Because of years of public service and to get him lost in the shuffle, Detective Boone was allowed to retire to the beaches of Florida to walk his dog and to live out the rest of his life. Judge G. R. Rule presided at the trials and to avoid suspicion, reflected remorse at the light sentences that she was legally required to render.
Several months later, Detective Boone was found lying in ocean waters just off the beach and near his residence. Cause of death: drowning with possible implications.
Sam Holler began to worry: “Is Eddy Riffle fading back into Vietnam and has turned his dreams into acts of violence? I could be wrong but I’ll watch him very close. I hope it’s just my imagination. But he does have the same type of rifle used in the killing of The Employer. But when I checked it, I could not verify that it had been recently discharged. It had been totally cleaned and cleaned.”
The Association
Eddy Riffle, Lt. Sam Holler, and Judge G. R. Rule entered into a secret association. Mr. Riffle would remain under the confidence of Mr. Client’s crime family and continue to act as their mouthpiece and legal expert. Assignment: Gather information of criminal activity and act accordingly to bring such culprits to justice. Eddy will get the evidence and show they lied – Sam will get them tried – the judge will get them jailed.
Lt. Holler was beginning to suspect that all was not copacetic with Eddy’s mental state – like schizophrenia. So, he decided to watch Eddy closely and maybe he could help or maybe he would have to make an arrest or maybe put him into a straitjacket. “I can’t let him knock off criminals indiscriminately before I get them to trial!”
Judge Rule was kept informed about the situation, but she wanted to make sure before taking action; one way or the other. Afterall, he was her Public Defender and in a position of trust. Any punishment would be harsh, by necessity.
Chapter Seven
The Alligator Clown
In this chapter, Abaddon changes his appearance to that of “The Alligator Clown” (so Eddy would not recognize him as Mr. A. Baddon, The Employer). His purpose was a unique and devious plan of revenge! He was out played once by Eddy Riffle when The Employer of Bought Souls was stopped cold by a sniper’s bullet. He believes that Eddy did the job. And, it hurt his devilish feelings. Fallen angels are not empowered to kill anyone, but they can make one’s life miserable with temptations and illusions.
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Rev. 12:12
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
A knock on my office door. Sliding under was an envelope. I opened the door. No one there! That was unusual – no la-tee-das – just that sealed document. Cautiously, I peeled the flap and found a note: “Referred to you by a mutual business acquaintance, Mr. Client.” I wanted to throw that red flag in the can, but with him involved, it could be rewarding!
I paused for a thought: “It’s a good thing that this person doesn’t know that I put our mutual acquaintance in jail; albeit, a short stint.”
After the commute of Mr. Client’s prison sentence that he incurred in that Pier 5 bust, I was promoted to top-dog in the handling of the family’s legal matters. Bub trusts me and he doesn’t suspect anything, but one slip and my gigs up and my goose is cooked!
Continuing with the note: “My life is in danger and I need immediate protection to avoid a hit-man’s bullet. If interested, meet me on College Street today at 1:00 P.M. – at the Moonpie & RCCola Café. Pick an outside table and be in open view of the Gator football parade. I will be in disguise and dressed in an alligator clown suit – I can’t trust anybody.”
“An alligator clown suit – should be simple to spot, right? The one with the big jaws!”
Being that this was the Homecoming parade for the rivalry game, a few dozen clowns would be rambling about the streets and dressed in all sorts of weird mascot outfits. With all the commotion of the celebration, there would be no way to pick out “my” clown. But I did as I was instructed and headed for the café. When I arrived, I found the place amuck with fools. The raucous crowd waved gator signs and some had bulldog signs. Both sides wanted to swat the other side. But, most of them were young and would outlive any sowing-of-oats.
I glanced back and forth at each passing alligator head trying to find a clue because I don’t like surprises. One thing I had to remember: “Keep up the guise – I’m supposed to be low-down and self-serving, so act the part.”
