"The Eternal Night" drabbles by Christopher
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 251
The Eternal Night #251
The box contained a Beretta 950, with an 8-round .25 ACP clip, that Harrigan had given me as a birthday present a few years before. It was commonly known as a pocket pistol, used as a concealed back-up weapon. I slid it down in the left cowboy boot.
I knew Gertie's men would not be as careless about frisking me this time, but maybe a little misdirection with the pistol in my shoulder holster would keep them from checking the boot.
I headed for the Port of Los Angeles to meet Harrigan.
He was waiting there for me...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 250
The Eternal Night #250
I called Sperry at the studio and told him to cancel the shoot for that night, but that Mason would be there for the next night's shoot. He asked what was going on and I told him the less he knew about it the better.
I left Mason's bungalow and went back home to prepare. I put on a black sweater, black trousers, and a pair of black cowboy boots. I cleaned my gun, putting it in my shoulder holster and covering it with a black zip-up windbreaker.
Then I pulled a box from the back of the closet...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 249
The Eternal Night #249
I told Lyman if I survived the night I'd call him and hung up. I called Harrigan at his home. It was 10:30 pm and past his bedtime but it couldn't be helped.
Harrigan answered, "Yeah?"
"Jim, it's Jake. I need your help."
There was silence on the other end for a few moments.
"What would you do without me, Randolph?"
"I don't wanna find out, Harrigan."
Another round of silence and then, "What do you need?"
"I need you to meet me at the Port of Los Angeles at 10 to midnight."
More silence and then, "I'll be there."
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 248
The Eternal Night #248
"So what happened?" I asked.
Lyman sighed, "They made bail. Someone's on the take. I'm sorry, Jake. I've been trying to reach you."
"Well, Gertie's kidnapped Brick Mason and if I don't show up by midnight where she has him held she's gonna kill him."
"Listen, Jake. Don't go alone. It's not just her that made bail. All of them did: Gertie and her goons, Jack Salem, Charlie 3, Nigel Buckingham. All of them!"
"Well, I have to go alone or she's going to kill Mason."
"Call Harrigan, Jake. You need some backup."
I was already way ahead of him...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 247
The Eternal Night #247
She gave me the address to a warehouse at the Port of Los Angeles. What was it with these people and seaside warehouses?
"You be here by midnight and you come alone, or I'm gonna to take Mason apart...brick by brick!" Gertie said angrily and hung up the phone.
I called up to San Francisco and, after five minutes of waiting, got Detective Lyman.
"Yeah?" Lyman asked.
"Lyman, this is Jake Randolph. What the hell's going on up there? I thought you had Gertie in jail. She's down here in L.A.!"
"I've been leaving messages with your answering service, Jake."
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 246
The Eternal Night #246
How the hell did Gertie get out of jail? Were they all out? Did they have someone in the SFPD on their payroll? I couldn't worry about it. I had to get Mason back.
"Hello, Gertie. Guess you didn't like the food they served in jail. Did you come down here for a good meal?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna be chomping on yer ass, you punk!"
"Just tell me where you have Mason and we'll settle this like adults. Well, one adult and a beached whale."
I heard her teeth gritting over the phone.
"You're gonna get yours, you little shit!"
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 245
The Eternal Night #245
There were broken lamps and chairs on the floor, things strewn all around the room. I went toward the kitchen for the phone and saw a note on the table:
“To Whoever Wrecked Our Organization,
We got Brick Mason. We want the asshole that ruined our business. He better call this number, 555-6790, before sunup...or Brick Mason is going to be making movies in Hell!”
I grabbed the phone and called the number.
"Yeah?" the voice said.
"Do you have Brick Mason?" I asked.
"Well, if it isn't the chump!"
I could tell by the voice it was Gertie...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 244
The Eternal Night #244
I reached in the glove compartment, pulling out my pistol. I had put it in there after I scared those kids at the cafe. I prayed I wasn't going to have to use it when I got to Mason's place.
I got to Mason's bungalow in Topanga Canyon. The door was ajar. I pulled my pistol from the holster and slowly started up the little concrete path to his door.
I eased my head a bit into the doorway and saw no one so I cautiously stepped in.
The place looked like it had been hit by an atomic bomb...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 243
The Eternal Night #243
I got there about a quarter to ten, with filming set to begin at 10.
I saw Sperry as I pulled onto the lot. He looked frantic.
I jumped out of the car.
"What's wrong, Mr. Sperry?"
He said, "Mason was supposed to be here at 9 pm for hair and make-up and he's late. We're going to have to delay the start of filming."
"Mason is never late," I said. "He's always punctual. You call his house?"
"Yes," Sperry said, "No answer."
I had a really bad feeling. I jumped back into the car, heading for Mason's house...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 242
The Eternal Night #242
I slept until noon the next day. I got up and showered and ate breakfast, or was it lunch? Then I spent the day doing chores: washing the car, trimming the hedges, and other assorted menial tasks.
Sperry called to make sure I would be at the studio later that night to watch the first night's filming of the Derek Slade movie. He said he had my expenses check ready. I told him I'd be there.
