Part 24: Money Money

The Promised Land: 

(Part 24) Money Money

“You contacted the Atari?!” Caden looked about ready to punch Linus in the face.

“Of course not, Fireball,” Linus answered calmly. “No faster way to ruin business than to sell out your customers.” At this point he tilted his head and stroked his mustache in thought. “…unless, of course, the selling out carries with it a hefty amount of cookie dough.”

Caden’s fists turned white as they began shaking. “You cheating, lying, stealing-”

“Flattery won’t get you discounts.” Linus shrugged as he picked up a sucker lying on the ground and unwrapped it. “I thought I was being perfectly reasonable.”

“Only in your twisted head,” Cay spat, his face nearly as red as his scarf.

“It’s no fun being fair ALL the time. Right, Sugar?” Linus winked at Eden before putting the lollipop in his mouth with a smile.

Wrinkling her nose, Eden went around the counter and pulled Caden aside.

“I can take him,” he whispered, subconsciously rubbing his ribs.

“Yeah, because brute force always works.”

Caden looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Generally.”

“Look, you’re still healing from your last fight,” Eden continued with a different approach. “Just let me try. If I can’t talk some sense into him, THEN you can knock his brains out. Deal?”

She could see the teen mentally debating whether or not to agree to her plan.

With a huff, he said, “Have it your way.”

“Extra cheese, hold the lettuce,” she mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing. Thanks, Cay. One more thing, can you lose the demon eyes? They kind of freak people out.”

Caden complied with a scowl. Turning around to Linus, Eden noticed he was picking up the fallen ammo clips and placing them on the counter. He was grabbing the last ones from the floor when Eden walked over. 

“Linus, was it?”
“Still is, Sugar,” he replied as he placed the last magazine on the counter. “Linus Beck. You his envoy?” he asked with a nod toward Cay.

“Nope. Here of my own accord.” Eden picked up Shiloh’s list from the countertop. “What’s the total of all the supplies on this list? I want a concrete number.”

The white lollipop stick moved from one side of his mouth to the other before Linus look it out and threw the clean stick away. He took the paper from her and started rambling off each item and its cost.

Caden retreated to the opposite side of the room and focused his attention on a mountain bike, which was held in place by various riggings against the wall. “Calm down,” he told himself, taking as deep a breath as his bruised ribs would allow. Deciding he needed to sit down for a bit, he leaned his back against the wall and slid to the floor. Cay’s head plopped into his crossed his arms as they rested over his knees. He vaguely heard Eden and Linus discussing product totals. “…two-week supply packs for 150, combo respirators for 60, hearing protectors for 20…” On the list went, but Cay’s mind had already drifted elsewhere.

He had about fallen asleep when a prod to his side surprised him. Shy was sitting beside him, eyebrows creased in concern. “You ok?” he signed.

“I will be alright,” Cay signed back. “Need sleep.”

After jerking his right thumb in Beck’s direction, Shy signed, “Color?”

“Grey.” After a moment of thought, Cay added, “Thanks for stopping me.”

Shrugging, Shiloh adjusted the violin case in his lap. Caden ran both hands through his hair and stretched, a few audible cracks emanating from his back. “I’m too old for this,” he thought with wry amusement. He rubbed a hand over his swollen neck before resting his head against the wall.

After moving the case around several times, Shiloh ended up setting it on the floor and staring off into space. He considered bringing up the note, but decided against it. Maybe another time. Right now, Caden didn’t want to be bothered and agitating him wasn’t usually a good idea. His attention drifted over to Eden and watched as she counted out bullets with the creeper shopkeeper.

“So, you tried to shortchange us,” she said, folding her arms in an attempt to be intimidating.

“Man’s gotta eat,” Linus replied with a halfhearted shrug. Disappearing behind a rack, he came back with the missing equipment. “Here’s what you asked for. How do you want the change?”

“Credit,” Caden spoke up. His head still tilted back and eyes closed, his scratchy voice filled the small room. “On a new card.”

“Smart cookie.” Linus took out a card and handheld machine from under the counter.

He swiped the card, punched a few numbers, and handed the card to Eden. “All yours, Sugar.”

Taking the card, Eden inspected it. It was white and blank, save the magnetic strip and serial number on the back.

Shiloh came up to the counter and proceeded to pack the excluded items. After handing a backpack to Eden and giving one to his brother, he wandered outside. Caden shot Linus a dark look before following.

Shouldering the bag, Eden said, “Sorry about earlier. He has some anger issues.”

“No worries, Sugar,” Linus replied as he started putting the ammo away. “Fireball’s doing great if that’s his only problem.” He continued from behind a shelf, “Kids these days don’t know the meaning of fun. Just anger and terror.” He came back to the counter, seemingly less upbeat. “There’s a sad commentary for you.”

Suddenly remembering her dead phone, Eden pulled it out of her pocket and showed it to Linus. “Do you think you might have a charger for this?”

Taking the smooth object and checking the port, he let out a whistle. “Very old model. Are you sure it still works?”

“Yep. Well, it would if the battery wasn’t dead.”

Nodding, he pulled out a basket containing a mess of tangled cords. Looking through the tangled electrical octopus, he tried different plugs until one fit. Pulling out a charger, he handed it and the phone back. “I just have one for the car.”

“That’s fine. How much is it?”

Pulling out a lollipop from under the table, Linus handed it to Eden. “On the house, Sugar.”

“Thanks… I guess...”

“Take care out there, gumdrop. It’d be nice to have customers live long enough for seconds.”

Eden contemplated the sendoff before leaving the store with a nervous laugh. 

Shoving the items in her pocket as she walked outside, Eden noticed the significant lack of a particular blue van. “Um… where’d Ezra go?”

Caden, tucking the ends of his scarf inside his black jacket, waited until she was beside him to start walking down the street. Shiloh immediately followed his brother, but it took Eden a minute to register that they were leaving. She caught up to them and asked again, “Where’s Ezra?”

“She finished her mission. We need to finish ours,” Caden replied while still walking, as was his habit.

“So she left…” Eden kicked a rock in her path. “Where are we going then?”

“To the contact’s house.”

“The dead one?”

“Unless you know another.”

With a suspicious look, she followed the two as they turned a corner and went down several alleys. “What about the assassin?”

“Hunter?” Caden stopped at a side door and pulled out a key. “If he shows up again, I’ll take care of it.”

 “Says the kid with a broken rib,” thought Eden as they entered the building and went up a set of stairs. The three found themselves in an apartment of sorts, bare and empty, save a few necessities. The room was furnished only with a cot, table, and chair.

“Grab what you need and let’s go,” Cay muttered as he went straight for the cot. Eden looked through some of the papers lying on the table while Shiloh opened various broken cabinets hanging on the walls. Eden ended up playing with an odd-looking transceiver until Caden found whatever it was he was looking for. Shoving something under the cot and heading back to the door, he said, “Time’s up.”