(No "action" in this one, FYI)
It was a big-ass mystery. He'd never been in that hotel room before. It was nice enough, he supposed...
There was still some weirdness that Riv couldn't figure out. With nothing obviously threatening in sight, he kept wondering what was hidden in the bathroom, the closet, the dressers. That was the kind of thing he must've heard Badd talk about.
But still, dammit, he had the weird suspicion that he wasn't alone...
His cell phone made him jump a little. Whew -
"How's it going?" Badd said.
"Okay. What the hell?"
Hearing a pause, instead of the usual easy aw-shucks disclaimer, sounded to Riv like confirmation. Something was up -
"You trust me, Riv?"
"Totally." Oh, fuck, a wild idea came back to Riv's memory.
"I got news. Big deals, out there. Ugly shit happening in the world."
Stop talking now, Riv thought desperately. That's enough bad things to hear.
"We're gonna be okay. Too... uh, look, this is also about my past. I haven't found too many people who believe me - when I tell 'em the truth."
"You say the weirdest shit."
"Look out the window."
Don't tell me what you're about to tell me, Riv thought frantically. He looked around the room. No animated gloves were stalking him, waving hello -
"Aw, hell," he sighed to Badd.
"Now just take it easy -"
"Of all the fucked-up shit," Riv grumbled.
"Yeah. Well, it gets worse," Badd shot back.
"Sure! Right. Dammit. Worse than t-"
"We're sorta close to Tucumcari."
A pause. "New Mexico?"
"Yup."
The drapes were closed. After a few seconds Riv got up, off the bed, and walked to the window. Took hold of the curtain, exhaled slowly, and pulled it aside.
Bars. Maybe six inches between 'em, no more. Sunk into the window frame. He looked at the door, but didn't want to confirm what he suspected. It wouldn't open. He knew why he was locked in, thanks to the lowlife on the other end of the phone.
"It's on. Sheeee-it."
"Uh-huh."
"New Mexico," Riv said vacantly, looking between the bars. Cacti, plants he didn't recognize, lots of sand. "Well, of course."
"I'll be there as soon as I can. That motel."
"Right."
That got Badd to sigh impatiently. "Will you listen hard? Alright? Try to hear me out."
"Go," Riv said, finding it hard to believe he was actually about to hear what he feared.
"We're both caught. They brought us this far southeast because of some bad hoodoo goin' down in Denver. People are... fleeing. But we're gonna be okay here." He heard Riv's shaky breath. "You remember me talking about the risk. Anybody who knows me can end up in the mix."
Badd was two years older than Riv. Covered with tats. Wild adventures, and even crazier "nabs." He was fun to hang out with. "This night has been coming, dammit, for quite a while now," Riv said.
"I'm awful sorry, dude, but that's right. You're in for it, too. I warned ya."
"Shit."
"Now get this - they saved us from a real mess in town. A fight. Mercs, drones, downright scary weapons." He shut up, and waited for Riv to say something.
"For real?"
"I mean it."
"And you saw proof, Badd? Just taking their word for it wasn't enough, right?"
"Yes." He said that one syllable as if it was one of the more important Riv had ever heard. Long pause. "Dangerous shit. All over there." Heavy sigh, which sounded sincere enough.
"Oh, wow."
"They wanted me out. And I'm surprised they never checked you out before this. We'll get cut loose eventually. Shit, I never thought there could actually be a good time to get caught by th-"
"There's no way to get 'em to... hold off?"
"Nope."
Riv nodded, looking around. And then he froze...
On the bedside table, he couldn't believe what he thought he was seeing. Scrambled to turn on the lamp there -
Confirmation. Fuck. There were cigarettes waiting. Three packs. One was opened up already, but it looked full. Big red ashtray, two lighters.
He gaped at 'em. "No way," he grumbled.
"What?"
"I don't smoke.... anymore."
"Ah. Yeah. I didn't, before I was fourteen. Not once."
"You? Sheeeee-it. I haven't had a cigarette since Sherri's brother got back from Iraq. Aw, no."
Badd smoked like a fiend. He said he had to. When he quit, they always forced him to start up again - after locking him up in places like this. And drink, and get high. His first joint had been floated to him, through the air, no visible hands bringing it to him. First rubber. First cock pump...
I've always known this was coming, Riv thought. Ever since I met the son of a bitch. Got him talking...
When Badd finally told him about getting introduced to so many adult pleasures, it felt like his days were numbered. It took the apparent criminal a long time to open up. He figured that Riv was probably gonna get it too - ticklish by association. There was never any way to tell like if a phantom was ever listening to 'em talk about Badd's crazy experiences. Denial, Riv thought, hello there. It took a year or so to really believe what the older guy said.
"Hey!" Badd said - as if it wasn't the first time.
"Sorry," Riv mumbled.
"Why did that come up? You give me so much grief about smokin'," Badd said.
"Um. Yeah. There's... three packs of cigarettes here. On the table next to the bed."
"Riv, dude, if I could take your place right now, I -"
"You're caught too, though."
"Yup."
"It's not me or you tonight. It's both of us." Riv shook his head.
"And right now, there's major shit going down at home," Badd said quietly. "And not just there. I've confirmed it. Four channels, so far, on the TV."
"Wow." Looking at the smokes, he actually wanted one of 'em. Being like Badd was inevitable, and they seemed to help him cope or something... "Coincidence?"
"What? Dunno. Maybe they were gonna snag us tonight, and then the shit blew up. We're gonna laugh our mutherfuckin' asses off, Riv, but we're gonna be okay. They're too good at this. You and me. Overall. I'm helping out some locals, 'cause I have to, but I will show up as soon as I can."
"Fuck," he said to the cigarettes. And he snickered.
Badd never found a way to duck out of this shit, or end it faster. Maybe he wasn't alone, or maybe not - but Riv was calm, because he was as sure as he could be that there was no getting out of this fuckin' room until the invisible kidnapper let him go. Absolutely crazy shit...
Cussing under his breath, Riv reached down, hesitated...
"Unbelievable."
He picked up the smokes. Then, one of the lighters...
22sep2019