Marcos
CH-001
07/23/2094
Take The Hand and Take The Knife
Marcos sat in the passenger seat of the utility van. The thing was decrepit at best, and smelled. Stains in the seats from what he could guess at, and a dark bundle in the back he really didn't want to know. Took care not to bust the glass when he had broken in. No sense in causing unnecessary attention.
There'd be enough of that to come in a few minutes.
Check the watch, he should be coming back out here soon. Back from the store, buying more of his 'tools,' Marcos suspected.
Check the revolver, six rounds. He would only need one, if any. It was almost time. Marcos returned the revolver to his coat. He sifted through glove box of the van, the half-empty cigarette packs and spent lighters. He took one out and lit it, exhaled the smoke and watched it roll across the dashboard.
Coughing from the back.
Shit.
He stepped the cigarette out on the floor.
Don't wake her. Whatever was back there in the dim dank black of the cargo van, it's screaming would ruin his plan.
The coughing stopped, then silence. This is good.
He fished around the glove box some more and withdrew a knife. A woman's name was engraved on the blade, he couldn't see why that would be important. Thumb to the edge, it was quite sharp. He toyed with it, stabbing and picking at the dusty plastic dashboard. Anything to pass the time and keep from being bored until-
Ka-lick.
He heard the the drivers side door unlatch, the creak as it opened and a rock as the man began to sit down.
People seem to not notice your presence until they've finished their task, cleaning, reading, or even something as simple as climbing in to a van. But this man didn't notice Marcos until after shutting the door.
Perfect.
"Hello there," Marcos said.
"The hell are you?" this mass of a man replied.
Possibly nervous?
Heavy-set, smoker, how hard can it be? Marcos toyed the knife into the dash, prying bits of it off and letting it fall. "An interested party."
"That bitch, she sent you, knew Rac-"
He flipped the knife up and caught it, "The girls parents," and gestured with the blade to the back of the van, "They hired me."
"Hello?" almost a cooing from the back of the van, which Marcos ignored for now.
"Well, the parents
did hire me. Until you got there. Nasty bit of work you did," Marcos drew his revolver and set it in his lap.
The man's eyes widened, "Ha! You think I did that?"
"The chainsaw in the back, looks brand new but it's several model years old. Recently washed then."
"Anyone can have a chainsaw."
"Not anyone can go cutting up a girls family in front of her, was that your plan for her as well? Though not with the family, you caused too much of a stir there. Take her away, your plan, have a bit of fun first."
"You're sick."
"You're the one with the van and the girl, and I'm the one with the gun," Marcos raised the revolver.
Stammering, "Okay, okay, look, I didn't do the family."
Surprise, "Oh really? Then who else could it have been?"
"I don't know," more nervous ticks, how this man had made his criminal spree last this long...
Wonders never cease.
He cocked the hammer back. "Right, I'll step out, let you compose yourself before I take you."
The look on the mans face was relief, "Thanks, thanks, I promise I won't run."
Marcos pulled the gun from the mans face, and decocked it, "Two minutes." He pulled a cigarette and set it in the mans drooping jowls, and lit it for him.
"Do enjoy this one," Marcos set the knife on the passenger seat as he left the van. He walked around and leaded against the driver's side door.
All seemed well today. Shoppers going about their business, completely oblivious to his own little secret war. Of course the man did it. He'd allow him a last smoke though. First. No matter how ghastly the offense, everyone deserved time to atone.
He checked the cylinder of the gun, still six rounds. Maybe he wouldn't have to u-
Rocking. He turned.
The man was still there. Cigarette still hanging from his lips.
Red lips.
The knife. The girl.
She. Crept up. Punched the blade through just above his sternum.
Shit. Marcos thought, and watched the fat man soak his shirt in himself.
He opened the door and grabbed the man, the girl let out a shriek and recoiled to the back of the van. Marcos pushed his quivering bulk between the seats and into the back, then shut the door and sighed. Loud.
Over the noise of the fat man's gurgling.
A wet
snick.
Another and another.
Snick Snick Snick.
The man's gurgling had stopped and Marcos looked back. She sat on her knees next to him. The girl. Raising and lowering the blade. Two, three, four more times.
Finally noticing his presence there, the girl let the blade clang to the floor and cowered as far back as she could.
Young. Twelve maybe? No parents anymore, and she'd be repressing their memory forever now. School? No, like she'd fit in. Twelve and she's already murdered. Foster parents? Yeah, that would end just about as well as school. Marcos thought about his own childhood in those homes, yeah...
Her foster parents would be dead within a week. So, just leave her and the van? Could always walk away. He balked, no, they never get to do that in the stories.
Marcos laughed a little, eyed the girl and sighed.
He extended a hand, "Now whatever am I to do with you?"
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EDIT: Right, finished that sort of a short short chapter. Isn't moral gray fun kids? XD