The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

Catching Up With an Old Friend

3

As Ryan headed east down Main street, he tried to harness his thoughts. They clamored his brain in rapid succession, in no real order. What was he going to do with the envelope? Why did he do what he did? Were they after him? They said his was going to pay for it!

The last thought was a nail through a sheet of glass. When that greaseball spoke those words, he didn't sound angry, he sounded rational. Naturally, Ryan was going to pay for stealing from them. It was simply the way things were. It had to happen.

Ryan heard the gun shot through his fresh memory banks, and swallowed hard. 'If they find me, they're going to kill me. What, in all that is good, did I do something so stupid for?' He glanced at the speedometer, as he weaved his way through the traffic, not paying attention to traffic lights. He was going sixty-five! 'Okay, I need to pull over and calm down!'

As he pulled into the small, dilapidated Kroll's East parking lot, his iPhone came to life. It uttered the chorus of 'Can't hold us' by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Damon's ringtone, even though Ryan hadn't heard it in six months, still seemed as routine as brushing his teeth. Damon was his best friend, or at least the boy used to be his best friend. The song was Damon's favorite since the 1st grade. Ryan threw the car into park, and debated answering the call.

He just stared at an old image of Damon leaning against his propped up skateboard, lightning flashes distorting the phone screen. Skateboarding wasn't something they did often, but it was a cool picture to use for caller ID .

As thunder shuddered the earth and winds rocked the car, his stomach knotted, fearing the conversation that might take place. Despite the trepidation, a longing for one of his only confidants seized Ryan. It was his best bud, he had to answer it.

"Damon, what's going on?" Ryan's voice sounded shaky. As a matter of fact, his whole body was still trembling.

"Hey, man. You sound flustered...You all right?" The racket outside nearly drowned Damon's thin voice.

"I'm fine. What's up?"

"Well this may sound a little crazy..."

"Well...spit it out."

"I need five hundred bucks."

Ryan's heart free fell from a cliff as he heard the words. Thunder tore through the air, seeming to accentuate his fears. The last time he hung out with Damon, Damon was definitely high on something. His eyes were red and he was speaking slow. He laughed a lot. Not to say Damon didn't laugh, well, as Ryan thought more about it, after his dad died, he rarely did.

"What? No. Not a chance."

"You're thinking I'm going to use it for drugs."

"Of course, I'm not stupid, Damon."

"Ryan, I've got another purpose. A good one."

"Yeah right, and I don't even touch that money, I'm not just going to give you a bunch."

Ryan had a trust fund from his grandparents, who were still alive. The total came to about three million dollars. His parents strongly urged that he didn't use it unless it was absolutely necessary. "You never know what lies around the next corner in life," His dad had warned in his most fatherly tone. But Ryan didn't understand how using a few dollars here, and a couple there, would cause harm. So, he dipped into it recently. His mother was severely disappointed. Now, he felt he needed to watch his pennies. Although, he really didn't understand her fury. There were millions available, and he only spent a couple thousand dollars on an SUHD TV for his room and the latest iPhone.

"Trust me man, this is for the greater good." Damon coaxed, in a flash of geeky charisma.

Damon often talked a little over the top. "The greater good?" Ryan watched large droplets of water begin to splatter the windshield.

"It's a business proposition. You put the money in, and I'll give you half the profits."

"Maybe...what's the business?"

"I've got a couple of invention Ideas."

Ryan thought of ways Damon could con money from Ryan. Of all excuses he could use, this seemed too plausible. Damon was probably serious, and not trying to swindle his friend.

Damon's dad was an inventor. He had two products that were promoted on TV infomercials. The money from those inventions supported his family. Before his father's death, when Damon wasn't hanging out with Ryan, he was hanging in the shop with him.

"Are you sure that won't remind you too much of ...."

"Of dad? Ryan you can say it. My counselor said it would actually be good for me. He said I did it, not only because I liked it, but for approval. He says I shouldn't get away from that. Dad will be smiling down on me from heaven."

Ryan mulled it over, as the storm was beginning to play havoc with the car. He wanted to believe Damon's words, with every inch of his being. Yet, as he had learned in health class, addicts will say crazy things when they need a fix. Ryan didn't really think Damon was an addict. Heck, Ryan didn't even know what Damon was high on the last time they met. He did know that Damon had been doing drugs more than once that past fall. However, Ryan's gut told him Damon was being honest.

"I'll come over, and you can show me your plans."

"Great! Damon's exuberance sounded like party horns. "We'll have to do it when there's daylight, but you could come over tonight and we could catch up."

Ryan stammered, knowing that Damon would be better off unaware of Ryan's present dilemma. Damon would want to help and, seriously, Ryan didn't want to put his friend or ex-friend in danger. "uh...How about Tuesday?"

"Excellent, seriously this will blow you away!"