>>157 Well, technically, my name is spelled incorrectly on purpose, as it's a spoonerism, so you spelled it correctly, which is incorrect. Heh. Oh yeah and I finished Part Nine already. Here it is! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Mornin’, Pumpkin!†Engineer said, turning as his daughter came into the kitchen. Her hair was pulled back in a messy, frizzy ponytail, and she had her backpack slung over one shoulder. “You hungry? I made breakfast!†He gestured to the plate of toast and eggs on the table. “I’m fine, daddy,†said Rosie. “I should get goin’, if I don’t wanna fight fer parkin’ space.†“Nonsense!†said her father. “Growin’ girl needs a good breakfast. Helps ya do better in class.†He nodded towards the empty chair across from him. “C’mon.†Rosie gave an overly dramatic sigh as she pulled out the chair and sat down. She stabbed at one of the eggs in the yolk, and stuffed it in her mouth. “We outta bacon?†she asked, mouth half full. “Yeah, I need to pick up some more,†said Engineer. He looked down at Guard Dog, who was halfway under the table. “We wouldn’t run out so often if you jus’ stopped sneakin’ him strips of it.†“Sorry,†Rosie said, shrinking back in her chair. She quickly shoved another egg in her mouth. She swallowed, and quickly changed the subject. “You leave th’ garage door open again?†“I might have,†said Engineer. “Why d’ya ask?†“I think I heard a coyote or somethin’ in there last night,†she said. She bit a hunk out of her toast. “I heard some stuff fall over late last night.†“That’s funny,†said Engineer, rubbing his chin. “That ole’ sentry usually scares away anything that might run in there. If it beeped I woulda’ heard it.†“Maybe it snuck in,†said Rosie, shrugging. She took another bite out of her toast. “Or maybe it was a bird that flew in or somethin’.†“I suppose so,†said Engineer, leaning on the table. “You know, I hope you don’t talk with yer mouth full at school. Ain’t very becoming of a young lady.†Rosie finished off her toast. “Sorry,†she said, and then quickly downed the glass of orange juice that had been sitting by her plate. “Won’t do it again,†she said as she stood up from her chair. She leaned over her father and kissed him on the cheek. “Bye Daddy!†“Wait, don’t forget your lunch!†Engineer said, getting up to grab a paper bag. He handed it off to his daughter before she headed out the door. He walked out onto the porch to watch her get into the old Studebaker. He waved at her as she started the car and pulled out, and Guard Dog nudged the screen door open to bark at the vehicle as it drove away on the main road. With a shake of his head, he looked down at his animal companion. “Teenagers,†he said. Guard Dog just tilted his head, and Engineer patted his side. “Let’s go see about that coyote that got in, hmm?†They stepped off the porch and walked to the garage. The door had been open, yes, but even with the door open the sentry should have let out a string of beeps loud enough to wake everyone up. Usually the largest things that were able to get in were birds or bats... or Spy. Had he snuck in last night? No, that wasn’t like him at all… Spy wouldn’t sneak in there without gloating about it to Engineer afterwards. He took too much pleasure in giving Engineer a heart attack. That seemed to narrow it down to an animal until Engineer stopped short of the garage, and noticed his truck’s tires. The tires were completely flat, leaving the vehicle sitting on its rims. Engineer ventured closer, and crouched down by the wheels, examining the long tears in the rubber. “How in th’ hell…†he muttered as he stood up. Without even thinking, he turned his head towards his desk, and froze, his stomach dropping like a lead weight. The blue prints he’d been working on were gone, replaced with a pile of burnt paper and ashes. His whittling knife was embedded in the wooden surface of his desk, and beneath it was a message scrawled in thick, black marker. “I FOUND YOU, HORSEFUCKER. JANE IS MINE. YOU FUCK WITH ME AGAIN AND I WILL DIG UP YOUR WIFE AND FUCK HER IN HER COLD, ROTTING CUNT.