{"id":201,"date":"2016-10-04T01:19:15","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T01:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/?p=201"},"modified":"2016-10-04T01:21:10","modified_gmt":"2016-10-04T01:21:10","slug":"fangs-of-the-ss-chapter-17-the-zombies-they-like-white-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/fangs-of-the-ss\/fangs-of-the-ss-chapter-17-the-zombies-they-like-white-meat\/","title":{"rendered":"(Fangs of the SS) CHAPTER 17: The Zombies, They Like White Meat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"If<\/a>
If you like this story, you might like this comic book.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As night falls, a businessman returns from a hard day of meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOk, so I pieced off the crap game to Stankovic, introduced Ferris to Muldoon over at the quartermasters, and told Darlac to find another sucker for his dope <\/span>bizness<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky is walking between the tents of Camp Cuckoo talking to himself. It\u2019s an old habit and one that people have warned him about for years. He doesn\u2019t care all that much. When he talks to himself, he uses such a mix of ungrammatical Russian, Yiddish, English, and even some Greek that he picked up on the Odessa wharves, that no one really has any chance of understanding what he\u2019s saying. \u201cJumping out of a plane is gonna be a fuckin\u2019 nightmare. But it\u2019s Leah. So, sure, I\u2019m going to jump out of an airplane in two days. I survive that, I make sure the Rabbi survives this queen bitch monster we\u2019re going up against, and then, little sister, I\u2019m coming to make sure you\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He stops his monologue. Something different up ahead, around a couple of tents. Not the usual chanting, weird mechanical noises, or something that sounded like some sort of wolf fucking some sort of cat. No, this is much more familiar to Mirsky. The voices of drunk and stupid authority throwing its weight around. A gentle smile appears on Mirsky\u2019s face. He rolls his shoulders, loosening muscles. He cracks his knuckles. He heads towards the voices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Three drunk white soldiers, two sergeants and a corporal, are clustered around a black guy in an Army uniform. Mirsky thinks he\u2019s seen him around Camp Cuckoo, maybe once or twice, some sort of hoodoo man. The soldiers must have gotten likkered up and got brave enough to come inside the wire of Camp Cuckoo to see what shit they could stir.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGod. Damn. I don’t fuckin’ believe what I’m seein’! A nigger in uniform! In uniform!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think I can allow this. I can not allow this uniform, this uniform of the American fighting man, to be sullied like this!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And now the corporal adds his voice, a yapping little dog. All three men have accents of the American South, Mirsky thinks. He\u2019s not really sure, he\u2019s not gotten further south than Newark in his couple of years in America. \u201cWe gotta erase this shame and teach this nigger a lesson.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The black guy keeps his voice low and his gaze lowered. He\u2019s letting himself get pushed around, offering no resistance. \u201cI don’t want no trouble. Just let me go on my way and we’ll forget all about this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky, still unobserved by everyone, blinks at that. The behavior is familiar from the streets of Odessa, Jews not wanting to cause offense, trying to act small so that the Russians, the Cossacks will move on and stop tormenting them. But the words, the words are words of warning. And he\u2019s not the only one to catch that. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the sergeants loses his shit. \u201cYou see? That’s what you get when you put a nigger in a uniform! He starts telling white men what to do!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe surely has forgotten his place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A hand goes out and grabs the black guy\u2019s uniform. \u201cYou get the hell out of that uniform or we’ll take it off you. And you don’t want that to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky looks around. These pieces of trash have picked their spot well, out of the way, nobody around, but that cuts both ways. He decides. It\u2019s been too long, too damn long, since he\u2019s put the hurt on some Cossacks. And these are Cossacks, no matter what their language. He steps out of the shadows. He can barely keep the anticipation out of his voice. \u201cMaybe you mugs don’t want to do that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The three white guys wheel and face Mirsky. The black guy fades back a little but doesn\u2019t run.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGet the fuck out of here, buddy. This don’t concern you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho the hell are you to tell us what to do? We’re doin’ what any right thinkin’ white man would do.\u201d\u201d He actually sounds aggrieved and put upon.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this one gets political. And starts with the finger pointing. \u201cMaybe you’re one of them pinko nigger lovers. Maybe you can’t stand to watch the white man stand up for what’s his.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I’m really fucking bored. You know how many times I’ve seen little shits like you? You know how many times I’ve killed little shits like you?\u201d Mirsky doesn\u2019t draw his gun, not yet, doesn\u2019t really need the hassle of cleaning up the bodies. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the white guys looks at the other two. \u201cThree to one. I like those odds. You’re gonna die here, you mouthy nigger lover.\u201d The three of them spread out and start to move towards Mirsky.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky smiles in anticipation and makes to pull his gun, but is interrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n

