The night sky sat high above like an Emperor on a throne, staring down with a mono-gazed as if it was god, and everything else merely ants. Nights like these with parse clouds as a billowing cloak, it often made Lonnie feel like someone dying.
He rubbed his gloved hands together and smiled behind his fox mask. Ahead of him sat a motorcade of black SUVs with tinted windows. The government tags pointing them out like a bat signal in the sky. Unfortunately for them, they were stuck four cars deep in a red-light traffic. On a normal day, this wouldn’t have been an issue, but today is far from normal.
“Open up a path,” Captain Kent's voice rushed out of the tiny ear-piece in Lonnie’s ear.
With the standing order, the sound of the air displacing. On each side of the government cars, the civilian’s cars exploded in a shower of sharp metal fragments stained with bright red. Even with the protective metal exterior, the government cars became dented and the windows showed signs of falling apart at the slightest breeze. The tires wheezed and struggled for that last breath of air.
“Armor pene.” That same baritone voice echoed.
Like thunder suddenly sounding on a peaceful day, sharp rounds stabbed into the dented cars. The poor cars rocked on their rims, holes opening up as machine gun fire showed very little mercy.
Underneath the sound of the guns spitting came the distant sound of helicopter blades cutting through the night’s breath. Their black exterior almost blended in if not for that single-eyed gaze illuminating everything in a sense of mockery.
Lonnie picked up his rifle and carefully took aim at the lead black hawk. His finger squeezed on the trigger and almost surprising jerk into his shoulder tilted the front end a little to the left. He didn’t fight hard to keep the rifle steady, nor did he focus on seeing his results. His second target in sights and he fired once more, allowing the natural recoil to adjust his next shot. Last round in the air and he caught the sudden nose-dive of the first target.
“Air support is down,” he whispered into the microphone sitting at the lips of his mask.
The sound of machine guns unloading became backdrop music as Lonnie dismantled his rifle and stuck it within a case.
“Confirmed sighting of the senator. He’s dead. Verification picture taken,” a female voice said.
“Retreat,” Captain Kent ordered.
Lonnie lifted up the suitcase and ran across the roof of the building he was on. Two steps from the ledge, he bent his knees, and pushed off. Flying high over the ledge where a black metallic board walked under his feet. He landed in a squat and straightened up, the air around him distorted as the black board carried him across the horizon towards an above ground parking lot several blocks away.
Laughing, he removed his mask and stepped off the board. He pulled out his car keys for the LZ series of Tynuon Sports cars, an orange, overlapping arrow-shaped car. The trunk flipped open and he placed the case and mask inside. Removing the black trench coat, along with many tools of the trade, only then did he drop down onto the driver seat. Sinking back to enjoy the tingles flushing through his exposed fingertips at the heat working to warm his body up.
In the dark zone of his car, his phone lit up on the passenger seat. Smiling, he reached over, grabbed the glass rectangle, and pulled up the latest text message.
He began leaving the garage when he heard the sounds of sirens floating past his location. The honking of ambulances and fire trucks seem to have liven up the unusually quiet streets of downtown.
Shaking his head, he planned his route towards the gas station just before the entrance to Sun Valley Park. He pulled up behind a patrol car and leaned back as the street light turned from yellow to red.
The cars ahead began moving and he joined the traffic. Surprisingly, against the weather report, it began to rain. He pulled into the gas station with a roof connecting to the front entrance. Even more unexpected, he saw one of his assistants stand outside holding a stick between her fingers. Raising his eyebrow, he walked over to Sally and who suddenly began to give him that dimple smile that always lit up the office.
“Evening, Mr. Winters,” she said.
“Why are you out this late?” He put his foot up on the curb and glanced at the rain pouring down.
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“I needed to get some fresh air. Didn’t expect it would just rain like this.” She waved the stick at the heavy downpour.
“Yeah, I didn’t either. Do you want a ride home?”
“Yes, please.” She brushed her light brown hair back, giving more exposure to her oval face and the black stud in her left ear.
“Why don’t you sit inside and warm up?” He unlocked the car and turned the engine on. “That..” He waved at her strapless, navy blue dress. “Definitely can’t be comfortable with this chill but you do look damn beautiful.”
