Another Bridge of The Broken Excerpt

This is some of what I have been working on lately. I hope you enjoy. I certainly needed to pick on someone, even if it was a character in my mind:

“Who was that?” Vytas asked Cory, hating the man, his manner, and his disdain for common courtesy.

They’d been negotiating the disposition on another shipment when Cory had taken a call, ‘Just like that, in the middle of talks, while all this shit is up in the air with Prometheus and I shouldn’t even have taken this meeting, the round-headed little chimp decides he can tell me to wait while he talks to some whore?’

“Nobody, just a girl.”

“Which is it?” Vytas asked.

“Huh?”

“Nobody, or a girl?”

Cory smirked, “Both.”

Vytas let that witty comeback drop between them like lead, just stared at Cory, trying to hold on to his temper, ‘I can be reasonably sure Alaric and his people weren’t into the attack on Prometheus. Of course, given what I’ve learned about Alaric’s opinion of Cory, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were willing to let cousin Cory get smoked to make it look good.’

“What?” Cory asked when he could take the silence no longer.

“Why allow this nobody of a girl interrupt important business discussions?” Vytas asked, just to see what kind of response the twit would give while he concentrated on other things, ‘I am pretty confident Alaric’s crew couldn’t have organized a hit down here, in orbit, sure, but some kind of word would have reached someone in Prometheus’ organization otherwise. Then there’s the fact that Alaric called me direct, offering to help.'

“What? No, she- I…”

‘God save me from morons,’ Vytas thought with feeling.

Cory missed the point, of course, decided in his discomfort that blundering into even deeper water was a good idea, “Look, I hear things ain’t all that good in your organization.”

“Really?” Vytas said, “And who would be saying shit about how things are or are not in Prometheus’ organization?”

Cory made a smoothing-out gesture with his hands, leaned away, shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Vytas leaned into the space vacated by the smaller man, “That’s right, you don’t know. You, and whoever else might be talking out of turn ought to keep their mouth shut about shit they know nothing about, lest some of that shit seep in and choke the life from them.”

Cory digested that a moment, shrinking further before swallowing his pride, “You’re right.”

Pressing the point home, Vytas lingered in the smaller man’s space.

Cory grunted, looked down at the schedule on his databoard.

Satisfied, Vytas relented, “Now. We can expect the drop at oh-three hundred, correct?”

“Yes, that’s when the shuttle is scheduled. So long as your man is there, we’ll be in business.”
Vytas nodded.

“I mean, your guy has to be there, not chasing fish or some shit,” Cory persisted, despicable smirk back on his face.

Patience vaporized in the heat of the man’s stupidity, Vytas felt his lip curl and -barely stopped his hands from wrapping around the man’s neck, settling for poking two fingers in the smaller man’s chest, “Motherfucker, if you say one more word about this organization or how it’s run, I’ll beat you till the color runs out your eyes, understand?”

“What? What did I sa-“

“So, you’re too stupid to know what you’re saying, is that it?”

“No-“

“Listen, fucktard, I have had enough of your snippy little comments, your shitty attitude, and your general lack of professionalism. Get your shit straight or I will end you.”

Cory sucked in a breath, face paling, but rallied with “You wouldn’t start a war over some stupid comment, would you?”

Vytas snarled, “You think Alaric would go to war over me kicking your ass? I think you overestimate your value, you knobby, dried up little cunt. I don’t think he even likes his wife that much, let alone her cunt cousin who can’t keep his fucking mouth shut and earn his way.”
Cory’s mouth snapped closed and his face drained completely of color.

‘That’s right, you piece of shit, I know all about who you’re related to and why I’ve been saddled with your bullshit these last couple months,’ Vytas thought as the other man tried to recover. Determined to put the other man’s bullshit to bed for good, he went on, “Now, no more of this shit you think is funny, or just idle commentary, or whatever. We are not equals, and I will fuck you up if you give me the least reason. Got it?”

Cory nodded, swallowed.

“I’ll have you say it.”

“I get it. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“Now, get out. My men will be on hand to take the next shipment.”

“Yes, yes. No problem,” the man said, already heading out the door.

Vytas’ phone buzzed in his pocket. No one was supposed to be calling…unless Prometheus’ condition changed.

Dreading the call, Vytas answered, “Speak.”

“Vytas, there’s a problem down at the warehouse,” Gopti, the organization’s front man at the warehouse, said.

“What?” Vytas said, ‘Motherfucker, was I that off about Alaric’s crew?’

“Someone came asking questions.”

“Who?” Vytas asked.

“Nevermind. Meet me at the usual. I’ll be there in a few.”

“The man was strange, said he knew you.”

“See you in a few, Gopti. We’ll talk then.”

“Very well, I will be seeing you.”

“Yes,” Vytas said, hanging up.