by Michael Todd
He glanced at the big picture on the wall. “You know something crazy? My name is Jason Benjamin and everyone calls me JB back at home. We had the same damn name too.”
Dan turned and swayed slightly in his chair. He blinked his eyes at JB and opened his mouth. Paula pinched his arm quickly. He looked at her, at JB, and then at Billie as the realization that it really was JB finally worked its way into his whiskey brain. He winked at Paula and cleared his throat before he stood and raised his glass.
Everyone looked at him, not used to him being the outspoken one. “JB is dead. Long live the new JB!”
The whole bar was silent for a moment as the men exchanged glances. Finally, they began to shout and echo Dan’s words. The whole bar found new life and the patrons yelled to each other and celebrated the life of JB and the new face of FUBAR. They were all incredibly sad, but this seemed like a sign that beamed in and pulled them from their mourning. They had a new reason to take a sip and no longer focused on the wish for a different outcome. Each one could simply thank JB for being such a badass while he had been on earth.
Everyone saluted the new JB, clinked their glasses with those around them, and began to order more. Paula clapped. “Finally. I thought the rest of these fuckers would off themselves out of depression in this dusty, dank place. I need to pay the rent and that had to fucking go.”
Billie chuckled and watched as JB listened to everyone’s stories and other short little tidbits that he hadn’t even remembered. They seemed small but apparently, they were huge to everyone else. It was wild to him, but he had to be on his game and remember that he was the new JB and had to act like all these stories were something new. He had to also remember to not call someone by their name until they introduced themselves. This was probably the toughest challenge for him out of everything. He had to break out into a fake cough several times that night to cover up the fact that he had almost said a name or made a reference to an event he wouldn’t have known as the new JB.
As Paula poured another round of drinks for the patrons, she looked at him. The crowd around him grew bigger and bigger and she knew he wouldn’t enjoy that for very long. She cleared her throat and shouted over the loud voices. “Hey, kid. So you came here to work with your uncle, right?”
JB nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
It took everything in him not to laugh when he called Paula ma’am. She narrowed her eyes and waved him over. “Well, come on then. Around here, we don’t inch you in or even train you. JB always found that the best way to know someone’s character was to throw them to the wolves and see how they responded. So, get your ass back here and make some fucking drinks.”
JB smiled and pushed to his feet and the men patted him on the back as he moved forward to take his place behind the bar. He looked around and found that Paula had moved everything so that he would have to look for things. She had obviously known that if he got back there and knew where everything was, people would catch on or at least question it.
She walked up beside him and hip-checked him before she placed two rocks glasses in front of him. “All right, kid. Make me a Black Russian and a Wooly Worm on ice.”
JB nodded and turned to make the drinks. The Black Russian was perfect but simple. The Wooly Worm on ice, though, he fouled up pretty bad—or, at least, that was what Paula said. In reality, they didn’t have a drink called the Wooly Worm. She merely tried to make it more believable.
After that, people shouted out drinks and JB worked fast to make them. He got some of them right but then made a few mistakes, mostly because they were drinks he had created years before. He turned and put the money in the register as he whispered to Paula, “How do these fucks even remember these drinks? Half the time, they forget to put their pants on before coming in here.”
Paula giggled as he turned and put his arms out in a gesture of irritation. “All right, what’s next?”
They continued to throw drinks at him and watched as he did the best he could to make them. One of the guys at the back yelled, “Make a Hole in Twelve.”
Without thinking, JB poured the drink, shook it in the shaker, and strained it into a shooter glass. Everyone went silent and stared at him. He glanced around nervously. “What? Did I fuck it up?”
One of the men in the front shook his head. “No. Actually, that’s perfect. The thing is, it’s a drink JB made up.”
He froze for a moment and his mind accepted that they would call him out at any second. Of course, that gave them far too much credit. Those in the front of the group all cheered loudly. “JB must be working through him. He’s speaking through his nephew.”
All Paula could do was turn away and roll her eyes.
Chapter Five
Holly tilted her head back and forth and grimaced as she stretched her neck. She stared at the computer screen and blinked once or twice to regain focus. The reality was that she was so tired of working shit up for that company, but she had to finish the contract. They had already paid her all but ten percent, and that last ten would be a big chunk of change. It would be worth the effort required to come up with some shit soda idea that incorporated different plants from the Zoo. Despite temptation, she wouldn’t call them out on their lies about why she was there. If they wanted to tell her it was for a new drink line, then fuck it. She would send them recipes and ideas for exactly that. Then, when she was done, she would wash her fucking hands of the entire affair. It had already cost the lives of two of her team.
The frustration of it all began to surge through her again so she finished the last section of information and zipped the file. With a sigh of relief, she attached the file and emailed it to her contact, AKA Rod, her so-called friend. Once it had gone, she retrieved her phone and sent him a text. I emailed over the drink ideas and recipes for the board. I’ve done my part. If they don’t like it, don’t pay me. Either way, don’t send me a request for more work. They cannot pay me enough for this bullshit. No lie, it’s far too dangerous for a drink.