†Engineer found himself just staring at his desk. His mind was still reeling from shock, and as he read those words over and over again, he could feel his bile rise and his skin break out in a cold sweat. JANE IS MINE. “Oh God,†Engineer muttered. He put a hand over his mouth and doubled over. His vision lit up with sickly yellow and blue spots, and he tried to take deep breaths through his nose. He screwed his eyes closed and barely managed to suppress the urge to spew. Somewhere behind the ringing in his ears he could hear Guard Dog whining in concern. After about twenty seconds of slow breathing, he pulled himself upright as he tried to relax. Johnny had found him. Soldier had indicated that Johnny had already paid his monthly visit to Jane. Obviously, he must have gone to Soldier’s apartment and found he was gone. And the teleporter… I FOUND YOU, HORSEFUCKER. Something crunched underneath his foot. Engineer looked down to see that he’d stepped on a piece of broken glass. Upon turning around, he saw more glass scattered on the ground, as well as an empty picture frame… the frame that had a photo of Irene and Rosie. His heart started hammering in his chest, beating against his ribs like a frightened bird trying to escape a cage. He bent down, and scanned the floor for the photograph. His eyes finally fell upon it, as the photo was lying next to the leg of his desk. He reached forward, plucking up the photo delicately between two fingers and his thumb. As soon as his thumb made contact he noticed his thumb run over something that wasn’t the glossy surface of the photo. As he brought the photo closer into view, he noticed that there were milky, dried up globs on the surface of the photograph, with one large spot obscuring Irene’s face, which had run down her body. Engineer felt his throat constrict and his whole body shake. YOU FUCK WITH ME AGAIN AND I WILL DIG UP YOUR WIFE AND FUCK HER IN HER COLD, ROTTING CUNT. It was then that Engineer threw the photograph to the ground and let out one long, anguished scream. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Rosalie Conagher, please come to the Principal’s office. Thank you.†Rosie jolted in her seat in surprise. She hadn’t been paying attention to English class, instead doodling dragons and shirtless Elvish men on her notes. She quickly shut her notebook closed as all the other students in the class turned to look at her. Blushing, she shoved her notebook into her backpack and stood up from her chair. “You’re not in trouble, are ya, Rosie?†asked the scrawny, bespectacled boy next to her. “I sure hope not,†she said in a hushed voice. “Are we still on for DnD night?†he asked. “I’ll let ya know,†she answered, and quickly maneuvered her way between the desks and walked at a brisk pace out the classroom door. The school halls were all empty, as classes were in session. First period had barely just started. Was she in trouble? The school year had only just started, she hadn’t been falling behind yet, and she couldn’t think of anything she could have done to wind up in the Principal's office. She made her way to the main office, and as she opened the door, she peeked her head inside. The secretary at the desk looked up, her plump red face cheery and bright. “Oh, good morning, Rosalie!†she chirped. “Principal Kahn will be seeing you in a minute.†“Thanks,†said Rosie, slipping into the office and sitting in one of the chairs against the wall. “D’you know what this is about?†“I’m not sure,†said the secretary. “We just got a call from your father. It sounded very urgent.†“My father?†Rosie asked. Before the secretary could respond any further, a tall, balding man with a bushy mustache came out of his own private office from the side. “Rosalie, good morning,†said Principal Kahn. “How are you?†“All right, I guess,†said Rosie sheepishly. “Would you mind stepping into my office?†he asked, gesturing towards his door. “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble or anything.†Rosie nodded and stood up, following the Principal into his office. She sat down in the chair across from his desk. Kahn pulled out his chair and sat down, lacing his fingers on top of his desk. “I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,†he started, his eyes smiling. “Yeah,†she said, nodding. “Well,†he said, leaning forward and adjusting himself in his chair, “your father just called us; he said that there’s a bit of a crisis going on and he asked us to pass onto you that he wants you to stay with your grandparents for a while.†“What?†Rosie asked, sitting forward. “Why? What happened?