Keypunchers & Other Villains

Evil Smells like Eucalyptus

By: M.G. Lewis

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Bolty, Jennifer's husband, was heading for her office. This did not bode well for Mr. James Nemec. He tried and failed to wipe the smile from his face.

Bolty pushed the door open hard enough to slam it against the wall. The glass wobbled and seemed to flex. “Get out.”

Bolty was a blond, squat, muscular titan. Nemec was just blond.

Still he smirked at Bolty. “I'm a partner. I can go anywhere I like...Bolty.”

Which was the wrong thing to say.

Bolty grabbed Nemec by the throat and began to pound him against the wall as if he was driving in a nail to hang a painting.

Dana started wailing. He didn't like Nemec one bit, but he couldn't watch Bolty maim, dismember, or kill him; mostly for Bolty's sake.

He grabbed Bolty's hands, but prying them loose would require three of him. When he and his clones weren't sick. And were well rested. And had each consumed a protein bar.

“Bolty! Let go! He's not worth going to jail.”

Bolty's normally stoic face was white; the skin was stretched taut over those rapier cheekbones.

But Bolty glanced at him.

“Put him down before the eyes pop out of his head. Please?”

Bolty didn't completely unclench his hands, but he let Nemec's flailing feet touch the floor. “Little bastard.”

“He is. Absolutely. But he's just snooping which is not a killing offense. Right? Let go of the guy so he can resume breathing?”

“He's hurting Jennifer.”

“He is? How?”

Bolty shrugged. “Messing with things. Her things, Gabe.”

He wasn't sure what things of Jennifer were being messed with, but Nemec was dumber than he'd thought.

Things had been off at the accounting firm of Garst, Bauer, Nemec & Garst for a couple of months; Bolty trying to unscrew Nemec's head from his body was just the latest, most dramatic symptom.

Jennifer Garst, who had ruled the firm in all but name, was suddenly sad and wan and had lost her grip on the tiller; mistakes were being made; clients were deeply unhappy.

Not to mention the small detail that Nemec, who reeked of eucalyptus and whose black eyes pulsed with evil energy, wanted to make Gabriel Bergeron redundant.

Obviously, he needed to take steps. What steps exactly?