All four men have forgotten the black guy, intent on each other. They all jerk as he starts to speak. Not softly this time, no attempts to make himself smaller. He speaks loudly, clearly, confidently, with a religious cadence. \u201cAll of you so hungry for fightin’. So hungry for killin’. But I’ve got someone who’s hungrier. And now he comes to his table to eat. And he never leaves empty. Come, Papa Ghede, come, the table is set, come and feast.\u201d He gestures at three Southerners, an inviting wave. Then he stiffens, his eyes roll back in his head, the whites gleam in the darkness. Then he chuckles, deep and appreciative. His posture changes. And the voice is completely different. \u201cThis is a well set table that my horse has brought me to. Good eating.\u201d Another rolling chuckle that lifts the hairs on the back of Mirsky\u2019s neck. Oh, yeah, that\u2019s right, he\u2019s a hoodoo man. \u201cFinger licking good!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky takes his hand off his gun and steps back. The three white guys looks at each other, unsure, starting to be afraid. Something, hopefully someone, brushes up against Mirsky\u2019s back and he freezes. He swallows convulsively as the ripe scent of dead meat fills his nose and coats the back of his throat. Without moving his body, he rolls his eyes right and left and sees the still figures surrounding them. They stand awkwardly, twitch, and start to moan. Ghede, taking his time lights a cigar, one of the white guys, the leader, the one with the biggest mouth, he pisses himself, and when his cigar is going to his satisfaction. Ghede gestures and the dead men move in. Mirsky keeps still but he\u2019s not of interest. The white trash start to scream and yell in shock and then they start to beg. White guys, racists, beg and plead to a black man for mercy and forgiveness. The zombies attack them, drag them down, rip them apart with hands and teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n

The screams go on for a long time. No one comes from the tents to investigate. This is Camp Cuckoo, after all. There are plenty in the camp who can feel what is going on, can feel the cold pressure in the air, can feel the pressure of Ghede\u2019s feet on the earth. Those that can feel stay in their tents as Death sits at his table and tucks in. And those that can\u2019t feel, trust those who can, and stay in their tents. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ghede walks among the zombies, patting them on the head. They gaze up at him in bloody mouthed adoration. A few even offer him dripping gobbets, presented in cupped hands, sacrificial offerings of the tastiest bits.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the zombies are down to bickering over scraps, and his cigar is smoked down, Ghede bows his head. His shoulders slump, the mausoleum coldness leaves the air, and when he looks up, it\u2019s the other guy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky breathes out in relief. \u201cWell, shit, looks like you didn’t need my help at all.\u201d His voice isn\u2019t entirely steady.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, man, I ‘precciate the thought. Takes some stones to come up on somethin’ like this and not back down. My name\u2019s Marcus, by the way, Marcus Jones.\u201d He holds out his hand, a testing look in his eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky doesn\u2019t even hesitate, he has no reason to, and he shakes Marcus\u2019 hand. \u201cBenny Mirsky.\u201d The two men stand side by side and watch the zombies play with the bloody bones. \u201cI wasn’t lyin’. Been fightin’ fuckers like them all my life. Doesn’t matter what language they speak, what clothes they wear, they’re all the same. What you plannin’ on doin’ with this mess?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The hoodoo man\u2019s smile is broad and mocking. \u201cWell, since the Army done and gave me a shovel, I figger I’ll use it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky takes off his gunbelt and rolls up his sleeves. \u201cIf you got a spare, gimme one, I don’t mind throwin’ dirt on these schmucks’ faces, what’s left of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The two men start to shovel dirt on the chewed remains. The work goes fast with both of them working. The zombies stand back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bloody mouthed dead guys aside, this sort of work is familiar to Mirsky and it puts him in a reminiscent mood. \u201cShit, getting rid of bodies here is easier than in New York. Back there, you whack somebody, you gotta roll their body in a rug, drag it down to your car, drive it to the river, dump it, always scared shitless that the cops got an eye out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus glances sideways at him. \u201c<\/span>Sounds like you’re talking from experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky throws a shovel of dirt onto a gnawed skull and goes for a nonchalant tone. \u201cYeah, I was a hitter for some mobbed up black hats, Jews, back there.