Dead Man Running (12 page)

Elias considered his response. 

"
Hey, he's a politician, he's always got blood on his hands
," said Mookie.

"
You're not
making any sense Chi," Elias added.

"
I'm the only one making sense. 
Hamid
told me how we can stop him.
"

"
You talked to
Hamid
about this?
"

"
Yeah, I needed to know how to stop him.
"

Jan leaned forward.  "
What did he say?
"

"
We have to
chop him up
.  It's the only way.
"

"
Why would I do that?  Huh?
"
asked Elias.  "Six days before we win the election."

"Because
he's going to kill again!
"

"
Long as it ain't me, I don't care
," replied Elias.

Chi sh
ook
his head.

"
Listen, Chi.  Once the election is over, we'll get a chain saw and take him apart.  Till then, it's in our best interests to have him in one piece.  Okay?
"

"
Okay.  But right after the election, we do it.
"
 

Elias nodded in agreement.

"
I get the head
," said Mookie
. 
"
I want to get it shrunk.  I
t would
make a nice key fob.
"

The three others stare
d
at Mookie
as he treated them to his brown grin
.

SIX

In the press room of Capshaw campaign headquarters a
small group of
reporters
we
re assembled in front of a makeshift podium.

Humphrey addressed the group first.  "
We
've
asked you all here today because the Auditor General has some important information for the residents of
Harlem
, who, as you know, are being asked to choose their next
r
epresentative to Congress.  Here's State Auditor General Capshaw.
"

Capshaw st
ood in front of the podium, paused while the photographers took her picture.

"
Thank you.  My campaign has uncovered some disturbing allegations surrounding
ten
term Congressman Benjamin Wiley.  Two days ago, a young reporter disappeared covering a story concerning the
c
ongressman.  We have learned that Congressman Wiley is not only under investigation by the police but he may be directly responsible for her death.
"

The cameras whir
red
as her picture
wa
s taken repeatedly.
Reporters shouted their questions.

"A
re you saying Ben Wiley murdered the reporter?
"

"
What I'm saying is that he is a major suspect in her disappearance.  Moreover, he may have played a part in the maiming of a person outside of the World Affairs
Club
building this morning.
"

"
Auditor
G
eneral, do you have proof of any of this?
"

"
We received this
information from a source close to
the Wiley campaign organization.  I suggest you ask the police about this and ask his campaign.
"

"
The police said the man outside the
W
orld
A
ffairs
building
was a terrorist.  Are you accusing
W
iley of being a terrorist?
"

"
It wouldn't surprise me.  I believe Ben Wiley is capable of the most terrible things.
"

Wiley and Jan
were alone in the Wiley house,
in
his
bedroom.  She wa
s dressing him for bed, carefully
buttoning
on his pajama top.

"
Don't you worry, Ben.  I won't let anything happen to you.
"

Wiley look
ed
down at her.

"
I know you're alive.  Come election night, they'll be in for a big surprise.
"

"
Ride big daddy!
"

"
Just one minute, fresh.
"
  She swatted him playfully.

At that moment, Mrs. Wiley burst into the room.

"
Mrs. Wiley, what a pleasant surprise.
"

"
Pleasant surprise m
y ass, this is my house, bitch!"

"
That's the way baby!
"
said her husband.

"
What the hell is going on here
?
  You told me you'd get rid of him.  Now you're u
p here putting on his PeeJays?"

"
After I bust this nut I'll get behind you!
"

Mrs. Wiley looked at the dead man who was once her husband.  "
Can you get him to shut up?
"

A loud
growl filled the room.

"
What was that?
" asked a startled Mrs. Wiley.

"He's hungry," Jan replied.

"Hungry?! 
He should be dead!
"

"
He's not.  He's more alive than ever.
"

"
Since you don't seem capable of doing it, I'm gonna handle this.
"

"
Oh, baby, baby!
" shouted the zombie.

Mrs. Wiley walked
over and
grabbed
Wiley's hand.

