The Night is Long and Cold and Deep

by Terry M. West

  Bubba immediately wrapped himself around Cecil.

  “I knew you were going to overreact!” Bubba hollered, wrestling Cecil to the ground.

  “That demon bitch killed Conrad!” Cecil screamed, hatefully trying to squirm out of Bubba’s hands.

  Cecil lurched up and Bubba hauled him back down. “Just calm yourself and listen, man!” Bubba pleaded, pulling the bat free from Cecil and putting his friend in a headlock.

  “She’s got you twisted!” Cecil figured, chaotically clawing at Bubba’s arm. “She’s playing with our heads again! Snap out of it!”

  “If I were manipulating you, you certainly would not want to kill me,” Hattie Mae said calmly.

  Cecil eyed her. “You ain’t here for revenge, woman?”

  Hattie Mae shook her head. “I’m here to thank you, Cecil.”

  Cecil’s curiosity fell her way, and his anger and muscles relaxed.

  “All right, Bubba, you fat bastard! Get off of me!” Cecil grumbled.

  “You gonna calm down and listen to the explanation?” Bubba said, panting, sweating and leaning his weight on Cecil.

  Cecil nodded quickly. “Yeah, just get off of me! You’re crushing me, man!”

  Bubba loosened his grip. Cecil lifted himself to a sitting position and stared at his friend. Both men were red-faced and breathing hard.

  “I swallowed my damn chew,” Cecil said, clearing his throat.

  “There’s a story here, man. You gotta listen to it, okay?” Bubba asked, not ready to go another round with his friend.

  Cecil looked back over at Hattie Mae. “So what do you want to thank me for, demon?”

  Hattie Mae smiled and her eyes got cloudy. “When you burned down the house, something happened,” she explained. “The curse, my curse, it was lifted.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cecil asked.

  “She ain’t a succubus no more,” Bubba added. “She’s human now. Like us, man.”

  “What?” Cecil said, his eyes going back and forth between friend and fiend. “How is that even possible? You were a demon in service to hell. You should have just gone back there once the old house was lit up.”

  Hattie Mae nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I should have. I remember the house burning all around me. I saw Conrad. He went up like dry wood; poor thing. And finally, the roof collapsed on the place. And then things are hazy. I woke up this morning naked in the woods. I found the road and a nice elderly Christian couple picked me up. They dressed and fed me, before dropping me off downtown. I eventually found my way to the Busty & Lusty and I got myself a job; because somehow I knew that Turner works there.”

  Cecil arched an eyebrow at Bubba. “Turner? Thought only your mama calls you that.”

  Bubba shrugged. “Well, it is my name, man. Hattie Mae can use it if she wants.”

  “Still, one thing kind of bugs me in all of this,” Cecil maintained. “How’d you know Bubba works where he does? How did you find him and us?”

  “I’m not sure,” Hattie Mae confessed. “I just knew where to look. I think it’s the curse. I can practically see the energy of it around the two of you.”

  “Well, that might be a sight a hellion could perceive,” Cecil said, still sizing Hattie Mae up suspiciously. “But I thought you were human now.”

  “I am,” Hattie Mae insisted. “But I was a demon an awfully long time. I’m still connected to the netherworld and I can feel that connection. That’s why I want to help you.”

  “Help us?” Cecil asked. “You’re going to help us?”

  “Yes,” Hattie Mae continued. “You helped lift my curse; I want to help lift yours.”

  “How do we do that?” Bubba interjected, anxiously.

  “I’m not exactly sure. But I have to try. We can contact a mage or shaman who knows how to treat this. I know I can get rid of it for you,” Hattie Mae said, confidently. “Just give me some time.”

  Bubba regarded Cecil happily. “How about that, man? She’s gonna help us get rid of Rosalita’s curse.”

  “What, she gonna look up shaman in the phone book?” Cecil said doubtfully.

  “I’m gonna teach her the internet, man,” Bubba said. “She’ll have all kinds of places to go there. Besides, you got a better way at handling this business?”

  Cecil shrugged in resignation. “Okay, she can help us. But, let’s see what she can manage before we throw her a parade, all right?”

  “Fair enough. Okay. Well, we got a mess of groceries in my Pontiac,” Bubba said, turning to Hattie Mae. He handed her his keys. “Why don’t you head over to the trailer park and get settled in.”

  “Settled in?” Cecil said, smelling a skunk.

  “Sure. Hattie Mae is going to stay with us, ‘til she gets back on her feet,” Bubba informed Cecil.

  Cecil shook his head. “Man, this just keeps getting better by the minute. She’s staying with us? Her?”

  “For a spell,” Bubba said, gesturing to Hattie Mae. “But we get a benefit or two. Hattie Mae told me she likes to cook. And we could both use some home cooked meals.”

  Hattie Mae nodded. “Cooking is my passion. But, if Cecil isn’t comfortable, I can always find another place.”

  “No,” Bubba said, sternly. “You don’t have anybody and we can help you get up to speed. Things have changed a bit since you was human. We’ll help you get the lay of the land. Ain’t that right, Cecil?”

