~ Common Ground ~

~ Common Ground ~

Mr. Finn stuck his head through the door and scanned the waiting room of the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia. “Mr. Major?”

David E. stood and approached him holding a cane in his right hand and a brown briefcase in his left. “That’s me.”

“I understand you wish to make a 400,000 dollar bail payment in cash?”

“That’s right.”

“Excellent. Pease come to my office and we will count it.”

Three hours later at the Philly Correctional Center, David E. watched Doreen Svoboda at the exit window collecting her bag of clothes and personal items from the clerk. He had not seen her in almost two years. He remembered her as curvy and captivatingly attractive and was not prepared for this noticeably thinner, haggard and hollow eyed woman in an orange jumpsuit with zero make-up. Her once stylishly coiffed hair now a functional buzz cut. She turned and recognizing him, produced a cynical smile. “Well, Damn. Look what the cat dragged in. David E. Major. You are almost the last person I ever expected to see.”

“Hi, Doreen. Long time.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” She went into the bathroom and came out minutes later in sneakers, hip-hugger jeans and a tank top revealing most of the spider web tattoo on her chest.

David E. offered her a sweater. “It’s chilly outside. Let’s get out of here.”

“I got no plans so, why not?”

They drove in uncomfortable silence through the dense urban environment and merged onto interstate 95 heading south. Soon enough they passed a sign, Welcome To Delaware. The easing traffic congestion and gradual transition to rural surroundings seemed to release the antipathy. Feeling the need for small talk, Doreen stroked the cane between the seats and asked, “Is this the famous ultimate weapon I’ve heard so much about from Wisty?”

David. E. exhaled a tense chuckle and warned, “Be careful with it.”

“I’m bored. Tell me all about it.”

He explained the canes weapons and their operation in detail.

“So it’s a gun, a sword and a stun gun. Cool. Even for an old fogy like you.”

“While we are taking shots, perhaps you want to discuss being young and stupid.”

“Touché.” After more silence she said, “So tell me D.E., where are we headed?”

“I thought I would take you back to the Compound. You can stay there in anonymity until you decide what to do. That alright?”

“Sounds like a plan. Mind if we get some dinner? I’m really hungry. That jail food is shit and I would kill for a shot of Gin.”

“I’ll drive for a while, then we can get something to eat and get a room for the night. I’m bushed.”

“There’s a motel 6 with a restaurant in about 25 more miles but I’ll tell you right up front D.E. I’m not easy like I used to be.”

“Neither am I, Doreen. Neither am I.”

The miles went by and Doreen finally had to ask, “So tell me David E. What in the hell possessed you to throw away 400,000 dollars to bail me out? Because I’m sure you realize that I have no intention of going back.”

“It was your money Doreen, not mine.”

She took it in and then laughed. “I know that’s a joke but I don’t get it. Because to quote Janis Joplin, my new role model by the way, ‘I’m busted flat in Baton Rouge’ except there’s no train.”

“Janis Joplin died of an overdose at the pinnacle of her life. How does that even remotely reflect your situation?”

“David E. You’re a fan of the Pearl. Who’d of thunk it? Yes D.E. Janis Joplin was riding high but her unwavering commitment to heroin and booze sent her over the cliff. I too was at the top of my game but the addiction that did me in, and you can identify with this I’m sure, was our little Witch, Wisteria Wanda Wix.”

“Wisty may have been your downfall, but she also got you out of jail. She left you 1,000,000 dollars in her will. Subtract $400,000 for the bail and $38.97 for a briefcase and that leaves a balance of 599,961 dollars and 3 cents. It’s in the duffel bag behind your seat. I’m the executor of her will. She is the only reason I came up here. The only reason I got you out of jail.”

She paused, deciphering what he had said, then reached behind the seat and felt the bag. He was serious. “I can truly say that I am floored, D.E. but this makes no sense on many levels. The last thing Wisty said to me was how Lucuis raping me was a good thing. For me, for her, and for you as well, actually.”

“I don’t know about any of that and I can’t undo what happened to you. But I can tell you that baby in her wasn’t mine. It was evil and had control of her. Took her down the wrong road.”

