Noir World

By Ben Spikes

Two tales of noir featuring protagonists in bleak situations of their own creation: 
_ An aging Vietnam veteran seeks revenge against the soldier that betrayed his unit years earlier. 
 - A straight-laced cop is corrupted by the girlfriend of a bank robber and finds himself in deep water after engineering a robbery of his own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Canoza Publishing
• Release date: Oct 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386427544

Book preview

JAKE'S SIDE OF THE STORY

Jake Perez had to find Frank Evans.

He never forgot what happened back in the day. When they were prisoners of war in Vietnam.

When Frank Evans turned his back on his fellow soldiers. He never got court-martialed for it. But now Jake wanted to handle things his way.

There were five of them in the prison and the escape plan had been worked out. Communicating through Morse code, they tapped out the time and location.

But Frank told the Vietnamese forces of their plans. And they had been waiting for them. 

Four of Jake's fellow soldiers were killed. And they were about to execute him when the convoy arrived.

Just in time. But for their arrival he would have been killed.

But he kept what happened between Frank and his fellow prisoners to himself.

Upon discharge, Jake called some mutual friends and located Frank in Oakland. It seems that the traitor had found employment as a store manager at a Safeway.

From military platoon sergeant to stocking shelves of toilet paper. Served him right, Jake thought, because Frank was full of shit.

The drive from Oakland to Los Angeles took Jake about six hours. Those hours alone in the car only served to allow him to build up his anger and resolve.

Six years and six hours of pent-up rage came driving into town looking for Frank Evans.

Jake staked out Frank's house for a few days. He felt like he was back in the rice fields of Vietnam on a reconnaissance mission. He saw that Frank had a decent enough looking wife. A chunky but pretty blonde woman who greeted his old sergeant at the door when he came home.

Then there was a boy. He looked about five years old. And that gave him pause.

Jake knew what it was like to grow up without a father. Now he would be doing the same thing to that little boy.

But revenge had to be gained.

The boy would be okay. Losing a man like Frank out of his life could not be that much of a disadvantage in life.

Besides, what if being a traitor was something genetic. Jake went through a nature versus nurture argument in his mind. He rationalized that he would be doing the boy a favor if he got rid of his old man now rather than have him be ruined by him later.

Having one less Frank Evans influencing the next generation would be a good thing.

Jake fingered his 9 mm pistol in his back holster. Locked and loaded.

Time to settle an old score.

Jake followed Frank to his work place. He waited in the Safeway parking lot for ten hours. He noticed that Frank usually came out at at mid-day for a cigarette break but this day he didn't.  He surmised that Frank had to work overtime and finally emerged from the store two hours after his usual time. His old sergeant had bags under his eyes and wiped away crumbs from his wrinkled pants.

Frank, Jake said as walked behind his former squad leader.

Frank turned around, startled. Holy shit, he said. Jake?

Jake nodded his head. Been a loooong time, he extended his hand.

Frank hesitated then shook it. Holy shit, he repeated.

You look like you've seen a ghost.

Well, look at you, man. I haven't seen any of the old boys since I've moved out here. You know how it is. Really tough to see someone in Vietnam then all of a sudden see them in the real world.

You haven't changed much, Jake said.

Yeah, well, Frank tapped on his growing pot belly. We're not exactly eating bowls of rice anymore are we?

When did you get out of the service?

Last month, Jake said.

Yeah? Frank looked at Jake up and down then left to right. His body language betrayed his uneasiness at the meeting.

Those men died because of you, Jake said, wasting no time.

What?

Back at Hao Lo.

Jesus, is that what this is about?

Don't act so dismissive, Jake said. You helped out our enemy. Let them know when we were going to escape.

There was no way out of that jail, Frank hissed. And you know it. I had to get in their good graces. I had to do something. Anything to keep us alive. And I did that. I kept you guys alive.

"Only it didn't