Stephen Randel - The Chupacabra

“Can you believe it?” Bennett said as he rolled his eyes.

“You hush, old man,” Polly scolded. Bennett held up his hands in mock surrender. “Her much younger man dumped her for a much younger woman. She’s real upset.”

“It’s no problem at all, Polly,” Jackie said. “Really, there’s more than plenty to go around.”

“Still, it’s so sweet of you. Not to mention it gives me an excuse to keep an eye on Miss Pearl, what with her probation and all. That scallywag.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jackie replied. “Well, I think the cobbler is close.” She looked at her watch. “I better check on it.” Jackie rose to head to the kitchen.

“Such a dear,” Polly said as she looked at Kip and whispered through cupped hands, “don’t you mess this up.” Kip frowned back at her. Suddenly, the lights in the house went dark.

“Oh, my heavens!” Polly cried out. “What just happened?”

“Settle down, woman,” Bennett growled. “Power just went dead.”

“Must be the breaker,” Kip said as he got up and looked out the window. “The rest of the block seems fine. The box is in the basement. I’ll go check it. Pop, you got a flashlight downstairs somewhere?”

“Inside the door in the kitchen that leads to the cellar,” Bennett replied. “It’s by the recycling bin.” Suddenly Max jumped from his master’s lap and raced toward the kitchen, barking and growling.

“What’s going on, boy?” Kip called after the little dog. His question was answered by the sound of Max’s sharp whimper. A large dark man walked out from the kitchen holding Max aloft by the scruff of his neck with one hand and a silenced pistol in the other.

“You two,” El Barquero said, motioning to Jackie and Kip with his pistol. “Sit down.” Jackie and Kip complied. “Now, where’s Avery?” El Barquero asked as he pitched the little dog across the parlor and into Bennett’s outstretched arms.

“And just who the hell wants to know?” Bennett asked as he rubbed the growling little dog’s thick neck.

“Not important,” El Barquero replied menacingly. “I’ll only ask you one more time. Where is he?”

“Please don’t hurt us,” Polly said meekly.

“Shut up,” El Barquero said calmly as he pointed the gun toward the trembling woman.

Upstairs, Avery checked the surge protector for his computer system, hoping he hadn’t lost any material on the letter he was composing. “Bennett!” he yelled out. “Turn my damn power back on!”

“Avery? Is that you up there?” El Barquero called up the stairs. Avery froze, instantly recognizing the sinister voice. “Bring my money to me, Avery, and I won’t have to kill you or your family. You hear me?”

“They’re not my family,” Avery called out as he hurried to lock the door to his room. “I don’t know any of them.” He fumbled in the dark to find the duffle bag containing his equipment for just such a contingency. Avery had planned for years on how to delay an armed commando extraction team sent to capture him. He just always thought it would be Navy SEALs or the CIA, not a six-and-a-half-foot-tall Mexican assassin.

“Avery?” El Barquero called out again. “I’m not playing around here. I want the money.”

“Just give him what he wants, Avery!” Bennett bellowed.

“I’m sorry,” Avery replied. “I don’t recognize that person. I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake. Come back later.” He hastily arranged various items around the room and collected the lawn bag full of money from under his bed. “I’m very busy right now,” Avery yelled as he extended a rope fire escape ladder out his bedroom window, securing the ladder’s metal hooks on the sill. “Wednesday is much better for me. Shall we make it, say, three in the afternoon?”

“Don’t make me come up there, Avery,” El Barquero replied.

Outside the house a taxi pulled up to the curb and let four women out.

“Stop shoving me,” Little Esther said.

“Then get moving,” Pearl replied as she pushed her way out. “Somebody pay the man, cuss I ain’t,” she said as she slung her purse over her shoulder. “What’s wrong with their lights? Don’t people pay the electric company in this part of town?”

“It is mighty dark up there,” Little Esther said.

“Calm down, ladies,” Jolene said as she paid the cab fare. “Just go on up.”

“Lovely walkway,” Big Esther said as she led the women to the door. “Could be a little wider, though.” Little Esther got to the door first and rang the bell.

The sound of the doorbell made Max jump up and whine in Bennett’s lap. Bennett held the struggling dog in place.

“You,” El Barquero motioned to Jackie, “come over here. You,” he pointed his gun at Polly, “see who it is and get rid of them.” El Barquero grabbed Jackie’s blonde hair with one hand and pointed his gun at her temple with the other. “Come with me.” He began pulling her into the kitchen. “No one does anything stupid, or all of you are dead,” he whispered to Kip and Bennett as he dragged Jackie away. The doorbell rang again. Polly nervously walked toward the front door. El Barquero watched the front of the house from the darkened kitchen doorway while still holding Jackie at gunpoint. Polly tentatively opened the door.

“What’s the deal with your bust-ass lights?” Pearl asked.

“Non…non…nothing,” Polly stammered.

“Aren’t going to invite us in?” The little black woman tapped her foot impatiently.

“Not tonight,” Polly whispered. “We’re going to bed.”

“What about dessert?” Little Esther asked dejectedly.

“We… we already ate.”

“What?” Big Esther asked.

“We… we went out for sushi.”

“Sushi?” Pearl spat. “Woman, have you done lost your cotton-picking mind? You can’t even eat a steak without it being cooked until it’s like shoe leather. And you think I’m the one with issues.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So does this mean we don’t have to do any of that stupid meditation hocus pocus tomorrow?” Pearl asked.

“No. Intervention is cancelled.”

“Praise Jesus!” Pearl said, wringing her hands.

“Heavens, why not?” Jolene asked.

“I… I have to do my hair.”

“At the parlor?” Big Esther asked. “We don’t have an appointment. At least I didn’t think we had an appointment. Do we have an appointment?”

“No, I’m doing it here. Please, just leave. I have to go now,” Polly said as she closed the door.

“Indian giver!” Pearl shouted at the closed door. “And fix your damn makeup! You look white as a bed sheet. Rats.” She stomped her foot down on the front porch. “I sure wanted some dessert.”

“Well, that was a waste of time,” Big Esther said as she turned to leave.

“Hold on, ladies,” Jolene said as she looked around the front of the house. “Something is going on. Pearl would never eat raw fish.”

“And no one in this house goes to bed this early,” Little Esther added.

“And she would never do her own hair,” Big Esther said. “It’s so strange the way she acted.”

“You old fools are paranoid,” Pearl said. “Come on. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

“Pearl, this just isn’t right,” Jolene said. “I think we should check it out.”

“Check what out?” Pearl asked.

“Something,” Jolene replied. “Anything. If there’s a problem and we just walk away, I could never forgive myself. Let’s go around back and look around. Just to be certain.”

“All right, then,” Pearl relented as she pulled a small .38 Special special snub-nosed revolver from her purse.

“Good Lord, Pearl,” Big Esther said when she saw the gun.