Punch-Girl by J.M. Reilly

Author:J.M. Reilly [Reilly, J.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter forty-seven

Alec holds his head and body still in the back seat of the black SUV. His eyes shift, absorbing the black interior, but as the vehicle drives away from his house, it offers little information. Driver, black leather seats, black carpet, tinted windows, The Slayer.

Amid the swarm of surreal events in Alec’s life, this takes the prize. The Slayer—the Slayer!—came to his house and invited him to take a ride in his car. Alec allows his eyes to slide left. In his peripheral vision, The Slayer sits next to him in the back seat. He matches the car in his black leather duster and combat boots. The shock of blonde-white hair and the flash of the signature chrome .50 caliber pistol contrast with the dark—

“You can look,” The Slayer says. “It’s okay.”

Alec’s head turns like a statue coming to life. He hears the sand in his rigid neck as his head swivels and faces The Slayer. The Slayer grins. His pistol sits in a black holster under his armpit, with the handle peeking out past the leather coat, but his hands lie folded in his lap. Apart from the gun and the black, he looks relaxed. To Alec, The Slayer looks…normal.

“You thought I’d be bigger, right? Or on fire?”

Alec nods. “A little. Yeah.”

“Maybe I had a mouth full of needle teeth ready to take a bite out of you?”

“It sounds silly when you say it like that, but I have to admit, that’s the vibe. That’s your reputation.”

“No, I know. Believe it or not, it’s actually my biggest problem. I can’t talk to anyone anymore. When they see me, their brains freeze up trying to reconcile what they’ve heard with what they are seeing. I have to allow for this…thawing period. I imagine it’s like being a Beatle.”

The Slayer’s spiky white hair, deep blue eyes, and mischievous smirk add to the rock-star persona. Alec stares and says, “I bet. Like… I’m doing it now. Sorry. I see what you’re saying--”

“Trust me, it’s fine. You’re a special case. You saw me on TV, right? At the WCN building?”

“In Starpoint City.”

“Right. This was part of the reason I did that. I thought if people saw me, they could get past all the stories and see that I’m a regular guy like them.”

Alec recalls the night that The Slayer created a standoff in the high-rise downtown building. He played a game, The Money or The Gun, with the night security guard on live TV. Not a regular guy move. “Can I ask you a question?”

“We have other business, but since it’s you, let me save us some time. No, I don’t know where Hector is, but I’m sure he’s fine. No, I didn’t kill that cameraman. That was theater. And no, I didn’t kill BrightMan. I would never have done that. I wish he was still alive.”

Alec wondered about the night security man, Hector. He defied The Slayer, refusing to choose either the money or the gun, and The Slayer loved it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.