Andrew Penny, Presidential hopeful and Governor of New Mexico walked off the stage, the applause from the speech followed him like a wave of fanatical love lifting him off his feet and allowing him to gently float into the waiting car, led by his security staff.
The speech had gone well; in fact it may have been a deal maker for his nomination as the GOP Presidential hopeful. He used reference after reference to God and he knew that was a winner. In fact during the speech many had actually been close to tears.
He had tried hard not to smile to himself when he described in dramatic manner how he had turned to God as a youth because there was no one else to turn too. He described in detail how God knew every action, every name and every sin ever committed by all of humanity. It had played better than his campaign manager and election staff had predicted and much better than the polling data said it would.
Alone he smiled, the self-satisfied smile of a wolf who had fucked the lamb then had eaten it. He chuckled to himself as the imagery played in his mind of the wolf/lamb encounter.
A close political ally had offered him the use of his weekend home in the Hampton’s, and Penny had taken the offer gladly. It would allow him and his staff the opportunity to plan their next step in seclusion and provide the kind of comfort even the finest hotels lacked.
When he arrived most of his staff was already there, Penny would stay in the main house along with his Chief of Staff and a few security people while the remainder would stay in the guest house several hundred yards away, the home had been carefully laid out and the views from the balconies gave the feeling of complete seclusion.
He removed his Jacket and loosened his tie then poured himself a large glass of single malt scotch, a sigh of satisfaction on his lips as the potent liquor went down his throat. He met with his Chief of Staff for around an hour then dismissed the man; he wanted to be alone to contemplate his upcoming victory and the feeling of satisfaction it would bring.
He glanced around the room, noticing the normal gifts he received from various lobbyist and companies who wanted to curry favor stacked neatly by the French doors leading out to the balcony. It was the typical spoils from his campaign speeches; everyone wanted to be his buddy and pal.
He shuffled toward the gifts and one caught his eye, it was wrapped in an unusual kind of paper that seemed to shimmer as he moved toward it. Picking it up he carefully unwrapped it, under the paper was a wood box that had a latch that was closed with a type of red wax with a seal on one side. He examined the seal which was the most intricate design he had ever seen.
Without thinking he broke the seal and opened the lid, inside was a doll, male dressed in a U.S Air force uniform, one that was no longer worn, but in the style of the one he had worn when he served in the Air force in the early 70’s. It was complete with a miniature .38 and k-bar knife, even the boots looked like real leather and had been hand polished.
As he examined the doll he was filled with a sudden dread, the face on the doll look like John Abrahams, Abrahams had been a backwater butter bar who had made it as an officer only because he refused to quit. His accent, hick manners, lack of social grace and atheism had grated on everyone who had met him.
During the fall of Saigon, Penny had been the pilot of one of the last choppers to leave the city that was being overrun by the Viet-Cong. Abrahams had been on the flight as well and was making sure that only those approved to be evacuated were on it.
As the panic rose from the onslaught of being overrun, Abrahams was forced to move an unsafe distance from the chopper. When the chopper was full Penny lifted off leaving Abrahams to fend for himself against the mass of people and Viet-Cong.
Penny knew he was killing the man, and he didn’t care, Abrahams was a Godless asshole and no one would ever miss him. As Penny lifted his bird off the roof of the building he locked eyes with Abrahams, and the look of utter hate and contempt that came from the man, had shivered his spine.
Penny was award a medal for his participation in the evacuation and had been enormously helpful during his campaign, and he had not given the man he had killed a second thought until now.
“What a sick fucking joke”, he said to himself in disgust and tossed the abomination toward the trashcan located near the fireplace. He was rewarded with a solid thunck, as it landed in the empty receptacle.
He rifled through the wrapping paper hoping to find a card or note attached from the sender, he would definitely remember to have a few choice words with whoever that was.
Nothing…………….
He watched TV for a short time, and then opened the French doors and stood on the patio that overlooked the manicured grounds. As he gazed across the expanse of woods, cut grass and flowers that lined the grounds he heard a noise coming from the room, the sound a something moving.
He walked back into the room and glanced around, everything was in its place. He shook his head perhaps he was more tired than he thought.
He again walked out onto the balcony, as he stood there he had a sudden sense that someone was standing behind him. Turning quickly he saw nothing, then for some unknown reason he looked down, standing on its feet was the doll, the miniature .38 was in its hands.
Penny looked in total disbelief, he must be dreaming, he even began to laugh, that was until the doll pointed the .38 at him and fired 6 times.
The tiny bullets struck him in the chest, and his scream was very real, the tiny rounds had drawn blood. When the gun was empty the doll pulled the tiny k-bar from its sheath and ran toward him.
Penny backed up in horror in fact he backed up far enough that he went right over the rail, falling over twenty feet ending in a sickening crunch of bone.
The doll stood at the edge of the balcony and looked down as if to assure itself the man was indeed dead.
Penny’s death made national news for many days the investigation concluded that it was the result of a freak accident, one thing that never made the news was the small doll that was found on the balcony, dress in a very authentic military uniform and the strange smile that was on its face.