Team Bête Noire

By: “Timothy” Fred Parks

Chapter 1: Pandora’s Box

The city…a cold place of concrete, steel, and glass…full of darkness and places for things that go bump in the night to hide.  The streets are permeated with the life and death dance between those who have and those who want to take for themselves.  Amongst them the misfortunate, the disillusioned, and those who have just made more than their share of bad decisions sometimes fall victim.  Sometimes the difference between them all is indiscernible as one takes on the persona of the other.  Through it all there are eyes that watch… both for good and for evil……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m not sure about this Dr. Wilhiam” Dr. Patrick Niles said nervously as Dr. Edgar Wilhiam slowly placed a vile into a cryogenic container.

“What is there to not be sure of Patrick? Honestly you young people are so high strung these days” Wilhiam replied.

“I can’t believe you aren’t as anxious about all this as I am.  You know what you are holding in your hands better than anyone” ....Niles.... retorted.

Dr. Wilhiam closed the container and sealed it before placing an electronic lock on the container.

“Yes, Patrick I know very well what we have done here” Dr. Wilhiam replied as he turned back towards his younger colleague.

“First of all, I’m not sure I want any credit for helping to create that abomination.  I’m begging you Edgar…destroy it now.  If it ever got out…it would be like opening Pandora’s Box. Listen to me Edgar we can have all the data purged from the system in less than a minute.  All you have to do is say the word” Dr. Niles said nervously.

“But why would I do that” Wilhiam laughed

“I would think that would be obvious” ....Niles.... replied

“Are you so short sided Patrick?  Can you not see the great potential we now hold in our hands” Wilhiam said; a wild light flickered in the man’s eyes.

“What potential?  The potential to kill millions” ....Niles.... replied frantically.

“That is only the beginning Patrick.  Think of the power we have in our hands.  A few drops in the water supply and the world will give us anything we desire.  Think about it.  You want women, money, cars, those silly electronic games you young people seem so fanatical about? Just name it and its yours” Wilhiam said condescendingly.

“Have you lost your mind” ....Niles.... asked as he began to back away.

“Do you have a more noble aspiration” Wilhiam retorted as he began to follow ....Niles.... as he the young man backed up.

“How about world peace?  It’s there ....Niles....…right there in that container.  Maybe you aren’t so noble. Maybe you want a war…a special war between any country you’d like.  How about ....Switzerland.... verses ....Haiti.... or ..Guam.. verses ....Russia.....  You push the buttons…you can redraw the lines of the world’s nations.  Its all there…everything…every desire…every lust…every good deed…every evil aspiration….there for the choosing boy.  Don’t you get it yet?  What do you think I’ve been doing for the last 6 years” Wilhiam gloated.

“I thought we were working on cures…on things that would heal” ....Niles.... exclaimed as he backed into a low counter behind him.

“The best way to heal is to purge the infected…the corrupted…the mutated and the rotten” Wilhiam replied with an annoyed and gruff tone.

“I won’t let you do this” ....Niles.... said as he felt for something behind him that could be used as a weapon.

Wilhiam shook his head softly.

“I expected as much Patrick” Wilhiam replied as he reached into his lab coat and pulled a small capped syringe.

....Niles....’ hand found something from the counter; a glass graduated cylinder.  ....Niles.... swung it toward Wilhiam shattering it against the side of the man’s head.  Wilhiam turned his head with the impact and stumbled back giving ....Niles.... the chance to try and escape.  As he turned however he was met by two darkly clad figures.  Before he could react the two figures caught him in strong arms and held him tight.  ....Niles.... felt the prick of a syringe plunge into his side.

“Good night sweet prince” Wilhiam whispered in the young man’s ear.

Mean while in a diner across town…

“You don’t look so good” April Ryder said as she approached with a fresh pot of hot coffee.

The man sitting in the booth hardly acknowledged her other than to hold up his coffee cup.  April took his cup and filled it before sitting it back down again.  The woman looked around as if to see if anyone was watching her then sat in the booth directly across from the man.

