Bang!
That’s all Devon remembered of her last shift at the Seven Eleven. It was the talk of Canyon Plaza for weeks. No one in the suburban strip mall could recall a more disturbing incident in the quiet bedroom community of Los Angeles.
* 2 *
Josh waited for his father after school for about an hour before giving up and walking home. His father always picked him up from school. It’s not that it was so far to walk home, just that his father liked to spend that quality time with his son.
While walking home, he texted his friend, Kyle, on his cell phone. Kyle replied back that his mother just bought him the new game for his Wii and invited Josh over, or rather challenged Josh in a game. Excited, Josh changes his destination to Kyle’s place.
* 3 *
Kyle’s mother, Nancy, was called in early again to her job at the Seven Eleven. This had become a habit since Devon’s so-called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of the armed robbery. Nancy understood the first few weeks and was genuinely willing to pitch in; after all, it wasn’t everyday you saw your co-worker being shot at close range while being robbed. However, now going on week five it was time for Devon to either get her act together or move on. Nancy’s only concern was that she wasn’t leaving Kyle at home by himself too much.
* 4 *
Josh’s father, Paul, sat in the car in the parking lot of Astrodyne Aeronautical Systems. That’s where he used to work, up until last Thursday. Five days later here he sits pondering what to do. He leans over to the passenger seat, and picks up the locked metal case. He feels the cold smooth metal of the aluminum case before inputting the combination of the lock. With the combination correct, the case pops open.
* 5 *
Devon’s father, Tony, was getting ready to leave home for the dinner shift of his Italian restaurant. His restaurant in Canyon Plaza was quite the local favorite ever since opening up 5 years ago.
Before leaving he checked in on Devon to make sure she was alright. Each time he thinks about the fatal robbery five weeks ago, he feels a twinge of guilt. After all, if it weren’t for his restaurant being next door to the Seven Eleven, and his being golf buddies with the owner of the store, Devon would not have thought to get an after-school job there.
“How’re you doing sweetie?” Tony asks Devon. “Do you need anything?”
“No, Dad, I’m fine.” Devon replies perfunctorily, but Tony doesn’t believe her.
Tony leaves for work anyway.
* 6 *
Tony straightened his black on black tie as he stepped into the Isola d’Elba, the restaurant he helped manage during the week. But he made more money waiting tables on weekends. Tonight was Friday and his second busiest after Sunday Brunch. Cassandra gave him the evil eye as he walked by and kissed her on the cheek. Her husband, Roger didn’t know about their meetings at the Journey’s End Motel on the outskirts of Eastvale. Tony kept his golf dates with Roger on Wednesdays and usually let him win.
“How’s Devon?” asked Cassandra.
“She’s putting up a good front,” Tony replied. “But I think she has to work it out over time. All I can do, is be there when she needs me, for now, anyway.”
“You’re a good man, Tony,” she said as he walked into the kitchen. She tried not to stare at his beautiful ass and those long legs. She checked her makeup in the compact before returning to next season’s menu.
* 7 *
Charlie was being considered for a manager trainee spot where he worked at Step, the chic shoe store. He did have the best sales until his twin brother, Val got shot pointblank at the Seven Eleven. There was nothing he could really do until his brother regained consciousness, if he did. His dreams were troublesome and sometimes he was the one being shot. It seemed Devon wasn’t doing so well either. She was seeing his dad for counseling and meds. Dr. Albert Pierce was well known for heading the Psych ward of Eastvale General. He had assured Charlie that Val was stable but unchanged as of this morning. Val just had to pull through. No other artist he knew could give him the critiques he needed for his budding clothing line. If he made management, he wouldn’t have time to work on it.
* 8 *
Carson West was bothered by seeing Paul’s car in the lot for the third day in a row. He wished he hadn’t been convinced of Paul’s espionage by his own team mate, John Reed. He’d had always figured John for having less than average morals, but the evidence was clearly in Paul’s office. He’d had no choice but to let his good friend go. He would have his limo brought around to the north entrance, out of sight of his ex-employee.
* 9 *
I’M @ WK read the text on Kyle’s phone. He ignored it, trying not to be pissed his mom had to work early. Josh would keep him company for a while but he really didn’t like to be by himself. It was Friday after all and she wouldn’t be home until 6:00am tomorrow.