“Wrong road? Are you kidding? I made some mistakes, sure. But I was protecting her. Loving her. And what did I get for it? I was beaten, raped, betrayed and she used my home to create that hideous…thing. I lost my career, my money, my house, I’m looking at 30 years in prison for something I didn’t do. My life is over. I am so fucked.”

“Sorry Doreen. Even though Wisty s dead, I forgot it was all about you. Here. I thought you should read this. It’s a page from her will.” David E. handed her a folded and wrinkled piece of paper from the inside pocket of his gray suit coat. Doreen opened it carefully and read a paragraph highlighted in yellow. To Doreen Svoboda. My sister, my lover, my confidante. The only person I ever trusted. I leave my gratitude, my undying love and the sum of 1 million dollars in cash.

Dory swallowed hard, she wanted to hate Wisty but it was difficult to hate someone she once loved with all of her heart. She folded the paper and offered it back to David E. “Keep it, Doreen. What I’m saying is, she came back to us at the end. She sacrificed herself, killed the baby and the Demon. She saved me, the Crystal Skulls. Hell she pretty much saved the world.” His eyes were glassy and wet as he spoke while his face remained impassive, staring at the highway ahead. “I watched her and that monster burn, Doreen. There was nothing I could do. She melted away right in front of me. Her last words were, ‘Tell Doreen I’m sorry.’ Then she was gone.”

Doreen’s tough façade crumbled. She put her hand on his shoulder and began to sob, crying for all three of them.

**********

Doreen winced sitting next to David E., his suit coat covering him like a blanket. He poofed and snored, his head hanging back over the hard wooden chair and feet propped on the small circular table. She turned up the Jason Statham movie to drown him out and poured herself another Gin. The neighbor banged on the wall at the TV’s volume. She turned it back down. Damn, no more ice. She pushed his feet to the floor and he startled awake. “Get in the bed D.E. maybe you won’t snore so loud.” He cut his eyes at the lone double bed reluctantly. “It’s okay D.E. You’re not the first and hopefully not the last man I’ll get in bed with. Besides, I’m going to stay up and drink for a while.” He was still reluctant. “Your so stodgy. You’re not my type anyway. Leave your clothes on if you worried about it. I’m going to find the ice machine.”

Lying down would be much better. He shrugged. “Okay.”

Doreen opened the door and was knocked to the ground by four Middle Eastern men rushing into the room. David E. went for his cane by the nightstand but they were on him.

**********

Doreen sat on the edge of the bed taking in the scene, flanked by two of the intruders. The were hard looking men and what little they said was in Arabic. The one named Ahriman was obviously in charge. He and the bigger, scarier one put a ball gag over David E.’s mouth, duck taped his hands together in front and began cutting off his clothes with what she recognized as Jambiya’s. Curved, Middle Eastern knives known for use by assassins and terrorists. If it were only an assassination they would already be dead. These men wanted information and were clearly professionals. After she and David E. had told them everything, only then would they die. She wasn’t surprised that David E. seemed so calm. She had read his personnel file when they both worked for the USSF. Decorated combat veteran of two wars. A career as a manager and instructor for military Black Ops programs and years as a fugitive from the Men in Black before hooking up with the Resistance. Her fear subsided and training kicked in. Remain calm, engage them, look for opportunities to resist or escape. She considered screaming for the benefit of the nosy neighbor but decided against it. “Who are you?” She asked the man to her left. He faced her, cocked his head with amusement, then answered her question with a callous backhand across the mouth.

Ahriman, the leader spoke broken English. “Easy Saleh, don’t hurt her too much just yet. Her time will come. We have much to learn.”

“What?” Doreen implored. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Yes. I know you will, pretty lady. And so will this man.” He punched David E. in the solar plexus, doubling him over and gasping for the air that was forced out of his lungs.

They pushed him roughly into the bathroom and shut the door. Dory heard water filling the tub. The other two eyed her up and down. She knew what was coming. It was the same way Lucuis looked at her before he beat and raped her. Think woman!

The other man spoke harshly to her in Arabic. She shook her head at Saleh. “I don’t understand.”

“Jabal said, take off your clothes, whore.”

