I'll Take a Martini

"A Winter in Hell." She said while skipping ahead of Cal. "That is what I shall call this." She bit her bottom lip and floated along trying to ignore what was to come.

"Well, Beth... the body was taken care of." He looked down. She flung around to face him and continued to walk, backwards.

"Oh; but we don't kill people." She said mocking him and turned back around flinging her hair with her.

"No. We don't; kill people." Again, his eyes spoke more than his words. Their understanding of one another was irreplaceable. Others never seemed to grasp how they perceived the world. How it functioned... how it worked.

"I'm so angry with you. You took something that should have been mine." This was the first time she ever had a negative emotion toward him. And she didn't like it. "I had every right to be the one to kill him. Not you, or anyone. Me."

"You, and every other woman he hurt." He wanted to say a million things. Like that the scene would have been too much for her. The torture that the fat, stale smelling man went through was more than she could have ingested. Or even that he died quicker than he would have, if he hadn't yelled how good she was.

"Fuck you." She blurted out, wishing she hadn't immediately after. "I deserved the kill."

They kept walking down the trail, and it seemed like it would never end. Cal tucked his hands into his long coat to keep them warm. He felt the shell in his pocket from the murder weapon, and wished he could hand them to her as a souvenir. Though he didn't shoot the gun, it was the last thing the fat man saw. He stared at Beth waltzing a step or two ahead of him, stared at her hair, her body. He could only think of two things: he was scared to teach her, he needed a drink; and maybe a third thing, of how sexy she was.

They came near the ending of the trail.

"Let's... go grab a drink." He unclenched the shells and grabbed her hand to pull her closer to him. They were entering a territory that wasn't his. But if a person was in his life, they were important. And he protected anyone important.

Beth bounced next to him holding his arm. "Yes please! Anything to get me out of--"

"Well, well, look at this Carlos! We got us a Cal!" Two men came lurking from the shadows of an old, shutdown flour mill. Beth clung to Cal's back. "How about we play a little... chase the kitten."

"Mm. That one looks good Cal, where did you get her?" He wiped his snot and beer smelling saliva with the sleeve of his coat. His beard hair had tiny icicles in it.

"Leave us be Mike. Why don't you and your buddy step out of our way. We don't need this done right now."

"Oh but Cal, I think we do. You seen Bill... Cal?" The street lamp near them flickered.

"Bill is a lucky one Mike. Now excuse us." Cal knew there wouldn't be any excusing as he tried to back away with Beth still clinging to him.

"I ain't gonna let that happen now little Cal." Mike stepped in front them.

Cal knew Beth wouldn't let go of him unless he made her. In one turn, his left hand threw her to the ground and he crouched down to grab his knife from his belt wrap. Carlos pounced on him from the right and Cal immediately punctured him in the gut. Blood spat on Cal as well as everything in close proximity to them. Jumping up quickly he noticed Mike just staring at him.

"Lets get this done Mike, you can lay right next to Bill." Cal stood out of the light listening to Beth pant with small gagging noises.

"I think your weapon choice is finally ready to haunt you." Mike held up a pristine looking tan and silver semi automatic pistol.

Cal laughed. "All you have to do is get close enough to make your kill. One hit is one kill. It is that simple." And he flew to Mike, making his statement known and true.



Beth pushed herself to her knees weeping. Cal turned to her and knelt in front of her. "I can't see his blood." She inhaled loudly.

"What do you mean?" He said with a serene, monotone voice.

"There's mud... under the snow, and I can't see the difference between his blood, and the dirt. Dirt. Does that mean Spring is fucking coming?" She had tears dripping down her face.

"I hate Spring." Cal said still in front of her. "Let's take advantage of the rest of this dark night." His deep voice lured Beth to her feet.

"How did you know them?" Beth tried to gather her scattered mind.

"You sure you want to learn?" Cal looked at her with such a deep hearted and staid look that she felt her body become light, and heavy, at the same time. She looked away from him knowing for sure what she was going to drink.