//------------------------------// // The Man Comes Around // Story: When The Mare Comes Around // by nanashi_jones //------------------------------// We both froze. The knock came again. “Matthews, open up! I don’t have all day.” Jim looked at me, then the door, then back to me. His expression was neutral, which just made me nervous. I don’t think he had thought through what he was doing and with his boss showing up right after cutting me loose, he was waffling. My first urge was to try running again. Let Jim open the door, and I could bolt. But… I was too aware of the last few days and how the last time I tried running, it didn’t wash. I wanted to finish this and find out who his boss was. I needed to finish this before I could meet back up with my friends- they didn’t need this grief. Mind made up, I took charge before Jim could slide back over to the dark side. I grabbed the rope’s remains in my teeth and wrapped the shreds around my legs. If things got hairy, I could kick free in a jiffy. Looking back to Jim, I took a breath to settle my nerves. “Open the door,” I said quietly. “I’ll have to play possum for a bit.” Jim nodded, back with me again. He rose stiffly and folded his knife away as he went to the door. There, he glanced back at me one more time. I smiled encouragingly, trying to quietly let him know we were in this together. I reassured myself that he was on my side since I didn’t know what kind of grade-A sidewinder was about to be let in. Jim undid the chain on the door, and opened it to reveal… a Young Republican representative standing on the other side. Well, I don’t know who I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting that. He was the same height as Jim, but he was young, about the age Rachel had been before she’d turned into Applejack. Sharp cheekbones coupled with a strong jaw gave him a classic, handsome look while his brown hair looked styled by a focus group. He wore a gray blazer with pale khakis over brown loafers. Everything looked brand new and expensive. He was the last kind of person I’d expect to be Jim’s client. As he stood waiting at the threshold, he shifted his gaze and dark brown eyes fell on me. The look he gave me was somewhere between disgust and dismissal, but there was something else there too. Like a flash of rage he had to wrestle back beneath his professional-looking façade. He turned back to Jim. “Why is there a tiny horse tied up in your room?” he asked. “Where’s the girl?” Jim sighed. “Like I told you before- there were complications. She’s part of this whole pony thing that’s going on.” “Pony…” He muttered, his brow knitting in confusion. “You mean that shit on TV?” Jim nodded. “Great. That’s just- Fucking great!” he said, storming into the room. Jim closed the door behind him, but stayed near it. Maybe he’d open it for me if things got twitchy? The young man turned, surveyed the room, and shot Jim an incredulous look. “After all I’ve paid you, you couldn’t meet me somewhere decent?” His rage was showing again, and it was strongest as he spoke. He reminded me of a frustrated teenager- lips getting all pinched and tight. Jim shrugged, leaning against the door. “I try to be frugal. It keeps costs low.” “Fine. Whatever.” The man’s eyes came back to me. He radiated that disgust and rage combo again, but there was something violent in his gaze too. He wasn’t just frustrated and angry- he wanted to break something. Not wanting to let him know I was rattled, I returned his gaze calmly. He turned back to Jim. “She’s not important or whatever, right? This isn’t going to bite me in the ass any more than it already has?” Jim was quiet for a minute. I felt my heart rate pick up. Nope, I wasn’t important. I was just one of the Elements of Harmony and Celestia had only asked me to get to New York quicker than you can spit! “Ask her yourself. She’s the character,” Jim finally replied. I let go of the breath I’d been holding. The man sneered at Jim and turned to me. “You got a name, horse?” he asked. “First off, I’m a pony,” I said. “Second, go buck yourself, you prick.” His eyes got big real fast. This guy really wasn’t reserved. His emotiveness was weird after Jim and his poker face. “Fuck!” he hissed, backing up. “It talks?!” “Amusingly enough…” Jim said, grinning. The man looked at me like Rarity looked at mud. “What… are you?” