In The Company Of Monsters

Candy Buffet

Mitch crossed the main warehouse, headed for the vending machine along the wall. He hadn’t wanted it installed, but Lily swore she needed regular access to dark chocolate. When their clients started asking for it too, he knew she’d put them up to it.

Personally, he didn’t like pogey bait much, but he was glad to have the machine now. Lunch should have been two hours ago. That is, if they had gone over to Burger Madness for a triple cheeseburger, instead of being locked down in a hot zone by a SWAT team.

Mitch peered inside. Potato chips, M&Ms, Cadbury chocolate, Reese’s Cups... He reached into his pocket, digging for change. He pulled out his hand and checked. A dime and three nickels. Well, shit.

* * *

Lily had settled into the couch, her knees up by her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her face was calm, almost meditative as she listed to Jack.

“Look, you said something about judging you...” he started.

“Yes?” she asked.

Jack stared out the dirty window. A large neon sign hung outside, cocked over a bit. Beyond that, Puget Sound stretched away.

“I may have done that a little. I don’t think I’ve known someone blind before.”

“Well, we’re not helpless. Or even similar to each other. We just have a trait in common. I’m still a unique woman,” she said.

“That, I do see,” he told her.

She liked this cop. He was trying. Who knows, in time, maybe he-

CRASH!

The sound of glass shattering. Jack looked at Lily, but she sat still, head cocked, listening for any other sounds.

“That’s not good,” he says.

“From the warehouse, I think,” she said. She jumped up and moved forward, toward the sound. Her cane swung back and forth, finding the walls.

Jack stayed with her, not eager for another fight just yet, but ready if need be. They hurried down a short hallway, and rounded the corner into the warehouse, prepared for a bad scene.

Mitch stood by the vending machine, a brick in hand. Jack scanned the room, but there was no one else there. Mitch set down the brick, and carefully reached inside the vending machine. He pulled out a pack of peanut M&M’s and turned as Jack and Lily ran up to him.

“Hey guys,” he said. “Lunch is on me.”

Lily swatted him on the arm. “You scared the crap out of us, Mitch,” Lily yelled. “What are you doing?”

“Ah, sorry about that. I just figured given the circumstances...” He pocketed the M&Ms and grabbed an Almond Joy.

Lily shook her head. “Mitch Puller...”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he replied.

Blair ran in from the back room. She took in the scene. No emergency. She slowed down and stood watching.

Jack looked over Mitch’s shoulder at the candy buffet. “I don’t know, seems like a good idea to me.”  He looked at Mitch. “So was this improvising, adapting, or overcoming?”

Mitch smiled. “Heh. A little of all of ‘em.” He grabbed a chair by a low wooden crate, took a seat and unwrapped the Almond Joy. 

Jack went to a nearby cardboard box and took the top off. Flipping it upside down, he brought it back to the vending machine and used it as a plate to load up handfuls of candy bars. He joined Mitch, laying out the bounty on the crate, then pulling two other chairs over.