Chapter 6

Chapter 6
“The Boss”

       “What do we know about Cedar City?” Mary Jane mused as she banked the Zinger through the clouds.
       Doc and the others sat behind her going through the folders that had been left for them by the dozen agencies that worked for Faustus Inc. on permanent retainer.
       J.J. sat with his feet higher than his head and was looking through a folder marked Spade & Archer. “See here that the power in the town is a gangster named Feratu. Lot of old world money and connections, but not many names they can tie him to here in the states. Most of his muscle seems to be freelance.”
       Doc. Thursday was flipping through a folder with the moniker Cranston & Lane and added, “He’s pretty new here, but almost unheard of on the west coast. “
       J.J. agreed, “Yeah, our San Francisco agents say they only have word of mouth about them, and don’t see them branching out any time soon.”
       Thursday went on, “But they have pushed past the Talbot pack, and gotten rid of most of the Spider’s Syndicate. They allude to the fact that they may have run Reid and the Hornet gang back to Chicago.”
       Doc smiled, “Don’t give up on Reid, he’s got secrets nobody is wise to yet.” Then Doc returned to using his magnifying glass on a wet piece of green-blue paper. He was transcribing something from the paper into his personal log. The thing almost appeared to be dissolving as it was being worked on.
       M.T.B. put down the sandwich he was not eating and asked, “Has anyone got a picture of this guy? Most of the bosses I’ve run into are pretty eager to get their faces in the newspapers, but this guy. . .”
       Mr. Mike said, “Not only does he not show up in any papers, he took over the hometown paper in Cedar City and shut it down.”
       “We’re going to overshoot Cedar City now,” Mary Jane called back to her comrades. Every one of them moved up to look down at the cloak of darkness that hit the town from sight.
       “He closed down their airport too,” Mary Jane said, “We’ll have to land in that cornfield about three miles back and walk in.”
       She pulled back the stick and turned the Zinger around.
       “Luckily,” said McAvoy, the plane’s designer, “This darling can land anywhere.”
       “Why thanks, Mr. Mike,” Mary Jane joked, “Glad some one realizes my value to the team.”
       “No, I meant the pla…” Mike began and then thought better about it. When he turned everyone, including Mary Jane, were laughing. He returned them a bemused smile.
       The Zinger’s descent began.

       Renny walked past the hundred hanging bodies in the works. Dripping green-blue chemicals and screaming, they did not notice him.
       He tried not to notice them.
       He walked to the office on the far side of the huge room.
       On the door was the legend “Boss” Feratu.
       When he threw back the door smoke billowed out. It was almost impossible to see inside.
       As his eyes attempted to become accustomed, he could make out the desk. It was gargantuan and oak. It had been the one item Boss had brought out from his home in the old country.
       Within the dark cloud he turned with papers in his hands.
       His emaciated face stood above his pale frame wrapped in black. His oversized black eyes rested in his bald white face. The aquiline nose stood between the large ears that, in the right light, looked almost pointed.
       When he saw Field he smiled, and that was almost enough to make the gangster retch. His mouth was filled with extended, nearly pointed teeth and a tongue that appeared pointed and black. That face should never smile.
       “This bunch should last twice as long as the last ones,” Boss Feratu’s voice hissed. “In another week we will raise an undead army.”
       Renny felt a shiver in his spine.
       “And for that,” The Boss chuckled. “For that, I have a market.”
©2005 C. Wayne Owens