“Did you get the copy of your mom’s key?” asked Josh.
“Yeah,” Kyle said. “I got Joey to make it at work.” Kyle didn’t want to share with Josh what he had to do for the copy. He’d done it while his mom slept during the day.
“Well?” asked Josh.
“I thought you’d never ask,” replied Kyle with grin. They went to the dining room and opened the cabinet full of liquor. Kyle had plans for his friend, Josh.
* 10 *
Paul turned on the laptop inside of the aluminum case. As a teenager he had his experience in hacking into computers. Most companies, Astrodyne Aeronautical Systems included, didn’t realize how vulnerable their wireless networks were to unauthorized access. With a few typed lines at the command line prompt, he was in. Now to accomplish what he set out to do.
* 11 *
Tony really hated the nasally way Cassandra said, “You’re a good man.” She didn’t even realize what a caricature she was - dumb broad, sleeping with the boss. It wasn’t even that she excited Tony, more just a distraction from all of the bad news that had been coming his way. Tony just hoped his golf buddy Roger, the owner of the Seven Eleven next door and husband to Cassandra didn’t find out. That would cause all kinds of friction.
* 12 *
Roger called Nancy into his office and had her shut the door behind her. “Have a seat,” Roger said.
Nancy took the seat facing him wondering what was up.
“Not that seat. This seat,” he motioned to his lap.
Nancy gave an uncomfortable giggle.
* 13 *
Josh slipped the liquid into his friend Kyle’s drink while he was in the bathroom. It shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes for the GHB to take effect. It was the perfect plan. After all GHB was odorless, tasteless, and colorless. Kyle would never know what hit him. Now Josh just had to make sure he didn’t get the glasses mixed up.
Kyle returned to his margarita.
“Mine tastes funny,” Josh slyly complains. “Can you make me a rum and Coke?”
* 14 *
Val gasped and choked on the tube sticking out of his mouth. He looked around. He didn’t recognize his surroundings, though he did know it was a hospital. Just then the nurse turned around and saw his blinking eyes.
“Don’t try to talk right now – I’ll get the doctor” the nurse said to Val. It was the miracle Val’s family had been hoping for.
* 15 *
Carson West’s cell phone rang just about the time the alarms started ringing throughout the Astrodyne Aeronautical Systems’ building. There had been a breach in security.
“Shut the mainframe down NOW!” Carson screamed into the phone.
* 16 *
John Reed blocked out the blast of the alarms as he worked furiously at the keys of his terminal. Someone was getting in and he had a pretty good idea who. But he couldn’t type fast enough to block the bastard. The files he’d rewritten were still vulnerable and seemed to be the primary target. This guy was good, but not that good. He released the data spike that would not only hunt down the hacker, but turn his computer to jelly, literally. Why the hell hadn’t someone turned off those alarms?
* 17 *
Joey Wilson ran the Electrical department of Junior’s Hardware. Kyle was his little buddy who had just tricked with him in exchange for that cabinet key. The boy was sweet, but made him feel just a twinge of guilt. The situation began during Joey’s last year of high school. Kyle was a precocious freshman. Mr. Shipman wouldn’t really mind since he’d initiated Joey during that softball summer camp. Now he owned Junior’s and had hired Joey. This would be the first summer that Joey would help him coach at Camp Softball.
Joey tried to convince Kyle to bring his friend Josh to Camp S.
* 18 *
Val screamed at the top of his lungs. It sounded weak and primal. He slowed to a shallow whimper as the tubes in his throat bruised the inside of his bronchial passage. He was trying to undo the tape that held the airway in place.
“Stop!” the nurse had returned with the doctor. “Let me do that.” She moved so fast to bring his hands away from his face. He sat and wheezed sadly, tears streaming.
“Val,” said the doctor, “I’m Dr. Allen.”
“Wh…who is Val?” said Val when he could talk. These people were trying to break him. He was sure of it. “I don’t know anyone named Val.”
* 19 *
“Is this your husband, Mrs. Toshi?” asked Detective Robert Jones.
