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redflagromance · 8 months

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Short Story Release: Neither Whole Nor Unbroken (Barry Grivus Story- 3,036 words)

He didn't usually contract kills. But this hit was outside of his usual sphere of competence.

Barry kept an eye on the criminals and villains bustling through the convention center. There were so many options, if he really wanted to just get the first person who would agree.

But he was patient. He had one person in mind, with the specific skill set that he needed. He'd already reached out on the secure app on his phone. There hadn't been a reply, but that didn't mean anything.

A particular motion over the top of his newspaper caught his eye.

A slight figure in black was visible from his line of sight. She was in the narrow space between two booths, inches away from someone who had no idea she was present. Her posture and body language communicated control and tightly leashed violence.

He controlled the desire to smile. That was her.

As he looked up, her gaze snapped to follow a large, handsome man in red strut down the main thoroughfare. He was too busy chatting with Gene to see the assassin's whole body go tense as she honed in on him. Barry could see the whites of her eyes and her carefully controlled breathing from over here.

Even without seeing the man's face, he'd know that was the social media star, underwear model, and chronically small-time supervillain Hammer from her furious body language.

'She focused on him like a hawk,' Barry thought, bemused. 'She wants to attack him on sight, in a building with thousands of witnesses.'

The passion there always surprised him. Personally, Barry found Hammer to be a delight. But reasonable people can disagree on matters of taste. He broke his stare and cleared his throat.

"Harmes." His junior partner looked over from the other chair in their booth. "Would you mind getting coffee? I'll hold down the fort. I could really use the caffeine."

Harmes stood easily, clearly stir crazy. "Of course. The usual?"

"You know me," Barry agreed idly. "I'm a predictable man." He watched until Harmes was out of sight.

Barry folded up the newspaper and put it down on the booth.

"Echo," was all he had to say.

His contact sidled over with a swing in her hips. The furious tension in her shoulders was gone, for now. "Mr. Grivus." Her tone was flat, but he didn't take it personally.

"Did you get my message?"

"Yes. What did you need?" The rogue had a brisk, flat tone that he didn't really care for. She must not have thrived in customer service, he thought.

He looked around in his periphery. Harmes wouldn't be back for at least a few minutes.

He reached into the secret pocket of his blazer, and pulled out a thick envelope.

"Instructions and cash. Non-consecutive bills." A deft little hand snapped out, but he pulled back the envelope in time. He leaned down. He lowered his voice.

"Just make sure it gets done."

"I can do any job related to my skill set," she retorted. Barry smiled faintly and handed over the envelope.

A few minutes later, Harmes returned. He had already resumed his paper. There was nothing to indicate he'd talked to anyone or arranged for anything that would infuriate his business partner.

About an hour later, his phone buzzed.

The notification from his secure channel said only, "job complete."

He was tempted to arrange things so that he could be present for the discovery. But it's too sloppy. More than a few people know about his grudge.

Barry is patient. Barry waits.

The end of the conference comes and goes without any mention of a discovery. It's two days, nothing said. His anticipation is only going to make the eventual fallout better. There's no news on Saturday or Sunday either. It's agonizing.

It happens. Monday, Harmes comes into work. Tired. Disgruntled. Driving an expensive car that he damn well knows Harmes would never buy.

He's thrilled. He can't quite keep the predatorial satisfaction off of his face. As he pours coffee Barry casually asks, "Did something happen to your car?"

Harmes is still. Their expression is best described as dangerous.

He has a frisson of discomfort, a bad feeling that he's been caught.

Harmes can't possibly know, Barry tells himself. There's no way.

"No," Harmes lies lightly. "It's just in the shop. It'll be back, as good as ever." Their fingertips turn pale as they clench their teacup.

His jaw is tense.

'Not if I have anything to say about it.'

"That is terrible," Barry responds. He can't help it. It's too heartfelt to keep in. "That old heap is the worst thing I've ever seen. Holly agrees with me."

Harmes narrows their eyes at him. He's imagining the suspicion there. Did he overplay his hand?

No. It's fine. Harmes already knew he hated the car. That's the whole purpose of the exercise, the reason to contract a rogue mechanic. It would be more suspicious if he was empathetic or neutral.

"My mother isn't always right," Harmes says stiffly.

He's irritated now. Even though he knows that Harmes is lying! His hackles are up. Barry excuses himself to his office and paces. He does some deep breathing to calm down. He checks his message again to confirm that the mechanic really did get rid of Harmes' car once and for all. The message still says "job complete." It's unambiguous. The car has been murdered.

"It's dead," he says grimly. "I paid a ludicrous amount."

The empty office didn't answer him.

"It was a good use of 500 thousand dollars," he says darkly. "I never want to see that thing again."

He stops. He had been pushing down the urge to contract his hitwoman again, but for what he'd paid her? She can cope with a follow up question.

Barry glanced to the main office once more, to confirm that Harmes isn't lurking out there. His junior associate is in their private office. He won't be seen. He messages the hit woman.

"The car is definitely not repairable?"

He waits a while. She must be working. Barry lets out a sigh and gets back to work. He examines the invitation he received for another company's event with a sigh. The owner came to his booth personally at the conference to say hello and give invites to him and Harmes.

