That's because I'm walking. They're following. Would have just taken the bus from a small town under that other dudes name if I wanted it any other way. These are my guests, and keeping up is required.
I'll never not be watched. One adapts.
In fact I would call them the best teams I've ever known in a field, and overall coordination is near immaculate.
You have a funny view of things, a need to make people who intimidate you feel small but it's misapplied here. You do not know as much as you think you do, for all I've said of it here, or anyone you think you know.
Too many cooks is a thing they say and it may be true, but it's a stew they all want in on at the office. It also makes a colorful intrigue to walk through. 'A tourist attraction'.
PS ~ Sorry about any misunderstood comms, hollywood got me used to being threatened a lot. Any such inference there or in their Euro-consortium would have been so intended. But actually just a really cool story.
I guess if I joke about it there's good odds I feel like it's not intended in such a way, but still liking to cover the bases just in case. If I'm been all 'ominous' or what-not, then I do really believe it was a solid threat.
Bla bla.
Also in congruence with my just the night before blocking the view from the only open slat on the street to the speaker with my head at a pro-Palestinian protest ... you know. 'Just in case'. Didn't consider it an actual threat there either, but ...
It was an open slat. The only one. It's way of thinking one learns.
I don't keep anything classified on the compy and wrecking it would limit their own access to information. It's a well balanced game, being a travel writer.
Found Batman's dog treats, even the dogs won't eat them. Personally I ate so much human food yesterday I was giving away the excess with still a day's stash in the pack. 'Don't XO the town !'
My ass.
Glad we're all in agreement on that now. There really was no other way to test it, and this place is absolutely perfect. I'll be asking around about those rumors today, but there's only a handful of people who would know and they're mostly insane.
I also haven't discluded that it could have been locals and not police at all. A local dressing like a 'dealer' can easily look the same as a cop doing likewise, and there's rumors of locals up north murdering homeless in Grant's Pass, as mentioned before.
Though it would not surprise at all if it was police, here or there as often in such things, they dress as locals or just their own off duty clothes.
A uniform is to be recognized when on, and so not to be when off. Updates soon.
He looks across the table at the guy looking nervously back, as if
waiting for validation of an story he knew himself was bullshit. The
listener leaves his eyes on while taking a drink, bottle down hard on
the table, foaming over in his hand. The talker watches as though it
were a horror, eyes snapped back with the words ~
Listener - "And then what happened ?"
Talker - "Well ... "
~ What Comes Out of Your Mouth ~
(credits)
The
talker hangs up his phone riding a velociraptor and goads with the
reins, the UFO's hot on his tail. The raptor dodges the cars through
the streets, aliens blasting, ninjas pouring from the alleyways, the
talker looks back in desperation as they close in.
The sound of a screeching car and a crash, the fading sound of passerby screams.
Listener - "I think the ninjas were pushing it."
Talker - Exasperated, "Look man. You don't fucking get it. He Does Not Live, In Our World."
Listener - "So where does he live ?" Drinks.
Talker - "Just down the way but that is not what I'm talking about. And it's not why you're asking."
Listener - "Why am I asking ?"
...
Talker - Leans back looking him over with crossing arms. "Because you don't know shit."
Listener - "And you're not making me feel any better about that. Where does he live ?"
Talker
- "You know where he lives. Or at least where that hunk of flesh with this face on does
but is not where thinks from, and he does not play by the rules of our
world."
Listener - "Oh I don't know. Everyone loves dinosaurs."
Talker - Gone cold in the eyes, he tosses a twenty to the table. "Here's for your fucking beer." Gets up and out the door.
Screeching
car and a crash, the passerby screams. The listener looks out the pub
window watching, finishes and follows out the door, leaving the twenty
on the table for the camera in ~ ________________
A cars passes fast, he stands with the crowd over the body, joined by another.
Other - Looking around at the rubbernecking crowd gathering, "Did you really need to see it ?"
Listener - "We all need to see it. I think it may be our greatest weakness."
Other - "Who was he ?"
Listener - "Pedophile."
Other - "Immunity for talking ?" She looks in disgust at the body, it's mouth foaming out like a disturbed bottle of beer.
Listener - "Did you think I expected it to end any differently ?"
...
Other - Back to the body, "So what now ?"
Listener - "Do you recognize him ?"
...
Other - Looking closer ... "Oh my god ... he was ... "
Listener - "Yes. Yes he was."
Other - Looking to the listener, "He was a hero."
Listener - "He was my hero." Spits.
From the slow turning view of the dead man pulling back, to another walking the road with fire ahead, the wind sweeping it in behind him. Burning all around he falls to his knees as if finally alone, beating the tar in tears. The fire dances in circles as he sways and wails to the skies.