"
What are you doing?
"
asked Jan.

"
What I paid you to do!  I'm gonna take his ass down to the subway where he will unfortunately fall in front of a train.  My name will go on the ticket in place of his and off to Congress I go.
"

"
You can't do that.  I won't let you.
"  She stepped
in front of Mrs. Wiley.

"Little girl, please.  Y
ou're going to stop me?
"

"
I'm not going to let you do that to Ben!
"

"
That's sweet, now get out the way!
"

Jan continue
d
to block her path.

"
I guess you want to do this the hard way?  Tiny!
"

In the room
stepped
a human mountain.  The small black head s
at
atop a massive frame.

Mrs. Wiley smiled as Jan backed away. 
"
Jan, meet Tiny.  He's going to babysit you while my husband and I go on our date.
"

"Hey, baby.
 
What up?"  He smacked his
coffee cooler
lips
and rubbed the baseball mitts he called hands
.

"
You can't do this.
"

Mrs. Wiley gestured toward Jan.  "
Get her out
of
my way, dumb ass!
"

Tiny walk
ed
over to Jan and
lift
ed
the small woman
on to
his shoulder
.

"
Ben!  Help!
"

"
Let us pray
," said the being who used to be Ben Wiley
.
  A growling
noise fill
ed
the room.

"
What the hell is that?
" asked Tiny.  He dumped Jan to the floor.

"
Dinner time
," Jan said as she scrambled away.

Wiley pull
ed
away from
his wife
and
lumbered
to
ward
Tiny.

"Listen old man
I don't want to have to kick your ass...
"

With that, Wiley reache
d
over and t
ore
the man's head off.  Tiny complete
d
his sentence after his head
wa
s severed.

"
...man.
"

Wiley's mouth expand
ed
again and he swallow
ed
the head.  In the meanwhile, Tiny
's
body
wa
s running around the room.

"
Oh, my God
," Mrs. Wiley
cried
.

"
God ain't got nothing to do with it!
"
responded
zombie Ben.

They watch
ed
as
headless
Tiny continue
d
to run around until finally his body collapse
d
.  Mrs. Wiley trie
d
to get out
of
the room but Jan ha
d
blocked the door.

"
Leaving so soon, Mrs. Wiley?
"

"
Get out of my way!
"

"
Don't you want to join your husband for dessert?
"

Wiley walk
ed
over and grab
b
e
d
the woman's head.  He pull
ed
on her hair and up fl
ew
a wig.  Mrs. Wiley scream
ed
.

"
Try again baby.  I think you're down to her real naps now
,
"
joked Jan.

"
No, wait, I'll give you whatever you want
,
"
Mrs. Wiley pleaded.

"We
have
everything we
want.  Ain't that right, baby.
"
  Jan hugged the woman's husband.

"
I'll see you in hell!
"

"
Hopefully
with a better wig.  Okay
poppy
, take care of her
."

Wiley grab
bed
his wife
by her
real hair
and pull
ed
her head off.  She immediately drop
ped
to the floor.  Wiley h
eld
the head in his hand. 
A
shocked expression
remained
fixed on
the
face.

"
Eat up, Ben.  You have a big day tomorrow.
"

She looked around the room at the carnage.  "I hope you're plenty hungry.  I can't move all that blubber."  Tiny's body twitched slightly in the center of the room. 

Jan smiled, gave Ben a peck on the cheek.  "I better go get the bucket. Bon appetite."

The next morning
Elias, Chi and Mookie surround
ed
a desk in the
Wiley
study.  On the desk
wa
s laid out a
schematic
map of the power grid in the vicinity of the television station where the debate w
ould
take place.

"
How about back up power at the station?
" Elias asked.

"
Already taken care of.  They got diesel generators as backup.  I snuck in yesterday and
removed the starter
.
"

"
Good.  Do you know where to cut the power?
"

"S
hould be here.
" 
Mookie point
ed
to a manhole near the station.