The parade was proceeding as expected when the Gainesville College marching band high-stepped their way down the crowded street. Loud music coupled with the clatter of the audience yelling: “stomp-the-dogs,” quieted my apprehension about the task at hand.
I stood up briefly and then sat back down only to be startled by an alligator clown sitting beside me. It was a great disguise because there was no way I could identify this person because all alligators look alike, but the body size and shape indicated that it probably was a female. I whispered to my new guest: “You stop by for a quick beer or a moon pie?”
The response: “Quiet, I think that I’m being followed!”
The clown person seemed to be in a rush and quickly reached into a backpack and pulled out a zipped money bag and slapped it down on the table with a thud. A bit surprised, I cautiously picked it up and peeked inside. It was a large amount of cash; looked like many thousands. “Bingo-payday!”
A thought entered my mind. “This could be big, too big for me! My survival instinct took over. I looked about for any sign of danger or if there was any place for cover so I could dive under and yell for Mama! But no one around us seemed to be caring much about a fully dressed parade alligator clown talking with another simple clown that was dressed in a wrinkled raincoat, a floppy detective hat and a half-loose tie. It was hard to tell which costume was the scariest; hers or mine?”
It eased my tensions when I witnessed nothing suspicious; like a killer hanging out of a three-story apartment window and aiming an M-24 high-precision long range rifle at my clown’s head. So, I spoke up calmly and in my best authority: “Let me have the whole story. No time for short cuts or croc talk. It’s time to get serious!”
“Mr. Riffle, I’m in deep trouble and don’t know where to turn. My business partner wants to have me shot dead before I spoil his ambitious plans. He and I are partners in a project that is of the highest importance. Our Aeronautical Engineering Systems company recently invented an artificial intelligence breakthrough; one that is able to efficiently hijack rogue intercontinental ballistic missiles and safely reroute them back to source for detonation and/or neutralize the threat. Such a discovery will revolutionize the determent of many weapons of mass-destruction; it could change the order of world power!”
“So, what’s the problem? Sounds great to me and should be a money maker. Uncle Sam will pay plenty for the rights because the good old USA has to make sure that it stays the world-leader in all categories. So, where do I come in – a lowly PI?”
The Clown: “Well there’s a fly in the ice cream as to who will get control of this new technology? My partner, Mr. Charlatan Jones, has been contacted by a foreign terroristic entity and they offered him riches beyond belief and it’s all tax free; about fifty million dollars. He accepted their offer while having little thought for the USA. He’s a dirty traitor!”
The Clown, continuing: “Just the other day when CJ was in the process of copying our secret codes and systems, I caught him red-handed. I reacted and vehemently objected and threatened to call the authorities. With egg on his deceitful face still drying, he recanted and told me that he would do the right thing and contact the FBI. But as it turned out, this was just a ploy to give him time to eliminate obstacles such as his very own partner! By accident, I subsequently intercepted his emails and found out that he had hired a killer by the name of Zyler. I immediately called my confidant at The Daily Bu
gle and found out that this Zyler is an evil mouth-closer, a sniper. And, he has a reputation of having no trace of a conscience.”
Eddy thought it best to milk the situation: “I repeat – what can I do? I’m just an ordinary private investigator without much backbone for suicide missions. This whole thing is way over my head. We both will be killed if this is not handled correctly. I have a wife, two daughters, and two grandkids that I want to send to college. But, wait a second, how much did you say would be my cut in this fiasco – in rounded big numbers?”
The Clown answered: “The cash in that envelop that you are holding is yours just for listening, so how about an additional 100 grand? But one condition: I must stay alive to pay, so you have to ensure my safety. CJ is a fast worker and it’s all going down tomorrow night. We have to be ready. No time to waste!”
Eddy reacted: “You said the secret word – 100 Gs. I’m in with both feet! Cashier’s check and I must see it before I will even think about saving you or the world!”
Sarcastic clown: “Oh, alright, I will have it with me tomorrow, but you only get to look. My office is on the first floor. I’ll meet you there.”