Until a gust comes in low dragging smoke from all sides, arms up in a roar and the rain begins falling mercilessly.
He works his way to his feet, voicing the lightning and screaming the thunder as the flames douse in his path, tears gone to rage, rain turned to gusting violence and hail. He pulls his blade puts up the mask for the smoke and carries on into the steam of drunken old flames as the winds pass with him.
Looks ahead to a tunnel curling through the smoke in twisting pressures. ________________
At the field office ~
Director - "So what do you think ?"
Other - "I think he's been in the field too long without recovery time, two inches from snapping. And when he does ... "
Director - "And when he does. Do know why he talks to you ?"
Other - "I honestly have no idea."
Director - "It's because you're an idealist. Exactly like he used to be."
Other - "Is ... I ... don't know where to put that sir."
Director - "I'd suggest keeping it in you wallet because it may come up useful. There is no relief coming for him, he's all we have. Everyone else is dead."
Other - "Do we have him ? Sir ?"
Direct - "Valid."
Other - "And when he does ... "
Director - "And when he does. If he can't reel it back in when the job is done ... "
Other - "Me."
Director - "No. Too close."
Other - "He'll still know I know something."
Director - "I know he will. And I know he'll know what it is too. It's a thing he needs to know, and it's a hell of a lot better this way than telling him directly."
Other - "Are you sure he's not running you in the same circles as the rest ?"
Director - "No. But cracking these cases is worth it, until it's not."
...
Other - A laugh. "Okay. She pulls a file a puts it to the desk, "My psychological evaluation. It's not pretty."
Director - "Good." Picks it up thumbing through, "Then I know you're not lying to me. Dismissed. Excellent work."
The dirty steam at the edge of once a fire now slog and ash, draws back and pushes outward as he exits and pulls his mask off, dropping it as the rain stops, a last wisp and twist of smoke in an upward gust.
The sun.
The birds.
The silence fading into the suburban rescues ahead. He grabs a sammich from the donation table with a nod to the one tabling it, looks around to the losses, the suffering of nature where man knows nothing of the world.
"One should not live with the fires, when one cannot provide the waters to douse it." A crow lands nearby and caws its agreement. He throws down some sammich and takes another bite.
"Will you tell your friends and cousins ahead, I'm on my way, and if any desire the work, indeed I could use eyes in the sky." Another crackle and pecking at bread for the meats beneath. Eaten, it flies ahead with the bread.
As if following the bird, a helicopter flies over. He looks up. "Bout time." Last bite and walks on, grabs a water off another table and drinks before packing the rest in the satchel.
In the helicopter ~
Other - On the phone, "He's clear. Results verified. Still walking south."
...
Other - "I know."
...
Other - "I don't know where he is, but I don't think he could be far behind."
...
Her eyes glaze over.
...
Other - "Understood." Hand up and leans forward to the pilot, a command unheard, overhead it swerves to the east as the walker watches.
The rescue's side parked cars with their haulen trailers pass, leaving only road and nature ahead. An ant crawls, snatched by a hand. He sucks the juices and spits the husk (that's literally as much protein as a steak).
The passing beauty of mountains with the rarity of cars that can only happen where people fear to burn in the season which predicts it. The rain, the sun, the rain again, a lizard eaten at the fire. Nutrient grains from his pack, he sleeps and dreams of the road.
Dreaming or waking, it's all the same, he walks. Until finally city's edge, where suburb flirts with overpopulated disaster. He catches a coat blown in the wind and puts it on, a hat caught just the same.
Tosses the gear he had to the bush and into the light. To the brash noise (with a cool song) at the comic-con ~
Where the world plays at superheroes ... still. They're fucking adorable, we give them some airtime.
At a table signing, a black and white drops of some guy's likeness ~
Some Guy - "Who's it to ?"
Walker - "That would be to Gerald Edwin Chule, please."
He freezes ... signs and passes back
Walker - Picks it up and reads, 'Are you here to kill me ?' He smiles, "Oh that's a fucking keeper right there." A laugh looking it over, "No." Slides another picture, this one in an action stunt. "I wonder what his favorite restaurant is."
Some Guy - Like he's about to cry ... then writes.
Walker - Holds it up, "Mm. Sounds good about now. Just one more. And I honestly enjoyed this movie." Slides a picture across, "Who does he hire from, for security ?"
Some Guy frozen in terror, the walker looks back like he just took a sip of his favorite soda. "It's okay. You can tell him I'm coming. He will thank you." Smiles and looks down at the picture to observe the scrawling.