His appearance was shaggy.  His hair was disheveled and he was a few days on the other side of a razor; as the stubble on his face was dark.  His eyes were rimed in red indicating a lack of sleep.  He wore a button up white shirt that was tucked into a pair of black trouser.  All of it covered by a long dark trench coat that looked like it had seen many winters.

“Why don’t you go home Craig? Get some sleep” April said as she leaned down toward the man.

“Isn’t there someone else you could bother” Craig Falcon replied as he turned his head to look through the window and brought the coffee cup to his lips.

“Seriously Craig I’m worried about you.  Since you lost your job you’ve…”April trailed off from speaking as Craig turned his gaze to the woman with a look that cautioned her from further speaking.

“Fine, I don’t know why I even bother” April replied then stood up and stomped off.

Craig turned his gaze back toward the window.  It was beginning to drizzle giving an even more dreary backdrop to the night.  Out of work and out of luck Craig had no reason to go home…to sleep.  He couldn’t have even if he wanted to.  The nightmares would rob him of any rest he would hope to gain.  Instead he’d rather sit in the diner and remember.  Remember when she was there across from him and remember when he was someone else.

He pulled a flask from his overcoat pocket, opened it, and then emptied the remaining contents into the coffee cup.

“Here’s to self medication” he whispered to himself as he sipped the liquid from the cup.

As he finished the drink his eyes were called to two men who had just come through the door. One of the men wore a baggy jacket with a king of diamonds embroidered on the back.  The other wore a sports jacket with a “Red Sox” logo on the lapel.  The men seemed in good spirits as they sat at the bar and ordered cold drinks.

Normally Craig wouldn’t have given the two another thought but something about them peaked his interest.  Apparently he wasn’t the only one as a man and women in a booth close to the door seemed to be watching them as well. One of the two men took a sip from his drink then got up and walked to the restroom at the back of the dinner. 

The dinner was an old fifties style eatery with stainless steel skin on the out side.  There was only one aisle, a few booths, and the bar (the biggest part of which traveled the length of the building).  The floors were black and white tile and the walls were adorned with records and black and white stills of actors or musicians from days gone by.

Craig turned sideways in his seat so that he could watch the restroom door as well as the man still sitting at the bar. Something felt weird.  There was something on the air. The instincts he had developed over ten years of putting his butt on the line for the city were now screaming at him that trouble was on the horizon.

When the man finally emerged from the restroom he turned directly to the old fifty’s style jukebox that occupied the space between the men’s and women’s restrooms.  After the sound of a few coins echoed through the scarcely populated dinner, the sound of Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” began to play. 

As the songs first lyrics began to be vocalized the man at the bar stood up and pulled a pistol from his jacket pocket.  Craig’s peripheral vision picked up the man who had started the music also pulling a gun to cover the back portion of the dinner.

“Don’t anyone get any bad ideas. Be easy and this will be easy” the man at the bar said then backed toward the door before turning the deadbolt lock.

“Everyone stays quiet and cooperative and no one ends up in the o-bits” the man continued.

“First things first, the register if you please” the man said then pointed his gun towards April who had found herself behind the counter near the register.

April quickly pushed a few buttons but the register wouldn’t open.  A look of terror overcame her features.

“Don’t play with me lady” the man shouted then fired a shot behind her into a glass case that contained not so freshly made pies.

April shrieked and covered her ears as tears of fear ran her mascara down her cheeks.  The man let out an exasperated growl then bounded over the counter; knocking over a ketchup bottle and napkin holder.  April crouched in the floor and held her hands up as if to knock away an incoming bullet. The man grabbed her and pulled her out of the way before knocking her to the floor with a hard back hand.  In frustration he began beating the register with his fist until the drawer slid open.  Greedily he began to stuff his pockets.

Craig watched silently.  His ire had been aroused at the man’s handling of the waitress.  It was one thing to rob the dinner…they had insurance and would probably make money in the deal…hurting an innocent was another thing all together.

