Page 2 of Statler

He wasn’t your average townie or tourist.

It was his posture. His bearing. His complete awareness of everything going on around him. Yet, he was somebody Statler had never seen before. The guy had a don’t-mess-with-me air about him that had all Statler’s alarm bells clanging.

The gentleman was clearly military. Dangerous. Not simply a foot-soldier.

When the stranger had purposely risen from his table and followed Statler out into the parking lot, Statler had been waiting…

* * *

“What do you want?” Stat growled.

The interloper didn’t so much as flinch, although Stat normally intimidated the best of the best. Stat was clearly younger than the man, had a couple inches and a number of pounds on him, but the guy didn’t back down.

“To talk,” the visitor forthrightly clipped.

“So, talk.” Statler nodded.

“Not here. Too many people.”

Sure enough, Statler noted that a few townsfolk with whom he was familiar, were looking out the window, curiously.

But still…

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Stat tipped his head at the stranger’s jacket. “I can see you’re carrying.”

The bulge beneath the man’s coat wouldn’t have been recognizable to many, but to Statler it was easily apparent. He’d never lost his soldier’s suspicious edge.

That got the shadow of a smile out of the guy.

“I am,” the individual allowed, then walked forward a few steps. “Hazard of the job,” he clarified, holding out his hand. “The name is Dark. General Dark.”

Statler kept his mouth from falling open with supreme effort as he accepted the gesture, albeit briefly.

He’d heard the General’s name before.

Duh. Everyone in his damned division had.

Dark was whispered about in small circles, but as far as Statler knew, no one had ever met him. That hadn’t stopped the rumors that had abounded about the rogue General—a Colonel at the time—regarding the operations he purportedly carried out, solo, taking down enemies—both foreign and domestic—with or without sanction.

The man was a ghost. And a legend.

Still, Statler wasn’t buying into it. At least not immediately.

“I’ll need proof that you are who you say,” he clipped.

The General gave him a knowing look.

“I have my military ID,” he responded, “but we both understand those can be faked.” He raised one eyebrow as if in challenge. “But if it will help, I can also relate every operation of which you were ever a part before you left the Army.”

“That’s something that a good computer hacker could figure out, too,” Statler returned with a suspicious curl of his lip.

What the hell was going on?

“True,” the General agreed amicably. “So, I have a better idea. Do you still have the number for your old Lieutenant Colonel?”

“Pershank?” Statler asked incredulously, nodding.

“He’s the one,” Dark confirmed. “I had a little chat with him before I came to see you. Call him.”