†Kahn hesitated, squirming in his chair and clearing his throat. “Apparently, there was a break-in at your garage last night. Your father is worried about your safety and thinks you should stay away from the house for a while.†“Break-in?†Rosie gasped. “I thought it’d just been a coyote, I didn’t think…†“Now, now,†said Principal Kahn, lifting his hands to gesture her to calm down, “your father has assured me that he’s gotten everything under control. He’s just concerned about your safety and wants to make sure you’re somewhere secure for a while. That’s all.†Rosie simply nodded. “Well… all right, I guess…†“Don’t worry,†Principal Kahn continued, “we’ll have someone bring over your homework and lesson summaries for the day. You’ll be all taken care of.†She didn’t say anything to this, opting to just nod. Meemaw and Pop-Pop actually lived fairly close by, and she could still go to class… had Daddy asked for her to not go in? What was going on? “Also, your father wanted you to just stop by before you head off, to pack your things,†said the Principal. “Hopefully you won’t be gone too long. We’ll be waiting for you to come back to school safe and sound. All right?†“All right,†said Rosie. “Thank you, sir. Is it all right if I head on back now?†“Given that this is a family emergency, I certainly don’t see why not,†he said. “You have permission to leave the school grounds.†“Thank you, sir,†she said with another nod, and got up from her chair. “I guess I’ll be seein’ you later, then.†The Principal smiled and gave her a sharp little wave. “Take care of yourself, Kiddo,†he said. She offered him a nervous smile, and made her way to the door. As she walked past the secretary and went to pick up her backpack, the secretary looked up from her typewriter. “Have a nice day, dear,†she said in her usual flute-like tone. “I’ll try,†said Rosie, and left the office. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Engineer was sitting in the kitchen, polishing his old shotgun, the one he’d nick-named the Frontier Justice. Guard Dog was sitting on the floor, watching him with interest. The dog turned his head as he heard the sound of the old Studebaker pull up by their house, and wagged his tail with excitement. He stood up and walked to the door, peering out the screen as Engineer focused on cleaning his gun. “Daddy, what the heck is goin’ on?†Rosie demanded, stomping inside as Guard Dog danced around her. She stopped, and her father looked up from what he was doing. “What’re you doin’ with that gun?†“Listen, Pumpkin,†Engineer set down his gun and stood up, “right now all I’m concerned about is you hightailin’ it outta here an’ gettin’ t’ Meemaw an’ Pop-Pop’s house, all right? I can handle this.†“I wanna know what’s goin’ on, Daddy,†Rosie said, putting her hands on her hips. “What happened in th’ garage? Did you even call the police?†“Rosie,†Engineer sighed. “Please. I can explain everything once this all blows over, but right now I need you t’ pack yer things an’ take Bandit with you t’ my parents house…†“You didn’t even answer my question!†Rosie said. “Did. You. Call. The police?†Engineer bit his lip. “I can’t afford to get the police involved with this,†he said. “Why th’ heck not?†Rosie shot back. “This is… I need t’ take care a’ this myself,†said Engineer, getting up from the table. “I don’t want anythin’ happenin’ t’ you. If you got hurt ‘cause of this, I don’t know what I’d do…†“Daddy, do you know who broke into our garage?†asked Rosie. “‘Cause I think ya do an’ yer not tellin’ me.†Her father looked as though he wanted to step towards her, but retracted his foot. “Darlin’, please…†“I mean it, Daddy!†said Rosie, balling up her fists. “You expect me t’ not be worried, what with bein’ told I’m not safe in my own home, comin’ here t’ see you with a gun… where did you even get a gun, anyway?†“I’ve actually had it for a very long time,†Engineer admitted. He put a hand on the barrel. “Listen, when this is all over, I think I should teach you how t’ handle a gun… a young lady should know how t’ defend herself…†“Stop changing the subject!†Rosie shouted, and stamped her foot. “You can’t jus’ hit me with this an’ expect me t’ just be all hunky-dory with it! For all I know, you could be settin’ yerself up to get killed!