The Restoration Project

3.07 - Merrick

A chain link fence, with some crooked posts and most of the end caps missing, surrounded two buildings: an old 5 storey business structure and a motel. Like a mini New Philadelphia. An open gate, wide enough to admit a car, was the only access to the buildings—aside from scaling the fence and its barbed wire top. A man with his hat pulled down over his eyes slouched in a folding lawn chair outside the gate. He looked up as Merrick and Sunnyside approached.

"Who're you?" he asked, tipping his hat back. Dark eyes studied the duo. Rusty growled at the man.

"Does it matter? We're looking for Olaf," Merrick said.

The man raised a brow. "If I ask who you are, you tell me who you are or you ain't lookin' for anyone." To emphasize his point he uncurled from the chair, his full stature causing Merrick and Sunnyside to step back. He was a couple inches taller than Merrick and had at least fifty more pounds of muscle.

"I'm Merrick and this is Sunnyside, we're here to talk to Olaf," Merrick said. Arguing would have only prolonged the interaction and perhaps resulted in a fight they couldn't win.

"I'm Diego," the man said, his pencil thin moustache twitching as if his whole act was just to introduce himself. "Olaf ain't here."

"Where is he?"

"Do I look like his fucken' secretary?" Diego challenged. He was moody.

Merrick balled his hands into fists, but Sunnyside stopped him from doing something stupid by putting a hand on his chest. "Let's just go around this one, OK?" Sunnyside whispered in Merrick's ear. Then he turned to Diego. "What my friend meant to ask was when does Olaf's store open?"

"It's opening now," a voice sounded from behind Diego, inside the compound. "And, as to your friend's question, Olaf is at Frankie's, he won't be back till tonight."

Merrick stepped toward the gate for a better view inside and saw a woman with a short bob of blond hair in the doorway of the office building.

"But more importantly, what the fuck are you doing here?" the woman asked.

Merrick was taken aback by her brashness until he realized she was the reason Sunnyside came along. She had a similar brow and cheeks to Sunnyside, her eyes the same dark brown. Barbie Q.

"We're here because we need help," Sunnyside said. "And heard you're working on something that would do what we need."

"And what, exactly, do you think I'm working on?" Barbie Q challenged.

"Please, it's for my wife," Merrick pleaded.

"You think I care about his wife?" Barbie Q asked. Her similarities with Sunnyside didn't end with their physical characteristics. "Your reason for coming here better be good." She retreated inside, letting the door bang against the frame behind her.

"She's not being all that helpful," Merrick observed.

"She'll come around. She doesn't belong here," he said, and looked up at the building and back at the run-down motel to prove his point.

"You guys know her?" Diego asked. Merrick gave a curt nod and Diego continued. "You do not want to get on her bad side."

"This is none of your business," Merrick replied.

"You're right, but you ain't gettin' in there unless I say so." Diego moved his massive frame into the middle of the gate to reinforce his point.

"Don't be an ass Diego, let them in!" Barbie Q's voice drifted out one of the windows.

Diego sighed, his chest deflating. Then he stepped aside. "Don't do anything stupid in there, me and my brothers'll be watching."

Merrick was not happy with the thought of there being more men like Diego inside. As Diego collapsed back into his lawn chair, Merrick led Rusty into the compound. Sunnyside was a few steps ahead of him, already heading for the door to the office building.