Part 12

This is getting close to being the longest continuing story I've ever written, and I don't feel like I've really gotten anywhere yet. Don't know what to make of that notion.

A couple days later I stopped by Mike’s place on the way home, hoping to get an update on how things were going with Sheryl. We weren’t keeping in touch as well as we usually did, which made me nervous. Though I was also probably just anxious about the whole thing, and was hoping things were moving along.

When I got there I found Mike in the garage as usual, but he was obviously drunker than normal. He was sitting in his easy chair staring into space. He didn’t even notice me walk in. I saw and empty bottle of whiskey next to him, and another one that was almost full. I wonder how full the empty one was when he started.

“Hey Mike.” I said.

He looked up at me leisurely, as if he was half dreaming. “Will?”

“Yep.”

“Well I can see that! Come on in bud, have a seat. Have a drink with me.”

“Sure, you still have beer in the fridge?”

“You thirsty?” he said, looking confused.

I chuckled, “Yeah Mike, I’m thirsty.”

“Go ahead then, you have your beer and then you can have a drink with me.”

“We’ll see.” I walked over to the fridge and overheard him muttering, “he ain’t having a real drink with me, nope, I’m gonna a drink alone tonight.” I grabbed a glass on my way back from the kitchen, figuring I’d have to have at least one real drink with him.

“So what’s the word on our target?” I asked.

“Heh, heh, target. I like that, makes it sound all official and shit. Like we’re really doing something.”

“Oh we’re doing something alright.”

“Trying to... Well, Ms. Bowman is keeping her nose clean, clean, clean. She hasn’t done nothing at all, spends all her time going to the store to fix up the old house she lives in. Doesn’t do nothing to help us out.”

“Why isn’t she looking for a job or something, isn’t that part of her probation?”

“Nope, her mom died not long ago, and she inherited a bunch of money so she doesn’t have to work. She’s doing community service stuff, cleaning up garbage on the roadside crew and whatnot. They don’t have her working with kids or anything.”

“Good idea,” I mused.

“Yep, keep the predator from the prey. But I’m the predator now, and it’s also keeping me from my prey. No good. No good at all.”

“Hmm… time will come, always does.”

“Yep,” Mike perked up. “Time always does come, for all of us. You get Ella knocked up yet?”

“Nope, we’re still thinking about it. She’s mad at me, so there isn’t much talk on the subject.”

“Mad at you? No good, no-no good. You always want an open discourse with the wife. It’s key. You do something wrong?”

“I dunno, maybe.”

“Ah, I know that feeling. I’ve always like Ella, but she’s never liked me.”

“Sure she likes you.”

Mike gave a stunted cackle. “Nope, Ella doesn’t like Mike, never did. It’s okay though; we don’t get along because we’re the kind of people who aren’t going to get along. Nothing you can do about it, it’s just one of those things. I like her though; we just can’t ever be friends. She’s a good person.”

“So are you Mike, you’re a good person too.”

“You really like that idea, don’t you? We’re the good guys… fighting evil!”

“And you like the idea that you’re the bad guy.”

“Bad guy? Ha! I’m not a good guy, I’m not a bad guy, I’m just some guy. Ain’t nothing to it really, just a guy. There’s no good or bad, just what is and what isn’t. But you can be the good guy Will, I know you like it.”

“Just want to do a good thing.”

“It’s just a thing. I’m glad though, that you want to help me with it. Even though I think you’re stupid for wanting to do what you want to do.” I was about to protest but he cut me off. “Now I know that you’re going to do it, that you want to get a kill. ‘Get a kill’ sounds so sterile, doesn’t it? Like it’s a bug or a gopher or maybe a pet puppy or something. Put em in a bag and drown em. Her name is Sheryl Bowman, and she is a person.”

“She’s not a person.”

“Sure, just like you and me, see? People are people, and she’s just a bad people. Doesn’t make her inhuman. Inhumane maybe.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

“Hmm… me too. More than enough for me. I’m glad we do this thing we do, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

“No it isn’t, you never would have done this if not for…”

“No, I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for… Frank.”

“Frank?”

“I never told you? His name was Frank, short for Franklin. But he went by Frank.”

“Who did?”

“Good ol’ Frank took away my Margot and my Sarah. Just some guy, his name was Frank.”

“I thought his name was Steve or Stephen or Steph or something.”

“Yep, but his middle name was Frank. He went by Frank.”

I thought that I knew everything about the man who took Mike’s family, but I never knew that he went by Frank. I also didn’t like Mike being on a first name basis with the man who killed his family.

“You know what Will? I’ve always wondered why you weren’t a religious man. You’ve always had faith in people, I’d have thought it would appeal to your sensibilities.” Mike said.

“Me? Nah, it was never me who had faith in people. You were the one who thought the best of everyone.”

“I did?”

“Once upon a time.”

“Hmm… suppose I did, a lifetime ago. I wish that I had a religion, I think it’d be nice.”

“I’m sure we can get you one. I hear most of them recruit.”

“Hmm… I’d like to believe in God so I could hate Him, do you think they’d let me in for that?”

“Probably wouldn’t want to tell them that part.”

“I could blame God, make it all His fault. I could let go of hating my buddy Frank, and could hate God instead. That’d be a comfort, feel like my prayers would hurt His feelings or something.”

“I don’t think you can hurt God’s feelings Mike.”

“No? But I could try, couldn’t I?”

“You could.”

“Yep, maybe I should get a religion. You think it would help?”

“Not really.”

“No? Maybe not then.”

“Probably not.”

“No religion for Mike,” he said. “I don’t think there really is comfort, just a numbing. But at least now I’m the person I’ve always wanted to be… thought I would be.”

I didn’t know what to say to that statement, not really understanding what Mike thought he was. I know that he was something else with Margot, and something more than that with Sarah. While I was thinking of an answer Mike fell asleep, and I could hear his soft snoring. I guess a real update on Sheryl would have to wait till morning.