>>5356646Before you do, you interject, is he… is he <span class="mu-i">cool</span>? The greaser shoots you a sideways glance.
“C’mon, Stan, you know the answer to that.”
Ha-ha, smartass, you mean is he okay? He looks like <span class="mu-i">you</span> after a full shift!
“It’s uh…” he groans, rubbing the bone under his eye sockets, “It’s <span class="mu-i">tough</span>, Stan… keepin’ these nutjobs together, y’know?” Sending you an apologetic glance, the skeleton ruefully shakes his head. “If I’d known I was gonna be endin’ up babysittin’ this many boneheads, well…” he pauses to take a long, pensive drag from his smoke before blowing it towards the ceiling and away from you. “I’ve been managin’, kid, but… well, you remember what I told ya’ about leadership.”
Yea, you nod, you think you know a thing or two about that by now.
“Tomorrow’s a big day.” He explains as he glances upwards as if searching for an answer written on the office ceiling. “For a lotta’ reasons… and I ain’t gonna lie to myself and say everyone’s gonna make it.”
Then <span class="mu-i">try</span>, you bark as you slam your hand onto his desk! How’s he gonna lead if he’s focused on all the what-ifs, huh!?
“It’s not that simple, kid.” Cliff frowns, taking another drag from the cigarette. “We had radio silence from <span class="mu-r">YOU-KNOW-WHO</span> for days, then suddenly he wanted to rally the troops.” Anxiously drumming his fingers on his desk, the greaser looks to you with fear in his hollow eyes. “<span class="mu-i">Some</span>thing’s up. I can smell it.”
Yea, you nod as you glance around the office with him, you suspected something like that too… is that what all the extra security’s about?
“Figured it was high-time to invest in it, yea…” Cliff shrugs as he puffs some more smoke, “Just… don’t worry about me, Stan. One way or another, it ends tomorrow.”
Yea, you nod, one way or another…
>CONTD. 