After Big Town: Raising Cane

By J. N. Sadler

Newly elected president, Lee Chung Wilson, has declared sugar an illegal substance in the United States. Steve Shadow, former manager of defunct Big Town, a government-run weight-loss facility, takes over the late Sugar Gannon's contraband sugar operation in Colombia. He covertly supplies all of the government-run restaurants and bakeries with a doubly sweet form of sugar that can be taken home by customers in subtly requested "doggie-bags." Shadow hires a detective for protection from rivaling South American sugar lords and reconnects with M-1, a resurrected robot from Big Town, to help him satisfy the nation's sweet tooth and quiet down deprived, rioting protestors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499073416

J. N. Sadler

Janet Sadler is a resident of Havertown, Pennsylvania. She has published two volumes of poetry with her illustrations: Headwinds and Full Sail and has been published in many small literary magazines. Once member of the Mad Poets Society in Media, PA, and also the Overbrook Poets in Philadelphia, she reads her poetry at local venues. She was the former poetry director at Tyme Gallery in Havertown, PA and at Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester, PA. She has authored thirty flash fictions novels. Twenty-seven titles have been published through Xlibris and can be found at Xlibris.com, under J. N. Sadler Author’s email address: [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2014 by J. N. Sadler.

ISBN:      eBook         978-1-4990-7341-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 10/22/2014

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 1

In the back room of a restaurant for rich customers there was real sugar in bags. The names of these restaurants were: Skinny’s Low-Fat Sumpin’ Sumpin’s; Non-Sugar Dreamland; Bet You Can’t Tell its Not Sugar; Sour Things is Good for You; Great Imitations – Mock Sweets Emporium and tee-shirts – I gave up sugar, now I’m Naturally Sweet; The No Dessert, Thank You Place to Be Where We Ban Sugar in All Forms. Sugar was now an illegal substance in the United States.

Cow Rita was working behind a brick wall in the back room of Shapely’s Smart Eater’s House. She was pouring out real granulated white sugar into two-pound bags with a large silver scoop. Ernie Leader tied each one she filled with a red bow. He weighed them to see if they were just the right weight first. A scale hung from the ceiling between the pipes.

Bill Shadow, formerly the manager of defunct Big Town, was now the overseer and CEO of the new American Distribution Circuit for contraband sugar in the United States. He had taken over the operation from Sugar Gannon, now deceased founder of Big Town, experimental weight-loss facility in the desert. He was determined to give the people what they wanted. Dentists were going out of business. There were fewer cavities from the dreaded substance, so every kid in school was wearing heavy metal on their teeth, whether or not they needed braces. Plus sizes were selling out in everyday department and specialty stores as models were out of control with the illegal substance being scarfed in binges. Their weights were rising, and now, it was the trend to be overweight. Sugar however, was still a big no-no. Pasta sales were on the rise, and being slim or skinny was out. Even sex was enhanced if the woman was a fatty. If it was the man, he was sexy, too, as long as he could function and share his stash of sugar with his sweetie.

Hey, you guys, we’re having a meeting in the basement, say, in five minutes. Shadow disappeared into the restaurant to supervise the operation. Customers would cue the waiters their wishes for contraband sugar when they paid the tab. They would draw a simple happy face with a pen and underline it three times on the check. The waiter would be back with a take-out box that contained a 2 lb. bag of sugar. They served an all-right variety of tasty low-calorie, no-fat meals, but this was the real dessert, and it was the most expensive thing not on the menu. It was strange how everyone ate sugar at home, but it was illegal in public. What was a party without it?

Shadow’s black Ninja skin-tight Spandex pants were snug. He was dipping into the product too often, but he still looked trim, for now. He stepped into the doorway of the Sugarless Diner.

Any orders? Do you have enough inventory? he asked the waitress in the back room.

Hey, Hon! You bet we have orders! The customers keep coming in, ordering their skinny meals and taking home a doggy bag of sugar. You and the Colombians are keeping our world happy. It is so sweet of you! She giggled.

It’s a win-win, Babe. What are you doing after hours? Do you want to grab a drink and go to my place? I have a new curved 60-inch TV. I also have a mess of movies. I’m sure you would like one of them. What do you say? He winked. You could rustle us up some fudge. I’ve got a stash at home.

She couldn’t resist his good looks and the fact that he was the most important dealer in the sweet white substance in the U. S. A.

I’ll be out of here in an hour. I’ll meet you at Mojo’s Bar down the street. See you then.

She smiled and hurried off to take an order from an overweight family.

He popped out the door onto the street and headed for Mojo’s.