†Her eyes started to brim with tears. “I already lost mom, I can’t lose you too…†Engineer approached his daughter, and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his shoulder. As she started to cry, he rubbed her back and rocked her, her tears starting to soak into his shirt. “It’s all right, Pumpkin,†he said gently. “I’m sorry, I just don’t wanna lose you either. That’s why I want you to get away from here… there’s a very bad man set out to hurt me, an’ I don’t want him t’ have access t’ you…†He gave her a squeeze. “I’ll explain everything else when this is all over. I promise. I just don’t want you worryin’ anymore than you already are, all right?†Rosie didn’t respond at first, but she eventually gave a shaky nod. She and her father parted, and she wiped her eyes and sniffed back any further tears. “All right,†she said. There was a hint of insincerity in her voice, though it was obvious she was trying to suppress it. “Are you… are you gonna be okay?†“Don’t worry,†said Engineer. He cupped her cheek in his hand, and brushed back some stray strands of hair behind her ear. “I’ll be just fine. Yer old man’s tougher than you realize. Now, you go pack yer things. I’ll take care a’ everything.†She gave another nod, and turned to head back to her room. Guard Dog stood in the middle of the kitchen door, and looked up to Engineer, as if asking him what was going on. Engineer rubbed the dog on his head. “You’ll take good care a’ her,†he said, “won’t ya, boy?†Guard Dog said nothing, and just panted. Engineer sat back down at the table, and inspected the Frontier Justice. For not having been used in over eight years, it was still in excellent condition. He cocked the barrel open and reached for the box of shells he had sitting on the table, picking up a pair and inserting them into the barrel. The gun cocked back closed with a satisfying click, and Engineer felt a rush of adrenaline that shot through his system in an almost Pavlovian response. Holding the gun in his hand, it felt like riding a bicycle again for the first time in a long time. He usually didn’t rely on this gun as much as he did his sentries, but he was certainly no stranger to blasting a hole in an Enemy BLU. The cold steel felt much heavier now in his hands than it did back then. Visions of giving that son of a bitch Johnny a bellyful of buckshot played over and over in his mind. Of course, there’d be no respawn out here. No chance of seeing Johnny walking around in a few minutes as though nothing had happened. Johnny would be dead permanently. He shuddered. Normally respawn negated any moral objections he might have previously had to killing people, and perhaps it had desensitized him to it more than he would have liked to admit. His work at RED had been more like an ongoing competition, like some kind game. This made the possibility of shooting Soldier’s brother far more serious. He couldn’t very well go after Johnny through the teleporters; for one thing, it’d be murder and it’d be illegal, and for another it would probably lead to the police discovering the teleporters, which could no longer be kept secret. That wouldn’t do. He’d probably have little choice but to wait for Johnny to try and come back, set up a trap for him. That way, he’d be defending his home against an intruder, and he’d be blameless… but he was still plotting murder. The man was a monster but he still had a wife and children. Engineer put the gun in his lap, and hung his head. Guard Dog ventured close to him and whined, looking up at his master and wagging his tail, holding it low to show uncertainty, and tilted his head. Rosie came back out from her room, dragging a suitcase behind her. Both her father and the dog turned their attention towards her. “C’mon, Bandit,†she said to the dog, and the dog trotted happily towards her. “You remember how t’ get ta Pop-Pop’s?†Engineer asked. “We’ve been there a million times,†said Rosie. “I know th’ way.†“Good,†said Engineer. He offered her a smile. “Good girl.†She set her suitcase down and walked towards her father, and before he could stand up she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “If you get hurt, I’ll never forgive you for it,†she said. Engineer let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.†He said. “I mean it,†said Rosie. “I’m serious.†“I believe you,†said Engineer. He gave his daughter a kiss. “Everythin’s gonna work itself out. You’ll see.†Standing up straight, Rosie took a deep breath. “All right,†she said. She went to pick up her suitcase, and opened the screen door. “Bandit, wanna go for a ride?