Mr. Claus 2022

Leroy stuck his head up enough to see Paloma and Goldie inside their pickup. He nodded to them and Paloma smiled back.
“Alright cowboys I hope you know what you are doing. We don’t need amateurs holding us back,” said Paloma with a smile.
Leroy laughed and said, “Don’t worry.”
“This ain’t like making cribbage boards at the North Pole,” said Goldie.
“And thank a god for that,” said William.
“We’ll take care of him. All you need to do is pull up in front of the restaurant,” said Leroy.
“Just like that?” Paloma.
“Just like that,” said Leroy.
Leroy and William took off across the street.
“Christmas must be a tougher racket than I had imagined,” said Paloma.

###

On the way out of the door Rufus saw what he thought looked like an elf on the sidewalk looking at him. Before he could react a man came up from his side and grabbed his elbow.
“Alright Mr. Rainbow Sherbert. No bullshit from you and you’ll be just fine,” said the man.
He tried to free his elbow but the man held it firmly and pushed him toward an old pickup double parked in front of the restaurant.
“Hey, what about my car?”
“It ain’t going nowhere. Now get up in the back,” said the man.
The elf pushed him from behind with what felt like the muzzle of a pistol.
Shit, and all this just because of a couple of fried chicken tacos, thought Rufus.
When they were up in the bed of the pickup the man knocked on the back window and they took off past his Mercedes. He was trying to think of a way out when the man the man looked over and shook his head.
“Don’t think about it. You’ll crack your head open like a cantaloupe,” said the man.
“We’re cool,” said Rufus.
“Where is your place?” asked the elf.
Rufus gave them the address of his apartment.
“You said we were cool. So please don’t insult my intelligence. Tell me where you were headed,” said Leroy.
He told him and the man knocked on the window. It was opened and he gave the address to the person driving the pickup.
He looked into the cab and saw the two women that worked for Don Julio.
Oh, man. How did she get me into this? thought Rufus and slumped into the corner of the pickup bed resigned to having the worst day of his life.