Prototype

Chapter One

Hello friend. Friend? That's lame. Maybe I should give you a name. But then that's a slippery slope. We have to remember your only in my head. Dang it, it finally happened, I am talking to an imaginary person.
The truth is that all though nether of us wants to admit it we need each other. You might just be the only stable thing in my life. The glue that is keeping my mind together. And you? You need to know what happened.
So if we are going to have to keep this loop of insanity going what should I tell you first?
Jody? No... I don't want... I mean... I am not ready to tell you about her. In time... Maybe... Just please... Try to understand. Do it for me. It's the only thing I need to ask of you.
Truth be told it's been a while since I have been able to sleep. It fleeting. Most mornings sleep tugs at my eyes but my mind... My mind just wont shut down... Or let go.
   "No you can not die from Insomnia." That was Wade's of saying yes the rest of your life might be a living hell, get used to it. "It's only fatal when you start developing split personalities."
   Your not a split personality are you? Naw... We will call imaginary. So not fatal but I am crazy. It's good that we established that. "Ya your really funny Wade."
   "I have to be if I am going to have to keep my spending time with your sad sorry butt," he answered placing another piece of his fluffy pancakes into his mouth. My mind craved it but my stomach lurched and twisted itself into knot as if it was trying to strangle itself with its own intestines. "So how has the book coming?"
   I took a sip of my coffee. The sweet warm liquid, seem to be the only thing I could tolerate. In fact it was the only thing I craved. No... Okay maybe the caffeine plays a small part in why I can't sleep but that's not the point. "Horribly."
   "What? That's all that you got? Horrible? How much have you written?"
    "Not one word."
   "Alan... Man what am I going to do with you? Just last week you couldn't stop rambling about this thriller you thought up about. You were spouting on and on about this philosophy about that at two sides of a conflict we are human, or some weird crap like that."
   He was right. It was a good idea. But then again it was just that an idea. Taking that and crafting the story into something meaningful, that was the hard part. "How is the family," I asked eager to change the subject.
"Their fine," He answered. Wade didn't want to talk about them, well at least not while on the job. I watched as took stuffed another large forkful of eggs into his mouth. Be still my somersaulting stomach.
Anxiously I rubbed my watch. It was a simple Swiss Hunter watch, with a thick leather band. Shielding was cracked, and twice I had to change the battery and crystal. This watch was a money pit. I put more into it than it was worth when I bought it. Most would have trashed it long ago and got something better like and Omega or Rolex but... It had sentimental value.
"You can relax Alan, we still have plenty of time."
"Right," I answered still lost in my thoughts. More like lost in monologuing to you.
"You should really eat," so he did notice, "here have my bacon."
"I don't like bacon." Wade shot me a dirty look. It was a mix of are you serious and really? I know you better than that. "Fine I don't like eating a lot of bacon. It makes me feel like my heart is going to explode."
"Just have a piece. Getting tired looking at your anorexic ass, you look your about to waste away," he answered using his fork and knife to generally lift up a strip and place it on my corn beef and hash. My plate just had a little slice missing, making it resemble something like Pac-Mans head. No I am not anorexic, but most would think that especially when they look at my plate.
Taking a bite out of the bacon my tasted were treated to an amazing show. The bacon was juicy with a hint of crisp, but not to much were it was liking biting into charcoal. I couldn't get enough of the flavor but as soon as I swallowed I regretted even taking a bite. My stomach immediately rejected it. It began to flip in protest. A cold shiver of disgust ran down my spine. Nope not taking another bite of that. "That's uh... Good," I lie.
     Wade only sighed and went back to eating. "So why does Dr. Daringer want you to come back? I thought you were cleared from the hospital."
     "I am, this is just a check up. They are worried that my bones didn't heal correctly. According to the specialist I got hit pretty hard. The fact I was able to get out of my cast a few weeks early has them on edge. They just want to make sure that all my fractures healed properly."
     "Why does you getting out of your cast have them worried? Shouldn't that make them happy?"
      "The only reason I got early was because they were worried about muscle atrophy. They would have kept me in it for another month to be safe."
      "Aw... Well you look perfectly fine to me."
     "Well I feel fine except..."
      "Except for your appetite."
      I nodded my head in agreement. "Exactly."
      Wade let out a little chuckle, as he scrapped up the last of his food onto his fork. "What's so funny?"
       "I was just thinking about the time we went to Soup Plantation with the girls."
       A smile crept up on my face. "Oh ya, I forgot about that. You made up that stupid beat that whoever can eat the most food didn't have to pay for lunch."
      "Alan I swear you cheated."
      "You wish. Your just salty because I won."
      "Ya at the expense of your dignity. You crammed so much food into your mouth you looked more chipmunk that human. You went back for seconds so many times that you almost got us kicked out of there. Do you know how sad that is? Who gets kicked out of a buffet?"
      I couldn't help but bust a gut laughing. Tears rolled down my cheeks, my lungs scrunched up from the lack of oxygen, and heart raced. Struggling to catch my breath I shoot back, "You know... I wasn't going to back down... From a beat...not with the girls there."
