Exactly 873.6 miles away in Brooklyn, New York, there lived Antonio “Tony” Reeves. He was a wise cracking fellow with a knack in mechanics,auto repair, and plenty of street smarts. He knew what was what and how to make a good sale that benefited him, even if it didn’t his customers. But because of this, he got in trouble more frequently than not.
It was August and a cool afternoon. The hustle and bustle of the city buffered out the sounds of Tony fighting his latest customer after a disagreement of pay for his services.
“We agreed on the pay! Yet you argue that you don’t like the job I did to your wreck of a lemon?!” Tony punched the tall and medium husky man.
“I wanted a better job than that! My car looks worse than before!” The bald man with gray and auburn whiskers on his face growled as he punched Tony in the stomach causing him to fall down.
The customer who was in a red and beige bowler shirt and blue pleated trousers punched Tony repeatedly before Tony took control and ran from the man and into the green Ford Fairlane which he called a lemon driving away. Soon enough, the ginger brown haired man with a freshly shaved baby face and light greenish blue eyes was chased after by the cops.
“Dammit!” Tony exclaimed.
He sped faster down the road and the cops tried to keep up with him. After a good fifteen minutes of driving, the car broke down as it wasn’t fixed all the way as Tony missed some on purpose.
“GET OUT OF THE CAR AND GET ON THE GROUND! HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK!” The police surrounded his car.
Tony hit the steering wheel and cussed before obeying the cops. As two of the cops got him in cuffs in a quick fashion, another couple of cops searched and trashed his car. All of a sudden one of the cops chuckled as he opened the trunk and looked for a moment.
The cop was a tall dirty blonde buzz cut man with pale green eyes and a muscular body. His name tag read “Luke Bean”.
“Well, well, well,” Luke said as he untapped something from the top of the trunk door and tossed it to the cop who found a gun under the driver seat.
The cop at the front of the car caught the square bag full of a white powdery substance. He was a tall and heavy set man with medium brown hair in a pompadour style and dark brown eyes. His name tag said “Bo Tripp”.
“It looks like drugs,” Bo chuckled as he tossed the bag to the cop with the sheriff badge who was standing with an angry and shocked Tony.
The sheriff was a tall and buff older fellow with neat slick back silvery gray hair and light brown eyes. He wore square red glasses and his name tag read “Aaron Wiles”.
“Yep, straight from South America,” Aaron said, “you’re in big trouble here, buddy. You’re under arrest for drug trafficking, possession of drugs, possession of a brick of cocaine, grand theft auto, possession of a firearm, and evading the police. What’s your name, buddy?”
“Antonio Lorenzo Reeves, you are charged with drug trafficking, one 5 five year sentencing,” the judge, a long and wavy blonde haired and baby blue eyed lady spoke, “possession of drugs, specifically cocaine, one 25 year sentence and a fine of $87,000. Grand theft auto, one 5 year sentence and a fine of repayment for $2,200 to the owner of the stolen vehicle. Possession of a firearm, one year sentence and a fine of $87. And finally, evading the police, a year sentence and a fine of $435. In all, a total of 37 years in prison and an overall fine of $89,722. You will most definitely not be eligible for parole.”
“This is bull shit! I was framed! I was set up!” Tony shouted as he stood up from his seat as the judge hit her gavel against the stand.
“Take him away,” she said, “court is dismissed.”
“I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL PAY YOU BACK FOR THIS! JUST YOU WAIT!” Tony yelled and kicked as he was dragged out of the courtroom as he was trying to get to his once client turned new enemy.
Tony sat in silence in his temporary cell awaiting word of which jail he was going to be sent to. After a couple of hours, Sam Harris walked into the room in a deep purple short sleeved billowy skirt dress with her signature black pumps and a matching pillbox hat. He met eyes with her and recalled seeing her among the jury and remembered her eerie yet intrigued smile. Like Joey, Tony was suspicious of her intentions.
“Are you escorting me to jail or a fan?” Tony asked, “honey, I’m a married man who’s probably getting divorced since I’m stuck in the clink for just about a lifetime. I won’t get to see my son become a man, my daughter grow up and get married let alone walk her down the aisle…fuck! Why did this have to happen to me?!
He began to cry as he broke down.
“I’m here to offer you freedom for a price.”
Tony looked up to find her offering him a tissue through the jail bars. Flashing the smile from before.
“What? Tony asked.
“You can be a free man and see your family again,” she said, “but at a price.”
“What kind of price? An arm? A leg? An eye? I will give anything,” he was desperate for freedom.
Sam giggled and grinned at him.
“Have you heard of the space race?” she asked.
Tony nodded and she told him of the opportunity that she told Joey about just a few days prior.
“I’ll do it,” he said, “for freedom and for my family.”
“I will see you in a week,” Sam gave him a stack of cash before leaving the room.
Soon after, Tony was released from jail where he went straight to his house to inform his family of what is to come.
“W-what if you don’t come back?” his wife, Sharon Reeves, a plump and stocky woman with long red crimson hair and green blue eyes wiped away her tears.
“NASA will accommodate you with compensation for life,” Tony said as he held his wife close to him, “we will meet again. I promise.”
He kissed her one last time before getting on the road in a borrowed junker car that he had been working on and heading south.
YOU ARE READING
Fly Me to the Moon
Science Fiction(Any and all events except for one is a work of fiction, clearly! Discretion is Advised!) It's 1955 and the start of the Space Race. A college grad, a convict mechanic, and a young prodigy are chosen to go to the moon. What will happen when this rag...
