Mystery and Memes
January 2, 2009
I’ve been tagged, twice now, for a meme about random little known personal facts. First, Sean Platt tagged me, then last week Matthew Dryden tagged me again. So, I guess I better get my rear in gear and play along. 
The Rules
1. LINK TO THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU Since I prefer to shake things up a little, here's my version of the interesting facts meme. If you've been tagged at the end, it's your turn to weave your random facts into your own chapter of the story. Enjoy! The Meeting The tinkling of the ice in her glass filled the silence as the juke box selected the next song. She groaned silently as Waltz Across Texas came on for the third time that hour. “Give it a rest already!” she thought as she watched the bubbles rise through the fresh diet Coke fizzing in her glass. “At least I got a clean glass this time,” she mused. She twisted away from the bar to watch two of the regulars attempt to smack a few balls around on the pool table behind her. The sight was pathetic, yet amusing at the same time. “If they start drooling, I’m outta here,” she promised herself. The juke box stuttered as There’s a Tear in My Beer came on- another local favorite that had been played so many times, the recording was permanently scratched. She closed her eyes to keep from rolling them at the sound of the opening lyrics, and when she opened them, a low voice beside her spoke through the haze of cigarette smoke. “This is a strange place to find a nice Christian girl on a Friday afternoon. Can I buy you another drink to help drown out this song?” She smiled and turned to see a familiar face, “Matthew Dryden. You came a long way for a drink in a bar.” “Yeah, I didn’t have much else to do this week and I got an invitation in the mail.” He flashed a foil lined envelope with a howling wolf on the front. ” I’m getting together with a mutual friend for some mysterious meeting. It’s a surprise to see you here.” He cocked an eyebrow and stared at the drunks tripping around the pool table for a minute, then added, “Why are you here?” “I have a few surprises of my own,” she thought while suppressing a smirk. She let the silence hang as she pondered why she did come here. “I come when I need to feel grounded. I grew up in here. It feels familiar and helps keep me humble. It’s strange, but it helps me connect with my past- the holidays are always rough.” This was getting a little personal and awkward. “I always talk too much when I’m on a case,” she thought. “Stupid.” Then, to ease the discomfort of the situation she turned to him with a smile and announced, “I’m drinking diet Coke, without the kick. Sue, the barkeep, makes a mean hamburger if you’re hungry. Whatever you want, just put it on my tab. I’m glad you came.” She looked him in the eye, ” I could use some sober company.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet companionship of sincere friendship. Beauty and the Teeth As the regulars picked up the same old argument about government conspiracies and alien sightings, the front door flung open, filling the room with the blinding reflection of sunlight on the snow piled near the walkway. A tall, dark shadow filled the doorway for a second, drawing every eye in the room. Tanned and grinning wide, Sean stumbled across the splintered threshold and slammed the door shut behind him. The suddenly diminished light did little to dampen his enthusiasm. “There’s snow! Everywhere!” He grabbed the girl with one arm, and Matthew with the other, and crushed them all together with an excited hug. “Hey Sean! I can’t believe you’re here! Where’s Daisy?” In response, a long-haired beauty floated through the side door and took a seat at the bar. Three drunks immediately gravitated toward the empty seats on either side of her. “Back off fellas, she’s not interested in getting to know the local good ol’ boys. Just go on back over there and behave yourselves, now. She’s here on business.” She handed them a basket of pretzels as Sue switched on the football game to keep them entertained. “We still work well together, Sue. Thanks.” She turned to Daisy and hugged her hard. “Heavens girl, you’re even more gorgeous in person. I didn’t think that was possible.” Daisy smiled, but remained silent. Matthew only stared, awestruck. She looked a lot like Tree, in fact, they could be sisters. A tense silence filled the room for the next several minutes as they eyed each other while Matthew tried hard to control his breathing and his rage. With perfect timing, Daisy gracefully slid off the bar stool and moved over to sit next to the wide-eyed writer. For once, he was left speechless. Mesmerized. Just as planned. In a flash of movement, Dryden found himself face-down on the bar with pretzel salt digging into his forehead. “What the-” he sputtered, cut short by Sean’s bear-like grip on his arms as he pulled Dryden’s wrists up to meet his shoulder blades. “None of that, now. We’ll do the talking here, Dryden.” He leaned over and kissed Daisy with a smile. “Worked like a charm, love.” The beuaty slid off the bar stool and walked to the door. “Call me when you’re all done,” Daisy said softly. With a final