The clown then gave me a detailed layout of the office building along with her plan for me to surprise CJ in the act of treason, to wit: a midnight exchange meeting with a terrorist agent. CJ’s fifty-million-dollar payday was on its way and that was his main concern.
“It’s wise for a private investigator to never trust anyone’s plan but his own – to do so has led many to sudden impact – like being knocked off one’s perch into a tank of ice-cold water at a carnival baseball throw – breathtaking but with a wake-up call!”
Before departing the scene, The Clown revealed that she was scared that Zyler would be lurking at this meeting and would take her out, permanently; the classic double-cross. CJ has lied to her about everything and is setting her up for the mouth-closure. He made sure that she would be at the meeting. In death she could not talk and if the deal was discovered, she would be blamed for every dirty deed that CJ had perpetrated.
Sounded like a feasible plan, but for Eddy, realization suddenly arrived by slow coach. “This is happening too fast. Also, I have not seen The Clown’s face except through alligator teeth and I’ve got a hunch; she is hiding something. I was hired to protect her life but now I face a dangerous network of spies, lies, and greed. And, I have not established anyone’s true identity. If wrong, I will go to jail, or worse! Also, what about Zyler? He could be there to mop the floors. What if it turns out that he is just the janitor and merely has soapsuds in his mop bucket? And, what if his only mouth-closing knowledge is from biting down on his dentures?”
Eddy does his best thinking or sleeping while leaning back in that lousy rocking chair that he cherishes. So, that’s where he headed – to his comfort zone. With feet propped up, a little of the red wine for the stomach sake, and as soft music played, he buzzed himself into slumber.
Later, with stiff neck, he awoke to a figure standing in the dark shadows. What now? The smokey image spoke: “Think Eddy, think and beware of The Clown – deception with lips of trickery – such things are prophesied – arrival of false prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing or alligator heads – protect yourself!” The image then faded back into the darkness from whence it had appeared.
“I know what I have to do. I’ll call Sam Holler and activate The Association to operational mode – this will be our first real mission – foul it up and it will be my last!”
Plan A was developed; good luck! There is no B-Plan. With that thought, Eddy provided himself with his own backup plan. As usual, his hide was first priority!
Next day, the action commenced – 11:30 P.M... As planned, Eddy made his way into the building through an unlocked entry door. He made his way to The Clown’s office – just to verify that she was where she was supposed to be and that she actually possessed his certified check for $100,000. She was seated with her back to a glass window. Eddy could not see her face, but he could see his check in her hand as she waved it back and forth. She did not turn to greet Eddy. The alligator head was lying on the desk beside her.
Up the back stairs he bolted to the 12th floor and into an unlocked room next to CJ’s office. Eddy had full view through a mirror. He could see CJ and his entire office area. CJ could not see Eddy. It was a one-way, two-sided mirror. He flipped on the video recorder – action, camera.
The clock struck midnight. It was time for Eddy to act and get the ball rolling. He burst through the doorway and shouted at CJ: “Reach for the sky you smirking traitor! Don’t make a move and I won’t shoot your bow-tie off. If you have done nothing wrong then sit still and finish smoking that cigar. I won’t hurt you!”
CJ, shocked by this sudden attack, choked on cigar smoke – that which was supposed to be exhaled was instead swallowed. His eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out cold and slumped over his desk. Eddy turned off the lights to surprise the next invitee.
Time twelve o’ clock midnight… The hallway door squeaked opened. A muscular man clothed in a business suit entered the darkened room. He was carrying a briefcase handcuffed to his left wrist. His right hand was filled with a hot cup of coffee. Eddy reacted quickly. He turned on the lights. “Who might you be?” The man did not answer and did not try to physically respond. Eddy surmised that the shoulder bulge within the man’s suit coat was a holstered pistol. So, they just stared at each other, but not for long.