      "Ya leave it to you to try and show off to and impress a girl."
      "Man we were idiots."
      "We still are, just not as big."
      I nodded my head. Nineteen and still an idiot. My mother used to always tell me once and idiot always an idiot. I guess to some degree that is true. "Can I get you a box for that Hun?"
      Nodding to waitress I looked down at my plate. All the laughter had made me forget about my stomach pain. It actually gave me enough strength to shove in a few extra bites. Laughter really is the best medicine.
As the pretty waitress collected our plates the both of us sat soaking up silence. Holding my cup of coffee I allowed it to warm my hands. Scanning the the little diner I began to piece together a picture. It was about ten in the morning. The sky was still darkened by the clouds. Most people were at work or at school. Those who were out and about were Arcadia's unemployed or the retired. The later made up most of the diner. A few truckers on their way through town sat scattered between the booths and tables. Most we absorbed in their conversations of weathers, and old stories. While others topics fell amongst the news.
Those who did not talk about the news were drawn to it from the comfort of their seats. The Two Whale Diner had several LCD TV screens scattered through out. A few were settled on sports channels, the rest local news stations. The channels were filled with interesting morsels of information. Space X files a Paton for the worlds first reusable rocket. Japan's population has decreased another tenth of a percent and is expected to continue to decline. Another ISIS leader was killed in another raid. What is that the fifth on this year?
Silence filled the air. Neither of us had anything to say. There wasn't anything to say. We were both thinking the same thing. Turning back to the TV I sipped on my coffee and enjoyed the beautiful morning I had been given. Wade on the other didn't quite have the same appreciation for the finer things in life. He unzipped his backpack and begun to pull out his folders and strung them about the table. "Did you have to bring work with you?"
"Yes; did you have to bring your sarcastic attitude with you?"
"Fair enough."
I went back to sipping on my coffee and watching the news trying hard to ignore Wades insufferable reading. Of course that didn't last long. "Wade come on you can relax, we have the right guy."
"You sure? What happens if we are wrong."
"Common this isn't like the Brittle Brothers, we double checked all of our sources. Common even facial recognition gave us a 98% match. 98%, you can't get more sure than that. Hell I would settle on 50, 50."
"You should really take your job more seriously."
"Why, you seem to be doing pretty well so far, for the both of us."
Wade only sighed and returned back to his reading. Of course it was still inusufferable. Call me psychotic but almost dying kind of gives you perspective on life. Enjoy the little things. Yes that includes talking to you. Wade only took the time to stop working, too look over his shoulder and check his surroundings. The first few times I didn't think much of it. Been then it became obvious, he was looking for someone. That certain someone happened to be sitting in the corner booth. He had a thick black scruffy beard, and a ghastly scar under his left eye. His hair was mangy and unkept. There were dark red circles around his eyes. Besides his constant shacking he didn't look to out of the ordinary. But we knew better.   
"Is that him?" I asked.
"I am 98% sure."
"Well I was just beginning to enjoy my coffee."
"Relax I can buy you some more after," Wade answered still not looking up from his papers.
"Common Wade, do you always have to this?"
"I just want to be sure, okay?"
I knew Wade wasn't going to let this go. "Fine, lets go over his wrap sheet."
Well wrap sheet wasn't quite the right world. More like autobiography. Licking his thumb and index finger Wade, began scrolling through his folders reading allowed the interesting tidbits and morsels. "Dimitri Teli, born and raised on Bindur. Fought in and served two tours in the Second Breach War."
"Which side?"
"He is a turn coat. His first tour he fought on the Confederate side, but once his home world fell to Alliance he switched sides, and sold out his platoon in hopes of immunity."
"Did it work?"
"Well the Alliance won the war so I guess it did."
"So when did he become a bad apple?"
"Well according to this, it says he always was. His father fought in the First Breach War, and was a very abusive. Dimitri was drawn to that violence and often found himself in trouble. It looks the War didn't do anything to help clench his thirst for blood. Unable to hold down a job he turned to armed robby as a means to make money."
"So why does he have a forty double dollar bounty on his head?"
"It looks like four months ago he got a little ballsy, and tried robbing some politician's house. Things went south fast, and he ended up killing the politician and his family. He is now wanted for four counts of murder and eighteen counts of robbery."
"He sounds lovely," I answered, keeping my eyes trained on him. Dimitri had placed an order of scrabbled eggs. When the waitress finally brought them out, he tried digging into his food. He was able to slice the eggs up into smaller bit size pieces but his shacking made it difficult to scope them onto his fork. After trying several times to use his knife to scrap up the eggs only for it fall off his fork, he tossed his utensils lagainst his plate in frustration. Taking a moment recollect his composure, Dimitri reached into his jacket pocket and produced as syringe. Placing the long needle against his right wrist, I watched as he slid the clear fluid into his veins. No sooner was the needle pulled out of arm he grasped his wrist and began to cradle himself. He looked like he was crying or moaning in pain. But after a minute his body relaxed and his shaking stopped. And with that he was able to go back to eating his eggs.