She stood and slowly pulled down the jeans, her thoughts racing and her eyes furtively scanning the room for something, anything. Then she spied the cane between the nightstand and the bed and a plan formed.

Saleh pushed her back, flat. Jabal held her arms down. “WAIT! Saleh!” He raised his hand threateningly. “I’ll pay you.”

“What?” He lowered his hand.

“I have money. Let me go and I’ll pay you five hundred thousand dollars. Right now. I swear.”

Saleh and Jabal rambled some Arabic back and forth. Then Saleh asked her, “Where is this money?”

“Let me go first.”

Saleh laughed, drew out his Jambiya and cut off her tank top. His partner put his hand over her mouth. To her muffled cries, Saleh grasped her nipple with 3 fingers and painfully extended it up. “Tell me now or lose this nipple. Then the other nipple. Then your ears. You understand?”

She nodded frantically. She needed to act and sound panicked, but that wasn’t a stretch. “No, Please. I’ll tell you. The money is in our truck. Gray pickup, in a duffel bag behind the seat. Cash money.” Saleh spoke more Arabic. Jabal found keys among David E.’s clothes and rushed out of the room. Her hands were free now. Saleh unbuckled his pants and climbed between Doreen open legs. She was much more compliant with his knife at her throat. He was about to enter her when Doreen lay the cane across the back of his neck and unleashed four million volts into him, holding the trigger down until the battery sputtered and died. Saleh’s mind and body shut down, Doreen rolled him off, took his own Jambiya and slit his throat. As his blood soaked into the bedspread, she locked out Jabal, then ran to the bathroom and flung open the door. Ahriman had David E. in the tub on his knees holding his head under water, while the other big man punched him in the kidneys. Doreen’s unexpected emergence, naked and smeared with blood paused them long enough for her fire the .38 hollow point into the big man’s face, completely blowing out the back of his head. The neighbor banged again from next door. She tried to use the stun gun on Ahriman but it was drained, so she swung it like a club but he was much too quick. He caught the cane and tossed it aside, then pushed her against the wall, hands around her throat, choking, crushing, death was near. Then his eyes grew wide and she watched the life leave his body as the cane sword came out of his mouth inches from her own face.

David E. extracted the titanium steel blade from the base of Ahriman’s brain and he fell to the floor. “Dory. You okay?” She was coughing and trying to catch her breath. “ARE YOU HURT?”

“No, D.E. I’m okay.”

He looked at Saleh bled out on the bed. “Where’s the other one?”

“He went for the money in the truck.”

David E. fished a bullet from his ripped pants pocket. While loading the cane he said, “You sent one after the money and killed the other one. It was brilliant.” He paused absorbing what she had done. “I owe you.” He spontaneously came in for an awkward, messy hug. “Now find us some clothes and get our gear together. I’m going to kill this other cocksucker and we are outta here.”

As he opened the door naked and bloody, Doreen called to him, “David E.!” He turned back and she tossed him a large bath towel. “I saw your dick.”

He smiled. “Wisty would be so proud.”

**********

The sun was just threatening to peek over the horizon as David E. pulled up to the gas pumps and shut off the truck. He wistfully watched Doreen sleeping, legs tucked and head leaning against the truck window in her jeans and his spare white dress shirt. He never understood Wisty’s fixation on Doreen…until now. “Hey you. Wake up.”

Doreen produced a groggy grimace as she sat up rubbing her stiff neck. “Are we there?

“Not yet. We’re just outside of Richmond Virginia. I need gas. Thought you might want to pee.”

Doreen burst into laughter. “You look like a demented Scotsman in your brown shoes, white bath towel and gray suit coat.”

David E. stepped out of the truck and went with it. He faced her, then turned for a profile. “I’m redefining sexy for older men. I think fashion is the key.”

Doreen came around to him filling up. The wafting smell of the gasoline was somehow appealing. She felt better than she had in years. Liberated, free. She surprised David E. with a kiss on the cheek. “If only you were forty years younger, D.E.”

“If I was forty years younger, I’d be changing your diaper.” He called to her as she walked to the convenience store. “Bring me a root beer.” Dory gave him a thumbs up over her shoulder.

He watched the sun rise and murmured, “It’s a new day, Wisty.”

**********