Geek Mafia by Rick Dakan (read book .txt) 📕

“Ok,” said Chloe. “But if you run into trouble, don’t be afraid to call in the cavalry.”

“Thanks,” he said, “But I should be fine.”

He walked up to the front door and, as he approached, he noticed the black bag he’d stuffed his money into sitting beside the door, a piece of paper taped to it. This was a safe neighborhood and all, but still, it didn’t strike Paul as particularly smart to leave that much money sitting outside like that. Maybe being rich really had screwed with Greg’s sense of proportion.

Paul plucked the note from the bag and unfolded it; Paul, here’s your bag. I took out what I thought was fair, as you suggested, and returned you some of the stuff you left in your office. Good luck – Greg. He put the note in his pocket and opened the bag. Despite himself, he smiled at what he saw. 

The bag was heavy and he grunted as he tossed it into the back seat of the car next to Bee. “That was fast,” said Chloe, “What did he say?”

“Nothing,” said Paul. “He just left the bag on the porch.”

“Really? That’s mighty trusting of…” Chloe’s voice trailed off and she twisted around in her seat and said to Bee. “Open it up. Count it.”

Bee unzipped the bag and just stared, dumbfounded. “It’s just a bunch of comic books,” she said as she pawed through the bag’s contents. “There’s no money here at all!”

Chloe slowly turned to face Paul. He looked at her expression of frozen anger and cut her off before she could start yelling. “He did leave me a check,” he said, easing an envelope he’d found in the bag.

“For how much?” Chloe said, very slowly.

“Exactly what he agreed to,” Paul said, handing her the envelope. 

She tore it open and read the figure. “$12,640″ she said, her voice much calmer than she actually was.

“Two months’ severance,” Paul said, “just what he promised when he fired me.”

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Chloe shouted, slamming her fists against the steering wheel. “I fucking knew it! Fuck!”

Paul and Bee both gaped at her, too scared to say anything that might set her off even more. “Fuck,” she said again, her voice quieter. “Fuck.” She took a deep breath. Then another one. Then a third. Then, without a word she threw the car into reverse and pulled back out of the driveway. 

“Where are we going?” Paul asked.

“Where do you think?” she said.

“Chloe, we can’t go after Greg. There’s no way…”

“Who said anything about Greg? I thought you wanted to go to Key West?”

“But without…”

She stopped the car in the middle of the road with a screech and whipped around to face Paul. She grabbed his head and pulled him into a hard, almost painful kiss.

“It’s not about the money anymore,” she said. “Remember?”

“Yeah,” Paul said, momentarily caught breathless.

“Besides,” Chloe said with a grin. “We’ve still got over a hundred grand between us. That’s more than enough for two sexy ladies and a comics geek to make their way in the world, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely!” Bee said.

“I’m not a geek…” Paul started to protest.

Chloe patted him on the knee affectionately. “I know you don’t want to admit it, honey, but yes, you are.” She teased as she hit the accelerator again and pointed the car toward Highway 101 South. “I love you, but you’re definitely a geek.”