Unadvisable- Ch. 2

Chapter II

It had happened a few months ago, while playing poker in the back room of his night gig at the grocery store. He and his cronies were having a good time, laughing, drinking, shooting the shit when this guy slams through the double doors.

“Hey Charly, you made it,” Paulie said, Tom’s boss. Paulie pulled out a chair at the table as Charly swayed over to it and collapsed in it. The guy was clearly wasted.

“Where have you been man? I’ve been trying to reach you for the past few weeks.” Paul said loudly. The man was haggard looking with his eyes constantly darting back and forth around the room. They were bloodshot and puffy like he hadn’t slept in ages.

“I’ve been around,” Charly said picking up a nearby glass of whisky and downing it. The guys continued to play poker with Charly watching. After a while people began to teeter off and leave with what was left of their money. Before Tom knew it he, Paulie and Charly were the only ones left. Charly’s eyes were half open and his expression was blank; his mouth dangling open. Paulie slapped him on the shoulder and Charly bolted upright.

“Are you ok man?” Tom asked. Charly leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. He then pulled a bottle of pills from his breat pocket, opened them, threw the entire contents of the bottle into his mouth and swallowed them down with the Jack Daniels bottle.

“Woah, hey man!” Both Paulie and Tom jumped out of their chairs. “What the hell are you doing, guy?!” Tom shouted. Charly leaned back, lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke out in perfect little circles. “I’m taking back the control they took from me.”

“Whose they?” Paulie asked cautiously, like he was approaching a skittish cat.

“The government. I found out something they weren’t so thrilled about. They’ve been trying to get a hold of me ever since. I don’t know what they’re planning on doing but I’m not waiting to find out.” He looked at the end of his cigarette and started chuckling to himself. This guy has gone nuts, Tom thought.

“What’s going on with you, man?” Paulie asked. Charly turned his head slowly towards him and said “Turns out the President doesn’t know everything.” Charly chuckled again. Paulie and Tom looked at each other “What are you talking about?” Tom was frustrated. This guy was babbling and wasting his time. Charly jumped up and grabbed Tom by the collar putting his face centimeters away from Tom’s. He had a crazed look in his eyes.

“The President’s advisors claim they are getting paid legally to make speeches and advise other private companies about business. What they don’t tell you is that the companies they are advising aren’t always of the best moral fiber.”

“Ok,” Tom said trying to pull always from Charly’s grip.

“Drugs, war missiles for other countries we are not supposed to be dealing with, the list goes on and on.” Charly let go of Tom’s shirt, ruffled through his pockets and slammed down a piece of paper on the table. With that his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell backwards. Paulie and Tom looked at each other stunned for a second before Paulie raced over to see if Charly was ok, calling 9-1-1 at the same time. Tom picked up the piece of paper.