Biofire by Ray Garton

Author:Ray Garton [Garton, Ray]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, supernatural
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2020-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

18.

Taking Care of Business

* * *

“Hello, Milo,” McNolte said. “You look like a duffle bag.”

The skinny young man was dressed in a baggy black suit with a black shirt and a narrow tie the color of dried blood. The baggy coat and pants were covered with little zippered and snapped pockets. He sat in the recliner, feet up. His overcoat was draped over the back of the chair. The zippers dangled and glinted as he sat up in the recliner, then stood, letting the gun hang at his side in his right hand. He made sure McNolte saw the pruning shears in his left hand. With thumb and fingers hooked through the handles, Milo chittered the blades open and closed rapidly several times, making sharp, metallic biting sounds.

“Yeah, well,” Milo drawled, smirking, “you look like your evening’s ruined.”

“You’re too late for that, Milo, believe me,” McNolte said with a humorless chuckle. He turned to the woman and saw that the nervous fear had returned to her face, tightening her features.

“I figure I don’t have to tell you why I’m here,” Milo said, pacing slowly in front of the recliner, a few steps in each direction.

McNolte took the woman’s elbow and led her toward the kitchen, whispering to her, “I’m sorry. Just bear with me, here.” He took her around the short, stubby bar that was the only thing dividing the kitchen and living room in the small apartment. He led her to the small stove, put both hands on her shoulders, and said in a soft breath, “Stay right here.” Then he turned and faced Milo, who was already sitting at the bar in one of the tall aluminum chairs, his left elbow propped on the edge, pruning shears clearly visible. He smiled, flashing his silver tooth.

“Maybe you weren’t listening,” Milo said. “You know why I’m here, right?”

McNolte went to the bar. “You want money.”

“Very good. Tell him what he’s won, Johnny!” He laughed at his little joke.

“I have money.”

“Oh, really? You have all the money?”

Fear pierced McNolte’s gut. “Not…all of the money. But you know every time you come I have money for you, right?”

“Look, McNolte, I’m just takin’ care of business, right? You know my boss. His patience lasts only so long. So don’t jerk me around, okay? I mean, I got better things to do with my time, too.”

“Milo, what more can I do?” McNolte asked quietly, spreading his arms as if in surrender. “You know I don’t have the balance, I can’t get that kind of money together. The payments are the best I can do.”

“Well, my boss thinks you can do a lot more. That’s why I’m here.” He raised the shears, aimed them at McNolte, and clapped them open and closed a few times.

The high, sharp, metallic sound made McNolte’s scrotum shrivel as he imagined one of his fingers between the thick, powerful blades. He shuddered uncontrollably.

“I’ve got money in my closet. I’ll get it for you, right now.” McNolte’s own words frightened him;

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