  Cecil glared at Hattie Mae. “You can cook? What about cleaning?”

  “She ain’t the maid, man,” Bubba argued. He turned to Hattie Mae. “Don’t let that damn Neanderthal take advantage of you. You were alive and married in the forties. Things have changed. We got Women’s Lib now. And affirmative action, too.”

  “Oh, jeez Louise, man,” Cecil relented. “Fine. You don’t have to clean. But you’re still gonna cook for us? Right?”

  “Yes,” Hattie Mae agreed, happily.

  Cecil mulled it over for a second.

  “You sleep on the couch, you don’t crowd up my bathroom with all them womanly products, you figure a way out of this curse mess, and if you turn into that ugly succubus demon thing again, I’ll kill you,” Cecil warned. “We understand each other?”

  Hattie Mae smiled and hugged him.

  “All right, all right,” he muttered, pulling out of Hattie Mae’s grip. She felt and smelled damn fine, but he couldn’t get that hideous demon face of hers out of his mind. It was cold water on him. “We’ll see how things go.”

  “Fresh start?” Hattie Mae said, holding out her hand.

  Cecil stared at it and then looked to Bubba. The big man smiled and nodded. Cecil shook her hand.

  “Okay,” Cecil said. “Just keep the feminine shit to a minimum. My home is my castle. I don’t want to see flowers on my curtains.”

  “The masculinity of your trailer is safe. I promise,” Hattie Mae assured him.

  The store door opened. Two well-dressed men in dark suits entered and walked up to Cecil.

  The lead man was in his fifties. He had a deeply tanned face and dark bags under his eyes. He looked like he didn’t sleep much. The hair on his head was short and dark as midnight and there was salt and pepper stubble on his chin.

  The other man was half the age of his partner and he looked a little young for the suit he wore. He had fairer hair and large brown eyes that devoured everything. He lingered behind the first man and looked over the people in the store. Spotting Hattie Mae, he unabashedly drank her in from head to foot before catching himself and hardening his attention back on his partner.

  “You in charge here?” the taller and older of the two asked. There was urgency on the man’s face and in his voice.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Cecil said, straightening. “Cecil McGee of McGee’s Gas, Garage and 24 Hour Convenience Center. What can I do you for?”

  The man brought out a badge. “FBI. I’m Special Agent Leonard Bennetts and this is my partner Henry Hanson.”

  The younger man flashed his ba
dge proudly for everyone to see.

  “We have a little bit of a situation,” Bennetts said, and then he glanced over to Bubba and Hattie Mae. “Who are your friends?” he asked, but his eyes stayed on Hattie Mae. He pulled a pack of gum out of his pocket.

  “This here is Bubba and Hattie Mae,” Cecil said.

  Agent Bennetts popped a stick of gum into his mouth and then he took Hattie Mae’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said, with a polite smile.

  Bubba waited for his handshake, but it never came. Bennetts was focused strictly on Hattie Mae. “Listen, do you folks mind if we borrow Cecil for a few minutes?”

  “That’s fine,” Bubba said, putting his hands on Hattie Mae’s shoulders and steering her toward the door. “I was about to send her over to the trailer, anyway. Come on, Hattie Mae. I’ll give you directions to the trailer park. It ain’t far from here.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Hattie Mae smiled over her shoulder at them.

  Bubba and Hattie Mae walked out of the store. The agents stared after them.

  “She your girl? Or your friend’s?” Bennetts asked Cecil.

  “No, man. She’s just a friend staying with us,” Cecil explained.

  Bennetts grinned and leaned in close. “Well, if you don’t mind me saying so, I’d drag my body over a mile of broken glass just to beat off in her shadow, because she is hot, my friend.” He turned to Hanson. “Am I right?”

  Hanson nodded and arched his eyebrows. “She was fine. No doubt about it. I’d throw a little jizz that way.”

  “Southern fried cooze is the best tasting,” Bennetts said with a chuckle.

  “That may be true, but trust me; she’s got problems. I wouldn’t recommend tying up with that one,” Cecil warned good-naturedly.

  Cecil didn’t know where the men were from, but they weren’t from Texas. Somewhere north, he figured on, seeing how big they talked and acted. They were definitely cocky and arrogant, and they had a license to carry and kill in the name of government. Cecil didn’t like them for those reasons and for the way they were putting their filthy jaws on a flower of the south. Hattie Mae may have been a former demon, but they didn’t know that. They were God damned tourists and he hated them.

  “So, what’s the emergency?” Cecil asked.

  “We have a van outside. It’s running funky, all of a sudden,” Bennetts explained. “We need you to fix it. We have some important cargo we need to get to the DFW airport before morning.”

  “Well, the garage is actually closed,” Cecil explained. “Don’t know how much I could do for you tonight.”

  Bennetts nodded and pulled his wallet from his suit jacket. He plucked a hundred dollar bill from the wallet and handed it to Cecil. “It’s really vital we get that van rolling. And we don’t have all night to fuck around, you understand?”

