Call Me Martin

Two hours later, Ari stood in front of the dining room table and gazed down at five wine bottles stuffed with cloth. The odor of kerosene and turpentine was strong. An empty bag of fertilizer was surrounded by three other plastic bags, each containing a lethal mixture of ammonium nitrate based fertilizer and turpentine. Another canvas gym bag that had belonged to Wilson Petty contained a hundred small jagged fishing hooks, nails, razor blades, safety pins, glass slivers and metal fragments.

“Shrapnel,” Ari muttered as he tossed a pair of work gloves in the bag. He looked at Rebecca who stood with her arms folded. “Are you sure you saw cement at one end of those poles?

Rebecca rolled her eyes.

“Uh, let me see, seven years ago. Of course, I remember everything.

“Skip the sarcasm,” Ari said.

“There is definitely cement at one end of each fence post,” Martin said.

Ari nodded and motioned to Martin.

“He takes it all in. That’s what we need right now.”

Rebecca looked Martin up and down.

“He doesn’t look like much of a fighter but at least we’ll know every inch of that barn.”

“He held my legs down,” Sherman cut in as he circled the table. He now sported a sling.

Rebeca looked at the sling.

“How do you like it?”

“I don’t. I can’t use my left arm.”

“That’s the point,” Rebecca said, tying her long hair back in a ponytail. “You move that arm too much and you’ll pop the stitches out. I don’t need to ruin another shirt.”

“My shirt,” Ari mumbled.

“Sorry, if you’re the second tallest person here,” Rebecca remarked.

Sherman turned towards the front lobby.

“What about all that pink stuff out there?”

Ari looked at Rebecca.

“Do you have the duct tape?”

Rebecca grabbed her hair.

“Is this blonde? I grabbed everything on your list, never mind that at least one of those things was circling overhead.”

“Did you see it? Sherman asked.

Rebecca shook her head.

“I felt it. I know when they’re close.” Rebecca’s eyes wandered to the ceiling. “Right now, there’s one directly above this inn.” Rebecca shut her eyes, her lips tightening and the veins on her neck protruding. “It’s waiting for something.”

“Are you shitting?” Sherman asked, his eyes big.

“Don’t ask me how, but I know what they’re going to do right before they do it.”

“No way,” Sherman said.

“She’s telling the truth,” Martin said. “She’s a seer.”

Rebecca turned to Martin and nodded.

“Okay,” Sherman said. “Can you see us on our way home?”

Rebecca lowered her head.

“No, I mean, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen 10 minutes from now. But I did know my first partner was going to die five minutes before a bank robbery suspect fired a shot out his window and hit my partner between the eyes. I saw everything, including that final, terrible expression on his face.”

Sherman shook his head and headed back to the lobby.

Rebecca looked at Ari and motioned to the staircase.

“I guess we won’t be sharing a bed after all.”

Ari frowned.

“My ex-wife said I snored like a mule.”

Rebecca nodded.

“It doesn’t matter because I don’t think any of us are going to sleep tonight.”