She reread the text, not sure if she could trust Rod anymore. Everyone seemed insincere now that she stood outside the corporate bubble. She knew she couldn’t live her life suspicious of everyone, but at the same time, with what she had discovered, that might be the only way to survive. She couldn’t trust simply anyone, even if they did know her before she came to the Zoo.
Her phone buzzed and she opened the reply from Rod. Thanks so much for getting this to me. As I said, I heard about what happened to some of your teammates, and you too. I’m sorry it came down to that. It was a dangerous mission but no one needed to die. As far as the board goes, I’ll deliver everything and do my best but they can be selfish pricks. You know this.
Holly pursed her lips and stared at the phone. She knew they could be assholes, but why would they if they got what they really wanted? That was the issue. They had obviously lied to her, and she had a gut feeling that Rod did the same. She felt terrible for thinking he was in on it, but how could she not? He had been the one to cover shit up from the beginning.
She groaned and put the device down once she’d decided that a response wouldn’t be smart, then turned her chair and stared at the room. It was in a mess. Clothes were tossed everywhere, her equipment was permanently set up on the counter, and there were to-go containers strewn all over. Once she had learned there were more places to eat out than she’d thought, she stopped even the attempt to cook for herself. She wasn’t very good at it to begin with.
Her eyes shifted to the front door and the line of locks on it. So many times, Billie had snuck in there without even a sound. She had even managed to make it look as if she had never walked through the door. The windows opened and closed with ease, and the locks on those were barely functional. She had never given it much thought since she was on the second floor.
Holly chewed on the inside of her cheek at a new worry that began to percolate in her mind. They would need to find a better place to stay. She wasn’t exactly in the most secure location.
S
he grabbed her hoodie and pulled it on, opened the door, and jogged down the steps. Amanda was inside the garage, going through paperwork. She looked up as Holly entered and gave her a smile. “Hey there. Did you finish the shit for that company report you had to do?”
“Yeah. I sent it and told them I was done.” She rolled her eyes and pulled herself up on one of the tables. “They got what they wanted. Of course, my contact said they were assholes but he would try to keep them away.”
Amanda shook her head. “Corporate America. They are the real fucking criminals. I swear they need a beat-down of their own.”
Holly chuckled. “Yeah, but it got me thinking about something. The place upstairs isn’t the most secure of locations, especially for what we are doing. But at the same time, I can’t really think of any in this town that would be discrete and secure enough to use as a black ops base.”
The armorer straightened, her expression one of intense thought. “No. Not unless you went all Heavy Metal and bought your own section of town. But that takes a shit ton of money.”
“Something I definitely do not have right now.” She shook her head firmly for emphasis.
“What if we Fort Knox this bitch?”
Holly considered this for a moment. “You mean set up better security? That actually might be a better idea than moving. And it would definitely not draw as much attention.”
Amanda walked over and wiped her hands on a towel. “I could definitely help but I am not up on all the new shit. But Hickok—no, I mean Jean—would probably be the best broad for the job. I mean, she made a living breaking into shit, and she knows everything there is to know about security. Or, at least, she knows who to talk to.”
Holly swung her feet back and forth. “You are correct. She may be our lady.”
Amanda moved to the back of the garage to complete an order. Holly remained on the table, unwilling to go back upstairs and stare at her computer screen. She had begun to get a little restless without JB or Billie around.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out and stared at a video that had been sent to her. She pressed play and watched in complete and utter confusion. After a few moments, her eyes widened and she jumped down and sprinted out and up the steps into her apartment. She grabbed her stuff, locked the door, and ran outside without a word to Amanda as she raced past.
JB twisted to the side and reached for the grenadine. He bumped the shot he was making and was able to catch it before it spilled. By that point, he was on a roll and churned out as many drinks as he could. Everyone in the bar had cheered up and decided it was finally time to start drinking again. The new JB had definitely lifted their spirits, along with their need for alcohol and loud talk.
He finished the drink and slid it down the bar and the customer caught it deftly. The man took a sip and gave him a thumbs up. JB nodded, turned, and slid the money into the register. He poured himself another shot and slung it back. It was his fifth, but this was stressful as he had to try desperately to fuck some of the drinks up so that he wouldn’t look too comfortable back there. At the same time, he had to try to stay somewhat sober so he wouldn’t fuck up and blow his cover.
JB exhaled slowly and set the shot glass on the counter. He sure as hell hoped that lying to everyone would become easier. Otherwise, he might lose it in his attempt to be someone else. Paula walked over and bumped him again with her hip. “What’s the matter, stud? Are you struggling to keep up? I know it’s hard when you have a hot chick like me back here showing you up.”
He shook his head with a grin. Some of the guys laughed. “Look, Paula has already got the poor kid all hot and bothered. You better keep your mitts to yourself there, Paula. Old JB will come back and haunt you.”
She shrugged. “Get ʼem young and you’ll never have to worry about sagging balls. Right, Morris?”