“Y…yes.” She looked once more at the face of the man who had saved her on that ugly day during the Second World War. Now who care for her?
Robert felt her deep remorse and pulled the sheet back over the victim’s face. He put an arm around her shoulder and led her down the hall to Sandra Tyler’s office. Sandra would counsel her through the rough part. She was good that way.
* 20 *
Paul knew John Reed was that scum who was now trying desperately to defend his system. Paul expected the spike and had the counter measure in place. In fact, it was John’s spike that now prevented the system from shutting down. Paul could maneuver his way around the files to his heart’s content and get what he came for. There. He saw the file flying past his screen. The file had John’s IP address. Where did it go?
There was a knock on his car window. A man in a black uniform stood waiting.
* 21 *
Nancy was suspicious of Kyle’s friend Joey. She thought he was kind of old to be hanging out with her sophomore son. Since Joey graduated last year though, Kyle had been spending more time with Josh than Joey. She was glad Josh was on her side in her quest to learn just what Kyle and Joey had going on. Little did Nancy know the lengths to which Josh would go in order to accomplish his little task.
* 22 *
Paul rolled down his window. “Agent Richter, you’re just in time. I have the spike redirected and planted in the remote missile launch file John Reed had rewritten. Now before the file can be executed or changed in any way, our password will have to be entered and he’ll never be able to crack it.”
Paul logged off as Agent Richter got in the passenger seat picking up loose papers and putting them in the backseat.
“Good job Agent Syler. Now for your next mission…” Paul always dreaded when Agent Richter began that way.
* 23 *
Detective Robert Jones sat across from the witness, the one who found the body of Mr. Toshi. “Please state your name, and occupation for the record.”
“Tony Donati, owner of Isola d’Elba, the Italian restaurant in Canyon Plaza.” This couldn’t be happening Tony thought.
“And how do you know the deceased?” the detective proceeded.
“He was the night manager at the Journey’s End Motel.”
* 24 *
Cassandra sat in a separate interrogation room waiting for her turn to tell about the night’s events. She was nearly hyperventilating at the thought of Roger finding out about the affair that she’d been having with Tony.
* 25 *
Kyle was getting really out of it. He was slurring his words and feeling no pain. Funny thing GHB, it really does act like a truth serum, especially when mixed with margaritas.
“So Kyle, what did you have to do to get Joey to make you the copy of your mother’s key?” Josh inquired snuggling up to Kyle so he would be distracted.
Kyle grinned from ear to ear, “Everything …” Kyle said as he drifted off into unconsciousness.
* 26 *
Roger sat in the den of his home cleaning the 9mm semiautomatic handgun when he got the phone call. Cassandra was at the police station being questioned in a murder.
* 27 *
Even in sleep, Kyle was active and prone to sleep walking. Josh sat next to his unconscious friend on the big couch. He was so close, watching his eyelids in REM Josh leaned to kiss the plump lips and got kissed back. Kyle’s eyes were still shut.
* 28 *
“Mr. Donati,” began Detective Jones, “what, exactly, were you doing at the Journey’s End?”
“I had to get a pack of smokes,” Tony didn’t smoke. “I was taking Mrs. Connor home, after our late shift. The motel was the first spot on the way. I saw the door already open, letting all his heat out. The vending machine was in his lobby.”
Detective Jones offered Tony a cigarette.
“No thanks,” said Tony. “I’m good.” He hoped Cassandra would stick to the story they discussed. It was easy enough and close to the truth. “That’s when I saw his hand on the floor. When I got closer, there was all that blood. Mrs. Connor stayed in the car.”
* 29 *
“Who is Val?” Val repeated, “My name is Charles.” No one seemed to listen.
“Son,” said Dr. Allen. “Your name is Val Pierce. Your father is Dr. Pierce, in Psychiatrics. I’ll call him for you.” The boy was clearly agitated. Albert would want to know he was up and around, if not all there. “Just hold on. It’ll be alright.”
