beautiful woman pointing a shotgun at him undeniably sexy.
“We don’t want any trouble from the police, and you don’t want to shoot anybody.” Franklin jabbed Percy in the back with the gun, forcing him to take a step forward. “So let’s all take a deep breath and—”
Franklin shoved Percy into Julie, knocking them both over. The bartender lost control of the shotgun as she landed on a table. It tipped over, spilling her onto the floor. Franklin stuffed Percy’s gun in his jacket and then picked up the shotgun with one hand and Percy with the other. Franklin couldn’t believe how fast things got out of control. He really was slipping.
“Sorry, but I can’t let you or anybody else get in my way,” Franklin said to Julie. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
She held the back of her head with her hand. “Just get the hell out of here.”
Franklin squeezed Percy’s shoulder. “You heard the lady.”
The two burst out of the Thirsty Alligator. Percy’s van was illuminated by the parking lot’s lone lamppost. It looked exactly like the one used by the A-Team , complete with the red stripe and spoiler on top.
“Nice van,” Franklin said.
“Yeah. I loved looking at it with both of myeyes, douche nozzle.”
Franklin ignored the remark. He deserved it. “Where’s the stuff?”
“In the back.”
Franklin forced Percy around to the rear of the van and then shoved him up against it a little harder than intended.
“Sorry.”
Percy screamed again. “Damn it! Do you want my eyeball to fall out?”
Franklin patted down Percy’s pants for the keys. “I don’t, but you pulled a gun on me. I tend to forget my manners when that happens.”
“Right, yeah. Blame this on me. It’s all my fault.”
Franklin grabbed Percy’s keys and unlocked the van. Time was running out. The police would be there soon. He shoved Percy in the van’s cargo area, next to a couple of large coolers. Franklin pointed at them.
“Are those… them?”
“You’ve got two eyes. Use them.”
Franklin took a peek inside the first cooler and recoiled from the stench of rotting flesh. It wasn’t the first, or even hundredth time he’d come across that odor, but he never could get used to it. The cooler contained an arm and a leg, both mummified and juicy. Trenton’s body didn’t decompose at the same rate as normal bodies, because it couldn’t technically die. The parts merely lay in wait, holding on until they could be awakened. Franklin’s immortality ended the second his head became detached from his body. Then again, Trenton was a master of dark arts. Franklin merely paid a drunken shaman to do the job.
The other cooler held a torso, also mummified and juicy. Franklin felt a small sense of accomplishment at finding the body parts, but with so much left to do to stop Trenton from awakening and destroying everything in his path, it mostly felt like checking items numbered nine, ten, and eleven off a list of three thousand.
“There. Happy?” Blood spilled from Percy’s eye socket, past his jawbone. “Can I go now? I want to get my eyeball fixed.”
Franklin dragged the coolers out with his free hand, letting them fall to the ground on their side. Trenton’s arm and leg spilled onto the parking lot.
“Jesus.” Julie gawked at the body parts.
Franklin jerked back at the sight of her. Why? Why would you come out here? Seeing everything only put her in danger. He slammed the van door shut, moving to block her view from Trenton’s remains. “Forget you ever saw this stuff. Trust me on that one.”
“How? What?” Julie’s body shook. “My God.”
Franklin ejected the shells from the shotgun and handed the weapon over. Hands free, he reached inside his pants leg to pull out the Blade of Hugues de Payens from its brand new sheath.
“Whoa. You got it, man.” Julie took a step back, holding the shotgun away from her. “I didn’t see a thing, I don’t remember talking to you, and I damn sure
“We don’t want any trouble from the police, and you don’t want to shoot anybody.” Franklin jabbed Percy in the back with the gun, forcing him to take a step forward. “So let’s all take a deep breath and—”
Franklin shoved Percy into Julie, knocking them both over. The bartender lost control of the shotgun as she landed on a table. It tipped over, spilling her onto the floor. Franklin stuffed Percy’s gun in his jacket and then picked up the shotgun with one hand and Percy with the other. Franklin couldn’t believe how fast things got out of control. He really was slipping.
“Sorry, but I can’t let you or anybody else get in my way,” Franklin said to Julie. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
She held the back of her head with her hand. “Just get the hell out of here.”
Franklin squeezed Percy’s shoulder. “You heard the lady.”
The two burst out of the Thirsty Alligator. Percy’s van was illuminated by the parking lot’s lone lamppost. It looked exactly like the one used by the A-Team , complete with the red stripe and spoiler on top.
“Nice van,” Franklin said.
“Yeah. I loved looking at it with both of myeyes, douche nozzle.”
Franklin ignored the remark. He deserved it. “Where’s the stuff?”
“In the back.”
Franklin forced Percy around to the rear of the van and then shoved him up against it a little harder than intended.
“Sorry.”
Percy screamed again. “Damn it! Do you want my eyeball to fall out?”
Franklin patted down Percy’s pants for the keys. “I don’t, but you pulled a gun on me. I tend to forget my manners when that happens.”
“Right, yeah. Blame this on me. It’s all my fault.”
Franklin grabbed Percy’s keys and unlocked the van. Time was running out. The police would be there soon. He shoved Percy in the van’s cargo area, next to a couple of large coolers. Franklin pointed at them.
“Are those… them?”
“You’ve got two eyes. Use them.”
Franklin took a peek inside the first cooler and recoiled from the stench of rotting flesh. It wasn’t the first, or even hundredth time he’d come across that odor, but he never could get used to it. The cooler contained an arm and a leg, both mummified and juicy. Trenton’s body didn’t decompose at the same rate as normal bodies, because it couldn’t technically die. The parts merely lay in wait, holding on until they could be awakened. Franklin’s immortality ended the second his head became detached from his body. Then again, Trenton was a master of dark arts. Franklin merely paid a drunken shaman to do the job.
The other cooler held a torso, also mummified and juicy. Franklin felt a small sense of accomplishment at finding the body parts, but with so much left to do to stop Trenton from awakening and destroying everything in his path, it mostly felt like checking items numbered nine, ten, and eleven off a list of three thousand.
“There. Happy?” Blood spilled from Percy’s eye socket, past his jawbone. “Can I go now? I want to get my eyeball fixed.”
Franklin dragged the coolers out with his free hand, letting them fall to the ground on their side. Trenton’s arm and leg spilled onto the parking lot.
“Jesus.” Julie gawked at the body parts.
Franklin jerked back at the sight of her. Why? Why would you come out here? Seeing everything only put her in danger. He slammed the van door shut, moving to block her view from Trenton’s remains. “Forget you ever saw this stuff. Trust me on that one.”
“How? What?” Julie’s body shook. “My God.”
Franklin ejected the shells from the shotgun and handed the weapon over. Hands free, he reached inside his pants leg to pull out the Blade of Hugues de Payens from its brand new sheath.
“Whoa. You got it, man.” Julie took a step back, holding the shotgun away from her. “I didn’t see a thing, I don’t remember talking to you, and I damn sure
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