Seventeen
Shock cocooned Abraham Darker’s ride back to Silver
Ridge. The driver let him out in the court of the run-down motel on the
north side of town where Delaney, King’s trouble-shooter in the area,
maintained a center of operations. Abe stumbled out into the darkness
gulping fresh air, watching the limousine burn rubber back onto the
highway with a sense of relief. He turned away to begin the half mile
walk home when Delaney blocked his way wielding a small caliber revolver.
“Congratulations on surviving the first phase of your
initiation, Mr. Darker. Welcome to the second phase. Come with me,
please.”
The violence in Abe’s life had been limited to
fistfights and deer hunting. To think that he had thought himself a
dangerous man. King had struck fear in what he had thought to be a
hardened heart.
Despite the gun, Abe was glad to see Delaney, and
anxious to speak with him. Delaney had been his contact from the
beginning, and Abe knew him as a reasonable man. He followed the man into
a sparsely-furnished end cabin. Delaney closed the door behind him and
sat in a chair that blocked Abe’s only escape route.
Abe started to open his mouth to protest.
“I know what happened,” Delaney said. “It’s quite a
show. Did you understand the message?”
“I want out,” Abe said.
Delaney sighed. “Abe, your original choice was to
follow instructions and spend your money, or turn your back on us and go
about your own business. You’ve long since passed the point of no
return. Now, your choice is to adjust to the reality of the situation and
do the job you were paid or do, or. . .” Delaney grinned, waved the
pistol, and then tucked it in his belt. “You’ll be fine. You’ve got
everything to gain by playing by the rules and nothing to lose.”
Abe took a seat of his own. “He’s nuts. The bastard
is insane.”
Delaney shrugged. “You’ll get nightmares thinking
about the sick shit he must be into with those titanium choppers of his,
except that you’re not getting paid to think. King can sweet talk the
devil himself into kissing God’s ass. He could rule the world, if he
wanted to, except I think he’s planning on trashing it.”
Abe glared at the man in subdued anger, not at all
certain of how much of it was safe to express openly. “You worship that
cretin.”
Delaney nodded thoughtfully. “I’d show a bit more
respect. He knows what people think, Abe. He knows how they behave. He
deals with people who have something he calls resolve. The rest don’t see
the face of that man and live. Three months ago, he was nobody. Now he rules the
drug trafficking in half the eastern states. Everybody that opposed him
is gone.”
Abe wanted out. He wanted King and King’s drugs out
of Silver Ridge. He wanted Silver Ridge back the way it had been. He
wanted all memory of King and what he had seen burned out of his memory
forever.
Delaney leaned forward and spoke in a confidential
tone of voice. “Abe, he’s here for a reason, and when he’s done, he’ll be
gone. Nobody has to get hurt.”
Abe gave the man a mechanical nod. He knew better
than to put up a front he couldn’t hope to back up.
“I see the way you live,” Delaney said quietly. “Is
that what you want for the rest of your life?”
Abe had no answer to that. He needed time to think
about a lot of things.
“Okay,” Delaney said. “For now, just do your job. I
was the one that cased this berg and recommended the Darker brothers to
King. Don’t make me look bad.”
Delaney got up and moved aside. Abe brushed past and
headed home. He’d give some thought to what Delaney had said, as soon as
he was able to think clearly at all.
