Every Second Counts

Prolog

WHEN THE HULK ARRIVES at my place I am immediately nervous. He thunders into my apartment and comes to a halt in the middle of the dining room. He swivels around, hands on hips and eyes me with murderous intent. I swallow and then we both snap our eyes to see my dog baring her teeth and the guttural growl has the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention. I'm pretty glad her intentions of harm are not aimed at me. However, I know The Hulk will have a gun and he won't be afraid to use it.

'Floppy. Stop!' I holler. Floppy's arched back slackens and she slinks into the hallway.

'What the fuck?' The Hulk says as he watches my dog retreat. 'He's a cocker spaniel for God's sake. Don't he know he aint no guard dog?'

'Well, that's where you're wrong. On two counts. Floppy is a bitch and she wants to watch out for me.' Now, both our eyes are on my dog who has stretched out in the doorway between my dining room and the hallway lapping up the sun streaming through my bedroom window. The Hulk doesn't have to say anything. Guard dog, be buggered!

'Would you like a coffee?' I ask.

'No I fucking well don't want a coffee. I got a reason I'm here and trust me it aint to socialise,' he snarls as he bunches his fists.

The last time The Hulk came visiting...at my request...he helped me with all sorts of gadgets and we got to talking and I got the feeling he was just a bloke working for a bad dude. Well, I knew he himself was a bad bloke working for a bad dude, but somehow, he portrayed a kind of loyalty to his profession. And because he helped me I was under the impression that the bad things he did for The Fixer was only to bad people. And he knew I wasn't one of them. At least, at that point I wasn't a bad person. Anyway, the point is, today he is treating me like any other criminal he has been told to intimidate.

'I got information for you. And you'd better take notice. Have you heard of The Man from Mississippi?' he growls and eyeballs me.

'If he's a criminal, then of course not.'

'Yeah, well, the Man from Mississippi is the meanest motherfucker God put on this earth. Like, you get involved with him and you aint gonna be around for long. You understand?'

'Well, like I said, I don't know him.'

'Get this into your thick head. The other name he goes by is bloody Reuben. Savvy?'

This sure takes the wind out of my sails. If The Hulk can be believed I am following the meanest mother fucker God put on this earth!

I nod. Like, what else am I going to do but agree with him. He eyeballs me for the longest moment and then he says. 'So, I made my point?'

'Yes. You have. I take it you don't know how I can get hold of this Reuben?' I pray my innocent face doesn't let me down and he cannot see that I don't need his help on this matter.

'That's the size of it. So, leave well alone, if you want to see Xmas. And if you want my further advice, you don't ever mention Reuben to me boss ever again. Got it?'

I nod again. He relaxes and a smirk starts to tug at the corners of his mouth. The bastard is playing me. The Man from Mississippi is probably a harmless middle man. Well fuck The Hulk and his mind games.

'So, just as a point of interest, if I don't heed your warning and I find Reuben, like, all on my own without you or your bosses help, do you have any tips as to how I get him to confess that he was instrumental in getting my parents murdered?'

As if he doesn't hear me, The Hulk goes to my fridge and grabs a handful of doggy biscuits. He walks into the corridor, steps over my dog and then he's in my bedroom calling, 'Come on pooch. Here's a treat.' Floppy immediately leaps to her feet and bounds into my bedroom but then The Hulk slams the door shut with my dog on the other side happily munching her Tux biscuits.

'Oi, what's that all about?' I holler. By the time I finish my question the Hulk is within one foot of me and his huge arm is up in the air, getting ready to strike me down!

I have no time to react. And next minute it feels as if I'm being walloped into the middle of next week. A fist into my stomach. Pain explodes like lightening connecting every nerve in my body even the tips of my toes and I land on the floor. Sprawled out. I hurt in places I never knew existed and I whimper, 'Ow, ow, you fucking cunt!'

My head spins and out of the corner of my eyes brimming with tears, I see The Hulk reaching into his side pocket. He's got a gun. He's going to either finish me off, or I'm gonna be an invalid for the rest of my life.

I bawl like a baby. Then I wet myself.

* * *