Duo Brewo

At a bar in the middle of the desert Chance is surprised when his old partner shows up but is not surprised when the drama unfolds.

The two had worked together many times before; Chance and Buck both hired guns that prided themselves on professionalism and completion of their marks. They were a duo once at the business of termination, but when they split one took the position of becoming a boss for his own syndicate, and the other continued to upgrade his skills becoming a force to be reckoned with. Going from talking every day to not at all four years passed without a word between the pair.

Chance had just collected on a job and was driving on a dessert road trying to get to the place marked on his map where the airport with a commuter waiting on him. If he made it before sundown he had a good chance of getting to pilot after his last scheduled flight, but he knew there was chance that he would be sleeping in the car for a couple of hours.  Determination was his motivation as he drove north hoping he could be in his own bed by the next morning. He drove for the next three hours when he had to stop for gas, filling up he looked in the distance and still didn’t see an end to the journey; looking up he didn’t see planes even near any kind for a hanger in the vicinity. He paid for his petro and asked the attendant where the nearest motel was hearing it just three miles away. The sun had gone down and darkness engulfed everything around him until he reached the lights of the motel. He got his room key and entered the seedy small room laying a small bag on the dresser. He pulls back the cover on the bed spotting stains and yanked them tossing them to the floor; looking at a chair in the corner he determined it to be his slumber spot for the night. He pulled the chair in front of the television bolted to the dresser where his bag sat. He pulled his gun out the holster at his side and laid it next it before sitting down with the remote in his hand. He spent the next twenty minutes flipping through stations finding nothing but old black and white westerns and infomercials.  He tossed the remote on the bed and walked outside looking up at the stars above, he began to get the urge to want a drink. He went down to the office of the motel and asked the attendant where the closest bar was located. After hearing it was a mile away he hopped in his car and drove finding a little bar called Boot’s Place. Getting out of his car he looked at a dark abandoned boarded up house that had been turned into a bed and breakfast, it looked like back in the day it could’ve been a nice place. He looked around at the parking lot seeing a bunch of semis with a lot of pickup trucks and knew what kind of atmosphere he was heading into for the alcohol buzz he was embarking. Upon entering he got a few stares but nothing stopped the boisterous crowd and country music. He spotted an empty stool at the bar and walked to it, when he reached it a tall cocky dude got to it at the same time. No words were spoken as he put his hand on it and tried to mentally stake his claim with just his eyes first. Chance looked at the barfly sitting in the other next to it and knew that the man was in booty hunting mode. He just wanted a drink and that’s all; he didn’t even think she was cute let alone worth the drama so he willingly gave up the spot patting the guy on the shoulder and walking to an empty table in the corner.

The waitress came to him and he ordered three shots of Jack and a beer to start off with. Next was his instinct that kicked in as his awareness of the room began to be his entertainment. Truckers resting while getting drunk before the walk back to their rigs with the company of w****s for the night. Chance sat by himself for an hour watching them while drinking observing that in one way or another they all knew each other. There were a couple of passers like him but most of them down to the bartender were associated. Being part of a dirty world made it easy for him to see illegal movements and he could tell it was a lot of drugs moving through the place but it was normal as they all sat around conversing and others drunkenly singing to the ones closest to them. The place kept its nightly tradition until a short white guy with a blood red suit walked in. The vibe in the whole place changed as he came in and made his way to the bar with a pony tail, sunglasses and burgundy red gators on. He gave off an aura of invincibility and his arrogance he wore pompously walking with swag watching people moving from the direction he was heading to. The bartender knew who he was as his relaxed demeanor instantly tensed up. The music still filled the air loudly so Chance couldn’t hear their conversation but could tell by his body movements that he was there for more than a drink. The bartender poured him a shot of something dark without being asked and the man just smiled like it was owed to him as he said something before hopping up on closest stool. For the next hour he made his presence known by talking vulgar to the nearest ear laughing loudly obnoxious while making jokes about the bartender’s wife and watching him take it with an unentertained smile. Chance enjoyed the show with a smile knowing that he would be the type he would love to collect on.

