John drove his car out of the motel parking lot and out toward the street. Del sat next to him. He looked for the black SUV parked on the street but it wasn’t there. He was still buzzed from the drinks he had tonight but he knew if he could still stand he could still drink. Their destination was a bar down the street called The Dive. It was a bar they had frequented every so often. He hoped the bar waitress he slept with several nights ago wasn’t working. Del didn’t care either way. He was feeling good.

John said, “Let me get this straight. A guy dressed up in a suit and tie gave you some business cards. Do you think he was one of the representatives of the game?”

“I think so.”

Del showed him the cards. It took him time to get his wallet. His body didn’t want to respond to him.

“Here you go.”

Del was slurring his words.

“Those are neat cards,” John said.

“I almost called it but I talked to my dad. We had dinner tonight.”

“What? What did he want?”

John parked his car in front of the bar. They were in a small strip mall with a laundry mat, liquor store and check cashing business. The bar sign was in a red and orange colors. The lights made the large sign on top look garish and old. It seemed the bar had been here since the seventies and had never been updated.

It wasn’t the best part of San Pedro. But people at the bar left them alone. Also, his friend John who was six feet tall and built like a truck get the other hard core drinkers away from them. Del was no slouch himself he was five foot and eleven inches. And even though he hadn’t worked out for a long time was still muscular. They walked into the bar. Del was shuffling to the side. He knew he had too much alcohol. Inside, it was dark with two small pool tables and a side bar on the right. It was almost closing time probably around one thirty and he thought maybe they should leave and buy some alcohol from the corner liquor store. They sidled up to the bar.

The bartender looked at them and said, “I think you both had too much alcohol tonight.”

Del slurred, “Hey, we’re paying customers. We can order anything we want, barkeep.”

He leaned forward at the little man behind the counter. The bartender stepped back away from him and looked toward the left of him. Del was going to yell again, but a large man grabbed him and pulled him close. A large meaty arm shook his shoulder.

John instantly punched the bouncer in the face, knocking the guy backward. Del unbalanced fell to the ground and hit a few leather chairs. He scrambled upwards. Another another bouncer came out of nowhere and grabbed John. Del wobbled forward and tried to punch the bouncer who was holding John, but all he could do was push the large bouncer into a pool table. John elbowed the bouncer in the face.

He heard something and didn’t know what it was until he realized it the sound of police sirens. John pushed away from the bouncer.

Del said, “We need to get out of here.”

They moved toward the door. Del was swaying to the side as he tried to move forward. With the help of John, they rushed outside the entrance. The cool air rushed at them and he felt instantly lucid and sober. The door banged against the wall. A group of four uniform cops stood in defense positions. Each held their guns pointed at them.

“On your knees now! And place your hands up in the air.”

They were pushed forcibly to the ground. His arms were pushed behind him and handcuffs was placed around his wrists. The cops pulled him upwards, and they dragged and pushed him into the back of a black and white police car. The cop in the front read him his rights. His eyes started to get blurry and then he passed out.

Somebody was pushing his shoulder. Del moaned and open his eyes. It was one of the cops.

The cop said, “Wakey, wakey. Somebody wants to see you.”

Del woke up. He was shock and surprised. The cop pulled him out of back. He knew he was in serious trouble. The cop pushed him out into the crisp air and pushed him to face a man walking up to him. Del could hardly stand and he was held by two other men. Del’s face kept rolling to the side. He drank too much tonight. Del was going in and out of consciousness. He heard the sound of the police radio chattering codes and orders.

He saw a man dressed in a three-piece suit next to the police cruiser.

The policeman said, “Is this the guy?”

“Yes.”

Del’s handcuffs were taken away and his hands were free. He slumped to the side and a burly man help him up.

“Put him in the car.”

The man who spoke looked familiar. Del was pushed into a back seat of another vehicle. He saw a dark form next to him.

It was John. “Hey Del, are you awake?”

Del nodded.

John said, “I think we’re going to be ok.”

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Before Del could wrap his thoughts about John’s statement, he passed out again.

***

Del heard a noise. It sounded like a grunting and grating noise. He kept trying to sleep, but the noise kept getting louder and then it would stop. The sound shot into his head. Opening his eyes, he found himself sleeping on a soft bed and across from him was another bed was John snoring loud. Del groaned. His stomach churned.

Sunlight poured from the open window. Del grabbed his pillow and threw it at John’s head. John snorted and turn to his side. He stopped snoring. Del was about to drift off to sleep but he realized he wasn’t sure where he was. He lay on a soft bed and the blanket covering him was thick and not scratchy. The room he was in was twice the size as his motel room. He was wearing a blue silk pajamas with a faint smell of a fabric softener. The last thing he could recall was sitting in a back of an SUV.

Del tried to lift his head, but he felt as if a monkey was banging his head. He recalled the fight in the bar. His arms and legs felt like lead and he had pain on his back and legs. He didn’t want to move. Then he realized that today was Thursday and John should be at work.

