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"Bloodless Thing of Evil"
Aug. 21st, 2023 08:34 am"Bloodless Thing of Evil"
10/16-10/17/2011
I.
"Finally, some buildings!" yelled Archie as low structures appeared dimly in the distance. "We've been driving for five hours and seen nothing but flat road ahead and flat dirt on either side."
In the front passenger seat of her cherry red Jeep Cherokee, Megan lifted her mirrored sunglasses. "Yes. The Great Plains are not known as scenic attractions."
"Your gift for understatement still slays me," Archie said. "Honestly, I thought there was some kind of optical illusion where the horizon kept moving away no matter how far I drove. It was getting on my nerves."
Sitting up straighter, Megan Salenger unclipped a rectagular metal device from her belt and examined its screen. The Link was no thicker than three playing cards stacked on each other. The Trom Girl's face, with its pointed nose and thoughtful dark eyes, was normally serious and now she seemed downright somber. "We are approaching the town of Sillsbury. A farming community now in decline, it has one gas station and convenient mart, a combination bar and restaurant, and an outlet store for hardware and tools. The nearest school is fifteen miles further down this road in Linton, which also has a post office."
Behind the wheel, Archie loomed up head and shoulders taller than the petite Megan and was easily a hundred pounds heavier. He was wearing walking boots, jeans and a heavy flannel shirt. Archie looked imposing and even intimidating at first, but the gentle blue eyes gave away his true nature.
"This has been a fun three weeks, honey. A field expedition funded by your KDF, going from a lake monster sighting to a reported Skinwalker infestation to an interview with a retired Alchemist who turned out to be an imposter. Quite an itenerary."
"Archie, do you regret coming with me on this trip?"
Catching the faintest twinge in her voice, the big mechanic reached over and squeezed her hand. "I couldn't ask for better company, honey. We've done some camping under the stars along the way, found a few decent roadside bistros and we've got you listening to new varieties of music."
"I think I appreciate jazz the most," she said. Megan swung her sunglasses up into her tousled black hair to rest atop her head. "There is a mathematical structure under it that appeals to me."
"Those Trom that raised you may have made you into a certified genius in a dozen fields but, man! They never taught you how to live life. No music. No games. No smooching in the moonlight."
Megan leaned over and bumped her shoulder up against him mischievously. "But I met someone who is educating me in all those matters." She could not repress a chuckle. "And more!"
They rolled past the first of several small farmhouses set well back from the highway. This one was fenced in to contain two dozen cows who watched the Jeep go by with an air of boredom. Before they reached the town itself, Megan and Archie slowed to get a good look at a long one-story building with its own gravel parking lot. A neon sign on the roof proclaimed THE HITCHIN' POST and in smaller letters promised GOOD FOOD COLD BEER. Next to the sign was a wooden placard BEAUTIFUL DANCERS THURS FRI SAT. There were no cars in the parking lot, but then it was only four in the afternoon and the place didn't open until six.
"Combination bar and strip club," Archie grumbled, speeding up again. "Wanna bet there's a few fights there late at night?"
Megan turned her head to gaze back at the joint as they sped away. "I still do not fully understand much of Human behavior. Perhaps I never will."
"It's not you, honey. People themselves don't understand why we act the way we do. I don't think we're meant to be figured out."
"There's the gas station," Megan pointed out.
"Not a minute too soon." Archie wheeled into the four pump next to the tiny convenient mart called PIT STOP. "We'd be tapping those five gallon cans of gas in the back of your Jeep pretty soon."
"I will be right back." Megan hopped lightly out of her door and trotted into the mart. Slightly built in her snug khaki pants and black windbreaker, she moved with the ease of both youth and being in excellent condition. Archie filled the gas tank using the KDF Platinum card Megan had explained would cover their expenses. He got back in and pulled over to the row of air pumps and vaccuum hoses.
As he was checking the tires, the Trom Girl returned at a noticeably more sedate pace. She popped the hood to check the oil and the battery terminals. They had independently acquired these habits before meeting each other, because both were used to long trips where service stations might be widely spaced.
"Satisfied?" Archie asked, replacing the air hose.
"Yes. I am surprised you do not need to urinate."
"Oh, I'm ready. I just got a bigger bladder than you do. Let's grab some supplies while we're here." He led her back into the mart and disappeared through a door in the back. Megan selected a cold bottle of plain water for herself, as well as a bag of unsalted cashews and a bag of raisins. When Archie emerged with a relieved expression, he grabbed a bottle of beer for himself and a big bag of cheese puffs.
"I'M not on a scientifically planned diet."
"I said nothing," Megan protested.
"You had that look as if I'm picking up roadkill to cook." He placed his choices on the counter next to hers and paid with the KDF card. The elderly man at the register smiled benevolently at their conversation, rang them up and wished them a happy day as they left. "Thank you," Megan called back over her shoulder.
Propping himself against the side of the Jeep, Archie popped open his beer. "Let me finish this here, that way we won't have any open containers in the car."
Megan leaned up against him and sighed. "This is the last assignment on this field excursion, Archie. On our way home, we can stop in Omaha for a quality restaurant and a night in a well-reviewed hotel. We have earned some comfort time, don't you think?"
"Sounds great to me. This last assignment, though, it sounds like a nasty one. We're looking into a cult or something called the Harvesters?"
"Yes. In the last eight months, eleven people have disappeared in the immediate area and no traces have been found. The FBI's Department 21 Black has unofficially requested the KDF look into the situation. Four of the missing persons' cars were found in nearby towns and the only oddity was that each had one or two flat tires and that pieces of straw were found in the interiors."
"You'd think the local police would be all over something as blatant as that..." Archie began but his words were cut off by a raspy shout from across the road.
