NORTHCO TOO

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Frank awoke in a sweat. Something was not right.

There it was again. The noise is what woke him. He gathered himself and quietly exited the bed, moving quietly to the bureau and opening the lowest drawer to grasp his 45.

This all took him back to his Air Force training. He slid into his slippers and moved to the window of his bedroom that looked over his front yard.

No vehicles. It was inordinately dark due to the new moon and the cloud cover. The garage light was on. Since it was not on when Frank retired some four hours prior, and since the light was movement sensitive; the game was afoot as they say.

He edged down the hall He had grabbed his pen flashlight at the same time as he grabbed his gun and was using it to aid him in his present pursuit. He had to assume that this could all be a false alarm. He certainly could have dreamt the noise. Hell a squirrel or a skunk could have triggered the garage light sensor.

There it is. There it is again he thought.

WHO THE FUCK IS IN HIS HOUSE?

Slowly he proceeded down the staircase. Frank was pissed because the sweat was flowing profusely down his brow. He stopped to wipe his forehead with his pajama sleeve.

There it is again.

HALT. HALT I SAY.

A light, a flicker, a movement.

Pop!!!

Instinctively Frank fired his weapon from the lowest step of the staircase. He fired at the menacing figure in his sights.

Oh my God!!! I just shot Sean!!!

Frank awoke to find himself on the floor in front of his entertainment center. He was covered in perspiration now and quickly found himself to the wall switch and turned on the light.

HOLY JESUS. It was just a dream. Just to make sure he ran upstairs and checked the bureau drawer and sure enough, there was the forty five as well as the flashlight.

Damn I hate that. That moment in the middle of the night where you are sure you have just awakened only to discover that you have simply continued into another dream.

He went back downstairs, since the adrenaline would prevent any sleep in the short term; got to the kitchen, made coffee and settled down in his executive chair for a smoke.

The moral is: keep your eyes open for you know not the day nor the hour.

WHAT THE HELL DAY IS IT ANYWAY?

He pressed the button and the pc appeared. Shortly he was on line. Three AM on the fourteenth. Hell its Monday. What the hell happened to Sunday? And what the hell was he doing on the floor?

Frank got to the office an hour and a half early. When he awoke from his nightmares he always went to work early. Somehow it shook the ghosts from the previous evening out of his inner soul.

He checked his desk and pulled out Monday's file. Sure enough, there were his weekly instructions; a meeting early on and the rest of the day on his company computer. He needed some time off.

Frank approached Sphincter after the meeting.

Sir I need a couple days. I have not been feeling up to snuff lately.

Frank. You are drinking too much. Tell you what. You have 45 days vacation time coming and our new policy is that if you do not use it in the next 15 months it's gone. Things are pretty much under control here.

Clean up your desk and check in with Sean and take off at noon.

See you next week Frank.

Frank got on the phone and set up appointment with Kevin. Kevin was an old undergraduate buddy and his secret physician in Fargo. Frank chose him because Fargo was untraceable. I mean why would anyone check in at Fargo for any reason? Different state altogether, and less predictable as far as tracking down his records than Minneapolis.

Frank really never trusted anyone and that was how he had become a hermit; hell that is why he took a position with a corp in the middle of nowhere. Frank not only distrusted people, he really did not like them.

He cleaned up his paper work and called Sean into his office. Sean would take over his duties for the rest of the week.

Where ya goin Frank? Someplace warm I hope. Ha

Oh I will sally forth to the cities Sean. I have some old girl friends over there and it will be fun to eat out at some of the old restaurants. I will even take in a play and stop and see some old friends at the U.

Sounds like fun. And no drug tests for the next six months. Ha.

Frank bid Sean adieu and went back home to pack. Covered the pc with a special software that only he could crack and hit the road.

He started east just in case he was being followed and took a highway in Minnesota north to Fargo.

The old ghosts, as always, began making their voices heard. He grabbed a stogie from the glove compartment and put Bach into his stereo.

As he reached the outskirts of Fargo Frank stopped at the Hilary. He ordered the seafood platter after knocking down a Martini.

Frank awoke in the hotel across the street, careful to leave his car where it was; in the parking lot of the restaurant. No byes on the DUI's in Fargo. Ha. He cleaned up and went to Kevin's clinic.

Weight, height, BP, blood and urine. The normal protocol for his yearly check in with Kevin.

So how is your ass Frank? Asked id Dr. Kevin as he entered. We playin' poker tonight? And I hope you brought more cash than just for your visit with me, You know, you really have a CEO health care package. Why do you never cash in on that here? Oh, it is the old paranoia is it not?

Frank never used his health insurance for these visits. The records would end up with the insurance company and on Sphincter's desk within the week.

You bet. I never hit casinos anymore Kev unless its with you. But let's take a shuttle this time and get a cab back, ok?

Sounds good. Now the tests will not come back until tomorrow, Jason's a little behind on things. But...

But...what?

How tall are you Frank?

Oh come on Kev. They just measured me.

