Wesley Snipes - Talon of God

Spare some change for a veteran?

His words were empty, barely loud enough to be heard over the trains thundering on the elevated rail overhead. Some days, Lenny didnt know why he bothered. No one listened. Most of them didnt even look. They just walked by at top speed with their eyes locked on their phones, the sidewalk, the skyanywhere but the homeless man huddled in his nest of newspapers, rattling his paper cup.

Lenny didnt blame them. He couldnt stand the sight of himself, either. Or, at least, he couldnt when he was there. Present. Sometimes he drifted away, lost into memories that felt more real than the late November cold. When that happened, he didnt care about anything. This afternoon, though, he was most definitely here. Here and hungry, so he kept at it, repeating the words and rattling his cup at every person who passed.

Spare some change for a veteran? Rattle rattle.

More shoes walking by. No one stopping. No one caring. Sure, they were cold, too. But theirs was a temporary inconvenience. For him, this was as real as it got, and it was about to get worse. The sun was getting low. He needed to head for a shelterNovember nights in Chicago were no jokebut he couldnt go in with nothing, so he decided to push, raising his raspy voice over the roar of the trains in the growing evening cold.

Spare some change for a veteran! Rattle rattle. Spare some change for

His voice faded. Someone had stopped, a young black man in a heavy, black coat with the shiniest shoes Lenny had ever seen. That was a good sign. Stopping at all was a good sign, but shiny shoes meant money, so Lenny rattled his cup again, giving the smart-looking stranger a snaggletoothed smile. Spare some change for a veteran, sir?

I can do better than that, the man said, reaching into his pocket to draw out a crisp, folded bill. Whats your name?

Lenny, the homeless man replied promptly, reaching eagerly for the bill. He so rarely got paper money, but when he did, it was usually good. A five, maybe even a ten. Enough for a hot dinner, and maybe coffee tomorrow, too. But when his fingers closed around the money, the man with the shiny shoes didnt let go.

Tell me, Lenny, he said, crouching down so they were at eye level. Are you a God-fearing man?

Lenny knew how this went, and he nodded rapidly. Go to church every week.

The man arched a skeptical eyebrow, but Lenny wasnt lying. He hadnt believed in God since the war, but when you were homeless you spent a lot of time in churches because they were open, they were warm, and thats where the food was. Unfortunately, technical truth didnt look like it was going to earn him dinner tonight.

Is that so? the young man said, gripping the offered money tighter than ever. Show me. Quote me some scripture, and the moneys yours.

Lenny didnt know a word of scripture, but he tried anyway, reciting some phrases hed seen typed on the church bulletins he took for fire kindling. It must not have been good enough, because the man snatched the bill right back out of his hands, making Lenny cry out. Come on, man, he begged, watching the man pocket the money again with loss in his eyes. Have a heart. Im just trying to survive.

Really? the man said. Just survive?

Lenny nodded. Aint we all?

For some reason, this made the man smile. And what if I were to offer you something better? he asked, reaching his gloved hand inside his heavy winter coat to pull out a small glass bottle filled with a liquid so bright green, it almost seemed to glow in the dim light. Something new?

Lenny recoiled at once, swearing to himself. Just his luck. The one bite he got tonight, and it was a pusher. Unlike a lot of people hed met on the street, though, Lenny didnt truck with drugs. Hed had enough chemicals sprayed on him in Nam to last five lifetimes.

Nah, man, he said, scooting backwards farther into the shelter of the bridge. I dont touch that stuff.

Its free, the man said, tossing the green vial casually in his hand. Try it.

The first hit was always free. Nah, Lenny said again, backing away. Im clean, man. I dont do that.

Even if he had been a druggie, he wouldnt have touched the stuff in the mans hand. Lenny had never seen anything like the green liquid in the bottle, but it reeked of rotten eggs. Yet another reason to get out of here quick, before things got weirder. But as Lenny pushed himself off the pavement to walk away, the man in black grabbed his arm.

I think theres been a misunderstanding, the stranger said softly. That wasnt a request.

Lenny swore and yanked, trying in vain to escape. It should have been easy. Hed been a soldier once, and still made a point to keep himself in decent shape, despite his life on the street. But the man in black was freakishly strong. No matter what Lenny did, the stranger moved him as easily as hed move a child, letting go of his arm to grab Lenny by the jaw. He started to squeeze then, forcing Lennys mouth open with one hand as he popped the lid off the vial with the other. Eyes wide, Lenny lashed out with his feet and fists, but the man just seemed to absorb the blows as if they were nothing as he poured the green substance down Lennys throat.

It tasted as vile as it smelled, and Lenny tried to spit it up, but it was as if the liquid was climbing down his throat. Worse, it hurt. The burn was so bad that Lenny couldnt even scream. His body had clamped up the moment the green crap touched his tongue. He didnt even feel the sidewalk when he fell backwards, his body convulsing in the alley as the burning liquid rolled down his cheeks and sank into his skin. He was still fighting to take a breath when he heard the man whisper in his ear.

Thank you for your service.

Lennys eyes bugged open, but he couldnt say a word. He couldnt breathe, couldnt move, couldnt do anything but lie there and watch the strangers shiny shoes as they walked away, vanishing into the crowd of oblivious evening commuters pouring down the stairs from the elevated train station across the street.

No one caring at all.

Lauryn didnt know it was possible for a cell phone ring to sound furious until hers went off, screaming like a banshee through the heavy fabric of her winter coat. She grabbed it as fast as she could, smiling apologetically at her clearly annoyed fellow commuters cramming the Chicago L car before turning to the window and whispering into the receiver, Not now.

Yes, now! Naree yelled on the other end, her normally faint Korean accent thick with righteous anger. Are you out of your mind?

Lauryn winced and hunched farther into the cold train window, meeting the annoyed gaze of her own exhausted, brown-eyed reflection as she adopted her calmest roommate-soothing voice. I wasnt trying to

Do you know how many asses I had to kiss to get you that interview? I sold you to the head of HR like you were the second coming! That job was as good as yours. All you had to do was show up and say yes. So why didnt you?