"Megan! Archie! Boy, am I glad to see YOU!"
( the rest of the story )
10/16-10/17/2011
I.
"Finally, some buildings!" yelled Archie as low structures appeared dimly in the distance. "We've been driving for five hours and seen nothing but flat road ahead and flat dirt on either side."
In the front passenger seat of her cherry red Jeep Cherokee, Megan lifted her mirrored sunglasses. "Yes. The Great Plains are not known as scenic attractions."
"Your gift for understatement still slays me," Archie said. "Honestly, I thought there was some kind of optical illusion where the horizon kept moving away no matter how far I drove. It was getting on my nerves."
Sitting up straighter, Megan Salenger unclipped a rectagular metal device from her belt and examined its screen. The Link was no thicker than three playing cards stacked on each other. The Trom Girl's face, with its pointed nose and thoughtful dark eyes, was normally serious and now she seemed downright somber. "We are approaching the town of Sillsbury. A farming community now in decline, it has one gas station and convenient mart, a combination bar and restaurant, and an outlet store for hardware and tools. The nearest school is fifteen miles further down this road in Linton, which also has a post office."
Behind the wheel, Archie loomed up head and shoulders taller than the petite Megan and was easily a hundred pounds heavier. He was wearing walking boots, jeans and a heavy flannel shirt. Archie looked imposing and even intimidating at first, but the gentle blue eyes gave away his true nature.
"This has been a fun three weeks, honey. A field expedition funded by your KDF, going from a lake monster sighting to a reported Skinwalker infestation to an interview with a retired Alchemist who turned out to be an imposter. Quite an itenerary."
"Archie, do you regret coming with me on this trip?"
Catching the faintest twinge in her voice, the big mechanic reached over and squeezed her hand. "I couldn't ask for better company, honey. We've done some camping under the stars along the way, found a few decent roadside bistros and we've got you listening to new varieties of music."
"I think I appreciate jazz the most," she said. Megan swung her sunglasses up into her tousled black hair to rest atop her head. "There is a mathematical structure under it that appeals to me."
"Those Trom that raised you may have made you into a certified genius in a dozen fields but, man! They never taught you how to live life. No music. No games. No smooching in the moonlight."
Megan leaned over and bumped her shoulder up against him mischievously. "But I met someone who is educating me in all those matters." She could not repress a chuckle. "And more!"
They rolled past the first of several small farmhouses set well back from the highway. This one was fenced in to contain two dozen cows who watched the Jeep go by with an air of boredom. Before they reached the town itself, Megan and Archie slowed to get a good look at a long one-story building with its own gravel parking lot. A neon sign on the roof proclaimed THE HITCHIN' POST and in smaller letters promised GOOD FOOD COLD BEER. Next to the sign was a wooden placard BEAUTIFUL DANCERS THURS FRI SAT. There were no cars in the parking lot, but then it was only four in the afternoon and the place didn't open until six.
"Combination bar and strip club," Archie grumbled, speeding up again. "Wanna bet there's a few fights there late at night?"
Megan turned her head to gaze back at the joint as they sped away. "I still do not fully understand much of Human behavior. Perhaps I never will."
"It's not you, honey. People themselves don't understand why we act the way we do. I don't think we're meant to be figured out."
"There's the gas station," Megan pointed out.
"Not a minute too soon." Archie wheeled into the four pump next to the tiny convenient mart called PIT STOP. "We'd be tapping those five gallon cans of gas in the back of your Jeep pretty soon."
"I will be right back." Megan hopped lightly out of her door and trotted into the mart. Slightly built in her snug khaki pants and black windbreaker, she moved with the ease of both youth and being in excellent condition. Archie filled the gas tank using the KDF Platinum card Megan had explained would cover their expenses. He got back in and pulled over to the row of air pumps and vaccuum hoses.
As he was checking the tires, the Trom Girl returned at a noticeably more sedate pace. She popped the hood to check the oil and the battery terminals. They had independently acquired these habits before meeting each other, because both were used to long trips where service stations might be widely spaced.
"Satisfied?" Archie asked, replacing the air hose.
"Yes. I am surprised you do not need to urinate."
"Oh, I'm ready. I just got a bigger bladder than you do. Let's grab some supplies while we're here." He led her back into the mart and disappeared through a door in the back. Megan selected a cold bottle of plain water for herself, as well as a bag of unsalted cashews and a bag of raisins. When Archie emerged with a relieved expression, he grabbed a bottle of beer for himself and a big bag of cheese puffs.
"I'M not on a scientifically planned diet."
"I said nothing," Megan protested.
"You had that look as if I'm picking up roadkill to cook." He placed his choices on the counter next to hers and paid with the KDF card. The elderly man at the register smiled benevolently at their conversation, rang them up and wished them a happy day as they left. "Thank you," Megan called back over her shoulder.
Propping himself against the side of the Jeep, Archie popped open his beer. "Let me finish this here, that way we won't have any open containers in the car."
Megan leaned up against him and sighed. "This is the last assignment on this field excursion, Archie. On our way home, we can stop in Omaha for a quality restaurant and a night in a well-reviewed hotel. We have earned some comfort time, don't you think?"
"Sounds great to me. This last assignment, though, it sounds like a nasty one. We're looking into a cult or something called the Harvesters?"
"Yes. In the last eight months, eleven people have disappeared in the immediate area and no traces have been found. The FBI's Department 21 Black has unofficially requested the KDF look into the situation. Four of the missing persons' cars were found in nearby towns and the only oddity was that each had one or two flat tires and that pieces of straw were found in the interiors."
"You'd think the local police would be all over something as blatant as that..." Archie began but his words were cut off by a raspy shout from across the road.
"Megan! Archie! Boy, am I glad to see YOU!"
( the rest of the story )