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Like I said, I’m a pony. Name’s Applejack Apple. But if you’re lookin’ for a human, I’m also Rachel Shelton.” He stared at me and his right eyelid twitched. Alright. That... couldn’t be good. He looked back at Jim. “The fuck is this? What the fuck does that mean?” “Well, I’m not one-hundred-percent sure,” Jim said, inspecting a fingernail. “But from what I heard, when people get like this, they end up with the pony in their head too.” The man stared at me. I bounced my eyebrows at him. His disgusted expression returned. “That can happen?” the guy said, looking back to Jim, as if he could make it go away. Jim nodded. The man stared at me for another few moments before shaking his head. “Fine. Whatever,” he muttered. My keen ears picked up when he muttered under his breath: “She knows the name. It’s her. I can fix this.” As I got good and nervous about that particular muttering, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a check. He thrust it at Jim like it was a weapon. “Get the fuck out,” he ordered. Or, he tried, but it came across like a child telling his dad off. Jim looked at the check, then at the man. He held the look for a long time. “The room’s in my name,” Jim said, holding his place. “Yeah, and it’s paid for with my money,” the man said, sneering. His grip tightened on the check as his lips pressed into a pale line. Seriously, just how high strung was this guy? Jim glanced at the check again, then focused back on the man. “Not leaving you alone with her,” he said. The man glared at him. His right eyelid twitched again. “What?” he said, biting the word out. “What I said,” Jim replied. “I’m not leaving you alone with her, Mr. Trenton.” Mr. Trenton’s right eye ticced again. Twice. “And why aren’t you doing that?” “I’m not your thug,” Jim said, quiet and firm. “What?” “I’m not taking your money,” Jim said loudly and directly at Trenton. “WHAT?” Trenton roared. “See, you told me she hit you while you were a little drunk behind the wheel…” Jim said. Trenton shot a look from me to Jim. “Yes, that is what happened,” he said, every word clipped. I smelled it when he started sweating. “And that you both got turned around and that’s how she went down the embankment.” “Yes. We both know this. What’s your point?” Trenton said. “My point, William, is that ain’t what happened,” Jim said. I blinked when I realized he’d given me the guy’s full name. Even if William Trenton wasn’t aware of it. “You know it, I know it. I mean, you told me I didn’t need to see the site and I’m not saying I did, but if someone was to look at the site, they could tell that car didn’t slide down the embankment without help. Or that when someone climbs out of a shallow grave, there’s a distinct look to the soil.” He gave Trenton a heavy look. “But I couldn’t know that. I’m paid not to know it. Except, now…” Jim glanced at me and shook his head. “Well, things’re different. I’m not taking your money.” Trenton put the check away, digging his hands into his pants pockets. He clenched his jaw tight. “And where the hell did this come from?” he spat. “She got something on you too?” Jim raised an eyebrow. “I’d watch that tone, kid. Especially since I know you got my number from your old man. We didn’t just happen to meet up during my… less upstanding time as a cop.” Trenton didn’t have anything to say to that. “So, William. I quit. Here and now. You can go wherever you need to and talk to whichever high-priced lawyer daddy owns so they can deal with this. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it without me.” Trenton sneered, opening his mouth. Jim beat him to the punch. “And before you say shit- As much dirt as you and your old man may have on me, I think after the last few days ‘work’ I’ve done for you, I have enough on my side to happily tell you: back. The fuck. Off.” Trenton’s hate-filled expression made him very, very ugly. “You’re fired,” he said. “No, William, I quit,” Jim said. “If you’re gonna be a grown-up, you should know the difference.” Jim unfolded his arms and cocked his head at Trenton. Pointing at the other man, he said, “Now, you just stand there like a good boy. Me and the girl are leaving.” Jim turned to me, a slight smile on his face. I glanced at Trenton one last time, then faced Jim, preparing to be cut loose from my “tied” ropes. “No. You’re not.” Two explosions roared behind me. Two bright spots burst on Jim’s chest. Two seconds passed and Jim hit the floor with a heavy thud.