Pearl

Chapter Nine: The Shattering of Glass

Larry and Gary sat in the old beat up pickup truck they used when off duty. It had once been a cherry red, but the years and rust had faded the paint to a dusty reddish brown.

They were parked just off road by the Kill Switch.

"What're we doin', Gary?" Larry asked, sinking lower into his seat and tugging the collar of his navy polo higher over his face. He had large sunglasses on that covered his face down to his cheekbones, which he had purchased at the last gas station they had stopped at on their ride this morning.

He looked like an up-and-coming wannabe actor pretending like he didn't want to be noticed, Gary thought with a twist to his lips.

"We're waiting," Gary replied patiently from the passenger seat. He was wearing his prescription glasses and normal, everyday wear, a soft cotton t-shirt over jeans. Nothing flashy, nothing eye-catching, and not so obviously trying not to be seen as his partner.

"Why?" Larry asked again, shifting in his seat. They were parked in the trees, not very visible from the roadside, but Larry was on high alert, every hair on his body at attention. "We're not pickin' up any stiffs today, so why are we waitin'?"

"We're watching, Larry, that's what we're doing."

"Watching what? Damn man, why're ya makin' me play twenty questions with ya?"

Gary pursed his lips, tired of this game, too.

"That cop hit that crash right after it happened, which makes me think he was on a patrol. Brighton's pretty small, so it's possible that he may be coming around here roughly the same time on days when he's on duty. The question is, how consistent is he, and what days of the week he works. If we can establish a pattern, we may be better able to isolate him."

Larry stared at his partner.

"Yeah... yeah that's thinkin' right there," he said, nodding along. He feigned surprise. "Ah, wait-except for the obvious question of why don't we just get 'im the first time we see 'im?" he said, voice rising in agitation.

"Timing, Larry. It's all about timing," Gary took of his glasses, fogging the lens with his breath before fastidiously wiping them with the edge of his shirt. "If we take him out too soon, the Facility won't know shit. We gotta wait until they start to panic just a little. Then, we take him out when he's highest on their radar. Boom-back in their good graces after cleaning up this damn mess the Corpse Doctor put us in."

"Shit. Was it the Corpse Doctor? We don't even know 'ow 'e figured it out. The news stations aren't sayin' anythin' 'bout that little detail."

Gary shook his head slowly before setting his glasses back on his face. "We work with too many women who think they're hot shit. That kind of work environment was bound to screw us over eventually."

Larry turned his shoulders to fully face his literal partner-in-crime for the last five years. "Shit, Gary, we really need to talk about your lady issues."

"I've got my reasons. And that can wait-it looks like we've got our first cop sighting," Gary said, leaning forward over the dash as the police car went by.

Larry moved like lightning, whipping around and scrunching himself as far down the seat as he could go.

The car went by without noticing them, and Gary made a mark in his small spiral-bound notebook.

"Aw fuck man, ya can't scare me like that!" Larry complained, and Gary laughed.

"That's one down, a whole damn night to go," he said.