The Revenge of the White Rose

"There's one thing, Renee, I always kept hidden from people, except for Brad. It comes from getting two PhD's and a Nobel, and building a multi-billion dollar chemical and pharmaceutical empire, all the while outsmarting people who tried to steal or plagiarize my work, and being black in the bargain. You see Renee, I'm an extremely vindictive son of a bitch. Someone fucks me, I fuck 'em back. I fuck 'em so hard they'll never want another."

"Fu . . . fu . . . fucker . . . I'll . . . call . . . police."

"Yeah, you can. If I let you go, but let me remind you of something, and this is for your boyfriend too, if he's inclined to do the same. I have fingers in every single secret government project you can imagine, and a few you can't. I head or control at least ten research projects so black, veteran spies shit their pants at the faintest whiff of news. I'm far more valuable to the country than you could never be. So who do you think the cops will choose? A lying, cheating racist whore? Her brainless fuck of a boyfriend? Or a man who could disappear them in the name of national security?" Jack paused, "In 1939 maybe but not now, even in these times."

"You . . . won't . . . get away . . . with . . . this," Renee whispered.

"I am getting away with this. I'm having the marriage annulled. I think I can make a good case for fraud. I closed our accounts and opened a new one under my name only. Agents posing as you and Derek are currently on their way to Aruba. It seems my marriage has, sadly, fallen apart, and my unfaithful wife ran away with her yoga instructor. I'm going to keep you awhile. Oh! I neglected to tell you: this is the tenth project. You're testing a new chemical gas. I might condense this stuff and market it as the new Viagra. I'm giving an old Russian pal a piece."

"Anyway, when I'm satisfied, I'll wipe you and dickface's brains, put you in some shithole, I haven't decided where, and then you can crawl your ass back to Malibu and your piece of shit parents. I have chemicals for that too; very useful for top agents who know too much. Uh, by the way, I contacted your worthless fuck's former business partner. I'm backing his hostile takeover of his yoga franchise, so don't expect any money from him. Oh, and I switched your birth control pills for fertility pills."

"You . . . fuck . . . ing . . . nigger!"

Jack looked at his soon to be ex-wife's bitter, hateful face, and snorted contemptuously, "The mask comes off; she reveals herself."

He turned to leave, then paused, "I'll ease up on the gas to let you rest and recover, then we'll start again. Um, when you have your babies, I'll make sure they'll get placed with good families." Derek moaned, faintly. Jack snorted again and left the room, sealing the door behind him.

Jack handed his hazmat suit to an aide and left the house. He met Brad at the door.

"I told Washington, the White Rose project was active," Brad said.

"Good, good."

Brad looked at the house, "How long are you going to keep them?"

"About a year, I think. I need to clear my head. Let's walk."

They walked a block. "Dwayne's cooking roast beef tonight. He's invited you if you want."

"I don't have an appetite at the moment. I . . . uh, excuse me."

Jack walked to an oak in his neighbor's yard and puked. Brad hurried to his heaving friend, "Jack!"

Jack puked for another minute, stopped and looked up. Brad was taken aback; Jack's face wore a stricken look so brutal in it's grief, he may as well have watched his father die in front of him. He took a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. "I'll have to apologize to Harry for puking on his oak . . . Brad?"

"Yes Jack."

"Promise me, when you get home, to take Dwayne, hug him close, really close, and be thankful for what you have together, and pray to the heavens you'll never, ever experience a pain like this."

"Sure Jack."

They continued down the sidewalk. They passed Molly Hartford's house. An elderly neighbor. She kept roses along her fence; red, red roses.

"Brad, keep a look out."

"Huh?"

Jack took a pocket knife and cut a flower. He put it in his breast pocket. "I think I'll use this color from now on."

The End.