The Farmer

By Rich Cole

All old Keith wanted was to live his last days in rural Lakeside with his dog, Booster, and his horse in his empty farm. But sometimes we don't get what we want. We get the opposite…

Keith gets pulled back into a life he had hoped to forget. A life of murders and guns and mafia bosses. He must revenge the life taken and save the one in danger. This is the story of a man diving back into world that gave him regrets and nightmare to pay a decade old debt.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seagull Editions
• Release date: May 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223052838

Book preview

Prologue

"I would feel like shit if I was this kid,’ Moscow said. Jimmy turned to him and scoffed. He didn’t really like the man. Who names their kid Moscow? And Moscow was ugly as ugly came. He had a rough scar near his lower lip and his eyes were bad. Almost gone.  But Moscow managed. He was good, good enough to be in the same car with Jimmy.

Really? Jimmy asked. Moscow nodded. They were four in the car. All waiting. One moment the world was full of light, almost as if the sun had been pulled closer to ground—no heat, all glitter. That was what Jimmy thought the kid’s life was like. He had watched him for a while. They had all been watching him. The boy’s life was about to descend into some really bad dark times and he didn’t know if he felt bad for him.

Were you born into new, hot money, Moscow? Jimmy asked and Wyatt laughed. His teeth were clean, white and his beard well-trimmed. He had the face of a banker, not a criminal. His neck was thick though, almost as if he had something stuck up there. Moscow frowned. Jimmy sighed and turned back around.

He checked the time, it was almost three. They were going to spend a couple more hours there. Saturday was the kid’s best day. He was brought up here to play in this amusement park. The hired bodies put around to protect him were scattered all over like seeds, sentries watching their treasures.

Those guys are going to die, Moscow said. Jimmy chuckled. He hated the man. He really did. He hated how he picked up the most unreasonable moments to say useless bullshits. He shook his head and turned Flo. She was busy staring at the park. They would have to go in.

You ready? Jimmy asked. Flo turned to him, her liquid green eyes seemed to grow intense when she smiled. She nodded and Jimmy nodded too. Excited. This was the best part of the game, of the job. This was the best part, only second to when they got paid.

You know, they probably wouldn’t. We could actually just kill them here, Moscow said. Jimmy chuckled and this time, he hoped Moscow could tell he was dangerously close to getting a bullet in his bald head for talking too much. Jimmy sighed and cleared his throat.

Great, time to move, He said. Flo started the van. It was painted with purple and green and violet. Kid-friendly colors. There was a painting of a cartoon on the side and a huge Mark’s Stuffed Games written across. It was ugly as hell. Wyatt did it while he was coming down a huge high and there was no time to fix it.

They were in. They parked and then came down. Jimmy, Wyatt and Moscow wore suits to look like the boy’s guards. Wyatt adjusted his tie until he saw Jimmy glaring. He stopped and cleared his throat. Jimmy turned to Flo and gave her a kiss, before turning around and gesturing for them to blow out.

The job was simple. It had always been simple. Jimmy had learned that simple plans were the easiest to carry out and yet were the hardest to burst in their faces. They could have stolen diamonds from jewelry shops, or money in banks. But this, this was easier.

They spread through the sea of kids and machines created to give them heavy dose of dopamine. Children jumping around always irritated Flo. Jimmy had no idea why, but the happier the kid the more she wanted to put a knife in them. He scoffed. That was probably good for him. He had no plans of stopping the job at the moment, and that would be bad if she decided to have kids already.

Found him, Moscow said into the com. Jimmy sighed. He didn’t want to groan, that would make his frustration apparent and Moscow liked to be appreciate.

Good work, man, Jimmy said, turning around searching for Moscow. Moscow was not stupid. He could probably tie up the job on his own, but he was careless. He would drop a bomb-by mistake-in a place he wasn’t supposed to take a bomb to in the first place.

What is he doing? Jimmy asked. Moscow groaned.

Nothing really. Eating ice cream and talking to some other kids. I like this kid, Moscow said. Wyatt laughed into the com. His laughter was clean, not all over the place. Jimmy wondered where he was from. He was sure the man was a detective working undercover, but during their first job, Wyatt shot someone because they bumped into him. The man didn’t die, but there was a change in him the moment he made the shot.

And then he smiled and walked away. That was cold. That was crazy.