“John,” Del croaked. “John, wake up!”

John turned on his back. “What the hell? Where are we?”

“I don’t know. This is not a jail.”

Del heard a soft knock at the front door and it sounded like thunder. They both moaned. The door opened, and a guy dressed in a black and white suit came in pushing a tray with plates. Del smelled bacon, eggs and coffee. His stomach instantly went into convulsions. He wanted to vomit.

The tray of food was placed by the foot of the bed. The man left them alone and walked out of the room. Del stood and floundered to a room that seemed like the bathroom. He knelt by the toilet and vomited several times. He lay on the ground. The door was still open and John was standing in the doorway.

“Are you ok, Del? I need to go.”

Del nodded and crawled out of the bathroom and lay on the floor. He vowed to himself probably a hundredth time that he was done with drinking. John moved around him and walked into the bathroom. The closed the door with a thump.

Del laying on the ground scanned his surroundings. On the right and behind him was a large window with tan long drapes. Sunlight struck him on his back and shoulders. He didn’t want to move for fear of his stomach gurgling.

He crawled toward the bed and used it to help him stand. He wondered where the hell they were. This couldn’t be a new type of jail. Del flopped onto his bed. He looked at the food. The trays were cover by a round container. He could smell the pancakes and sausage. The door opened. A man walked in. He was middle age with short steel gray hair. He had a dignified look to him. Del sensed this man had money, loads of it. He wore khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. His white tennis shoes seem to glow.

The man said, “You and your friend are the two people who beat the game a few nights ago?”

Del was not sure if this statement was a question or not.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Your name is Del and your friend is John. I know everything about you guys. Del, you’re currently suspended at work and John is still working there. Is that right?”

“How do you know this?”

The bathroom door opened and John walked out. He looked surprised.

The man said, “Come sit. You guys can eat if you want,”

John sat on his bed. They both stared at the older gentleman. Del’s brain was still fuzzy. He couldn’t make sense on any of this. He wondered if the Strike Blast gaming corporation was this powerful to stop them from going to jail. He wondered how this man knew their identities. He thought the game protected them. Del was wrong.

He said, “How do you even know that we play this game. There should be laws against what you’re doing.”

The man smiled. “I’m offering you guys to repay me. I helped you with the police. If I did not step in, you two would be in jail pending a trial,” he added, “Also I think you guys want to play this new game that we have.”

Del noticed this man reminded him of his dad. This man was slick, but he didn’t trust this person.

John said, “I don’t feel like playing any game right now. My head is pounding and I don’t feel too well.”

“Oh, I have something,” the man said, “that could take away your hangover and aches and pains. Do you want to take it? It will help you.”

Del said, “This better not be some crazy drug like LSD or acid.”

The old gentleman looked at them and said, “No, it’s like a protein enriched vitamin. Only the rich have this. It’ll relieve you of your hangover. You will feel better.”

The man’s smile looked like a lion’s grin. But he wasn’t feeling well.

Del said, “I’ll take anything right now.”

John merely grunted. The man took a round golden vial out of his pants pocket. The older man opened the top and shook out two white pills. It looked like aspirin. He placed it on a plate.

The man said, “I’ll leave you for now. Have some breakfast. Take the pills first. And tell me what you guys want to do. An agent will be waiting outside the door for your reply.”

The man walked out of the room. Del moved toward the tray and took one of the pills. His head pounded and his eyes felt like sand. He swallowed the pill without water. Del flopped back down on the bed. John did the same, but he drained the pill down with a cup of orange juice.

Del didn’t expect to feel better. He had hangovers before and sometimes it took him several days to get better. Laying on his bed, his headache dispersed and then his aches disappeared. He turned toward John. They both looked at each other. Del was ravenous, and he pounced on the cart. He ate spoonfuls of scrambled eggs. He also ate the pancakes, toast, hash browns and sausage. John was also eating ravenously. They didn’t talk. They both sat back on the bed. Del felt great. He wanted to do something like run or jump. His body tingled with energy.

He looked over to John and saw his friend was also feeling better. John was actually smiling. Del stood and opened the front door. He saw the tall agent guy standing outside almost like a statue.

“We’re done.”

The man nodded and walked into the room. He pushed the cart with the food tray outside the room.

John said, “What do we do? Should we play this new prototype game?”

“I think we should. This guy saved us from going to jail. We should at least play this game.”

“It might be dangerous.”

“It’s only a game.”

They heard a knock at the door and before Del could say anything the door opened. The older gentleman walked in.

The man smiled. “Do you feel better? What do you say? Will you help me?”

Del said, “Sure, we will play your game.”

“It will only take a few hours of your time and you’ll be compensated. There’s an extra clothing in the closet for you. When you’re ready? Talk to the agent again.”

“Yes.”

“Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Christopher Toler. I am the co-CEO of Highwall Timber games. Thank you guys for helping us out.”

Del already knew who this man, when he first saw him he said, “I like to shower before we do anything.”

Christopher said, “There is no rush.”

The man walked out.