Suddenly the door opened and Chance had to do a double take when he saw a face from his past walk in. He marveled at the idea of the odds that they would both be in the same vicinity seeing that they were both hundreds of miles away from their homes even with them living in two different states. People looked at him but the short guy had the attention so he was just another passing face, but that’s the way Buck liked it sometimes. He made his presence known when there were reasons for messing up a moment or when he was having the time of his life, Chance remained quiet to see what kind of time this would be. He walked to the bar and pats the guy on the back and almost instantly the little man’s cocky attitude became skittish and weary. He gestures over to the bartender calmly ordering a shot still smiling and now talking more to the little man giving him a little message on his shoulders until his drink gets sat in front of him. Chance knew what he was drinking, Buck loved Patron so much that he invested in the stock; they rewarded him sending models to his high class soirées he would throw for senators and anyone else that would make his bank accounts bigger. Chance looked at him acting like he was just a nice guy telling a joke to burgundy boy but even though he laughed at the punch line he could still spot the uncomfortable guise he wore on his face. Buck twisted around in the stool until he was positioned to look at the rest of the place relaxing back while slowly sipping and gathering his atmosphere, suddenly upon observing the crowd he stopped and cocked his head to the side as if in denial of what his eyes were witnessing. He pointed at the little man as if telling him not to move as he made his way to greet a familiar face, Chance watched him with a simple smile while he sat down in the chair at his table.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Buck asked.

“Just got done handling some business; I’m posted until in the morning when I can fly back. What about you?”

“It’s a small world; small f*****g world it is. How’s the family?” He asked diverting his eyes towards the little man while downing his drink.

“They are doing alright, what are you doing in the middle of nowhere?” Chance attempted to ask again.

Growing up together had the advantage of being able to read him sometimes like an open book, it gave them the plus when they used to work together when words were not an option for unforeseen blatant attacks. Buck was plotting something and Chance could almost see his brain formulating some bullshit that he would once again get drug into.

 

“Chance, do you remember when I brought that dead body to your mother’s house when she was throwing that baby shower for her sister?”

 

He had to think about it but it quickly came back to mind.

 

“Yeah you crazy b*****d; what the hell is going on?”

“You ever have those days when people piss you off just for blinking?” Buck asked.

“No I haven’t got to that point yet.”

“That’s a shame; when you can pin point a man all the way down to the way he moisturizes his eyes is when you have reached a level of what we real professionals call… intransient.”

 

Chance was not only confused but for some reason was thinking more about the response.

 

“Do you have your mate on you?” Buck asked.

“I left it back at the motel; didn’t plan on running into you let alone meeting any trouble tonight.”

 

Buck sat up a little reaching behind him and put his arm under the table not looking at Chance.

 

“What the hell is going on?” Chance asked once more.

“No hand jobs without payment first; take the f*****g gun.”  Buck demanded quietly with a smile on his face.

 

Chance reached under and grabbed it clicking the slide chambering a bullet.

“It’s never a dull moment when you are around.”

“Coming from you that’s a compliment, I have to go finish my meeting with this short piece of s**t so if you’ll make sure it’s not interrupted I’ll make sure you get compensated for your time.” Buck said standing up.

 

Chance didn’t want any part of it; Buck had always been sadistic but it was worse when he reacted off anger with a smile. He walked back to the bar and asked for another shot, the bartender didn’t hesitate to pour it as the little man took off his shades and asked for one as well while staring at Buck. Chance got up from his table and walked over to the jukebox and looked at the music selection, Buck remained quiet as stared back beginning to rub his chin. The people in the place continued their own conversations but could feel a certain bad tension in the air as they darted eyes towards the bar habitually. Buck breaks his silence as he says something leaning in closer to him, the man tensed up at the nearness and his head slinked down into his body as if mimicking a turtle. He tried to respond but Buck slammed his fist down on the wet bar causing silence in the whole place except the music box Chance was by.

 

“But nothing!” Buck yelled.

“It’s not my fault; he told me to come here to tell you this, please calm down.”

 

The little well-dressed man was now scared and his voice changed three different octaves while putting his hands out to trying to chill Buck out. Buck looked over at Chance.

 

“Unplug that thing for me buddy before I come over and flip that b***h.” He commanded.

 

Chance looked at him for a minute knowing the situation had just started but promised to get worse; he unplugged it and looked back at the man that now held the attention of the whole bar.

 

“Tobias… Tobias…Tobias, I told you personally that I wanted to meet with Calhoun at this piece of s**t place he decided to invest in. I expected you to get that message to him to take time out of his schedule of sitting around doing blow and surrounding himself with w****s all day.” Buck said loudly.

