Chapter 17 Part 3 – Call for Obstruction

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So far, Barry has signed his soul into servitude to Satan on Earth. He’s a driver for OTG Courier Services, forced to transport some kind of energy substance from Denver to Trinidad, Colorado. The substance is being dumped down air shafts that lead into an old abandoned coal mine on the Bellow’s Ranch, and it’s forming a rift between Earth and Hell. Barry desperately wants out of his contract, but Margery, his demon boss, has total control over all the other drivers with the wave of her magical cigarettes. Barry’s not giving up though. In order to find a way out of his contract, he plays the good employee and volunteers for overtime. Only the other OTG employees have gone missing—likely kidnapped by white warriors who fight for God’s angels. Margery expects Barry and senior driver Vern to step in and do all the work, leaving Barry no time to snoop around the warehouse for contract loopholes. Barry does find there are perks to being a slave to Satan: bottomless fruity loop cereal and liquor, money whenever he needs it, and immortal life with a rapid healing time. He also just found out the Gates of Hell are about to open and Margery and Vern want to preserve Earth just the way it is. They get Barry to agree to help them close the rift. Margery prefers to keep Barry in the dark as to the true plan to close the gates. But Vern goes behind her back and tells Barry they will drop innocent children down into the air shafts to plug up the Gates of Hell. Now Barry just learned that Nina was laid off from her job and signed one of Margery’s contracts.

The Courier Series is about Barry White, a twenty-something computer geek with an overbearing mother, no prospects of finding a girlfriend, and an unemployment record that’s made him pessimistic he’ll ever be happy.

In Call for Obstruction, Barry has just lost his fourth jobs in the past year due to corporate downsizing. Desperate for employment, he jumps at the first position he’s offered over the phone, driver for OTG Courier Services. Shortly after meeting his new boss, a tiny yet fiery old lady named Margery, she coerces him into signing a questionable employment contract he soon regrets.

The Courier was originally written as a twitter novel @TheCourierNovel in 2009, and the same year it won the Annual Textnovel Writing Contest. Later parts of the story are still tweeting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

W. J. Howard lives near Denver and writes horror, fantasy and sci-fi with a bit of comedy mixed in. Wendy is also the Co-op Manager for Visionary Press Cooperative, leading an innovative way to publish.

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I slam the warehouse door behind me, then open it, growl like a bear and slam it again.

Vern’s smoking with a bunch of the new warehouse guys, right beside canisters clearly marked flammable. Brilliant. They’re all staring my direction, a few with their mouthes open, as if they are intimidated by me. That’s a laugh.

“What the fuck you looking at! Get back to work.” Then under my breath, “Idiots.”

Margery enters through the garage door. “Who gave you a promotion?”

“Why’d you bring Nina into this?” My voice echoes.

“Insurance,” she says. “Vern tells me you’re having second thoughts.”

“Only because he said you’re—” I stop short when Vern draws his finger across his throat. He nods in approval.

“You’re helpings whether you like it or not.” Margery puffs on here cigarette and continues to speak while releasing smoke. “If you follow through, I’ll let Nina out of her contract, and I’ll give her to you.” Margery winks. “If you try to stop us, well, who knows what might happen to her.”

“You bitch! You didn’t have to do this!” I lunge forward but stop, remembering what the first punch got me.

“End of conversation,” Margery says. “It’s time to get you two on the road. Follow me. There’s been a change.”

Vern and I follow Margery out through the garage door to where two large white box trucks are parked. They’re both unmarked except for stock numbers on the side. No surprise, six six six one and six six six two.

“You’re driving these trucks today,” Margery says.

“Why so big?” I ask, not particularly secure about driving a larger truck on the highway.

“It’s part of my plan,” she replies.

Yeah, right, I think. Your plan. Then I realize the larger trucks make more sense to haul kids to Trinidad. “Oh no!” I shout out.

“See, this is why I signed your girlfriend,” Margery says. “The truck you drive is not up for negotiations.” Margery hands Vern and me each a set of keys then points to the trucks we’re each driving. “Get on the road,” she orders, her voice as demanding as ever.

“See ya down south.” Vern waves at Margery then pulls me by the back of my t-shirt toward the trucks. “Kid, you really need to keep your mouth shut.”

“Sorry. When I saw Nina, I lost it. Besides, she made it sound like you told her I know about the kids.”

“Well she doesn’t. And I have no intentions of telling her you know. So like I said, keep your mouth shut or Margery’s likely to sign half your family.”

Vern walks to his truck and gets in.

I stand by mine, rubbing my fist. Three hours to figure a way out of this?

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