Sally pulled her handbag from under her armpit and trotted to the car. “It’s definitely cold but I can’t smoke inside.” She disappeared into the car.
Lonnie laughed, and went to buy the things Sabrina wanted.
Upon returning to his car, he couldn’t help but notice how clear her grey eyes were. She smiled with that check mark in her cheek and put her back to the door.
“Are you shopping this late,” she asked.
“My…” he paused as his phone lit up on the console. “Girlfriend wanted me to pick it up on the way home but she went out to pick up her friend. Now she won’t be home until the morning.”
“I’m surprised that you are actually serious with her. Most men like yourself have multiple women.”
Lonnie's eyebrows rose and he stopped sending a reply to Sabrina that he would drive around for a bit. “You think I can’t be faithful? Or is it that you are thinking it would be better if I wasn’t at this time of night.” He glanced out the window and back at her.
She held up her hands. “Not saying it like that but I just assumed rich men who are also good looking like yourself. Wouldn’t settle for one woman or may have two or more.”
“So you aren’t hitting on me on a rainy night in my car with just the two of us.” He used the phone in his hand to point at both of them one after another, a couple of times.
“No, no, no.” She waved her hands but those kissable lips stayed sprayed out in a happy smile. “I was just curious if you were that type of guy. You know office gossip.”
Lonnie threw the car in reverse and rushed out into the street. “So you gossip about my good looks and sexual life all the time? Like maybe my dick size?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, we haven’t talked about your dick size. Just that you happen to be around a lot of pretty women and your girlfriend is red-bone who is nine.”
“Well, I am faithful but my girlfriend is Okay with me sleeping with women she designates as safe. So in a way, I have slept with other women but in threesomes.”
“Wow, I guess Lorraine was right.” Sally laughed after saying that, touching his arm. “I couldn’t possibly understand how she would allow that. I would be too selfish and keep you all to myself.”
Stopping at a stop sign in H block, he threw her a wide grin. “So you fantasize about me?”
“Is that where your mind went?”
“Where do you want my mind to go when you are looking that delectable?” He pulled into the F block and creeped down the street. “Where is your house?”
“You think I look good?” She puffed up her cheeks, pouted her lips, and stuck out her chest. Only after catching him staring did she laugh and deflated, pointing two houses ahead. “The one with the black prius.”
“Fishing for compliments. So low.” He chuckled and pulled in beside the prius, throwing the car into park.
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her purse off the dashboard. “Didn’t you do it first?”
“But I’m narcissistic. It’s normal for me to talk about myself. Not normal for you, little miss sunshine.”
“Wow,” She said, laughing. “So I am curious. What made you…” She waved her hand at his body. “Get big like this because I’m not saying your previous look was better but everybody knows when you change and we can’t quite agree on the why.”
“Sabrina started working out and she made me join. I took it a step further.” Lonnie shrugged.
“Definitely, took it far in a good way.” Her fingers clenched his arm.
Headlights cut through the rain, highlighting the garage in front of them. Sally glanced back and grabbed her handbag that slipped into her lap. She turned back to Lonnie who started smiling.
“Do you think he will come to the conclusion that we are sleeping together?” Lonnie winked and unlocked the door.
“You would want to see something like that happen, huh?”
Instead of replying, he backed out of the driveway, allowing the grey sedan to pull in. He leaned into the backseat and pulled a hoodie out of his workout duffel bag.
“Here,” he said, handing it to her.
“Oh, a true gentleman with a penchant for causing trouble.” She giggled and pulled on the hoodie.
“Well, considering he’s reaching for his gun and walking over. Of course, I will be asking for trouble.” Lonnie nodded out the window but the smile never left his eyes. “See you tomorrow and don’t forget to wash my hoodie. Don’t want your cooties on it.”
“Right, cooties.” She rolled her eyes but still managed to hit him with heart damage with that smile. “See you tomorrow, boss.”
With those parting words, she disappeared into the rain. She ran straight past the brown-haired, pretty boy, right to the front porch. Leaving her husband to consider whether or not he should continue to the car.
Not that Lonnie was going to give the poor schmuck a chance. He peeled out and stopped worrying about how the guy failed his relationship.