“That’s not it; you know he’s my boss but I run this spot right here for him, so any business that needs to be handled there is no reason me and you can’t hammer it out.”   

“Yes there is a reason you insignificant little f**k, that we cannot as you say “hammer this out,” you are just a peon and I don’t deal with peons unless they are my own. Get him on the phone.” Buck demanded.

“I can’t I get a signal out here.” Tobias said.

“Well that’s going to create a problem because I have boss questions and I need boss answers, and…you…are…not…a…boss.”

“But…” He tried to talk but Buck stopped his attempt.

“Stop talking before I end your miserable life you little portly f**k.” Buck said calmly.

 

Chance walked back to his table and watched as his friend took center stage still standing right at the bar.

 

“In my travels over the years I have met some of the most vial people in the world, but I have run across wise men, gurus, and scholars of many different denominations. Before he died I had the pleasure of meeting a poet and song writer by the name of Gil Scot; I wouldn’t expect you cut off, inbred lackeys to know who I’m talking about but take my word he was a genius. I received something from him and once I heard it, I knew it was about me. I say it to myself daily and to those who don’t know in hopes that they will know what kind of person I really am. It went like this:

Standing in the ruins of another black man’s life flying through the valley separating day and night I am death cried the vulture for the people called the light. Heron brought his wrath from the seas that sails on souls for the scavengers departing taking warm hearts to the cold, he knew the ghetto was a haven for the meanest creature ever known, in the wilderness of heartbreak and in a dessert of despair evils clarity of justice shrieks a cry of naked terror taking babies from their mothers leaving grief beyond compare. So if you see the vulture coming, flying circles in your mind remember that there is no escaping because he will follow close behind on the promise for a battle for your soul and mind.”

 

In a quick motion Buck twisted around looking at Tobias then turned back towards the people, everything was quiet and paused for a second as they wondered what the movement was for. Nobody knew what to think until they looked down at his right hand and saw a straight razor as it gleamed off the lights. Then quickly Tobias grabbed at his throat as blood poured from a slit that seemed to get longer as he panicked gasping for air and falling to the floor. The crowd was stunned at the sight and the women look away while the men just stare in surprise. With two flicks of his wrist the razor is closed and vanishes back into his sleeve. Chance was surprised at the instance when it happened but while others were stuck in the uncomfortable silence his laughter echoed off the walls. Buck scanned the room,

 

“I’m only going to ask once; who are Tobias’s go to guys in here?”

 

Two guys stood up slowly afraid of the lunatic in their presence. Buck quickly pulled out his gun and shot one in the head and his partner jumped almost falling over the table. Buck holstered the gun as fast he drew it and pointed at the other with a finger gun.

 

“You… what’s your name?”

 

The young man looked like he could be in his early twenties and was so afraid his body trembled as he stuttered.

 

“Mar…Mar…Marshall.”

 

Buck got off on making people fear him and the response made him smile.

 

“Well Mar…Mar…Marshall you are in the position of a lifetime, you just got a promotion. I’m going to let you give the message to Calhoun that if he cannot give me the proper respect I’m going to keep killing his peons until he respects the G in me.”

 

He reached in Tobias’s pockets as he lay still twitching in a pool of his own blood. He pulled out his wallet, keys, and phone then tossed it and keys to the boy.

 

“Take his red Caddy and go somewhere you can get a signal and tell him what I’ve done. Let him know that while you are talking to him I will be f*****g more s**t up in here for wasting my time but will be contacting him soon to set up another meeting.” Buck said like nothing had ever happened.

 

The boy heads for the door while looking back mistrusting the psychopath that was letting him walk away. Once he was out of the bar Buck began to smile looking around.

 

“Now I know that he had friends or the other poor fellow had some homeys, so I invite anyone to come mourn on my shoulder. Come on don’t be shy I’m open for hugs twenty four hours.” Buck said arms stretched out.