I showered again and dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and grey slacks and went to have dinner before heading over to the studio...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 241
The Eternal Night #241
I could tell Roxie wasn't in the mood for any extra curricular activities any more so I asked if she just wanted to go home and she said yes. I couldn't believe she'd gotten so upset about that. Those kids needed a good scaring and I gave it to them. If she couldn't see that then it was too bad for her.
I went home and crashed into bed. I wondered if I would even see Roxie again. That seemed to be the story of my life.
I just could not seem to keep a woman around for very long...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 240
The Eternal Night #240
"Now," I said, "get outta here before I change my mind!"
They all turned and ran out the back door. I pulled the tape off the door and closed and locked it, making sure it was securely fastened.
Roxie entered the stockroom. "Is that the kind of father you're gonna be?"
"Are you pregnant?" I asked with a smile.
"I'm serious. You scared those poor kids to death."
"Good," I said. "Kids that start a life of crime that early are destined for the prison or the grave. If I scared them off that path it was time well spent."
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 239
The Eternal Night #239
One of the boys said, "You can't do this, mister! We're just kids!"
"Really?" I asked. "You were old enough to break and enter and old enough to steal booze, that makes you old enough to get clipped!"
I could see Roxie was about to step in and put a stop to it so I said, "Okay, listen up. You'll show up here at the end of each week with a dollar each until you've paid me back the 40 bucks. If I have to come looking for you it's not going to end well. Understand?"
They all yelled, "Yes!"
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 238
The Eternal Night #238
Roxie looked in at me like I was being too hard on them. I just winked at her.
I went to the door at the back of the stockroom and examined it. I saw how they were getting in. I don't know when they had the opportunity, but they'd put a piece of tape over the latch bolt so it wouldn't fasten properly. Mongo or I had been locking the doorknob but it wasn't even actually fastened in place. So all they had to do was push the door open after we left for the night.
Pretty clever little punks...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 237
The Eternal Night #237
"We're sorry, mister!" one of them yelled.
"Sorry doesn't replace my liquor, now does it, son? I estimate you little punks owe me about 40 bucks worth of alcohol."
"We'll pay you back!" another yelled.
"You're damned right you'll pay me back! But I'm afraid one of you has to go to be taught a lesson. I'll leave it to you to decide which one gets the bullet."
They started sobbing even harder.
"Shut up, or I'll smoke all three of you!"
They tried to stop but were still whimpering under their breath.
"So," I said, "which one gets it?"
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 236
The Eternal Night #236
They all three assumed the position for frisking, facing the wall with the palms of their hands flat against the wall.
Roxie started to come in and I waved her off. I was going to scare the hell out of these kids.
"Okay, You little maggots! I don't know who you think you're fooling with here but I've killed a lot of thugs like you in my day!"
One of the kids said through their sobs, "We ain't thugs, mister!"
"Shaddup!" I screamed.
They were all three crying like babies.
"Stop crying, you little mama's boys!"
They kept sobbing away...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 235
The Eternal Night #235
There were three young boys in the stockroom, looking to be between 12 and 15, each with a bottle of liquor in their hand. They froze when they saw me.
I knew now why I'd been having liquor bottles go missing for the last few weeks. These little punks had been stealing them. I just couldn't figure out how they'd been getting into a locked stockroom.
They saw the gun in my hand and all three dropped the liquor bottles. Thankfully they didn't break.
"Alright, you little punks! Up against the wall! Now!" I screamed.
They did as I said...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 234
The Eternal Night #234
"You know, we actually shouldn't be drinking coffee this late," she said.
"It's okay," I said as I grinned, "after we do what I plan for us to do when we get home we'll both get sleepy. Or at least I will."
She laughed as I heard something in the stockroom. I put my hand up for her to be quiet. Another noise came from in there. I looked at Roxie and put my index finger to my lips and reached for my gun. I eased up to the stockroom door and opened it.
I couldn't believe what I saw...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 233
The Eternal Night #233
I swung by the Existential Cafe to check on things. It was fairly quiet, just a few patrons. I told Mongo to go home and I'd close up at midnight. I called Roxie, telling her to come by the cafe and after I closed I'd take her home and have my way with her.
She got there about ten to midnight and I started trying to shuffle the few people still in there toward the door.
Roxie said she wanted a coffee, so after everyone left I turned most of the lights out and we sat there drinking our java...
Jake Randolph in "The Eternal Night" Pt. 232
The Eternal Night #232
"Jake, will you be there?" Mason asked.
"Sure. Is it at the studio?" I asked Sperry.
"Yes, we're still doing construction but they're off at night and we have the first sets built. I want to get started shooting right away."
I nodded, "What time?"
Sperry said, "10 pm. I'd like you to be there as well, Randolph."
I nodded, "I'll be there. You want me to drive you home, Mason?"
Sperry said, "I'd like to have a discussion with Brick about the movie before the filming commences. I'll see he gets home, Randolph."
I nodded and said good night...