†No sooner had Rosie uttered that last word then Guard Dog rushed out of the door with excitement, barking merrily all the way. Rosie watched him go, and then looked back at her father. “Ya need any help with that?†Engineer asked, gesturing to the case. “I’ll be fine,†said Rosie. “Bye, daddy.†“Take care a’ yerself, Sweetheart,†said Engineer. She left, and the screen door swung closed behind her. He got up from his chair to watch her leave through the screen, saw her throw her suitcase in the trunk, get in the car with Bandit and roll off and away. A wave of relief washed over him. She’d have no part in this, and would be one less pawn for Johnny to try and play against him. Good. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The garage door was now padlocked shut, and Soldier’s teleporter was outside in the open, with the toothless sentry placed in front of it. Engineer had managed to jury-rig a switch to cut off the power to the teleporter should it be activated, which would trap any user coming from Soldier’s end unless they managed to power the teleporter back on again manually. As for Engineer, he was sitting on the porch, shotgun in his lap and glass of whiskey in his hand, feeling more like one of his cousins or uncles than was comfortable. It was far from uncommon to pay them a visit and see them sitting on their porches, telling each other crude stories, chewing tobacco and keeping their guns handy on the off-chance some unlucky critter might happen to cross their radar. Of course, he had no desire to use any roadrunners or armadillos for target practice; it’d be a waste of ammo. The phone rang, and Engineer nearly jumped out of his chair. He scrambled to get up, and carried his gun inside as he went back into the kitchen. The phone rang again, and he reached for the receiver, only to hesitate. He shook his head, and picked up the phone from his cradle as though handling some volatile material, and put it to his ear. “H-hello?†“Oi, Truckie!†It was Sniper. Engineer let out a sigh of relief. “How’re ya holdin’ up mate?†“Good Lord, am I ever glad it’s you,†said Engineer. “I gotta be honest with ya, things sure could be goin’ a helluva lot better.†“Why, wot’s wrong then?†Engineer put his hand over his eyes, and swept it back over his bald head. “I’m dealin’ with a bit of a crisis over here.†“Oh,†said Sniper. “I’m sorry t’ hear that.†“Is Pyro all right?†“Yeah, actually, that’s why I wos callin’,†said Sniper. “Listen, we’re at the airport right now, our flight over t’ Albuquerque ain’t fer another two hours an’ we got a truck bringin’ all a’ Pyro’s things headin’ fer Texas. I thought I’d keep ya up t’ date, y’know?†“That’s good t’ hear,†said Engineer. “Very good. Hey, listen, d’ya think you could ask Demo if he’d be all right with keepin’ Pyro over there for a few days?†There was a brief pause on the other line, letting the hustle and bustle of the airport drone in Engineer’s ear like the ocean in a conch shell. “This have t’ do with yer crisis over there?†“Yeah,†said Engineer, glancing out the window over the sink. “I’m just worried about his safety, is all.†“Safety?†Sniper asked. “Wot’s goin’ on over there, Truckie?†Engineer closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “It’s… it’s Soldier’s brother, Sniper. I’ve gotten involved with their family business by tryin’ t’ keep Soldier safe an’ now his brother is out t’ git me.†“Is he now?†asked Sniper. “Wot’s ‘e doin’, then? Sendin’ ya nasty threats?†“I… well, yes,†Engineer admitted. “But it’s more serious than that… he’s…†Engineer closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. “He’s found the teleporter that I gave to Soldier. He’s found it and he’s been to my home…†“Deactivate it, then,†said Sniper. “That way ‘e can’t get to ya again. Or better yet, ‘e tries comin’ over again, jes’ shoot th’ bugger.†“That is what I am seriously considerin’,†said Engineer. “He’s crossed a line, though. He threatened me an’ destroyed my property so he could intimidate me. I had t’ send Rosie away somewhere safe.†“Christ, he really spooked ya, dinnit’ he?†Sniper asked. “Did he get in yer house?†“No… not th’ house,†said Engineer. “My garage. He trashed my garage. Left me… left me a warnin’ t’ stay away from Soldier.†“Tryin’ t’ scare ya off,†Sniper said. “Probably full a’ hot air. Don’t let ‘im git yer goat, Truckie.