"Dang, we have a junky on our hands."
Wade looked up from his papers in dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"
"Dimitri, he is a drug addict," I replied.
"Well there is nothing here that says anything about, drug habit."
"Well I just watched him shoot up in front of the whole diner."
"It must be recent then."
Well Wade did have a point there. The man did just commit man slaughter, that does tend to bring up a lot of deplorable emotions. And once that starts most will do what ever then can to find some measure of relief. I guess we know what Dimitri's is. Mine? Well I guess in some ways you are.
"So how are we going to tackle this?"
I glanced over at Wade, "I say we walk over there and introduce ourselves."
"And if he wants to cause a seen?"
"Let him. No matter what we are going to have one on our hands. I just hope that he his in no position to fight."
Wade agreed, and finally began to put his folders of papers away. "But first," he said, "You are going to need this."
This time Wade opened up his jacket and handed me a folded up piece of paper. I immediately realized what it was, a Court warrant. Or in laymen's terms it was my get out of jail free card. But it only works if you have it on you, and it has been properly authorized. Lucky me, Wade takes care of all of that for me. 
I gripped the the Court Warrant with my thumb and forefinger but Wade was reluctant to had it over. "Alive."
"What?"
"The warrant is made out for him alive. If we want to get paid we need him alive."
I sighed, peeved more than anything. "So that's why you made me leave my firearm at home."
"No. I recall someone saying that they didn't need it." Don't listen to him, he likes to talk from his ass.
"Did you at least bring the sedatives," I inquired. Please tell me at lest one of us his prepared. Of course I know you didn't bring anything, I was talking about Wade.
"No, I brought hollow points." Rubber bullets. That should be good enough as long we don't miss fire and hit something soft and delicate, like his throat.
"That's fine, lets go introduce ourselves shall we?"
Wade nodded his head in agreement. Tossing down forty dollars on the table for our tip, we collected our stuff together. Well your in for a treat. What do you mean your not sure about this? Dangerous? Relax, I have done this about a hundred times, this should be a piece of cake. Besides what is the worst that can happen? Wow, your morbid.
"Is this seat taken?" Dimitri looked up at me with a puzzled look, "I guess not." Sliding into the free both seat I gave him a big wide good grin. "Good day to you Dimitri?"
Wade took the seat next to him. "Well I not to sure about that Alan, its a good day for us but not so much for you," he said placing the barrel of his gun against dimitris rib. He was careful to keep it concealed under the table so as to not cause a panic. This though didn't even seem to faze Dimitri. His still seem disoriented to everything that had just happened.
"Who are you? The mob? Listen I don't know what you have been told I have already paid my debts."
Wade shook his head. "No we are not the mob." "No we are much worse," I interjected.
Dimitri sat back in his seat finally putting two and two together, "Bounty Hunters."
"Ding, ding, ding."
"So you are here for the price on my head."
"You shouldn't have been such a bad boy, you just made it to irresistible."
Dimitri smirked at my comment. "I have had run in with you kind before your all bark and no bite. Just here for the easy cash."
"You know that hurts," I shoot back, "We not just here for the cash, but we like the thrill of it. The thrill of hunting down you unchained, rabid dogs."
Dimitri just laughed. He seemed awfully calm for a gun pressed against his side. "Ya well I cant argue with that. But ill tell you one thing..."
    "And what's that?" Wade digging his gun up under his rib.
    "The only thing I will feel when I kill the two of you is the pop of your laryanx in your in between my hands." Well as threats go it wants bad. As the shot that started the whole fight, I would say that was bullet that was cocked into the gun. That and Dimitri smashing into his elbow into Wades cheek bone. Out of reflex the gun in Wades had went off. The bullet smashed into Dimtiri's left shoulder. What should have been a crippling and or incapacitate blow, seem to do little faze him. He just laughed while me and Wade just stared in shook.
Swiftly I grappled Dimitri by the collar his of his shirt and smashed his face into his plate hopping to jog the proper response out of his brain. Well that didn't quite work out. Instead it all it seem to do was kick the hornets nest. He retuned in kind by smashing me across the jaw and tossing Wade out of the both. This was bad. With in moments he was out of the both and on top of me. Grabbing me by the jacket he lifted me up over his head and tossed my like a pancake.
All I remember next was the feeling of floating. Maybe floating wasn't quite the right word. Longing might be more appropriate. I felt the long for the ground and to have my feet firmly planted on it. Instead, all I got were the looks of astonished, bewildered, upset, and genuinely horrified faces as I went flying out the window of the Two Whale Diner.     

Ignore what is below this, please. I have a scattered mind when I write and some times I come up with snip it of pieces I like. Below are a few of them. You could read them but it might be a while before I work them into a story. Sorry this is very unprofessional.

I'm am tired of staring at cold cobblestone graves. The dead don't want us here. She wouldn't want me here. Someone once told me that the living need to keep on living. But sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. To live. To enjoy life.
    If she could still speak I am sure that she would have told me something like Alan you need to move on. That's too hard. It's to hard with out you.