“And just how do you know when it happens? What makes you think I’m going to do anything you want?”
“Well, for starters, Mr. Everton, you’ve stopped using profanity. I find profanity to be so tasteless and vulgar. I suppose I have my dear Christian mother to thank for that.”
“Maybe I’m just tired of getting punched.”
“It doesn’t really matter, Mr. Everton. That’s not what tells me you’re ready to move on to the next phase of our plan.”
Joel looked at the maniac with contempt. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
The polite man paused to straighten his tie and smiled. “Mr. Everton, I know we’re ready to proceed because you’ve come to terms with your fate. You’ve stopped begging, stalling, and my absolute favorite part of these jobs—you’ve stopped scheming and plotting to find a way out of this.”
Megan Everton snuck a furtive glance at her husband, certain the monster was wrong. She knew her husband was smart enough to find a way out of this nightmare and save them both. His defeated gaze, however, led Megan to the horrible realization that Joel had given up.
“Mr. Everton, you really will come to realize that it’s so much easier when you just play the game. This is going to happen, sir, and I’m delighted that you’re finally accepting that fact.”
“I know the last time I asked this question I was punished for it, but you said I would know when I could ask it again.”
“Bravo, Mr. Everton! I am quite impressed with you, my good man. You’re the first to make the connection without any prompting from me. I was right about you, Mr. Everton.” The polite man was as giddy as a school boy. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Mr. Everton. My employer was not in favor of your selection. You were thought to be much too smart and resourceful. I just had a feeling you might need to improvise and think on your feet to accomplish your assignment. Your predecessors didn’t really have to do much thinking. If we could’ve gotten away with it, their tasks could have been carried about by chimpanzees. Anyway, Mr. Everton, now that you feel the time is right, please ask your question.”
“If I go through with this, how do I know you won’t kill my wife anyway? How do I know you’ll let her go?”
“Well, Mr. Everton, you really don’t know, do you? From the moment my associates and I entered your home, I’ve done every single thing I said I would do without fail. My employer likes things to be nice and tidy. Unnecessary loss of life brings with it the potential for complications. Keeping your wife alive is the easier alternative. Missing persons bring attention. Your wife can simply fabricate the story of your demise, but if both of you were to disappear, well, that would be too costly an investment.”
“You want me to murder innocent people, yet you have the nerve to say ‘unnecessary loss of life’? How dare you!”
The polite man broke eye contact with Joel and smiled at one of his goons who, in turn, whacked Joel across the knuckles with the end of a collapsible baton. The thugs knew a smile meant to go easy on the victim.
“Mr. Everton, let’s not forget my dislike of sass. Just because I’m pleased with how sharp you are doesn’t mean you can speak to me in any way you please. Let’s not ruin the progress we’ve made. As I was saying, assuring someone’s silence is much easier than one would think. I’m sure your lovely wife here holds a great deal of affection for her sweet grandmother in Plano, Texas. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Megan was stunned by the realization that this sociopath kept tabs on her family.
“Yes, darling. Mammy is just an adorable little country grandma. Doesn’t really live in the country, but you can’t take the country out of the gal, now can ya? You should consider yourself lucky. I only had one grandmother that I could remember, and she went home to see Jesus when I was six. From what I recall, my Mimi and your Mammy would get along just fine. If you can’t keep our little secret, they might meet each other much sooner than the good Lord intended.”
“I’m sure my wife will cooperate fully, sir. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, and she will never speak a word of this for the rest of her life.”
“I’m sure she won’t, Mr. Everton, I’m sure she won’t. While we’re on the topic of family, I have to say that your Uncle Ollie is a real stand-up guy. His second wife has a teenage girl with a spinal cord injury, right? Poor little angel is in a wheelchair, and your uncle doesn’t skip a beat. That girl isn’t just a step-daughter, she’s family to him. Sounds like a family full of fighters and hard workers, real salt-of-the-earth kind of folk. I’d love to spend a weekend with them. I’m willing to bet they’d make us a home-cooked meal before we got down to business.”
“Stop! You’ve made your point. I’m ready.”
“Excellent! I really do like you, Joel. I’ve enjoyed our time together. I seldom get to have conversations with men of intelligence. My associates might lack in that department, but they excel in other areas where it counts. One thing has me curious. It wasn’t really important enough to follow up on but I’m certain you’d be happy to fill in the blanks. Uncle Ollie, is that his Christian name or is it short for Oliver?”
“Yes, my mother wanted to name me after him but my dad insisted on Joel. They compromised and made Oliver my middle name.”
“How delightful! Joel Oliver Everton. I admire namesakes, I really do. If I’d ever had children of my own, their names would’ve had meaning.”
Thank God you didn’t reproduce.
“Now, we have one more bit of nastiness to contend with before we can proceed. Megan, my dear, I don’t want you to be afraid. My associates here are going to escort you into the next room.”
Megan’s muffled screams went nowhere.
“Now, now. I simply want to have a word with your husband in private. I promise my associates will be perfect gentlemen.”
Once they were alone, Joel closed his eyes. “Please don’t kill my wife. I’ll do whatever you say, and I won’t try anything stupid.”
“Mr. Everton, open your eyes and look at me. Have I lied to you in the short time we’ve known each other?”
“No.”
“Then you know, sir, that I mean business. Would you agree?”
“Yes,” Joel whispered.
“I have no interest in harming your wife so long as you successfully complete your mission. I have one last truth to share with you, something I hope you’ll find motivational.”
Joel couldn’t imagine anything more motivational than keeping his wife and family safe from this madman. “What is it?”
“This is perhaps the most unpleasant part of my job. I really do hate the lack of civility in my profession, I really do. Mr. Everton, please understand, sir, that I absolutely abhor having to discuss this, so I’m just going to come out and say it. If you get cold feet during your mission, my two associates are going to brutally violate your wife before they kill her.”
Joel began to weep. “I won’t get cold feet, I promise. P-p-please don’t hurt my wife. I’ll do whatever you say, I promise. I won’t let you down…”
“Shhh. There, there. Let’s not get carried away.” The polite man reached into his suit coat for his handkerchief and tenderly wiped Joel’s face. “I have all the faith in the world that you’ll complete your mission. Your dear wife will be just fine. You’re a smart man, Joel, very smart. I know you desperately want to believe your wife will be safe from harm. That being said, I also know you can’t escape the fear that, successful or not, we plan to kill your wife. While I am a facilitator of violence, Mr. Everton, I myself am not a violent man. I don’t want to kill your wife, and above all, I certainly would not want to be party to such a violation should you fail.”