Wyatt, shut up. Jimmy said. He kept searching for Moscow. Of course he would like the kid, he was silly. Jimmy found him. He had one hand in his pocket and the other scratching his bald head. Jimmy looked around, searching for the real guards. They had to be around somewhere.

Moscow, where are the Suits supposedly guarding the mark?

I didn’t find anyone, which is weird, Moscow said. Jimmy nodded. That was weird. That was crazy. The kid was the most expensive of piece of flesh and bones standing in the park. He was not an ordinary child. Jimmy looked around. They were sure around.

He got to Moscow and nudged him a little. Moscow was about to swing a punch at him, but froze midway when he saw Jimmy’s face. Jimmy nodded and then asked to be shown the mark. Moscow nodded at him. Jimmy sighed and smiled.

There, the kid was licking a ten dollar ice cream. His face was smeared with it, filthy. Flo would hate this kid, Jimmy thought. He sighed and turned to Moscow. I don’t like this, but we have no choice. We have to extract.

You ready Wyatt? Jimmy asked.

I have been ready for a while now. Wyatt said. There was no gun, but Jimmy had a knife strapped to his calf, just in case one of the suits come out of nowhere. Jimmy nodded. He sighed and shook his hand, trying to shake off the nervousness. The kid’s father would kill him for thinking about the kid like this, but Jimmy didn’t care. He was scared of very few people.

You alright, Jimmy? Moscow asked. Jimmy nodded and sighed. A bullet could drop him from anywhere. But this was something he wanted, needed to do. He moved forward, but then Moscow held him back and when Jimmy looked at him, the bald man nodded towards the kid. A suit had come out.

I think we have been spotted, Wyatt said coming over to them. His suit was perfect. A two piece, well cut. He looked clean, his eyes were like a whirlpool and his smile was perfect. He looked at Moscow and his brows went up.

I wanted to say this before, but Moscow, where did you get that suit? It looks really awful.

Shut up, Jimmy said, watching the suit take the boy away. He gritted his teeth and then smiled. Perfect. "Moscow, you are up. I need that bastard’s hands off my mark. Wyatt, be ready, it is going to get really heavy soon.

We don’t have any gun on us, Jimmy, Wyatt said. Jimmy chuckled and Moscow walked away. Jimmy stared at Wyatt, his face spread in a grin. His buzzed beard made Jimmy look older, and even more disturbing when he smiled. He shrugged. Wyatt shook his head and chuckled. It didn’t matter. The end is what mattered.

They were not going to die, no one wanted to die. But they sure as hell were not leaving without the kid. That would be a waste of gas, time and preparation. If there was one thing Jimmy hated more than Moscow’s bald head, it was wasting things.

Moscow walked slowly through the crowd. Kids trying to shoot target for stuffed animals, kids licking cones, kids screaming or just running around. There were some adults around. There were people who find fun in things like these. Moscow walked faster. The suit with the kid turned around slightly and saw Moscow following. He pulled out a phone and made a call.

When he turned around, Moscow was gone. He smiled, relief washing over him. They walked behind a ten, red and white stripes. Ugly ass tent, Moscow thought. He waited for the other two guys to join the suit and then he walked out of where he was hiding and went to join them. The four of them were shocked. That took some seconds from the men, too slow to pull out their gun.

Moscow was fast. He had to be. His life, his past, he needed the speed. He needed the power. He pulled out the short dagger—well balanced. He caught the first hand that was pulling out a gun and stabbed the guard’s throat, then he dragged the dagger out, tearing through the man’s throat. He used the man as a shield when the other shot. He pushed the corpse against the other man.

He staggered back, too bad. Moscow rushed at him hacking and hacking and hacking. The stabs were so fast and random. The blood stained him. He was carried away with the killing that he missed the last man picking the boy and trying to run, by Wyatt was there.

The guard pulled up his gun, his hands were not shaking, but he was not shooting. Moscow was up from the last body now. He groaned. Wyatt smiled. His hand was in his pocket. The boy was shocked, his eyes were wide as space disks and his face was suddenly white. The color in his face some minutes ago had been drained. He looked back at Moscow and gasped. Moscow was covered in blood.

Well, the suit was trash. I don’t have any reason to be angry, Wyatt said. Jimmy chuckled. This part of the park was isolated, but they could all hear the laughter and yelling from the main amusement area. Jimmy smiled at the last guard.

He was young, in his thirties. His face had sharp jaws and his hands were shaking now. He looked from Jimmy to Wyatt. Moscow was behind him.

The way I see it, you have two options, Jimmy