He found the bar crowded. There were no seats available, anywhere. As he scanned the place for a place to get a drink, his eyes rested on a familiar face. It was Detective Willie Billicker. Willie stood up and yelled, signaling for him to come over to him. He was fatter than the last time he’d seen him at Big Town. He quickly remembered the rescue before the place went boom due to the deadly pranks of The Three Musketeer robots. After that incident, Shadow was forced to take over the sugar cartel in South America that Sugar Gannon had owned and operated. Then, sugar was still a legal substance, but now, it was banned in restaurants and products on the shelf. He managed to form an underground way around it and supplied the patrons of his skinny restaurants with it in doggie bags. He did need protection, though, as his operation was his sole responsibility.

Hey! called out Steve, unable to avoid the man. He pushed through a group of people to get to Billicker at the bar. When he reached him, they shook hands. Billicker’s meaty paw shook Shadow’s with unnecessary vigor. They both smiled. Willie pointed to a table that was being wiped down by a waitress.

Let’s grab that table, Shadow. Without waiting for an answer, Willie slid off the stool and hurried to it. Steve followed, feeling thirsty for a cold beer.

They each sat down. Billicker just fit into the chair. Steve sat opposite him.

I’m buying you a beer. Willie waved a twenty dollar bill at the waitress near the bar. She headed over and took their order. Her eyes were all over Steve Shadow, as he was quite the looker.

After she walked away to get the drinks, Shadow said, No, I got this, Willie. So, how have you been after all this time?

She reappeared quickly with a pitcher and two fresh glasses. Shadow winked at her as she poured his beer.

I like a head on it. He winked, again. She laughed.

She turned and poured one for Willie.

Shadow stuffed a twenty dollar bill into her apron pocket and laid down the money for the pitcher on the table.

She looked at it with a big grin and thanked him, walking away wagging her behind.

Thanks, Shadow. I’ll get the next round.

No thanks, man. I am waiting for a hot date to come in here and find me. I have plans for the evening, if you know what I mean. He looked toward the front door. The place was jumping. It was hard for them to hear each other without shouting.

Oh, of course. Well, I wanted to tell you that I am leaving the force. I am tired of working for Freihoffer. He is retiring, and Jo-Jo Malone is taking over. I can’t work for him. I need a new career. I would have opened a bakery, but now that sugar is illegal, what the hell. I’m in a quandary.

Do you want to work for me? I need a salesman to help me with my sugar dealings. I know it’s illegal, but everybody wants sugar. I am a dealer, Willie. It’s on the down low, but we can make a real killing with this loveable stuff. What do you say? The government can’t stay in this position for long. The people will make them legalize it again soon, just like they are doing with marijuana. The only thing is, it will be heavily taxed.

My whole life has been dedicated to the code of the Fraternal Order of Police, but I was on the fringes. It was boring. I like you, and I like sugar. What the heck. Let me think about it.

The clinked their beer mugs in a friendly way.

Shadow stood up. Here she comes.

Honey walked over to the table. She had changed into a tank top and tight jeans. Her hair was long and curly, making her look exotic.

He reached for her and gave her a hug.

This is Honey Baker, Willie. She’s my girl.

Willie didn’t stand up because he didn’t want her to see how fat he was. It would have been awkward anyway, pushing away from the table. He extended his hand across the table. She took it, and they shook hands.

I am very happy to meet you, dear, said Willie. He was hoping that she didn’t see that his eyes were beginning to pop from the strain of reaching.

She looked at Steve, eagerly waiting to leave and go to his place.

Well, Willie, we’re going to leave now. Think over my proposition and let me know as soon as you make up your mind. So long.

They waved goodbye to each other. Steve put his arm around Honey, and they plowed through the patrons on their way to the exit. Once on the street, he turned her to him and kissed her.

Let’s go. It’s cold out here, she said.

They walked to his tenement apartment building two blocks away. It was an old brown brick walk-up, and he was on the fourth floor. There was no elevator. Perhaps that was how Shadow had maintained his trim physique.

Not many women would walk these stairs even to be with you. You are a lucky man, Steve. It’s a necessary sacrifice to get the chance to sleep with you. I’ve missed you so much.

They kissed again on the ground floor then, they began the climb. The dim light from overhead bulbs lit the way.

Once inside, a small light on an end table lit up the living room. They kissed again and fell onto the couch in a passionate clinch.

It’s been a long time, Honey. Too long. Let’s move into the bedroom now so we can get comfortable.

He helped her up and scooped her into his strong arms. She put her arms around his neck and giggled into his ear.

He tossed her onto the bed and flicked a switch that lit low lights around the ceiling. The bed was