The owner is new, but doing admirably to establish herself in the villainous industry. He's a little fond of her. He nearly hired her, in fact. But Harmes was just a little more… innovative.

He sends his confirmation of attendance. It would be a bit of a snub to not attend.

His phone buzzes. The hitwoman has responded, "It was barely holding together before I got to it. I sent a letter saying that it's totalled and detailing the insurance payout for a replacement."

Barry chuckles. He steals a glance at the office. He narrows his eyes.

Harmes is standing by Janine's desk, holding a familiar invitation.

Hm. He pushes open his door and takes a step out, curious. He takes his nearly-empty cup of coffee to have something to do with his hands and a pretense for going out.

"decline," Harmes is saying. "I won't be alienating anyone too important?"

…Ah. He controls the urge to smile. He wonders if Harmes even remembers that Sunny Aviichen interviewed for the same position at Grivus Events that Harmes did, all those years ago.

"No," Janine agrees. She's examining the invitation. "It would be good to go, but I'm sure they're not looking for you specifically."

…He sips the last of his coffee. He had actually had the impression that Ms. Aviichen was quite eager for Harmes to see how well she was doing in her career. Ms. Aviichen seemed rather competitive, even before Harmes got the position. People like that never enjoyed losing.

"Barry?" Janine looks up and spots that he's already out of his office. "You'll represent the firm at this?" She holds up the invitation.

"Of course." He agrees calmly.

"Great." Harmes flashes a smile at him and Janine. "I have pottery class that day."

Janine snorts. "I wouldn't tell anyone that's why you're declining to attend the Vice President's birthday party."

Harmes shrugs and goes back into their office. Barry finds himself watching until the door closes.

He's always enjoyed that about Harmes, he muses. They just don't give a damn.

Ahem.

Someone has cleared their throat. He looks at her.

Janine's face is amused. "Barry, I saw that poor Harmes didn't drive the usual car today." Her lips twitch. "Would you know anything about that?"

"No," he lies smoothly. He tilts his head at her in faux confusion. "But I'm very busy today." He busies himself with getting some water and leaves his coffee cup in the sink.

"Mm," Janine agrees, in a way that lets him know she's certain he's full of it. She pulls open a drawer and withdraws a yellow envelope. "Tell Echo that I said hello."

He frowns at her. She knows too much. She knows everything that happens. "I will," Barry agrees, defeated.

The car is vanquished, he tells himself. He goes back to work. He's finally slayed the beast. It only cost him a year's earnings to never have to see that wretched amalgamation of rusted metal again. His mood begins to lift.

'I wonder what Harmes will buy with the insurance money,' he wonders indulgently. Harmes' actual insurance would never have covered a suitable car, of course. Luckily, the rogue mechanic is also certified in car insurance. She was only to keep half of the money he gave her, and have the other 250 thousand allotted to Harmes.

…He's not certain what a half decent car costs, but surely that would have covered it.

Waiting to see what Harmes buys with his money is the most interesting part of his week. The pleasant anticipation gets him through the vexation that rises when he discovers that that little worm Duke has made a dinner appointment via Janine. "We can't cancel," he says darkly.

"No, but I'll know not to take further appointments with him," Janine says, a little embarrassed.

Barry sighs. "You couldn't have known. I didn't tell you." He turns his gaze out of the window, to the parking lot. "We'll go, find out it's not a good fit, and not take his business."

"That'll work," Janine agrees. She tracks where he's looking, but she doesn't say anything this time.

Harmes is still driving the rental to work. Surely they'll buy one soon. The rental isn't their style at all. Barry's anticipation builds as the work days go on.

And then Harmes comes to work in something so wretched and old that he hears it two blocks away.

Barry stands up at his desk. That could be anyone's car clanking. But he has a miserable premonition. Slowly, he walks out to the main office.

Janine must have the same instinct. She's already at the window to pull back the curtains. She starts to laugh as Harmes pulls into the parking lot in a positively ancient truck.

"No," Barry breathes, wounded.

Janine starts snorting between gasping laughs.

He puts a hand on his heart. "This can't be happening." It hurts. Harmes is killing him. Harmes is doing him harm. This has to be purposeful.

Harmes drives over a curb. There's a demonic scrape as something unfortunate happens to the underside of the already ill-used vehicle. The car stops. Harmes clearly struggles to open the door. After a few seconds, they kick it open. It's somehow even more dented now.

Janine is fully laughing, and obviously struggling to keep the tears of mirth down. It's worse that she's pitying him.

Barry closes his eyes. "I'm going to go lie down." He feels faint.

Janine passes him an eye mask and hiccups a stop to her giggles. "Set a timer for your 10 o'clock, sir."

"Thank you," he says, bleak. He's going to become one with the darkness. He's going to break down into his components to escape the pain of reality. And then the door closes behind him and he has another idea.

He could sink into a black miasma of despair. But instead, he calls the mechanic. Maybe there's a solution.

As soon as they pick up, he starts to speak. "Harmes must not have had an adequate budget."

