Zero Worship: Confessions of a Fake Psychic Detective #6

Chapter 28 - Splish...

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"I had a feeling you'd be back," Glenn says, stepping out onto the trail behind them. He's armed to the teeth, as usual, and holding his pistol-gripped shotgun at the ready. More importantly, though, the camo on his chest is wet in several spots.

Well, fuck. He's already been in the water.

Zandra instinctively reaches for the lawnmower knife up her sleeve, but she stops. Fortunately, Bexley's prepared with the pistol this time. Unfortunately, the pistol is still pointed at the ground when Glenn gets the drop on them. Meanwhile, Chad is, as usual, relatively worthless, although he does belch out of surprise.

Close to shore, a fish strikes with a splash at something on the surface of the river.

"No card games this time?" Zandra says more to Glenn's shotgun than to Glenn himself.

"No games this time, Zandra. I told you not to come back here," Glenn says. The scars on his face try not to burst under the pressure of the knots twisting in his expression.

"We're just out for a hike. That's all. Beautiful day out," Zandra says.

The fish in the river strikes again. Mist rolls off the top of the water.

Glenn snorts and says, "The police are gone from the wreck site. Everyone's gone. No reason I can't shoot you three fucks right now."

Bexley droops her head. Chad belches again.

"You got a stomach problem or something?" Glenn says to Chad with a wrinkled nose.

Chad shrugs.

"We can help you, child," Zandra says. "There's a lot to do, and we've got a boat and all the gear."

Glenn snorts again. "No."

"No?"

"You don't have a boat. You had a boat," Glenn says.

The fish churns the water once more in a small swirl.

"You're mistaken, child," Zandra says.

"You're right. I'm so stupid," Glenn says with a heaping dose of sarcasm. He motions with the shotgun to where the fish keeps disturbing the surface of the river. "See those splashes and bubbles? That's the air escaping your stuff. Your boat is right there, about six feet down."

Zandra can't hide the feeling of defeat. It weighs down her shoulders. She braces herself with a hand on one of her knees.

This can't be. I came so close.

"You lose, Zandra. I got you. I finally got you. Oh, this is pure fuckin' gold. I wish everyone you fucked over could see your face right now," Glenn says with delight. "You want to know what else?"

"What?" Zandra says, suddenly out of breath.

"I already got the score out of the Curd Queen. It's all over," Glenn says and laughs. "Try talking your way out of this one. You've got no more cards to play."

Another twig snaps from somewhere in the woods. This time, it's the wind knocking down a loose branch.

"So this was all for nothing?" Bexley says. She raises both her head and the pistol. Glenn doesn't react, because the pistol is pointed at Zandra. "How could you let this happen?"

I'm sorry, when did I suddenly become in charge of Glenn?

"But you know what's the funniest thing of all? You idiots thought this would all go down in the morning. You come out here like you're showing up for a shift at McD's. Who pulls a job like that in the daylight? I got it done overnight," Glenn says. He pauses. "I think I'm going to kill you now."