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Two blocks across town, an agitated Bill Fenster paced the office of his private study as he instructed his nephew Skunk on what he was to do. "Put a big scare into Elizabeth Winters, boy. Let her know I won't put up with any more shenanigans. Threaten her, push her around a little. Make her want to leave the Goth place and leave the entire area."
"I hear she's a real looker, Unk," rasped Skunk, licking his lips. "Hot stuff."
"She thinks she's hot stuff all right, to try to pull something like this on me. If this little bitch thinks she's going to cash in on her situation she's sadly mistaken. Offer her one-dollar for her rental agreement. And her life. Let her know her life ain't worth spit if she doesn't get out of my way, and no friends on a damn newspaper can save her cute little ass."
"I'm your man, Unk," said Skunk, grinning.
Right, thought Fenster. His man, and fortunately not his only man. He had to stand on tip-toes to reach up and pat Skunk affectionately on a scarred, hairy cheek. Two hundred-eighty pounds and hardly any of it was brain. Hard to believe Skunk was kin; his dead sister must have had an affair with a moronic carnival ape to produce Frank ‘Skunk’ Fenster. Wasn’t there a carnival in town the summer before Frank was born? Didn’t they have an ape on display? Skunk was an idiot, but a loyal, brutal, servile one that had his uses. "Our town librarian is her close friend, I hear. Get her to persuade Miss Winters to visit town, where you can get at her easier."
"Right, Unk."
"And tell our inside man at the Reservation we want to move on our plan right away. Once we start logging nothing will stop it. If that missing Goth kid ever shows up later we'll be too far along for him to end it."
"Right Unk."
"Here, split this between yourself and your native American friend." He pulled a roll of hundreds from his pocket and handed it to Skunk.
"Thanks Unk. We're really going to bust some big bucks on those Goth trees, ain't we?" His grin, if anything, made him look even stupider.
"Right. Now don't spend too much of that in a bar tonight or you'll be worthless to me tomorrow. Got it?"
"Sure, but you don't need to worry Unk, I can hold my liquor."
Bill Fenster stretched to his full five-foot seven as he stood chest-to stomach with his giant nephew and stared up into his eyes. "This is important Frank, get it? Very, very, important. Don't screw it up or you'll have me to deal with. Now off with you."
"Right Unk, don't you worry," rumbled Skunk, as he stomped away, still grinning as he fumbled with the money.
As Fenster stood shaking his head and watching his nephew depart, he suddenly felt that he wasn't alone. The hair on the back of neck would have stood up, if he had any hair there. He turned and was startled to find that a black-clad figure now occupied his favorite chair and was regarding him with cold, unfeeling, black eyes. "Dark! How the hell did you get in here? Have you seen Fred Simple and his boy already?"
"I have. I learned little, but enough for now. You were right, both the Reservation and the Goths are definitely of interest to me." His black eyes flashed red for a moment. "You haven't forgotten our agreement already, have you?"
"Hardly. Why do you ask?"
"I just overheard you speak of an inside man at the Reservation. Who else are you partnered with, besides me, and what do they want from this?"
"Nobody of consequence, but I promised not to reveal his identity to anyone. It won't affect you or our deal; you needn't concern yourself."
The man's smile deepened. "Perhaps, perhaps not. How can I be sure?"
"You have my word. Our agreement stands."
Dark laughed. "Your word? We only met yesterday, Fenster. Besides, like you, I don't depend on such things. Greed and fear and force are more reliable by far. Your little plan should help me get what I want more easily. If it doesn't, by the way, I will still get what I want; I always do. But my activities will also help you avoid certain possible complications, so it’s in your interest to partner with me."
"And your part in this is to counter Indian mumbo-jumbo? It hardly seems fair that your only role is to protect me from imaginary dangers."
Dark smiled.
As he did so, Fenster abruptly felt like his arms and legs were being gripped by dozens of unseen hands. In another moment he found that he was being held suspended three feet above the floor by an invisible force. He tried to speak, to grunt, to cuss, but found that he couldn't utter a single sound.
Dark had been sitting quietly in the chair but suddenly in an instant his face was inches from Fenster's face, his cold, black, unblinking eyes locked with Fenster’s. "Don't mettle in things you can't understand," said Dark, his voice impossibly deep and loud, the very sound of it hearting Fenster's ears. "Don't get in my way, and I won't get in yours, and we will both get what we want, that's the essence and extent of our agreement. Don't forget it."
Fenster found himself sitting on the floor of his study, trembling in fear. He hadn't seen Dark leave, but there was no sign of him. As he picked himself off the floor on wobbly legs anger grew inside him, displacing the fear. He didn't take kindly to being threatened. He wondered, not for the first time, if his dealings with the mysterious Mr. Dark were a mistake.
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