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Fist Of Vengeance

12/8/2025

“So, are we doing this finally?” Jamal stepped into the breezeway.

Hassan led him to the garage door. “It almost doesn’t seem worth it. The Faransi already bought Dablan a new camel and sent a doctor out to fix his mom’s feet.”

“It’s the principle of the thing.” Jamal waved his hands overhead. “Besides, Ahmed already built it. No big deal. We plant the device someplace where it won’t do anything worse than make some American pee his pants. Is it too much to ask when you’ve been humiliated by audacious foreigners that somebody gets their pants wet?”

“That is worth the trip, mashallah.” Hassan pushed through into the garage.

The space was cut into portions of blinding light where the sun punched through the windows and portions of impenetrable darkness where the windows had been boarded over. At the intersection of light and dark, they saw an enormous clay pot.

“So, where is it?” Hassan asked.

Jamal grabbed a flashlight from a hook on the wall and searched the garage. “He said it was in here. It must be here somewhere.”

“I don’t know, Jamal. All I see is this giant honey pot.” He ran his fingers over the rough surface. “I think there’s writing.” He smashed his chest against the gigantic piece of crockery and grabbed the handles.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to turn this writing to the sunlight so I can read it.”

“I didn’t know you could read.”

“Oh, ha ha ha. You’re hilarious. Of course, I can read.” He wrestled the pot into the sunlight. “Now, let’s see.”

Jamal wandered over and cast the flashlight beam on the writing.

“Fist of Vengeance.” Hassan scratched his head.

Jamal stepped closer to read the inscription. “That’s what Ahmed said. Fist of Vengeance. He made a special one for this.”

“Hand me that flashlight. This can’t be correct.” Hassan checked the dark corners of the garage. “This can’t be correct. He always uses Aunt Safiya’s pots because they look like rocks.”

“She can’t throw a pot to save her soul, poor wretched woman. No wonder she can’t find a husband.”

“Well, that and she’s got a face that would frighten a djinn. Are you kidding me? This is the pot he expects us to plant? It looks like a pot, an actual pot.”

“And it’s big enough for both of us to hide in and have room for another. I don’t get it.”

Hassan pulled a paint can over and stood on it. He lifted the lid and pointed the flashlight inside. With a panicked gasp, he fell backwards off the can and scrambled away on all fours. “That thing is full of black powder!”

“That’s what we’re supposed to deliver? How are we even supposed to pick it up?”

“Forget picking it up. How are we supposed to plant it? Aunt Safiya’s pots are so malformed they look like janky rocks. This looks like bait for a giant cartoon bear.”

“It looks like it’s going to blow us both to the moon. What could Ahmed be thinking?”

“He wasn’t.” Hassan scowled as he hung the flashlight back on its hook. “Thrice-accursed defiler of other people’s goats! He’s trying to get us killed. Did you offend him? I didn’t insult him. Did you?”

“Hassan, you just did. That was really unkind.”

“You didn’t tell him I say stuff like that. Did you?”

“I certainly never heard you talk like that about him before, or I would have.”

Hassan ran a hand down his face and strove to control his breathing.

“What are you doing?”

“Reviewing my life choices and wondering how we got here. Look, if we don’t deliver this thing, they will all mock us. Even if we tell them about this.” He waved his arms at the giant pot. “They won’t believe it, and we’ll be derided for the rest of our lives.”

“Yeah, but if we try to deliver that thing, the rest of our lives will last until the first pothole.”

“Well, if Ahmed is so excited about this thing, he can help move it. I’m going to go outside and call him.”

“Why don’t you just call him here?”

Hassan glared at him. “Because if I call him in here, that will go off and we’ll be on the moon.”

“And you’d have to pay long-distance tolls then.” Jamal nodded.

Hassan shook his head and went outside.

 

Gary was stretched out in his easy chair, hovering on the edge of sleep. His return to work after a few days’ convalescence had taken it out of him. He could hear Teddy giggling. It brought a smile to his face as he nestled into the chair.

Abby stood up and draped a quilt over him. “Get some rest, Dad. You’ve earned it.”

“You know what Don said? Again?” He grumbled.

“No.” She knelt down beside him to scoop Teddy up as he crawled past. “What did he say?”

