Chapter 19 Part 2 – 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 by his demon boss, Margery, to transport concentrated evil energy from Denver to Trinidad, Colorado. Demons on the Bellow’s Ranch are dumping the substance down an abandoned coal mine’s air shafts, and it’s forming a rift between Earth and Hell that will soon open.

Despite the fact that serving Satan comes with immortal life and any sinful thing his heart desires, Barry desperately wants out of his contract. Margery has other plans for Barry and bullies him to obey or suffer the consequences she inflicts with one wave of her magical cigarettes. Barry’s not giving up though. He plays the good employee and volunteers for overtime, resolved to snoop around for contract loopholes. Only the other OTG employees go missing—likely kidnapped by white warriors who fight for God’s angels. Margery makes Barry and senior driver Vern fill in, leaving Barry no time for anything other than work.

Knowing how bad life will be once the Gates of Hell open, Margery and Vern ask Barry to help plug up the air shafts. He agrees until he finds out they plan to sacrifice innocent children down into the hell hole. To get Barry back on board, Margery contracts Nina, his love interest. She promises to release her from servitude and give her to Barry if he follows through on the plan. Barry has no choice but to transport a box truck full of kids to Trinidad. On the way, Trisha, the girl he’s met a few times while picking up coffee for Margery, forces Barry off the road. She is an Angel’s Apprentice and agrees not to kill Barry if he turns informant for the angels. Trisha then hands Vern’s head to him to deliver to Margery.

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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Nina’s been thrashing around in the passenger seat, trying to keep her feet away from Vern’s head. “Is there some place you can put that?” she asks. Besides constant moaning and groaning, it’s the the only thing she’s said since we got back on the highway.

Sure, she’s creeped out, but the foul odor it’s emitting, a cross between cigar smoke and roadkill, is becoming more of a problem. I veer into the median and park. “Hand me the head.”

“I’m not touching it.” She scrunches her face in disgust. Even though she’s irritating the crap out of me, she looks kind of cute.

“C’mon. It’s in a bag.”

“I’m not touching it.”

“Fine.” I yank the bag up from the floorboard and the plastic grazes her leg.

“Tsk.” She brushes away Vern’s cooties. “You did that on purpose.”

I shake my head and get out of the van.

The master key is in my pocket. For some reason Margery trusts me now. Or maybe it’s because I’m the only driver who can do everyone else’s jobs. Damn, I’m the new Vern.

The door handle is different than the standard one though, and the keyhole is much smaller. Still I try it, and of course it doesn’t fit. I jiggle the door handle, and of course it doesn’t move. Great.

I lift the bag up and examine Vern’s face. “Looks like we’ll both have to put up with Nina’s whining for another hour, buddy. Maybe I’ll play some loud music you’ll both hate.”

Vern’s eyes and mouth snap open. He lets out a hiss that fogs up the bag.

My neck jerks back. “Shit.”

“Barry! Barry!” Nina calls out from the passenger side window. “Margery’s asking for you.”

Back in the van, I don’t give Nina a choice. I shove the head at her. “Here.” She has to take it before it drops in her lap. “I don’t have the right key for the back.”

“Jerk,” Nina complains. “Margery, you should see what he’s doing.”

“Shut up, girlie.”

“What do you want . . . Marge?” I interrupt.

“I don’t think I like your tone . . . Honey.”

“Hey. My mood is your fault. You sent Vern and me out in unprotected trucks.”

“Oh that,” Margery coughs out a laugh. “Nina said she picked you up south of Colorado Springs. What happened to the truck?”

“Angel’s apprentice mean anything to you.”

“Trisha,” she says long and drawn out. “Where’s Vern?”

I don’t answer.

“Where’s Vern?”

“He’s dead,” Nina interjects. “We have his head.”

Margery lets out a growl that rocks the van. I’m glad we’re miles away from her cigarettes and vile breath. “You have thirty minutes to get to the warehouse.”

“We’re an hour away,” I tell her.

Click. She’s gone.

I turn my head to Nina. She’s got her feet up on the seat now, hugging her legs. “That can’t be comfortable.”

“This may sound weird, but I think he bit me.”

“No. Not weird. Actually, there are a few things I need to tell you before we get to Trinidad.” I pull out on the highway and gun the engine.

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