 

Regulars were pissed from the blatant disrespect from the stranger but were hesitant because of the gun he had on him. Buck picked up on the vibe and took out his gun; he removed the clip and clicked the slide catching the already chambered bullet kissing it before putting it in his back pocket. He laid the gun on the wet bar but put the clip in another pocket. Two guys that were close rushed at him and while dodging the first one he caught the other with a knee then dropped a punched on him that made him drop like gravity had been increased, the one that missed pulled out a knife and came back at him with a thrust. Buck slightly moved and grabbed a beer bottle next to him and crashed it over his head instantly knocking him out and he dropped. Their friends got mad next as a big burly trucker stepped up next; he swung with two jabs and Buck took them both before blocking the third attempt and chopping him quickly in his throat. The guy fell struggling for air trying not to die on the dirty floor as a roach crawled past his darkening vision and Chance kind of laughed at the sight looking over at the table next to him seeing that they didn’t find it quite as amusing. They snarled their lips at him first before making their move; two of them leaped from their chairs and came at him. The first one swung but Chance leaned back in his chair barely being missed but quickly kneed the table bumping the beer bottle into the air, catching it he let the first victim fall as he smashed the bottle on the other ones head and watched him fall on the table in front of him. By the time the one on the floor looked up it was short lived seeing darkness following a fist. Buck looked over at Chance and gave him a big grin with his thumbs up, Chance responded with a sarcastic smile and one middle finger up. Suddenly he got tackled to the ground and Buck instantly caught three moving in on him, he dodges, punches, and slams the three around as the other people become just spectators. He ends the last one stomping in his already mangled face then looked over in his comrades’ direction observing his victims lying around him as he finished the last one off holding him up by his shirt collar and punching his already bloody, swollen face.  He dropped him and walked toward Buck that was already sporting a wise-a*s grin while looking at him. Chance was annoyed as he shakes his hand from the pain of striking his opponents and stood next to him at the bar.

 

“Now that’s my dog, I haven’t seen you do that s**t in a long time. Makes me nostalgic, come here and give me a hug.” Buck said smiling.

 

Chance was not amused though and unlike other times it wasn’t hard to keep a straight face.

 

“You are an a*****e, you know that right?”

 

They stand looking around looking at guys checking on their injured friends on the floor.

 

“Why is it that whenever I see you bullshit ends up happening?” Chance asked.

“It’s just coincidence.” Buck answered.

“Coincidence my a*s, you are the f*****g devil.”

“Come on man you are over embellishing.”

“Am I Buck, what about the last two times I saw you?”

“Oh those times I meant to f**k s**t up, but I promise I didn’t come in here today to start anything. Now listen, we can stand here all night arguing semantics or we can…”

 

Suddenly Buck pushes Chance back as a beer bottle nearly strikes him the head from someone throwing it from a distance. Chance and Buck looked at where the bottle made contact right by the bartender before looking back at each other in silence then peered into the direction it came from spotting nine truckers and bikers focused on them. With pool sticks, knives, and broken bottles in their hands and sneers on their faces they were ready for a fight.

 

“Do you agree that this is a good time to f**k s**t up?” Buck asked.

“Yeah…yeah I would say that it was. You take the four on the left and I’ll take the five on my right.”

“Why do you get five?”

“Because you look like you can’t handle five anymore chubby.” Chance replied and saw a smile in his peripheral. 

“Bet a grand on that assumption.”

 

 The men advanced forward and the duo stood with smiles on their faces assessing the situation before walking toward the gang. The two combatants moved in poetic form as they battled in their own fighting styles calculating every move like they were rehearsed. Chance’s was swift combinations of damaging strikes to multiple pressure points while dodging, blocking, and counter attacking. Buck’s was more brutal as took the swing to his midsection by a pool stick, pinning it to him with his arm he took his palm and struck the middle breaking it. Two sharp tips were presented so he stabbed the guy in the shoulder first before taking the other end from his hands and swung it striking him in the face knocking him out instantly. They separated to get a distance to keep their worlds from colliding while they did what they trained themselves for, backing away they both met each other bumping and quickly turning around ready to brawl until they recognized it was the other.

 

“What do you think now?” Buck asked.

“I think you should shut up and fight.” Chance replied before he walked back to go finish his.

 

They bout some more and Chance finishes knocking out his last one hearing a loud crash turning to see that Buck just slammed his on a table breaking it. He looked over at his partner and smiled, Chance was exhausted but the adrenaline still coursed through his veins and his awareness was on full throttle as he spotted one of Buck’s victims that were down but not out reaching at his waist for a gun. With pin point precision Chance quickly flung a knife at the man piercing the arm that reached saving his unsuspected friend from a bullet. Suddenly the cocking of a shotgun is heard coming from the bartender’s direction and out of instinct the two promptly drew their guns and pointed at him holding a 12 gauge aiming at them.  

