Cast-Iron Chris: September 2008 Archives

"Sorry I can't stay and chat, Mr. Gillingham said I could leave at five today," said the dominatrix-looking receptionist, "bye."

Jacquie Bloom nodded his head at the receptionist as he took a seat outside of Gillingham's office.

Dammit, Simon, thought Jacquie to himself. Such a fucking hot head all the time...but then again...Salty was acting really weird. Actually, that was probably the weirdest I've ever seen anyone act. He was out of his mind. He went from calm to hostile in like zero to sixty. Not just that though, Simon was using almost all of his strength to keep Salty from jumping over into the driver's seat. I can usually get a pretty good read on people and that little old man having that much strength really fucked with my mind. And what was he saying about "Apollyon?" He called himself Apollyon, but he used a different voice, running jobs for Gillingham and other Bosses has pushed me into confrontations with schizophrenics before but Salty...Salty was something way different.

I don't blame Simon for what he did, maybe he could have knocked Salty out instead of blowing his brains against the rear window but he's a Gun Bearer for a reason, if Gillingham didn't want him to use it than he shouldn't have given it to him. I'd never tell that to Gillingham though...fuck I hope Simon walks out of that office.

Gillingham was irate over Salty's death, but he was fine when Madinger and Wilhelm told him about his loss of illegal firearms just three minutes prior. Fuck, Gillingham's mind seems gone sometimes. Gun Bearers, Diggers, Guides, Tempters, everyone seems to think so. I've never thought joining Gillingham's Syndicate of the Darkening Sun was a good idea, but he offered me a way out when I needed it most. Maybe I can see through the trees now, but I'm not quite out of the woods, and until that happens I still owe the crazy kook. I don't know Simon's full story but I have a feeling he's in it for a different reason. We get by pretty well as partners, I'd stick my neck out for him, and I think he'd do the same. Not much else I'm looking for, really. That whore of an ex-wife of mine proved to me there isn't much else out there. Not for me anyway, my son however, I'll give him everything I never had. I'll shape up, show her, and take him back. Right now though, I just have to sit and wait, and hope Simon comes out of there somewhat the same as when he went in.

"Sorry for the interruption, Jacquie, Simon," Gillingham said to his two best men, "please go ahead, how was your mission to pick up Salty Foreman?"

Jacquie looked over at Simon. Simon shrugged back at Jacquie, which meant, based on how Gillingham had just treated the bad news about his weapons being lost, Simon wasn't going to hold back the truth.

"Mr. Gillingham, Boss, it did not go well," announced Simon.

Gillingham stared at Simon, his large yellow grin faded quickly; he turned to Jacquie who kept his face as blank as possible.

"It was horrible, sir," said Jacquie.

"Horrible?" Gillingham used the word as a weapon to cut through the duo. "You boys better start talking, fast!"

"It was my fault, Boss," Simon jumped in.

"It wasn't your fault," Jacquie interrupted, "it wasn't his fault, Salty was fucked up, the situation was fucked up."

Gillingham's forehead started to turn as red as his hair.

"Jacquie," said Simon, "no matter what, it was my gun. It was my gun, Boss. I killed Salty."

"WHAT?!" Gillingham screamed, he stood up behind his desk.

"Jacquie was right, Salty went crazy, started to attack us when we were bringing him back. We were bringing him back like you wanted, he was cool, cooperative, normal, then he just snapped like a fucking twig. He attacked me, acted insane, we were in the car, he could have killed Jacquie and me! I put a shot in his head. Jacquie tried to stop me, I just, just reacted. I'm sorry, Boss."

"I should have never given you a gun, Simon you fucking idiot. You have no idea the plans you've screwed up with that one bullet. I should have never made you a Gun Bearer." Gillingham laid into Simon treating him like a child. Simon's head hung low refusing to look at Gillingham in the eyes. "LOOK UP AT ME!" Like a bullwhip, Simon's neck snapped up and pointed at Gillingham. "You have no idea the trouble you've put me in, not to mention yourself and your partner."

"I'm just as much to blame, Mr. Gillingham."

"Shut up, Jacquie. You two balance each other out, but you're not Simon's keeper. Jacquie, if you wouldn't mind waiting out in the hall. I need to talk to Simon alone."

Jacquie looked at Simon, their faces were both mostly blank but Jacquie had thin layer of pity on his. Simon noticed Jacquie's pity and he slowly became stone-faced and hard, angry at Jacquie's pity. Jacquie knew as he got up to go wait in the hall that if Simon survived Gillingham's punishment, their partnership would not. 

Simon and Jacquie sat in stiff leather and steel chairs across from each other outside of

Gillingham's office. The receptionist in the corner leaned over her cell as she texted. Jacquie stared at Simon. Simon stared at the receptionist, whose visible tattoos on her hands and neck made her look like she belonged on an internet website that caters to non-conformity beauty.

            Suddenly, the cell phone in the receptionist's hands buzzed. "Mr. Gillingham says he's ready for you two now," she called out.

The pair entered Gillingham's office. The surroundings shifted dramatically from the waiting room to the office; the boys stepped onto black marble tile that made every footstep echo. The metallic, abstract art in the corners were the only things aside from Gillingham and his desk inside of the office.

"MY BOYS!!! Jacqueline Bloom and Simon 'Corpse-maker' Refing!" Gillingham shouted from behind his desk. He wore a large smile across his even larger head which, coupled with a thin tuft of fire-red sweat slick hair, made him look like the Devil himself. "SIT DOWN! How did it go?"

Simon and Jacquie looked at each other.

"Well, Boss," Simon started to say.

"Uncle Dreedrick!" Someone suddenly called out.

Looking behind them, Jacquie and Simon saw what looked like an alternative rock star and an old man, both dressed in the same suits as Simon and Jacquie.

"Jason? Wilhelm? What is the meaning of this sudden intrusion?" demanded Gillingham standing up behind his chair.

The tattoo clad receptionist fumed behind the intruders but when she saw an even angrier Gillingham she quickly turned around and went back out the door.

"What is Wilhelm "War-cry" Collins doing with Gillingham's nephew?" Simon whispered.

"I think we're about to find out."

The odd pair stood beside Simon and Jacquie.

"The shipment, Uncle, it just got real fucked up," announced Jason. 

"What are you talking about?"

The old man, Wilhelm, stepped forward, "Dreedrick, our assignment, we failed you my friend. I failed you."

Gillingham's angry face melted away, "I still have no idea what you two are talking about."

"Dreedrick, three days ago you ordered Jason Madinger and me to seize a shipment of weapons coming in on the bay. The shipment was forged on the manifest and you needed us to get them out before the guard checked it. You wanted me to take the kid to help show him the ropes, get him ready for gun bearing, make his mother, your sister proud. Something got real fucked up. A fire broke out on the boat. The boat sank, along with all the hardware. We're sorry."

Gillingham took his time as he looked at every man's face, "So?"

"Sir?" Wilhelm said.

"I had insurance on all the cargo. Is this what had you all worked up? Go on, get out of here! Can't you see I have a meeting? More important things are going on right now!"