glance at the trio, she was gone like a wisp of the scent of rose petals carried on a summer breeze. An Unwanted Intervention It was just the three of them now, with a dozen or so bikers and drunken locals watching intently. “Matthew, you’re probably wondering what’s going on here. I asked Sean to arrange this meeting for me. Consider this your intervention, my friend,” she said in a low voice so as not to attract any more attention. “A lot of us love you, but we’re worried about your state of mind. You’re up to your knees in blood lately. That just won’t do in Blogopolis.” She circled around behind the bar to whisper in his ear. “Since you seem to enjoy slitting throats, this was the only way to get your attention. We just want you to know that you’re not in this alone. You have friends.” She turned his head gently to look him in the eye, “Your love/hate relationship with Tree, and Lynn, and whatever others may be hiding in the closet, is getting out of hand. You’re mugging your friends and beating up strangers. There’s been too much blood spilled. I’m here to offer my help for dealing with your rage.” Through clenched teeth Dryden growled, “I don’t want help. I took a beating for years, now it’s my turn to dole out the violence.” He exhaled deeply and bared his teeth at Sean as he fought to gain control. “Now let me up. I get the point.” She pondered the options for a minute, while Sean grinned big enough to blind the gawking drunks huddled in the corner. “This is such fun, Matt, I can see why you indulge your anger. I like being the bad guy for once,” Sean bubbled, still riding the high of his first encounter with snow. She tapped a glossy fingernail on the bar rail and looked at Dryden closely. He seemed calm and rational enough. “Let him up, Sean. I think he’s ready to talk.” Brushing the salt from his skin, Dryden glanced at Sean and mumbled, “Buddy, you couldn’t be the bad guy unless this was a B movie.” She grinned. “It’s a good thing that I’m a B grade novel writer then, huh?” The bar keep passed her a plate and she placed a hand on Matthew’s shoulder. “You want some vinegar with those fries, Matthew? It’s my favorite.” “Sure. I could use a JD on the rocks, too.” The barkeep pushed the glass along the bar, the ice had already begun to melt. “Vinegar’s on the table.” Dryden eyed the bar keep warily. She could see it was time for plan B. “Since you seem to be set in your ways, perhaps you would like to take a peak at my collection of crime novels. I have a brilliant book on Jack the Ripper. Perhaps you could at least pick up enough tricks to avoid being arrested. Sean here could serve as a character witness when the police question you about the break-ins and bodies. They do awful things to handsome writers in jail, Matthew.” Dryden looked at her over the rim of his dirty glass, she cringed at the grime stuck in the bevels. Drawing out each word, he eyed them both. “Well. That’s something I never would have expected. I thought you two were all fluff and rainbows and shit.” He swallowed hard, thinking. “As long as I don’t have to play nice, I’ll take you up on that offer. But I can’t stop.” He stared hard at the pair. “I had you two pegged all wrong. ” The corner of her mouth raised ever so slightly. Gotcha. “A lot of people make that mistake. I’m just like you, I’ve been there. We’ve been there.” She swallowed the last of her Coke and handed the empty glass to the barkeep with a $50 bill. “Make the call Sean, dinner’s at seven. Daisy knows what to do.” She grabbed her worn white leather jacket from a booth in the corner and slipped behind the bar. “I have a few things to take care of. I’ll meet up with you later.” Meeting of the Minds She walked out into the sunlight and kicked at the dirty snow blocking the back door. This was going to be a tough one. She pulled her cell phone out and made the first call. Sunny was the best hit man in North America- in high demand, and something of a legend. “You’re up buddy. Hang on, I’ll connect the others.” With a few well-practiced punches, she dialed up five other numbers, connecting them all to the same call while she zipped up her jacket and climbed into the front seat of her silver Charger. One by one, they all chimed in as she slammed the car into reverse and brought the Hemi up to a comfortable 85 mph. “Chartrand’s here. Hello Sal, Lance, B J, Amy, and Ryan. You all up for a little fun? Meet me for dinner at seven, the usual place.” The Charger sped along the curving pavement, leaving a cloud of dust as she shifted into fourth gear. Just one more call to make. “Daisy, it’s all in place. Did you have any trouble? Good. Just make sure no one follows you. I’ll be there in ten minutes, maybe less.” She tossed the phone on the passenger seat and cranked up the volume as Wherever You Will Go by The Calling flooded her senses. She pulled on aged leather gloves and slipped into a familiar state of mind. It was all in Chartrand’s expert hands now. She began to pray as she pushed the Charger to 110, leaving the glistening snow and bare trees behind in a blinding blur. Matthew Dryden will never know what hit him. 13 Responses to “Mystery and Memes” Got something to say?
