Mr Blank (Fill in the Blank) by Robinson Justin

Author:Robinson, Justin [Robinson, Justin]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: mystery, detective, noir, conspiracies, contemporary fantasy, fiction, fantasy, conspiracy, Adventure, urban fantasy, thriller, science fiction
Publisher: Candlemark & Gleam
Published: 2012-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

-THIRTEEN-

Faces are important. So important, in fact, that the human mind naturally creates faces where none exist. It’s a phenomenon called pareidolia, and it’s why people keep seeing Jesus in toast. Basically, given vague information, the human mind will fill in the blanks until it has a face, then fill in a few more until the face has some significance. Helps us feel like we’re not alone in the world.

We grant faces to things we can’t see, as well. The terrifying experience of death becomes the Grim Reaper. Holiday cheer becomes Santa. We do this because it makes them feel less like forces and more like people we could know in our lives. People we could have over for dinner. People with families and pets. People we could club over the head and loot if things got dicey.

I was thinking about my phantom enemy, and I gave him a face, or the faceless equivalent: a name. Mr. Blank. It helped a little. Granted, there was a decent chance I was thinking of Mrs. Blank, or Ms. if she didn’t want to give away her marital status, but for now I thought of Blank as a guy. I was looking forward to actually slapping a face on him, probably because it would be a face I’d already seen.

As I popped out of the window, I got my bearings. It looked to be a little after noon. I was in San Pedro, on an open hillside overlooking Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean. A breeze whispered in, cool on my freshly duct-tape-waxed wrists. The hillside was dotted with old bunkers, built during World War II when everyone was convinced that the Japanese were ready to launch an invasion. At least, that was the official explanation. The real reason was something I didn’t like to think about very much, and which was why I didn’t go on cruises. Well, that and my being under fifty years old.

I ran to the street as best I could with a throbbing head and feet that were still half-asleep. One block north meant inland. A quick walk, and I found Neil’s Taurus. The keys even worked.

I drove, trying not to think about Mina. That I had to get her back was a foregone conclusion, but going off half-cocked wouldn’t do anyone any favors. VC had offered a deal, but whether he was telling the truth or not was anyone’s guess. I couldn’t even be sure he knew the difference between the truth and a lie.

Lunch was McDonald’s, and crappy food never tasted so good. It was more about comfort than anything else. My head hurt and my confidence had just been pantsed in front of its entire eighth-grade gym class. Diaz had been after me all along. Diaz knew where I lived. Chances were good his handlers knew where I lived, which meant going home wasn’t an option.

Unless Diaz had followed me home from some point in the previous evening’s adventures. My V.E.N.U.S. affiliation seemed to be more or less common knowledge; maybe he had picked me back up there.

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