“Mentioned retirement again.”

“Is he having a budget issue? You’re only fifty-three.”

“Budget?” He sat the chair up. “Huh, I hadn’t thought about that. I’ve got thirty-five on the job already. I don’t know. I think he means well, but he is a manager. I’m sure somebody’s poking him to replace me with some entry-level kid.”

“What if you did?”

“Did what?” He rubbed his eyes.

She bounced Teddy on her knee. “What if you retired? Maybe you could do something else.”

He reached out, and Teddy transferred to his lap. “Something else? Like what?”

“I don’t know. What would you like to do? What if Monday had been worse and you couldn’t go back? If that had ended your career, what else do you think you might like to do?”

Gary held Teddy’s forehead to his own and looked into those amazing green eyes. “Oh no, Teddy. Mommy’s being morbid.”

“No, seriously, Dad. Maybe all this talk from Don is a message from God that it’s time to turn the page.”

He kissed Teddy all over his face, inspiring screeching giggles. “I guess, maybe. I never gave it any thought, Abbs. What do you think I could do?”

“Yeah, I don’t know either.” She sat cross-legged beside the chair. “If you had a hobby, maybe you could turn it into a business.”

“Oh, so now I’m boring and too decrepit to keep on working.” He held Teddy’s belly up to his face and blew raspberries. “Boy, oh boy, Teddy. This isn’t going how Mommy thought it was going to.” He handed the baby to her and pushed his footrest down.

“Where are you going?”

“Time for pie.”

“Really?”

“For pie that good? Definitely. Warm milk and a piece of pie. I don’t know if it will magically put an idea in my head, but it will go down really well with some soothing milk.”

Abby held Teddy close as she got up to follow him. “Well, now you’ve got me craving pie.”

“What brand is that? I’m going to want to pick up another one as soon as this one is gone.”

“Dad, I made it from a recipe Elka gave me.”

“Wow, maybe I should retire and we can start a pie factory.”

“Looks like your silicon spray worked.” The major opened the lock with a simple twist. “One less thing to worry about. Did you bring the wrench?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it.”

“You do that, son.” He flipped the pages on the clipboard to the first page of inventory. “I’ll get started on the Bible count while you secure the shelf.”

Matt grabbed the stepladder and climbed up to tighten the nut securing the structure. “What do you want for Christmas, sir?”

“You don’t have to get me anything, Matt. I appreciate the sentiment.” He eyeballed the Bible count and ticked it off.

“All due respect, sir, I already did. I mean, what do you really want? If you could have anything from Santa or your folks or whatever.”

“Oh, serious wish list item? Hmm, world peace would be nice. Second Coming, perhaps.” He chuckled. “You know what?”

Matt climbed down and folded up the ladder to stow it back in its spot.

“Mamaw’s pecan pie.” He smiled and shook his head slowly. “There’s pecan pie, son, and then there’s Mamaw’s pecan pie. I don’t know how she–”

The entire structure jumped and slid off its foundation.

The bookshelves shifted, and Matt could see the major’s head was about to be scissored between them. He threw the ladder aside and dove in beside his boss to toss him out to safety.

He couldn’t hear anything but a terrible ringing buzz. The shelf was tipping toward him. Matt tried to grab it to shove it back into place, but it slid down his wrist and pinned his arm between it and the neighboring shelf.

The snap registered as a felt sound. He didn’t hear his arm snap. He couldn’t hear anything over that buzzing. His brain had superimposed a Foley effect that told him it had snapped, followed by the Wilhelm Scream.

The major got up and staggered around momentarily.

Matt could see the cut on his forehead. ‘I thought I got him out in time.’

The major was talking, but Matt could only hear that horrendous tone.

Major Melrose approached him slowly, enunciating his words, hoping Matt could read his lips.

Does…Does it hurt?

“Well, it doesn’t tickle, sir.”

The major raised a finger and picked up the folding ladder. He brought it over and set it up behind Matt.

‘Oh, he’s giving me this to sit on so I’m not hanging here like a monkey in a tree. A monkey with an extra elbow? My arm isn’t supposed to bend there. That’s really weird.’

The major grabbed Matt’s face and enunciated again. Don’t sleep.

“Not tired, sir. Kinda worried about my arm.”

