I Stay Vulnerable

C15: I Stay Vulnerable

It seemed with every breath, every blink, every single moment in time, the grip that harmony and ordinariness previously had on the town and people of Exasthen, gradually slipped through their fingers.

News of Samson's death spread through the town like chicken pox on the skin, and within a matter of minutes, the ghastly site was crowded with spectators. All of them either pointing or talking about it with someone they may or may not have recognized there too. All of a sudden, a couple meters away, a figure in a dark suit alighted from a sports car that had the same demeanor as his inconspicuous dressing. A 2019 black model SUV halted right behind his black Bugatti and out came…

"Officer Shelby? Detective Malcolm? What are they doing here?" A shabbily dressed, middle aged man rhetorically asked.

"They're the authority you idiot. It's their job" another shaggy figure irritatingly answered.

"Yeah I know that but…"

"Dear people of Exasthen" Shelby stridently said, now just a couple feet from 'the site'. "Do not be alarmed. I will need you to slowly make way for us to do our Jobs. But do not, I repeat, do not leave this site till you are questioned by my Partners, she said pointing to the 3 police cars that were just arriving.

Mr. Jones rushed out of one of the police cars and was trying to reach his boss Shelby when he was blocked by one of Jonathan's bodyguards. "Hey move pal. I don't want any problems", sounding a little irritated

"Oh, but I think you do", the buff henchman replied unfazed.

"Stand down Mark", Jonathan calmly said. "You can talk to your boss, and as for you guys", he said, slowly turning back to Shelby and Malcolm, the dim sunlight gradually reflecting off his shades, "Do not make me look for you", he came even closer, "because I will I find you, and—"

"Thank you, sir,", Jones interrupted. "They'll be with you as soon as possible". Jonathan glanced in his direction with a shady grin, "I'd really appreciate that", he said, walking closer towards the site with his henchmen following closely behind.

"It's been forever Miss Shelby", said Jones. "After you disappeared when Mrs. Lautner came to the office, I haven't seen you Ma'am. I was… I was worried."

"Yeah well it's a long story Jon", said Shelby,

"And I'm fine too Jones", interrupted Malcolm.

"I'm sorry mate",

"It's okay, how've you been?"

"I'm holding up alright. You look like you're starving though. Have you…"

"Hey, are you 2 lover boys done making out now so we can get back to business?" Shelby wearily asked.

"Sorry Boss" Jones said.

"What would you have us do?" Malcolm continued, trying his best to sound as submissive and obedient as ever.

"Okay, we got business guys. I'm going to need you and half the men you came with Jon. Interview every single person here. No one leaves without first giving a statement. And as for you Malcolm, you take the other half for security. Secure the perimeter. Make sure no one gets in, and until they are cleared by Jon and his half, no one gets out. Is that okay guys".

"Yes ma'am", they said in unison.

"But what are you going to do?", Jones politely asked.

"Leave that to me Jony boy", Shelby said surreptitiously. "Let's roll boys", she said, smacking her hands together in intent.

Jonathan signaled to his henchmen to make a path for him so he could easily walk through the crowd with Harbin a couple steps in front. He slowly walked through the crowd, scanning their faces and ignoring the numerous slurs being thrown at him. Harbin abruptly came to an end, stopping the bodyguards behind him, Jonathan behind them, and the bodyguards behind Jonathan. Jonathan gradually made his way through his bodyguards, then to Harbin.

"Here he is sir", Harbin said, already tearing up. Memories of their close-knit brotherhood flying and flooding his mind now. It felt like yesterday when they were laughing about finally trying their luck with one of the naughty strippers they'd been building a relationship with for a while, before Malcolm interrupted when he raised his voice and completely ruined the moment. Maybe it felt like yesterday, because it was yesterday.

Jonathan looked in the direction of Harbin's hand and saw the ghastly body that laid in front of him. He slowly removed his shades, showing the tears forming in his eye. "No", he whispered in disbelief, plummeting to the floor. "No, No, No, No", he continued. The pain in his voice becoming more and more evident with every word.

"Boss, I think we need to leave", Mark hurriedly said.

"Hey sir, we'll need you to excuse us while we do our Job", a young-looking officer uncaringly said,

"Our officers will have to ask you a couple- "

"Hey", Mark interrupted. "Are you blind, or you just don't care when someone is evidently mourning". The blonde-haired officer, took of his glasses and eyed Mark. Still chewing the piece of gum in his mouth, he said, "I just don't care".

"Oh you little—"

"No Mark", Jonathan interrupted while putting back on his glasses. He stood up from the floor, dusted off the dirt on his trousers and said, "We'll be on our way now".

"But Boss—"

"Right Mark?", he said in a disturbingly calm voice.

"Right" sighed Mark.

Making their way back through the crowd and out "the Site", they were stopped by another officer. "I'm sorry sir's but you can't—"

"No, no, it's okay Fred. I'll take it from here" Shelby almost immediately interrupted. "Go question that shaggy-looking man over there" she said pointing to a distant fellow in the crowd. When Fred was finally a reasonable distance away, Jonathan signaled to Shelby to come closer.

"I'm going to ask you for a very simple favor Michelle"

"What do you want?" she reluctantly replied.

"I want to be the one who buries him".

Shelby stood there absolutely confused. "But Jonathan there's an entire fucking process with—"

"Is that going to be a problem Michelle" Jonathan replied.

"Not at all" she sighed.

"Good." He walked away, his bodyguards following closely behind.

As Shelby stared at Jonathan slowly making his way to his car, Malcolm walked closer to her and asked, "So what'd he say?"

"He wants to be the one to bury him."

"But that's almost impossible Shell. Shit, it's pretty obvious that…"

"Don't even start with me Malcolm. Don't think a couple hours pass and I'm going to forget all about your bullcrap, or your surname" She looked at with brewing anger, desperately trying to control her emotion. "I just don't have the time or the frame of mind to fucking deal with you right now.

After a couple minutes of awkward silence, she turned back and watched the Bugatti fade into the horizon then said, "Is it only me, or does this persona seem very different from the one that graced us the day we came out of the bar?", Shelby continued.

"Yeah" Malcolm shadily answered.

"He seems so…"

"Vulnerable" Malcolm said in a shady demeanor. Shelby, paying no attention to Malcolm's countenance, watched Jonathan's black sports car fade into the glorious sundown.