Helena

Faggot!
You cocksucking traitor faggot!
Fuck you!

He spat the words at me
Through his broken teeth
His split lips
The gash where his nose used to be
Spittle and blood flying as he yelled his obscenities at me
The cold fluorescent lights of the file storage room bright
Reflecting off the red sheen covering his face
Like the skin of a red apple
Held in your hand in the late summer sun

I looked back at him calmly.
Looking at a piece of paper in my hand
“You are Samuel Pelkin, personal aide to Senator Hughes
You know everything that he does, every day.
You need to tell me where I can find him.”

Samuel started crying again
Tears running down the mess I’d made of his face
Body shaking with sobs
Straining to reach me
Not to harm me
Not at this point

To beg my mercy

I hadn’t wanted to do this
But the ends justified the means
I believed it
What else were we doing this for?
Except for change
Very very big change

Senator Hughes was the last state elected official in Montana
All the rest of them
From the Governor down to the freshest Representative
Were either strung up on the gallows we’d hastily put up on the lawn
Or laid out nearby
Each with a sign around their neck
Telling all who they were
And why

Montana had gone well otherwise
Minimal civilian casualties
Central command was pleased

This one last detail had to be wrapped up though
The last rogue Senator had to be found
And this Samuel bastard knows where he is
I just know it

So I put him to the question once again
Again he denies that he knows

After a little more persuasion
More swearing
More tears
He tells me about four locations the Senator might be

Unfortunately for him
We’ve already looked in them
Quite thoroughly

So I get more creative
I break out the razor blades
The floor grows slippery with Samuel’s blood
He isn’t screaming anymore
It’s my voice raised now

“Tell me! Tell me! Tell me where he is!”

Samuel never speaks again
I asked him a little too hard
A little too much
I’m sort of new at this

The door bursts open
One of my lieutenants bursts in
Takes one look around, and doubles up, vomiting
After he heaves his guts out
His lunch mixing with what’s left of Samuel on the floor
He turns his pale face to me
Voice shaking

“We found him
We found Hughes
He was hiding in a car in the parking garage”

Looking at me
Then down at Samuel
Then back at me

“Jesus Christ, Nick…….why….”

I don’t have time for this pansy.

“Clean this up! I’m calling the General.
I don’t want to see anybody for at least an hour”

My boots striking the marble floor of the statehouse
Making a satisfying noise
As I leave the room