The music pick back up to the swirling crowd. ____________
Director - On the phone, "Low hanging fruit. He could pick that up with a single day's observation and now he might even change security entirely."
Other - "He wants him to change the security team."
Director - "Why."
Other - A laugh, she watches the walker walk by giving an absurd bow fit only for such environments and a smile. Into the phone as he walks on, "Because they'll be less familiar with the environment."
Director - "Do you think he'd even still go to the restaurant ?"
Other - "No."
The walker drops two pics in the trash as she watches, looks at the first one ... "Mm." Folds in in half and puts in the inner coat pocket.
Other - "I think he'll stay home."
The crowd sounds fades in to close the scene withe sound ~
"Excellent work." ____________
The Listener parks at a shitty motel, out the car and into the booth, clothes looking like he just woke up in a wet fire pit. The requisite look this would achieve, followed by a double check on the singed cash.
Listener - "Card melted."
Cash - "Glad you made it through okay. They were lucky for the rain."
Listener - "Yeah. I don't need any channels, just the room."
Cash - "You sure ? That one movie just came out on ... "
Listener - Holds up a finger with a head cock to the side, "MM. No thank you."
Cash - Looking a little around the sides at him, as though it would help see under the filth, "Hey ... aren't you ... "
Listener - "No." ____
Duffel bag on the bed, the shower on and a bucket of steam, he falls into bed with the bottle and a towel. Car out in the morn.
Driving along, he spots a vegetable cart and stops.
Vegetables - As he get out of the car all shined up, "Hey ... aren't you ... ?"
Listener - Big fake smile, "Yeah. It's me. Hey I was looking for a friend of mine ... refugee from the fires ... a little crazy in the head ... maybe taken on a bit too much smoke before the smoke it you know what I mean. Can't miss him."
Vegetables - "Yeah ... yeah I think I know what you mean ... "
Listener - "Yeah ?"
Vegetables - "You mean he smokes pot." Smiles pointing to him and nodding, "That was a good one."
Wincing eyes of rage in the sun with the sound of eagles ...
Other - A look at a strange thing on the laptop at a cafe. A click on the rail separating the table from the walk, she looks up, a crow looking back. They stare ... a roll of the eyes she shoves the plate across and pulls out her phone ... "He's checked in. It's tonight." ________
The listener watches the mid-day traffic through the diner window, everyone's hot as hell. Tie loosened and jacket on the side like it was thrown down in an act of protest against fate. The waitress steps up with the vessel.
Waitress - Sneaking in a closer look as she pours, he intuitively pulls his eyes away damned. "Hey ... are you ... "
Listener - A laugh. "No. No I'm a ... well these days I'm his stunt double."
Waitress - Interested smile, "Really ?"
Listener - Another laugh before a sip ... "Yeah."
Waitress - "So what's that like ?"
Listener - "You mean what's he like ?"
Waitress - "No. I'm sure he's an asshole. I mean those are really intense movies. What's that like ?" Sits down leaning in like it's a secret ... "I mean ... how many buildings have you fallen off of ?"
Listener - A slow real laugh this time ... "Many. Very very many."
Waitress - "Wowwww. I wanna do that some day."
Listener - "You want to ... fall of buildings ?"
Waitress - Eyes grown wide with excitement "YEAH !Oh my God. You have no idea. And I wanna roll down stairs. Like really shitty ones. And I want to ... " Sees him staring ... "What."
...
Listener - "Do you know who you look like ?"
Waitress - Almost blushing, "I ... get that all the time."
The car pulls away with an extra in the passenger seat.
Listener - In the eve, "It's ... weird. You know. I'm five years older than this guy. And I was doing this ten years before anyone heard of him. Now you know it's like I'm some other fucking guy, to the entire world, and you're right. He is an asshole. And you would not believe, the enemies he's made.
"And yet ... fucker's all I got."
Waitress - "Yeah I know. I mean the part about everyone thinking you're someone else. Sometimes it's cool ... "
Listener - "Discounts."
Waitress - "Mm-hm. But I only feel comfortable at work now because everyone knows a waitress couldn't be her ! I like to dress up ! Like she'd ever go to the bar in this fucking town."
Listener - Smiling while driving, "What fucking town ?"
Waitress - "A laugh and a look to the darkness in the rear view, "Oh yeah." Looks at him.
Listener - "She's a total asshole by the way."
Waitress - "Figures. I just wanna fall down some fucking stairs."
Listener - "Seriously."
And seriously does not realized he just drove by the walker while appreciating her beauty, if noticed in the background.
Listener - "You're prettier."
Waitress - Looks at him. "You think so ?"
