Page 68 of Johnny

I still don’t know that’s not true.

But… it’s just not true.

They killed them.

We killed them. I’m part of it. That’s the data I was entering in the computer every afternoon. The

results of some tissue and blood samples.

I don’t know what they do with the bodies. I have nightmares about what they do with the bodies.

And a part of me wants to go back and look. Is there a cemetery? A crematorium? Do they ship them

out? What? What do they do with the bodies?

I don’t want to know what they do with the bodies.

Johnny ends up at the big all-inclusive resort on this side of the island. I get a few weird looks

from the various people monitoring the lobby as people get out of cars and haul luggage up to the

reception desk. But no one stops me to ask if I belong here.

He meets a friend in the lobby, chats, then they both walk outside to a table facing the beach and

start having a conversation as I casually hide behind, and peek through, the large fronds of a short

palm tree.

A tall, massive local man approaches their table, nods his head a few times, then walks off,

speaking into his phone as his eyes search the area.

Security, I deduce.

Johnny and his friend resume their talking and I start counting the cash he gave me. It’s a little over

four hundred dollars. Then I glance back at the way I came. Because I passed a few boutiques, one

general store, and one electronics store.

A phone, I decide. I need a phone.

I backtrack through the restaurant, go inside the electronics store, and start browsing the small

selection of pre-paid phones. One comes with some pre-paid minutes, and best of all, it’s only forty-

five dollars. Probably a ripoff, since this is a resort and up-charge is everything, but it’s Johnny

Boston’s dime, anyway, so I take it to the counter and pay in cash.

I stop in front of a trash can outside the store, rip open the box, flip open the phone, power it on—it

has one bar of battery, presumably so I can activate it—scratch off the silver stuff on the minutes card,

press the activation number, wait for the recorded instructions, and start entering the access code.

Then I balance it between my shoulder and ear while I stuff the charger into my pocket and throw