2. POST THE RULES ON YOUR BLOG
3. WRITE SIX RANDOM THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF
4. TAG SIX PEOPLE AT THE END OF YOUR POST AND LINK TO THEM
5. LET EACH PERSON KNOW THEY ARE TAGGED AND LEAVE A COMMENT ON THEIR BLOG
6. LET THE TAGGER KNOW WHEN YOUR ENTRY IS UP
7. DON’T BREAK THE CHAIN (not actually a rule)
Comments
A familiar voice was on the other end of the line. “Hi Jamie, good to hear from you again.” She spoke of deals and barters that if made public would surely lead to a mass panic in Blogopolis. There were a few things that happened to be a bit unnerving though. “I don’t know what to say other than Sean has you fooled. This is not his first attempt at playing the bad guy. Maybe his first time in a bar, but bad guy he has done before.” Sal snapped “Get James to do another driveby and see what else he can find out.” He couldn’t believe the web that Sean was spinning, after all it was Sean that first did the unthinkable to Sal. They had been friends for a while at that point, but his ruthless actions put a quick end to that…The Godfather even suggested that Sal might actually like these things. Rediculous.
Sal´s last spectacular blog post..2008 - The Year of Isaia
Maybe I was feeling a bit lonely.
But that only proves one thing – when you get feelings involved, you get sloppy. Perhaps that’s why I found myself facedown against a bar in a seedy joint. Goddammit, was the first thing that came to mind. My knife was out of reach, and with Sean’s bear-like grip, I doubt I could reach it, even if I had the chance.
Jamie’s sweet voice floated through the air, saying something about shedding too much blood. Perhaps she’d been out of the game too long, but I hadn’t killed anyone for almost a month – haven’t had reason too.
“Consider this your intervention,” she said, sipping on her coke.
I had to suppress a smile. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.
The couple sat with fingers braided, a wide eyed gaze fixed on Sean’s face as he peered around at the piles of snow hugging the base of each tree. Daisy squeezed his hand,
“You ready?” she asked.
“What?”
Jamie was running the show. That lady planned things to a T and had assembled quite the team. If she was involving Chartrand, then things had already stepped over the thin red line separating one last chance from a bit too late.
“You know what,” Daisy said.
“Yeah,” Sean showed all of his teeth. “That I do.”
He pulled Daisy’s hand and the two of them crossed the snowy lot, climbed into their old Camry and followed Jamie’s cloud of smoke.
Writer Dad´s last spectacular blog post..New Year, New Opportunity
Sal,
Ah, but of course Sean has been the bad guy before, that’s why I chose him. I only work with the best, baby!
Matthew,
Hmmm, perhaps the failed intervention was only a thinly veiled guise…it let’s my conscious rest at ease. You’ve been set up, my dear.
I’ve worked with hit men before, I used to do a few jobs myself in a former life. I selected Chartrand for a reason. He’s got my back. Better sleep with the lights on, Matthew. He’s coming for you.
Sean,
They know you’re not Mr. Sweetness. In fact, it’s been suggested you are the root of the problem, man.
Be sure to set a place for Dryden, he’ll be crashing our little dinner party. He drinks Guiness. He called, he’s hopped up on adrenaline like a crack ho at a Hollywood party.
We might need Daisy to distract him again, but I’d be careful, he might get jealous and try to take her from you by force. Watch your back, dude. I’ll set up a few fail-safes in advance to help protect you.
Hey Jamie,
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your story.
Amy´s last spectacular blog post..Hump Day Reading for the Restless Soul
On any other night, Harry probably would have ignored the phone and let it go to voice mail, rather than abandon the shrimp Alfredo he had simmering on the stove. He and James rarely split up on a mission, but James was out with the family and Harry couldn’t say no to the woman on the other end of the phone. A favor was a favor, and the Pen Men were men of honor.
Harry made a quick call to James to let him know about the situation and put the food away before suiting up. He hated driving in the snow. Not that he hadn’t done it before. There was that road trip to Utah where he braved snow, ice, rain and elk to get over that mountain - all on two wheels and a lot of nerve. He hadn’t dropped the bike that time. No, he had to drop it in the middle of a Las Vegas morning rush hour a month before.
It took him longer than expected to reach BJ’s house. Luckily the leather gloves hid the white knuckled grip he had on the throttle. He pulled up to the curb and BJ gave him a nod of satisfaction. Harry tugged down the bandanna that covered the lower half of his face as he reached into the saddlebag and handed her a helmet.
“What’s this about?” He hadn’t asked on the phone. Phones couldn’t be trusted. “Someone causing trouble?”