Not according to plan: An adjacent secret closet door then flapped open. It was The Clown with her face painted red and in an all-black costume and she was pointing an M-16 rifle! “Drop them weapons, boys!”
Eddy dropped his 45 and raised his hands. CJ, just waking from his shock, dropped off again. The supposed terrorist agent slowly dropped his shoulder pistol. His face indicated that he was just as surprised as Eddy.
The Clown spoke in a high-ringing voice that startled Eddy. “Do exactly as I say and you three dumbos can live a little longer! As for you, Mister agent-man, unlock those handcuffs or die on the spot!” He obliged and handed over the briefcase.!
A few moments passed as she quickly investigated the contents; ten million dollars in cash and forty million dollars in demand bonds payable, same as cash, at a bank located somewhere in Transylvania – no questions asked.
“I don’t require your silly money but with this cash, I will buy all the misconduct that I can muster. Money talks to you weak-spirited human creations. Temptation is your weakness and you will do anything for money.”
She closed the briefcase and smiled a weird lip-twist. Wow, she was ugly – looked like the devil and just as mean. Growling: “As always, I finish deceitful ploys by leaving no innocent witnesses to beg their God for mercy. And, it’s my pleasure to let all of you know one little tiny-tiny thing. I’m not a nice angel and I don’t like nice people or nice angels. As a matter of fact, I don’t like any people. To prove it, I’m going to destroy your fantastic new life-saving technology just so somebody will eventually blow this whole planet of earth to smithereens – bit by bit. And, take every human being along for the grand finale! Satan’s treat!”
Wasting no time, she ordered the three intended victims to line up against the wall. “Hands behind heads! I like to be sloppy when someone is to be properly obliterated.” CJ who could not stand, was helped to his feet by Eddy. All he wanted to know was what was happening; he had no idea.
Eddy’s was getting scared: “Where is the help?” Eddy forced himself to think. He needed to delay that evil force. So, he took a chance and yelled out: “It’s crunch time. Hear me, Sam. It’s crunch time, Sam!”
The Clown looked concerned. “Who’s Sam? Did you call upon the mighty Samuel? How do you know Samuel who came forth and was established to be a mighty prophet and then anointed David to be King of Israel? So, who are you to call out for this powerful man?”
Eddy realized that he must keep the clown distracted so Sam Holler would have time to do his jo
b and smash down the door. “Yea, me and Samuel are close and he would be awful mad if you did something to his buddy. You know that he is not to be poked, so what is it that you want of us?”
In a loud shrieking voice: “This is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world.”
Still shrieking: “Samuel cannot help you. I’ve got all of you in my clutches. You think that this Samuel will deliver your sorry souls from my destruction. It won’t work. You desire this powerful”anti-weapon of mass destruction" to save lives but I do not. I want blood! You are a pest and must be exterminated. Bring on Samuel and I will blast him too!"
With Samuel not present, the wicked minion raised her M-16 rifle, took aim and placed her finger on the trigger and began to squeeze. She blared: “Good-bye boys – see you on the other side – do you like it hot – some do? If Samuel is close by and hiding then he needs to make it quick – say, in the next second! The first bullet is for you, tattle-tale, Eddy Riffle. I dug it out of my own flesh and now return it with the vengeance of Mr. Employer – remember him? I’ll enjoy your punishment more than the money – you wily human.”
A shocked Eddy proved her right – he was a sly fox. He did not wait for the next second or the first bullet, but attacked. He reached behind his neck for hidden ninja knives; the backup plan. His unleash of those stickers was not deadly but accurate. A ricocheted knife struck the trigger finger of the clown causing her to drop the M-16. The look on her face was disbelief like: “is my lipstick smeared?”
Plan A suddenly arrived. The door to the office was blasted to pieces. Swarming through was the city SWAT team dressed in blue menacing uniforms. Lt. Sam Holler, who led the assault exclaimed: “Someone here call for Samuel? Here I am!”
The Deacon and the Shield Page 7
