Clarence (part 1 of 3)

Clarence

“Usually they’re mad at me but now they’re going right over me to you.”

'Friendly' Jenny Larson

Clarence saw a centipede in the corner of his eye but kept walking.  His phone was ringing more than his head was hurting.  His careful strides through the hallway through his duplex was lent in a large part to something he sensed but did not see. It was as if a line of thin nylon pulled him from his living room to the telephone; it guided him and pulled him. The voice on the other line was ‘Friendly’ Jenny Larson.

“Do you know where Coarse is?” Jen asked. Coarse had been the lead in a multi-faceted task force in Sam’s Town.  When the task force made a large push against the World Worshipers many were killed and some civilians were hurt in the subsequent fire fight.  Now Sam’s Town is completely controlled by World Worshipers, the very group Coarse’s task force was set to fight.

“No,” was the wrong answer.

“Clarence, I never told you this but there’s a lot of paper work that you screwed up from the Sam’s Town mix up.”

“Sorry. And the news calls it the ‘Sam’s Town Massacre’,” Clarence bluntly reminded Jen of the title given by the press.

“I don’t care what the press says.  I also don’t think you know how bad I could get you for this.”

“No offense Jenny but this isn’t the best time for this.  The whole country is either hiding or fighting and you want to write me up?!” Clarence said squeezing the coiled cord.

“My bosses are mad at you,” she persisted.  “Usually they’re mad at me but now they’re going right over me to you.”

“What are you talking about?” Clarence asked.

“Well I hope it is just paper work errors.  Because after the worshipers yield Sam’s Town to the National Guard tomorrow the press will be dropping more trouble our way.  And whatever bosses we have left will want someone to blame.” She paused and waited. When Clarence said nothing she said the obvious conclusion she had been building up to, “I can’t stop it if it comes back to you.”

“Fuck you, Jenny. You’re not going to blame a civil war on me!”

“You’re the one hiding Coarse.  You were second in command as I hear it.  How do we know you didn’t sabotage the Sam’s Town massacre yourself?” Jenny snapped.  Clarence hung up the phone.  He had a strange sense of relaxation as he walked back down the long hallway and passed the quiet centipede. Donny was watching T.V. coverage of the worshiper’s takeover of Sam’s Town.  Thinking of his youngest son he then thought about his oldest.  He had hoped to finish his mission and take his family to America until the Worshipers succeeded. But his oldest son, Nate, had sped over sea and land to combat oppressive groups in Spain with the students in the street.  Now Clarence had to wait and keep a low profile until his children were safe. Just keep your head down and- Two steps later he heard the phone ring again.

“Look Jenny, I’m sorry,” Clarence began.

“No, Clarence, I’m sorry. The police are on their way to bring you in,” Jenny said in a youthful, somber voice.

“What?”

“If you just tell me about the 'super file'… That’s what they’re all calling it. Mary, Brady, even Coarse mentions your ‘super file’ in his notes.  Like it was some dictionary on Worshipers.  How could this be about that folder?