“Nuts it was and die she did, in the end. By creating the mercenary company Death Dogs, she became a legend.”
Holly recognized the name. “Yeah, I heard you mention that name when you threw those other two out earlier.”
JB leaned back against the cabinet, his eyes unfocused, lost in his thoughts. “She went in eight times and eventually came out with one of the plants. Earned over three million dollars.”
“I heard they were worth more than that.”
JB smirked. “It was sickly. The company that bought it couldn’t keep it alive, so they used what they could. She actually came out ahead in that deal.”
“So that was the eighth time. Was that the last?”
JB laughed loudly. “Hardly. In total, she went in eighteen times. Managed to come out seventeen. Everyone said she was cursed.”
Holly chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. “Three million dollars and eighteen trips into the Zoo, that doesn’t sound cursed.”
JB shook his head. “Not cursed in business, but in love. She had three lovers during her time here, and all but one died. The last, well, that’s a story in itself.”
Holly put her arms out. “Well, I’m paying for it. Let’s hear some of them!”
Dan chuckled. “I’ve heard some of these. This woman was a legend.”
JB stroked his chin. “Okay. Let’s start with trip number ten. Gabrielle had already turned the Death Dogs into something special. Nobody had done it before, you see? There were near forty members, maybe even fifty. At their peak, there was a team going in every four days. Now, Gabrielle didn’t go in every time, but when she did it was something to talk about. This trip was her first in nearly three months.”
Gabrielle pulled on her dusty combat boots and walked to the mirror. She chuckled as she wiped the sand off of the mirror. “I told you we shouldn’t have opened the windows last night. Half the Sahara is in here.”
Trinidad rolled over in the bed, his dark skin gleaming in the low lights. He smiled at Gabrielle’s reflection. “If you hadn’t made it so hot then I wouldn’t have needed a window open.”
Gabrielle pulled her chestnut hair into a ponytail. “You, sir, need to stop daydreaming and get dressed. We leave here in thirty minutes. It’s our turn in the thick.”
Trinidad rolled over and looked at the ceiling. “Will we ever get out of here?”
Gabrielle laughed sat next to his head. She ran her fingers up his chest, over his neck and rested them on his cheek. “And do what? Get a house in the suburbs and raise a few children? Like either of us would be satisfied with t
hat.”
Trinidad flashed a grin and grabbed Gabrielle, pulling her down. “No, but maybe we could eat something other than military rations. And maybe even fuck without sand flying into our eyes. You know, the good things in life.”
Gabrielle leaned up to kiss him. “We’ll talk about it when we get back. Unless this time you’re planning on getting eaten by one of those plants. Then I’ll have to find a new lover.”
“You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Her phone’s alarm went off. Gabrielle smacked Trinidad’s ass and pushed him away. “Come on, soldier. Time to rake in that money. Make all your housewife dreams come true.”
Trinidad groaned as he pulled on his pants. “You mock me, woman.”
Gabrielle turned with her hands on her hips. “The alarm went off. I’m no longer your woman. I am now your leader.”
Trinidad saluted her, then fell back on the bed to put on his boots. “You got it, Sarge.”
The team called her Sarge despite the fact that she had no military affiliation. She put her phone in her bag, along with her com and tracking unit. “Five-man team today. Me, you, Alvarez, Trout, and Marcus.”
Trinidad rolled his eyes. “Fucking Marcus. He’s too money hungry. He makes stupid mistakes, and it’s going to cost lives one day.”
Gabrielle opened the door, ushering him out. “He’s young. He will catch on. Don’t worry so much, you’ll jinx us.”