007: Fanatical Devotion to a Missing God
Nick's bar, nameless but instantly recognizable, was built upon the lobby of what was once an administrative office building. It was also in the same building he and Ellis lived in, two blocks from Rochelle's place and a 20-minute walk to Coach's nice quaint home...so there was never a shortage of clients. His reasoning? "It's 5 o' clock somewhere in the world and after surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, most people would love to get piss drunk."
And that's how Nick the conman could keep track of the brave new world; he used his enhanced hearing to pick up on particular conversations and locate targets for his Friday night hobbies of robbing the more influential people blind. Ellis' mother, Miss Cordy, didn't know about this side job, but she knew Nick's suit was the only thing that could be considered clean. Oh, the heated discussions he had with that proud Southern woman always ended in El having to cut before they ripped each other during those first few weeks. But in the end, both relented and she even put a bit of her own money into both his bar and into their first apartment. From time on, Miss Cordy became a staple and began to consider Nick as one of her own sons, mostly because he helped Ellis survive and escape Meridian and now because of his unconscious paternal instincts choice in not killing David. The kid and the hick were inseparable as they bonded like brothers, and as adorable as that was, he needed Big Bro for his alone time, you know...
Things took a more sinister turn when a certain patron became frequent during Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The man would always order the same drink or variation of the same drink (a virgin cranberry mixer) and sit down at the edge of the establishment for 3 to 4 hours then head home and pay exactly, no tip aside from the 10%. At first it was annoying for the conman but he shrugged and kept his business. Then came the first announcement of the People for a New Christian America, an organization that owned half of Austin and run by the head of Proserpine Pharmaceutical Group, one Leon Samael. Of course they could control the city itself; they were supplying the Armed Forces with the anti-virals to prevent the Green Flu from taking over. The message encouraged a happy home with Mom, Pop, and 2.5 kids...the usual tripe. Then they became increasingly altruistic and...strange. The PNCA began extolling the virtues of their organization and how God spared them and the populace from the Devil's creations.
The moment the stranger left, Nick heard a familiar pair of voices and he turned around with a grin and two bottles: a beer for his lover and a coke for the "minor".
And that's how Nick the conman could keep track of the brave new world; he used his enhanced hearing to pick up on particular conversations and locate targets for his Friday night hobbies of robbing the more influential people blind. Ellis' mother, Miss Cordy, didn't know about this side job, but she knew Nick's suit was the only thing that could be considered clean. Oh, the heated discussions he had with that proud Southern woman always ended in El having to cut before they ripped each other during those first few weeks. But in the end, both relented and she even put a bit of her own money into both his bar and into their first apartment. From time on, Miss Cordy became a staple and began to consider Nick as one of her own sons, mostly because he helped Ellis survive and escape Meridian and now because of his unconscious paternal instincts choice in not killing David. The kid and the hick were inseparable as they bonded like brothers, and as adorable as that was, he needed Big Bro for his alone time, you know...
Things took a more sinister turn when a certain patron became frequent during Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The man would always order the same drink or variation of the same drink (a virgin cranberry mixer) and sit down at the edge of the establishment for 3 to 4 hours then head home and pay exactly, no tip aside from the 10%. At first it was annoying for the conman but he shrugged and kept his business. Then came the first announcement of the People for a New Christian America, an organization that owned half of Austin and run by the head of Proserpine Pharmaceutical Group, one Leon Samael. Of course they could control the city itself; they were supplying the Armed Forces with the anti-virals to prevent the Green Flu from taking over. The message encouraged a happy home with Mom, Pop, and 2.5 kids...the usual tripe. Then they became increasingly altruistic and...strange. The PNCA began extolling the virtues of their organization and how God spared them and the populace from the Devil's creations.
The moment the stranger left, Nick heard a familiar pair of voices and he turned around with a grin and two bottles: a beer for his lover and a coke for the "minor".