\u201d He\u2019s not sure why he\u2019s dropping his pants for this guy he just met, but this Marcus, he\u2019s got that air about him. He\u2019s easy to talk to. And then Mirsky figures it out. Yeah, just like the Rabbi. This guy\u2019s a priest. The last couple of days has made Mirsky a lot more ecumenical. So Marcus\u2019 congregation is a bunch of dead guys who like to eat people. So? The Rabbi\u2019s surrounded by living talking moving statues that he and his girlfriend made with help from God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus pulls a disbelieving face. \u201cYou weren’t never no gangster!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky pauses in his shoveling and looks straight at the hoodoo man. \u201cFuck you, I wasn’t. Been one since I was a little pisser in Russia, then in New York City after the fuckin’ Commies took over the rackets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNew York City, man! You musta seen some sights!\u201d Marcus\u2019 tone invites further reminiscences. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky leans on his shovel and obliges. \u201cYou can say that twice. Nothin’ else like that city, all lit up at night, the dames in the clubs, Broadway, all of it. All types.\u201d He nods at the Zombie Priest. \u201cYou should go when the war’s over. Fuck, up in Harlem, there’s even a crazy hoodoo fuck like you, goes by the name of Papa LaBas. You’d fit right in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow I know you\u2019re just fuckin\u2019 with me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo I look like I\u2019m stupid enough to fuck with someone like you?\u201d Mirsky shakes his head. \u201cNope, this is the straight skinny. Papa Labas, and lemme tell ya, nobody, but nobody fucks with him. Not my people, not the Italian mobs, not the cops, nobody. You, your talents, your\u2026\u201d Mirsky hesitates and gestures. \u201c- followers, all of that, you\u2019d find New York City a welcoming place. And hey, no offense or nothin\u2019, but it\u2019s gotta be better than whatever place you\u2019re from down south.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you ain\u2019t wrong about that. Maybe I will get myself up North.\u201d Marcus throws one last shovel of dirt over the scattered bones and steps back. \u201cThat’s good enough. The jackals will clean everything up after we move.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus hands his shovel to one of the zombies. When he sees that Mirsky isn\u2019t sure what to do with his shovel, he grins and takes it, gives it to another zombie. \u201cYou know, I think I\u2019ve seen you around here in Camp Cuckoo the last couple of day. You’re workin’ for that Jew priest and his walkin’ statues?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky brushes the dirt off his hands, keeps his tone nonchalant. \u201cYeah, I’m working for the Rabbi. What’s it to you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe something, maybe nothing.\u201d Marcus digs out two cigars from a breast pocket of his uniform shirt. \u201cSmoke?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t mind if I do.\u201d If the hoodoo man wants to take his time to get to his point, Mirsky has no problem giving him all the time he needs. He bends his head to the lighter flame that Marcus snaps on and draws deep. He ignores the way that the eyes of the zombies all follow the flame. Nice. Very nice and smooth. He mentions as much to Marcus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCuban, my man. Got a connection with a Cuban <\/span>santero<\/span><\/i>, their version of a hoodoo man.\u201d He draws on his cigar and comes to his point. \u201cSomethin’ one of them statues said to me recently. Said that me and my boy would be good at fightin’ the leeches. So now that you’ve seen my boys in action, maybe you can put a good word in for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou lookin’ to fight in the war?\u201d Mirsky exhales a plume of smoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus nods, his voice is tight with frustration and pride. \u201cDamn right!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The zombies pick up on Marcus\u2019 state of mind and get agitated: twitching, moaning, looking around for something to attack. Marcus mutters to himself, sticks his cigar in his mouth, and goes to calm them down. <\/span><\/p>\n

While Marcus does that, soothes the monsters, pats them, whispers in their rotting ears, Mirsky pulls on his cigar. The fragrant smoke covers up the smell of meat going bad and the shit smell from the white trash intestines buried nearby. He kicks some more dirt over a hand that\u2019s been stripped down to the bone and another facet of his plan starts to take shape. He stares blindly at the ground while gears whir behind his eyes. After all, nothing matters but Leah. He looks up as Marcus walks back towards him. \u201cEverything ok?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus nods.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got a pretty good hand with those\u2026 with them.\u201d Mirsky motion with his head. \u201cLet\u2019s take a walk, get away from this mess.