Issue #198 : Last Call
[image error]
.
The decor of the bar looked like it was brined in the deep waters of tradition. Stained oak tables were scattered throughout with chairs of deep glossy black. Clients in expensive tailored suits milled about, savoring the feeling of their cigars or the weight of the brandy glasses.
Chester was leaning on the end of the bar, watching his friend mixing the drinks. They were unlike any spirits he had ever seen, not the muddy browns of bourbon and scotch but the fluorescent beverages of a science fiction set.
Colby strolled over and refilled his glass. “Enjoyin’ yourself, then?”
“This place is the best, I don’t get why you’re so secretive about it. “
“Orders from management. Very exclusive.”
“So why’d you finally invite me?”
Colby shrugged. “I’m about to give notice. What are they going to do? Besides, of everyone I know you’re the least likely to shoot your mouth off.”
“What kind of booze is that?” he asked, “I’ve never seen anything like it. “
Colby looked around the room before answering. “It’s pretty exotic stuff. Shipped in special just for us.”
“Well what is it? Some crazy electromagnetic process that makes them that color?”
Colby shrugged. “No idea how it’s made. I just know what they are.”
“And?”
He looked around the bar again before answering, a flash of mischief as he answered. ” They’re emotions.”
“Get the fuck out of here.”
“Swear to God. Emotions in liquid form, available by the glass.”
“That’s crazy.”
“You think I don’t know that? Regardless, it’s true. We really have to be careful with our dosing.”
“Well then do your buddy a solid. Give that babe over there a big dose of lust and point her in my direction. “
Colby was shaking his head. “I can’t make people do things that they wouldn’t otherwise. It’s not mind control. It just revs up what’s already there.”
Chester shook his head and laughed again, “You are so unbelievably full of shit. You tell a good story though.”
Colby wasn’t laughing, “All right, I’ll prove it to you. See that dunce making his way towards the bar?”
“Yeah.”
“Looks like he might have a lot of pent up aggression in him, doesn’t he?”
“I guess.”
Colby winked at him and made his way down the bar to wait on the new customer. Chester watched as the guy pointed at something while Colby shook his head, pointing instead to a different bottle filled with the effervescent liquid. The guy nodded with what little neck he had and gave a “who cares” gesture indicating his willingness to take whatever Colby was going to provide. He filled a tall glass with the glowing liquid and they watched the man weave his way back to his table.
“What was in that?” Chester asked as Colby came back down.
“My own blend. Mostly aggression with a touch of paranoia.”
“Uh, huh,” Chester said, not believing a word of it but willing to play along, “So they let you play around with the recipes do they?”
“We get pretty free reign once we make it to bartender. It’s not an easy gig to get.”
“So why are you leaving?”
“I have my reasons. Ah,” he said, pointing at the table. The dunce was now standing and jabbing a finger into the chest of his companion, face red from the anger boiling up out of him. Colby gestured for the bouncers but before they could get there, dunce had reached out to upend the table. After landing several quick jabs, his hands were firmly wrapped around his friend’s throat before he was pulled off, kicking and yelling about cameras and surveillance vans.
“You see?” Colby said as he reached down to run a glass under the tap. “Pure emotions available at your server’s discretion, of course.”
Chester shook his head. He had to admit that he was intrigued. “Do they know what they’re drinking?’
“Not a clue. Management has never given us their reasons and we are given luxury to administer the spirits as we choose.”
The door to the bathroom swung open and a young couple walked out. They were both noticeably disheveled; the man straightening his tie and running his hands across his hair, trying to mat it down. The woman tugged at her skirt, straightening it as she walked. Chester turned to his friend and gestured with a raised eyebrow. Colby laughed.
“You caught me. She clearly wanted to but he was too nervous.” He reached out and flicked the neck of one of the bottles, producing a high pitched ringing. “Nudge, nudge.”
“You’re a true—” Chester stopped talking as he spotted a man in a green turtleneck at the far end of the bar obviously trying to get Colby’s attention. He pointed and Colby turned to look, turning somewhat pale at the sight of the man.
“Just a second. He’s my boss.” He walked to the other end and commenced a hushed conversation with the man who seemed irritated and was pointing around the bar at something. Chester looked around to see if he could figure out what the guy was so worked up about but was clueless as Colby came back down, cheeks flushed. He spoke to Chester in a quiet, whipped tone, “You’d better get out of here. Boss is pretty pissed. I’ll see you later, huh?” He walked back to the middle of the bar without waiting for Chester’s response.
Chester headed for the door, not wanting to cause problems for Colby. He noticed that the manager was staring daggers at him as he walked and it took every ounce of self control he had to keep from telling the asshole off.
It was hours later that night when he turned on the news and saw the report of the fire. At first he disregarded the story until he recognized that it had occurred in the very building he had just been in that night. The report stated that initial findings were that the fire had started in a private club on one of the higher levels.
Chester grabbed his phone and dialed Colby’s number. It rang several times before going to voice-mail. Chester disconnected and dialed again. Again, he was directed into voice-mail. One last time, he pressed disconnect and re-dialed and this time, the phone picked up and a cool voice, not Colby’s, spoke on the other end.
“May I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m trying to find Colby Tryerson. He was working at—”
“Mr. Tryerson will no longer be available at this number sir. Am I correct in assuming that you were his unauthorized guest whom he brought onto the premises this evening?”
Chester had an image of his head of the self important asshole in the green turtleneck and his flexed his hand, trying to stay calm, “Look I just want to make sure he’s all right.”
There was a long pause on the other end before the man spoke again, “Mr. Tryerson will no longer be available at this number, nor any other number for that matter. He has moved on to a different position with the company. He will join all the others who perform such necessary services.”
“What does that even mean, where is—”
“This number will no longer be functional after this evening and the phone company will have no record of it even existing,” the voice plowed on, “Feel free to inform whatever authorities you like. A story like the one you would tell would be quite fantastic, I would imagine”
“I don’t—”
“Rest assured that your friend will continue to be an asset to this company. While he is no longer living in the strictest definition, he will prove to be a long lasting source for us to take from him what we require for our rather unique product.”
Chester stammered, not understanding, “I don’t…” He trailed off, question left unarticulated. The man seemed to hear it regardless.
His thoughts and fears were greeted by laughter before the man responded.
“Where did you think the emotions were coming from?”
[image error]