Harrison McLeod´s last spectacular blog post..Drive-by-Shooting Sunday: Linker’s Blog
“Jamie has called a dinner meeting to deal with Matthew. Thanks for coming.”
Dangerous, driving a bike in this snow, but she had confidence in Harry and Lucifer. She raised an eyebrow. Harry followed her gaze and nodded, patting his pocket in response. With steel on board, BJ felt safer.
She fastened the helmet with another nod, hitched a leg over the bike and settled on. She trusted Harry and his bike to get them there. Man, she really missed riding.
Matthew had gone to far, and Jamie was calling in accounts. BJ (known as Barb to those she knew well) had answered Jamie’s summons without hesitation.
Oh, she knew the words Matthew peppered throughout his speech. Though she tried not to use them, she was intimately acquainted with those words and their various uses. She even had an understanding of what would drive someone to violence. Knives weren’t her style. If someone needed to go down, they went down with a minimum of fuss. She patted Harry’s pocket, feeling the outline of the gun, and smiled.
So Matthew thought he was the only tough guy around, did he? Well, then. He was in for the shock of his life. BJ didn’t survive her 41 years living in an ivory tower, nor did she let on that her calming style hid the soul of a rebel. She had stood in the night, feeling the breeze and that inner sense of power rise up. She had no problem with whatever might happen.
The bike pulled away from the curb. Harry dropped a gear as she leaned into the corner with him. Reckoning was at hand.
B J Keltz´s last spectacular blog post..Writing Goals
Matthew. That didn’t explain much. The name didn’t ring a bell with McLeod. No doubt James would know who this guy was. James knew everyone.
The light up ahead turned red and Harry slowed. He felt BJ’s arms tighten around his waist as he got the 800 pounds of steel under control and came to a smooth stop.
“So what’s the deal here?” He watched BJ in one of the rear view mirrors, “What exactly am I walking into?”
Harrison McLeod´s last spectacular blog post..Drive-by-Shooting Sunday: Linker’s Blog
“She’s been mumbling about Matthew’s bloody moodiness lately. I’m guessing she’s getting ready to pull something on him. Oh the other hand, I’ve heard a few comments about Sean and not being the sweetheart we think he is.” She paused a moment. Best to tell him everything.
“Jamie is tearing around town in her leather jacket and charger, hosting impromptu conference calls on her cell.” BJ held on tight as he took off with the green light. “You know what that means.”
BJ wasn’t sure she wanted to recount the last time Jamie wore that jacket. Oh, it had been fun, but the result was laying low for a while and watching her six. Fortunately, the heat was off before Harry and James got tired of checking in on her.
B J Keltz´s last spectacular blog post..Writing Goals
James did indeed know everyone. That was part of the job when you were omniscient blogospherist.
He cursed softly under his breath. Sean. That guy was coming up everywhere. Well, well… and Dryden, too. Who else?… Ah, so many names, so few bullets this side of the border.
James Chartrand - Men with Pens´s last spectacular blog post..Drive-by-Shooting Sunday: Linker’s Blog
“Chartrand.”
The shadows seemed to separate as James stepped forward. “You make yourself easy to find, Dryden.”
“You’re not going to kill me now, so why are you here?”
“I don’t get the point of this all, I want you to explain it to me.”
“Strange things happen when you try to pull yourself out of the game. People start thinking that there’s a void that needs to be filled – only problem is…they don’t get the point of a passionate kill. I never meant to be a tough guy – but now my name is being dragged around the blogosphere like I’m already a corpse.”
James cocked his head to the side. “If I’m wrong, then I’ve made a huge mistake for not killing you straight away.”
“Blood will be shed tonight, but I assure you that it won’t be mine.”
He smiled. “Still as cocky as hell, aren’t you?”
I returned the smile and nodded. “Let me tell you this. Jamie’s not the problem. She’s just a puppet. It’s Sean whose pulling the strings. She’s a force to be reckoned with in her own right – but he’s the guiding light.”
Chartrand’s face showed no emotion. I wondered if he had any idea of what was about to happen. “Dryden, this has gone too far.”
“I know, James. I know.”
He nodded his goodbye and disappeared into the shadows. A voice crept out from behind me. “He seemed…pleasant.”
I blinked and tensed as a hand crept up around my shoulder. “He’s one of those righteous types. Has to figure things out for himself. It’s a good way to be. I’m willing to bet that he’ll be one of the few people to see the sun rise in the morning. Are you ready for this party?”
“It’s going to be a bloody good night.” She took a deep breath and then whispered in my ear:
“Kill for me, baby, kill for me.”