Road to Darkness by Tim Miller

leaned back in.
         “Who is your boss?”
         “Ok. I’ll tell you. If I tell you will you stop with that shit?”
         “Sure. Just give me a name.”
         “Adams. John Adams. Our Lt. Governor.”
         “Are you bullshitting me?” Tony said, holding up the syringe.
         “No! No man! I’m serious. It is really him. Has been all along. The guy is dirty as hell. He’s got his hands in about everything.”
         “I don’t believe you.” Tony grabbed his dick again and pressed the syringe against it.
         “Man! I’m fucking telling you. Please!” The “please” came out as a high pitched squeal. “If I was gonna lie to you, why pick him of all people. Huh? The guy has more money than God. He has a private office in Austin. That’s where he does his side businesses from. It’s on Third Street, three twenty -five Third Street.”
         “Well. Ok then. I guess he’s my next stop.” Tony sat the syringe down on the table behind him and picked up a hand held circular saw and pushed the button.
         “Hey!” Slade said. “You said you’d stop!”
         “I said I’d stop with the acid.” Tony said as he started sawing into Slade’s jaw.
     

Chapter 25
     
         Lieutenant Governor Adams sat and chewed his steak. He was at a fundraiser for his upcoming campaign. The food at these things was always incredible. Everything he needed to become governor was in place. He was in the perfect position to make a run, his businesses were doing well and the state ’s voters seemed ready to make a change.
         There were only a few loose ends that needed tying up, but that should be taken care of by the end of the day. Actually, there was only one main loose end, whoever this driver was. He should have heard back from Slade by now, but there had still been no word. Slade was usually pretty efficient in these things. Plus he had Hector with him. Oh well, he wasn’t going to worry over all that now. Life was definitely good. His meal was interrupted by a young couple who approached him.
         “Lt. Governor? Could we get a picture with you?” The young man asked. He had to be in his twenties. The kid was wearing what must have been a new suit and tie. His pretty wife wearing a flowery sundress.
         “Yes, of course.” Adams said. He stood next to the couple as his assistant snapped a photo on their cell phone. “Thank you for coming,” Adams said as he flashed his winning smile. They beamed as they walked away.
         Adams sat back down and was about to take another bite when one of his aides tapped him on the shoulder.
         “What?”
         “Phone call for you , sir.”
         “I’m eating my lunch. How long have you been at this job?”
         “You’re going to want to take this call, sir,” the man said.
          Adams got up and walked outside with his aide , who handed him a phone.
         “Yes?”
         “Sir. It’s Henry.” The voice on the line said.
         “What’s so goddamn important, Henry, that you had to pull me away from my lunch?”
         “My men found two of your guy’s cars by some house. One was parked a little further down. Someone called in a gunshot. We found no guns, but around the back of the house was a small crater and a shotgun shell. Looks like someone made some kind of bomb out of it. There was blood and bone fragments lying around too.”
         “So did you find anyone?”
         “No, but Slade’s car was right in front of the house. There was no one home. My guys forced entry and about got caught in some kind of booby traps. What the hell have you guys been up to?” Henry said.
         “You let me worry about that. Slade was just supposed to take care of a problem.”
         “Well, if I had to guess, it looks like your problem took care of them.”
          “Shit. And you can’t find any of them?”
         “Nope. None