* 30 *
The gun was clean and brilliant with its chrome finish. The last time Roger had used it was seven years ago, in Italy, just before he married Cassandra Soltero. He was Roger Canelli then, a punk hit man for the Soltero family. He had accidently killed one of her cousins. Regardless that the man was a brute, the family didn’t take it well. He raced back to America with her on his arm and they changed their names with stolen identities. They found Eastvale a safe haven. Even after all the Hell, he knew Cassandra still loved him. She would never find out what he’d been doing to keep them safe.
* 31 *
Charlie hesitated outside his brother’s hospital room. His father reported Val was suffering from Reflexive Amnesia. He actually believed he was his own twin brother. He called himself Charles. Until he recovered, his father had ordered Charlie to go along with the new identity. He was now to become Val. It pissed him off at first, but he knew it would be best for his brother, the real Val.
“Hi, Charles,” Charlie entered smiling. “Remember me?”
“You look like someone I’m supposed to know,” said Val. “You’re…you’re…”
“I’m Val,” said Charlie. “I’m your brother, Val.” He quickly wiped away a tear.
“You can tell Dr. Pierce, if that’s his real name, that his plan won’t work. I don’t have any brothers.”
* 32 *
“Place your hands on the table, palms up, please” Detective Jones said to Tony.
“Why?” Tony inquired.
“Well, since you were the first to discover the body, we need to rule you out as a suspect. Now hands out”
Tony complied and Detective Jones swabbed Tony’s forefinger, thumb and webbing in between. He then sprayed a clear liquid on the swab. The swab turned blue.
“Mr. Donati, when was the last time you fired a gun?”
* 33 *
Paul called his son’s cell phone number.
“Hello?” a sleepy Josh said from the bed next to Kyle.
“Hi Josh, I know it’s late. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pick you up from school. I’m on my way home now. Are you at home?”
“No, Dad. I’m over at Kyle’s.”
“I’ll pick you up in five minutes. You’re grandfather is ill and needs our help for a few weeks. I’ll write a note to your school. We need to leave by dawn.”
Paul hated lying to Josh. The “firm” knows he doesn’t appreciate taking assignments outside the immediate area because of Josh. After all, if it weren’t for one of his assignments, Josh wouldn’t be in the picture at all. He dreaded the day he would have to tell Josh the truth.
* 34 *
Roger was just locking his front door to leave for the police station when the stranger tapped him on the shoulder. Roger turned around just in time to see the fist aiming for his face – then blackness.
“Mr. Canelli, long time no see,” the stranger said from outside the blackness.
* 35 *
Cassandra was a mess. She had never seen so much blood before. She’s always been the squeamish type.
The door opened and in walked Detective Jones. “I’m Detective Robert Jones and I’m going to ask you a few questions about what happened this evening. Please take off your shoes and place them on the table.”
Cassandra thought it odd that he asked for her shoes. She took them off and placed them on the table. Immediately they both saw the blood on the shoes.
“Now Mrs. Connor, how did blood get on your shoes?”
* 36 *
The man in the black suit entered Astrodyne Aeronautical Systems.
“John Reed, please,” he asked of the receptionist. “He’s expecting me.”
“One moment,” the receptionist said as she dialed John Reed’s number.
After a few minutes of chatting with John Reed, the receptionist told the man in the black suit, “Mr. Reed will be right down.”
* 37 *
“Well,” began Tony, “I was at the Gun Room yesterday. In fact, Mayor Benton bought me lunch ‘cause my grouping was tighter. I won the bet.” The Gun Room was the indoor shooting range at the mall. “Come to think of it, haven’t I seen you there on certain Tuesdays? You use a Glockenspiel, right?”
* 38 *
Devon put down the book she’d stolen from Dr. Pierce’s library. It was a primer on Wicca and Witchcraft for the beginner. There were spells for protection and love and healing, but more to the point, spells for finding hidden things and making the guilty pay. She was seeing all kinds of strange things since that day, sometimes people too. Hallucinations, Dr. Pierce had called them. They were trying to show her something.
* 39 *
“Mr. Donati,” began Cassandra, “was yelling something about using my phone to call 911. So I went in to let him use mine. I must have stepped in Mr. Toshi’s blood when I did. I guess he didn’t want to use the desk phone to avoid contaminating the crime scene. I couldn’t take all the blood, so I ran back out right away. Then you showed up.”
