Camaro rarely read newspapers or watched the news on television. It would have been redundant seeing as how his aunt Stacy would give him full detailed recaps of what he already knew first hand. So as the sun shone through the kitchen curtains he stirred his tea and slowly ate his oatmeal (plain, no sugar no fruit) as Stacy read aloud.
“’Student’s were shocked to arrive to school today’” she began. “’Instead of the daily grind of homework, cramming for tests, and finding a date for prom they were greeted with smoldering ash and dozens of questions.’ Who writes this kind of garbage? ‘One badly shaken student, Harriet Thornburg, was quoted as saying, ‘This is the worst day of my life!’” Stacy laughed until she started coughing. She looked over at Camaro who stared at her unblinking. “Isn’t Harriet the girl you’re dating?”
“I have seen her on multiple occasions outside of school, yes” Camaro replied. Stacy waved her hand at him in a “Continue…” motion. “Elaboration is not necessary.” Stacy sighed.
“You’re no fun” she said as she placed the newspaper on the table and ruffled his hair. “How did the mission go?”
“I’m alive.”
“Debrief me, Camaro” Stacy said firmly. She had started to realize that the older Camaro got the harder it was to pull information from him. One would think that he had experienced training with SERE. And they would be correct.
“At 01:00 hours three of four intended targets arrived at designated location. Fourth target arrived at approximately 01:07 inebriated. Two of three targets began to assault fourth target until one of three separated them. Two targets entered school. Two other targets waited outdoors. They were armed.”
“With?” Stacy asked as she lit a cigarette. Camaro looked at her until she grabbed an ashtray and placed it on the counter.
“9mm semi-automatics. Nothing that I would concern myself with.”
“And you had?”
“PSG1, ma’am” Camaro replied.
“Seems kinda strange to take such an expensive rifle out of the house” Stacy said. “Was it necessary?”
“Yes, ma’am” Camaro stated matter of factly.
“You use the B&T?”
“Obviously” Camaro said. Stacy raised an eyebrow at him while exhaling. “Sorry. Yes, ma’am.” Brügger & Thomet or B&T is the official silencer for PSG1‘s. “Terminated two targets as they waited outside. Quickly descended hiding area on roof. Removed bodies.”
“Where did you put them?” Stacy asked before drinking milk straight from the carton. Camaro tried to ignore her but could not. He stood, took a small glass from the cabinet, and placed it in front of his aunt. “Little too late for that” she said while finishing the rest of the milk. “So. Bodies. Where?”
“I dragged the bodies inside the building. Quietly.” Camaro finished his tea and rinsed the cup out before placing it in the dishwasher. “Using the M1911A1 I found the other two targets and terminated them.”
“’Terminated’?” Stacy laughed. “What are you, a robot?”
“After I terminated them I placed them in the gymnasium and finally brought the other two leaving them in Room 101.”
“Good job, Camaro” Stacy said while stamping out her cigarette. “Next Monday you’re gonna miss school again.”
“Okay.”
“Gonna need you to kill at least seventeen kids” she continued. “Eighteen if you can. I mean, I know you can but it’d be better if you get that many. Nice round number.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, and please make sure to leave some bullet casings” she added. “Speaking of which…”
“I left absolutely no shells at the scene” Camaro said. PSG1’s were notorious for ejecting shells yards away from the shooter. Stacy walked over and kissed him on the forehead.
“Your dad would’ve been so damned proud of you” she said. “You look just like he did at your age.” Camaro focused his vision outside of the window at the new neighbors who were almost completely settled in. “You ever want to know about him you know you can ask me, right?”
“Yes, ma’am” Camaro replied. “But I can not foresee that happening.”
“I hope you don’t hate him” Stacy said.
“I don’t hate anyone” Camaro said. “I would have to know someone to hate them.”
“You’d be surprised at how often that is not the case” Stacy said as she left.
Hearing that he looked like his father at his current age meant that Camaro now knew three things about his father. He resembled him, he was a male, and he lived at one time. Elaboration was not something that Camaro ever asked for. He did not care what people thought, but rather what they said. If you told him you were from Utah he would accept that as truth. If you happened to eventually prove to be a liar he would never trust you again.
His cell phone vibrated and he quickly turned it off. He knew it was Harriet. After waiting five minutes he turned it back on and checked his messages.
“OMG!” Harriet began. She actually said the letters O-M-G. “We all got sent home from school today because the building burned and some bodies were found inside! I was on the news! I LOL’d when mom called and told me she saw me! I hope she recorded it. Let me call you right back. Miss you, Maro!”
Two minutes later.
“Ugh, I hate her so much! She said she couldn’t record it because she was TiVo-ing something else! I think the school is gonna be closed for a couple days. I don’t see what the big deal is. We see dead bodies, like, all the time on TV and stuff. Anyway…I was hoping we could hang out some time. I know I said we needed some time apart but after such a tragic day I need some company.”
Camaro heard the voices of her friends including her ex-boyfriend Todd Stevens telling her to hurry up and get in the car or else they were going to miss the movie.
“Anyway, they’re gonna have counselors to help us get over this. So lucky you weren’t here. Miss you, Maro! Call me!”
Camaro considered finding the part of himself that he knew others had. The part that made him want to love and be loved. The part that made people want to start families and raise children. But then he saw the new neighbors son who was around his age carrying a punching bag over his shoulder and changed his train of thought. He really needed to do some research on these people.
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