Finding Help
The young mother-to-be parked her car in the lot and sat there, not knowing what to do next. She pulled out the small card and looked at it. 3-D's Detective Agency, it said. Partners to beat crime. She looked up. Two stone pegasuses reared up outside the door. [Note--the Pegasus is the mascot of my fictional LRU. I mentioned in one of my other stories' notes how I'd usually base buildings, especially LRU, on whatever school I happened to be attending at the time of the writing--usually a combination of my junior high and high schools.] A stone sign hung over it all, saying "Little Rock University. 1955."
I wonder if he's here, she thought. If he is, maybe my baby will live.
The roar of an engine startled her. A big van, like the silver ones with the flat windshields that can seat a lot of people, pulled in. [Note--this van is in fact a Chevy Lumina APV. I didn't know the name of it at the time, hence my really clunky description. This is Katrina Witchita's vehicle.] And in the side window was another tiny 3-D's Detective Agency card. She began to hope again.
Climbing out of her car, she went inside, entering an auditorium. Two people were dancing and seemed to be rehearsing something for a show. A few other people were seated in the bleachers watching, a woman, a priest, and a Shriner, the three of them talking over something. [Note--sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke.] The woman turned to look and pointed at her. After a moment the priest came over to her.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Oh--yes," the woman said, caught off guard. "I'm looking for a certain Damien?"
"You just missed him."
"Oh."
"I know where he went, though. Would you like me to take you there?"
"I can drive there. But if you'd lead me?"
"I'd be glad to." He waved to the Shriner and the others, and motioned for her to follow him. He got in his car and started it, waiting for her to do the same. Then he drove off.
They must have driven for about an hour when they came to the city of Cheboygan. The priest, who had disclosed that his name was Father Damien before leaving and introduced himself as being Damien's uncle, parked at Rivertown Cargo and they went in. [Note--my mother's former place of work. Also mentioned in Men In Black, in just as pointless a manner. Shout-out to my homies at Rivertown Cargooooo! Oh, did I mention they shut down years ago...?]
"There he is," Father Damien said. "Damien! Over here!"
Damien, who had been talking with somebody, came their way. He nodded and leaned against a shelf. "Who's this? Got a girlfriend? Just kidding!" he laughed.
"Very funny. Damien, this is--excuse me, but you never said your name, did you?"
"Leslie. Leslie Laws."
Damien stood up straight. "Bond. James Bond."
Ms. Laws couldn't help but to laugh.
"What may I doooo for yoooouuu?" Damien smiled.
"Well, I have a sort of--problem, with some--people," she said, uncomfortably.
"What pe-people?" Damien joked.
"Well, you may have heard of them, but maybe not. Anyway, they call themselves...Scorpio."
Damien's smile vanished. "Did you say Scorpio?"
Ms. Laws nodded, somewhat frightened.
Damien walked away down the aisle, mumbling to himself. Something was wrong. Even Father Damien was unnaturally unhappy-looking [sic].
"What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Ms. Laws asked.
"It's not your fault," Father Damien replied hastily. "You see, we have heard of Scorpio. In fact, Damien's their mortal enemy."
"I didn't know," Ms. Laws apologized.
"There's one good thing about it, though," Father Damien continued. "Damien is sure to help you. Wherever Scorpio's concerned, Damien's there. You can count on that."
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