No, I am serious.

6 with an inch to spare. You know that. It says right there, pointing to the file in the doctor's hand.

5'9" Frank. Here come with me.

They went out of the office and into the hall to the scale and the measurement was taken again....

Frank headed home on Friday using the shorter route and skipping Minnesota this time. Two grand richer via a machine. Hah. He would have been three grand down because of Hold Em had it not been for the machine.

Depression was grabbing him. 48 years old and he had lost four inches in height. Kevin could not explain it.

What about my clothes? My pants fit the same as they did before. He should have cuffs scraping the floor? Shirts fit just fine. And why did he have no problems with his shoes? And the coats and the....

None of this made any sense to Frank. Kevin got the test results back. Everything checked out. But Kevin was upset and took some more blood. He had a buddy at Mayo and was sending the fluid down to Rochester for further testing.

All of a sudden the car stopped. Frank noticed that he was on the old road again; about ten miles from home. He had slowed down because he saw something in the road and pulled over to the shoulder to investigate. It was about thirty degrees, cool even up here for mid October and the stars and moon shown bright. Still no snow. He looked west and saw some shadows moving.

Frank was not heard from for awhile.

The week passed and Sean got to work one minute early. Sean was a little 'anal' that way. NEVER GIVE THE BASTARDS AN EXTRA MINUTE. Well, one minute so there would never be an issue. This all when Sean put in at least eight hours on his pc at home on the weekends and at least eight more during the week.

Sean was a bit of a coward. And of course a control freak. All cowards are control freaks because they must fantasize that they have some control over a universe they know deep down is chaotic. However, except for raucous nights at the castle, his life certainly was one of quiet desperation.

It was noon when Mr. Spincter wandered into his office. Sean you are an acting Super for awhile.

Where's Frank?

We are attempting to discover that. Do you know where he was going last week.

Well he said the Twin Cities, his old haunts. He even spoke of visiting the U.

No, Sean. He never made the Twin Cities.

O my God said Sean. What could have happened to him? O, he might have changed his mind you know. I mean it was a free week. Maybe he did end up going south a ways. I suppose.

Well we have called his cells. His personal and his car phone. Nada. You sure Frank did not mention anything?

No Mr. Sphincter. I mean you have me concerned. I assure you I would not keep anything from you with regards to Frank anyway.

And in regards to anything else Sean?

Holy shite!!! What the hell was I thinking? Okay, gather yourself up boy.

Never mind idiot. Just make sure I get my t-4's and such over the next. Week. And if you hear anything, I WANT TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY. UNDERSTAND?

Understood, sir.

Sean left an hour later than usual that Monday. He was clearly shaken and decided to skip the castle on his way home. Flo had just moved out to live with her mother.

Don't you even want to know why Sean, she had said.

Of course he did not want to know why.

And since he had married rich, it should not cost him anything.

It was dark when he got home. Come on Sparkey, let's take a walk.

Arf. Arf. Sparkey, one of those smaller mutts that looks kind of like a lab came running in.

And Sean almost lost his lunch. Coming at him from the dark kitchen, Sean swore that Sparkey was sparkier than ever. I mean, he positively glowed.

Sparkey glowed blue in the dark. Since it was too late to do anything about it, if in fact anything could be done at all, Sean took his blue pooch out for his normal walk. All Sean could hope for was that the neighbors did not notice the anomaly. Quickly he took the dog to the trail in the wood, safely out of view.

Jesus H. Christ. Even his poop glows in the dark. Yuck.

There's something happenin here and I sure the hell do not know what it is, thought Sean.

Sparky sensed something in the bushes and pulled like crazy on the leash, until his collar broke. The little bugger took off on a start into the bushes, into the dark forest.

Sean took after the pet immediately screaming the nick name that now best described the little canine.

The idiot tripped on a fallen twig. Well Goddamn it all anyway. Hell, I don't even have my flashlight.

Just then Sean saw eight hungry eyes glowing in the dark. Staring straight at him and following him as he stood to leave. That was enough of his walk.

He ran home faster than he had run in a decade. Panting he got into the home. He ran to his little bar and fixed a three finger scotch and sat in the dark on his sofa. He still had not caught his breath and it seemed like seconds rather than fifteen minutes since the fall.

He grabbed the remote and put on a tune.

Take me now, baby, here as I am
Hold me close, and try and understand
Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe
Love is a banquet on which we feed

Come on now, try and understand
The way I feel when I'm in your hand
Take my hand, come under cover
They can't hurt you now can't hurt
you now, can't hurt you now

Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us [ x2 ]

Have I a doubt, baby when I'm alone
Love is a ring ,a telephone
Love is an angel, disguised as lust
Here in our bed 'til the morning comes

Come on now, try and understand
The way I feel, under your command
Take my hand, as the sun descends
They can't touch you now can't touch
you now, can't touch you now

Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us



He began to relax, finishing his drink and sinking into the sofa. He happened to look down.



His pants cuff was glowing orange.