There's a pause. "Hello to you too," says a disgruntled voice. "What are you talking about? I sent them 200 thousand dollars."

"250 thousand," Barry corrects offhand.

The mechanic makes an acknowledging noise. "That's an adequate budget," she says dryly. "Harmes could get any nice car on the market."

Oh. "Perhaps. But there's a rusted 2013 farm truck in my parking lot," Barry confides in a tortured whisper.

There's a bark of surprised laughter so loud that he pulls the phone away from his ear.

Barry scowls. He wishes that other people would stop laughing about this disaster. He crosses his arms and waits with ill grace for her to calm down.

The mechanic controls herself. "Is there some kind of outdoor hobby that might have prompted that choice?"

He freezes. He's finally compared Harmes' regular schedule and the timeframe that the car died in. He knows what happened. "Rocking."

"....what?"

Barry ignores the question and starts to pace. "The car gave out on some muddy back road," he says to himself. Damnit. He curses himself for a fool. "Harmes thinks the solution is a better backroads vehicle." He hurries to his computer and checks his theory. Yes. The exact model is the first example of a reliable used vehicle that results when you search for heavy duty trucks.

"Is there something else I can do for you?" the mechanic asks. There's the sound of a car door opening in the background. "I don't think a follow-up letter from the insurance company saying that the new vehicle is subpar would convince your associate to reconsider."

"No." Barry clears his throat. "You're right. You did your part." He runs a hand through his hair and winces when he realizes he's messed up the style. "Thank you."

"Have a nice day." The mechanic hangs up first.

There is a grieving process. Barry takes his lunch in the attic so that he can gaze into the parking lot undisturbed. The truck… it is wretched. It is a pathetic thing.

He tries convincing himself that it isn't so terrible. He wanted to indirectly buy Harmes a car that was safe and made them happy. The truck, however damaged the body may be, seems to be in better shape than the old thing. It doesn't even give off white smoke. That's certainly an improvement.

He spends a brief dip in the bargaining stage. Perhaps Harmes would buy a second car, a work-appropriate car? How much money would he need to give for that?

…it's a moot point. Harmes doesn't accept gifts.

Barry lets out a beleaguered sigh.

The week passes. The truck is an open wound. It only falls to the back of his mind in the wake of the disastrous dinner meeting with Marc.

…It wasn't his best showing. He hadn't even considered that the weasel was a desirable client for his junior partner. That oversight was embarrassing in retrospect.

He comes into work too shame-faced to even sigh about the truck. It isn't there yet anyway. Barry writes an apology and leaves it on Harmes' desk.

There's some excitement that afternoon when Gene pioneers a new and exciting way to get a felony charge. But Barry can't really enjoy it, because Harmes is avoiding him so studiously that they miss out on the resulting office party.

Eventually, Barry coaxes Harmes out. He's tentatively hopeful that he hasn't done anything irreparable to their working relationship.

Two mornings later, Janine gasps.

Barry makes a questioning sound. He's facing the counter, making his morning coffee before heading into his office.

"You're going to want to see this, Barry."

He puts down the cup with a clink. He turns around slowly. Her serious tone has his full attention.

Janine is standing at the window. Harmes doesn't drive over the curb this time, carefully whipping around the corner in a precision turn.

"This is worse," Barry says numbly.

Janine pats his back in sympathy. "It is," she says. Even she can't laugh about this. She goes back to her desk solemnly.

Barry can't move. He's still stuck there staring out the window in open-mouthed horror when Harmes walks in.

"Good morning, Janine. Good morning, Barry."

Janine responds. He can't.

Harmes walks over to him. "New car," they say cheerfully. "I'm just going to use the truck for rocking." Keys jingle.

He tries to respond. The sound he makes is a croak.

"Isn't it nice?" Harmes asks innocently. They indicate the bright red, shiny sports car in their parking spot.

Harmes bought a volcano car. Harmes gave his money to that insufferable businessman Duke.

Barry finally tears his gaze away and makes eye contact with Harmes.

Harmes is waiting for it. They hold prolonged eye contact.

"Marc gave it to me." Harmes keeps staring at him. There is something unhinged in those eyes. Barry blinks, and four seconds pass. Harmes doesn't blink.

His stomach twists faintly in disgust. Marc? Harmes was on first name terms with that twerp now? He can't find the wherewithal to muster a response.

The seconds stretch on. Janine staples something. Someone washes their hands in the next room. Harmes is still looking deeply into his eyes in some sort of sick dominance play.

"That's nice of him," Barry says weakly. He looks down as blood begins thumping in his ears and dimming his vision. He retreats into his office.

He's lost. Barry knows that now. He sits at his desk and buries his face in his hands.

Did Harmes know? Did Harmes realize he'd assassinated the car and do this to punish him? Or was it even worse- was it fate? Had he pushed Harmes and Duke closer together?

Barry inhales a long, shuddering breath. He lets go of his face. He accepts the total loss, and he gets back to work.

NOTE:

This was originally posted on my Patreon, where I am continually writing other character stories for Deplorably Devoted. Check it out here!

#deplorably devoted to you #redflagromance #short story #Barry Grivus #Neither Whole Nor Unbroken

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