Stay with me. Corpsman coming. Hold fast. Order.

“Yes, sir. That’s an order. Good thing I got my presents mailed home at lunchtime, huh?”

Good job, Marine.

‘Can’t ask for more than that.’ Matt wasn’t tired, but he could feel himself fading. “Sir, what about your mamaw’s pecan pie? We were interrupted.”

Yes, good. Focus. Mamaw pie. Different. Better.

“Yeah, my Nana makes the best cupcakes. Even the Angel Kakes doesn’t make them as good as Nana.”

Grandmothers are miraculous.

“Amen to that, sir.” Matt wheezed and closed his eyes.

“…me?”

“Huh?”

“Corporal, can you hear me?”

Matt opened his eyes. He wasn’t in the storage unit anymore.

“Corporal Jozsa, if you can hear me, please respond.”

“Yeah, that ringing is finally gone. Where am I?”

“You’re at the base clinic, Corporal. We’re going to check you out and get you moved.”

“Why’s my arm so heavy?”

“It’s immobilized with a splint, and we’ve wrapped it in cold packs and towels to keep the swelling down. They’ll get you some dinner in a while and let you have visitors.”

“Visitors?”

“You’re a popular guy, Corporal.”

“Just call me Matt. Okay?”

“Sure, Matt. We’re going to keep you comfortable here overnight and get you on a bird in the morning.”

“A bird? Wait, forget the bird. Can you get me something for my neck? Ow.”

“You’ve got a lot of scrapes and contusions back here, Matt. What’s the story with those?”

“I pushed the major out of the way so the bookshelves wouldn’t mash his head, but my arm got stuck and the Bibles all slid down. A bunch of them nailed me.”

“Okay, that definitely explains what I’m seeing here. Hang tight, I’ve got an analgesic cream that ought to take the edge off.”

“Thanks. What’s this about some bird?”

“Airplane, Matt. They’re flying you home for Christmas. You done good, boy. You can take your busted wing and heal up with…”

“Mom and Dad. No wife yet. Not one. Not a dozen.”

The medic grinned. “A dozen? What’s that about?”

“Guy in the souk said he thought I had a dozen wives and a hundred sons.”

“Wow, either he likes you or he really hates you. I can barely deal with one wife.”

“I wouldn’t mind giving it a try if I can find the right girl.”

“That’s the spirit, Matt. Think those happy thoughts and your arm will heal up in no time flat.”

A young lady in scrubs approached. “Sir, is he okay to receive visitors?”

“Yes, you can wheel him out to recovery for a quick visit before we get him some dinner and tucked in for the night. Matt, can you hold on that pain cream?”

“I think sooner would be better, sir.” Matt blinked, but he still couldn’t see rank insignia on the medic.

“I can administer that before the visit. Lean forward, Corporal.” She unsnapped the fastener on his gown to reveal his neck and upper back. “Oh my, you really got worked over here.”

“Yes, ma’am. Serious case of the Mondays.”

She chuckled at that as she spread the lidocaine cream around, careful not to get it in any of his open cuts. “Sir, this one looks like it might need stitches.”

“Eh, couple of butterflies. He’ll be fine. Okay, Matt. We’ll see you for dinner in a little bit and take stock of the damage back here. Sound good?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“Good man. Go see your friend.”

The nurse snapped his gown shut and wheeled him out to find Joe waiting for him.

“Jeez-o-loo! What some people won’t do to get home for Christmas. Huh? You scared the pants off me, Matt.”

“Is the Chaplain okay? I saw him bleeding.”

“Just a scratch. Don’t worry about it. He’s good. How are you? Can I get you anything?”

“Hey, can you pack me a go-bag? I’ve got a couple of clean uniforms hanging up.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll duffel it up, nice and tidy. Nurse, what time is he flying out?”

“First thing tomorrow morning, probably.”

“Perfect. I’ll take care of everything. God, I’m glad to see you. I heard about how the storage shed got kicked over. It’s a wonder it wasn’t worse.”

“Yeah, it was a miracle the whole place didn’t roll over. What a hit. Do they know what happened?”

“They’re still investigating.” Joe shrugged. “Guess the Boom Bros got their two cents in. All this hullabaloo about a darned camel.”