Un2talented (Book 3 of the Un2 Series)

Leslie sat anxiously on the edge of his motel bed as he watched the sun slowly seeking the horizon. The parking lot lights flickered on against the violet and orange streaks of sunset that silhouetted the trees lining the motel grounds. The weather app on his phone told him to expect the sun to set just after five o’clock. It was two past five. It should happen any time, now.

Well-worn, fashionably torn jeans, a hooded pullover, and a pair of cotton boxer briefs sat folded and stacked at the foot of the bed across from him. They were placed so neatly it was as if someone took the time to measure in from the edges of the mattress to insure their proper placement. Red Chuck Taylors with rolled-up white tube socks stuffed into them touched heels against the footboard. “Bad Dog” had been written graffiti-style across the off-white rubber nose of each shoe with a ballpoint pen.

“I don’t know if I will ever get used to this,” Leslie said toward the bathroom as he examined his immaculately manicured fingernails. He jiggled his foot, nervously as he watched the last bit of purple sky surrender to black. He turned his attention to the carpet beneath his twitching foot.

“Just give it time,” a voice answered from behind the door.

Leslie heard the door open and looked up, only to be greeted by a set of male genitalia.

“Jeezus, Gary! Either put on a towel or take your clothes with you into the bathroom when it’s time to change!”

Leslie jumped up and pulled the drapes closed.

“I don’t think people need to see that!”

A tall, muscular, black male in his early twenties retrieved his briefs from the bed and put them on.

“Better?” he asked. He picked up and shook out his jeans.

“Better is in the eye of the beholder. Let’s say your appearance is more appropriate to your current situation,” Leslie chided.

“My, don’t we get wordy when flustered!” He joked. He pulled up his pants and slipped on his hoodie.

Leslie pulled the drapes aside and peered out into the parking lot.

“Where are those guys? Why haven’t we heard from them?” Leslie sighed.

“I don’t know, but we have to find out. I think we need to go back” he replied, now fully clothed.

“To the mansion?”

“Yes, to the mansion. We must go now while I’m in a position to help. Opposable thumbs make a big difference. Besides, you know they would do the same for us.”

Leslie’s face paled. “I don’t want to end up in the freezer again.”

“Nobody is going to end up in a freezer. Freeze you once, shame on them. Freeze you twice, shame on you!” Gary did the “shame-on-you” motion by swiping one index finger across the top of the other.

“Very funny,” Leslie groaned.

“Yes, I am. So, the first order of business is figuring out how to get back in there to look around. It’s a big place, there has got to be more ways to get in there than the front door and the kitchen porch.”

“Shouldn’t we focus on getting past the gate before we concern ourselves with getting in the mansion?” Leslie asked.

“Gate, schmate. We can climb the fence to get on the grounds if we need to. We will, however, need a cover story in case we get caught. How are you at making up stories? You any good at lying?”

Leslie thought a moment. “No, but I can keep a secret. Does that count?”

“No. Why would that even matter? What does one have to do with the other?”

“Let me explain,” Leslie started,” I’m no good at lying, but I can keep a secret. So, if you tell me a lie that I think is the truth, and then tell me that nobody can know the truth-lie you will have tricked me into going along with whatever story or lie you are trying to put over on someone. Got it?”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It does to me! Why would I lie about something like that? Do you think I am lying to you?”

“Well, no.”

“Gotcha!” Leslie laughed.

“What?”

“I lied to you about not being able to lie, and you bought it! Pretty good, huh?”

“Pretty crazy. So, how about you? Do you have any ideas about getting us back into the mansion, Mr. Pants-on-fire?”

Leslie paced the space between the twin beds while he formulated an idea. He pulled out his phone and swiped his thumbs rapidly across the screen. He brought the screen closer to his face and zoomed in on the aerial view of the DeLeon compound.

“It looks like the property has a fence on three sides and backs up to a large wooded area that then backs up to a lake. Look, there’s even a gravel path leading to a pier!” Leslie flipped the phone around to show Gary that there was indeed a pier.

“And that means?” Gary urged.

“It means it’s time to procure a boat.”