Redirect

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The Rendering - Ch. 1

Chapter One

‘Hold it!’ the man dressed in the shady clothes with a hood over his head said.

The little boy turned around and when he saw him stood still. The shady man walked up to the little boy. ‘Do you want a candy?’ he asked. The boy shook his head profusely.

‘Then give me back my damn disc!’ he yelled. The scared child dumped the disc onto the ground and took off. The pissed off shady man with a hood over his head decided to give chase and easily caught hold of the kid.

‘Aaah! Let me go!!!’ the poor boy yelled. With an evil laugh the man threw him over the fence and into the river. The boy shrieked in shock at the freezing water and quickly waded over to the other side.

‘That will teach you!’ he yelled across to him. The little boy quickly got out and ran away crying.

‘I suppose you’re always like that with children.’ A man behind him said.

 ‘Kid got what he deserved’, he replied, turning to him and studying this stranger.

‘Well, are we going to conduct business?’ he asked the shady man.

‘I have a name, you know.’

‘Forgive me, Mr. Nidulus.’

‘It’s Naydulus you retard and don’t call me by my surname. Phoc will be fine.’

‘Very well Phoc. I think you have something that belongs to me.’

‘I didn’t get your name, either.’

The man sighed and said, ‘You’re better off not knowing.’

‘Oh really? I never knew mercenaries were so mysterious. In fact I found you off the network. How hard was that?’

‘It’s Jake.’

‘Jake…’

‘Jake.’

‘Why does that name sound so fami-’

Jake pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

‘You were better off not knowing. Idiot.’

He wiped the pistol and put it into the late Phoc Naydulus’ hands.

‘Mr. G, you have a leak. Target knew I was after him. Out.’

Jake looked at the dead man one last time, shrugged and walked away to find dinner, whistling “Annie’s Song” and putting one hand in his pocket, the other on his hip.

 

***

‘The regular, Jake?’

He looked at the bartender, thought for awhile and shook his head.

‘I think I’ll have some warm water.’

‘Rough night, huh?’

He nodded in reply and looked at the latest news. “Man commits suicide in Ironfields”. Jake noticed the news services were losing their touch. ‘Fifteen minutes late…’ he said to himself.

‘Used to be five,’ a man said next to him.

Jake turned and looked.

‘You’re under arrest for the murder of Phoc Naydulus.’

Jake laughed and they shook hands.

‘How’s things?’ Jake asked.

‘Ah, could be better. Divorced again. Same old same old.’

‘Heh, you never change.’

‘I wish. So you got the disc?’

Jake handed him the disc the poor dead man managed to extract from the poor cold child.

‘Hmm…antique. But then again most good intel is stored like this.’

‘You telling me.’

‘Here…the warm water’s on me.’

‘Idiot.’

‘Which reminds me…’

The man took a sip and gave Jake a very serious look.

‘Are you up for a crazy job?’

‘I’m assuming it pays proportionally.’

The man nodded his head. Jake kept silent.

‘Anna Takop. Former Eastern European dictator, now in hiding.’

‘Termination?’

He shook his head.

‘No. Escort.’

‘And why me?’

‘You’re the right person. Low profile, high skill level. Deniability if this thing hits the fan.’

‘I suppose there’s a high possibility it will.’

‘No shit, Jakeass.’

‘Hmph.’

‘Three trillion. Immediately if you accept.’

‘Not bad. A decent retirement would await me.’

‘If you make it.

‘If.’

‘People will find out once she’s on the move. And a lot of them want her dead or alive.’

‘That Anna has quite the bounty on her, if I’m correct?’

‘Yes. The Ams are offering 900 bill, the Brits 500.’

‘Then I suppose there are others who would pay more.’

‘Not more than what you’re getting. You are just one man whom nobody knows. What makes you think those unofficial sources will shell out that amount for you?’

‘So why are you so willing to part with three trill?’

‘Me? Never. My superiors are.’

‘How nice. Fine, I’m in.’

‘Unfortunately for you. I’ll call you within 72 hours.’

With that he left. 

Jake sipped his water and stared at an attractive woman leaning on a corner, but then realized she wasn’t a woman.

The Hare Who Looked At The Stars

He walked past the meadow, into the woods. The birds told him to go there, although he was doubtful. The setting sun coloured the valley walls around him a bright red and he counted one, two, sixty waterfalls.

Why this place? He wondered.

A swallow flew past and told him to keep going. Walking on he deftly stepped past the broken branches and a few footsteps later, he supposed he reached the place. It was a small burrow in the ground, underneath a huge tree root. Dead leaves covered more than half the entrance and he wondered if he had come to the right place.

A little rabbit with dark grey fur peered out. Hello? He said hoping he was not disturbing it. Slowly the rabbit trudged out cautions yet curious.

You wanted to hear a story? The rabbit whispered. He nodded his head, bent down and looked into its eyes. I do not remember much; only what my ancestors told me, said the rabbit.

Go on.

His name no one knows. Perhaps he never had one. But we called him the Hare, for that was what he was. He lived here, in these woods and had many friends. A swallow, a fox, a squirrel even a frog.

Keeping silent he listened as the rabbit continued.

He was brave and went to many far away places and helped rid these woods of dangerous creatures. The rabbit paused as if to think. The listener took the opportunity to ponder its words.

Did you see a meadow as you came here? It asked. He nodded. There is a tree there, a single tree in a field of flowers.

Yes I saw it.

The hare would meet with is friends there and they would share stories with one another. That is…that is all I know.

He kept silent for awhile but then said I do not understand though why they say this Hare is so special.

The rabbit thought for awhile.

Once before the sun rose the Hare looked up into the dark sky, looked up at the stars. He said something we never understood.

What did he say?

Are they not beautiful?

Hearing that he laughed. Thank you dear rabbit. I understand now. With a smile on his face he stroked its soft fur, rose and walked away.

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If you frequent Logical Nonsense, you will know who the Hare is.