THUGLIT Issue Seven by Michael Sears, Edward Hagelstein, Ed Kurtz, Joe Clifford, Christopher E. Long, Marie S. Crosswell, Justin Ordonez, Benjamin Welton
Authors: Michael Sears, Edward Hagelstein, Ed Kurtz, Joe Clifford, Christopher E. Long, Marie S. Crosswell, Justin Ordonez, Benjamin Welton
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looking at now. Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary so he shuts the hood. Desperately trying to avoid the blazing concrete, he squats down and contorts himself to look at the Mercedes' undercarriage. Again, nothing appears amiss.
" Chad, what're you doing?" Jen asks, stuffing some items in her purse as she approaches the car.
Panicky, he gets behind the wheel, puts the key in the ignition, and takes a deep breath. If there 's an explosion, he doesn't want Jen in the car when it goes off.
VRROOOM!
The engine starts with a roar and recedes to its high-performance purr. Chad exhales as he revs the engine. Jen opens the passenger door and slides in next to him. "Is everything all right with the car?" she asks.
He puts the car in reverse and backs up. "Yes, thank God."
The Mercedes pulls out of the parking lot and makes its way down the long desert road. The landscape is a desolate wasteland. The only landmarks that break the monotony of sand and stone are the tall, white wind turbines that rise like giant redwoods in the distance.
Chad 's eyes dart from the rearview mirror, back to the road, and from left to right.
" Are you okay?" she asks.
" Yeah, great," he says. He grabs her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
" How're you feeling?"
" Good," he says. "Fine."
" Are you sure? You look hot. Your face is red and you're sweating."
Chad blasts the temperature control. "I'm fine." He turns on the satellite radio, which is tuned to the channel New Wave Hits of the Eighties. Under normal circumstances, he'd probably be singing along with "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode, but these aren't normal circumstances.
The car approaches the 10 Freeway. Chad merges into the southbound traffic and immediately notices a black SUV a few vehicles back. He changes lanes, and the SUV changes into the same lane.
" Honey, you're going really fast," she says.
" We've got to make the flight." His eyes moving from the rearview mirror to the road and back again.
Jen turns around in her seat and looks through the back window. "What're you looking at?"
The SUV merges to the far rig ht lane and takes the off-ramp.
" Oh, nothing," he says.
" Are you in trouble?"
He takes the Gene Autry exit and follows the signs to the airport. Stopping at a red light at the bottom of the off ramp, Chad asks, "Why have you never asked me what I do for a living?"
" I know what you do. You're a supply chain manager."
The light turns green and he takes a left. The long, flat road bakes under the afternoon sun, the heat undulating in a spectral dance. "Do you know what a supply chain manager does?"
She shrugs.
"I manage moving products from a supplier to customers," he says. She sits quietly and looks straight ahead, her hands fidgeting with the drawstring of her shorts. "Do you want to know who the supplier is?"
Barely more than a whisper, she says, "No."
" I quit my job today," he says. "My employer isn't used to people quitting. His employees are retired."
" You're scaring me." The silence is heavy like a soggy blanket as they make their way toward the airport. She finally says, "What are we going to do?"
" I am going to get you on a flight to Vegas," he says. "You're going to go to the tradeshow and show your boss that you are committed to taking your career to the next level. You're not going to take no for an answer. You're going to start designing swimsuits."
" What are you going to do?"
He turns left and follows the road signs to the airport. Chad glances in the rearview mirror just as a black town car speeds out of a parking lot. As he slows the Mercedes to a stop at a red light, he watches as the town car pulls up behind him. There are two men in the front seat. The driver stares straight ahead, and the man sitting next to him fiddles with something in his lap, his eyes downcast. He doesn't know how he knows, but Chad is certain that these men have been waiting for him. If it weren't for the fact that he's terrified, Chad
" Chad, what're you doing?" Jen asks, stuffing some items in her purse as she approaches the car.
Panicky, he gets behind the wheel, puts the key in the ignition, and takes a deep breath. If there 's an explosion, he doesn't want Jen in the car when it goes off.
VRROOOM!
The engine starts with a roar and recedes to its high-performance purr. Chad exhales as he revs the engine. Jen opens the passenger door and slides in next to him. "Is everything all right with the car?" she asks.
He puts the car in reverse and backs up. "Yes, thank God."
The Mercedes pulls out of the parking lot and makes its way down the long desert road. The landscape is a desolate wasteland. The only landmarks that break the monotony of sand and stone are the tall, white wind turbines that rise like giant redwoods in the distance.
Chad 's eyes dart from the rearview mirror, back to the road, and from left to right.
" Are you okay?" she asks.
" Yeah, great," he says. He grabs her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
" How're you feeling?"
" Good," he says. "Fine."
" Are you sure? You look hot. Your face is red and you're sweating."
Chad blasts the temperature control. "I'm fine." He turns on the satellite radio, which is tuned to the channel New Wave Hits of the Eighties. Under normal circumstances, he'd probably be singing along with "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode, but these aren't normal circumstances.
The car approaches the 10 Freeway. Chad merges into the southbound traffic and immediately notices a black SUV a few vehicles back. He changes lanes, and the SUV changes into the same lane.
" Honey, you're going really fast," she says.
" We've got to make the flight." His eyes moving from the rearview mirror to the road and back again.
Jen turns around in her seat and looks through the back window. "What're you looking at?"
The SUV merges to the far rig ht lane and takes the off-ramp.
" Oh, nothing," he says.
" Are you in trouble?"
He takes the Gene Autry exit and follows the signs to the airport. Stopping at a red light at the bottom of the off ramp, Chad asks, "Why have you never asked me what I do for a living?"
" I know what you do. You're a supply chain manager."
The light turns green and he takes a left. The long, flat road bakes under the afternoon sun, the heat undulating in a spectral dance. "Do you know what a supply chain manager does?"
She shrugs.
"I manage moving products from a supplier to customers," he says. She sits quietly and looks straight ahead, her hands fidgeting with the drawstring of her shorts. "Do you want to know who the supplier is?"
Barely more than a whisper, she says, "No."
" I quit my job today," he says. "My employer isn't used to people quitting. His employees are retired."
" You're scaring me." The silence is heavy like a soggy blanket as they make their way toward the airport. She finally says, "What are we going to do?"
" I am going to get you on a flight to Vegas," he says. "You're going to go to the tradeshow and show your boss that you are committed to taking your career to the next level. You're not going to take no for an answer. You're going to start designing swimsuits."
" What are you going to do?"
He turns left and follows the road signs to the airport. Chad glances in the rearview mirror just as a black town car speeds out of a parking lot. As he slows the Mercedes to a stop at a red light, he watches as the town car pulls up behind him. There are two men in the front seat. The driver stares straight ahead, and the man sitting next to him fiddles with something in his lap, his eyes downcast. He doesn't know how he knows, but Chad is certain that these men have been waiting for him. If it weren't for the fact that he's terrified, Chad
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