Vindictive (Complete)

XII

    Ash covered the ground below, blowing in the wind. The sight before him leaves nothing, an empty wasteland. What happened here, was now wiped from memory. His coffee is late, the evidence is burned, and he is confused again.
    Those around him are excited. They think this is a dawn of a new age. They believe that a hero has been born. How wrong they all, really are. Edward holds the ashes in his hand, knowing the truth. This is no hero.
    Stephanie has arrived, with his coffee. She had to drop off her son at school, calling ahead to warn him. Edward continues to watch the ash slip through his fingertips. He is afraid. He is not afraid of what has happened, but he is afraid of what could happen. This is something new to him. This isn’t something to take lightly. This is something to be afraid of. The ash blows away, into the wind.

    Back to work.

    Charlie asked to sell for the Amor family, they agreed. He needs more money after skipping so many days at his construction job. His boss finally let him go. He is thinking about Emily, wondering if she will get better. Isaac had texted him her current situation, warning him of how sick she had become. It all reminds him of Markus, how he watched him die. He was so young, and to think he let him. How foolish he really feels. The killer of what he once loved.
    The address shows the home just in front. A small blue house lies downtown, in a cul de sac. The buyer wants meth. Charlie hasn’t had anything since before Robert, he can feel the itch climbing up his neck. He fears he will give in soon, needing his fix. If only he could make it stop.
    He parks outside, looking at his yard. Piles of ruined toys outside, left in the rain to rot. The sky above is glim, clouds waiting to pour on the toys again. Charlie takes the bag, knowing all well it will only further ruin this man’s life. He needs the money. He needs his cut. He is, so sorry. 
     Three knocks, waiting at his door. He can see a bowl next to the door, with a sticky note on the side telling them to “take one.” He didn’t even take it inside from last Halloween. The door opens, showing the man.
     He is completely naked, with his matted hair. The effects of meth show on his body. His face sags and red spots cover him from side to side. He looks like hell. His daughter can be seen in the background, playing with a toy truck. She looks hungry. She must be starving. He can see her ribs.
     “Do you have it?”
     “Your daughter looks… hungry.”
    “Mind your own business! She’s fine! I spend my money on what I want!”
    Charlie looks down at the bag in his hand. The man would rather spend all of his money on meth, than feed his own daughter. His heart hurts for her.
    “Here. Where’s my money?”
    The man walks to the kitchen, looking for the money. His daughter continues to play with her toy, trying not to look at her father’s body. He walks back fast.
    “Here. I need my fix.”
    Charlie hands him the bag, taking the money.
    “Put some clothes on.”
    The man rolls his eyes, pushing the door closed. He forgets to lock the door, Charlie waiting. He peeks through the door, seeing the man close his bedroom door. His wife will be taking meth with him as their daughter lies hungry. Charlie wore gloves. He knows what he has to do. He enters the home, the little girl looking up to him.
    “You poor thing. Don’t worry. It will be better soon.”
    Charlie hands her his cut of the money, wrapping her hand around it. She smiles, so hurt inside.
    “Buy yourself something to eat. Help is on the way.”
    Charlie leaves the house, getting into his car. He opens the local police website, getting the tip number. He texts the police, telling them the address. Charlie is completely anonymous. He hopes she can get some food. He hopes someone will save her. He just hopes someone... will love her.

    The ceiling fan circles around him, his mind wandering.

    The cars rush down the road, all having something important to do. Isaac has something important to do, too. He's doing it right now. His chicken sandwich has turned cold along with his fries. His diet soda now tastes like water, the teenager adding too much ice. Isaac is trying to find a way. He needs to strike Simon soon. His time is running out.
    He is staring at the car dealership, eating lunch in a restaurant across the street. The business just needs to shut down, nothing more. How can he shut down the dealership without leaving a single trace? That’s the question.
    The cars pull in and out, being sold and bought. He doesn’t want to risk it now. He doesn’t want to lose his grip on Simon, over some dealership. The question is, how can he do this from a distance? He only needs to stop the buying and selling of cars, the money isn’t important. This just needs to stop the money laundering, to add pressure on Simon. To let him know, someone is coming for him. He eats another fry, colder than the last.
    Cars in and out. All day long. He wishes he could just blow the place up. That would be easy. He takes another bite of his chicken sandwich, the lettuce slides off the chicken in his mouth. He stops chewing, thinking on it.
    He really could just blow it up. He could just blow up the cars in the lot, shutting it all down. To stop the flow. No more cars in and out. He could just have a bomb in a car, selling it to them. He could just have someone else do it all for him. He could just make the call, right now, letting Fernando know the plan. Fernando’s phone begins to ring.