* 40 *
Charles had a vision of the new clothing line he was going to design. He was going to call it: Sevens. His new friend ‘Val’ was eager to help him get back on his feet. It was uncanny how it was like sometimes looking in a mirror, seeing his new friend. The new line was mostly in the colors of green and white, with lots of red for accent. Lots and lots of red.
* 41 *
“Agent Richter,” said Paul, “if I have to leave town for this next assignment, I may have to resign. It would mean I’d have to leave my son in the care of his flipped out, dyke mother, Sandra Tyler. And that’s just not going to happen!”
“Oh,” said Agent Richter, “it’s nothing that drastic. I need you to go back in as the vindicated employee you are now. We need to see just how deep and connected Carson West’s interests were in this little game of espionage and intrigue. You can handle that can’t you?”
* 42 *
Devon lit the circle of candles and began her spell. “Oh, Mighty Hera, give me your strength and keen sight. Let those who are responsible be found and come to receive their payment of justice.” She repeated the words four more times and ended with, “So mode it be.” She smiled for the first time in weeks. She was feeling better. She was going to make them pay for killing poor Mrs. Green, who lived alone and came to Seven Eleven everyday just to not be lonely. She made the best cookies on holidays. Devon was going to make them pay for shooting her new boyfriend, Val Pierce. She was going to help him get his memory back and realize he wasn’t his brother, Charlie.
* 43 *
Agent Richter pressed the button on the intercom sitting on his desk. “Ursula, send in Agent Simpson.”
In walked the man in the black suit with an attaché case.
Agent Richter started explaining, “Agent Simpson here met with John Reed and procured the documents in this case. John Reed was under the impression he was selling these documents to the Al-Qaeda. It is your job to review these documents, have a meeting with Carson West to determine whether or not he was aware of this transaction, and, if so, procure the evidence necessary to indict. Any questions?”
* 44 *
Betty MacDonald, the computer forensic specialist, knocked on interrogation room one. Detective Robert Jones excused himself and left the room. In the hallway, Betty told the detective what was found on Mr. Toshi’s computer.
“So it seems we have a motive,” Detective Jones said decisively. “Good work, Betty.”
Detective Jones reentered interrogation room one.
“Now tell me about the email Mr. Toshi sent to you the day before yesterday.”
* 45 *
Roger felt himself being thrown into the trunk of a car and being driven for what seemed like miles.
When the car finally stopped, he tensed up, struggling to free his bound wrists. Unable to free himself, his captor opened the trunk of the car and pulled him out. Standing on his feet with the black cloth bag on his head, he wondered fearfully who was doing this.
“Now we’re going to take a walk,” said the man who was in control. In the darkness Roger could hear their footsteps, the sound of leather soles on a wooden walkway. In the distance he could hear a seagull.
* 46 *
Nancy was bored and in the office of her boss Roger. She wished he were with her to make the time go by faster. She enjoyed his company.
She decided to check her email and went to the computer. Upon moving the mouse, the screensaver gave way to Roger’s email. There was an email up from “manager@journeysendmotel.biz” that made her shudder.
“That creep!” Nancy yelled just as the bells of the front door rang out. She’d have to address this later.
* 47 *
Josh didn’t want to go to his grandfather’s. There was nothing to do there and there certainly wasn’t Kyle there to keep him company. Josh got dressed quickly and left Kyle’s house to avoid being found by Josh’s father. Just after Josh left, Kyle’s seizure began.
* 49 *
Dr. Ariel West was irritated at the result of the pregnancy test. This was going to make things complicated. They were near the end of the dig in the Valley of the Kings, anyway. Cairo was beautiful, but certainly not her first choice for raising a kid.
“Dr. Gardner,” Ariel began officiously, “I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“Well,” Kevin Gardner responded, “good morning, Love.” He noticed the crease in her eyebrows and smiled at how she worried about the littlest things. “Okay, I’ll play. What’s the bad news?”
“Since we’re nearly done here,” she said, “I’m heading back to Eastvale.”
“And the really bad news?” he asked playfully.
“You’re son Kyle is going to have a baby brother or a baby sister.”