  Cecil took the money. He decided they weren’t so bad after all. “Guess I could run a diagnostic for you.”

  “You’d be doing your country a great favor,” Bennetts said, putting his wallet away. “How long you think that’ll take?”

  “Not long,” Cecil guessed. “An hour, I’d say, to get it purring.”

  Bennetts nodded. He put an arm around Cecil.

  “One more thing; you’ll notice we have a padlock on the back of the van. Don’t fart around, okay? I guarantee that there’s nothing in there worth getting yourself hurt over. You feel me, Cecil?” Bennetts warned. His eyes stayed friendly and the smile was still there, but Cecil could sense a strong potential for malice in the man; it practically gave off a glow.

  Cecil nodded in compliance and with assurance to both men. “Yeah, sure, guys, that’s an unwritten code. You don’t have to worry.”

  Bennetts smiled again and patted Cecil’s shoulder. “Good.”

  “But is there something dangerous I need to worry about in there?” Cecil asked cautiously.

  Bennetts and Hanson both laughed. “No, Cecil. It’s something that’s stone cold dead and has been for a very long time. You’ve got nothing to worry about; unless you stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

  Agent Bennetts dug out his keys and pitched them to Hanson. “Go start the sedan. I’ll be out in a second.”

  Hanson nodded and left the store.

  “So, where’s the nearest watering hole?” Bennetts asked.

  “Well, if you go south on the Jacksboro, there’s the new Old Hob Nob. It’s a pretty decent place to rope your horse,” Cecil recommended.

  “It’s the new Old Hob Nob?” Bennetts asked curiously. “What happened to the old Old Hob Nob?”

  “Burnt down,” Cecil replied. “They built the new one on the same spot. It’s a blessing really. The old one was a shit hole.”

  “We’ll be back in an hour or so,” Bennetts said. “Have that van running or it’s your ass, okay?”

  “Yes, sir,” Cecil said, giving a two finger salute from the brim of his cap. Cecil wanted to give the man one finger, though. What an asshole this Bennetts guy was. “You can count on Cecil McGee,” he added, with a fake country grin.

  Bennetts left the store, passing Bubba who was coming back in.

  “Take it easy, Jethro,” Bennetts said to Bubba as they passed each other.

  Bubba frowned. “It’s Bubba,” he said, but the agent was already in the black sedan.

  “Hattie Mae said she’s gonna fix us up some food and come back here in an hour or so,” Bubba told Cecil. He looked back curiously toward the entrance. “What did those Feds want?”

  “They got a problem with their van outside,” Cecil explained. “I’m gonna take a look at it for them.”

  “I didn’t like the way they were staring at Hattie Mae, man,” Bubba confessed. “They were practically raping her with their eyes.”

  “You’re sweet on her, ain’t you?” Cecil accused his friend. “That’s why you want her in the trailer and you’re being all protective. Well, you ain’t Costner, she ain’t Whitney and you ain’t gonna carry her off into the sunset, you dumb ass.”

  “Shut the hell up,” Bubba said, defensively. “I’m just trying to help someone that needs help because it’s the right thing to do. Not that you would know anything about doing the right thing. If there ain’t money or pussy tied to it, it doesn’t get done by Cecil McGee.”

  “That’s the way of the world, man,” Cecil argued. “You fuck or get fucked; eat or get eaten. Grow up, you naïve little bitch.”

  “You know, I talked to Hattie Mae for a spell at the club,” Bubba said. “She ain’t nearly as jaded as you, and she’s been on the dark side, brother. She’s actually a very innocent and kind person.”

  “Bubba, she was a hell whore,” Cecil reminded him. “There ain’t nothing innocent about her.”

  “You watch it,” Bubba warned, ready to put Cecil back on the ground. “She never wanted any of that business. Her husband abused her and so did the devil. This is a chance for her to be something other than a sex toy, man.”

  “So, after slipping the chains of otherworldly sexual slavery, she goes and signs up to ride the pole at a strip club?” Cecil argued. “How does that make any sense?”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Bubba argued back. “She’s the best looking dancer there. She’ll make a good living until she decides what to do with herself. And I’ll be there to watch over her.”

  “I think that you’re steering this ride with your dick, man,” Cecil shot at his friend.

  Bubba looked highly offended. “I ain’t making an untoward move on her. And you better not either, slick. She don’t need that shit; especially from a pervert like you. You ought to be registered, you dirty bastard.”

  “Bubba, I vividly remember what she looked like in demon mode,” Cecil said, shuddering a little at the image flickering in his mind. “I wouldn’t lay my little Cecil a hundred feet near that.”

  “Good. Keep it that way,” Bubba said firmly.

  Cecil shook his head. “Yeah, you don’t sound sweet on her at all,” he said, sarca
stically. “I don’t get you, man. There are at least half a dozen gals at that place you work who are more than ready to put the stink on you; despite your damned girth I might add. And you go and bring home a sex demon that is only a damn day into retirement.”

  Bubba ignored the comments and spotted the Invasion video game in the corner. “I’m gonna play a few games while you work on the van,” he announced, digging some quarters out of his pocket.