\u201d The two men start walking aimlessly through the tents of Camp Cuckoo, trailed by Marcus\u2019 zombie cadre. \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about what you want. And understand, I’m completely on your side, pal. You and your dead boys are the types I want fightin’ with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus glances sidelong at the Russian. \u201cAny white boy talks as good as you do about me and mine, I know for god damn certain that there\u2019s one fucking huge catch comin\u2019 up. So tell it to me straight, gangster, what you got in mind?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky nods, concedes the point. \u201cRight up front, I\u2019m gonna say that no matter what you say to my proposal, I\u2019m gonna put in a good word for you with the Rabbi. Hell, a whole bunch of good words. You got that?\u201d He waits until the Zombie Priest gestures for him to go on. \u201cOk, so here\u2019s what I\u2019m thinkin\u2019. Really looks like the Army gives you the shitty end of the stick. It\u2019s filled with fuckin\u2019 crackers like those that you put the hurt on back there and they think that all you\u2019re good for is just liftin\u2019 and diggin\u2019. You want in on fightin’. Does it matter to you if you’re in the Army or not when you\u2019re doing that fighting?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, now.\u201d Marcus walks for a bit, concentrating on his cigar. \u201cThat\u2019s one real interesting question. Not what I was expecting at all. I think that you\u2019d better lay it all out. I know you ain’t plannin’ on joinin’ the Nazis, so what you got in mind? And keep in mind, I ain\u2019t interested at all in bein\u2019 your muscle for any kind of gangster shit. Yeah, America treats me second class, if I\u2019m lucky, but them Nazis, they\u2019re fuckin\u2019 evil. I can feel what they\u2019re doing over there in Europe. They\u2019re doin\u2019 shit that makes even Papa Ghede look away.\u201d He grips Mirsky\u2019s arm with enough strength to make his point abundantly clear. \u201cSo I want you to keep that in mind when you speak your next words.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Mirsky looks down at Marcus\u2019 hand until the other man loosens his grip. \u201cI\u2019m gonna give you that one for free, cuz you only know that I\u2019m a gangster. But don\u2019t talk to me about what\u2019s going on in Europe. It\u2019s my people that they\u2019re killing. I\u2019m here in this fucking desert instead of New York City because I want to kill Nazis. And I\u2019m gonna keep on killin\u2019 Nazis until they\u2019re all dead.\u201d He takes a deep breath and breaks the stare with Marcus. \u201cKillin\u2019 Nazis and keeping my family safe. That\u2019s what you can help me with. The Rabbi’s promised to help me with somethin’ and that somethin’ means I ain’t gonna be with the Army for much longer. And when that happens, I\u2019m going to be killin\u2019 Nazis on my own and I could really use your help with that. I can promise you a lot of fightin’ against Nazis. You’ll get to show them all what you can do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marcus puffs on his cigar and the glowing coal at the end of it reflects in his eyes. \u201cNow you\u2019re talkin\u2019, white boy. I’d be sure as shit be down for somethin’ like that. You’re damn right I’m tired of bein’ treated like a dog by the Army.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019s gonna happen right away. The Rabbi and his statues, his golems, they\u2019ve been assigned to take out some head leech bitch in some castle. And I\u2019m going along with them. When we come back, and we\u2019re comin\u2019 back, that\u2019s not even a question, then you and I meet again and we\u2019ll go start killin\u2019 Nazis together. Ain\u2019t gonna be here, I\u2019ll tell you that for free. We gotta get across the Med, to the Balkans, I\u2019m thinkin\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re talkin\u2019 full on desertin\u2019.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t you been listenin\u2019?\u201d Mirsky shrugs. \u201cThis Army don\u2019t care about either of us. We, you and me, want to do what needs doin\u2019. Killin\u2019 Nazis. We\u2019re both good at it and the Army is stopping us from doin\u2019 that. So, fuck the Army. Yeah, I\u2019m talking about desertin\u2019.\u201d Mirsky shrugs again. \u201cI\u2019ve got some ideas about how to make that happen and get across the Med. You put your mind to it as well, and let me know what you come up with when I get back with the Rabbi.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can do that.\u201d Marcus thinks for a couple of seconds and nods. \u201cYeah, I can get us all to the coast, that\u2019ll be the easy part. I\u2019ll think on how to get us a boat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo we got a deal?\u201d Mirsky sticks out his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got a deal. See you when you get back.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

They shake hands. The zombies moan happily.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As night falls, a businessman returns from a hard day of meetings. \u201cOk, so I pieced off the crap game to Stankovic, introduced Ferris to Muldoon over at the quartermasters, and told Darlac to find another sucker for his dope bizness.\u201d Mirsky is walking between the tents of Camp Cuckoo talking to himself. It\u2019s an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205,"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201\/revisions\/205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jasonbrezinski.com\/novels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}