“Hurry up fool and get their wallets” the man turned and shouted at his partner.

Craig’s senses heightened as the man behind him approached.  He caught a glimpse of the man and woman in the booth near the door.  Something on their faces seemed to almost encourage him to act.  They themselves had the look of action written across their posture.

“You heard the man.  Cough it up” the young man in the red sox jacket shouted and pressed the gun against his head.

“Go ahead” Craig announced with amusement.

“I’ll do it mister. I mean it” the young man said and pressed harder against Craig’s temple.

“So do it.  It’ll be a whole lot easier to get my wallet, -which consequently is empty- from a bloody corpse” Craig said as he began to stand up slowly.

The young man kept the gun against his head but seemed at a loss about what to do next. Craig turned to look the boy in the eye.

“Come on kid.  Pull the trigger.  You’ll love it.  You’ll see a spray exit the back of my head” Craig explained as he moved ever closer to the young man causing him to back away up the aisle.

“Its like a firework…accept with blood” Craig continued with a smile.

“Do’em man” the other robber shouted.

“Yeah come on and do’em” Craig taunted.

“Don’t make me do this man” the young man was nearly in tears as he fought with himself to pull the trigger.

“Wait, wait” Craig said then put up his hands in front of him holding the index finger of each hand up.

The young man’s face regained a little confidence.

“Don’t shoot yet, this is my favorite part” Craig said and began to sing along with the juke box.

“And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too” Craig sang “I'll see you on the dark side of the moon”

As the young man stood in the midst of a pool of confusion Craig grabbed the boy’s wrist and leaned his head away from the barrel.  The sound of a gun shot reported through the dinner; the bullet only missing Craig’s face by a fraction of an inch.  The heat from the explosion that expelled the bullet burned his nose.   Craig gave little heed to the discomfort as he contorted the young man’s wrist backwards in an impossible angle while turning the barrel toward the man behind the counter.

Craig felt a pop when the boy’s wrist joint succumbed to the pressure. The sound of a gun shot followed. The man behind the counter had fired toward him and struck his own partner in the back.  Two more rapid fire reports filled the air with bullets that struck home in the second robber’s chest; dropping him in a heap behind the counter. Leaving Craig standing alone in the midst of destruction.

Everything was silent in Craig’s mind.  The sound of the gunfire, the jukebox, April’s screams of fear all faded out.  It was as if the world had stopped.  His only sensation was the feel of the pistol grip in his hand.  He lowered his arm then dropped the gun on the floor before stepping over the young man who lay bleeding at his feet. 

He said nothing as he moved.  He just walked.  He passed the couple near the door and noticed a strange look on their faces.  They weren’t shocked, they weren’t scared, they simply looked focused. 

Craig stepped through the door into the rain feeling his heart beat for the first time in months.

“Craig Falcon” a female voice asked from behind.

Craig didn’t acknowledge it. He simply turned up the side walk and began walking.  The sound of four feet following sent a pang of aggravation up his spine.  He turned quickly.

“Craig Falcon” the woman asked again.

“Maybe, maybe not.  Who the heck are you” he replied.

“Just call me Colleen B. and this is my associate Tyler M.” the woman explained then held out a business card.

Craig took it grudgingly but kept his focus on the two people in front of him.

“What do you want” Craig asked.

“Just a moment of your time, that’s all” Colleen explained.

“You have it…wait…now its gone” Craig said then turned up the sidewalk again.

“We’ll be in touch when your in better spirits” Tyler M said as Craig walked away.

“Your in a for a long wait then” Craig muttered before looking down to take a quick look at the card.

Team Bête Noire

Craig turned it over looking for a phone number or something but the three words were the only markings on the card.  He stopped and turned slightly; looking over his shoulder.  The two were gone without a trace. 

He looked back at the card as the sound of police sirens pierced through the rain, and then flipped the card into the street with two fingers before walking away.