†“I wish I could believe that,†said Engineer. He hung his head. “You haven’t met him, Sniper. This man terrifies Soldier t’ death. He’s big an’ mean an’ he’s… he’s crazy, but he’s not crazy like Soldier. He’s crazy like… like subtle crazy. Like he comes off as normal enough at first but when you get on his bad side he gets frightening. It’s like walking on a minefield… one wrong move could set him off.†“Ya can’t let him intimidate ya,†said Sniper. “That’s jus’ what he wants.†“Sniper,†Engineer’s voice went low. “The man threatened to dig up Irene and violate her corpse.†The other end of the line went silent. Several seconds passed before Sniper tried to speak again. “Engie…†he said, “I… I’m sorry, mate… I dinnit’…†“He found the photograph I had of her on my desk…†Engineer continued, his voice trembling. “He found it… he broke the frame and he… he’s sick, Sniper! He’s a monster! What kind of person would even think of doing… doing that?†For a while, Sniper said nothing, and neither could Engineer. To even put what Johnny had done into words would be physically sickening for Engineer, and he prayed that Sniper would have the good sense not to ask him to clarify any further. “You know,†said Sniper, finally breaking their silence, “if I were in your shoes, an’ he wos doin’ t’ me wot he’s doin’ t’ you, I’d just kill the bastard.†“It must be nice to not have any kind a’ moral dilemma over that,†Engineer said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “You want me t’ take care a’ him for ya?†Sniper asked. “Won’t even charge ya. You won’t even owe me a favor. Jus’ consider it an old friend helpin’ out a friend…†“Somehow, I feel like that will only complicate things an’ make it worse,†said Engineer. “I don’t want him killed, really, I just want him t’ leave me alone… and other than throwin’ Soldier to his mercy I don’t know how t’ get him offa my back.†“That might not even be an option,†said Sniper. “Have ya told any a’ this t’ Soldier yet?†“Oh, good Lord, no,†said Engineer. “I sent him away from his brother t’ stay with Heavy an’ Medic in th’ meantime. If I told him any a’ this, why, there’d be no tellin’ what he’d do.†“Prolly go an’ do somethin’ Soldier-like,†Sniper said. Engineer gave a soft chuckle. “Heh, yeah, probably,†he said. “I guess I don’t wanna cause him any more stress than he’s already had t’ deal with.†“Listen,†said Sniper, “I know ya dinnit’ want us to, but I think sendin’ Pyro over there with you would be a smart thing t’ do. If this nutter’s half as bad as you’ve implied, then I think yer gonna need somebody there with ya t’ help hold th’ fort. I bet he wouldn’t be half as keen t’ mess with ya if ya have someone rarin’ ta set ‘im on fire by yer side.†“I don’t know,†said Engineer, “I don’t wanna ask too much a’ Pyro, given everythin’ he’s been through…†“He’s right here with me,†said Sniper. “An’ he’s lookin’ at me like a dog who just heard the word ‘treat.’ Somethin’ tells me he’s fine with th’ idea. Hell, maybe me an’ Demo’ll keep ya company. Th’ more blokes ya got on yer side, th’ better, right?†A smile spread across Engineer’s face. “Thanks, pardner,†he said. “I’d appreciate that.†“No worries, mate,†said Sniper. “Listen, Demo said people are starin’ at us so we should probably go. We’re hopin’ security won’t give Pyro too much trouble. We’re gonna say he’s got a skin condition ‘r somethin’.†“Good luck with that,†said Engineer. “Thanks again.†“We’ll be seein’ ya, then,†said Sniper. “Later, Truckie.†“Goodbye, Sniper,†Engineer said, and hung up the phone in its cradle. He didn’t let go of it right away, but rather leaned against the wall with his head hung, looking at the floor. He then turned his gaze out the window. He hadn’t really eaten anything since breakfast. It would probably be a good idea to eat something before he returned to his post at the porch, watching the teleporter carefully. Spy had visited him the other day, mentioning blackmail to get the upper hand over Johnny but failing to give any more specifics. Perhaps he had some trick up his sleeve, Engineer thought. Or perhaps he was just blowing smoke. Maybe if he tried to come over again, he’d have three other former mercenaries with him. Four against one were much better odds, after all. If that son of a bitch saw that he was greatly outnumbered, maybe, just maybe, he’d back off. At least, Engineer hoped so.