Listener - "Oh yeah. She's ... mmmm she's just got some habits we'll say. You know I got caught in that wild fire ?"
Waitress - "Oh my God are you okay ?"
...
Listener - "Yes. But all my cards melted." Looks at her with a smile, "Wanna get a free meal ? They're gonna fucking hate it."
She laughs as they pull into another restaurant. Out the car and in the door, their waitress screams wide eyes as they walk in together, dropping the coffee. ____
Some guy who looks just like him at home on the internet, security pacing around as one stumbles over a rug. The guy looks into the screen like a deep pit filled with horror, "Jesus fucking Christ ... I fucking Hate her." Slams it shut ... God ... Damn him."
...
Slides the laptop hard off the desk in a rage as the distracted security bump into each other.
Inside the restaurant, the many many selfies while if noticed the walker walks the road a distance from the window behind. ____
The listener's car pulls to the roadside and parks.
Listener - "I'm really sorry about this but I have to do something for a minute. Well. Like maybe half an hour."
Waitress - "Can I come ?"
Listener - "No, that I'm ... " Looks to the glove compartment in horror, realizing what he needs is in there."
Waitress - ... "Oh !" Opens the glove compartment, the gun. "Oh. Um." Looks at him ...
Listener - A shrug ...
Waitress - "Okay." Hands it over like a dead rat by the tail, if one were strangely comfortable with that.
Listener - Getting out of the car ... "It'll be fine."
Waitress - "I know. Hey do you want me to be like ... ready at the wheel just in case ?" Excited nods ...
Listener - ... "Huh. You know that might actually be really cool."
Waitress - "Hee !" Scoots over and grips the wheel staring ahead. "Ready." Looks at him grinning.
Listener - "Yeah. I'll be right back." Closes the door like a grinning idiot and walks into the apple orchard loading, it starts to rain.
During the song's soft part ~
The walker walks the orchard ahead, he pulls his knife. The listener walks a distance behind making out the form in the rain.
Listener - Drawing the gun up, "Chule !" Stepping hard forth, "I can't let you do this Chule."
Walker - Looks as the knife drops an apple from the tree. "Do what ?" A smile, he takes a bite and turns his back.
Listener - Growls the impetus, points and click. Looks at the gun, at the walker ahead, loads again and points. Click. "God ... damnit." Fucks around trying to load it while into his downward view an apple rolls. He looks up as the walker drops more apples to his hand, filling his satchel. Fiddles more and a bullet jams in the receiver.
"! FUCK !"
(2:43)
Kicks the apple, it bounces off a tree and splats on his forehead. He drops the gun and falls back laughing into the puddle.
(3:03)
The manor's door at the orchard edge blows and the smoke pours in. Security turn fast, slowed as one has to arc his rifle over another before flying back hard against the wall.
And the same for more, cast aside as the clearing smoke shows the tactical team in mask moving through with shotguns at the lead.
(3:34)
The apples fall into his hand as the bodies where they do not surrender, his hand hesitating where they do, and moves on to another while the Listener splashes that last two inches away in the mud laughing ...
They burst the office with a guy looking just like him, his security kneeling and knowing better. The actor looks at them in a rage, knocking a pile of papers at them from the desk before the same knowledge. Face pushed hard to the ground for arrest.
Outside the Other watches over smoking, the Walker walking up behind.
Walker - "You're really good at this." Hands her an apple.
Other - A laugh, she drops the smoke in the water. "Thanks." To black with the sound of a bite.
The listener walks out from the orchard, arms out with a smile, covered in mud. The waitress sticks her arms up from the window. "Get in get in !" They peel away for no reason into the night, sirens flash in the distance past the orchard.
(credits)
~ mid credits (music break) ~
To the guy at the vegetable stand while sharing a blunt.
Walker - "Hey uh ... there this guy following me. Some famous guy from hollywood he was in some fucking thing."
Vegetable - "You mean like a pedophile ?"
Walker - "I think he may be ... "
Vegetable - Nods understanding ... "Yeah I got you."
(sound of the waitress laughing ~ music returns)
~ after credits ~
The walker breaks out laughing in the interrogation room, the displeased actor across the table.
Walker - Laughing ... "Oh ... you stupid son of a bitch, you have no idea. I was the good cop." He gets up leaving a smile when she walks in and drops the thick file before the actor's pale terror.
Some guy - "I wanna see my lawyer."
The sound of the walker's laughter behind the glass.
~ What Comes Out of Your Mouth ~
(song's last voice over while the actor stares at the file)
It's my experience that nothing tears down an evil faster than itself in the presence of a good thing it can't destroy.