Kevin Gardner dropped his trowel as he stood. He moved so quickly, that she took half a step backward out the chamber door. He put an arm around her waist and gave her a long meaningful kiss. She was more beautiful than ever.
* 50 *
Guilt was eating at Josh. He pulled out the paper he stumbled on when he was rummaging through Nancy’s home office. He unfolded Kyle’s birth certificate with Dr. Kevin Gardner in the place of “Father:” Josh’s phone rang and he dug it out of his bag.
“Hello?” he said.
“Josh,” it was his dad again. He probably had another excuse for not coming to get him. “Look, something came up and I have to get back to the office. Can you make your way home? We still have to talk about your grandfather.”
“Yeah, whateverrr.” Josh didn’t care if he sounded pissed that he did it again.
“Josh,” said Paul, “don’t be like that. You know things happen and I have to keep this job.”
Josh let the dial tone be his response. Obviously, he didn’t matter as much to Paul as that stupid job. For being a spy, his dad wasn’t that bright. He still hadn’t figured out that Josh knew what he did for a living. But Josh had enough of it, he was done. That was “Gone” with a “D.” He turned around, heading back to Kyle’s. He was glad he had left the door unlocked.
* 51 *
Roger stood with his hands bound behind him and the bag over his head. He could hear the water lapping against the pier. Then he was pushed, hard. He hit his head on the deck of the fiberglass hull and slipped into unconsciousness. He had expected to hit water and would have relied on his SEAL training to get him out of trouble, out of the water at least. The last thing he felt were the vibrations of the engine as the boat raced away from the dock.
* 52 *
Akanami Toshi sat, smoking in the dark, the full moon pouring into their home…her home above the motel lobby. She cleaned and polished the Samurai sword that was the one she used to end his dishonorable life. He’d used her long enough for his selfish, vulgar ways. Now that it was done, she had one last favor to repay before returning to her home in Kyoto. Mr.Canelli needed her. And she certainly wouldn’t let him down, not after what he’d done for her family in Japan. He was honorable indeed.
* 53 *
Roger felt the black cloth bag being lifted from his head. In the distance he could see the eerie glow of the sunrise bouncing off the clouds of the west. Once able to focus, he could see the man sitting in the chair in front of him. Roger gasped as recognition entered his brain.
“Welcome to my little boat, Mr. Canelli,” the voice said with a subtle Italian accent.
* 54* *
Carlos and Joey walked into their apartment above the hardware store. They had been out all night dancing after the rock concert. Carlos just couldn’t get enough of Cuerpo Sin Cabeza. Joey liked the band as well even though he couldn’t understand what they were saying; it wasn’t as if they enunciated anyway.
Their apartment was convenient enough to work – zero commute. There was a back entrance for the residence off the alley and then another entrance that led to the office of Junior’s Hardware. It worked out great for Joey’s appetite of staying out late dancing the night away and still getting enough z’s to be functional at work.
“Joey, why is there light coming from the under the door of the office?” Carlos inquired. “Isn’t Mr. Shipman a little anal about saving electricity?”
* 55 *
Kyle was all sweaty. Blood was on his lips mixed with drool.
“Kyle, what happened?” Josh said, shaking his shoulder. “Wake up.”
No response. Josh could see he was still breathing. He took out his cell phone and punched in the number.
“Seven-Eleven, how may I help you?” Nancy stated her rehearsed greeting.
“Mrs. Gardner, it’s Kyle. I can’t wake him up and there’s blood on his lips.” Josh began confessing.
“He must have had one of his seizures. You did know of his condition didn’t you? Anyway, his medicine is in the kitchen in the cookie jar. Give it to him when he comes to. It usually only lasts a few minutes. If he doesn’t come to in 10 minutes call 911.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Gardner.” A wave of relief overcame Josh just as Kyle began stirring.
* 56 *
Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out the email. There was no getting out of this one.
“So now you have motive as well,” said Detective Robert Jones. “We’re going to need your gun.”
“It’s in the trunk of my car, at the motel,” Tony admitted. Tony’s day was just getting better and better.
* 57 *
Joey unlocked the door to the office. He opened the door and shrieked like a little girl. “Carlos, call the police! It’s Mr. Shipman…” Joey gracefully collapsed in a faint.