 

“Put that down Noah or me and my boy are going to tear your body apart with some dumb dumbs, do you know what that is, exploding tip bullets son.” Buck said thumbing back the hammer on his gun. The bartender laid the gun down on the wet bar and raised his hands.

“You fucked up my bar Buck, who’s going to pay for all of this?”

 

He rubbed his chin as if thinking of a solution. He put his gun back in the holster and touched the one Chance was holding to assure him that it wouldn’t be needed. Walking toward the bar he looked around at the frightened people amongst the broken chairs and tables stepping on shattered glass littering the floor.  When he reached Noah he moved the shotgun to the side.

 

“You’re right, that greedy f****r would be petty enough to punish you for what I did in here wouldn’t he?”

 

Buck thought for a second looking around at all the mayhem he had caused then looked at the floor and kind of felt bad for the little guy he killed, and then he remembered that he didn’t like him so he kicked him in his pale face. He looked over Chance’s disapproving head shake and raised his arms.

 

“What?” He asked.

 

“Okay I can solve this issue, but first I need that duffle bag behind the bar.” Buck said.

 

Noah reached down and put it in front of him and unzipping it Buck was satisfied throwing the strap over his head and shoulder.

 

“Okay before I got in here this place was already a piece of s**t so it shouldn’t be that hard handle it.”

 

Buck reached behind him and grabbed something.

 

“This should cover it.”

 

He threw three rings in front of the bartender and it took a minute to register just what Buck had done until the room heard three thuds on the wooden floor and a woman yelled it first.

 

“Oh s**t that m***********s done dropped some grenades!”

 

People began to run for the door and Chance was one of them, they ran to their cars, trucks, and semis and wasted no time driving away. Chance stood at his car with the door opened wondering where his friend was until he saw him emerge with two bottles of Patron, a cigar, and a smile. When he got to Chance’s car he got in, they wasted no more time before driving away from the scene.

 

“I thought you dropped some grenades in there.” Chance said.

“I did but they were remote boys, I wasn’t trying to kill everybody in there. You think I’m a monster or something?”

 

Buck pulled out his cell phone and pushed the pound button. The bar exploded in the background lighting up the night sky and could be heard loudly even at the distance that they reached.

 

“Hey Chance, do you remember when we were in high school and I talked you out of studying for that history test by showing up at your grandmother’s house with two strippers in the car, some ecstasy and a bottle of Crown Royal?”

“Yeah I flunked the test and had to take summer school a*****e.”

 

Buck started laughing.

 

“Those were the days, now let’s go get drunk.”

 

 

                                                                -The End.

Author's Note

I had fun with this one, it's been a minute since i've done one with a good fight scene and this story made me happy when i got done with it. If you like it let me know, if you find some grammatical just over look them because you'll get the just of it by the end.
Thanks.

Reviews

[Warrior]

Great story telling. This did justice in the realm of getting the message across. Great message. There's lot of times where a story can have a great message to aim for, and have a lot of under lining things but then no one gets it, and if no one gets it, then the point has failed. But in my opinion this did well to get the message across. You made it clear, which is why I think it's good. Keep up the good work. What was also great was that I could imagine the story as I read it, and that is also a strong point of stories. The ability to have the reader imagine it because after all we're reading not watching it, but it was as if I was there as I read this, and that is great. Great visuals and great story telling. It had plot and substance. When you add substance to writing it gets that much better. It gets the reader hooked on it and make them feel as if they are part of it. As long as their is that emotional connection between the reader and the story then it's good. The connection you were able to established in the writing gives the reader a sense of comfortably that they are in tune with the writing. So that way when the writing is over, the reader wants more, and wishes it didn't end. I feel the same way when I watched a movie or tv series that I get so attached to, I never want it to end. And for this writing, I didn't want it to end. You had me hooked, and I am sure everyone else who read it was hooked as well. That is good, that is what you want for people to keep wanting more. The way you put the story together makes me feel like my life is different for that moment in which I read your story. I love it, and it was beautiful. Just keep posting stories like this, and you'll have a good following.

[Dez H.]

Thank you it makes me feel good when I can end a story and people get it.

[Dez H.]

I think I did pretty good with this one. It took me two weeks to write because I took my time with it trying to get the reader to visually see it as they read it. Buck is in a some of my other works but this one i feel brought his character more into the lime light instead of just cameo parts.