El Chupacabra

It was about 10:45 Saturday night. Alonzo was in his pickup driving west along Church Street looking for his target. He saw the address on the side of the building confirming that he had found the site that he was tipped off about. He spun his truck around and headed toward a parking spot on the side of the street about a half a block back. He killed the engine rolled down his window and scoped out the area.

A block to the east was Border Grocery. No lights were on in the store indicating that it was locked up for the night. Two blocks west was a local nightclub, which was a local gathering place with live music on weekends.There were sounds of a band belting out a hip-hop tune. A few people were hanging around outside the door and others were trying to jockey around the door tenders trying to get inside. No one was walking on his section of the street. Alonzo had a clear passage once he made the decision for go time.

His Spidey-senses were picking up on something unusual but to back out was not an option. He had a narrow window of opportunity and he could not let this chance escape him. So he had to rely on his training to stay focused. His training consisted of a library of Jackie Chan movies with a smattering of Sammo Hung and Dave Lizewski flicks. His training consisted of self inflicted discipline. His sensei was himself. His mental focus was sheer will and a self-determined mind.

A visual scan of the area indicated that there was no imminent danger, he slid out of the truck and walked to the bed of the pickup and pulled back a heavy blue tarp that covered his weapon of choice. A bokken. The bokken has a wooden blade and is in the shape of a samurai sword. The bokken is more of a training weapon but can still inflict serious damage to an opponent. He didn’t want to kill anyone so an actual samurai sword was out of the question’ for this assignment anyway. The bokken, however, is a good alternative if self defence was necessary. It can cause, at least, a few bruises but it can also fracture bones and cause internal damage. For the average user the bokken wouldn’t be much defense against an opponent that had a firearm so, Alonzo’s Matrix-like abilities would have to kick in if ever called upon.

He slid on a pair of thin gloves slung his bokken over his shoulder and said a quick prayer before heading out. His target was a building that sat on the corner. He looked up at the street sign that told him where he was. It read Church St in one direction and State St in the other.

“No separation there,” he said to no one that was listening.

Alonzo crossed over Church Street and made his way part way down State street. On State street there was an alley that led to the rear of the municipal building where he was instructed that he would have clear passage

The building was a rarely used almost forgotten two story garment factory turned municipal building that sat several blocks away from the center of town. The building was bought by the city several years back when the old garment factory closed shop and was used for civic events and more recently as storage of city property.

Part way down the alley he found a new addition to the municipal property, a gate. The new fence with a gate that obstructed his way stood about eight feet high. Chain linked and no razor wire topping it. So, no real barrier to keep Alonzo out. It still would have been nice if A-F-F would have given him the heads up. A leap and flip ala-Jackie Chan and Alonzo was over the fence in a second.

Alonzo stood behind the building where there were two entry ways into the back of the building. One at ground level and a second one at the top of a metal stairway. On either side of the building was a drive that led to the front of the building where he could find other ways into the building if he wanted. The door atop the metal stairs, however, was his way in. He knew the door would be unlocked, which he was thankful for, having to break in would be too noisy. He just needed inside to find the package and get out in the quickest time possible.

Alonzo climbed the steps twisted the lever on the door and it whooshed open and he stepped in. He looked around for a moment to get the lay of the open room that he just walked into and then he heard clanking outside the door that he just came in. Someone was climbing the steps. In fact several people were climbing the steps. He hid next to a standing piece of equipment that looked like some kind of oven or clothes dryer just moments before the door whooshed open. Without seeing he could tell that there were two men and a woman.

“I really don’t know what happen to your stuff,” the female said.

“What you need to know is that I need da stuff or da money,” one of the guys said. And I need it now. How we gone take care of dat?”

Alonzo’s original plan was to get in and out of the building without getting seen but by the way this was playing out there was no way that he was getting out anytime soon. He had to do something...but what? He pulled down his hat that turns into a masks to cover his face with eye and mouth cutouts and peered around the corner to see what was happening. Directly beside him and not quite between he and the three others was a counter top with several items scattered about. Among those items was an unattended flip phone that decided to chime while Alonzo’s head was outside of its hiding place. Not only did chime catch the attention of the three arguing but Alonzo’s head that was floating near by caught it as well. At the moment that the two men made eye contact with their unsuspecting visitor they could see his head jerk in displeasure as he muttered something to himself. Alonzo sprang out of his hiding space stopping short of making contact with the two men. He thought giving these two thugs a chance to react to his encroachment was a fair thing to do seeing that this was going to be way too easy. Child’s play easy. Like a big league baseball player playing wiffle ball against a bunch of 10 year olds easy.

“Who the h-” the first man decided to swing and ended up with a broken forearm. Alonzo’s moves were lightning fast that the entire exchange from “what the h-”  to the last blow lasted two seconds flat. His next swing was a downward slash on the second man’s collarbone, he was trying to reach for something in his jacket. The third hit was the butt of the bokken on the bridge of the first guy’s nose breaking it and knocking him flat on his back. Alonzo brought the bokken to the ready for a fourth hit but none was needed.

He pointed the bokken at the ladies face in a non-threatening way.

“What is your name?”

“Golden” she said.

“You may leave.”

“I may leave? What do you mean? You might as well kill me. Do you know how much trouble I am in now? Who are you?”

Alonzo put his hands on his hips in a superhero stance with his chest puffed out and said “I am El Chupacabra!” and with a slight pelvic thrust he added, “extra spicy!”

Now, Alonzo probably did not know what a chupacabra was. He heard me order that at Garcia’s Mexican restaurant one time and it got a lot of laughs. It’s not really a food item, rather a mythical creature.

On his way out the door he swooped up the flip phone that made the chime that snitched him out.