The man looked up and gave her the finger. Everyone roared with laughter. The front doors opened but JB was too busy to look up. A couple of the customers at the bar yelled, “Holly! Come here. Come here. You’ll never fucking guess who fucking fell through the door this morning. Meet the new JB.”
Holly walked up to the bar, glanced at JB, and turned to the patrons. “What the fuck is this? This kid looks exactly like him. Paula, have you been hiding a kid you had with JB?”
The bartender snorted. “Not even in his wildest dreams.”
Everyone in the bar noticed that Holly had come in and they all quieted somewhat. She took her normal seat but turned to face the room. They were very animated, mostly because of the massive number of shots they had drunk.
“So we were all here, minding our own,” one of the men said in explanation. “We had the memorial for JB this morning, which you were at. Then, we all came back here. In comes this kid with his cousin, Jean.”
Paula glanced at Billie and nodded. “Right?”
“So, it turns out, this is fucking JB’s nephew. And his name is fucking JB. Well, not really, but everyone calls him that. He was learning to bartend so he could come here and work with his uncle. And the kid seems to have a direct line to JB, wherever his soul is.”
Paula snorted as she sliced limes. “You know his ass is right here. Even in death, he can’t let shit go.”
Holly shook her head and adopted a solemn expression. “Isn’t it fucking crazy how life works? We need a JB in this town. We need his guts, his glory, and his charm. We need that fucker back there making us drinks, telling us to shut the fuck up, and raising hell with us in mind.”
She turned and grabbed Dan’s drink out of his hand and raised it. “JB is dead. God rest his soul. Long live the new JB!”
She thrust the drink up and then down, shot it back, and twisted to slam the glass on the bar behind her. Everyone did the same and roared with approval as if it were the first time it had been said. Dan grumbled and looked at his empty glass. “I said it first.”
Paula laughed, took his glass, and filled it. “Yeah, you did. And you are a genius for it.”
Dan smiled and took a sip as he glanced at Billie, who was busy talking to the men. They had finally started to notice her and she clearly liked the attention. It was the first time in her life that she could actually sit back and enjoy it. The rest of the time, she had been on assignment and had to brush the men off—or in some cases, put them in a sleeper hold and throw them in a broom closet so they didn’t blow her cover.
She felt good about the fact that she wouldn’t have to manhandle any of them, at least not in a way they wouldn’t enjoy. Of course, not that night. She would have to keep herself low-key, at least for a little while, otherwise, both JB and Holly would have a fit. Billie watched as Holly said hi to the customers. She knocked her vodka back and patted the guy next to her on the leg. “Nice meeting you, Eddie.”
He smiled drunkenly. “You too, Jean.”
Billie smirked, knowing he didn’t look at her head when she walked away. She scooted between Dan and Holly and put out her hand. “Hi. I’m Jean, the new JB’s cousin. Since I got here, I’ve heard all these stories that include you, so I figured I would introduce myself.”
Holly turned in her seat and smiled. “Shot?”
She smirked. “You read my mind.”
“Hey, rookie.” Holly looked at JB and cleared her throat. “Can we have two shots, your choice?”
JB blinked at her with a smirk. “Coming right up, madam.”
She chuckled and turned back to Billie. “So how do you like the Zoo so far?”
Hickok looked at the faces around them. “It seems cool. Pretty much what I expected. Now that we know JB will be right at home, I have to look for a place to stay. As much as I like this place, I don’t think I can stay here twenty-four hours a day.”
Holly laughed. “You would be surprised. Some of these guys swear by it, although I personally don’t like to sleep with my head pressed against peanut shells. But I have some extra space if you want to crash with me.”
The other woman pursed her lips and no
dded her head. “Actually, that sounds good. It would be great to have another woman to show me the ropes of this place. But what about him?”
She laughed and sipped her shot. “As much as I enjoy the company of others, he’ll have to stay somewhere else.”
“Why doesn’t he stay in JB’s old apartment upstairs?” Paula interjected. “It has everything he would need, and I can keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t get in any trouble.”
The guy beside Holly laughed. “Just like you did with the old JB. Taking him under your protection.”
Paula threw a lime wedge at the guy. “Damn right. You only wish I had done the same for you.”
Holly patted her hands on the bar. “Well, why don’t I get you out of this chaos for a minute, New JB? I’m sure you are somewhat overwhelmed. I’ll take you guys upstairs and show you JB’s old apartment and get you settled in.”
He nodded and glanced around the bar. “That sounds good. I could use a break. I’m not really used to this yet.”
Paula smirked. “Oh, you’ll get used to it very soon. It’s like the Zoo. Once you are in, it’s hard to stay away.”
The whole bar yelled out, “Hear, hear!”
He chuckled and waited for Holly to come around the counter. Several of the men watched her walk and whistled. She rolled her eyes and flipped her finger at them. They catcalled but she wasn’t in the mood to give them hell for it. Instead, she sauntered down the hall with JB in tow.
As they started up the stairs, he turned and glanced back toward the bar. “This will definitely be interesting.”
Chapter Six